Skip to main content

Mamagoto

For all Asian food lovers, Mamagoto is finally here and there couldn’t have been a better time for an Asian cuisine based restaurant to hit our shores. Personally I’ve heard a lot of this restaurant chain though I wasn’t lucky enough to try them. Fortunately, I was one among those lucky few to give this place a shot before opening to public during it’s soft launch itself and given below is my take on Mamagoto, Nungambakkam.

Any Chennaite would know that Khader Nawaz Khan road in Nungambakkam is THE place for any uber cool joint to open and so it’s no wonder Mamagoto got here. Someone has done their research well 😉 Mamagoto is located in Oyster building with Crimson Chakra and Barista as neighbours. They have valet parking services which takes care of a major issue as finding a parking spot in KNK road is next to impossibility. Mamagoto is on the first floor which can be accessed by lift or through the staircase from the front of the building. My friends and I were welcomed by a large bright yellow door with the wordings ‘Never forget a friend, especially if he owes you a bowl of noodles’. The manager who spotted us told that the place was filled up and after a while, he lead us to our table. He was very professional yet courteous.

The décor looks super chill and laid back with funky wall hangings that’s got a touch of Asian theme to it and coloured cable wires, running the length of the ceiling. The mocktail bar on the right caught my eyes thanks to numerous light bulbs hung from jars. At the far end is a teppanyaki grill. Furnitures are simple ones with the chairs being string knotted but we got couch seating which looked much more comfy. Not sure if it was because of the fact that it’s their opening week but it was jam packed.

Though it was an invite, we were given the liberty to choose what we wanted from the menu and we selected a few from all categories. Given below is the list of what we tried and how they fared.

Soups:

  • Tom Yum Chicken: The classic Tom Yum soup with a small twist in taste. Tasted decent.
  • Chinese Sour & Pepper Soup with 22 Ingredients Chicken: The name is quite a mouthful and it did really taste as good as it sounds. This soup was hearty and packed the perfect punch.

Drinks:

  • Passion Fruit and Orange Cooler: This is what I ordered. My all time favourite, passion fruit with some citrus juice. Tasted heavenly. Loved it.
  • Kiwi and Mint Collins: Kiwi and Mint with a squeeze of lime and soda. Looked amazing and tasted pretty good too.
  • Chennai Chiller: Pineapple, Coconut, Banana and Honey blended with Yogurt. This was smooth yet heavy and tasted really good.

Starters:

  • Crispy Lotus Stem: This veg starter that’s got lotus stem along with garlic and chillies is probably one of the best veg starters I’ve had in recent times. It was love in first bite.
  • Street Style Spicy Dumplings Chicken: Though it’s touted to be street style, it was presented amazingly. But the taste couldn’t match the looks and it was quite a disappointing dish.
  • Street Style Spicy Dumplings Shrimp: This was a shocker. The chicken variant wasn’t that great but this shrimp one was totally out of this world. I enjoyed it so much that this is right on top of my list of must tries in Mamagoto.
  • Java Grilled Fish in Red Hot Sambal Salsa: Marinated fish fillet, wrapped and grilled in banana leaves and served with sticky rice. The marination didn’t manage to seep into the fish which ended up a bit bland. Stick rice on the other hand was spot on.
  • Shrimps with Dry Red Chilli + Burnt Garlic: This perfect seafood starter, tasted so good that the bowl got emptied in seconds. A clear winner.

Mains:

  • Soho Pan Fried Noodles Chicken: Chicken in noodles that’s tossed with black bean sauce. This is a meal on it’s own and it was wholesome. The chicken was super tender and juicy.
  •  Teriyaki Meal in a Bowl: The most expected dish of the evening for me thanks to my love to teriyaki sauce. Sticky rice with tossed chicken and teriyaki sauce, this dish looked amazing. But tastewise I found the teriyaki flavour to be a bit too much than what’s normal. Loved the sticky rive along with the juicy gravy but it could’ve been a bit more milder.
  • Tenderloin with Bamboo Shoot Schezwan Sauce: Yet another brilliant dish, this time with beef. Succulent meat with sautéed spices and veggies served in a semi gravy state, tasted perfect.

Dessert:

  • Mama’s Chocolate Brownie: Just a regular brownie, nothing spectacular to write about.
  • Mama’s Homemade Chocolate Cake: This cake on the other hand looked amazing and tasted good too. Super soft and spongy with the right amount of chocolatey goodness.

Overall, it was a wonderful experience to try some amazing Asian cuisine in all it’s glory. Service was excellent and though it did take a while for dishes to reach our table owing to the crowd, the staff members who served us were super friendly. We were lucky enough to try a huge chunk of items off the menu out of which some aren’t that great while most of them are brilliant. Excluding the desserts, the bill amount was Rs. 4846. Since it was an invite, can’t comment more on the pricing but I guess a decent meal for two would be around the Rs. 1500 mark. I personally loved a couple of dishes for which I’ll definitely be back and I can’t wait to try the other items too. A recommended spot for all Asian food lovers.

RATINGS BREAK UP:-
Location:- 5/5
Parking:- 5/5
Reception:- 4.5/5
Food:- 3.5/5
Customer Service:- 4/5
Ambience:- 3.5/5

[fb_album id=”545247475650755″]

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi shoulder a mediocre film: Master Review

A flawed protagonist and a powerful antagonist have always proven to be successful tropes in the world of cinema. The hero, when being anything but perfect, makes way for a beautiful story arc as he convalesces and a strong villain makes the hero’s triumph at the end larger. Despite having both of these, Vijay’s Master feels far from a perfect flick thanks to succumbing to irregular pacing and a middling screenplay. Master follows the trials and tribulations of JD (Vijay), an alcoholic college professor whose valiant effort towards the student community plants a belief in his colleague Charu (Malavika Mohanan) that he would be able to do the same to the kids in a juvenile correction centre that needs… correction. Armed with a just kada, a classic four-wheeler, a Persian cat and a cool pair of sunglasses, JD embarks on a journey that will collide with that of Bhavani’s (Vijay Sethupathi). On paper, Master looks like a failproof star vehicle – the story of a man out there to teach lesson
Post a Comment
Read more

Icon Residency, Wayanad

During one of my solo bike rides from Chennai to Coorg, I took a detour to check out Wayanad and since Coorg is just a few hours by road from there, I decided to use the small town also for a layover. A quick search told me about the limited options this tourist location has and as I was all by myself, I didn’t mind taking a risk by choosing whatever has a decent rating. iCon Residency in Kalpetta had some really good reviews and in no time, I was in Kerala via Bangalore.  iCon Residency is located on National Highway 212. Though the direction on Google Maps is accurate, finding the place was quite a challenge as it’s located past a narrow street. The hotel looks brilliant from the outside in total contrast to the otherwise old town. There’s also a decent parking space. The basic room I opted for is small when compared to average rooms but for a solo traveller, it was cosy and perfect. The bed
Post a Comment
Read more

Spago Inn, Mahabalipuram

It was yet another trip to Mahabalipuram and if you visit the famous tourist town as much as I do, you should be knowing that unless you’re a tourist, it’s better to stay from the centre of the city. A quick search told me that Spago Inn, a considerably new property has made its way to ECR, right at the entrance of Mahabs. I had also seen it, right on the main road, during my regular drives down that brilliant stretch of tarmac. The town is famous for pocket-friendly options making it perfect for a day’s retreat and Spago Inn too fits the bill.  Unlike most of the properties in Mahabs, Spago Inn has a car parking space, enough for more than half a dozen four-wheelers. The room is compact, similar to most of the properties in that price range but ticks off all the basic boxes one would expect. The place is extremely clean and neat. The linens were tidy and so was the bathroom. The bed was comfy too and it was perfect fo
Post a Comment
Read more