Shiraz had a cult following among some foodies in Chennai. At its peak, the Sunday brunch at Shiraz always had a festive feel to it. After changing places a couple of times and a little hiatus, Shiraz is now alive and kicking at an equally lovely location, the Tryst Cafe at ECR. Tryst, is a mandatory stop for us, every time we hit ECR for any reason. While they do have a few outlets in the city, the ECR outlet with its garden cafe is the real deal. Will Shiraz spoil it or enhance it?





While not very hungry, seeing Shiraz at Tryst made the mandatory stop, well, more mandatory. Instead of picking up something to munch along, we ended up going in for a quick meal. Just 3 dishes, the iconic Curd Soup and two recommendations from 'uncle', the husband of the chef who mans the restaurant, a chelo kebab and a Chicken Berry Pulao.

The soup, ah, if you've had it before, its not changed. Technically called the Aashe Mast, the thick soup topped with onions and a dollop of curd is soothing. The cool weather made it even more appetising while we were seated outside, thanks to a packed restaurant on Sunday afternoon. The Chelo Kebab, was like a kibbeh, maybe its the Iranian version of the kibbeh, a sort of minced meat hand rolled and cooked, but unlike a kibbeh, this was served with rice, making it a hearty main course. The lamb was full bodied with a beautiful balance of the flavours of the meat along with the spices, so you could essentially get both. The berry pulao was served with strands of saffron rice and barberries, along with a spicy chicken gravy, in dhansak (an Parsi dish) style. The main courses are quite hearty!

The Iranian home style food that Shiraz was known for hasn't changed and now that it is back, there is the opportunity to keep trying more of this lovely cuisine, right here in Chennai.

Shiraz is now at Tryst Cafe, at the Gatsby Village on ECR.