Memory, music, and modern Indian cooking meet at this Chennai diner

FIRO is one of those places that asserts itself the very first moment you step in. Spread across two floors with high ceilings, clean lines and an understated elegance, the restaurant has a way of slowing you down. We were told this is intentional

FIRO: When modern Indian dining resists the rush

The bar sits at the heart of the room, unobtrusive but grounding. The restaurant seats over 50 people, yet the atmosphere never feels crowded. What stayed with us longer than expected was the playlist. At one point Cliff Richard melted into Jim Croce, and by dessert ABBA and Lana Del Rey were keeping us company.

Seated with owner Ashish Thadani, we began to understand the mix of vision and warmth behind the fine diner. FIRO recently opened for lunch, and the idea is to allow guests to linger with a drink in hand and try more things without filling up too quickly. It has also shifted to two-batch plates from four so diners can explore the menu at an easy, steady pace.

And then there is their secret weapon. Chef Ajit Bangera, formerly the executive chef of ITC Grand Chola and the man who helped shape Avartana into an award winning experience, leads the kitchen along with Chef Abhishek Mody. We found ourselves swapping stories about idlis which made us laugh a little because food nostalgia has a way of bonding strangers instantly.

Our meal began with their playful take on chaat. We were served a velvety yoghurt sorbet, topped with karari spinach papdi, dotted with a deep red beetroot and coriander chutney and speckled with pomegranate. As we cracked the papdi and dipped it into the cold creamy mound, Chef Ajit said, with a soft smile, that this was his interpretation of chaat. Having dessert first brought on a small, unexpected wave of liberation. It reminded us of those tiny rebellions we allow ourselves, like stripping all the sheets off the bed and sleeping on the bare mattress, or eating dinner at four in the afternoon, or walking without a destination. Sometimes ritual needs to be broken for joy to return through a side door.

From this point on, the meal felt like a steady unravelling of memories, techniques and decisions. The menu, curated by Bangera and Mody, draws from the length and breadth of India’s culinary memory. Each dish nudges traditional forms into contemporary expressions.

One of the early standouts was the Beef pasand. Thin slices of tenderloin sourced from Kerala rested on a base of fermented green peppercorn. It arrived dotted with an emulsion of kasundi mustard and local tomato pickle and finished with microgreens. Chef Abhishek later told us that the idea was to highlight seasonal green peppercorn, an ingredient he feels is underused, and to let this beautiful Indian beef shine.

Then came the chestnut and creamy cauliflower dumpling with a Byadgi chilli relish. Soon after, we tried the smashed jackfruit sliders. Chef Abhishek came by and asked us to guess the meat. The texture was convincing enough to make us pause, and the pickled mustard brightened everything.

What followed was the Bheja masala. Lamb brain arrived in crisp tarts, offset with mint relish and pickled radish. It was bold and tender at once. The Murg malai chop was another lesson in technique. Exceptionally tender, it carried a clean coriander mint relish. When we asked how it was cooked, Chef Abhishek only said that the technique was patience, both in marination and cooking.

The mains were even more compelling. The Morel tempura, named so although it avoids traditional tempura batter, uses a fermented wheat flour batter mixed with fresh herbs. The morel itself was stuffed with cream cheese, paired with a clove smoked carrot purée made only from carrots cooked in their own juices. A drizzle of truffle oil brought it all together. As Chef Abhishek put it, morels grow in the forests of Himachal and Kashmir and are usually reserved for hotel menus. FIRO wants to break that pattern and bring rare ingredients to regular diners.

The Madras chilli beef was fresh and sharp. The idea, the chef said, was to retain the juiciness of the beef instead of burying it under spices. Fresh green chillies, tamarind and a wok style preparation shape its flavour, resulting in something spicy, savoury and earthy with what he calls a stingy illusion of heat.

Dessert ended beautifully. We tried the Coconut parfait layered with pineapple and candied ginger, speckled with cacao nibs and touched with coriander coulis. Chef Abhishek told us the earlier version used tepache but only received polite reactions. The team wanted the dish to feel exceptional. The coriander coulis is unusual but adds the right sweetness while still allowing the fermented pineapple memory of tepache to linger.

Meal for two: ₹2,500. Lunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Dinner through the week. At FIRO, 57, 2nd Main Road, Govindaswamy Nagar, RA Puram.

Email: shivani@newindianexpress.com
X: @ShivaniIllakiya

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