So this week I decided to visit the Parambriyam Restaurant in Anna Nagar, which is revered for it's South Indian cuisine. They serve non-veg as well, for all the meat lovers, and their seafood cuisine is something I've wanted to get my hands on for a long time.
So starting with ambience, I must say everything about this place will remind you again and again that you're going in for a very pure South Indian experience. Everything, from the warm yellow lighting, to the absolutely beautiful oil paintings, which is kind of reminiscent of the works of Raja Ravi Varma as it came off to me, looks pleasing, to say the least.
So we tucked in, and let the chef take the stage. Here, I'll talk about that show-stealer dish that grabbed my heart. The Aapam and Chicken combo, served with an absolutely heavenly coriander chutney, was out-of-this-world. The Chicken had the right amount of spices, perfectly cooked, tender, and the appam was perfectly cooked, soft at the centre, crispy at the sides.
The next starter, was a prawns dish, with a very original seafood taste, and the curry leaves marination adds to that unique and raw taste. The chutney served along with it was good as well, really complimenting that seafood taste. If you're not a seafood fan, you should probably skip this one.
Moving on, the hotel served us Thengai-Kadala vada, with a very honest blend of coconuts and groundnuts. I usually like my Dal Vadais crispy, but it doesn't go without saying, this isn't your usual Vadai. Again, the chef yet again shows us he's good with his Chutneys. Beautiful, beautiful pumpkin chutney served alongside, really brings the flavor out.
The starters wrapped with a dish of Masala Paniyarams. Nothing exceptional, just your traditional Tamil paniyaram with a tinge of spice.
Then, we moved on to their appetizers, Chicken and Mutton soup. The very first thing I noticed was how the presentation of the soup, was very different from the ones I've had before. The Chicken Soup had a Green Chutney broth with pieces of kebab served with it any the side. Delicious. The mutton soup had a very authentic peppery touch to it, with chunky pieces of mutton, I loved it.
Moving to the main course, Parambriyam served us a very South Indian, Chettinad Thali Meals. A wonderful combination of Chicken, Mutton, and Fish Currys, with everything else you'd find in a South Indian thaali. Sambhar, Koottu Curry, Rasam, Curd, Appalam.
The Thaali meal featured one very beautiful dish, and that is the Mutton Chukka. This dish makes a strong point in letting you know, that it has pepper. And in a very beautiful way. I walked in with a bit of a cold, but I must say. It helped. The marination on this dish was incredible, and the pieces used are soft, succulent, with bones, exactly how a mutton dish is meant to be.
The Fish Curry again, was good. Very soft, perfectly cooked Sankara Meen, in a not too spicy gravy. Chicken curry, typical Chettinad. They also served a seperate dish of Elam Koli Varatha Curry. Tender, succulent meat, with a thicker gravy. Goes well along with the Aapam. I had a Malayali friend tagging along with me, and he states that it's 'exactly the way my mom makes it'. So I guess that's enough said. The Aapam again, goes well with the Mutton Chukka as well.
We wrapped up with deserts and drinks. The Jamun came off as a little too hard for me. It was pretty disappointing being a Jamun lover. But the chef did sure make up for it with a beautiful sweet called the Asokam. A must try, I would say. In one word? Heavenly. And yet again, Goli Soda makes an appearance. Refreshing, sweet, indeed leaves a smile on my face.
In short, Parambriyam is a must-go place for the South-Indian cuisine fans in you. Good service, excellent ambience, and wonderful food with authentic flavors. You'll have a lot to explore in the Seafoods section.
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes