Japan Vs China- The Food Debate, Pan Asian, Chennai

Vegetarian vs Non vegetarian

Paneer vs Tofu

North Indian vs South Indian

Coffee vs Tea

and now, things are going global. Yes, we are talking about the big debate between Japanese Food vs Chinese food. I was wondering what this was all about, what ITC Grand Chola was hoping to accomplish. Little did I know I was in for a visual and sinful treat. 

They had flown down a Chinese Chef , pitted him against our very own Chef Vikram and the debate was on. I have been to Pan Asia twice before and both times, it has been quite a memorable experience. I have tried dishes filled with new flavours and textures, so I knew tonight was going to be no different. Just dint expect the surprise I was in for! 

And this Debate was going to pawn all other debates, beating them hands down. It had the Oomph. The food was paired with Whisky, and no small brand, it was Johnnie Walker. 

We were shown a menu, a set menu, one side of it belong to Japan and the other side to China and the dishes were paired with different kinds of Johnnie Walker whisky. After a brief round of introductions and hellos, we settled in and the evening just flew by.  When our orders were being taken, I somehow went with the Japanese menu, but luckily friend chose the Chinese and so we got to taste both  the dishes. 

The 1st platter, the amuse-bouche was quite a visual treat, and then my taste buds did the tango wit every sip and bite. There was a mini martini glass with a drink [yuzo and vodka] and the rim was filled with celery salt. Then there was a soup spoon with little green balls that were basically celery, and a crisp tofu skin[sansho crisp] and a sake?white wine soaked cherry tomato. Every mouthful was like firecrackers in the night sky. The Celery salt was the highlight. Oh, how can I forget the glass of Rising Sun that I sipped on. Johnnie Walker whisky blended with Egg white, soya sauce and Wasabi mix. Loved it, absolutely loved it.

I knew then the party had begun! The soup was another treat- Edamame, beetroot, truffle in a subtle Broccoli broth and a ring made with rice and another Japanese ingredient. Reading the word "Truffle" brought memories of the movie "No reservations" and of shows I had seen where a dog was used to sniff it out in the wilderness. What amazing flavours. As the soup arrived, so did the 2nd drink, this time a Johnnie walker blend with Oolong tea and sugar syrup, served in a long stemmed Martini glass. Moving on, the starter I chose was Confit Green Apple Carpacio served with plum tomato ice, gold label sichimi emulsion. Carpcio was yet another dish I had heard and seen on TV, so trying it out was a new experience and Yes, I loved it. What a blend of flavours and textures. The Whisky paired with this was Johnnie Walker Double Black label, such a smooth drink. 

Following this, came the main course- Grilled Artichoke hearts served alongside sticky rice, tobajan miso, water chestnuts. The drinnk for this was Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve, yet another smooth drink. The dish was just amazing, loved the crunchiness of the Water chestnut [infact we had a debate amongst ourselves wondering what veg that was].  And then, it was time for dessert. We were all grinning and having a lovely evening. Once again, I went with the dessert on the Japanese section of the menu and boy oh boy was I happy. My dessert was Johnnie walker whisky soaked  pear slices served with probiotic yoghurt ice cream. A vanilla milk of sorts was poured over the pear slices and boom boom the flavours took me to heaven and back. I am not joking nor am I exaggerating. I loved the creaminess and smoothness. This was served with the finest in Johnnie walker, the Premium drink.

Wait, Chef Vikram had yet another surprise in store for us. We were served another dessert, a dark chocolate one[75%], his signature chocolate preparation. He came over, chit chatted with us, asked for feedback and mentioned this dessert was just something he put together, no big deal... :-) What a humble man!! We also spent a few minutes chatting about some of his other creations and the Sunday brunch that he promised was going to be a one of a kind experience.  

This Chinese/ Japanese set menu is priced around Rs 2500 [and if you include the Whisky, it would be Rs 4000ish].. 

PS: Here are my earlier posts

Address:

Address:

ITC Grand Chola
#63, Mount Road, Guindy, Chennai,TN,600032
Ph- 044 2220 0000

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Pan Asian, ITC Grand Chola

I was looking forward to the day like a child anticipating a special gift. The day was going to be packed, that much I knew! The afternoon to 8pm was spent cheering CSK on at the Chepauk stadium as they beat KKR in the IPL 6 tournament and then came the special event of the day. I was heading over to friend’s house, to shower change and head off to ITC Grand Chola for a dinner at Pan Asian. It was courtesy a twitter contest I had won earlier the week. And since I was told I could bring a friend along, i chose A.  She was ready by the time I made it to her apartment, and it was nearly 8.30pm. A quick shower and I was ready.

We reached ITC Grand Chola close to 9.15 and we were welcomed by their Marketing Manager. The last time I was here was in Dec when I had enjoyed a one night two day stay and a relaxed lunch with another friend of mine. This time I was indulging in a new restaurant that had just opened up- The Pan Asian. But before we were taken there, we were given a tour of the place, including the recently launched Royal Vega, the pure vegetarian restaurant on the 1^stfloor.

The restaurant is ROYAL, true to its name. There are tables set up according to themes and one of them had plates with covers that were heavy, and I mean heavy. They were embellished with stones and what not. There was a secluded room that was ideal for a small family gathering, and it was beautiful. There was a mannequin decked up in traditional attire. The beauty was that the room could be split into two, to host two small groups.

Anyways, before I wander off all over the place, we made our way towards Pan Asian. The restaurant sports a narrow passage way entry and you go around the bend to see the entire space. It was huge, not a huge square but a long space. We were seated in one end of the room, near the bar and the sushi counter. I wandered over to see the display which showcased different kinds of mushrooms, cucumbers, and other meat that were used to make sushi.

We were seated, and the Chef came over to introduce himself and gave a sneak peek into the menu at Pan Asian. The entire menu card could take days to read and decipher, but what I liked about it were the birds that adorned the pages, all of which were from the Oriental region of the world. The restaurant sported dishes from these regions as well- Thai, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and so on. Most of the dishes names seemed Chinese and Japanese to us, and so we requested the staff who was serving us to help us decide.

First up was the amuse-bouche - a sampler of sorts. It was a longish plate with 3 distinct items in it a small piece of tofu with a pickled carrot slice, a pickled slice of radish and a slice of white radish with a dollop of avocado cream on top. While we took in the surroundings, the music and the décor, our soups and starters arrived.  I had chosen to try the familiar Tom Yum Soup, but this was nothing like what I’d had earlier. A deep bowl with the vegetables arrived, and then a tea pot of sorts was brought forward from which the broth was poured from. The soup was delicious, subtle and flavourful. Then came our starters. My friend had ordered for sushi while I wanted to try a dim sum. A cane steamer arrived on the table and within it sat cute looking pumpkin like dimsums. Even though these turned out to be pumpkin dimsums with custard filling [almost a dessert] I loved them. Only thing that had me puzzled was the texture, it was quite sticky.

Between courses there was a bit of a breather, allowing us to enjoy the surroundings and the ambiance. The décor is very retro, with concrete brick walls, and simple light fixtures. For the main course we were recommended the fried noodle basket with a Chinese stir fried vegetables and a pineapple spicy thai rice to go with it. Yes, I know, I have forgotten the names of the dishes. We polished them off with delight. And we pretty soon eager to see what was in store for dessert.

I chose the Green tea cheese cake while my friend chose a chocolate dessert. Both of these arrived in style, the plating was beautiful. we dint have the heart to cut into our dessert and spoil the whole plating.  It was colourful, and the desserts were quite large in portion size.  We chit chatted a bit longer with the staff before bidding adieu. We were happy, content. Not only did we get to enjoy some amazing dishes, but it was an evening worth remembering. More so since my friend was soon moving away, out of the city.

ITC Grand Chola is more than just rooms and food, it is an experience! I have been back here multiple times, with friends and for events, and every time has been a memorable one!

A meal for two here would cost around Rs 2000 to Rs 3000/-

Address:

ITC Grand Chola
#63, Mount Road, Guindy, Chennai,TN,600032
Ph- 044 2220 0000

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A Photofeature of the evening at ITC Grand Chola [Indiblogger meet]

Have you read my earlier post on the Indiblogger meet? No? Blasphemy i say... 1st go over here and then come drool at the images.... Go on, whatcha waiting for? Ok, you now have my permission to scroll down and enjoy the visual treat... :-)

Isnt it gorgeous? The beautiful chandelier in the main lobby.

 

Light oh so bright- The various light fixtures across the hotel and a floor pattern made of square tiles

Tring Tring, you called? The funky vintage telephone that i noticed across several lobbies

Psst.. keep this a secret, shall reveal what it is once opened

 

 

Welcome.. Wrap your hands around em birds and slide open the majestic doors. 

The beautiful door handles

 Which side do i turn? The corridor on the 30th floor, well, it is the 3rd floor, 

overlooking Madras Pavillion Restaurant

Glowing in the dark, ITC Grand Chola at 8pm. Shining like the Royal Palace it is.

 Hello, go on, enjoy the Hotel- the stairs seem to beckon. 

This is what greets you as you enter the Hotel through a side entrance

 

 Star light star bright, well, these shimmer in the ceiling like little twinkling stars, 

up above the grand staircase is where you find them.

 

So, wonderinng why I dint place the images in order? That is so you dont sneak away to visit the Hotel leaving me behind. Take me along and i shall give you a mini tour!! Smart, aint I? :-)

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An evening at ITC Grand Chola courtesy Indiblogger

 

Dammit, I am going to be late. Was stuck on the flyover in North Usman road for nearly 10mins and I could feel the clock tick away. I am one of those who would rather be early than late, but today I knew I was going to be late, albeit a few minutes.  Finally, at 2.20pm I reached the gates, and i was ready to meet the Cholas, err, fellow bloggers. I was at ITCGrand Chola. Having driven past this majestic place a few times, I was eager to explore and hoped Indiblogger & ITC Grand Chola were going to give us a tour of the place before the end of the evening.  

As i made my way to the RajendraHall, on the 2^nd floor for the Indiblogger meet, I hoped the Kings & Queens were not too angry with my tardiness. Phew, I was welcomed with a smile by what i assume was one of the soldiers at the Palace. :-)) 

 Unlike the earlier meets, I noticed there were round tables with chairs. Looks like the Kings had become modern after all.. I was asked to register [maybe this was to keep track of all the souls who came late, deserved a punishment], and a secret Wi-Fi sync, I found a seat in a table with a few familiar faces and said Hi Hello to others [I think I even breathed a sigh of relief to have made it to my seat.. alive].   We were nearly 80 souls, err bloggers that evening. Phew, and I knew for a fact that Chennai had many more.!! Trying to distract myself, I started looking around the hall, it was huge, and there was nowhere you could hide, except maybe under the table.. lol... Did i mention the tables had a little flower center piece and a martini glass with candy apart from a small jar of cookies? Yes, and the cookies were refilled as well. Each of us also had a bottle of water… 

The evening began with the court brought to order by Mr Phillipe from ITC Grand Chola, subsequent to which their Digital Marketing team took over. Running us through their “tweetsfortreats” campaign, they went on to lure us with a whole bunch of prizes to be won that evening- ranging from 500Rs vouchers to accommodation and meals. We were all hooked and done for right then and there [I knew I was done for..]. The rest of the evening went by with each of us crossing our fingers & toes hoping to win the biggest of them all [and ofcourse get out of there alive]…

And in true Indiblogger style, we had the “60 seconds of fame”, where we had to introduce ourselves, speak about our blog, and just about anything else we wanted to ramble on. Some were crisp & to the point, while others were quirky and well, there were a few, rather one who decided to give us a History lesson on the Cholas [was there going to be a pop quiz? *nail biting moment*, Just then I a "go to jail" flash on the screen and nearly jumped out of my seat in fear..eeps]  During this, there were a few who won vouchers [Ratzzz for having hit 15000 ft to Himalayas carrying the bag that she received from Indiblogger, another person for an NGO activity, and so on.. you get the drift…] We then were up on our feet, tapping em to Gangnam style and playing musical chairs... Run Run run i say!! was this a dry run for the jail punishments? ....

What followed next was the highlight of the evening… Um, after a brief fuelling ofcourse.. more like stuff up the pig before you slaughter moment... gulp... It was time for HIGH TEA [now, i’ve never really understood this concept, it is neither lunch nor tiffin, it is more like samosas & chai, satiate your hunger just enough, but leave you wanting more..go figure]

There was quite a spread- potato bonda, kachori, vazhapoo vada, Mexican empanadas with salsa and different kinds of sandwiches. Wait, there is more.. An island in the center of the hall with mouth watering dessert platters- Chocolate cake, cookies, tarts, meringue, chocolate, dry fruits & nuts…. Need i go on? It was quite an elaborate spread and delicious one at that. I got an opportunity to meet and  interact with the  Chefs, hear their experiences with ITC Grand Chola and of the menu that evening. As i looked around for coffee or tea, i noticed there were these tall containers with colorful liquids- Fresh Figs & Almond shake, Cucumber & celery juice, Banana & honey shake, Fresh lime juice, Watermelon juice and one more. I chose Figs, and it was yummilicious. A few opted for tea, and got to experiment with the wide variety offered.  There was Tea and Coffee in the main hall as well, along with cookies. 

Allowing myself to drift away into la la land, I let myself be amazed at how well organized the entire thing was, Kudos to ITC Grand Chola. Ok, lemme not digress. The next task.. err activity was to form groups of 10, come up with a team and enjoy a tour of the place with one of the guides [ITC staff], and along the way come up with a story as well. We were the Raja Raja Cholas, and the story theme was Tintin and Cholas meet, or something of that sort.

We dint win the best story or anything, but we sure had a blast on the tour, guided by Gaurang [who’d hurt both his palms on a motorcycle accident that morning and had not even taken the day off.. how about that!] He was chilled out, knew every single sitcom we mentioned and we had a whale of a time, walking around the premises, for nearly an hour. [was there going to another high tea? at the end many wondered]

ITC Grand Chola is HUGE, even Huge is an understatement- spread across 8 acres, with 600+ rooms, multiple restaurants and bars, a cigar room, beautiful spa, a majestic swimming pool near the gym, the place is magical indeed. While standing near the pool, we felt like we were on top of the world, the city seemed to be down below.

The attention to detail, the rooms, the swanky lobbies, the resident lounge, the meeting rooms, the facilities & technology that has been incorporated are all fit for a king, well, for someone who loves luxury and comfort. The pictures will tell you what am talking about… 

And then, we were back in the main hall, curious to know what next! I had wondered what we would be doing for 5hrs [the event mail said 2-7pm], and there we were back in the hall, as the clock stuck 6.45pm. Who’d have thought!  A few minutes spent on sharing our experiences of the hotel, and then came the “Let’s see who won what”.[i kept waiting for someone to point their sword towards me - you there, come up here, you were late werent you, buhahaha.. off to gallows with you"]

Instead, prizes were given out to the Best team, best tweeter and *drum roll please*, yours truly won a prize as well “best photographs shared on the move”... Woohoo… Who’d have thought indeed? No blood shed, no tears rolling down cheeks...Me with my Blackberry, but well, it was fun… I won a 1night 2 day stay at ITC Grand Chola and was/am mighty kicked about.  Wait, that was not all, ITC Grand Chola was giving out a prize to everyone who was in the hall, how cool was that? We were each given a small piece of paper that had our prize in it. We had to redeem it for a voucher and that was our return gift. Again, i got lucky, I won a meal at Madras Pavillion for 2.. Woohoo once more!! 

It was one awesome evening- Lovely ambiance, amazing people, good food and a fun meet!! Thanks @indiblogger for giving us this opportunity and thank you @itcgrandhotels for being such wonderful hosts!!  

Quick facts about the Hotel:-

The architecture is based on the Chola temple architecture; influences from Brihadeeswara temple & Gangai konda chozapuram evident in the designs all along the place and there were not one or two, but 4 entrances.

The hotel has a total of 10 food & beverage centers, including Peshawri [Northwest Frontier cuisine], The Royal Vega [vegetarian restaurant], Ottimo [Italian cuisine],The Madras Pavilion [a 3course meal kinda resturant], Cafe Mercara[coffee shop],  and then there was Nutmeg[gourmet shop], Cheroot Lounge[ Drinks & Cigar lounge], Pan Asian, Modo Mio, The Pub and Tranquebar[this was originally supposed to have been an all women pub]. 

 

There are in all 6 swimming pools... The Presidential suite is over 4000 sq ft of space with its own private pool and valet. From what i gather, there are nearly 4 categories of rooms, one wing dedicated to women entrepreneurs and travellers. 

Oh and the Elite rooms come with allergen free, pure air etc etc...The pillars are fitted with RFID sensors. Rooms are operated using an iPad, you walk in, plonk on the bed and everything else can be controlled using the tablet. Meeting Rooms are not only functional, but swanky- especially the one called "Tanjore" . Kaya Kalpa- their spa is said to be the largest of its kind... 

ITC Grand Chola
Mount Road [next to Alexander Square building, opp Maruti center]
Guindy,
Chennai- 600032
Phone: 044 2220 0000

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