CHENNAI: Have you ever wondered how similar Mexican food is to our Indian cuisine? Corn, tomatoes and kidney beans, the gravies and sauces, and tortillas that look like chapatis. It was this similarity that intrigued chef Kavya Verghese who embarked on a journey to serve Mexican dishes to Indian customers. After achieving success with her first restaurant Mex It Up, she launched her second venture Guac ‘N’ Roll, a vegetarian eatery, in December 2022.
Cosily nestled on the buzzing GN Chetty Road, in a matter of three months, the restaurant has become quite a name in the neighbourhood. Kavya, who has worked at the Oberoi, Mumbai and Hilton, Dubai, introduced Chennai to Mexican delicacies through Mex It Up, three years back. “Mex It Up serves fusion food and has both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. I have had many customers coming and asking me specifically for vegetarian options and some who are uncomfortable eating in a mixed set-up. That made me realise that Chennai has a lot of vegetarian crowds and I thought why not open up a place that serves only vegetarian Mexican food? That’s how the idea for Guac ‘N’ Roll came about,” she shares.
On the menu
While Kavya is the head chef at the hotel, Sanjay Kankaria helps her run the place. Putting together a vegetarian-specific menu was not a task for Kavya as she chose some of her bestsellers from Mex It Up like jalapeño cheese samosa and burrito bowls to add to the menu here. There are also a few Italian delicacies like pasta and garlic bread. “People who come here don’t always know what a taco or a burrito is. So for those customers, there are familiar Italian options, while they try out something new from the Mexican menu,” she offers.
We begin our lunch with a big bowl of Roasted Pumpkin Soup that has minced garlic and a dash of lime. Served warm along with crispy toasted bread topped with garlic, oregano and chilli flakes, it is instant pick-me-up. The portion, we must admit, is quite generous. Next, up for starters, we are presented with a Focaccia Caprese Sandwich where the bread is layered with creamy pesto, tomatoes and a slab of mozzarella. Paired with soup, it makes for a good accompaniment and an ideal appetiser. This is followed by her oft-opted Italian offering Aglio e Olio pasta. A generous dose of spaghetti, doused in olive oil and mixed along with olives, cherry tomatoes and mushroom with sprinkles of cheese binding them together — a slice of heaven we never say no to.
Among the other fast-moving items at the eatery is Mexican Street Corn that is topped with parmesan, mayonnaise and cayenne, Guacamole & Chips, Chips & Dips and Pesto Cheese on Garlic Bread. With abundant cheese oozing atop a perfectly sized garlic bread, our diet goes out the window and the Pesto Cheese on Garlic Bread becomes an instant favourite.
Wrap it up!
What makes Guac ‘N’ Roll stand apart is the BYOB/BYOT – Build your bowl/burrito and Build your taco — concepts that they provide. Customers can choose from the varieties of tortillas, rice, beans, cheese and fillings. For the bowl, there are vegetable options one can opt from. “Since I run Mex It Up, I knew what people would like here. But I wanted to experiment further. We have a nice tempeh, which not many restaurants use. Often there is only paneer and tofu as protein options, but tempeh is also high in protein and is good for health, especially for vegetarians,” says Kavya. Her special enchilada sauce atop the burritos or tacos makes the dish all the more special making it a Chennai favourite. “Chennai loves tacos. They are familiar with it. Not many know of burritos but once they try them, it is picked more than tacos. The customers also love dishes that have gravy and are saucy. Hence the burritos with the enchilada sauce poured over it is a crowd favourite,” she elaborates.
Kavya then serves us one of her preparations of a burrito — a beetroot tortilla with Mexican rice, paneer makhani filling, refried beans, mozzarella cheese smothered with Chef’s Special Enchilada Sauce. It is a meal in itself with the right amount of carbohydrates and protein with a liberal helping of cheese. The burrito can be made healthy too and you can opt out of cheese and ask for more protein instead. One bite into the neatly packed burrito and we know why it tops as a favourite. The luscious paneer and gooey cheese blend well with the rice and beans, and when scooped up along with the sauce it is a melange of flavours — each one complementing the other. The lip-smacking silky smooth sauce lingers, leaving us craving for more. The homely concoction doesn’t make us feel sluggish, despite the cheesiness of it all.
For desserts, there are churros coated in cinnamon sugar served with chocolate sauce, cereal milk pudding and chocolate mousse. “We present our desserts in small pots with a leaf on top,” says Kavya. Sure enough, they are all Instagram-worthy.
Going further
Since the operations began, Kavya has set up a system where she notes down what works for the Chennai foodies and what doesn’t. “There are a lot more recipes; this is just a smaller menu to understand what people are liking, what’s more in demand and what sells more. After three months, I want to update the menu with more quesadillas and enchiladas, homemade pasta like tortellini with sauces,” she informs.
Located in a neighbourhood populated with vegetarians, Guac ‘N’ Roll runs full on weekends, and hence, she recommends dropping in on a weekday to spend time at leisure and taste more of the dishes without having to rush out. Jain and vegan options are available too. They also cater to specific needs based on allergies and dietary requirements. “As a child, I had several dietary restrictions. That’s when I got to cooking for myself and experimenting, and in the process, I fell in love with food. So you will see a lot of gluten-free, vegan and Jain options on the menu. If a customer has a specific dietary demand, I try to meet it,” she explains.
With a hope to make Mexican the next ‘it’ cuisine, Kavya urges Chennaiites to branch out from always trying only their favourites like Italian, Asian, biryanis and shawarmas. And for that, Guac ‘N’ Roll might be your best option.