Looks like the city just can’t get enough of food festivals and neither can we! When we heard Park Hyatt Hyderabad was hosting a Tamil Nadu food fest, we were intrigued. It’s not very often that you find authentic Tamil cuisine in the town, right? So we headed to Park Hyatt on a rainy evening to check what they had in store. The chefs of Park Hyatt, Kannan Chandran, and Manivannan Govidachari, who curated the menu gave us a tour of the place and took us through their menu. As we settled into our seats, we noticed that the place was decked with garlands, and even the tables were decorated with marigold flowers and tiny palm leaves to give the guests a slice of Chennai’s vibrant culture.
Curry on
We started our meal with the Kothu Parotta, a quintessential Tamil Nadu street food, the flaky flatbread was shredded to bits and tossed with spicy egg fry. Further topped with onions, tomatoes, and coriander leaves, this is certainly the best kothu parotta we tried in the city. One bite of the parotta and we understood the rage. The chefs also recommended we try their specialty, Kalaki, made with soft and moderately done scrambled egg, meatbased gravy, and garnished with black pepper and salt. Juicy and light, we couldn’t stop at just one bite.
Next up we tried a couple of options from their curries section and the one that stood out was the Chettinad Chicken. Prepared with 23 different types of spices including Marathi moggu, kalpasi, and gasagasalu — it revealed juicy meat accompanied by the robust flavours of the grounded spices. We also enjoyed the Achi Meen Kuzhambu, a tangy and spicy preparation that went very well with the steamed rice.
While there were several rice-based dishes, the aromas of Dindigul Aatu Kari Biryani tempted us. The biryani, subdued in flavour, never overwhelmed our taste buds. The tender chunks of meat soaked in all the flavour and the biryani made for some highly desirable comfort food.
Poriyal play
From the vegetarian section, we opted for the Nei Paruppu (tomato and ghee-based dal), Vendakkai Mandi (okra cooked with tomatoes and baby shallots), and Vazhaikai Poriyal (roasted raw bananas). We weren’t disappointed with these picks as they were all delightfully flavourful.
Ghee spot
The dessert section surprised us as it turned out to be a decadent representation of the cuisine. The Sakkarai Pongal, drenched in ghee and generously garnished with cashew nuts, raisins and almonds gave us a sugar rush. And, we for one aren’t complaining. There are also delicious options like milk cake, payasam, and paniyaram — we highly recommend.
Rs 2,250 upwards. Until July 31. At Banjara Hills.
— bsuchitra@newindianexpress.com