Novella bags the Noteworthy Newcomer Award at Times Food & Nightlife Awards 2016

Man receiving an award at Hablis Hotel, Chennai

Chef Sathya and Dr Vikas Gupta receiving the award

By Weena Pradhan, Hab Life Evangelist

Times award - hablis hotel chennai creative

Novella, the rooftop restaurant at Hablis Hotel Chennai, poolside restaurant bagged the Times Food And Nightlife Awards 2016 in the Fine Dining category. It was a moment of pride for the entire Hablis team to be adjudged as the Noteworthy Newcomer serving fusion food.

Excerpts from the Times food critic Ameeta Agnihotri’s review :

“Taking the lift to the top floor of Hablis, I entered Hab Life and was enchanted. A gentle breeze soothes the heat away, and the predominantly wooden furniture has a rustic appeal. Down below, the busy GST Road has impatient traffic complete with blaring horns. But up here, all’s good.

I loved the food. Most ingredients are freshly sourced locally and healthily cooked when you order. 

The chef is young and enthusiastic with a wealth of food knowledge. He is passionate and brings art to the platter

Good simple food. No magic. only technique, I think as the main course is brought to my table. I’m in for a treat. The Slow poached salmoncrushed potato salad broccoli puree and red wine sauce is pink with health as it rests on a bed of baby potato salad, with the skin on. Not at all loaded with salt, this salmon is perfectly pink and I like the crispness of the skin”.

True that. Guests that have dined at Novella tell us that they are mesmerized by the ambience, be it by day or night. The gentle breeze that the critic mentions in her review can sometimes be that refreshing wind driving away the fatigue of the day. You are at once surrounded by the five elements of nature that soothe and calm you as they are wont to do.

Soothing music to accompany gastronomic delights.

Food is now an eclectic array of cuisines passionately designed by Chef Sathya and his team. A commitment to serve fresh food clearly translates to sourcing local and seasonal produce through out the year. No component of any dish is pre-made, every bit cooked to perfection after the guests place their order. A wellness initiative lauded by many Novella loyalists that keeps them coming back for more.

Fusion cuisine is at the heart of the matter at Novella and is a treat to the palates, drawing connoisseurs of food from across the city and the seas.

As more people are turning towards clean eating and healthy living, mindful eating has begun to capture the imagination world over. Towards that Novella is futuristic with apportioned servings of fresh food made from natural ingredients. Hablis Hotels has done away with all refined ingredients much before the campaign against refined foods caught momentum and is a pioneer in the city. Palm sugar and rock salt are just two examples. No canned and tinned ingredients in the Hablis larder.

Novella,our rooftop restaurant in Chennai, encourages its guests to unwind, sit back and revel in the feel-good ambience. Tuck away the rush and humdrum of life. Food cooked the sous-vide way that is a delight to the eyes is a way of letting you savour it bit by bit, for nothing that is pleasing to the eyes is ever gulped down ! We aim at a satiated appetite rather than stomachs filled to their brims. And one way we achieve that is by assimilating all the tastes in as many dishes as possible. Sweet, salty, sour, pungent, bitter and astringent tastes leave no room for cravings.

The award winning team at Novella is all geared up to take you on a gastronomic journey and help you pick the right sides and pairings.

Restaurant staff at Hablis Hotel posing for a picture

So welcome to Novella and allow us to pamper you !

Eat Healthy and Celebrate Life as you dine at one of the top restaurants in Chennai ! That is what Hab Life is all about.