South American Restobar in Town - SuDaKa - Restobar Review

Outlet: T Nagar

Address: The Legends, North Boag Road, Parthasarathy Puram, T Nagar, Chennai.

Cuisine: South American, Continental

Restobar happens to be the new trend; latest addition to the list and audacious enough to open opposite ‘10 Downing Street’ is SUDAKA. Ofcourse the obvious question was ‘Do they have a chance to excel at such a locality?’ May be we all should wait and see that but for now let me throw some light about the ambience and food at Sudaka and what I loved.

Location calls for a visit, it’s easy to spot them without much confusion. The ambience of the restobar is brilliant; from the moment you enter through those glass doors everything you witness would shout ‘South America’. The interiors almost similar to most restobar in terms of dim lights, bar setup, DJ floor and smoke room. Perfect to hangout, eat, drink, party, dance and repeat.

DJ & Bar

Be a restobar, café or restaurant, the sole purpose of my visit is FOOD. So I was keen to check out the food menu and pricing; suddenly walked in the brother-sister duo. The bartender sister and the Chef brother starts to recite about the delicious array of drinks and food which they are going to serve us. Being an on-the-house invite from Sudaka, the drinks and food menu was decided by them after learning our preference.

And one-by-one the drinks and food started to come our way.

I settled for a Mint and Green Apple Mocktail, I loved my drink and indeed felt that to be the best one. Other mocktails were good but didn’t find them refreshing. Among the cocktails, Passion Frida was the crowd-pleaser though I didn’t like any of them (as I don’t like anything that as Alcohol in it :-D). Other two, ‘Susana is Very Hot’ and ‘Zoombie’, weren’t a hit.

Drinks

Cocktails

Starters were mandatory to enjoy the drinks.

Mentioned as their best dish and with a presentation that stole the show I took a spoon of Chili Tamali (Bolivia) just to experience a strong dose of chilli. Except the delicious beetroot sauce I didn’t enjoy the dish much. With not-so-good start, the Bread Humita (Veg Empanada) that bursts with overload of cheese saved the vegetarians followed by Peri Peri Potato Wedges which again tasted crispy, spicy and the wedges were emptied in minutes.   

Tamali

Empanada

The crispy baskets of minced lamb with mint chutney and the big bowl of seafood fritters were a delight taste-wise. So yeah they were named ‘Juice Empanada’ (lamb) and ‘Bikini Beach’ (seafood).

Seafood Fritters

Even if we say taste matters the most, the looks would add glamour to food. The Mains were presented beautifully. The juicy look of Mushroom Risotto with parmesan and smoky cinnamon flavor was brilliant; though not on the menu we requested for a vegetarian version so everyone could taste. Next three dishes were Italian favorites and they got the flavors right. With crunchy bed of vegetables between the pasta sheets and creamy red sauce, this dish was a seller taste-wise, classic Lasagna. Then came the two pasta dishes; basil’s strong flavor in creamy pesto sauce and the spaghetti that’s cooked right; Spaghetti Al Pesto was yum. Another classic one, Penne Arabiatta, with arabiatta sauce made us to call for a second round with addition of chicken to satisfy the carnivores.

Risotto

Spaghetti

Arabiatta - Chicken

With so much vegetarian food, the non-veg took a while to come but the wait seemed worth; at least the hard-core non-vegetarians felt that. For me the gravy, vegetables and mashed potato that accompanied the meats did the magic to set the flavors right. Chilli Chicken Columbia, the crispy tortilla enchilada sitting on the bed of green sauce was dry and tough to cut through; the combination of chicken, caramelized onion and cheese was delicious but a little on the spicier would have satisfied my palate. The beef (Coco Entrecote) and pork (Honey Mustard Pork Ribs) dish was appreciated the most; I stayed away from tasting the meat but the gravy’s smokiness and buttery mashed potatoes was scrumptious.

Chicken Enchilada

Beef

Pork

Everywhere it’s a tradition to finish off the meal with Sweet. With just five desserts added to their menu I was treated with four of them. The cup of warm and sticky chocolate-banana melt (Congo Volcano) with scoop of ice-cream isn’t allowed for sharing; my piece of dessert – perfect! The blueberry Cheese Cake was a letdown and the pancake (Panque’ Che) with caramel topping struck me with sugar, too much sweetness stopped me from grabbing another bite (but I loved the theatre). Finally, the tanginess from lime cake, grainy texture of oreo and walnut base and mild sweetness from Americano ice-cream exploded with different flavor senses; Lime Tortita is perfect if you’re looking to taste something different from usual.

Lime Tortita

Pancakes

My experience at a restobar hasn’t failed me when it comes to food and Sudaka didn’t disappoint me with their food. But surrounded by huge competitors I wish they plan something to make them stand apart.

Cheesecake

Pancakes

Breaking Down Points

Location & Parking: Positive. At North Boag road, it’s easy to locate them and they have valet parking.

Ambience: Positive. Loved the ambience and bar setup; but the energy was little low seeing a less crowded place on Saturday.

Food/Drinks Variety: Good. Ample variety but they still don’t have their combos set.

Taste: Good. No major complaints but here and there they didn’t please my palate.

Quality: Good. The choice of ingredients and the presentation was bang-on.

Quantity: Ok. It was good and would be sumptuous for sharing among two/three.

Service: NA. They were their best as it was on-the-house but still I felt they should buckle-up; as few of us were left waiting while the others were enjoying their meal.

Pricing: NA. For restobar, I find them priced right. But they still don’t have lunch combos without which I find them ‘Pricey’.

Chocolate Volcano

My Favorites: Seafood Fritters, Mushroom Risotto, Lasagna, Penne Arabiatta Congo Volcano

So my Verdict!

Sudaka! Another place to eat, drink, party and enjoy. I loved the ambience, food variety and their presentation. The mocktails could be better. Taste-wise, I loved the food more than the drinks. Without the combo meal, I find them Pricey but yeah checkout the place for yourself if you’re looking for a change from your usual restobar.

P.S. This write-up is based on my food palate & dining experience during my visit. On-the-house invite from Sudaka. Remember, no two person’s palate can be same.