For me, Talk Like A Pirate Day has arrived earlier than usual this year — just so you know, the day is celebrated on September 19. I am aboard The Black Pearl, a pirate-themed buffet restaurant at Sholinganallur junction on Old Mahabalipuram Road. With pirate caps on sale and an ongoing selfie contest, the restaurant intends to get its guests to participate in the theme.
So, blimey! Why am I still talkin’ like a landlubber, and not like the true-blue sea dog that I am?
I am just settlin’ in and the mobile beeps. Shiver me timbers, it’s a WhatsApp video call from my brood. I ignore it, thanks to the wisdom of the seas. As my two kids love role-playing games, I am not showing them where I am, and risking a cold reception later at home.
With what looks like a labouriously-crafted decor offering vignettes of life aboard a pirate ship and statues and busts of characters from Pirates of the Caribbean , The Black Pearl creates a world of make-believe and role-playing that should naturally appeal to children. The evidence is not far to be seen: At the next table, the excitement on a child’s face proves it.
As I travel on The Black Pearl on a Monday, there is piped music, with the selection expectedly restricted to English songs (a live band plays on other days). The sounds are a tad too loud for my comfort. It can be an irritant while I am trying to catch up on scuttlebutt (gossip in my seafarer’s parlance) with my fellow liquor-guzzling buccaneers.
Aaarrrggghhh! Now, the Pirate Tavern is a let-down. It presents a sight that a sailor of my stripes can never appreciate. Mocktails flow freely where liquor should. Joel Rajadurai, manager of the restaurant, explains, “The liquor licence is expected to come, tentatively, before the end of August. Until then, it will be only mocktails.”
Now, the food is marked by variety, but sticks to the tried and tested, largely staying in ‘Indian waters’. In the main vegetarian section, the paneer Kolhapuri and pineapple sadam have been interestingly made and the results match the efforts. Paneer Kolhapuri is spicy without being hard on the oesophagus and stomach — and that comes from someone who battles GERD (a gastroesophageal issue). I learn that freshly-ground cashewnut paste takes the edge off the spices, which include Kashmiri chilli powder.
Pineapple sadam, said to be a new addition to the menu, seems set to run for many weeks. Besides pineapple slices, peanuts and roastedchanna dal are significant flavours apparent in the dish that is garnished with curry leaves.
In the non-vegetarian main course, kozhi varutha curry packs a punch. Marinated chicken is sautéed with onion and tomato sauce along with Indian spices. Mustard fish curry is bland in a nice way: catla fish is fried in mustard oil, and the gravy prepared with mustard sauce. The egg masala, though, can be improved upon: it comes with a gravy that is right for rice, but too thick for rotis .
One gets a sense of a large spread, at the very beginning with the starters, which alone are served.
For those choosing non-vegetarian fare, there is an on-table barbecue grill, with its offerings to choose from. The appetizers, small-eats and desserts section seems to beat the rest, in terms of items. There are dedicated counters for chaats and pizzas.
The desserts section, with its sugar-overloaded shakarpara , jalebi with rabri and paan ice cream, closes the dining experience with a taste that is likely to linger on.
- 132, Max Kailash, Old Mahabalipuram Road, Sholinganallur
- Hits: Paneer Kolhapuri and mustard fish curry
- Misses: Egg masala and jafrani hundi
- 9952919900
