Dal makhani pizza & dahi kebab tacos: Indian delicacies with modern twist

CHENNAI: Hundreds Bistro is the latest addition to the list of restaurants in Chennai. We were intrigued by the name Hundreds Bistro. To our surprise, we came to know that this is the family name of the founder, Muddasar Malick, a Vellore native. Located in the ever-bustling Harrington Road, this bistro offers contemporary Indian cuisine.

We were awed by the spacious 64-seater ambience, with a private dining space that can accommodate up to 24 people. Not to miss, the outdoor seating with a clear view of the streets, honking vehicles and lush green trees can be enjoyed with a closed glass ceiling and windows. “We came up with the closed outdoor seating idea to utilise the space in the scorching heat and also pouring rains, as outdoor seating is the trend now,” starts Muddasar Malick. Muddasar did his education in Chennai and calls the city as his second home. “Started in 2012, we run a restaurant in Vellore called Hundreds Heritage. For a long time, we wanted to open a similar one in Chennai but were on the hunt for an ideal space to incorporate the heritage theme. After zeroing in on this space, we decided to give a modern bistro touch,” says the founder. This is an all-day diner focusing on Indian flavours with a modern twist.

“There are many global cuisines making their way to the city. But there is much more to explore in vibrant traditional Indian cuisine. We wanted to have a modern take through contemporary presentation and that is how we came up with dal makhani pizza. The brain behind the unique menu is chef Koushik. We wanted to make a statement that we are a modern bistro but sticking to the roots,” elucidates the 40-year-old.

We can find at least one new restaurant popping up in the city daily. This paves the way to growing competition and sustaining the business becomes a challenge. “Setting up and running a diner is difficult. But maintaining the same for more than a year is the most arduous part. Though we have experience in the food industry, every day is a new challenge for any restaurateur. For example, even though Sachin Tendulkar scores a century, he starts with a zero for the next match. That is how the restaurant industry works,” Muddasar Malick shares.

Talking about the ways to sustain in the business, he reflects, “One can run a diner successfully if he/she is not carried away by one day’s profit. Things that are easy will not last for long. Nowadays, people concentrate more on the ambience to attract more footfall. But in the long run, quality service and food will attract repeat customers. Instagrammable places will vanish in the long run, unless they serve quality food.”

With the IT boom, Chennaiites are coming out of their conservative shell and have become more inclusive of their food preferences. “Things are changing now and preferences are evolving,” Muddasar remarks.

We tried the cranberry and lychee mojito, and grape sangria. Both had pulpy textures and we really liked the cranberry and lychee one. They have a variety of coffee and chai options as well. The zafrani paneer cheese kebab with mint chutney was good. In the small plates, the dahi kebab tacos is a unique and a must-try dish. The lasooni chicken wings aced the list with its juicy meat and delicious sauce.

Mutton seekh kebab with succulent mutton topped with bone marrow butter was lip-smacking. We also tried the much-expected dal makhani and it fulfilled our expectations with its top-notch flavours. Perfect amount of dal on a Neapolitan-style pizza with not-so-overpowering cheese should be on your list.

The nalli biryani was good with soft meat pieces.

Desserts make the whole experience delightful. And the triple chocolate cheesecake was luscious and the rasamalai tres leche was subtle.