SALT, a delightful Indian restaurant in the city, has proven that there is more to Indian cuisine than just your curry, with exciting twists to Indian food. Located in Forum Vijaya Mall in Chennai, SALT is said to be “a take on contemporary Indian cuisine”. The restaurant is run by a chef duo of Goutham Balasubramanian and Balaji Balachander, who both have excellent culinary experience, and aim to bring “Indian soul food” to the crowd here. The menu is designed to suit the Indian palate, even with it’s creative twists and carefully chosen ingredients.

Besides a menu that features some fine Indian collection, SALT in Chennai, also offers a Bento Box, which is a chef’s special meal of a single-portioned lunch in a box, designed for people who want a quick lunch on the go. Speaking to Chef Balaji, we believe that SALT aims to provide “5 star service given at a 3 star price.” The restaurant has just made it’s way to Bangalore with a new outlet in the city, all set to dish out Indian soul food to the people there.

“At SALT we employ diverse cooking techniques to recreate traditional recipes, which are presented in a beautiful and artistic fashion. Our food is crafted to titillate your taste buds and it allows you to sinfully indulge in the pure aroma of simple food,” says Chef Balaji Balachander.

What we had:

Orange and Pomegranate Mocktail

A refreshing pomegranate mocktail with a blast of orange came to our tables, and we gulped it down in seconds.

Vegetable Spring Roll and Masala Paniyaram

This appetizer, served with capsicum chutney and chickpea salad, was a great way to start the meal as the elements teased your taste buds with a subtle hint of flavours that was to come.

Dakshin Prawns

This is a signature dish at SALT and is definitely one of the best things on the menu. You will not be able to get over these delicious Kerala style crispy fried prawns. One bite will leave you addicted.

Meat Platter

We started with some juicy Chicken Chops that had us wanting more, and in the midst of all those flavours bursting, we visually began to feast on the Zaffroni Murgh Malai Tikka. This signature dish was undoubtedly amazing and tasted so, so good. We would ask for more, but then there was the Chicken Wada that had us distracted and we just went for it. This was something else, with the spices and flavours coming together so well and yet so light.

Mutton Rogan Josh

This isn’t like any other gravy you’d expect. The flavours are all in there, well balanced, and the meat is cooked to perfection. What stands out about this dish is how light a gravy can be despite all the elements that go in there, making sure you’re not feeling heavy and droopy at the end of your meal. We love that balance. The gravy was accompanied by a filling portion of parottas which were, yes, filling, but also so light.

Dal Makhni

What’s it like to have a dal that’s heavy on flavour yet light on your palate? You’ll never know unless you try this lovely portion of dal makhni that melts in your mouth.

Chicken Biriyani

Yes, the food just kept coming. And no, we couldn’t resist. Keeping the concept of food light at SALT, Chef Balaji truly believes in everything being served at a balance without the overuse of ingredients and heaps of cream, oil, butter, and milk. This biriyani was just perfect and we couldn’t have asked for anything better.

Gulab Jamun Brulee

For dessert, we were presented with some amazing treats, all made with love and presented for lovers of simplicity yet perfection. This dessert was something out of the ordinary, a little twist you could say, with a fusion of Indian and western dessert styles. The traditional gulab jamun was transformed to a beautiful brulee which we just couldn’t have enough of. In fact, this is something we recommend you to try when you do visit SALT.

Elaneer Payasam

A traditional dessert, this one’s perfect for those looking for a little comfort when missing home.

Cinnamon Spiced Tiramisu with Apricots

Nothing ordinary about this one. A soft and delectable tiramisu graced with the flavour of coffee warms your soul with a dash of cinnamon, and the apricots are stewed for brilliant texture.