After a lavish makeover, Chennai’s beloved dining room is back

After a four-and-a-half month renovation, the iconic Madras Pavilion at ITC Grand Chola has reopened its doors, refreshed, reimagined and ready for a new chapter. It’s back with a new menu consisting of dishes that pan across regional, Pan-Indian, Asian, and Western cuisine, and a new look with teal and yellow seating and pink wallpapers and sleek chandeliers for a modern touch.

A new look, a new menu, and the same old charm

We begin our meal on a familiar note, with heaps of curry leaves, of course. The Karuvepillai eral arrives in a gentle shade of green, not the fiery red you might expect, its butterflied prawns tender and juicy. The Meen varuval, made with sea bass coated in rice flour, draws its warmth from Kashmiri chilli. It’s close to perfect. Even for someone not fond of fish, the cut of the fillet, tapering gently, ensures one end stays crisp while the other remains juicy.

The Madras chicken, with malt vinegar, brings a subtle tang to its spice and is generously topped with chilli flakes and sautéed onions. Not overcooked, though it could hold a little more of its juiciness.

Among the vegetarian plates, we try the Quinoa and sweet potato cutlets that surprise us with a heat that shouldn’t exist on paper, yet somehow does. The culprit turned out to be yellow chilli powder. A thin crust gives way to a prune mash centre that cuts through the spice, enough to make you feel the kick without turning you into a chilli-eating cartoon character.

From the restaurant’s new beverage menu, Vera Level Unlocked, we try Cheeky Chikoo and Teq-No Guava. Available as single serves or bottle formats that serve up to four or just you, if that’s your style. The Teq-No Guava, inspired by the iconic Marina Beach snack of guava dusted with chilli powder but in a glass instead of a paper plate, stole our hearts at the very first sip.

For mains, we turn to the newly introduced Elai saapad. The meal is available in three menus: vegetarian, non-vegetarian, and seafood. There’s Kori gassi, Mutton milagu, the latter so tender it yields to a spoon, Dhal, Idiyappam, and Mutton biriyani, all laid out to satiate the southern palate of anyone who walks in.

We end on a sweet note with the Coconut berry sago pudding, a textural treat with just the right touch of sweetness.

Buffet starts at ₹1,999++ and Elai saapad from ₹3,000 onwards. At Madras Pavilion, ITC Grand Chola, Guindy.

Email: shivani@newindianexpress.com
X: @ShivaniIllakiya

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