The Beatles play in the background as we lounge on comfortable sofa seats. The wall is lined with bricks, interspersed with framed hangings and colourful license plates. There’s even a bar counter, complete with bar stools, even though the place doesn't serve alcohol. Tovo Infusions, the new Indo-western restaurant in town, has the attitude of a downtown Manhattan rock café.
Tovo comes from the word ‘tava’, with a spin on the vowels, because all the food served in the restaurant comes off a griddle. They are known for their chicken, and for good reason, because they serve it tender and juicy. At first glance, the menu seems limited, but the combination of choices of infused sauces and regional toppings that flavour the meat offer variety.
We order chicken skewers for appetisers, which turn out to be tender pieces of spicy chicken served with its skin. It has a strong homemade Indian flavour to it and all the masala has not set properly. The Indian cheese tawad is soft pieces of tempered paneer, with a strong flavour of oregano, even though it is supposed to have been tossed in 38 herbs.
They’ve accommodated a few vegetarian dishes in the menu, but the place predominantly caters to chicken lovers. We sample the veggie tovo flap, which is a soft and spicy wrap, with the flavour of pickle coming through obviously. The smoothies are good too; we try the strawberry gelato smoothie and vanilla fudge and cream smoothie, which are both thick and creamy. The tangerine mocktail, however, tastes like ginger candy mixed in orange juice which isn't as refreshing as expected.
We wait for half an hour before main course shows up and we wait with dirty plates littering our table. The waiters, though courteous, are not very attentive and don't promptly clear plates or provide fresh cutlery. We are famished and impatient by the time our two quarters of chicken, each meant to serve one person, finally show up.
The first is infused with tangy cheese and herbs and seasoned with Mogul laces, which gives it a spicy relish. The cheese filling is paste-like, providing a contrasting texture to the chicken. The second infusion is original buttery, topped with Kashmiri zings. Kashmiri zing is apple with a pineapple tint and nuts, which lends it a slightly sweet and tangy twist. The chicken is succulent and packed with flavour, even though cutting into it proves to be an upper body workout. After many fruitless attempts at getting to the meat near the bone, we abandon all pretence and indulge our hands. There really is no other way to go.
We're still quite hungry and consider ordering one of the gourmet buns (that's what they call their burgers) but quickly change our minds in fear of how long it would take to arrive. We decide to order dessert instead. The Tovo retreat comes with three flavours of ice-cream - cookie and cream, almond and mocha fudge and strawberry - served on a brownie and sprinkled with nuts, fresh cut kiwi and strawberry slices. It's definitely meant to be shared and wraps up the meal nicely.
Tovo Infusions is an interesting new place in the city, especially for those who enjoy their chicken and Indo-western flavours. Faster and more attentive service would make for a much better dining experience.
The restaurant is at 113 Radhakrishnan Salai, Mylapore and a meal for two is approximately priced at Rs. 1000. For reservations: 81 44 11 44 66
