Gluten glutton

We were trying to find our way to the newly opened Dou at Nungambakkam till we realised that earlier it was called Soul. As we eased our way through a fragrant store full of home furnishings, our appetite was quite worked up till we took an elevator to the second floor. The first part of the restaurant is more of a coffee shop with several types of pastries, cakes, breads and similar. Further comes what they called the terrace restaurant that has quite a large food menu on offer, along with signature beverages.

We decided to start off with their famous Vietnamese salted coffee – a rich, creamy variant of cold coffee, made with condensed milk and Himalayan rock salt. It was just amazing – the salty taste mingled perfectly with the sweetness of condensed milk to give it a nice lingering flavour. Our first course was the chicken Caesar salad, loaded generously with grilled chicken, besides a lot of Romaine lettuce, Kalamata olives, cheese, croutons, all drenched in an anchovy cheese sauce. The most important thing about any salad is the leafy part, and the lettuce was quite fresh and crunchy. The cherry tomatoes were fresh too and along with the cheese, imparted a great flavour to the salad. We are not big fans of salad, but this one took the cake away (literally!).

This was followed by a very interesting item called Chettinad Mushroom Brioche Toast. There are very few places that get the ratio of the eggs and butter right, but Dou got it nailed. The mushrooms were also delicious, with the taste of the garam masala being very distinct to the black pepper. It was not fiery at all and the overall combination was quite favorable. We decided to go further towards the continent, and our next dish was the Lamb Ragu Tortellini, a type of pasta with ricotta and parmesan cheese, on a bed of lamb mince. This was accompanied by a rustic garlic bread, and the taste of the pasta was outstanding. Even the Ragu had an incredible flavour with its rich sauce comprising simmering luxuriously tender lamb, tomato, red wine and herbs. This was no doubt the standout dish of the meal.

Overall, the meal at Dou was delicious. It is a place to enjoy a hearty meal and there are many vegetarian options as well as some vegan options. Just don’t watch for your calories here.

Price: INR 1,400++

Timings: 8am to 10pm, Sunday to Thursday and 11pm on Friday and Saturday

At Dou, Old 4, 7, Rutland Gate 5th St, Srirampuram, Thousand Lights West, Nungambakkam