If you’re a sushi lover, KooX 2.0 is the place to go. The rooftop Asian grill at Novotel Chennai Chamiers Road reopened after being closed for five days, earlier this month with a revamped menu adding more sushi, skewers and Sichuan grills to the mix. And while the interiors are more or less as you remember it, look out for a few added tropical accents, starting with the two fish (light fixtures) at the entrance, who have been given names for a bit of fun — Nemo and Bubbles. We’re tickled pink. As pink as the tuna in the newly-added Angry Maguro Sushi which gets its name from the punch of spicy mayo on top, but we’ll get to our tasting experience in a moment.
Open sesame
As we settle into our seats, founder of KooX, Shweta Gupta, tells us that unlike the usual ‘new menu’ which is worked on for a couple of months, this menu refresher has been curated from ‘festival bestsellers’ over the past three years. We listen in over spoonfuls of Aona Go Mae which is a Japanese-style cold plate of spinach laid in a bed of sesame sauce, and a good choice for a warm summer afternoon. Honestly, we weren’t expecting to enjoy this as much as the crunchy Negi Tempura Roll or succulent skewers of Prawn Wrapped Bacon, but definitely order this one on your next visit. It will literally ‘open sesame’ those taste buds!
Never let you gyoza
We also get a skewers Chicken Yakitori, fresh and juicy off the grill; for vegetarians we recommend the wafu-marinated Water Chestnut and Broccoli option. And wash this down with refreshing sips of the Toki Highball which is among a handful of new additions on the beverage menu. The mix includes Toki whisky, Cointreau, Club Soda and for a citrus element, orange rind. Shweta makes it a point during our meal to draw attention to a brand new category on the menu, as well. “We have always wanted to do gyozas and now we have eight on the list, which includes both veg and non-veg,” she tells us.
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We sample the Sichuan marinated Chilli Chicken and Mozzarella Gyoza which does not disappoint, but are more taken with the Truffle variant that comes with edamame and a luscious cream cheese. Also, quick to follow is an impressive Truffle Garlic Sticky Rice which is so good we recommend you eat it on its own and skip the usual accompaniment, which could overpower those delicate flavour notes. Another must try are the New Zealand Lamb Chops, grilled in a flavour bomb of Sichuan pepper sauce. However, the Wasabi Creme Brûlée is a skip for us, with potent hits of wasabi that interrupt instead of enhance this classic dessert.
Meal for two, including beverages at INR 4,500++