When Margazhi begins, Chennaiites head to sabhas and temples, and the houses are traditionally rather festive in appearance. It is not uncommon then to find restaurants that emulate the theme as well, and J Hind has done exactly that with the Grand Gana Sabha food festival.
While the interior of the restaurant has been spruced up, the chefs have also created a new menu that guests can savour while watching a live music performance. The dishes, as is always the case with J Hind, are made using different techniques.
We began with the amuse-bouche, which was the Masaledar Dal Espuma Ragi Crumb, Blue Pea Shot, and Malibu Sphere. The sphere, which burst into the mouth, tasted like lassi, and the saffron added a nice touch too. The Blue Pea Shot, on the other hand, turns purple when one adds lime juice to it and brings in some drama!
After drinking some warm White Pumpkin and Cherry Tomato soup, which was served with crispy lotus stems, we moved on to the starters. The standout dishes of the lot were the Shrimp and Coriander Dumplings and the Pepper Lamb Brain Tartare Pav.
Served with a spicy tomato-based sauce and a chilli sauce, the dumplings were delicious, period. On the other hand, the pav was a misleading dish, in a good way. To look at, the dish is like any other pav bhaji one can buy all across the nation. But when consumed, the lamb brain's richness and gooeyness blow one's brain away! Other dishes that one can try are the Kothimbir Vade, Malai Brocolli Cheese Nuggets, Kimchi and Peanut Dumpling, and Chilli Lollipop with Curry Leaf Tempura.
Moving onto the main course, we tried the Ring Idly with Gothsu, which reminds us of a traditional dish that is very famous in the state. It was simple and flavourful and the idly that came with it was soft. Seafood lovers can also opt for the idly with Chemeen Curry, which is rather wonderful as well. However, the best of the mains was the More Kali, which can be had with either Ellu Thuvayal or Kari Kuzhambu. Put simply, the dish is phenomenal, and those who love traditional Tamil Nadu food will especially appreciate the kali, for it was done to perfection.
Also read: We try some delectable dishes made with seafood at the latest food festival at Malgudi
Then came the time to eat dessert. We tried the Sandalwood Ice Cream, which was done at the table using liquid nitrogen. The visual drama aside, the ice cream had a good taste. Here's a heads up: be ready to witness some rose smashing before you get the chance to tuck in.
Veg: INR 2,000++ (per person). Non-vegetarian: INR 2,300++ (per person). On till January 14, 2024.