Popular restobar Dank, in T Nagar, is buzzing even on a Monday night. We headed over for a taste of their revamped menu, which comes after nearly two years, curated by celebrity chef Saby Gorai who was in the city recently. Expect plenty of new additions to their existing cuisines of European, Mediterranean and Asian, as well as some unexpected Indian progressive flavours, creatively woven into western formats. Slow-cooked Rogan Josh in a cigar roll, for an appetiser, anyone?
Patty starter
“Dank is slowly repositioning itself from a high-energy space known for glam and hip music to a gastropub with high-quality food,” shares Saby, who shuttles between his home in Delhi to Chennai, several times a year to work on new concepts with the food. In 2023, the International Year of Millets, we’re told to look out for millets in various forms on offer and plenty of clean eating options to choose from with fresh greens, handmade pastas, pizzas and breads. Like the Slider platter with pops of colour from the burger buns — which are pink, green and black — naturally dyed with beets, green spinach and activated charcoal. The patty, prepped with a novel beet and peanut mash tastes as good as it looks.
Tequila in a pickle jar
As for shareable plates, expect everything from Turkish kebabs to fresh handmade tacos to sliders and bruschetta. We dig into the latter. Interestingly, this is a gojju-inspired variant, complete with spicy tomato chunks, a liberal dose of garlic and sautéed curry leaves. Definitely give this one a try. And the non-vegetarian option, with a topping of Mangalore Chicken Ghee Roast is just as delightful. We chase this down with a cocktail that we sip out of a pickle jar made of tequila and the chef’s in-house mango paste.
For a dose of crunch, we get the Frizzy Cottage Cheese, which gets its name from a dramatic Medusa-like appearance. Served on a bed of spring greens with a bell pepper dip on the side, we enjoy the fun play of texture and taste. A stark contrast to this is the indulgent Ravioli platter, pockets of bell pepper and cream cheese that sit pretty in a creamy truffle cheese sauce. Meanwhile, for those craving a bowl of desi comfort without feeling too heavy as you chug a beer, try the new Indian Kachori section with mini bowls of everything from Butter Chicken to Bombay Dal Tadka. The bread accompaniments like a Jalapeño Cheese Naan are also sized down for the perfect pairing.
Suey with me
We decide to go the Burmese route instead and opt for a hearty Khow Suey — the secret to the delicate flavouring of the coconut broth, we’re told, is that it is cooked in the same oil as the toppings like the fried onions and garlic. For dessert, enjoy a mini degustation platter of four eggless desserts — which is an easy choice for anyone with a sweet tooth. Our favourites were the new Biscoff cheesecake and the light and airy Tres Leches, which has been a classic at Dank for a while.
Meal for two at INR 2,000, including beverages.