S and I, who have had helped improve business of many
establishments during our dating days, are finding it very difficult to ease
into the dining scene after the brief hiatus brought in by our little Anakutti.
Eating out has yielded pretty unsatisfactory results with very few restaurants
deeming a second visit. I can't help but wonder if it has become the norm for
restaurants to dish out mediocre stuff and make the diner feel privileged to part with his hard earned
money that may have not been worth the dining experience.
Take the case of Double Roti in Anna Nagar East. This restaurant
chain has been touted as the best sandwich/burger joint to have happened to
Chennaiites and we were expected to feel happy that they had graced us with
their presence. (Oh how I miss good ol Mash, this side of town).This Delhi based restaurant has earned rave reviews on Zomato,
which is soon proving to be a not so trustworthy review site for a 40 year old
foodie. People have been raving about this place since it has opened but when
you read closely to what's written, you can find an almost apologetic account
of the 'hit-miss' kind of food. Something must have clicked for them to forgive
the dishes that didn’t work – the service perhaps?
The place has exposed brick walls with red pipes running on the
ceiling, and metal chairs placed around non-fussy wood tables, giving it a
rustic, industrial feel. I don't think the aim is to encourage lounging here;
it is more like a dhaba where you sit, eat and go...fast. Food is served in steel
pans with neither a fork or a napkin in sight. There was not much spending
happening on their part as far as ambiance or cutlery went. And perhaps this and the quirky, funny writing on the wall is their USP and I wouldn’t be
complaining about all this at all if I had the smallest conviction that the food
justified the cost.
The food should at least make up for the whooping Rs.1200/- for
two bill, exclusive of taxes, right? Wrong. The place is known for their
burgers and milkshakes, but their Chipotle Chicken Burger had not a shred of
lettuce or crunch in it and S's Veg Mexican Wave burger which had salsa in it
was too sour. Is it too much to ask for a burger that had a veggie or two - tomato and a shred of lettuce? After S's fiasco with Fish and Chips (an oily end product) which
for him sets the bar of a restaurant, I was glad he liked his burger at least;
not 'rave worthy' like, just the 'I'm not disappointed' like. My sad, small
burger costed me Rs. 300 and S's was Rs. 235/- . The fish and chips which
looked like it was in cold storage and was heated up in the kitchen, was Rs.
250/-. The bill pinched my heart and appetite. I feel like inviting those silly
phellows who are harping about their Maggi soaked in chicken curry and bacon
(@195+ each) to take a hike...literally, to their kitchen. Mix these
ingredients with a packet of Rs. 12 Maggi and tell me if it doesn't taste the
same.
Ignoring the above disappointments would have been easier if there
was a flash of good, personalized service. One look at the dour, disinterested
waiter and I was ready to see the back of the restaurant. It looked as if they
were not getting paid much to hang around there taking orders. Food drowned in
sauce and cheese – fatty, yummy, tummy filling types, restaurant pepped up with
interesting decor, supported by clever advertising and brand building seems
enough to make one feel they are privileged to be a part of the dining
experience, which in actuality should be the right of a diner. If this is the
trend then it is a sad state of affairs. And if the target group are the 20-30
year olds (whom I didn’t see many of; families graced the tables in equal
numbers) are going to lap up this trend, then people like me may as well sit
and home and attempt eating Maggi with sausages (were they gourmet?) on it.
(I haven't uploaded any pictures as I wasn't inspired to take any)
Another restaurant that left me feeling a bit cheated was Basil With A Twist. It had mixed reviews when it opened, but P had liked it and
though the pricey-ness of the restaurant was a decisive factor, she had voted for
their authentic food. I got the opportunity to visit the place only
recently, and time can change a lot of perceptions. The ambiance was a huge let
down for me. Basil with a Twist had very ordinary interiors; the seating was
functional and uninspired. A line of tables were arranged against the window
overlooking Habibullah road and there were a couple of big tables arranged
across the room. Other than the open kitchen and a kind of a conference room,
there didn’t seem anything much.
So the 700 -800 odd rupees one was going to shell out had to rest
on the food and the service. The food was good, there is no denying that. Since
I had gone with a group of friends, I had the opportunity of sampling a wide
variety of items which would have been impossible if I had gone with the
husband.
The pumpkin soup was indeed yummy and so was their Mediterranean panko
chicken starter, especially the dainty, light on the palate sauces that came
with it. The grilled chicken breast with pepper sauce was very good but their
chicken arabiata penne pasta was average and so was the Veg Harmony pizza. But
what capped the lunch for me was their sinful mousse la chocolate. Ah the
Europeans, they sure get their desserts right. I would risk a visit with S
perhaps to sample that alone.
( I didn't click the dessert because I was busy licking my plate clean)
But the question here too was, how were they justifying the price?
Soups don’t come one by two (which is such a lovely Indian concept – efficient
and thrifty). You get charged for 2+ whether you like it or not and that is
around 395 Rs for soup that could have been shared at half the price.
Similarly, we wanted to share our main dishes since their prices were steep but
the otherwise recalcitrant waiter/steward saw to it that we got billed in the
2+ category even though we had expressly told him that we would share it among
ourselves.
Price would not be a factor if the service, the ambiance and/or
the food justified it; otherwise the five star restaurants of our city would be
out of business by now. But here, the warmth in service was lacking, in fact it
bordered on taking advantage of the unsuspecting diner. I am not sure how many
repeat customers they expect other than perhaps the crew from the nearby Radaan
Mediaworks, which if one were into such things would give an opportunity for
celebrity spotting. But if I had to pay this kind of money to see a bearded
Sharath Kumar huddled in a discussion with his team, I would rather buy a day’s
ticket to AVM studios. I’m sure that would be cheaper than my bill.
This friends, is the restaurant scene in Chennai...at least the
ones I had the misfortune to visit. How has your dining experience been? When
did you last have a dining experience that was worthy of the price or did you
just come away feeling like you should have liked it because others have?
Did you have to ask yourself, how much did I pay for today’s
dinner?
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