I contemplate writing a piece on Mexican food in Chennai. Don Pepe. Shortest column yet.
Or not. Distracted by a particularly rousing Pitbull song blaring on the radio, I lose my way in Nungambakkam, and find the unabashedly flashy Mexican Griller, featuring trees draped with festive lights and an oversized luridly coloured sombrero.
Despite the ostentatiously Mexican theme, which includes frescoes of beaming mariachi bands, the staff emphasise that they make ‘everything.’ Targeted at college students, given the bright but basic setting and cautious pricing, Mexican Griller serves up an Americanized, Indianised, localised version of Mexican cooking. Not quite the real thing — but just enough Mexican-inspired notes to make it seem exotic. Ignoring the sandwiches and burgers, I choose ‘super nachos’, spicy wings and jerk chicken, and ask for a takeaway dinner. A particularly Byronic waiter takes my order, sighing heavily between each starter. I remind him to pack the nachos separately so they stay crisp. He looks like he’d like to write a poem about it, but thankfully restrains himself. I remind him again. He nods sadly. Twenty minutes later, when I pick up the parcel, I ask again. He nods.
Back home, I hum the guacamole song. “Met him at the Mercado/ He was buying avocados…” (Real lyrics. I kid you not.) Time for dinner. The nachos, packed with drippy toppings, are limp and listless. I roll my eyes. Fortunately, despite their defeated texture, they’re unexpectedly tasty. I’m less enamoured by the dry jerk chicken. The food, served with tiny bowls of guacamole, salsa and mayonnaise, is basic, but satisfying — provided you keep expectations in check.
If you want to posh it up in a stylishly low-maintenance way however, Social’s the place to be right now. With its minimalist industrial grunge vibe, featuring upcycled furniture, warm exposed brick walls and retro-fittings, this is an anti-trendy anti-pub. Which works for me. Because on some nights, you just want to kick back with friends, in shorts and audaciously comfortable slippers. Designed to be a pre-party or instead-of-a-party space, the music is low and the flavours are loud. A disconcertingly bright glass-enclosed ‘open’ kitchen dominates the scene, its businesslike-like interiors clashing with Social’s laid-back feel. Clearly a statement by the man behind the scenes, Sandesh Reddy, who’s primary focus is always the food. Which explains why he’s designed Social along the lines of a New York Gastro Pub, even though the concept of a resto-bar would have been easier to sell in Chennai.
Hence opinions are mixed. If you’re looking for your standard masala nuts, club sandwich and chicken tikka style of bar food, this isn’t the place for you. Neither is it a friendly neighbourhood pub, in the style of Bangalore’s Pecos or Mumbai’s Café Mondegar. Social is an ambitious (for Chennai) experiment attempting to create, and popularise, the concept of dress down designer dinners.
We deliberate between sitting at a table made from an old sewing machine and a funky couch on wheels. Of course I choose the wheels. How often do grown-ups get to go “wheeee”. We sit in a row and squeal in chorus as straight-faced waiters push us towards the table. Admittedly, it’s not the most comfortable, or convenient, seating arrangement. But I notice that everyone bursts into a delighted giggles when they choose their seating, whether it’s the spinning stools or moving couches. And that’s Social’s signature: fun. Our food quirky, but cleverly structured. Chef Vivek Desirazu has created a short menu featuring comfort food from around the world.
From the ‘Small Plates’ section, we try a light, flavoursome, salad of orange glazed carrots tumbled with arugula, candied walnuts and sharp cow’s milk chevre. As more friends gather, we order stuffed molaga bajjis, which are satisfyingly crisp, and innumerable bowls of addictively sweet-and-salty crackling spinach chaat. Both the vegetarian dishes outshine the lamb sliders and chicken wings. The meat-eaters, however, are delighted with a bowl of juicy stir fried beef.
If you’re in the mood for something more substantial, try the ‘Big Plates’ which include a Tam-Brahm (vegetarian) burger, Gnocchi with lemon cream and keema pav. I try pork vindaloo, which is meeker than expected. Although dessert includes Dulche de leche cheesecake, Lemon cake and bread and butter pudding, we stick to the classic: Warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. It oozes molten chocolate as we slice in. Wheeee.
Mexican Griller is at 48, Sterling Avenue, Nungambakkam. Call 6461 7777, 6451 4444. A meal for two is Rs. 600.
Social is at Somerset Avenue, 94, Sathyadev Avenue, MRC Nagar, Santhome. Call 4215 2737, 89399 33039. A meal for two is Rs. 1,000.
