Chennai’s The Park, located by the Gemini flyover in Nungambakkam, is 22 years in the business. As homage to the land’s previous occupant, the famed Gemini Studios, a cinema-inspired menu has been introduced to mark the celebrations.
“We watched several movies here to put together the menu for Chef’s Cut. Each of these dishes is of great significance to the movies, but we present them with a twist,” says Ashutosh Nerlekar, executive chef, The Park Chennai.
The menu, which opens out like a film reel, features 11 dishes from Indian and international films. While there are predictable picks like Pixar’s Ratatouille and TheLunch Box starring Imran Khan, other options like Tampopo, a Japanese film released in 1985, make it a delightful learning experience. Each page features a few lines about the movie along with a small description of the dish.
Our meal begins with a hearty bowl of pearl barley cherry tomato and burrata risotto with earthy baby spinach, crunchy chestnuts, and a balsamic drizzle, olives and micro greens. This dish is inspired by the movie Burnt starring Bradley Cooper, released in 2015. The pearl barley serves as a wholesome alternative to rice, soaking up the creamy and slightly tangy sauce.
Next, we try the Lunch Box-inspired paneer tikka terrine. Tender slabs of paneer sit in a bowl of tangy and subtly-spiced tomato and methi-based cream with a bright dollop of buffalo mozzarella on top. It is served with a fluffy braid of masala brioche.
Although the menu is an homage to Gemini Studios, which played a significant role in the development of Tamil cinema, the list unfortunately does not feature any Tamil movies. Instead, Chef Ashutosh brings us the Tampopo-inspired ramen bowl, which is reminiscent of a rasam made in a Tamil household. A tangle of Somyeon noodles sits in a bowl of peppery tomato and curry leaf broth with steamed baby bok choy, fluffy mini Mysore bonda, and a thick prawn thokku with a hit of chilli. It is available with Shiitake varuval (fry) or a meen kal masala as well.
We are then served a big piece of rib-eye steak with buttery lion’s mane mushroom and a thick Bordelaise sauce, based on the 2007-release romantic comedy No reservations. The pink-in-the-middle medium rare steak is juicy, cooked with Mandarin herb butter, and pairs well with the red wine reduction and caramelised shallot French sauce. It comes with a side of salty potato tian.
Finally, we get to live every movie lover’s dream with a golden ticket from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, which comes in the form of a silky French chocolate cake, topped with a crunchy peanut crumble and vanilla-whipped rich ganache. The dollops of tart and sticky raspberry jello serve as a contrast to the sinful cake.
The Chef’s Cut, à la carte menu, will be available for lunch and dinner at 601, The Park Chennai, Nungambakkam until May 25Dishes start at ₹425.
