Crimson Chakra at Gandhi Nagar gets rebranded and now boasts a new partnership, a fresh menu, a new name and a grand new door. Popular restaurateur Nikhil Moturi has teamed up with entrepreneur Girish Subash to launch the all-new Sorgam — an authentic South Indian restaurant that boasts elements from myriad cuisines from the South. We head there for a luncheon date and soon find ourselves getting with the programme as we sipped on a pleasant traditional jaggery-based drink of Panagam.
With a deep interest in traditional cuisine, Nikhil tells us that some of these dishes are from his ancestral village and are a tribute to the Andhra influences in Tamil Nadu. We happily opt for the preplated lunch meals — and the non-veg platter comes on a large steel plate lined with banana leaf and dotted with small bowls of accompaniments and a layered bun parotha sitting pretty in the centre that we soon dunk into a delicately-spiced crab curry.
Once we start with the hot steaming rice course — it is mandatory that we do the ghee-podi routine. The all-new Sorgam is delightfully unapologetic about the spice factor, at least when it comes to their Andhra parappu podis, we discover soon enough! Sniffling and tearing up, we relish the dynamite podi and follow it up with the fiery curry leaf podi that is definitely not for the faint hearted. “It is hand pounded and specially made for us by an aging couple in my hometown who prefer to stay anonymous,” says Nikhil, even as we ask him if we could parcel some of this fiery mix for later!
Moving on to tamer options, we try the delicious Mutton Chukka and pair it with the tasty kaadai gravy from the meals platter. The Tangy Meen Varuval is piquant and works well with the fish curry — while the Theepori Chicken is a juicy leg of the bird that is flavoursome and delectable. Though the semiya payasam was light and delicious, we urge you to opt for one of the vegetarian starters as a dessert. The non-descript humblelooking Uthukuli Banana Dosa is a sweetish, plump, ghee-laden crêpe that we promise, no one can eat just one!’
Veg meals at Rs 299. Non-veg meals at Rs 399.
- Sabrina Rajan