Being one of my most beloved chain of restaurants in our city, Jonah’s latest establishment in Anna Nagar was something I was looking forward to for quite a while. Having tried out almost all their branches, I must say I’m bowled over by their attempt to give a different cuisine in each branch making each one of it unique but at the same time, maintaining the same level of quality and service across all of them. Jonah’s goes to Malabar, as it’s formally known, is their take on the cuisines from the coastal areas of our country, Keralan, Goan and S.Indian to be precise. Being the very enthusiastic A.K.A aarvakolaru, I was here during their soft launch period itself, only to know that they didn’t have their entire menu available. So, I tried a couple of items along with my friends, only to return a few days back when they were up and running on full power. Hence, given below is my take on Jonah’s Anna Nagar, based on the amalgamation of two experiences.
This Jonah’s is located at the entrance of 4th main road Anna Nagar, right next to Coco Jaunt, making it impossible to miss. In keeping with their custom that’s followed in all Jonah’s, this one also has valet parking service, making it very easy to get down to business at the earliest. They also have a decent two wheeler parking space.
Ambience is really calm and serene. The harmonious off white walls and ivory coloured couches along with different coloured cushions really do give a feel of relaxing on a beach shack. Talking about it, the white ropes that intertwine and run along the walls got me reminded of one of my other favourite in the same vicinity, Shaack.
On our first visit, we tried the following items:
* Chocolate Milkshake: Thick and whole, the shake was really good.
* Pina Colada: It was quite refreshing but it lacked the punch required to be tagged as the legendary Pina Colada.
* Syrian Beef Fry: What’s a Malabar cuisine without Keralan dishes and what’s a Keralan dish without beef in it. Though not being a fan of coconut wedges on my plate, I loved this dish for it’s thick cut, spicy and tender beef chunks.
* Palkatti Peratal: Roughly translated into Sautéed Cottage Cheese, this dish provided the little comfort the veggies of our group had to enjoy. It was crispy, peppery and flavourful.
* Macaroons: Jonah’s is hands down the best restaurant for desserts and this place only strengthened that trust I had on this brand. My friend’s kids ordered this and they loved it.
* Tiramisu: Sinfully moist and beautifully delicious, this one easily gets into the top 5 best tiramisus of our town in my list.
* Tender Coconut Mousse: I can’t remember the last time a dessert ended up being the highlight of a meal. This egg-less coconut mousse, served on an opened coconut with palm sugar topping is easily one of the best desserts I’ve ever had. After all, coconuts are synonymous to beaches and the coastal area. These guys have nailed the perfect sweetness of the mousse along with the right consistency.
During our second visit, we did have a certain must tries along with a whole lot of new dishes from the fully functional menu. Apart from the Coconut mousse, Syrian Beef Fry and a couple of drinks, the other items we had are as follows.
* Mutton Sukka: Nicely minced mutton with spices, this was one lovely dish for the meat lovers.
* Karida Yetti: The leftover prawn tails were the only remaining pieces I saw on my friends plates. The cons of being a late comer I suppose. Heard it was amazing, so it’s penned down on my mental note to try on my next visit. ( Karida yetti – Yennaku yettale :/ )
* Mutton Ishtew: This warm comforting stew, a partner for appam with succulent mutton pieces and coconut milk was simply ishuperb. It would be great if the pieces used have a better meat to bone ratio.
* Nadaan Kozhi Curry: This curry was something similar to the regular chicken gravies. Went well with the parathas.
* Veg Thali: Ordered by a friend, he found it to be simple and unexceptional. It was quite a surprise when we found a dead housefly on the rice midway through his meal. We informed the management and we were glad to see the corrective measures taken in the next few dates.
* Malabar Parotta: Flaky and fluffy, the parottas served here are exceptionally good. Along with the kozhi curry, it was a killer combo.
* Aapam: Aapam took a while, which was understandable due to the way its made. It was rather surprising to find them cold when they reached our plates. Nevertheless, I was too hungry to make amends to it and along with the Ishtew, it got over in no time. I can only imagine how even more awesome it’d been if it was hot.
* Trio Halwa: This dessert with three scoops of differently flavoured halwas, namely Beetroot, Apple Raisin Sooji and Dhoodhi halwa, looked fabulous, but the taste couldn’t match the way it looked.
On our first visit, service was awful and they were running helter skelter every time we enquired about a particular dish. Considering they were new, I found it to be acceptable. Fortunately, service was much better the second time. As far as the pricing is concerned, the bill amount on our first visit came up to Rs.1681 and for the second, it was around 400rs per person. Another reason for my preference towards Jonah’s group is their perfect pricing and things aren’t much different here either. Though we had a pretty good experience, there’s room for improvements and I’m sure a bit of tweaking can make this place even better. I’m sure to be back to try their other items and this place can definitely be recommended for a nice hearty, laid back meal with family.
RATINGS BREAK UP:-
Location:- 4/5
Parking:- 4.5/5
Reception:- 3.5/5
Food:- 3.5/5
Customer Service:- 3/5
Ambience:- 4/5
Price:- 4/5
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