Kokum Review

Cuisine: South Indian Coastal Cuisine 

Background: If Ente Keralam set the benchmarks for Kerala cuisine among stand-alone restaurants, Kokum (A small round fruit unique to this region with a unique flavour) aims to set the standard for cuisine from the Southern Coastline of India. Kokum is located in the upmarket yet offbeat MRC Nagar neighbourhood in Chennai. 

My Quicktake: Kokum makes an instant first impression with its interiors and layout; you know within seconds that you are in a fine Southern Indian restaurant. The menu is a  smorgasboard of the  best  dishes from across the Southern Coast with heaps of options for the Veggies. I was impressed with the Manglorean and Goan selection (After Ente Keralam, the Kerala cuisine is a given!) including  authentic fluffy Goan Sannas and the light neer dosa which go with a wide selection of gravies from the region. Look for other signature dishes from the region like the typical Malabar style Falooda (With fresh fruits et all!), Kori Gassi from Mangalore or the Gongura Mamsam from coastal AP. If you are a health freak, you will find the liberal use of oil in some of the dishes difficult to ignore.The service is warm (Look for the restaurant Manager Mason!) and the restaurant  does okay on the VFM (Value-for-Money) front. 

Meal for two: Rs 800-1000.

Coordinates: 115, Kasthuri Avenue (Above The French Loaf), MRC Nagar, Chennai - 600028. (Road adjoining Mayor Ramanathan Hall on Santhome High Rd)/ Ph: 4218 5462/ w: orientalgroup.in

Signature Dishes: Kaane Bezule (Lady Fish!!), Sannas/Prawn Balchao and Bibinca 

Open for: Lunch and Dinner on all days

Will I go there again?: Probably... 

Delhi 6 - Review

Why you must watch it:

• Director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra returns after blowing our minds with Rang de Basanti
• Impressive supporting cast
• Terrific Soundtrack. AR Rahman's versatility touches a new high 

Look out for: Waheeda Rahman as Roshan's (Abhishek Bachchan) grandmother who gets top billing and showcases her class. 

The Good: Casting and performances, Music, Clever Screenplay 
The Bad: Not racy and  might disappoint if you are seeking 'paisa vasool' type entertainment 

Bottomline: 45 minutes into the film and my first thought was that the reviews and word-of-mouth have been terribly unkind. You will be disappointed if you are looking for a racy, riveting film but Delhi 6 is a film with a soul. It brings together a great cast and uses Delhi 6 (Chandni Chowk area) as the backdrop and integrates some of the city's recent headline hoggers like the Monkey Man and Reality shows into the intelligent script. Abhishek is perfect as Roshan the ABCD (American Born Confused Desi!) who accompanies his grandmother (Waheeda Rehman) on a trip to Delhi. Roshan gradually gets sucked into the Chandni Chowk cauldron with all its diverse elements, people and their issues. Sonam Kapoor is terrific as Bittu an Indian Idol aspirant and the film's supporting cast is top class with good performances by Om Puri, Atul Kulkarni, Prem Chopra and Cyrus Sahukar. AR Rahman's music and his amazing versatility add tremendous value to Delhi 6. Worth a watch!