How can a potato be pink in colour? That’s my doubt as I saunter into the recently-launched ‘eclectic veg restaurant’ called Pink Potato in Kilpauk.
I get my answer within 30 seconds of settling down, when the waiter arrives with a ‘welcome salad’, nestled in a little bowl. My companion and I dig into it reluctantly, but we’re soon devouring the intriguingly creamy delicacy. Much later after the meal, we’d learn that it was a concoction of “chilled potato, veg mayo and boiled beetroot water, along with jaggery.” Pink Potato has got my attention all right.
The description ‘eclectic’ is apt, as we run our eyes through the menu card, and settle for cauliflower varuval and nadru ki shammi (lotus stem cutlets). The former is a quintessential Tamil dish, something we can quite easily make at home, and something that you don’t need to visit a restaurant to eat. But the latter is from Lucknow, and the vegetarian version of mutton kebabs. We ignore the chef’s advice that it would be spicy and dig into it. It sets our tongues on fire, but only for a bit... once you dig into this cutlet-lookalike (at ₹175, it’s a steal), you’re sold. Just a tip: be generous with your helping of the mint chutney to go with it.
One look at the main course sheet and I’m sold on the ratatouille, that arrives with aubergines and peppers stewed with tomatoes, served with buttered rice. I kept thinking of the heart-warming film by the same name as I waited for it to arrive, and once it did, was pleasantly surprised by the desi twist given to it.
To offset the overload of veggies, I decide to indulge in a bit of the corn and pepper au gratin that, to my disappointment, is a bit too cheesy.
The fact that there’s a who’s-dieting-better contest at work doesn’t help things either — the au gratin is a strict no-no if you’re watching your weight.
We end our meal with a perfunctory chocolate cake and a semiya payasam that tastes much like one made at home.
The next time there’s no cooking happening at home, I know that Pink Potato is where I’m headed to for a meal.
