Barbecues (BBQ) is not a home term for vegetarians as it is involves grilling, roasting applicable more on non-vegetarian dishes.  So we thought until we made a visit to the newly opened restaurant, Absolute Barbecues at Taramani, Chennai. We heard a lot about AB’s earlier and did not attempt with the thought that as vegetarians, we may not have many options. Absolute Barbecues proved us wrong – we had a range of starters and an interesting tasty vegetarian menu.  For the comfort of vegetarians, separate section for preparing the dishes and even the crockery is distinguished by color red, green for vegetarians and Red for non-vegetarians. Another aspect is there was no heavy aroma in the restaurant that tends to put you off.  Now to the menu –

We had starters, main course and dessert; also welcome drinks which was quite usual – Virgin Mojito, Lime Mint cooler, Chennai Summer (Yoghurt and Strawberry based drink) and the usual Curacao drink.  One aspect of Absolute Barbecues is we have only buffet – Veg and Non-Veg for Lunch and Dinner with special price for kids.

A coal grill is placed on the table and we were served skewers of Mushroom, Paneer, Pineapple, Corn cob with Zucchini and Capsicum and served on the plate were Beetroot kebab, American Potato with Cheese and those tiny bombs of fried corn with onions.

On the table we had Mango based sauce, Tomato chili sauce and sweet pineapple sauce and also mint chutney and mayo.

For the textural change, we had small balls of watermelon, a welcome addition to the overdose of succulent Paneer and perfectly spiced, crunchy yet soft juicy mushrooms.  Beetroot, the vegetable not so easily mastered was on the plate as a kebab and was a show stopper.

Pineapple, the highlight of the menu was served in 2 forms – Barbecued Pineapple and Churrasco Pineapple coated with honey and cinnamon – a must have lip smacking dish.

It is quite possible to indulge in the starters and miss out on the other part of the buffet. For the first time in Chennai, Taramani branch of Absolute Barbecues has a Wish Grill – we tried out our own set of ingredients, herbs and sauces. It was quite good and a chance to try out various combinations.

The main course had separate section for vegetarians and non-vegetarians and was a good spread with salads, soup,  rice, roti/naan (served on the table), Peas curry, kofta masala, Mixed Fruit Chutney, ladies finger curry, Kashmir pulao, and white steamed rice.  Mixed fruit chutney was amazing and a welcome addition from the Bengal cuisine. It had tomato, pineapple, mango and pear, slightly sweet, the dish was my favorite. Dal makhani was too good and to be honest, we have had very few places where this dish lived to its name. Happy to note we had it here.

The dessert section equaled the main course and starters section. We had Gewar Rabdi, Gajar ka halwa, Malvika Phirni, Indrani, mango cheese cake, musk melon, fruit jelly, cakes, popcorn, and chocolate pops and Paan ice-cream.  The ice-cream replaced our need to have a paan after a heavy dinner.    It was a nice mix of traditional, modern and kid friendly dishes.

The best part of the menu is the dishes are optimally spiced fit enough for any palate including children.  We have to make sure to accommodate the big spread we have in front of us.  We cannot conclude the review without a mention on the service of Absolute Barbecues. We want to extend our special thanks to Gowtham, Supervisor for taking extra care to explain, sense and serve to our liking without asking. A perfect hangout place with unlimited food! Velachery / Taramani friends, lets go!

Location:  Absolute Barbecues, Opposite TCS (Old Chennai Business School), Taramani Link Road, Chennai

Price: Rs. 601 / Rs 701 for Veg Buffet (25% off introductory offer on in this branch but not sure how long it will last. Though the price seems high, it is worth it and a must try)

Timing:

Lunch is from 12 noon to 3 PM

Dinner is from 6.30 PM to 10 PM