Yes, Mongolian food festival in Chennai.

Our evening started with some soothing mocktails the virgin mojito being the star of the mocktails.

The lamb soup was light and packed with natural flavours.

The starters were amazing good and totally new and interesting.

Roast lamb salad was absolutely heavenly with minimal seasoning and perfectly cooked lamb.

Khuushuur is a deep fried lamb parcel. The stuffing had a very interesting taste.

Mongolian monster was chicken stuffed huge Bao. Steaming hot and yummy!

Chicken lettuce wrap had a good salad feeling to the whole dish.

The assorted mushroom was a starter with 3 varieties of mushroom shiitake, button and black fungus. The mushrooms were crispy and full of flavour.

The Mongolian beef was cooked to perfection and served on a bed of crispy fried rice noodles.

Mongolian sizzler was served with veggies and meat of our choice (chicken)

The mongo fried rice was subtle in flavour and was a good sum up for the food we had.

The dessert was something I have not tasted before Khan’s delight is a dessert made with crispy pancake topped with banana and chocolate.

I loved the sizzling brownie that was served on a bed of caramelized pineapple.

A must visit if you want to try a different dessert.

Very important note- all the dishes were served to us without msg on special request.

And this might be like  early morning dreams, those dreams that come true!

And you heard me right finally the authentic coorg food is now served in Chennai, at the comfort of the host’s home.

I had the privilege of tasting this food after many years. The last I had coorg food was when I visited coorg and did a home stay 12 years ago. I was longing for this food for many years and it was like someone heard my prayers.

I will start with the host who is a fantastic human being, multi talented and a very warm host.

The house is a perfect place for fun and good times. You can hear the waves of the ocean as you enjoy the food.

The authentic, humble and yummy Coorg cuisine is incomplete without the pandi curry (pork curry with special Coorg spices). This curry is best had with Kadumbuttu ( soft steamed rice dumplings)

The koli curry (chicken curry) blended very well with palputtu ( steamed rice cake sprinkled with grated coconut)

The dessert was the perfect finish for a  lovely dinner. Payasam made of khus khus, coconut and almonds cannot ask for anything more.

Smitha is hosting her first pop up lunch on 9th December at 1pm. To book you lunch, please https://www.authenticook.com/meal/aromas-of-coorg/225/915/

Enjoy!!!

The only best seafood place in Chennai. The marina. It’s more of a fish market, you can choose the fresh fish that you want from the counter, any amount of portion you like, have it cooked the way you want it.

A getaway to Malabar coast is a festival that is going on till the 10th of December.

The seafood was fresh as just out of the sea. The Malabar preparation was as if made in Kerala. The chef is from paragon, Calicut. What else could one ask for!

The special Malabar festival menu was small and beautiful. So one is not too confused on what to choose. And what did we eat?

Started with the welcome drink the Nannari Sherbet with basil seeds. Smoky flavored juice which is such a refresher!

The seafood soup had small chunks of seafood in a thick coconut milk broth. The flavor was a mix of fish and coconut milk!

The starters that we choose were :

Pan fried Squid. The squid rings , pearl onions  and green chillies were sauteed in aromatic coconut oil. Cooked to perfection this was a good start for our lunch!

Kanthari Tawa fry. Mahi Mahi fish fillet marinated in delicate kanthari chilli masala. Spicy and  subtly flavored dish that enhances the taste of the fish and the chilli!

Nethali fry, huge fresh nethali crispy fried with curry leaves. The freshness of the fish lingered on our table!

We ordered two starters from outside the festival menu and is my all time favourite:

The crispy fried honey and garlic calamari, this dish has not explanation, it’s simply the best!!

King fish in butter and garlic sauce. Perfectly sauteed.

Our main course was the yummiest

The prawn moilee was served with hot appams. The huge succulent prawns were laced in the delicate coconut milk gravy with minimum spices.

The chatti curry took me back to the shores of Kerala, the fish, the masala and the flavor of the earthen pot cannot be penned. Your palate is the only thing that will justify the taste. The fish curry with the Kerala red rice was a marriage made in heaven.

No Kerala food is complete with a payasam.

The Ada pradhaman was a perfect end to this super meal.

Pineapple pudding was a bonus, that completed the fishy Saturday lunch.

For the best and freshest seafood in Chennai, please visit The Marina at nungambakkam, Chennai.

The Malabar food festival is on till 10th of December 2017.