Situated centrally in Chennai,
this hotel does not need any gloatingly brilliant prologue. It is the oldest
hotel and a stunning-work-of-art form of jewel in Chennai’s diadem. It was
built in 1854 and had numerous owners until it finally was acquired by the Taj
group. It was given a facelift in 2010 and was renamed to Vivanta by Taj
Connemara. But for me, Vivanta by Taj is
still Taj Connemara and it still feels at home to be there.
Taj Connemara is a piece of
history and has an art deco look to it. The corridor walls are affixed with
numerous photographs of yesteryear that give it an authentically museum
feeling. Here, I do not mean museum in the bad boring way instead I mean it in
the most exhilarating and exciting way and it never fails to surprise me when I
see guests standing in the corridors and admiring the artwork.
Apart from all the excellent
services and exquisitely abundant rooms which are very comfortable, I do have
to jot down about Hip Asia. I have been going to this restaurant since 2010 and
every time I go there, I just sit down and enjoy my meal to the full. I never
take a mental note or even jot down few things about this stylishly elegant. On
entering, you are greeted by the most gracious and obliging staff and they
usher you into a neatly arranged, subtly Chinese-esque
restaurant.
The first impressions
of the interiors are stylish, chic and very trendy. The lighting is perfectly
apt and the chairs are also very comfortable. The teppanyaki is situated duly
so that the scents of various ingredients being cooked on the open grill do not
waft in the whole restaurant. The inner segment of the restaurant has high
ceilings and the tables and chairs are arranged well beyond the earshot of
other people in the restaurant. It is spaced correctly and this is why the
privacy can be maintained.
However, for every
restaurant the food is the most important factor. Starting with the salad, it
was Yuzen Ae Salada – fresh crunchy lettuce served with a miso dressing. This,
I must say, is an absolute favourite. The freshness of the lettuce, the crunchy
tempura pieces and the miso dressing is delightfully astonishing and it gives a
very clean and mellow flavour to the taste buds which, almost always, tingles for
more.
One important
factor that I always consider before going to this restaurant is whether I like
their sushi or not. However, in this case, I always turn to Hip Asia for Sushi.
I prefer the makizushi or Uramaki more than Nigiri ( I am not very fond of raw
fish) as I like the rolled form. Also, the use of toasted nori (another thing I
like about sushis) is more in the case of uramaki or makizushi. I decided on –
Ebi Tempura Maki - Prawns in Tempura batter, deep fried and rolled in a maki
which was juicy and crunchy at the same time. It was effortlessly perfect and
it was rolled just right. The Kaki Age Maki
- The Tuna felt as soft as velvet and as smooth as silk. With the wasabi
and the dip, it was silky on the palate and even with the rice and nori, you
could still taste the tuna. Then I had the California maki – Avocado,
Crabsticks, cucumber and Tobigo (Flying fish roe) and little dash of Japanese
Mayonnaise (Kewpie I think) which was a complete unadulterated pleasure. The
cucumber was tenderly crisp that blended very handsomely with the crabstick and
the mellow creaminess of the avocado. I was very uncertain of the Tobigo but it
was an attractive match and it did not overpower the other ingredients. And
last came the Yasai Moriwase Maki - a melange of vegetables were used and the
crunchiness was evident with every bite. It was all served with their signature
dip (generally soy), pickled ginger and wasabi paste.
Hip asia served
the best Nasi goreng. It checked all boxes correctly - salty, Spicy, and sweet
all at the same time. It was like an
elegant ensemble that was like wonderful music to the ears but in this case a
melody for the mouth. The traditional sunny side up egg on the top looked
beautifully presentable. While I found some Nasi Gorengs to be dry, this was
moist, but still not sticky. I also felt that the sea food in the dish was
flawlessly cooked, not overcooked and it was seasoned rightly.
The Yaki Udon that
is the Japanese Buckwheat noodles was a visual delight with the vegetables and
chicken
in it. It had beautifully incorporated colors of the veggies and the
chicken was moist and tender. The wafting smell of the noodles made me salivate
and once in my mouth, it was an even better experience. The noodles were divine
and the fragrance of the toasted sesame oil left me wanting for more.
We finished with
traditional Malaysian custard which was the most delicate custard I ever had.
It was velvety; absolutely right on sweetness and a mellow hint of coconut milk
gave it a wonderful freshness. It held its triangular shape which means it was
firm enough but not hard or eggy to be precise. However, the chocolate mousse
was a letdown. The consistency was thick, heavy and jelly-like rather than
smooth and light.
This meal was
consumed over two nights by three people and everyone only had good things to
talk about.
Coming to the
service, it was prompt and rapid. We did not have to wait between the courses
and they also have a good drinks menu. Also, they oblige to any concoction you
would like. They do have a pre-set vegetarian and non vegetarian menu. Overall,
service is good in this restaurant.
Also, the prices
are reasonable for it being a five star hotel restaurant. I have seen insane
prices for mediocre food so I again stress on this being a better restaurant
than many in the market.
I have to
emphasize that this restaurant is a must go-to place. Considering everything,
the worth is more than the money spent!
No comments:
Post a Comment