ITC Hotels have always been known for food and the Welcomhotel on cathedral Road is a proud torchbearer to this legacy. After the revamp, we were invited for a food tasting of some new and innovative items on the menu of the newly opened Welcomcafe marina. We loved the fresh interi ors of the space — they were earthy and vibrant at the same time, giving a very welcoming feel to the place. but then onto the food, which is the main reason why we were there.
The first ‘starter’ that came was a Mezze platter. Comprising of three types of crisps including one made from banana, what was absolutely interesting were crisps made with red rice. Red rice is considered very healthy, thanks to it having the lowest glycaemic index and higher antioxidants than any other varietal. Along with the crisps came three dips – a walnut chutney, a dip in yoghurt and a typical orange coloured coconut chutney made with dry red chillies – the taste was simply superb and brought in wholesome flavours with traditional cooking methods. Next to follow was the Kozhi Rasam Ramen. Now, this comprised of half a boiled egg, some chicken, various veggies with piping hot rasam was poured from the top. The result? Remarkable/. We are not very big fans of soup bowls, but the crunchiness of the veggies with the softness of the egg and the bite of the chicken in between was a smorgasbord of flavours on one’s palate. The typical sharp taste of the rasam played with the bland flavour of chicken to create a real umami flavour.
Things were getting serious now. What came next was beautifully plated – pepper lamb brain toast, on thin slices of bread. Not a great one for offals, we declined this one though we could see that the others on the table really relished it and the feedback we got was that for lovers of brain curry, the taste was sublime yet rich and creamy. Delightful paniyarams were up next – fried to perfection with bits of green veggies in between, on a bed of a thousand island dressing and a side of chickpeas and some crunchy veggies. The paniyarams were so good that we had several – have eaten many plain varieties before but the addition of crisp veggies in between really elevated the taste by a few notches.
Thattu idli with curry leaf shrimp was next, and this one hit the spot right away. A large idli with a layer of gunpowder and topped with curry leaf shrimps, this tasted good without adding any sides; but our server insisted on adding some rasam to the idli, and we must admit that this gave a very interesting twist to the taste. Also tried combining everything with the green chutney and the results to say the least were interesting. But this was one takeaway dish of the evening for me, a sort of comfort food, something we can always come back to. However it was time for the next course, and what better way to slide into it with sliders? The twist here is that there are no burger ‘buns’ for the sandwich, that honour has been taken over by idlis. The idlis were super soft and the crisp fried chicken with katsu sauce tasted brilliant. A very interesting take on the conventional meat slider, and you can bet this one wins hands down!
Kozhi Kotu Parotta was next – basically a soft, flaky fried bed with boneless chicken tossed on a hit girdle, was delicious to eat and had a very nice flavour but by now we were pretty full so couldn’t do justice to the dish. Nevertheless, a very nicely done staple. Then there was the Keema Chooru, again a brilliant variation of scotch eggs. Dessert was a simple Elaneer payasam, a nice milky concoction with pieces of tender coconut. Light and just rightly sweetened and so smooth that it could be drunk off a cocktail glass. A perfect finish to a nice, flavourful evening.
Overall, we enjoyed our visit to Welcomcafe marina and we would recommend that gourmands give it a try for its awesome fusion food.
Meal for two: INR 1,800 ++ (without alcohol)
