All the reasons why: Chennai's new restobar Trippin Town is flipping awesome! 

There's a bespectacled lion wearing a baseball cap camping out by the ladies restroom. A trio of neon-coloured horse fixtures appear to be running out of the wall. And suspended pots of shrubbery interspersed with what appear to be helium balloon props just above your head.So we don’t have to wonder twice about how the name Trippin Town came about. 
 

Lay of the land
Spread over an expansive 10,000 sq ft (two floors and 300-plus seats) — this new restobar (located where Agent Jack’s used to be) on Radha Krishna Salai has been the talk of the town since it opened a week ago. Co-owned by eight partners — including Raj Thiru (who also owns Lord of the Drinks), Kiran Charles (their Culinary Director) and Nelson Devdas (Director — Food and Beverage, formerly with Shangri-la Dubai ) — we find out that this isn’t your run- of-the-mill watering hole with owners far removed from the operations and daily running of things.

What’s your flavour?
As for the menu — the smattering of cuisines is one of the most eclectic we have seen in a while. We counted Japanese, Thai, Malay, Korean, Italian North and South Indian and a touch of fusion — all compressed in a few pages. This marathon of variety, we realise, after a chat with Culinary Director Kiran, is a reflection of his portfolio of travel — including cooking for the American Embassy in Singapore as well as a spree of hotels like the GRT group in India.

We recommend the warming and wholesome Mutton Rib Soup (slow cooked with a homemade spice mix) and the Lime Rice Arancini. The latter is a flavour bomb if we ever tasted one! In the Asian section, we took delight in the Korean Chicken Gyoza and Malay Rendang Dumplings, filled with shredded mutton and cilantro. But what really catches our fancy is the delicious ‘poached chicken’ in sushi — for the tasting pleasure of those who don’t like their sushi fishy. Wrapped in rice and seaweed with a subtle hint of  sesame oil, this variant of nigiri pairs perfectly with our comparatively overpowering purple Psychedelic Aviator (a mash-up of vodka, blue curaçao and egg white). 

Meal for two INR 1,200.

 sonali@newindianexpress.com |  @brightasunshine