Food Exchange, Nandanam, Chennai Restaurant

Restaurant Name: Food Exchange, Nandanam, Chennai
Phone: +914424302333, +917824808013
Address: 11, Novotel Chennai Chamiers Road, Nandanam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Time: 24 Hours
Meals for two: Rs. 2,500
Cuisines: Asian, Chinese, European, North Indian, South Indian
Facilities: Smoking Area, Table booking recommended

Food Exchange, Nandanam, Chennai: Decor

Straight lines, simple and minimalist decor — the sheer openness of Food Exchange is striking. Starting with the large open kitchen, everything tells me a lot about the hygiene standards here. I see chefs washing their hands every few minutes, and can actually watch a phulka puff up into a steamy orb in front of my very eyes, letting the aroma send messages to my other senses. Kitchen shelves line walls beside the kitchen, so chefs can get to their ingredients easily.

Food Exchange, Nandanam, Chennai: Food

Local touches are always interesting, like the vazhapoo fritters — tender banana flowers batter-coated and deep-fried, served with tomato chutney, complete with curry leaves. I like the bite and the crunch, and the fact that the besan batter has spices like cumin and pepper added, enhancing the otherwise predictable flavors.

Smoked pepper and chilli chicken comes all dressed in the colors of red and yellow bell peppers, darkened by the cooking process they go through. A little vinegar does a good job of bringing out the flavors from the chilli paste that has evidence of garlic in those succulent chicken morsels. On the pungent side, it also has sliced green chillies. The weak palate-d need to ensure the chef is informed of your choice.

Then, there’s the burnt garlic soup. Clearly, this one lives up to its name, as I see minced burnt garlic floating around this broth, vying for attention along with celery, carrot and zucchini. Without a doubt, my vote goes with the dark green sage-surrounded sage hnocchi. It’s got pesto, and beneath all that green coarse paste, the gnocchi is browned perfectly. The green of the pesto blends perfectly with the golden flecks of olive oil and the odd, long flakes of parmesan cheese add to the allure for me. Somehow, I resist the urge to eat it all. Swinging back to a blend where local flavors meet western tastes, I take a tentative bite of the tender coconut parfait, garnished with a tiny, white coconut macaroon. Custard-like, this dessert is sweetened with jaggery and has whipped cream.

Plus & Minus:

Just three months in existence, Food Exchange does have some good food in a nice enough ambiance. However, the chef needs to keep innovating and doing things that will make the restaurant stand apart… memorable for its food.

Review [II]: 07/05/2021

For starters, nothing leaked! Everything came in sustainable, eco-friendly brown packaging and stayed warm through the journey. I loved the customized dessert boxes, with fudged factored in on the lid. None of these can be microwaved. Reheating needs un-boxing, transferring the contents to a safe container before any form of heating.

Novotel Chennai Chaimers Road was among the first to put DIY kits out there. The hotel still has them, but this time, I opted to get ready-to-eat food home delivered.

Food Exchange, Nandanam, Chennai: Food

The Shami Kebab was smooth with some elements of surprise in the form of finely chopped carrot, beans and onion. The veggies in this Hyderabadi starter were bound together with a combination of mashed yam and potato with hints of ginger. I tried it on its own and then with the accompanying green chutney. Both worked well.

Another rectangular kebab, Chakundar ke Sikhampuri has finely shredded beetroot on the outside. This one holds on to the sweetness of beet with the tart mystique of hung curd and mint on the inside. I liked how the colors came together.

The Wild Mushroom Ravioli with Truffle Cream Sauce was very well made, indeed. Loved the way the mushroom ravioli was cooked.

Generally, when there is a cream sauce involved, it tends to thicken, congeal, and get very unappetizing. This one was bold enough to hold its texture intact and allow the truffle scent to remain subtle.

The famous layered, slightly golden Lucknowi Parat Paratha, wrapped in a muslin cloth, went really well with the Aloo Bukhara Kofta, stuffed as it was with the goodness of almond, prunes, mild spices and bits of cashew. The stuffed potatoes were smothered in a white cashew gravy with saffron strands adding their panache along with rose essence and hints of cardamom.

Dessert was a tiny piece of rich, smooth, almost mousse-y French Chocolate Pastry.

Plus & Minus:

Home delivery is here to stay.They have nailed the packaging. My only gripe was the Dal Degh. It somehow did not carry through for me where flavors were concerned.