a day of eating; possibly overeating!
it was a sunday evening, and my brother-in-law made a surprise visit, and took the family out for dinner. the destination of choice was bay 146 in savera hotel, as they would have a nice combo offoodand drinks. to those who follow my reviews closely, this was the same day i had lunch at nando’s, and thus my recurring tagline, on it being a day of eating.
our reservation was for 9 pm, and we got in a little after that. we were a group of 7, and were seated comfortably at one of the tables in the raised area. bay 146 is split into 4 areas. initially it’s the bar area with the bar stools by the counter, close to which is the stage and the viewing area which comes into active use on days when live bands are performing. then there are a few stairs that lead to a slightly raised area that has tables, which is more for the groups who want to have a sit-down experience, better suited for eating. the final area is an outdoor area, which allows for smokers, and does have some tables as well. all the 4 areas are not far apart, and can be seen from each other. bay 146 used to be the night club sparks, and in its new avatar is a lot classier and attracts way better crowd. ambiance is nice, as the space is planned well.
we got started off by ordering a round of cocktails, and starters. note that the menu on zomato is limited, and at the restaurant you’re given more options, by means of separate bar andfoodmenus. i’m not going to list all the drinks, but if my memory serves me right, there was 1 long island iced tea, 1 peach cosmopolitan, 1 fancy looking mocktail, and 2 cherry drinks; both a little different, with varying additives, but with cherry essence. i had one of those cherry drinks and quite liked it; it was dark maroon, and had a nice cherry-fruity-alcohol flavor. i tasted the other cherry drink, which was lighter and pink in color, and found the lime in it a bit sharp. i also tasted the peach cosmopolitan, which was the strongest of the lot. most of the drinks were served in a slanting glass (think leaning tower of pisa); check out the pictures if you don’t believe me.
the starters we ordered included 2 veg dishes, the stuffed mushroom, and a tandoori aloo, and 2 non-veg dishes, the fried calamari, and a continental style crumb fried fish. all the starters were nice, the taste being consistently good. the presentation was nice, the calamari coming with two dips, a red and a continental white. the batter fried fish was served with tartar sauce, in a fish shaped plate. usually when the offerings are many, there is a risk of some of them being average. thankfully this was not the case. the calamari wasn't over fried, and all the flavors were just right.
as for the main course, i’m going to cover just 2 dishes, my own, which was a tenderloin steak, and a vegetable au gratin. after some browsing of the menu, and i will admit that bay 146 had some nice options, i decided on a beef steak. i ordered for it medium-rare, in a pepper sauce. it arrived served on a sizzler plate, two fillets of beef, on violet cabbage, with a slice of boiled corn on the cob, some boiled vegetables, and a little steamed rice. i immediately gave away the rice, and then got to work on the steak. ever since my mind-blowing rib-eye steak experience in the us, i've come to except just about okay/decent steak here in chennai; some places being even lesser than others. i’m led to believe that this is largely due to the grade of meat available, and the scale at which it’s prepared and consumed overseas. anyways, once my steak on hand had cooled a little, i had my first piece, and was surprised by how nice it was. the meat was good, the preparation was nice, the pepper sauce flavorsome, and the texture likable too. the more of it i consumed, the more i enjoyed it.
i remember a jovial and talkative friend of mine from calcutta who used to usually go quiet once thefoodwas served. he said the silence could be attributed to the focus on the meal. my experience with this beef steak at bay 146 was similar. there wasn't so much as a whisper that came out of me, till that steak was completely put away. oh god was it a good steak; one that was well beyond my expectations. i’d quite recommend this steak to those who enjoy tenderloin steak. while it’s certainly not in the league of my rib-eye benchmark, i’m aware that wouldn't be a fair comparison. i also tried the vegetable au gratin which was nice. the veggies were well cooked and soft, and the cheesy consistency was good. the cooling thick upper layer of cheese was particularly flavorsome; another dish that was good.
the service was a mixed bag. the orders were taken quick, and most of it was okay. while there was nothing special to mention, there was one waiter who seemed a little off. he wasn't speaking clearly, was coming close to the guest’s ear and whispering, while also not really understanding what they were asking or saying to him. the same person also served the vegetable au gratin to the wrong person, and told us it was another dish. not sure if he was just nervous and confused, but it did seem a bit off. outside of this, which didn't really bother us too much, the rest of it was pretty decent.
though i’m unaware of the final bill amount, i’d safely say that for a drink each, a single starter, and a main course each, it would be about inr 2500 for two people, including taxes. a bigger group like ours was able to try many starters and have a few options. at the end of that day, if ever you’re looking for a place that serves good drinks and food, i’d certainly recommend bay 146. with its pleasing ambiance, sit-down dinner offering, and very good food, it makes for an ideal dinner with drinks sorta affair.
in a nutshell:
location – 9/10
ambiance – 8/10
service – 7/10
cost – 7/10
taste – 8/10