Kimberly House serves Tamil-Euro cuisine with a 1960s twist

Jaggery in your coffee; a 1960s Sivaji Ganesan song plays softly; and Gunpowder idlis dressed like potato wedges that whet your appetite 
Kimberly House serves Tamil-Euro cuisine with a 1960s twist

When the waiters bring your coffee with lumps of jaggery and there’s a tune from Sivaji Ganesan’s Palum Pazhamum from the 1960s for company, there’s only one deduction to be made — somebody knocked me out cold, sent me back to the past, and then stole the time machine! Before you tsk tsk me about me about jumping to farfetched conclusions — let me present my findings:

Exhibit A: A ‘hardbound’ passport of one Kalpagam Ramanathan from 1949. 
Exhibit B: There’s a brass peacock with a plume holder that keeps betel leaves.
Exhibit C: The vintage telephone in the corner is about as heavy as a dumbbell. You know the type, with numbers that you dial for about a mile... giving your index finger (that’s been ignored from all that thumb texting) some much deserved point and stretch. 

<em>Interiors at Kimberly House</em>
Interiors at Kimberly House

Looking around, I seem to be in someone’s home.  But from the specials of the day displayed outside the mosaic floored living room — it’s evident that ‘Kimberly House’ (constructed in the early 50s) on Harrington Road is now frequented by guests who can have their fill of everything from puliyogare to pasta. 

Although, before you try any of their 50-odd dishes on this uniquely inspired Tamil-European menu — grab a plate of the highly recommended onion pakoda. Crisply fried, it makes the perfect afternoon snack. We anticipate it will taste even better during one of our all-to-sudden monsoon showers. Any thoughts of ‘too much oil’ are quickly cut into quite literally by the tart contrast of the sunshine yellow raw mango dip it pairs with. 

<em>Onion pakoda with raw mango dip</em>
Onion pakoda with raw mango dip

Other appetisers that have me convinced that Britishers with top hats will likely be joining us any second include scrambled eggs (cooked with a dash of milk) on toasted wheat squares and lo and behold Gunpowder idlis that have us initially mistake them for potato wedges (entirely missing the spice of the gunpowder dressing). There’s a side platter of coconut chutney and milagu podi with oil for finger dipping instead.

Mini portions will be received with open arms (and bellies) by food enthusiasts like myself who want to try everything but can never quite finish a whole platter of anything. Everything on this menu can be cut in half on request, we are told, including the ‘7 Vada and Sambar’. As it turns out, the owners Jayakrishnan Madan, (who brought Painted Platters to the city in 2002) and ex-banker Karthy Lakshmanan got fed up of vada being a minority serving all the time — with the two idlis, one vada only. So if you’ve always ranted: ‘more vadas!’ cry into your sambar no more.

The number seven, as you might have guessed is inspired by the 14 mini idlis — that are a staple on any South Indian tiffin menu.

There are other parts of this renovated home to visit apart from the dining room though. Like a stately swing that makes for a sweet selfie spot at the entrance or the al fresco benches weaved within yesteryear lamp posts in the Kimberly Gardens. The latter is where the name of the house comes from.

<em>Kal's Tea Rice</em>
Kal's Tea Rice


Though a main course is the last thing on one’s mind after all this eating (time travel can make you ravenous apparently) — we do sample the Kal’s Tea Rice out of curiosity. After all, how often do you hear of brown rice served in tea soup? Admittedly, bland toppings like steamed spinach and long beans have us rushing into dessert a tad early. The Rum Bundt Slice doesn’t make up for it either — with the rum not discernible. The big surprise comes with the classic Bun Butter Jam (priced at a princely Rs 100). Grape, mango and apple cinnamon are our choices for a sweet fix and we gorge on all three.

Seats 40 people. Meal for two Rs 700. Details: 26680009

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