Sabha food in your belly, sabha music for your ears

CHENNAI: J Hind, Grand Chennai by GRT Hotels is organising the Grand Gana Sabha food and music festival- featuring some of the best of sabha canteen food and performances by talented Carnatic musicians in the city.

Some of the dishes that are part of the pop-up menu, consisting of a seven-course meal, are white pumpkin and cherry tomato soup with crispy lotus stem, Chettinad paneer tikka with malli chutney, chilli chicken lollipop, pepper lamb brain tartare pav, doughnut idly with chemeen curry, more kalli with kari kuzhambu and lots more.

We started off with their soup. The soup had a creamy texture and was mildly seasoned with herbs and garlic. The consistency of the soup was slightly clumpy but not to the extent that it disrupted the palate. The flavours of the soup were very soothing and having a spoonful with the cherry tomatoes gave an extra kick of tanginess.

For starters, we tried their chicken lollipop with curry leaf tempura. The lollipop was absolutely delicious with the perfect hot and spicy blend. An offbeat accompaniment to the dish was the curry leaf tempura which was very good and went well with the dish.

Their malai broccoli was average and fell flat in terms of flavours. The Chettinad paneer tikka with malli chutney had an excellent palate feel. Their pepper lamb brain tartare served with a bite-sized pav stole the show. The pepper lamb brain was very well-seasoned and perfectly cooked. The texture of the dish was just about right making it an absolute delight to spread across the pav.

For the main course, we tried the more kalli with kari kuzhambu reminds you of home. The kalli is drizzled with curd onion raita. When had along with the kari kuzhambu, the curd amplifies the piquancy in the gravy and gives a wholesome experience.

Another dish that will remind you of home on this menu is the doughnut idly with chemmen curry. The soft idly goes perfectly well with the fish curry.

Their desserts- sandalwood ice cream with frozen rose petals, black rice pudding, and maravalli sago kheer were new, experimental, and delicious in taste.

The food and music festival at J Hind, Grand Chennai by GRT Hotels will go on till January 14, 2023.