Fine food and friendly service

IT IS a rare experience to visit a restaurant after 21 years and find it still in shipshape, maintaining the quality of food and standard of service. So, when we walked into Opal Inn, the restaurant attached to Hotel Ranjit on Nungambakkam High Road, it was certainly a pleasant surprise! The simple, but neat decor is perfect for a good gastronomical experience. From the welcoming bow of the head steward to the final goodbye, the service is courteous. Even the menu cards are designed to reflect quality and simplicity. Looking around, I find that the restaurant can take 81 covers at a sitting, so if you've not had the time to book your table (827052), never mind, there's a good possibility of the wait being just a short one.

Opal Inn is a multicuisine restaurant, offering a wide choice to the vegetarian and non-vegetarian palates, and my group of friends set their taste-buds on an adventure of a varied fare.

If the saying 'Well begun is half done' is true, then the soups did their trick in stirring our appetite.

We tried out a whole range of soups, from Chinese to Continental. The Sweet Corn Chicken, French Onion, Minestrone, Talumein..., all reasonably priced in the Rs. 40 range. For the adventurous, there is the Shark Fin Crabmeat (Rs. 66), or the Prawn Tom Yun Soup.

In the Starters category, there is a lot one could enjoy like the Golden Fried Baby Corn (Rs. 70), the Baby Corn, Mushroom Pepper Salt (Rs. 70), or the Crispy Fried Vegetable (Rs. 60). You could also try the regular starters like Drumstick Chicken (Rs. 110), Spicy Fried Chicken (Rs. 150) or the really different, mouth- watering and highly recommended Thai Chicken (for those who revel in the hot 'n' spicy), (Rs. 150) or the Butter Fly Prawn (best when laced with Hakka Sauce, which is a tangy concoction of lemon, garlic, ginger, chilli and finely chopped spinach. Yummy, but priced at Rs. 275).

The juices are well stirred by now, and encouraged by the attentive stewards, you are now ready to try out the main course. While there are many restaurants in Chennai which serve good Indian and Chinese cuisine, and Opal Inn is as good if not better in this category, I would recommend a go at the Continental variety, all moderately priced between Rs. 110 -190. A word of caution though! The portions are quite large, so if you're not big eaters, use your discretion.

Crab Thermidor is crab meat in cheese sauce and baked in the shell, while Mafia, a fillet of chicken with grilled capsicum served with pepper sauce and boiled vegetables, has the right touch of pepper. You could try the Cheese Fried Chicken which is rich and gives you the American fast food experience, though I found it a little dry.

Filet De Topaz would be just the right offering if you have a foreign guest with you - it is totally Western. If you wish to dine a la Italiano, there is a wide choice of Pastas and Bakes to choose from - Chicken Spaghetti, Macaroni/ Vegetable/ Sweet Corn Augratin, Cannalone (both veg and non-veg), Lasagne Bolognaise/ Napolitaine or Spaghetti Bolognaise/ Napolitaine.

Treat the restless youngsters in your group to the excellent variety of Sizzlers in lamb, poultry and fish that are once again the speciality of Opal Inn, with Roast Chicken Steak (Rs. 145), closely followed by Grilled Fish Steak.

The Cripsy Lamb in Hot Garlic/Schezwan Sauce (Rs. 110) could be an excellent choice if you prefer Chinese.

There is a wide variety of seafood specials to experiment with, which include fish, prawns and crab, and you needn't worry about their freshness as the restaurant serves only the 'catch of the day'.

All the typical Chinese Noodles and Fried Rice varieties, fine- tuned to cater for the Indian palate, are served along with the necessary accompaniments.

The Tandoor section of the menu sports an endless variety. There are naans, kulchas, parathas or rotis. You can also try Mughlai and Punjabi curries - Murgh/Gosht Kali Mirch, Lucknowi or Jaipuri, to Jhinga (prawn) curry, Kadai Jhinga, Jhinga Makhanwala. There are the pulaos and biriyanis (veg and non-veg) as also the run-of-the-mill North Indian curries.

For dessert, try the Hot Fudge Nut Sundae (Rs. 69). It is delightful if you promise yourself an extra exercise schedule the next day.

Caramel Custard could be another wise choice or just go overboard with the Opal Special Tutty Fruitty.

PERVIZ BHOTE

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Features
Previous : When a legacy comes alive
Next     : Training in Ayurveda