This month, we’ve rounded up four of Chennai’s latest additions to the city’s constantly evolving restaurant and dine-in scene. Grab a steaming cup of filter kaapi and settle in as RITZ takes you on a culinary journey with flavours and dishes that take inspiration from North India’s plains to the sun-kissed Mediterranean coast and more.
Text: SIDDHARTH KUMAR
Butterheads: Fresh From The Get – Go
Freshly sourced produce with cooking techniques that wholeheartedly adopt locally-inspired flavours are the core of Butterheads’ food philosophy – and quite evidently so. Ready-to-eat salads, healthy rice bowls, and luscious yoghurt smoothies are all part of Butterheads’ delectable and ever-evolving seasonal menu. For those of you that remain wary of stepping out during the ongoing pandemic situation (I’ve been vaccinated twice over, and I urge you to do the same in case you haven’t just yet), Butterheads also has a ‘Grab-N-Go’ option, which this correspondent was privy to for this review. The food arrived right at my door, immaculately packaged. What’s more, the most pleasant of surprises was in their use of reusable and sustainable cutlery that came with the delivery – courtesy of the folk from Rusabl – a Chennai-based venture that supports ecofriendly alternatives to otherwise non-sustainable run of the mill household products.
Onto the good stuff – first up was the Thayir Saadam Salad, a reimagined take on the humble yet inevitably comforting curd rice. The tempered curd rice (the healthy and fibrous red kind, mind you) was infused with a lime pickle dressing that paired oh-sowell with the puffed lentils and Appalam shards that brought a bit of texture to the flavour party that had already commenced in my mouth. Butterheads’ Italian Burrata Salad followed – and I was simply in awe of the freshness of the produce used. A wonderfully seasoned, pre-marinated Burrata cheese was the hero of the dish – with a stellar supporting cast that included Slow- Roasted Tomato, Arugula and Seed Granola – perfectly balanced thanks to the Caper-Mustard Dressing that formed a sort of motif for the dish, making its way through every single bite. The mains were in the form of one of Butterheads’ signature recipes – the Namma Bowl – a steaming hot bowl of Ghee-Roasted Chicken, served on a bed of mildly-spiced Coconut Rice. Their Mum’s Apple Tart Smoothie – a blend of cinnamon yoghurt with apple sauce and raisins – completed the meal. Healthy, comforting and delicious, to say the least – the fare at Butterheads is a must-try.
Do Not Miss Out On: Italian Burrata Salad, Namma Bowl (Ghee Roasted Chicken/Mushroom)
Address: No. 13, 1st Crescent Rd, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar, Chennai – 600020
Call: +91 90256 56811
Average cost for two: ₹1000 plus taxes extra
