Chef Abhiram Prabakar has exactly five items on his menu. His logic is simple: smaller means more specialised. And we couldn’t agree more after a taste of the burgers and wraps from his venture, the Madras Kitchen Studio with a catchy tag line that reads ‘affordable gourmet’. The Finger Chips, for instance, are made with potatoes sourced from Mettupalayam which are “extra starchy,” shares the 24-year-old and that means they are dense and have low moisture which is the golden ticket to perfectly crisp wedges. And the burgers that we order arrive thoughtfully packaged with a curious butterpaper handle to lift them out of the box, mess-free. We discover a genius hack used to prevent soggy buns — the top one with the mayo is placed face up so it never touches the patty. Once you open the box, you simply flip it over and dig in.
The biggest hit turns out to be the Fried Chicken Burger which has a hint of gojuchang from the Korean sauce used and a generous heap of sunflower microgreens that are fun change from that traditional lettuce leaf. “I want to create comfort foods that are affordable but gourmet,” explains Abhiram, who grew up wanting to explore flavours at popular uptown restaurants and couldn’t always access them while on a student budget. After studying the Culinary Arts at Manipal University, he went on to get some experience in the kitchen with internships at The Raintree, Taj Coromandel and notably, Copenhagen’s Michelin starred restaurant, 108. We find this out as we dive into the Veg Burger which has a panko fried patty made of potato and cheese with a beetroot glaze for just a hint of sweetness to balance out those savoury notes.
Vegetarians could also opt for the Paneer 65 Wrap with lacha onions and pickled cucumber to bring in that oomph and pop. Although we must add, the coriander mayo in the mix was a touch overpowering. We also enjoy the meat wrap which packs in a satisfying crunch from sticks of pickled carrots and purple cabbage all rolled neatly in a rumali roti. Great for dinner or an evening pick me up on any night of the week.
INR 120 to INR 299. Open from 5.30 to 10 pm. Order on: madraskitchenstudio.dotpe.in