This Chennai restaurant’s new oriental menu is perfect for alfresco summer dining

We have always been fans of oriental food, and the quality at Mr. Ong, by Park Hyatt has always been consistently good. So when they invited us to sample their all-new menu, we could not but help turning up for some exciting times. We have always liked the al-fresco dining atmosphere there, next to the pool area and settled down with a nice breeze blowing on a rather balmy Monday evening.

Naturally, we needed something cool to start off and there was a refreshing cold towel with some cool tea, that brought down temperatures. This was followed by a cocktail named Mr. Ong’s Sling. A gin based cocktail, it had homemade cherry liqueur, lime juice, pineapple juice, grenadine and soda, topped up with a slice of pineapple. A very refreshing yet not very sweet taste, this one was ideal for a warm summer evening.

The first dish to arrive on our table was the Kerabu snow pea and green bean salad. The greens were topped with a nice sauce made from coconut milk, soy, lemon juice, some bird chillies, brown onion and peanuts. It was a cold salad, with a nice crunch bite and the unique sauce adding some tasty zing to otherwise bland greens – it felt like a nice flavour explosion in the mouth. Next was something very interesting – Roti Jala. A Malaysian staple, this one had lace turmeric crepes and a pumpkin curry with chicken and lemongrass, though you can have a vegetarian version too if you desire. Simply dipping the crepes in the creamy pumpkin curry and taking a bike transported you to another dimension and the smoothness left a long lingering taste in your mouth.

Baos are a new addition to the menu, and we were served the char-grilled Ayams. A chicken stuffed bao made with Kecap manis sauce, shallots, tamarind, pickled vegetables and a lot more. This had the typical sweet and sour taste profile of the Southeast food that we love, and the crunchy bite made the food taste so good, especially with the freshly steamed Baos, all brought together for a good basic appetiser.

In the main course, we got a seafood fried rice with a Kambing rending. Aromatic lamb made with bird eye chillies, shallots, lemongrass and rich coconut milk, the combination made the meat full of flavours, and it was soft to the degree that it was falling off the bone. We just loved the curry that came with it and though typically it is served with a portion of Jasmine rice, yet to feed our greed we opted for the seafood rice, for a fantastic combination of meat and fish that really satisated our senses.

By now, we were pretty full, but having a sweet tooth means that we are always ready for dessert. On cue came the Bean curd cheese cake, made with silken tofu, cream cheese and litchi, served with homemade ice cream. The taste gets a little getting used to, but the creaminess of the dessert long with the taste of litchees gives a different profile to the cheesecake. Served with homemade ice-cream, of course!

Overall, Mr. Ong’s new menu is excellent. It limits itself to a few dishes to make choosing easier and thereby avoiding confusion. The quality standard is maintained and of course the freshness of taste is surely bound to make you come back for more.

Price for two: INR 3,000++ 7-11 pm. At Mr. Ong, Park Hyatt, Velachery Road, Guindy.