Chennai has something new to be thankful for as Park Hyatt invites the city to embark on a journey that focuses on the city’s roots. The food culture of Madras is often forgotten when fads from around the world blind us with tradition that is rooted in the city. Park Hyatt has chosen to relive the forgotten with traditional recipes from the South, giving us a taste of all things beautiful through “grandma’s lost recipes”. The experience is nothing short of wonderful and everything from the ambiance to the food feels amazing. There’s nothing better than fine dining and heart warming hospitality, and Park Hyatt offers the best of both, this time with a Madras-themed dining experience that will leave you wanting more. It all begins as you walk in through the glorious carved door, catch a glimpse of the pictures on the wall that fill you with nostalgia, and be seated at a table only to witness dishes being served in beautiful, traditionally designed silverware – which visually treats you even before the meal begins. 

Beyond Madras is a uniquely designed concept for lovers of the city’s traditional cuisine, open at the Dining Room of Park Hyatt for mind blowing evening meals. Dinners have never felt better, and the menu will always continue to surprise you. Your palate begins its journey on the arrival of a humble basket of signature bread crusted with peanut and spices served with chutneys. It moves on to cool itself with the refreshing taste of varieties of sherbet, followed by a load of sumptuous starters. Delicious curries and clay pot specialities follow with a variety of beautifully made breads and a hearty portion of rice. After filling yourself with a delicious meal, you simply cannot resist pampering yourself to their themed desserts which are nothing short of brilliance. A notable work of art here is the filter coffee ice cream, which is a must-try. A hot beverage will end your meal perfectly, leaving you satisfied after a lavish and luxurious culinary experience revolving around Madras. 

What we had: 

Homemade Signature Bread

A lovely innovation, the crusted peanut and spices were a delight that we enjoyed.

Sherbet

We had an Elumichai Sherbet and Mango Sherbet, both of which were so refreshing. A great way to begin your meal is with a sherbet and we suggest you try one too!

Ragi Wadai & Sola Pinju Varuval

Millets are a key factor in Beyond Madras, and these millet patties were so well made with roasted gram lentils and spices. The baby corn was enjoyable too as it was fried to a crisp in a wonderful batter of rice flour and spices. We loved it!

Kothamalli Kozhi 

We love coriander and we just couldn’t get enough of this deliciously soft and tender chicken braised in coriander, and tempered with more coriander. Only a few seconds upon arriving to our table, we gobbled the dish and cleared this plate in no time!

Breads and Curries

These were the ultimate winners. We began with breads consisting of a Vellai Cholam Dosa, a millet pancake, Appam, and a parotta, which is fried flaky bread. To go with the breads was a delicious spread of curries that left us in awe. A fish curry started us off, Karuvattu Kozhambu, which was a perfectly balanced dish, both tangy and spicy. We then moved on to a Sathyamangalam Kari Kozhambu which was a coconut based lamb gravy, and oh how soft the lamb was! Another tender meat curry of chicken, the Naatukozhi Kozhambu, was thoroughly enjoyable. But that’s not where it ends. We were pampered with more delicious curries like Kathirikai Karamani Puzhi Kozhambu which was a spicy eggplant curry, Mocha Masal which was a lovely coconut based gravy of beans, and Kaigari Servai which was a seasonal vegetable curry made with peanut, coconut, and whole spices. 

Kongunadu Vazhaipoo Sadham

A lovely helping of plantain flower rice graced with coconut and peanuts filled us up completely as we enjoyed every bite of it. 

Vattalappam

For dessert, we chose a this mind blowing caramel custard with the glorious taste of coconut milk, dressed with cane sugar syrup. It was truly out of this world and we will definitely be going back for more!

Beyond Madras Filter Coffee Ice Cream

No words can describe just how amazing this is. The sweet, strong taste of filter coffee filled our hearts with a feeling we just can’t describe. 

The Beyond Madras experience was truly unforgettable and filled us with the nostalgia of food we grew up eating. We’re thrilled that they’re here to stay and we’re sure we’ll be going back for more helpings! 

[schema type=”organization” orgtype=”LocalBusiness” url=”https://www.chennai.park.hyatt.com/” name=”Park Hyatt, Chennai” description=”Recognised and well established as one of the top hotels in Chennai, Park Hyatt Chennai offers discerning business and leisure travellers an intimate stay experience. Located among the closest 5 star luxury hotels from the Chennai International Airport and nestled alongside Guindy Forest Reserve, the hotel is also the closest to the prime business districts of the city. Our award winning restaurants The Flying Elephant and The Dining Room, offer a vibrant gastronomic journey across the culinary capitals of the world and the focus is on extraordinary cuisine in distinctive settings.” street=”39, Velachery Road, Near Raj Bhavan, Guindy” city=”Chennai” state=”Tamil Nadu” country=”IN” phone=”044 7177 1234″ ]