This is my first review on a restaurant in Chennai. And every launch needs to have some promotions - so you get TWO reviews for the price of one. My first visit to Chill Thrill coincided with my first ’’date’’. Date knew that I quite desperately wanted to ask her out. She also knew that I would never have the courage to do so - and therefore contrived a situation where she could demand a ’’treat’’ from me :-). Of course I was more than happy to agree.
The chosen place (chosen by her) was Benjarong on TTK road. An ’’authentic Thai restaurant’’. I kind of knew that it would be pricey. But being prepared did not really help when I actually read the menu. It was not that I was not covered (there is an instance when I was not - but thats another story). But I hate to see money going down the drain, even if the drain lead to one’s own stomach - or date’s stomach for that matter. Date (brightly) - ’’so what shall we eat??’’. A squeaky and brave voice that I faintly recognised - ’’You are the guest, you order’’. But KK’s eyes were like - PLLeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaassssssseeeeeee. Date got the hint and ordered some entry level stuff with funny sounding names. Translated they were - Steamed rice and ’’red chilly powder and salt mixed in water and boiled’’. I can hear you say - ’’thats not fair. How can you rubbish a restaurant simply because you could not afford to eat there’’. My defence - ’’it was THEY who made it unaffordable’’. Now for the good part.
They serve some kind of starter ABSOLUTELY free - its limited and each one gets his/her share. Starter tasted real good - or was it simply that I liked their being free. Anyway, I very clearly did not like the food that we had ordered and since Date was mostly responsible for the situation we were in, I let Date eat what she ordered while I ate the starter - hers and mine.
I did it in a slinking, slimy manner. Not that I did not want Date to know - It was simply that I had this strong feeling that someone would rap me on my knuckles for eating other people’s food - thats the kind of feeling Benjarong leaves you with. Benjarong was clearly out for dessert, you could not eat there and you could not even relax :-( Date (who is a genius with eating places - Benjarong was the first time for her too, and I was the guinea pig) then came up with this brilliant idea of dessert at a place ’’where we can sit and talk’’.
Chill Thrill is located in Adyar. Take the left immediately after Ambica Appalam and go straight down. Keep looking on the right and you will notice it for its neon lit lettering in crazy colours. It is a small place with seating that resembles a kindergarten. A table in the corner has old filmfares scattered around. Hand written posters announce the day and season’s special, and a friendly garrulous assistant helps you out with choosing what you want - when he is around.
A comfortable homely place, you get ’natural’’ icecreams here. No artificial flavouring. And when you dig into them you will find real fruit pieces. Honest. My personal favourites - Jackfruit and Banana. Other flavours that I have tried are - Lichi, Strawberry. Of course you do have the tradional, vanilla, chocolate and coffee flavours to round off the menu. Tops is the level of customisation you are allowed - you like choco-chips? - pay Rs.5 and get more of them. More dry fruits and nuts - Rs.5. While icecreams are the main thing here, you also get other stuff like pizzas, burgers, patties etc. I guess he just buys and heats them up, but you will never feel let down by whatever is served.
We landed up at Chill Thrill at 8:30 or so. Ordered a couple of ice-creams and Date promptly started with mine. She was trying to get even on the starter. So there we were - two fully grown adults sitting in a parlour, fighting over icecream at 9:30 in the night. A ridiculous sight ?? - The beauty of the place is that one cannot feel uncomfortable doing something like that. As simple as that. We were there until 11:00 p.m. when they closed. And all we had eaten were two (double scoops -lest you assume that it is expensive) icecreams for the combined price of Rs.80.
Cannot finish this review without mentioning another instance when I was there with a couple of friends and one 1 year old. The kid was on seated on the table, getting absolutely bored with old men talking about the ’’good old days’’. In comes the proprietor of the place, pulls a chair, climbs up, removes a couple of balloons hanging from the ceiling and gives them to the kid.
Next time you feel like a bite, heavenly icecreams and genuine hospitality - try Chill Thrill. Icecreams and fresh juice - Open 11:00 to 11:00.