Nature has gifted human beings with an exquisite sense of epicurean delight. We can feast on a variety of things at the same instance and yet, come up with a clinically precise report in no time weighing the pros and cons attached with each. Such is the impact of the olfactory sense that even a broth cooking in the hidden precincts of a obscure kitchen fails to escape the sherlockian buds that teem inside the pair of nostrils every individual is the proud owner of. And talking of the phenomenal sensitivity of the taste buds that spring into action the moment an unsuspecting piece of HALWA sits atop the tongue, how can one stop the sudden gush of SALIVA that know no barriers when the Kitchen of Mullah Do Piazza (One of Akbar’s Navratnas, famous for his Culinary expertise) is sighted not very far away.
GRT Grand Days lies along the busy Teynampet stretch that ultimately unites into the famed Mount Road in Chennai. It’s a majestic building that stands upright with many a vehicles of various designs and make strolling leisurely into it’s botanic corridor. A Four star facility that it should be, It also houses an excellent restaurant apart from being a resort to many a tourists. My association with Hewlett Packard might not have fulfilled all my professional aspirations, but has always provided me a Belly-Full-Of Satisfaction, courtesy the Business Luncheons hosted in GRT. I have dined in many a Five Star Facilities, but I share a special bond with GRT primarily for it’s being the first Star hotel in Chennai I was ever a visitor to.
As one enters the lobby through an impressively decorous vestibule, the first thing that strikes deep is the spaciousness and the feeling of being positioned inside a huge dome. The kinematics of a capsule lift inside the facility charms you while you look around and admire the various artefacts that welcome you with a seemingly artistic disposition. The frigid smacks of the rigid settings courtesy, a centralized AC makes the sweating businessman or the brooding software executive experience a much needed shiver, especially in the scorching summer of Chennai. The restaurant is buried deep inside as you have to move up the tiny staircase to explore the interiors.
GRT specializes in faring out continental dishes instead of concentrating on say, a Chinese delicacy or a Tandoori speciality. The restaurant is spread out lavishly over a big area with sufficient space for the eaters to move around. It’s primarily a Serve-Yourself type of eatery where Buffet-Lunch is the often preferred service. The entrance is witness to a big oval table resting atop an altar which can accomodate as many as 12-14 individuals on both sides. Once you step down the altar, more eating space opens up with about six odd tables on the prowl serving to 6-8 members each on an average. Cushion draped sofas and chairs provide you the seating comfort while vases adorned with the choicest of flowers adorn each of the table tops. The floor is covered with a muslin and/or similar variety of arabic carpets. The passage between the dining facility leads straight to the Eating arrangements.
Then begins the Call of The Belly (Read : Belle) as you see a bevy of young maidens standing near the arrangement acquainting the visitor with the sundry items that lay supine raring to tickle your taste buds. GRT specializes in faring out continental dishes instead of concentrating on say, a Chinese delicacy or a Tandoori speciality. One comes across the arrangement as having been given a Culinary Listing much in the line of an Alphabetical listing found in dictionaries. Hence, we have some Starters in the first place followed by a dose of carbohydrates which subsequently pave the way for a set of mouth watering dishes and succulent desserts. The vegetarians and the non-vegetarians need not lock horns for there are immensely appealing options available to scour. One can find Italian Salads, Mexican dressings, Pasta, Soups of different varieties namely Sweet corn, Chicken Corn Mixed, Mushroom etc. Fruits and vegetables cut into various shapes present a picturesque scene while the lovely sight of thick Gravies seem to rule the roost. You have a Dal Makhani and Palak Paneer hugging each other while the Manchurian Noodles curl around Chicken Punjabi. Similarly, Mutton Vindaloo, Fried Chicken Chops in Cream Gravy, Rajma Jhol, Cauliflower Roast in Butter Masala, Kabuli Channa curry, Fish Cutlets (Chinese Style), French Beans in Garlic Sauce are some of the dishes that abound in Brass & Ceramic Vessels that are kept heated underneath. It’s only a matter of time before you realize that you have Basmati rice, Tandoori Rotis and Butter Nans left undiscovered. Once you start savouring the Chawal and Rotis, the noodles and pasta crib for your attention. The feast is not complete unless you take a dip into the Strawberry Souffle, Pine apple Jelly, Butter Cakes, Vanilla & Butter Scotch Medleys to name a few.
The GRT experience is immensely satisfying but may ring the panic bell for those who are cash strapped. The Buffet Lunch costs as high as 280-325 rupees and are certainly out of reach of the common mortals. It’s more apt when your employer (In a Good Mood :)) wants to reward your WORK-(S)KILLS or a Dollar Savvy client like Hewlett Packard arrive once a quarter to burn a few thousand Bucks ($$) in what can appropriately be named ’’The Rich Beggar in a Beggar Rich Locality’’. One can either unstrap the Cash Bundle or prefer to soberly hand over the Credit Card for the way out. GRT facilitates a good Vehicle Parking facility and provides a couple of Entry/Exit points.
A Grand Feast is hosted when millions starve to death...