Ten years worth of flavour packed into a single menu? Yes, you read that right. As part of their 10th-anniversary celebrations, the culinary team at Hyatt Regency Chennai has decided to dig deep into their recipe archives to plate up customer-voted ‘chartbusters’ that date all the way back to 2011. This will be a limited edition five-course dinner covering three of their specialty restaurants — Spice Haat (Indian), Focaccia (Italian) and Stix (Chinese). So expect everything from a Kung Pao Chicken that packs in a ‘pow’ quite literally on your taste buds to juicy Bhatti de Kukkad Kebabs, a much-loved staple on the streets of Amritsar.
At the helm of this novel undertaking is executive chef Deva Kumar. After seven years with this star property, he has names of those order-with-your-eyes-closed favourites from guests over the years, down to memory. “Hand-rolled pizzas, Tiramisu and the Truffle Mushroom Risotto are some of the most loved dishes which guests order without even looking at the menu,” he reels off at a clip. We’re actually tasting the aforementioned risotto at this point, which is warm and hearty with some earthy notes from the mushrooms in the pot. It is no surprise that this one made it to the ‘shortlist’ we think to ourselves, as chef Deva disappears into the kitchen to bring us his Ambur-style Mutton Biryani.
So far, we’ve sampled a classic Hot and Sour soup with Bamboo which offers warm comfort and a Crispy Tofu flavoured with Toasted Sichuan Peppercorns and dry chilli, that is definitely worth writing home about. As for the Indian selection, the Jimikand Galouti Kebab served on an ulta tawa paratha, the size of a coin, is an explosion on our taste buds. A steaming bowl of Mutton Biryani, prepared with seeraga samba rice in typical Ambur tradition, arrives as promised. The mutton is so tender, it is close to falling right off the bone and we’re tempted to ditch our spoon and eat biryani the way it is meant to be eaten — fingers adding to flavour. Alas, we can only squeeze in a few bites if we want to do justice to dessert. And this masterpiece makes an impression even before we taste. A chocolate dome with what appears to be a freshly fallen golden leaf atop sits at the centre of a thick swirl of, you guessed it, more chocolate. Stray bits of Hazelnut Feuilletine for texture, mint leaves and a cherry for a pop of colour sit pretty as garnish...
The Chef DK Signature Chocolate Succulent was “specially created after guests began asking for something different” we’re told. Gently tap to crack the hard shell on the outside to arrive at the soft, creamy mousse on the inside. Crafted with a blend of 65 percent Belgian Callebaut Dark and 30 percent milk chocolate, this dessert is as indulgent as they come and incidentally, vegan as well.
Limited edition five-course dinner at INR 5,999 for two. Ongoing till the end of August.