Nungambakkam's new culinary gem blends European flavors with local twist, offering fresh take on coffee and bakes

CHENNAI: Nestled amid the lush green trees and shrubs, we visited Dou in one of the serene streets of Nungambakkam. The ambience was minimal and aesthetic, and one could enjoy the dishes from a calm view. One of the sought-after diners in Nungambakkam for great coffees and fresh bake, Sowl, has been revamped to Dou.

“The brand has changed. Our strength lies in bakes and coffee. But we wanted to try our hands on hot meals and main course as well. That is how Dou happened,” says the culinary director of Dou, chef Peter Tseng. With more diners popping up in Chennai each day, how does Dou stand out?

“We have definitely incorporated the local flavours in our menu. But we didn’t want to move away from European delicacies, which is our forte. We have a selective menu focusing on our core,” adds the chef. “To give a twist to coffee, we have introduced Vietnamese salted coffee and avocado coffee,” brand manager Anand Krishnan states. Honestly, the Vietnamese salted coffee might sound a little weird but it is truly unique and a must-try at Dou. They have innovated Chennai’s very own filter coffee as ice filter coffee.

Talking about how the culinary scene is evolving in Chennai, Peter remarks, “I have been in Chennai for more than two decades now. People have started accepting a variety of flavours and they travel more now. They are aware of what they are eating and are expecting the authentic flavours. However, Chennai has a long way to go compared to Bengaluru and Hyderabad. The market is maturing and the sustainability of diners is also getting better.”

Anand Krishnan feels that a diner can make a difference with consistency and quality amidst the growing competition.

At the diner, we started with the mixed berry smoothie, which was fresh and filling. The Dou chicken Caesar salad with croutons dressing will make anyone who would not prefer salads to finish the entire bowl. The Chettinad mushroom brioche toast is a fusion of Tamil Nadu and French cuisine. The bread was fluffy with mushrooms tossed in mind blowing Chettinad flavours.

The caramelised onion and ricotta ravioli with sage butter sauce was delicious. The parmesan-crusted polenta cake failed to impress us as it had a mix of different flavours from polenta, spinach and mushroom.

Coming to the desserts, the berry chocolate souffle’s presentation excited us and the taste of the delight should be on the list of all chocolate lovers. The texture of the vegan caramel custard was nice but required more sweetness.

Dou has been launched in both Nungambakkam and Alwarpet.