Chennai| Try Goan ros omelette, truffle mushroom mousse and Tiramisu at The Park’s revamped Six ‘O’ One

Following a restaurant renovation and a menu revamp, The Park’s Six ‘O’ One has old favourites pastas, biryanis, thin crust pizzas alongside international grills, a hotpot counter and more

At Six ‘O’ One, The Park’s all-day dining restaurant, Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Shah Rukh Khan, Charlie Chaplin, and even Harry Potter are important fixtures. Murals featuring them, other actors and iconic scenes from Indian films, cover the pillars inside the restaurant. The cinema connect is no surprise here — the famed address once housed the historic Gemini studios. 

Nearly 22 years after it first threw its doors open, Six ‘O’ One is now ready after a renovation and menu revamp. “Of course, the aesthetics are different, but so is the buffet and most importantly, the a la carte menu,” says Chef Ashutosh Nerlekar,director, food production. Dotted with plush blue chairs and cinema-inspired murals, there is now a long buffet running through the length of the restaurant with multiple live counters. 

Over the years, Six ‘O’ One has been sought out by its regulars for everything from its breakfast buffet, to its late night biryani. The team is keen on ensuring it retains much of this appeal. “We have continued to hold on to many old favourites including the smoked chicken pasta, biryani, thin crust pizzas, tiramisu and burgers,” Chef Ashutosh says. Among the live counter options, diners can now pick from thin crust pizza, pasta, sushi, dimsum, grilled meats and an all-new hotpot station. 

We dip into a thick, flavourful mushroom mousse with pieces of crispy sourdough. The dish looks as artful as it tastes; full of flavour with a generous dose of truffle oil. The crunchy tart shells and chunks of spicy meat make the Kundapur mutton ghee roast tarts a great bite-sized appetiser, and the maguro tuna carpaccio is fresh and light, with a generous sprinkle of microgreens on thin slices of fish. The Mexican smoked chicken bruschetta from their appetiser spread however, lacks flavour and could do with being served hot. 

While the restaurant has always had diverse cuisine options to pick from, both at their buffet and a la carte menu, the focus is also on fresh ingredients from across the country and how inventively these feature on the new menu. The ingredients include cage-free chicken and eggs from Namakkal, morel mushrooms from Kashmir and portobello mushrooms and asparagus from Pune. 

Accompanied by a chicken curry that is packed with flavour, the Goan ros omelette is a great new option from the main course menu. The omelette is delicately thin and carefully stuffed, and the coconut-ty curry makes for a great dipping sauce. The Bay of Bengal prawns look intimidating when placed on the table — big and spread out, and topped with chunks of crab meat. But the dish is buttery, mildly spiced and the meat is cooked just right. The tom yum fried rice bowl emerges as a surprise favourite. Pegged as one among their comfort meal options, the rice is just the right mix of sweet and spice and comes with a host of sides — pickled cucumber, sambal paste, fried peanuts and crunchy garlic crackers. 

“Many of our dishes have their own special stories. The tiramisu for instance was something we worked on with late chef Antonio Carluccio in 2005, who suggested we use our local filter coffee,” Ashutosh recalls. Soaked in coffee, the spongy layers of this dessert makes for the perfect way to end the meal.