Here is where you can revel in Indo-Italian dishes in Chennai

Imagine being halfway through an Italian six-course dinner and finding yourself with a refreshener that reminds you of the beaches in Chennai. It should confuse your palette and yet, it doesn't. The fact that a typical South Indian snack could be turned into a refreshener to cleanse your palette further adds to the experience you will have at On The Rocks in Crowne Plaza, Chennai.

To enjoy a sumptuous meal, one would also require the ambience to be good, especially if your significant other is going to be coming along, and it was. The lighting was set perfect, as was the music and so was the furniture, which set the tone for a romantic dinner.

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First up, we were served the Beetroot Rigatoni (Apple compote, Rosemary diplomat and Abby beet). It had a rather mild taste and the beetroot which binds everything together was fresh and sweet. But the way the starter was presented had us impressed hands down, more so than how the dish tasted.

Then came the hot cups. We tried both veg, which was Gnocchi and Leek (Charred leek, Potato souffle and Onion Madeira gel), and non-veg which had us tasting the Watercress and Shrimp Tortellini (Watercress verde, Tuscany shrimps and Nasturtium).

Of the duo, we liked the Gnocchi and Leek more, for its forest concept and the way the mushroom appears to go back into the soil when the soup is poured is a visual treat. As for the non-veg hot cup, the soup (watercress in this case) overpowered the tortellini which tasted fine on its own.

As soon as we were done with the hot cups, the small plates arrived. For veg, there was Vedura and Anarcadi Fagottini (Caponata vegetables, cashew, coriander aioli), while on the non-veg side we were served Formaggio Di Pollo Lasagne (Piccata chicken, Buffalo Mozzarella, Romesco).

These were a real surprise. The Fagottini was decidedly Indian in the way it looked and tasted, with the coriander aioli further strengthening the case. The Lasagne was fried (yes, you read that right) and in the place of the pasta sheet, the chefs had used Mozzarella sheets instead. Both tasted rather well.

Chef Gangamuthu, who helped create the menu explained that the team wanted to go for a green theme and an Indianised version of Italian dishes. "We planned the menu as a global menu. From the beginning to the end, there are pasta related dishes in it. Yet, the small plates have an Indian concept. We tried to bring in Indian recipes with the fagottini pasta," he stated.

The refreshener -- Fruit Tagliatelle (Hong Kong Pink Guava, Red chilli, sea salt) -- was fantastic as mentioned above. The best thing is that it was simple and the guava had the bounciness of a jelly. The idea to use guava with salt and red chilli powder for the refreshener came after the team was having the same as a snack. "We thought this could be used in our Italian menu and so we incorporated it into our meal," said Gangamuthu.

Moving on to the large plates, we tried Wild Mushroom Caramelle (Truffle creme, Pepperoncini Olio, Garlic herb, Alba caviar) which was creamy with a proper texture and it had a zing to it. The Meatball Spaghetti (Puttanesca, vedura Spaghetti, Lamb loin, Flora fauna). The latter was the most confusing dish, when it came to the concept and how it tasted, as the meatballs were made using lamb instead of beef and the spaghetti was made from vegetables.

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Having found our stomachs filled with enough food for the night, we could have done without the dessert. But, one should try the Bailey Cannelloni (Bailey's creme, Almond Meringue, Single Origin Cacao) to understand why skipping it would be a mistake. The richness of the chocolate and the cacao was the star feature of the dish, no doubt. Be sure to give it a go, tummy full or not.

Veg - INR 2,000++, Non-veg - INR 2,300++. On till May 28, 2023.