It's called Eastern Wedge and it's fast becoming an extremely popular pan-Asian vegetarian restaurant in Chennai. Situated at Poes Garden, this 55-seater restaurant is wheelchair accessible. The seating is spread out across several rooms and the interiors are very elegant.
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| Chefs Ram Kumar, Yanagida and Alex |
Chef Ram Kumar of Va Pho and Benjarong, heads the operations here. Expat chefs Yanagida from Japan and Alex from Malaysia have helped in curating the menu.When he invited Smitha and me to the review, he told us that if non vegetarians like us did like the food, it would be a huge endorsement for the concept.
One part of the kitchen features an open space. Inside stainless steel compartments, there are skewers threaded with appetisers. Mis en place is impeccable, in the otherwise clinically clean space, the burst of colours of the veggies is eye catching.
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| Nutty Milo; lemongrass cooler |
The Lemongrass Cooler, fragrant with the aroma and flavour of lemongrass is so refreshing. If you like Milo and peanut butter, it's the Nutty Milo you should be ordering. It's a perfect blend of both ingredients and deliciously addictive.
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| Kushi yaki with sauces and dips |
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| Kushi age |
The menu that features Japanese, Chinese, Thai and Malaysian cuisines used to have about 80 dishes but now has been whittled down to about 40! 40??? So it's a good idea to start with Kushi Yaki. Our platter had a selection of broccoli, mushrooms, tofu and capsicum. The veggies were grilled just right and retained their colour and crunch. Artistically plated and sprinkled with pumpkin floss, they were served with miso mayo, wasabi mayo and kushi yaki sauce.
The Kushi Age basket held baby potatoes and cherry tomatoes. The tomatoes were lovely, the batter that coated them was light. Of the dips, the tonkatsu sauce was quite delicious.
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| Spinach dumpling; pandan paneer |
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| Szechuan shiitake |
The skin of the Spinach Dumpling is soft and chewy. The filling is substantial, vegetable protein bits give it an interesting texture. Pandan Paneer, an out and out fusion dish, comes wrapped in a pandan leaf. The paneer is soft, the fragrance of the leaf has permeated the cheese and it's an absolute standout. Each of these appetisers comes with a set of sauces that are the result of much R&D by the chefs. The star dish at Eastern Wedge must be Szechuan Shiitake. Slices of shiitake mushrooms are batter fried and tossed in their signature Szechuan sauce. It's chewy, garlicky and spicy and the flavours do a salsa on the tongue.
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| Glutinous rice in lotus leaf |
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| BBQ buns |
Glutinous Rice in Lotus Leaf is on the menu. I've had the non veg version several times while abroad so was interested in trying out Eastern Wedge's interpretation. Though a dead ringer in looks and texture, the tea-like aroma of the leaf was a tad too strong and the rice was quite sweet. The BBQ Bun was rather doughy and I found the filling pasty in parts. Chef Alex revealed that they do not use yeast to ferment the dough.
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| Chanko nabe with udon noodles |
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| Baama curry rice; Eastern Wedge eggplant |
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| Dandan noodles |
Chanko Nabe with Udon Noodles in tomato is a filling, one-pot dish. The broth was thick and flavourful though there was no perceptible Asian flavour to it. Still, if you want something a little different, this will be apt.
Northern-style Bamaa Curry Rice is delicious. The gravy is quite similar to Thai red curry but here, it's thicker and aromatic with the fragrance of kaffir lime. Even the carrots had been sliced artistically. Eastern Wedge Eggplant could do with bolder flavours but it is an interesting presentation of the humble aubergine. I loved the different textures of Dandan Noodles, it's definitely a dish worth ordering.
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| Sesame ball |
Plenty of pan-Asian favourites have found their way into the menu at Eastern Wedge. If you're a vegetarian and have wondered what a proper Asian meal would taste like, it is worth exploring the menu.
Eastern Wedge is at 11, Kasturi Rangan Road
Kasturi Estate 2nd Street, Alwarpet.
044 48689800
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