ETC Restaurant & Cafe, Nungambakkam

April 13, 2016

Bloggers Meet @ ETC

Few weeks back, Chennai Bloggers Club (CBC) organized a tasting session at ETC restaurant and cafe in Nungambakkam, as part of their seafood festival that was going on at that time

When I first heard about it, I was excited as it was new to the CBC group and it was my chance to meet the people at an environment I love. So I packed my bags and landed in RMZ, which was couple hundred meters away from my office. Over here I met my friend Rajiv who gladly gave me a ride in his private jet (Commonly known as a Scooter)

As soon as our jet landed at ETC, we met up with a bunch of CBC folks and when we went in & saw the menu, we realized it was a seafood menu (Dei, I was not ready da)

Luckily they had a tasting menu for us vegetarians (Which was most – Another surprise) and thus the review can now happen without getting pelted by more stones from y’all

Eat, Drink, Chatter ETC

We kicked off the session with a creamy, yummy Mushroom soup that bonded well with your taste buds (Hey I love Mushroom Okay?)

Weapons @ ETC

Next came the starters (Who gave them the name starters, when they often end up filling you? – They should be renamed as Dangerous Enders)

Bharwan Paneer: Succulent & Juicy

Olive Bundle: Yaay! Olives. I love them !

Crispy Corn Pop: Good one

Malai Broccoli: Loved it! (Hey I’m a fan of Broccoli too :P)

By this time, I was approaching the critical mass where I started feeling ‘almost-full’

Bharwan Paneer

Next came the main course (Again a misnomer – It should be called the Tummy Bursters)

We had the usual assortment of Indian breads – Garlic Naan & Butter Naan (We strictly said ‘no’ to the unhealthy Tandoori Naan and Roti. We’re health conscious you see)

For the gravy, we had Malai Kofta and Mangalorean Veg Curry

Mangalorean Veg Curry: I tasted only a small portion of it, thanks to my apprehension against anything tangy. Surprisingly, it was quite okay, though my intolerance for tanginess (We’re living in an intolerant society after all) is quite low and thus this didn’t go well with my palate.

Malai Kofta: Typical Malai Kofta that’s served everywhere. Nothing amiss, nothing extraordinary. Liked it.

We did have 2 more ‘tummy bursters’ – Grilled Tofu Steak & Couscous Pilaf Aubergine Sandwich: I was happy just taking their pictures. I was saving up room for the desserts you see (I know I’m Strategic Extraordinaire – I should be leading an army)

Bread Basket

Now we’re coming to THE best part of the food: DESSERTS ! (Dei who named it as ‘Dessert’ ? Rename it as ‘Bits & Bytes From Heaven’ I say)

(PS: Yes, I’m that stereotypical IT guy who often wonders in binary)

Mini Baklava: Came with Walnut filling. It was: OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG

Chocolate Mousse: Yummy

White Chocolate Pastry: Nice !

Bits & Bytes from Heaven

Ambiance

The ambiance in the AC seating area is quite cozy, but something I’ve got used to, having been to my fair share of restaurants.

What really makes ETC special is their seating area in the backside, which is a whole different world altogether.

It’s a trip down the memory lane, with vintage paintings adorning the wall, a miniature waterfall setup, a dummy tea shop from the vintage era, a milk can, a ‘sea’-nery, boat (seating) with nets etc. It was a mix of art + creativity and gave a nostalgic feel (Not that I remember my past life or anything assuming it’s even true, but having watched my fair share of vintage movies… you get the drift). This is one thing I simply loved about ETC. I would most definitely visit the place again just to go through this area.

The only issue in having your food here is that it’s quite hot. Stifling hot. Perhaps you could give it a try in winter.