Waffle lot of good: A gorgeous Sunday roast & fruit sorbet

For many city folk, especially youngsters, Mina Anand is no less than Chennai’s Nigella Lawson — and she now has a gorgeous chicken roast to seal that claim. 
Mina Anand's new Sunday roast
Mina Anand's new Sunday roast

It was a cool September afternoon when Meenakshi “Mina” Anand appeared to us like a vision of Nigella Lawson, at her new café on the East Coast Road.

She’s quite a legend, we’re told, especially among students from the neighbouring international schools. The stories of students returning to Chennai from travels overseas and heading straight to one of her cafés for platefuls of waffles are all verifiably legit, we’re assured. 

And we can see why, after a meal by special invitation from Mina, to try out her new chicken roast, which goes on the menu starting this weekend.

<em>All-day waffles breakfasts</em>
All-day waffles breakfasts

Waffles Thru The Day, Mina’s network of cafés in the city, is barely a couple of years old — she opened her first outlet in Adyar in 2015, before the second one at Wallace Garden, Nungam-bakkam. While the ECR outlet, where we met her, is just over a month old.

The first two outlets are already quite popular, going by social media ratings, for her weekend waffles brunch buffets and all-day breakfasts, which we found can take up an entire day to chow down.

For a quick rundown, you’re looking at scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausages, baked beans, baked potatoes, tossed mushrooms, chicken stew, strawberries (sourced from Mamallapuram) and cream, juice of the day and freshly brewed coffee or tea. Importantly, you get unlimited waffles of three kinds — brandied raisin, Mediterranean and buttermilk, with whipped cream and jars of maple syrup at hand (don’t forget a dash of cinnamon on top). 

At a mere `400 a plate, you are left wondering how much of the tab Mina’s picking up! 

<em>Gorgeous strawberry crepes</em>
Gorgeous strawberry crepes

The perfect idyll brunch
To be sure, you’re treated like family at Waffles Thru The Day. As we settle into another round of waffles, Mina tells us about how she went about whipping up eggless waffles for grandmas, mothers and aunts accompanying many of the youngsters at her cafés.

Her cafés, we realise, are instrumental not just to make waffles popular in the city, but also to change long-established food habits, offering a healthy and fun alternative to cornflakes and muesli.

At her cosy new ECR outlet, tucked alongside the landmark Cholamandal Artists’ Village, the proposition is mainly of waffles, pancakes, gorgeous crepes (more strawberries and chocolate 
sauce), jacket potatoes, veg and meat pies and coffee.

But it’s the Biker’s Breakfast that’s the big hit — complete with a three-egg omelette, mushrooms, chicken ham and cheese, spinach, French fries, grilled tomato, and toast with butter and a special homemade strawberry jam (look out for Mina’s bottled jams coming soon).

<em>Fruit curated sorbets</em>
Fruit curated sorbets

The Sunday chicken roast was, of course, the highlight of our meal, giving us all the more reason to bring on more Nigella references. With fresh orange slices, rinds and all, included in the rice stuffing, the moment the bird is carved open, a delightful citrusy burst of flavour is let loose, almost engulfing your senses.

Served with salad, roast potato, Yorkshire pudding with a scrummy gravy sauce and dessert, all you’d miss is a garden sit-out with a valley view for that perfectly idyll Sunday meal with friends.

For dessert, you can have the farm-fresh Dutch apple pancakes or chocolate chip waffles. Or you can ask for her prized “fruit curated” sorbets in the flavours strawberry, mango and chocolate banana; the last option gets a special thumb-up. And they’re all best had in Mina’s pleasant company.

Mina’s Sunday chicken roast will be available at Waffles Thru the Day ECR starting October 1. For prices and details call 9962875655

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