Smoke Stories brings Arabic-inspired grills to The Westin Chennai for a limited time period

The moon was out, the pool was still, and the smell of meat sizzling over the grill drifted through the open-air setting at Sunset Grill. The Westin Chennai Velachery is currently hosting Smoke Stories, an Arabic-inspired dinner experience bringing together mezze, tandoor-grilled meats, seafood, biriyani and desserts. 

Westin's Sunset Grill is serving a limited-time period Arabic-inspired menu

We started with two types of fried pita, one plain and one dusted with za’atar and paprika, served alongside pickled olives. The spiced pita was crisp and savoury, while the tart pickles were refreshing enough to reset the palate between bites. The Fattoush salad, served in a martini glass, was fresh, sweet and tangy, with baby tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, pomegranate, lime and shredded pita adding little bursts of flavour and crunch. The Lamb barley soup was thick and almost porridge-like, with pearl barley giving it a slightly mealy texture. The lamb flavour was quite muted too, and the heaviness of the soup simply wasn’t for us.  

The Malai broccoli kebab was creamy and smoky, while the Paneer Nizami kebab had soft, fresh-tasting paneer with bell peppers and mustard-seed paste, but the mango chutney stole the show, with its sweet, tangy flavour working especially well with the paneer kebab.

Then came the Arabic grill, dramatically revealed as the cover was lifted and a cloud of fragrant smoke escaped. The platter brought together lamb kofta, chicken shish taouk, Harissa fish and tiger prawns. The fish was exceptionally tender, soft enough to fall apart at the slightest touch, while the prawns were plump, juicy and well spiced, with a lovely garlicky sauce. The chicken was equally tender, with its fragrant marinade permeating the meat. But the lamb kofta was the one we kept going back to—well spiced, juicy and packed with flavour, with charred onions and bell peppers on the side.  

The Lucknowi nalli nihari had tender lamb in a mildly spiced gravy, with the aromatic warmth of potli masala coming through. We wanted more richness and punch, though. The flaky whole-wheat Laccha paratha was pleasantly light and not overly oily. The Dum ka murgh biryani had fragrant basmati rice with generous pieces of chicken. It was light and easy to eat, with the flavour of the rice and meat coming through without being weighed down by excess oil or spice.

We ended with Ummali pudding, made with croissant, sweet milk, dried fruit and nuts, with a thin caramelised crust and rose petals. Rich, creamy and buttery, it was an indulgent finish to the meal.

On till September 30. Meal for two: INR 2,800. 7 pm to 11 pm. At Sunset Grill, Velachery.

Email: anoushkakundu@newindianexpress.com

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