“It’s rooted in all boys’ barbeque parties, when the wives and kids are away, and a passion for good food and cooking,” says Khurram Vohra, one of the co-owners of Smoke Factory at Uthandi on ECR.
It all began as an attempt to bring authentic Delhi street food to Chennai, particularly the flavours of the bylanes of old Delhi, by a group of four friends. They began with wanting to set up a kiosk selling kebabs and juice, and ended up with a sprawling, 60-seater restaurant, that allows one to enjoy the sea breeze on ECR while you tuck into some succulent kebabs that have come straight off the grill.
Good food aside, the ambience of the Smoke Factory is a compelling reason to stop by on one of your drives down the ECR. A part of the restaurant is housed in a recycled shipping container, making it a quirky experience. The container itself sits on a grassy lawn, so there is plenty of space around. A little fountain gurgles in the middle, and beyond that is more seating in thatched huts. Khurram explains that after being in use for 25-30 years, the shipping containers are retired because they are not considered sea- worthy any more. They would typically end up in a junkyard to be scrapped. Instead, they can be upcycled and used as temporary structures, especially on construction sites.
Using these containers and starting a restaurant in one was a sudden brain wave. The idea has now grown to incorporate a covered deck on top that has some retro low seating you can settle into, while you look out on ECR and the magnificent sunset beyond. Complementing the decor is a series of gorgeous paintings by a local artist themed around doors and windows. “We hope to encourage upcoming young artists by allowing them to display their work in our space,” explains Naushad, who is a partner .
Predominantly and unabashedly non-vegetarian, the Smoke Factory has a menu that is a meat lover’s dream come true. Their tandoor kitchen dishes up mutton, chicken and beef in various avatars, including seekh kebabs, tikkas and a host of ‘tava’ items including Tava Chicken Kheema, Tava Chicken Omelets and other unique ones like Tava Gurda and Kaleji (kidney and liver) and Tava Brain. “We knew that there was a vacuum in the market, particularly in this part of town for this kind of food, which is the staple of older areas like Triplicane. We were a little hesitant to add these items to our menu and didn’t know if there would be any takers. But we are stunned at how popular they are,” says Irfan Sherif, another one of the owners. There are slim pickings for vegetarians that include panneer and mushrooms in the grill menu, but if the taste is anything to go by, they are bound to win some fans.
Their tandoor chefs have been especially brought down from Bombay and Delhi to replicate the particular flavours of the streets around Bhindi Bazaar and Jama Masjid.
Sea food in all its variety is another focus of this restaurant, as they capitalise on their proximity to the sea. Fish, crab, shrimp, lobster – they have it all, served any way you like it. They have several different marinades that you can choose from, incorporating flavours ranging from Continental to Chettinad. An in-house speciality is the fish – fresh catch of the day grilled whole and served.
Meat and seafood aside, they also have a continental menu that gives a variety of soups, salads, pasta and steaks to choose from. “We source the best quality of beef we can find,” says Naushad, egging us on to sample some. But after having had our fill of spicy seekh kababs and the grilled paneer that comes doused in a fabulous cream cheese sauce, we have to say no. They have a separate juice bar as well. Only a couple weeks old, the menu is still undergoing tweaks and holds myriad possibilities. Dishes like Nihari and Paya (trotters) are on the list of potentials that are vying for space.
Smoke Factory aims to go places and we hope they take our taste buds along for the ride.
