Delight in a heritage-inspired fusion feast with British, Anglo-Indian, and Indian flavours

"Time flows in a strange way on Sundays,” wrote Haruki Murakami in his book 1Q84. And last Sunday, when our indolence had reached a feverish peak, we languidly set out to Radisson Hotel and Suites GRT Chennai to savour their heritage brunch at The Ministry of Chutneys. However, when we reached the restaurant, we were pleasantly amazed by the array of delicacies screaming for our attention. The icing on the cake was the live retro music. The time that seemed to stand still until then suddenly got a move on. 

The brunch was an extensive buffet with over 20 counters and live cooking stations, comprising a fusion of Indian, Anglo-Indian, and British flavours. We dove into the delicacies that offered a journey to the days of yore and celebrated the rich cultural history of food by the early settlers. And we didn’t waste any time discovering the British and Anglo-Indian delicacies from a bygone era. 

The salad menu was quite extensive, with dishes like Anglo-Indian beetroot and almond Mandarin salad, Anglo-Indian chickpea salad, Grilled sausage and baby potato salad, Smoked curried chicken with apple dates chutney, and Anglo-Indian boiled eggs with twist.

Since there was a nip in the air, we began our meal with some hot, piping Chicken manchow soup, which warmed us from inside out.  We had a delectable start with the crunchy Anglo-Indian vegetable rissoles — boiled and mashed fresh veggies that were flavoured lightly with herbs and spices, and crumb fried to a golden brown.

We then loaded our plate with Egg-stuffed tenderloin meat loaf, Pan-fried fish with ginger and scallion sauce, and Shepherd’s pie. With the egg nestled in the center and the meat loaf swaddling it in a warm embrace, the Egg-stuffed tenderloin meat loaf was quite a sensory delight with the melt-in-the-mouth texture. The fish, on the other hand, with its aromatic and mild flavours, felt zingy. And how can a British menu be complete without a pie? This Shepherd’s pie, cooked minced meat with mashed and baked potatoes, made for classic comfort food.

It was now time to take the Indian route with Dum ka murgh, a flavoursome dish cooked with fragrant spices, accompanied by soft, fluffy phulkas. We sauntered to the live cooking station, where we relished a hot Vajram fish fry, fresh off the tawa. How can we be at a feast and not try the biriyani? This time around, we dug into Dak Bungalow mutton biriyani, a colonial-style biriyani, which had a special blend of flavours, and we were not disappointed.

We didn’t want to be biased towards the vegetarian fare, and gave the Spicy colonial pumpkin fry and Vaazhaithandu poriyal a shot. Both the dishes had a very earthy taste, and we loved them. At the dessert counter, we were spoilt for choice, and we ended our meal with a decadent Chocolate cinnamon pastry.

INR 3,333++ without alcohol for one person; INR 4,444+ with alcohol.

Every Sunday, 12.30 to 3.30 pm. At Radisson Hotel and Suites, GRT Chennai.

Email: sangeetha.p@newindianexpress.com

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