Hyatt Regency Chennai is celebrating its 11th anniversary this month. And for long-time patrons and new, executive chef Deva Kumar is rolling out two special curated menus from the property's Italian and Chinese restaurants, Focaccia and Stix. "Each menu will have 11 dishes that have been favourites and hot sellers over the past decade, all the way back to the beginning," says the chef.
Orange you lovely?
We are invited for a degustation of the anniversary a la carte menu at Focaccia and find ourselves sipping on a smooth Espresso Daiquiri (you could order yours laced with rum) from the 11 beverages put together by their in-house mixologist for more 'spirited' celebrations. Our meal is kicked off with a Smoked Duck salad which chef Deva tells us is perhaps the oldest dish on the menu. But old is gold as they say. And this plate with tender cuts of meat and fat paired with mandarin orange segments and a bed of mesclun greens is a delightful song with a hint of a high note from the zesty orange dressing.
What follows is a bowl of comforting Porcini soup, poured over a second type of mushroom for some variety - delicate white stalks of shimeji. The soup is a light brown and not the prettiest but it does check all of our boxes on taste, including a hint of crunch for texture variant. Chef Deva skips on the croutons and opts for little surprises of finely diced chestnut instead.
Pistachio meets tuna
The appetizers gradually begin to get heavier as we go forward now. We love the deep magenta pink of the Beetroot Risotto that arrives next, serving Arborio rice that is mildly al dente and pops of zing from bits of lemon rind in the mix. However, there seemed to be a lack of seasoning in this one. Later we enjoy a main course of Pistachio Crusted Tuna Steak with dollops of dill mustard and sour cream that offer a lovely contrast to our steak which is as we had hoped, perfectly pink in the centre.
The real showstopper of our meal, however, turns out to be an option we would have on a regular day skipped entirely - a rather run-of-the-mill sounding Pumpkin Ravioli. One bite in though, and we are hearing birds chirping in our ear. The pumpkin on the inside of each ravioli square is mashed with the goodness of ricotta with shavings of parmesan on top for more cheese. Meanwhile the ravioli, chef Deva explains, is cooked in a rich sauce of butter and vegetable sauce sparing no guilt on indulgence before it is served with green spears of asparagus and a mellow, sweet braised fennel. We almost close our eyes to savour each bite.
Berry good
Dessert is a Tinder match with plenty of chemistry: raspberry and white chocolate. Our plate is a vision of red with a crimson dome covered with raspberry cocoa mud. Inside is a White Chocolate Bavarian, soft and light as mousse with a raspberry coulis tucked in the middle, to complete this sweet and tart work of art.
For dinner only, a la carte. 7 pm to 11 pm. From August 5 to 14. Meal for two at INR 3,500++ without beverages and INR 5,000++ with beverages.