Absolute Barbecue - A Feast Fit for Kings
Author’s Note: Due to the COVID crisis worldwide and my studies in France, I’d been unable to write and publish this article for quite a while. My apologies to the ABQ team.
It may have taken a while to find it, but I think I’ve found what is amongst the best barbecue joints in Chennai.
Every aspect of the experience was incredible - from the expansive menu to the do-it-yourself, table-grill gimmick, down to something as mundane as the soup.
Their all-you-can-eat and a la carte menus contain over 40 dishes in total, and each one of them is more delectable than the last.
It starts with a selection of fresh-off-the-skewer meats (such as chicken, prawn, mutton, and some vegetarian options such as mushroom, paneer, and even watermelon, which actually wasn’t bad!), each spiced uniquely, brought to you and kept warm on a coal-fired grill built into the table. They slid off the skewer easily, and practically melted in the mouth - a fine way to start the evening off. I’m partial to seafood, so I’d advise that you not miss out on the BBQ Prawns, and also the mutton seekh kabab, which was everything you’d expect from a good seekh kabab and more. On the vegetarian side of things, the BBQ mushroom was incredible, although the paneer was also quite good and nothing to sniff at.
Drinks for the evening were mint and litchi mocktails. The litchi was a bit on the sweet side, but a lot of people would like it that way, but the mint was just perfect.
Then came assorted starters on a plate, everything from crispy corn, to cheese potato, to achari (pickled) grilled veg. My favourite was the crispy corn, with the cheese potato coming in a close second, since the corn was just excellent, and not for any fault of the potatoes (although I must admit they were a little heavy on the sauce). The corn was perfectly fried in a delicious batter, sweet on the inside, and served decorated with vegetables (hell, even the decorations were delicious!).
After this, we went to the buffet section. I was blown away by the sheer variety of dishes available, everything from shepherd’s pie to lasagna to good old biriyani.
The lasagna is a must-have over here, and so is the spanakopita.
The soups were also quite excellent, but when you go to a place like this… those usually aren’t your focus.
The staff was incredibly cooperative, and even though we arrived on short notice, they were able to assemble their ENTIRE, expansive a la carte menu in under an hour, maintaining the same quality we had gotten accustomed to by this point. It was quite a sight to behold, and just as delicious to eat! They were also very good sports about taking pictures etc, and provided lively banter as the evening progressed, and were overall a pleasure to deal with.
Non-vegetarians should definitely, definitely try the black pepper chicken, and look out for the roast turkey as well, both incredible dishes.
All the egg dishes are also worth it, bite-sized explosions of flavour.
The desserts were also a highlight of the evening - everything from good old rasmalai firni to churros to a DIY ice-cream experience! Don’t miss out on the coconut pastries, firni, and DEFINITELY try the ice cream. You cannot go wrong with this incredible menu!
Diabetics can also get in on the fun with the sugar-free custard pudding, which is a great move by ABQ to make their menu more inclusive.
In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Absolute Barbeque, Porur. The food was delicious, the staff a pleasure, a fun and exciting.
g atmosphere - it is nothing short of an experience to dine here. Highly recommended.
Check them out, and go there, and take your friends! :)
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