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Updated – July 04, 2024 02:43 pm IST
Published – July 04, 2024 01:31 pm IST
The spread at Paper Roast by Cafe Pramadham | Photo Credit: Srinath. M
It’s half past 5 on a weekday and a group of friends, all clad in black waistcoats, saunters in. They are ravenous. Nothing compares to post-work snack cravings. At Paper Roast by Cafe Pramadham, Chennai’s latest entrant into the vegetarian tiffin centre ecosystem located bang on St Mary’s Road junction, junior lawyers from private law firms nearby are regular fixtures. Each day they try something new. Today, they want to try the butter bun.
As the name suggests, Paper Roast by Cafe Pramadham, is the Greams Road restaurant’s smaller cousin, hoping to be the go-to spot for a quick, fuss-free meal in Alwarpet. While Cafe Pramadham was initially intended as a tiffin centre, it has grown to be a restaurant with a possibility of eventually growing into a fine dining experience. Paper Roast on the other hand was conceptualised as a quick service restaurant from the start.
Vignesh KR who runs both Cafe Pramadham and Paper Roast says, “We are seeing this trend [of QSRs] in all metro cities, but I have always felt that Chennai had a gap in this market. We are focussing on a limited menu, but within that there will be special crowd pullers. And whatever we do, we want to do it right.”
The simple dish of butter, bun and a generous sprinkling of sugar, is a winner from the get go. After all, how can bread and butter even go wrong? In a city known for its many variations of bun-butter-jam, this butter bun takes on a different character. The butter does not overpower, and invites second, third and fourth bites within minutes. Cutting into the mildly toasted soft bun, drenched in butter, is satisfying, and so is the crunch of the sugar crystals.
Lava idli | Photo Credit: Srinath. M
Paper Roast’s showstopper is the “viral” lava idli. This decadent version of a podi idli is a donut-shaped, glass-skinned idli that holds a pool of oil and podi in its centre. Cut into it, and you will be welcomed by a rush of ‘lava’. At first glance, it looks like a recipe for heartburn, but surprisingly, it is light as familiar notes of podi pair well with the very soft idli, leaving no room for the oil to overpower.
The aloo bonda has a zingy, spicy potato filling, with flavours of mustard and finely chopped coriander. Also try the punugulu caked in a mildly spicy garlic podi coating that hits the back of one’s throat, if you are in the mood for a snack.
“We make everything at site, and have an open kitchen plan to ensure the quality of hygiene,” says Vignesh, adding, “There is a group that really wants the basics to be done right, and we are targeting that crowd, along with those who wants to experiment within this realm,” says Vignesh adding that other floors of the building will also be open soon, with more seating. It is now operational only on the ground floor.
Tender coconut jelly | Photo Credit: Srinath. M
But let’s be honest. The dosas are why we are here. The restaurant’s namesake is crispy, comforting and all too familiar as any loyalist would agree – the coconut chutney is the right amounts of chunky yet smearable, but the tomato chutney wins as the ideal pairing. The sambar, on the other hand, is a little runny making the thick sambar fiend in me a little disappointed. The special cheese dosa (with a poondukozhambu paste) is flavourful and indulgent while the double cheese dosa simply overwhelms one, thanks to the thick cheese layer within the folds. The crispy guntur masala dosa with a spicy onion-chilli chutney filling, on the other hand, hits all the right spots. This is perhaps when a goli soda might come handy: they carry them in . Or you can opt for rose milk.
For the main course, the nool parotta and kurma is a clear winner. Flaky strands of dough tangle into a light parotta that pairs perfectly with a balanced vegetable kurma, (alternatively one can opt for paneer butter masala as well). The fragrant karuvepilai podi idli is a comforting burst of flavours, ideal for a light yet satisfying meal.
Inside Paper Roast | Photo Credit: Srinath. M
It’s blasphemous to end the meal without a cup of steaming hot coffee. Served in a glass, the frothy coffee is on the milkier side, not as fragrant as one expects. Some would argue that it could be stronger. An elaneer payasam, which boasts the consistency of a beverage, or the newly-introduced tender coconut jelly with shavings of coconut on it, are other options to end the meal.
Paper Roast by Cafe Pramadham is open for trials and the timings are from 11am to 10pm till July 14. From July 15, it will be open from 7am till 10pm. Price for two: ₹400-₹500.
The Hindu MetroPlus / Chennai / food and dining (general) / cafe / restaurant and catering
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