Who wouldn’t want to dine like a king? A regal treat awaits foodies at Villa Maya restaurant at Eenchakkal where a grill fete is on. The old world yet contemporary ambience of the restaurant, coupled with live music, sets the right mood for a feast befitting a king.
However, we had to wait quite a while for the gourmet treat as all the tables were full and by the time we took our seats, our stomachs had started to grumble. A quick scan of the menu made me realise that I had never heard of most of the exotic dishes and so I took the help of the chef to order our starters – Boti Kebab and Paneer Shaslik. The former had barbeque grilled beef, which was succulent and mixed well with the mint chutney. Paneer generally tends to be rubbery or watery but this paneer along with yoghurt dip was truly heavenly; it just melted in the mouth. In fact, I liked it more than the Boti Kebab, which is quite the compliment coming from a full-blooded non-vegetarian like me. “Custom-made paneer curdled at the right temperature is the secret behind the softness,” explained Shine Sreevisakhan, the executive chef.
The Beef Kalbi Steak, a delicacy of Korea, which comprised a juicy steak with rice noodles and grilled vegetables, was our main course. The tenderloin steak was one of the softest I have ever had and I didn’t have to exert myself much to cut it, which usually is not the case. The potato wedges too were lip-smacking good – crispy on the outside and juicy inside. The noodles, the capsicum and the mushrooms all blended well with the steak even while retaining their distinct flavours.
The crowning glory however was the dessert- `Bananeflambee et crepe au chocolat’, which was flambéed next to our table as part of the restaurant’s “interactive cooking” theme. It was a true visual delight to see the flames give finishing touches to the dish, incidentally, a prelude to the gastronomic delight which awaited us. The toasted banana layered between crepes and caramel sauce was a perfect example of taking a local ingredient and creating a dish of global standards. The flourless chocolate cake, our next dessert, was piping hot but we quickly dug into delectable portions of the extremely fluffy cake since the chef had warned us it would lose its flavour in 15 minutes.
True to the adage, good things do come to those who wait. Nonetheless, it’s best to make reservations ahead of your visit. The Grill fete is on till October 19, from 7 p.m. onwards . Contact: 2578901
