Ever felt curious about the experience of enjoying a traditional Mediterranean meal in the ecstatic Mediterranean environment? Well, Chennai has now got the perfect fit for this experience. A beautiful rooftop property, Ignna by Midnight Sun is the newest addition to our list of must-visit places this year. With the décor perfectly replicating a traditional Moroccan space, with the dreamy night lights and traditional shamiana-like canopies, we were hooked the moment we stepped in. As we sat down, a simple candle placed on the table really put us in the groove along with the familiar musical hits playing in the background.
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Zaalouk for me
The charm of this place is only elevated with its new spread of exotic dishes. Among a wide spread of delectable starters, it was a challenge to decide which left the better mark on our taste buds. While the Moroccan Watermelon and Feta Salad was the better among the salad variants, the real MVP among starters had to be chosen between the Zaalouk, Fried Calamari and Pan Grilled Sugarcane Prawn Cakes. The tangy and slightly spicy flavours of aubergine and tomato dip of the Zaalouk worked wonders with a perfectly toasted spread of garlic bread. The Fried Calamari had the perfect crunch and its piquancy was highlighted beautifully as we dipped it in the Spiced Picante Sauce. But what definitely stole the show was the Pan Grilled Sugarcane Prawn Cakes. This dish brought about an epiphany for the tastebuds, experiencing the perfect dish that embodied favours of sweetness and spice in a succulent unison. The soft texture of the prawns and the medley of flavours were only enhanced with the Sweet Chilli sauce that came with the same.
Prawn hummus for the win
Then came the spreads of hummus variants. Ranging from Beetroot to Ignna’s signature preparation of the Za’atar Labneh, we were treated to a heavenly spread of well-made, fresh hummus that had the correct amount of sourness, absorbing the seasonings and spices well in its mixture. A special mention also goes out to the Prawn Hummus which will definitely work wonders with its spicy mix of flavours. Devouring one pita bread (each filled with a specific hummus variant) after another, we were left wondering if anything could top this. And lo! We were presented with a large variety of the main course dishes, including the Chermoula Paneer, and Prawn Tagine that faired well when compared to the starters.
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Lahmacun, let’s go!
But the highlight of this course undeniably lies in the form of the flatbread variants that followed. Reminding us of a traditional thin crust pizza, in appearance, we were surprised with what it had to offer. Our bellies are almost at full capacity by this point, but we couldn’t resist the mouth-watering aroma of the Lahmacun Chicken which had the perfect amount of spice with slight undertones of smoky flavour in its spread of the minced chicken. While we were served some warm Moroccan Baklava and Kunafa that just melted in our mouths, we couldn’t help but take a walk around the premises of the restaurant that we were in awe of during the entire meal. As Midnight Sun Creative Director & Founder Thirukumaran Roopkumar gave us a tour of the perfectly Instagram-worthy location, we noticed the restaurant also had private dining spaces that could be reserved for events.
Our verdict: Ignna is an unskippable destination that offers a one-way ticket to the Mediterranean for the weekend.
Meal for two: Rs. 1,600.
At Sterling Road, Nungambakkam.