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Updated – May 30, 2024 01:58 pm IST
Published – May 29, 2024 05:27 pm IST
Southern Spice | Photo Credit: Shiva Raj
The iconic Taj Coromandel in Nungambakkam has been the venue for several celebrations, meetings, and has even played host to the Queen of England, Elizabeth II and former US President Bill Clinton. This year, the hotel is celebrating its own milestone — the golden jubilee.
The iconic Taj Coromandel in Nungambakkam has been the venue for several celebrations, meetings, and has even played host to the queen of England, Elizabeth II and former US President Bill Clinton. This year, the hotel is celebrating its own milestone – the golden jubilee.
The Golden Dragon | Photo Credit: Shiva Raj
While nostalgia seems to be the theme for the big celebration, it also is one of the reasons why guests and patrons choose to revisit and celebrate with the Taj Coromandel. “It has hardly been a year since I joined this legacy hotel but the way the city associates with this Taj is very special. Particularly I remember this instance where a guest rescheduled his wedding date just so that he can get married in this Taj, just like his father and grandfather did. It is because of such guests that we have come this long and it will carry us forward too,” shares Naved Karbelkar, hotel manager.
Taj Coromandel opened in 1974 and became a symbol of luxurious hospitality in the city. The Golden Dragon, the hotel’s popular Chinese restaurant too took its first strides into the city then, becoming a pioneer in serving flavours from the Sichuan province.
To celebrate the anniversary, the hotel is recreating old menus from its popular restaurants, starting with Golden Dragon. “Written documentation and hard copies of the menu helped recreate the classics for the special anniversary menus, and it was challenging to revive them. Chefs who have retired came in and participated in the trials and taste tests,” says Sujan Mukherjee, executive chef.
Zima Lamb | Photo Credit: Shiva Raj
At The Golden Dragon, we delve into a bowl of zima lamb, which has juicy pieces of lamb coated in copious amounts of a sesame oil and a Shaoxing wine (a fermented cooking rice wine)-based sauce. It is studded with slices of garlic and spring onion. Then comes a plate of lotus stem, stir-fried with crushed garlic and red chilli.
Raw mango chicken tikka pizza | Photo Credit: Shiva Raj
Anise | Photo Credit: Shiva Raj
We set out on a restaurant-hopping adventure, starting with Anise, the all-day diner. “Back when it used to be called The Pavilion, there used to be a raw mango and chicken tikka pizza. When I came across this, I was instantly curious and called the former executive chef. Raw Mango is an ingredient you don’t expect on pizza. But the pairing was unbelievable,” says chef Sujan. We try this tangy pizza fresh out of a wood-fired oven with fresh mozzarella cheese, soft and mildly-sour pieces of raw mango, and small chunks of juicy chicken tikka on a bed of marinara sauce.
Over the years, while much has remained the same at the Taj Coromandel, it has also evolved to keep up with a changing clientele. “I have seen three ballrooms change, the lobby has changed twice and the restaurants have been renamed too,” says Ahmed Moh Ideen, the oldest working employee at Taj Coromandel, who is set to retire next year. He adds, “I started as a general attender 42 years ago. Today, I am the stores officer. I didn’t come with any training, but grew along with the hotel.”
Kayaru katti yerachi kola urundai | Photo Credit: Shiva Raj
Southern Spice has been serving dishes from the South Indian states for the last decade just like it did in its previous avatar as Mysore.We try kayaru katti yerachi kola urundai, a classic mutton dish from the Chettinad region, which is tender with the warm flavour of caramelised onion melting in the mouth. Then comes a plate of steaming Kerala matta rice with creamy Alleppey fish curry, and a tangy manathakkali vathal kuzhambu.
Singapore Sling | Photo Credit: Shiva Raj
Curious to retrace the nightlife of Chennai back in the day, we enter Chipstead on our way out. The bar used to be called Fort St George, where along with popular cocktails, spice-coated peanuts too were a crowd favourite. We take a sip of their iconic Singapore Sling, recreated from the Raffles hotel in Singapore.
Chocolate Pyramid and choux swan | Photo Credit: Shiva Raj
We end the evening at La Patisserie, where there are sweet mango swans made with soft choux pastry and sinful chocolate pyramids made with old-school chocolate cake and rich ganache. Dishes from the old menu are at 50% off till May 31 at Anise, and from June 1 to 16 at Southern Spice. At La Patisserie, the discounts are on from July 1 to August 3. At Chipstead, the offer is from July 14 to August 3. For reservations and more details, contact 044 66002827/ 78248 62311.
food and dining (general) / food / Chennai / hotel and accommodation / The Hindu MetroPlus
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