Connoisseur's Abodes in Madras

Guess I am back with more Chennai tales, and this time with some gastronomic ones :)

I suddenly seemed to be discovering brilliant food places in Madras that I am thrilled. So much is my penchant for finding out new places (in the limited vegetarian world) that I put a simple condition that I will meet you only if we go to a place that I haven't been before.

I had mentioned about 'Kafeoke' - the coffee bar with 'karaoke'. I was there with two of my B-school buddies. This place is pretty good. It is on First seaward road in Thiruvamyur and it is a beachside bungalow on stilts overlooking the brown sands and the blue expanse.You have a couch where you can lounge around, one huge screen where everyone can see you sing. This is the Western zone. There is another separate room behind sound proof doors for Hindi and Regional language songs. There is a sit out where you can sip your coffee, oblivious to all the singing happenning inside and just watch the waves try and climb the land.

We tried our hand at singing. The first attempt at 'American pie' gave us a score of 8/100. Then I moved to my so-called forte and attempted 'Roja Jaaneman' from Roja.. and scored 36/100. So there it is. I am now officially a better singer of Hindi Songs and hence being in Bombay I shall take my shot at Bollywood. Watchout Indian Idol, Voice of India, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Nee Saa and all such reality shows, here I come! Woo hoo!

Anywho, I was pretty pleased with myself with my effort. We met the owner of the place Swapna Abraham. She introduced herself to us and took us around the place. She is a leading gospel singer, having recorded over 18 albums. Now she runs this place which also has a recording studio. She takes singing classes too, for those who are interested. Here is her website.

She sang Careless Whispers on the Karaoke.. and whoa.. that was something. I am not gonna try and describe her singing but she scored 82/100. That should say it all :)

The place is done up pretty well and has a relaxed ambience where one just lounges around. Also while you are there, do not miss the omelette sandwitch. :). The food is not expensive at all and the cost per song on karaoke is Rs. 30. After all, how expensive can Chennai get! (except the auto rickshaws!)

Sorry, do not have pictures of this place.
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Amethyst needs no introduction to Madras. It is one of the many heritage buildings that has been converted to an art gallery. This one has a coffee shop and a restaurant too. The art gallery has designer stuff and is pretty-priced but wares that one gets over here is phenomenal. The food is not too expensive here. The best part about this place is that you can sit around and people will not bug you or disturb you. Waiters wont hang around you, making it uncomfortable for you so that you leave soon. Infact, you can go sit there, and till you decide to disturb the waiter, he will not disturb you. :)

Evenings and nights are the best times to go to Amethyst. If the weather is pleasant you can sit out in the verandah or even under the trees in the open. I have been to Amethyst three times in the last month itself :). One can just take a book, ipod, laptop or just decide to sit in one corner and stare at nothingness. It is a great place to catch up, even with oneself.

I was there yesterday catching up with my engineering college friends. The food is good. I wouldn't say exceptional for I've definitely had better. But put the entire experience together it is seriously one place one would enjoy lounging. Here is a picture of me at Amethyst. ( Poor quality as it is taken in my cell phone.)

I know its difficult to take eyes off the 'center of attraction = me' :P but just look at the background and see how the place has been done up. Don't you just wanna go there.. like right now?
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An finally, every meal has to end with a desert. So obviously a post on places to eat has to end with a post on a 'Desert Bar'. Sathyam Theatre or rather Sathyam Multiplex is like a landmark in this city for decades. But the new desert Bar in Sathyam complex called 'Ecstasy' is just that, pure 'Ecstasy'. This place was recommended to me by my friend, and the three of us decided to check this place out. We had kept enough space for desert.

First look at this place and we are like WOW. Sleek, sophisticated futuristic and a great combination of white walls, dark wood and leather sofas. The place is inviting in itself. It is posh , yes that the word , posh.

We look at the deserts displayed and we choose Tiramisu, lemonart and Crepes with Hazelnet sauce. We take a few snaps of the place and await our deserts. It finally arrives with home-made or rather shop-made ice cream. One bite into the desert and there is sereneness. The world is at peace. If you have seen Ratatouille movie, where the critic Anton Ego, remembers his mother, childhood and all innocence when he has the first bite of 'Ratatouille'. It was just that.

Yes I am exaggerating, but you should have seen us. The three of us sat there giggling, gushing and devouring, savouring the deserts. We were like a three year olds who had just discovered the existence of chocolate. The deserts were not too sweet. They were just right. They had the right balance of sweetness to tickle your tastebuds instantly and a brilliant after taste that ensured that I did not drink even water for the next half hour.

The chef is Michael Besse of international fame. Some enquiries later I found out that he has been around the world in many big hotels in different countries. I could not speak to him this time around, but next time, I will try and do so. I would very highly recommend this place to all and sundry. It is a wee bit expensive, but hey do pamper your taste buds once. A connoisseur's abode, you wouldn't regret it.

Guess, these days when everything is reduced to a come-wait-eat-go format, I am a sucker for a fine dining experience. I would love if you guys could recommend places that I can check out. A fine experience is all I ask for.