At Express Avenue in Royapettah, where the popular Social once stood, there is now Noci Adante. Access is through either the E-hotel or the mall, where a silver deer statue and white flowers greet you, hinting at a whimsical, winter-wonderland theme.
The founders play into this idea, aiming to draw people in with a sense of mystery. “We intentionally kept the vibes different inside and outside so that people would come in and find out the mystery. ‘Noci’ in Japanese means a way of life and ‘Adante’ in Italian is a way of playing an instrument slowly. Our mission is to give the people a space where they can have a fine-dining experience which after 10pm will evolve into a party-space,” share founders K Balachandar, Avnish Sistla, and Dinesh Jaganathan.
Inside Noci Adante
| Photo Credit:
Thamodharan Bharath
Inside, the restaurant which can seat 110 guests is dark-toned with dim lighting and upholstery in brown, dark teal, and sienna. There is a stage with an LED screen for a backdrop – ideal for sport screenings and live acts, which Noci’s management has already begun planning.
While the name is borrowed from Japanese and Italian, the theme of the restaurant is rather vague. The menu also reflects this confusion with an overwhelming mix of dishes from Indian, South Indian, Tandoori, Indo-Chinese and Western cuisines. Although it is not cohesive, there are several tasty options.
Konar Kari dosai tartlet
| Photo Credit:
Thamodharan Bharath
We start with the Konar kari dosai tartlet, a creative twist on the famous dish from Madurai. The dosa batter forms a crunchy tart, holding melt-in-the-mouth mutton chukka with serva, soft kalakki, a dollop of cream cheese, and olive dust. It’s a delightful bite that blends the crisp dosa with spicy mutton, cooled by the kalakki and cream cheese. “We went to Madurai and tried the Konar kari dosai and were trying to find a way to incorporate it into the menu. We also wanted it to be an easy-to-eat dish so we went the waffle-way. Serva is traditionally given on the side but we decided to add it to the mutton. Kalakki is inseparable from kari dosai but to add a ‘Noci’ twist, we also added cream cheese and olive dust,” explains Chef Gopinath G. Vegetarians can try a jackfruit version of this dish.
Idichakka cutlet
| Photo Credit:
Thamodharan Bharath
Next, we try the mushroom soup, served in flasks , and infused with truffle paste and oil. The chimichurri rubbed grilled chicken is flavourful, though slightly dry, while the Balinese chicken satay impresses with its tender, juicy meat wrapped around a piece of sugarcane, grilled, and served with a mildly spiced crunchy peanut dip and chilli sauce. The vegan-friendly idichakka cutlet made with jackfruit and paired with a more-spicy-than-sweet beetroot jam, is a well-executed starter.
Chef Gopinath emphasises that Noci Adante is about mindful eating. “We won’t be serving French fries or nachos like we usually find in mall-restobars. Even with burgers, I plan to serve Parmesan fries and a barbecue sauce. Apart from ingredients like truffle or Parmesan, everything else comes from a 50 kilometre radius. We’ll see how the dishes sell for 45 days and then work on an edit,” he explains.
Lamb Ravioli
| Photo Credit:
Thamodharan Bharath
For the main course, the hand-rolled ravioli stands out. The vegetarian version features spinach and creamy ricotta in a rich butter garlic sauce, while the non-vegetarian variant boasts slow-braised lamb leg with mint jus and a Marshal-wine-based sauce.
Mutton Pottlam
| Photo Credit:
Thamodharan Bharath
If you happen to have a heavier appetite, roll up your sleeves and dig into the unpretentious yet satisfying mutton pottlam rice. When you open the mantharai leaf (bidi leaf) packet,there is a steaming heap of fluffy seeraga samba ghee rice with a juicy topping of Chettiyar mutton thokku. The mutton gravy is spiced with aromatics like ginger, garlic, elaichi and cloves. It comes with a few pieces of crispy chicken 65 and a quenelle of raita made with hung curd.
Charred pineapple plamo
| Photo Credit:
Thamodharan Bharath
The cocktails are spice-infused and designed to complement the food. The charred pineapple plamo, a rum-based drink with a Cajun-spiced rim and freshly charred pieces of smoking pineapple, pairs well with the South Indian specials. The spice from this combination of a sip and bite is as addictive as painful. To cool down, try the wild berry cheesecake with baked-in compote or the chocolate salami Baci Da Ma, a rich 70% dark chocolate roulade with biscuit marbling, served with a chunky Italian almond macaroon.
Chocolate Salami Baci Da Ma
| Photo Credit:
Thamodharan Bharath
As Noci Adante opens its doors on August 3, it remains to be seen if this “competitively-priced fine-dining resto-bar” will attract the mall’s casual diners and evening crowds. A Noci cafe is also in the works and will open below this restaurant.
Noci Adante is at E Hotel, Gate no 1, Express Avenue, Pattullos Road, Royapettah. It is open between 11am and noon and a meal for two costs ₹2,500. For reservations contact 9514000622.
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