Shiraz Cafe, Chennai

Enthralled am I by Vikram Seth,

To speak in rhyme is my current fate.

This post is going to be in verse,

Apologies if this makes you curse.

Enough of this, let us begin.

For this week's review, we tried some Iranian cuisine (?)

Drive down Eee Cee aaR,

And you shall spot, many restaurants claiming to serve food from lands afar.

Of Persian heritage is the Cafe Shiraz,

The setting is pretty and the crowds sparse.

The fruit slush which greeted us is exactly what we need (ed),

Cold, soothing and especially fascinating was the Chia Seed.

To whet our appetites they gave us some fried veggies and paneer skewer(s), 

Far from Iranian, the food seemed to be from lands near. 

They also served hummus, which was good,

But all through I kept wondering, where is the promised Iranian food?!

For the main course they had a decent spread,

Looking at us, they must have figured we are well fed. 

There was much rice, and an eggplant dish,

Something that looked liked dal. On a spinach bed they served some fish.

For those who want a meatier feast,

There was lamb and beef.

While I found it hard to discern authentic Persian food,

I had someone from the fair land in my hood. 

I hear that in Iran,

Food is flavoured with much saffron and sweet anars from Sistan. 

While some dishes are similar,

The food isn't as Indian-ny as they made it appear. 

As accompaniments they served us panir/fresh white cheese,

And the raitha-esque Masto-Khair, Both of which did please. 

Then there was something sweet, 

With great gusto, the Bastani-e Za'farāni (Persian ice cream) did we eat. 

Rosewater and some clotted cream did set it apart,

But it must be sandwiched in crispy waffles, to truly perfect the art.

We washed this down with some lemony tea and freshly baked cake,

Stuffed, we were rendered immobile in it's wake.

Despite its questionable authenticity, I am going to say,

Make your reservations, go for the Sunday buffet. 

Kick back, relax have a good meal,

Revel in the hospitality, enjoy the pervading lazy feel.  

It's well worth the money, not too heavy on the pocket,

The whole package is one of the better ones in the market.

As always, I say 'Thank You'!

For coming along, you are a great crew.

L to R
 Kenny, Kimia. Hayley, Nammu,Nathu, Bhaps and Mattu

Pricing: Rs. 500 per person
Location: Inside Cholamandalam Artist's Village, Injambakkam, East Coast Road. 

Phone: 9840572126