Chef offers pocket-friendly gourmets in his new cafe

CHENNAI: Abhiram Prabakar, a foodie by nature, wanted to pursue hotel management as a career when he was in Class 10 but went into culinary arts. After a rollercoaster ride in his career, Abhiram made a mark for himself by working in a Michelin-starred restaurant in Denmark. Upon his return to India during the pandemic, he wanted to open a diner that serves gourmet food in an affordable price range.

Started a month ago, Abhiram’s cafe, Madras Kitchen Studio, aims to serve selective dishes from European and American cuisine at a price that will attract everyone. “This was initially started as a cloud kitchen for eight months to know the preferences of the customers. Though the cuisine is continental, we have tried to add an Indian touch to most of our dishes,” says the founder. Abhiram wishes to elevate the existing savours like burgers, wraps, and many more.

Situated on a bustling road in Alwarpet, this cosy roof-top cafe believes in a minimalistic ambience. Another notable feature of the cafe is that it uses hydroponically grown veggies. “To keep up with the quality, we decided to go with this type of horticulture as they are free from pesticides and the vegetables are more fresh. Our pita pockets are wheat-based,” Abhiram states.

Talking about the food preferences of people here, he says, “Chennai people prefer the staple food more than trying out new things. However, the market is evolving.”

Following the minimal approach, Madras Kitchen Studio offers 13 dishes with a balance of veg and non-veg. Among the ones we tried, the habenaro honey wings and veg croquettes top the list. Tossed in a blend of habenaro chili and honey glaze, the tenderly cooked chicken wings are juicy and flavorful. To mellow down the hotness of the chili, the dish is accompanied by a ranch dressing. The crispy veg croquettes are a great one-bite and the in-house peri peri dip is a must-try.

The mushroom pita pockets made with wheat-based dough is a healthy eat with a touch of basil pesto. The meat in the chicken tikka burger is succulent, however, the bun was a bit hard. The paneer 65 wrap was delicious but requires more paneer. They have beef options as well.

The Madras Kitchen Studio is located on KB Dasan Road in Alwarpet and is functional from 4 pm to 10 pm.