A Brand New Salt Celebrates Five Years of Success In Chennai

It has been five years since Salt opened its doors to the people of Chennai at The Forum Vijaya Mall, Vadapalni, and what better way to celebrate the occasion than with a whole new version – both look-wise and taste-wise? We checked out the brand new version of Salt, and suffice it to say, we loved everything about the place, from the new décor to the new menu.

The upgrade

Salt, popularly known for its Indian dishes and grills, opened its first outlet in Chennai in the year 2013 and then went on to open two more outlets in Bangalore. Chef Duo, Goutham Balasubramanian, Balaji Balachander and hotelier, Mr. Michael Antony were the ones who are behind the origin of Salt. “So what’s new?”, we ask and “Everything” comes the answer. The place has undergone a thorough revamp with brand new walls sporting stunning peacock motifs, gorgeous ornaments tastefully placed around the space, indoor plants for a bit of green, and even new music.

Among everything that’s new at Salt, what caught our fancy the most is, of course, the new menu. An array of Indian dishes from across the country gets featured on their revamped menu, with a bigger focus on southern delicacies. Apart from mouth-watering dishes that are all as desi as they can get, when it comes to desserts, it’s western with a slice of Indian. Their jamun-embedded tiramisu or their filter coffee induced crème brulee, for example. Named after the most integral component of any Indian dish, Salt is all about the authentic Indian dining experience with just a dash of modernity.

Kebabs and grills

The dishes that we tasted were indeed a true testimony to everything that Salt stands for. We started off with Salt’s Ragda Pattie, a signature dish of potato cakes stuffed with apricot chutney that’s served on a bed of flavorful black-eyed bean curry. The soft potato cakes along with the curry tasted deliciously northern and remind us of good old chat food – always a winner.

The next was a plate of Dahi ke Kebab – golden-fried hung curd patties with beetroot chutney and kalonji lavash. The patties have a crumbly texture on the outside that melts in the mouth. The crispiness of the lavash goes beautifully with the kebabs.

We move on to their famed grill section and try their Parda Jhinga Kebab – marinated tiger prawns pot roasted and wrapped in rumali bread was a delight to the taste buds. Spiced just right and cooked to perfection, the Parda Jhinga Kebab is a definite hit.

Modernly desi

For dessert, we had the Rose Petal and Saffron Cheesecake with Raspberry and Mango coulis, honey, strawberry caviar, and chocolate tuille. We had the delight of watching it get plated and it was so pretty we were almost guilty of eating it. Only almost. If you love cheesecakes and desi flavors, you’re sure to love this one.

Tranquil ambiance, colorful décor, courteous service and of course, delightful food make Salt the place to be for the complete Indian experience. We’re definitely going to be back to sample more from their menu and that’s a given. Do check out the video below to get a taste of what Salt’s brand new version has in store for you all.