Chennai has very limited chaat joints and for those of us who've been born and brought up in the North, that can be very disappointing. So Gangotree's chaat counter comes as a blessing for those of us who yearn for tangy, spicy chaats. With guys who've been brought in from Bengal to whip up the chaats, they are pretty authentic and yum. For instance, most places in Chennai serve a sickeningly sweet bhel puri in lurid shades of red; here, it's the real McCoy! And their jhal muri - oh I salivate just thinking of it! A delectable mix of puffed rice and mustard oil with peanuts, sprouted channa, potato, coriander and masala - it's to die for. (I don't know of any other place in Chennai where they serve jhal muri but I know I love Gangotree's!). The pani puri too is yum - the tamarind spiced water is just the correct mix of piquant and sweet and the potato filling is perfect. (Incidentally, never have pani puri on Marina Beach - it's awful!).
Their selection of dhoklas is interesting but disappointingly, if you go in the evening, chances are you won't get any. Same with the khandvi; it seems to be available only in the morning. The paneer cutlets are a bit too spicy and oily.
Gangotree has an interesting selection of sweets- North Indian, South Indian and Bengali sweets. Their chum chums are delicious - creamy without being too sweet with a lovely juicy centre. However, the quality of their ras malai has come down alarmingly. The last couple of times I picked it up, it appears that they are running out of milk because the ras malai was a watery unappetising concoction!
With sweets, snacks, chaats and ice creams, Gangotree has plenty on offer and most of the stuff is good.
Read Less
GRUBHOGS.COM © 2008-2012 , All rights Reserved
first reviewed by
