THE MAESTRO

S.N.

2011-04-24T06:06:00Z

S.N. is one of those venerable establishments in J.P. Nagar 2^nd Phase that is more of an institution than an eatery. Granted, the tiny ‘standing-room’ only place is not much to talk about in terms of looks. However, the charming and never tiring owner keeps you in good cheer with his ceaseless banter and small talk.

Probably a millionaire many times over and the owner of the large building which houses S.N., Bhatt-re as we call him personally oversees operations in an efficient and error free manner.

The menu is limited which is probably the USP for the high quality and rapid turn-around. All you get here are Idly, Vada, Khaara Baath, Kesari Baath, Chow Chow Baath, Masala & Plain Dosa and of course Coffee and Tea.

The Masala dosa is exquisite to say the least. The crisp dosas and the potato sabji inside are a deadly combination. Khaara Baath is nothing but Upma (with vegetables) made from Semolina (Rava) and Kesari Baath is a sweet dish made from saffron, milk and sugar. Chow Chow Baath is a half and half of Kesari Baath and Khaara Baath. Vada is served either separate from sambar or dunked in the sambar. Either way is wonderful depending on how you like it.

You basically can’t go wrong with anything you get here, whether it is for take-out or to stand around the few high metal platforms and eat right from the kitchen.

Whatever you do or don’t do here, definitely have the coffee. The filter coffee here is great and completes anything you eat there.

Bangalore Bistro

2011-04-23T05:54:00Z

Generally mall food courts are pretty ordinary and most of the establishments are pedestrian to say the least. Bangalore Central Mall in J.P.Nagar has a kind of decent food court and Bangalore Bistro is one such place which serves Middle Eastern cuisine.

I tried the Shawarma there once and I found it quite to my liking. Not too oily or greasy, the chicken was done just right. They also have healthy Greek salads which are served fresh with feta cheese.

As luck would have it, they also do home delivery. Recently, I went all out and ordered in for the family. For appetizers the fried falafel and hummus were a great start. I liked the texture of the falafel and also the fact that it wasn’t soaked in grease. The hummus was also very good.

Kids being kids wanted Cheese Pizza and the thin crust pizza that came in wasn’t too bad either. They called it Arabic style pizza but I’m not sure what was so Arabic about it.

An order of grilled BBQ chicken (half) had 4 large pieces of chicken and the meat was tender and not too spicy and the little ones were able to handle it.

The falafel sandwich was also light and tasty and I stole a bite from the kids just to see what it was all about.

I’ve always been a big fan of the Arabic style biryani which they call Kapsa so I had to chance the Chicken Kapsa. To me, the Kapsa topped the list of things to eat at Bangalore Bistro. Made with regular rice, the spices and the dry mixed rice were really tasty. It did have a kick to it, especially the chicken but overall, I rate it high in terms of tastiness quotient.

The entire order came to about 600 bucks which is quite decent for the kind and quantity of food we got. Go try it!

Harima

2011-04-22T14:02:00Z

Harima has been around for a while and the couple of times I was there before, wasn't too impressed. The fare was definitely authentic but the menu options were fairly limited.

The menu has been totally revamped and it is frankly quite a task to figure out what to order. A portion of the restaurant has been extended outdoors and it looks like they have Karaoke nights. There are now a variety of sushi, teriyaki, Nabe, sashimi and a plethora of appetizers. The food is definitely on the expensive side and very akin to a 5 star restaurant in terms of cost.

We ordered a butter garlic prawn dumplings to start off with along with sliced beef tongue that was marinated to perfection. The dumplings were extremely soft and delicious and an able foil for the slightly tangy beef tongue.

Wanting to try something new, we decided on the Nabe which a Japanese hot pot type preparation. Served in a clay pot, Nabe comes in different varieties. The method of preparation is very similar irrespective of the type of Nabemono though they fall into two broad categories, one with a thick stock and one with a thin stock.

The Nabe we got was called Shabu Shabu which is essentially thinly sliced beef with vegetables in a hot water broth. First they bring a gas stove. A large pot is placed on the stove with hot water in it. Once the water starts boiling, different raw vegetables go into the water. There was spinach, mushrooms, green cabbage, carrots and tofu followed by the raw sliced beef.

A few minutes later, we were served the broth with the meat and vegetables and it went very well with sticky white rice. Dipping sauces included a sesame dip and a ponzu (citrus based) sauce. All contributed to a an extremely healthy and tasty meal and we were quite stuffed at the end of it.

I definitely want to go back and try out more of the offerings at Harima as the authentic Japanese cuisine here is quite addictive and probably is the only non 5-star Japanese restaurant in Bangalore. A big thumbs up and if you’re near Residency Road, Harima is worth a visit!

Thailand Eating

2011-02-16T08:49:00Z

I’m just going to summarize the eating in one article as I really didn’t get a chance for the deep culinary research I desired to do.

I had the Tom Yum seafood soup in a local eatery in Pattaya. As expected it was out of the world and the galangal and lemon grass came out extremely well in taste and flavour. The spiciness quotient was, as expected, very high as I had taken along a local person with me who made sure that there was no holding back on the spices. Apparently the combination with rice is the done thing so I carefully took in one spoonful of soup followed by a spoonful of rice as the routine. Lovely!

I experimented next on road-side pork balls which were grilled over an electric heater and dipped in various sauces and greens. Again, exemplary.

Next to our hotel was a Korean restaurant. I decided to chance it here alone and amidst much merriment from the women (the owners), I ordered a spicy beef soup wanting to try something different from the Bulgogi.

The soup arrived in a sizzling copper pot along with the usual accompaniments of greens and kimchi. I did burn my tongue as it was still simmering intensely at arrival. I ordered some steamed rice and surreptitiously threw the rice into the soup. The mixture was outstanding. The soup was more of a thick broth with cube like beef pieces along with onions, split peas, some unidentifiable greens and spicy as hell. It wasn’t as spicy as the Tom Yum soup though and despite a burnt tongue I cleaned up the concoction with some gusto. Being the only patron at that hour afforded me a lot of service overcoming the communication gap which didn’t seem to bother any of us.

To round off my oriental cuisine experience, I had the Cashew nut with Chicken at the Bangkok airport and loved the fact that it wasn’t made with any gravy and the cashews were fresh and crunchy. The chicken also was well done and after spicing it up a bit, I had a very filling dinner. They do have a good selection of dishes at the Oriental restaurants in the airport so do try them all if you’re there.

UpSouth

2011-01-29T16:32:00Z

The main road where the new Bangalore Central Mall is in J P Nagar is suddenly a happening place. Lots of new establishments coming up and it’s tough to keep up.

One such eatery which seemed to pop up out of nowhere is Up South diagonally opposite the mall. What they’ve tried to do here is to create a MacDonald’s like environment with the ‘Darshini’ type of food. For those who aren’t aware of what Darshinis are – they’re just roadside self service joints serving wholesome South Indian vegetarian food. Okay, I’m not a big fan of vegetarian food but my cousin doesn’t eat anything else so I made a big sacrifice.

What they have in Up South is a variety of combos (like any fast food restaurant) at pretty reasonable rates (under 100 rupees). We tried the parotta and poori combo which comes with one layered parotta, one poori and an assortment of side dishes including coconut chutney, onion chutney, vegetable kurma and sambar. In addition, the combo also has a Medhu vada dipped in sambar and a dahi vada. While not outstanding, everything was moderately good and the clean and well lighted place is great if you’re in a hurry and don’t feel like standing at one of the Darshinis out in the open air. The food is served pretty quickly and served hot. Quite a few combos are available with batooras, dosas, idlis, mixed rices etc. For drinks they have a choice of baadam milk, buttermilk or coffee.

They also have home delivery and take-out J

Kungh (Kashmiri)

2011-01-26T06:13:00Z

It’s not often that a restaurant evokes this reaction within the first few minutes...’Oh my God!’ is what the first thought at Kungh was. Some education too as we learnt that that the name means ‘Saffron’ in Kashmiri. And, most importantly, we discovered a jewel for Kashmiri food in Bangalore!

Not wanting to waste time on frivolity, we dived right into the mutton and lamb offerings. The charming owner sold us on the deep fried lamb ribs called Tabaq Maaz. Succulent to say the least! The meat just fell off the bone and as my expert companion told me it’s quite a challenge to cook lamb just right but at Kungh’s they’re up to that challenge. Though deep fried, the meat was delicious and juicy and the flavours were amazing. Finger lickin’ good!!

With the appetizer stage completed, the Rista looked tempting. However, a predicament arose since the owner informed us that the Rogan Josh was their signature dish. He made it easier for us by allowing us to order half portions of each.

Rista a light mutton gravy dish with steamed balls of mutton made of finely minced meat. The balls almost had a sausage like feel to them. We had the Rista both with saffron rice as well as Naan and Tandoori Rotis and it’s hard to pick between the combinations. The amazing part was that the mutton could actually be tasted in the gravy. Fantastic preparation!

We expected the Rogan Josh to be the usual fare dished out at most places. However, the ever helpful proprietor was very clear that this was no staid tomato, onion and dollops of oil laden Rogan Josh thrust upon unsuspecting patron in North Indian restaurants.

He wasn’t wrong. I have never tasted such wonderful meat and gravy. My perception of Rogan Josh has changed forever. First of all the gravy was light and though similar in color to the Rista, the taste was wholly unique. No points for guessing how the mutton was. Yep, as tender and tasty as the Tabaq Maaz. Again, with rice and Rotis, Rogan Josh left no doubt as to why it’s the signature dish.

The best thing about Kungh is that you do not feel bloated or queasy with all the rich food. Nothing is too spicy though the Rogan Josh does have a tang to it. The gravies are light and the portions are just right.

They do have a dessert menu as well as chicken and the obligatory vegetarian stuff but there’s no way we could be distracted.

I would give Kungh 5/5 for food and service which was fast and efficient. It is a small clean place and probably can seat about 20 people or so (I didn’t count). A wonderful experience overall and even if you’re far away from Castle Street, make it a point to go there. You will thank me, I guarantee it!!

Pier 39

2011-01-16T03:12:00Z

Jayanagar and JP Nagar areas have typically been short of good sit-down restaurants. Cable Car changed things a bit a couple of years back with a good menu of Indian and Italian vegetarian fare. About a year or so back, Pier 39 opened up on the top floor of Cable Car and is a decent eatery with Mexican, Indian, Italian and some global cuisine.

The Mexican starters are quite authentic (for India that is), The Tortilla soup is light and tasty. The Nachos with salsa and cheese sauce is quite addictive. There are also burritos and enchiladas which somehow show up in the appetizer list as well as in the main course.

The Mexican Pizza is one of the best things you can try here. Made from large Nachos and topped with cheese and vegetables, it's a sure hit with kids as it's not oily and the portions are quite manageable.

The North Indian fare is pretty good too. The type of food is mainly Awadhi and North Western and what I really like about Pier 39 is that everything I've tried so far has been uniformly good. The mutton Dum Biryani is a must try here as is the daal fry.

Usual Italian pastas and pizzas also abound and are all above average but nothing akin to true Italian eateries in town.

Pier 39 also has a selection of falafels, kebabs, skewers and steak though I've not personally tried them. Something for future visits.

The theme of the restaurant (no surprises here) is San Francisco and you can see various paraphernalia in glass cases which remind you of SF. The decor is pleasant with a lot of wood on the walls and ceilings giving Pier 39 a warm and cosy feel. Service is usually fast except on weekends when they seemed to be short staffed and struggle to meet the demands of a full house.

Oh, there's also a well stocked bar and a good selection of drinks.

viaMilano

2011-01-09T07:02:00Z

One of the best Italian restaurants in Bangalore. As authentic as you can get in the city and it's been around for a couple of years now. The new place which is in the adjacent building to where it was before is quite nicely done. It's definitely more spacious and done up very well too.

I've been to viaMilano quite a few times and love the selection of wines and the live music during weekends. The muscle bound owner is always pleasant and courteous.

The Minestrone soup is a great way to start the proceedings. Quite a good job they do of it. For the vegetarian starter, the Fried Mozarella is an ideal way to get going. The assorted bread-sticks and bread that are complimentary make great companions with the olive oil, red chilli oil and vinegar that come in glass test-tubes.

I had never tried the Beef Carpaccio so thought I'd give it a shot. The marinated raw beef was exquisite to say the least. Since my dinner partner was off meat, I had to polish off the Carpaccio single handedly and I did so without complaint. The sliced beef is almost as thin as sashimi and the flavor is outstanding. Looks like I had been missing a good appetizer for a while.

viaMilano has a large list of pastas, pizzas and meats. So far, all the pasta I have attempted here have been a hit with me and I decided to explore a non-pasta item. The Chicken Saltimbocca ( a classic Roman recipe) looked interesting and the chicken and pork slabs, served over mashed potatoes and gravy were exemplary. The meats were done just right and were quite juicy. The combination with the mashed potatoes and gravy met my wholehearted approval!

I pretty much always have the Tiramisu here and it was no different this time. Being already full of stomach and all the taste buds in peak condition, we shared the large Tiramisu but finished it in short order. The hint of rum is wonderful and the dessert overall is the signature sweet dish of viaMilano.

viaMilano is a place you want to go to unwind after a long day or just have a family gathering on a weekend. Service is prompt and friendly and a few waiters have some understanding of the menu though as is wont in most restaurants, there are waiters we absolutely do not understand at all. It's right next to the Sony World junction in Koramangala and on the top floor of the building. Valet parking ensures you don't have to stress out about where to park your car.

Tangra Jayanagar

2011-01-08T02:29:00Z

Finally a sit-down (fairly upscale) Oriental restaurant in Jayanagar! Eden Park which opened up a few weeks back is right opposite Namdhari in Jayanagar 4th block which suddenly has become the hub for new establishments and chains.

Eden Park is actually a combination of two (maybe three?) restaurants. Tangra is for Oriental food and there's a restaurant serving NW cuisine (Sofraah).

The ambiance is swanky, well lighted and spacious. There's a brown hue to the entire joint for some reason but it's a pleasant kind of brown.

The menu is a combination of Chinese and Thai and we decided to try the Sweet Corn soup and the Tom Yum soup, both non vegetarian which I assume means Chicken. My benchmark evaluation for any oriental restaurant always starts with the Tom Yum soup and I must say I was not disappointed. Light, slightly lemon pungent and spicy, I'd give the Tom Yum a 9/10. The sweet corn soup was average and nothing to write about there.

The red chilli chicken starter was actually very good. As my competitive foodie lunch partner said, one can easily go wrong with oriental cooking but they got the chilli chicken just right with the right amount of oil, spice and the chicken cooked perfectly. The Drums of Heaven were a bit of a disappointment mainly because they were too greasy. The garlic tomato sauce that came with is was tasty though.

For the main course, the burnt garlic fried rice was superb. Very different from the usual fried rice fare at other places, with the rice and spices in an ideal combination.

The Kung Pao chicken, another benchmark test came out with flying colors (okay, no pun intended). Though made with cashews, it was not too gelatinous (as is wont in most Chines restaurants in India) and the spices were perfect. Would definitely get it again. It went very well with both the fried rice as well as plain steamed rice.

Looking to go for something different to , we went for the coconut roll with honey butter sauce. Fantastic and very very different! This was served in the form of fried mini spring rolls with coconut stuffed inside and with a thick buttery sauce on top. Most awesome!

Tangra has an extensive menu. The service is fast though communication with the staff (other than the captain) is a challenge as most of the time, we had no idea what the waiters were saying. The great thing as I said before is that Jayanagar finally has a great option for 'real' Oriental food that is not a chain or fast food joint.

Oh Calcutta!

2011-01-03T10:25:00Z

As the name suggests, wholesome Bengali food is served here in a variety of forms. I've been to Oh Calcutta! a couple of times and the food is consistently good though the offerings for vegetarians is not very vast.

I last went in early December '10 for a get together with a few high school buddies and since there were 8 of us, we were able to try quite a few different dishes. The prices are quite high though and be prepared to shell out at least Rs 1000 a person.

Okay, now for what we demolished. We began with a vegetarian appetizer for the wife; Channar Kalia it was. Not bad at all. Deep fried panneer (cottage cheese) and quite a zing to it. Definitely a good starter for the veggie folk. The rest of of us did the traditional fish fry which was tasty and not very oily. Nothing spectacular but well prepared. We also ordered the Kakra Chingri Bhapa which is a dough-like concoction of prawns and crab (I suspect). They were individually wrapped for each patron and came with a delightful salsa-like sauce.

Being the time of the river festival in Bengal, we couldn't resist the Bhapa Ilish which was a delicious preparation of steamed Hilsa (type of fish?). The fish was done just right and I give it two thumbs up!

The Murshidabadi Murghi (Chicken) Fry was also exemplary as was the mutton chops (Bengali style). For the bread and rice aspects, we went for steamed rice and Luchi. Luchi is a flat-bread and looks and almost tastes like regular Pooris and a bit like Bhatura. Good stuff all around.

For dessert we partook in some Mishti Doi and I was pleasantly surprised to find it not too sweet. We then added some hot juicy Malpua to the mix and these pancakes were awesome. Kind of like Gulab Jamoon tasting pancakes is what I can compare Malpua to.

By the way, Oh Calcutta! also serves drinks so you can make it a long and eventful night with the works. It's located on St. Mark's Road right under Natural Ice Cream so you can't miss it and you shouldn't too!

Phobidden Kitchen

2010-12-13T16:56:00Z

Indiranagar seems to be sprouting new and great restaurants every day. The wonderful thing about Phobidden Kitchen is that it is the only affordable Vietnamese restaurant in Bangalore. The entire bill for two here would be the price of one dish at Blue Ginger!

Spanking new, and on 12th Main, the restaurant is very tastefully done up and feels extremely cosy and warm. The ground floor has bench type of seating and the upper floor accessible by a spiral staircase has more comfortable seating.

The owner is warm and seemed very knowledgeable about the menu. I ordered a spicy lemon grass chicken soup along with Vietnames Chicken Satay and lettuce wraps. The soup was fantastic and as authentic as they come and the broth was extremely tasty and light. The satay was good though I didn't really sense anything Vietnames about it. The pièce de résistance was the lettuce wraps. Easily the best I've had, it was rich and healthy and very very tasty.

I ordered the Vietnamese Jungle fish curry (I forgot the fish type though) and my friend ordered the Pho. I had asked for the fish curry to be a but spicy but it wasn't too hot. The taste was very good though and the gravy not very thick, just the way I like it. The Pho was extremely good. Not sure what broth it was but it tasted great. With the accompaniments of onions, Hoisin sauce, Sriracha chilli sauce and spring onions, this is one dish you don't want to miss.

Definitely a must visit and definitely a place I'd want to go back to again and again. Overall, the menu is well priced and easy on the wallet. In fact, our bill came to about Rs 2,500.

NE Diner

2010-12-13T16:34:00Z

I've been off writing for a while and am way behind on the restaurant and eating updates. Lots of catching up so let's get right down to a new place that just opened up in Koramangala.

With an enticing name of N E Food Corner, this one sits atop 2 floors of a building on the corner next to the Forum (opposite Raheja complex). The owner has an uncanny resemblance to Bolo Yeung. Bruce Lee fans might remember the tough fighter with the immortal words...'very nice but bricks don't fight back' when Bruce Lee breaks a gazillion bricks with one whack of his hand.

Anyway, the restaurant has a steep staircase and I was pleasantly surprised to find the interiors clean and hygenic looking. The waiters are as is wont in such establishments a bit spaced out and most of the time communication is using animated hand gestures.

The menu is extensive and covers Naga, Manipuri, Assamese and Bengali cuisine. There's also the run of the mill North Indian stuff which I kept away from. Having a vegetarian in the mix, we were forced to order those kinds of food too. We asked for steamed momos, a barbecued chicken (Manipuri style) and a Naga chilli pork as starters. I was quite impressed by the momos and the pork. The pork, in particular was juicy though there was a little too much fat, but the taste was really good. I'm not sure what they put in it but it was spicy and a bit tangy.

The barbecued chicken was good but nothing extraordinary.

For the main course, I ordered a Manipuri Fried Fish curry. An outstanding choice I felt. Bolo ( I don't know his real name), informed me that since the Manipuri cook was going to come in the next day, he himself had made the fish curry. The seer fish was exquisite and the curry was a blend of Chinese and Bengali spices (it's the best way I can describe it) with mustard oil and tamarind paste in a thick broth. It went very well with the steamed rice.

The other order was a chicken curry which again, while tasty, was not unique. The freshly made chilli chutney is to die for though!

The restaurant just opened a few weeks back so I'm hoping that all the dishes on the menu will soon be available as the offerings look promising and if they can get the right cooks on-board, we could be seeing a great option for North Eastern food this side of town.

Plenty more stuff to try out here. If you go there, do let me know what else is good!

Wild Spice

2009-09-29T04:42:00Z

On Residency Road, in the Cariappa Bhavan building, Wild Spice is an unpretentious eatery serving Coorgi food. It was with some misgivings that we looked upon the single room gloomy interior of which we were the only patrons. Also, there's no parking available anywhere near the restaurant which makes it even more inaccessible, though were able to wrangle a spot for our car right next to the establishment.

Okay, now for the food. We ordered the dry pandi fry, which is deep fried pork cubes. Undoubtedly, one of the best pork fry I have had and the succulence and juicy meat traversed down from my tongue and mouth rapidly. Despite being fried, there was hardly any oil or grease on the meat and though the pork fat was…well…fattening…the taste was delectable. With a few curry leaves for the garnish and chillies used for the masala, the starter was as good as any homespun Coorgi pork fry. You get the idea! I loved the pork!!

We then ordered the chapatti mutton thaali and a chicken curry. The chapatti mutton thaali comes with thin rice chapattis,a dry potato sabji and mutton curry. Four chapattis adorned the plate and the mutton curry, with a hint of coconut combined with aromatic spices I knew not of made for delightful eating. Again, the theme of very less oil and homemade flavors percolated through every aspect of the food. The mutton was tender and fresh and went very well with rice and chapattis.

The chicken curry was a bit more spicy but as tasty as everything else and made an able foil to the wonderfully prepared ghee rice. Mouth watering doesn’t quite cut it.

The two of us who went were too stuffed to go for the desserts but we will try those the next time.

Service was surly but very quick. We got all our orders in less than 10 minutes and the entire meal cost us just over Rs 200, which is amazing value for the money!

A highly recommended place to eat in Bangalore especially if you are looking for something very ethnic and are sick of the plethora of the mundane multi-cuisine fare that are dime a dozen in Bangalore.Go with a healthy appetite though!

Lemon Grass (Malad)

2009-06-04T14:09:00Z

A nice laid back kind of restaurant inside the Palm Spring Mall in Malad, Lemon Grass is great value for money and the food is also as good. I was expecting the usual food court like offerings but was pleasantly surprised with the menu. There are Korean, Thai, Mongolian and Burmese dishes in addition to the usual Chinese fare.

I started off with the lemon grass soup which was made just right and quite spicy. One of the most authentic tasting soups I've had in India by far. Highly recommend it!

For the main course, I ordered the Burmese Khouswey with flat noodles (you can also get it with rice noodles). The heavy coconut curry base is very evident as is the milk and lemon grass. The noodles are mixed in the gravy and a side of bean sprouts, garlic and onions all lightly fried. A delectable explosion of spices, this was the first time I had tasted Burmese cuisine.

My friend ordered the Mongolian stir fry which was a dry preparation of flat noodles with a medley of stir-fried vegetables like onions, carrots, broccoli. Light on oil and big on taste, the two dishes complemented each other very ably and I was just disappointed that we could not savor the appetizers that seemed to be quite exciting.

There were quite a few interesting desserts on display and we settled for the chocolate mousse cake and the gooey chocolate cake, both excellent choices and a great way to round off the meal.

If you are in the Malad area, do try out this place with its varied cuisine that is easy on the pocket.

Sue's Kitchen

2009-05-11T15:13:00Z

Neatly tucked away in a small lane off 100ft road in Indiranagar, a good place to go for a change of cuisine is Sue’s Kitchen. The only place in Bangalore that serves Caribbean food, the ambience and décor is distinctly Rastafarian.

The owner is a cheerful lady who bustles around ensuring everyone is getting what they need. The recommended option is the buffet. Sunday lunch is the best of all the days. Multiple salads for the health conscious are arrayed in plates at the entrance of the room. The chicken salad and the egg salad are definitely the best. There are also three small bowls of chutneys which are good accompaniments for the main courses. A puffed poori like rectangle is also a good starter with the chutneys. The meats section (on the day we went) had a pork curry, which consisted of cubes of pork in light gravy. Jamaican Jerk Chicken which is a dry chicken preparation slightly sweetish but also quite spicy was also very good. The big draw during Sundays is the Lobster curry. Granted it is a lot of work to get to the meat, but if you’re adept at it, it’s all worth it.

The vegetarian section had the sweet pumpkin soup which I heard was quite savory. There was also steamed rice and a pulao made with peas. A couple of lentil curries and two vegetable dishes (one with eggplant and the other with mixed vegetables) rounded off the vegetable corner along with sweet fried plantain (my favorite!)

There’s no alcohol served here but there are a lot of fruit juices to choose from. I always order the Cocorico which is sweetened coconut milk. It is a bit creamy though but it goes well with the spicy fare.

Dessert is usually fruits in a bowl, caramel pudding, brownie cake and banana cake (I think!). Go there with a big appetite. You’ll need it mon!

French Quarter

2009-05-11T14:53:00Z

A relatively new bistro on Indiranagar 100ft road is French Quarter. Named after the French territories, the restaurant serves food from France and some of the French colonies (India, Vietnam, Lebanon, Louisiana?)

The menu itself is not expansive but there’s enough stuff for the carnivores to gorge on. The vegetarians at the table ordered falafel and roasted tomatoes on toasted mini bread pieces (rusks in India). The falafel was fairly good and goes well with the yoghurt based sauce. The toasted bread slices were really well made and they vanished in record time.

I ordered the beef based French Onion soup and was pleasantly surprised to see it was very much like the soups I’ve had in France of the same name. The melted cheese on the toasted bread in the soup was just right and everything was steaming (or should I say scalding) hot. A dash of pepper and this was a great start for me.

More vegetarian dishes – Ratatouille was again a good choice as was the Vietnamese curry with steamed rice. We had to order more steamed rice as the quantity that comes with the curry was insufficient.

I had the steak in red wine sauce. My favorite way is to get this done Medium Well and I must say the meat was very tender and done to perfection. The brown gravy was superb. The steak comes with some salad and Fries.

Being too full, we didn’t try the dessert but the mousse cake and blueberry cheesecake looked pretty yummy. Next time!

Once Upon A Time

2009-05-03T12:36:00Z

Frankly, it was with some trepidation that I went with family to Hotel Green Park in Chennai. My wife's relative assured me that the food was great and the value for money was not too bad either.

The 4-start hotel is on Arcot Road in Vadapalani, a little bit out of the center of the city. The decor and the hotel itself are classy and spacious.

Once Upon A Time resides on the lounge floor neatly tucked away to the left of the large atrium. I was pleasantly surprised to see a substantial selection of South Indian food and was especially intrigued by the Chetinaad items on the menu. As only two of us are the vegetation eating types, I wasn't able to do full justice to the offerings. However, I ordered the Nethili Fry and Karuvapilai Kozhi for the starters.

One word to describe both the starters - 'amazing'! Nethili Fry is a dry dish made from anchovies that are deep fried and each piece is like a French Fry. The spices were exquisite to say the least. Chilli powder and turmeric powder were mixed in the right quantities to produce a true masterpiece of Chettinaad cuisine. The taste was crunchy and full of flavor. Adding salt to any fried dish is always a challenge but here it was just right and we cleaned up the plate in good time.

Next, on the starters list was Karuvapilai Kozhi. This was again an excellent preparation with pieces of boneless chicken made with Chettinaad spices and curry leaves. A little less dry than the Nethili Fry, the Kozhi dry was an able follow-up to the fish.

We then embarked on the main course. For this we went with a Erachi (Lamb in Malayalam) Kozhambu and the Kozhi (Chicken in Tamil) Kozhambu, which are essentially a Kerala Lamb curry and a Chettinaad Chicken curry respectively.

The lamb curry was served first. Once again - amazing! Made as a gravy with tamarind, chillies and other spices I have no clue of, the curry went great with steamed rice. The lamb was succulent and juicy and with the curry on the lamb, the rice and curry were an awesome combination.

The chicken curry was no less in any way. A very different kind of dish from the lamb, this had a lot of pepper and more of Chettinaad spices and went beautifully well with steamed rice. The spices for both dishes were rich and quite hot and definitely these dishes are not for the faint assed! It takes a while for the spices to hit the right spot, but when they do, you realize that these dishes are really really hot!

Summary? I asked to talk to the chef and a young man came out. I forget his name as I was too effusive in my praise for the fare he had presented to us! Without a doubt, this is the best Chettinaad food I have tasted in Bangalore and Chennai combined. If in Chennai, make time for Once Upon a Time. It is definitely worth it! 6 stars out of 5 I say!!

Chaat and Mother

2009-04-27T04:20:00Z

Off Lalbagh road and a left turn on RV Road (next to Kamat) will get you to Ganesh Chaat. There are two of these mind you. One is the cycle based stall and the other one, the swankier new digs a little further ahead on the same road in VV Puram. The ownership being the same, it doesn't matter which one you go to, it's all up to you.

The portable one is run efficiently by the apparent matriarch of the family, a warm lady of sizeable proportions who will ensure the best experience for you.

Now for the real stuff!! The signature item is the Boati. The name comes from the fact that long golden chip fingers are the main ingredients. The pipe shaped fingers are deftly sliced, with the slices included in the offering. The result looks like a long boat!
Carrots, cucumber, onions, cilantro and secret masalas are then sprinkled along the length of the boati. Peanuts and raw mango pieces are also available on demand. The Boati, by far is the USP of this place and definitely get that when you go there.

In the theme of one word menu items, the 'Floating' is another must-try. This is essentially paani poori but floating in a thin masala gravy. No matter how much the pooris are soaked in the gravy, they remain crisp as ever and the taste is heavenly. You can order the spice and sweet to suit your constitution here.

If you are able to take more in, go for the Nippat Burger. The Nippat burger is an innovative jugalbandi of western and South Indian culinary disciplines. A slightly sweetish spicy chutney is first applied on each open half of the bun. A nippat (a fried disc like biscuit) is placed on the chutney, followed by a slice of cheese and the usual chaat ingredients like puffed rice, onions, cucumber and carrot. One amazing creation is all I can call it!

The 'Three in One' is yet another find. This has peanuts, puffed rice, chips' balls mixed in chaat. There are also the usual yughurt based chaats which are on par with the other offerings of this establishment.

For those not accustomed to rich spices, a chocolate souffle, a peanut biscuit or coconut burfy will cut down the burning in your mouth though I can't guarantee the same cooling down on the other end.

Shivaji

2009-04-20T07:08:00Z

A decrepit corrugated roof shack on the side of the main road going from J.P. Nagar to Banshankari. I've passed by this place numerous times and have never even seen it.

There's no sign outside proclaiming the eatery's name. It has a dhaaba like ambiance but not really! Walking inside, a small board reveals itself to you and the cryptic name S.M.H appears in a small font. Below that, in huge letters, it says NO OTHER BRANCHES.

You really need to go here with a regular patron because otherwise, the service will take forever. There are a couple of kids who are most adept at weaving in and out of the kitchen and it's best you tell one of them what you want. Again, there's no menu so you better know what you want.

We ordered the chicken biryani, mutton chops and the chicken fry. The biryani arrives in a bowl made of dry leaves (very hygienic!) as do the other orders. You can either get a banana leaf or a steel plate with a banana leaf on top.

Biryani is made Marathi style here so it's slightly yellowish in color and very consistent unlike a dum biryani or Hyderabadi biryani. It's quite spicy and the chicken pieces taste great. Don't be squeamish about the oil you see though. I'm sure all that can be burned off in a few years. The mutton chops are also spicy but the meat is tender and done to perfection. Chicken fry was no less tasty and the ensemble with some onion raitha ensured that I slept for the remaining part of the day.

Next time I need to try the mutton biryani. Also, I have received news of a similar joint in Balepet, a overly crowded market area in Bangalore. Look for a review and comparison with SMH soon!

SLV

2009-04-20T06:38:00Z

SLV - a deceptively small acronym stands for Sri Lakshmi Venkateshwara. While SLVs are dime a dozen in Bangalore, not all SLVs are created equal so be warned!

The place I am talking about is in J.P. Nagar near Raagi Gudda temple. Let's dig right in.

You can either stand around the highly elevated metal bar stool like contraptions or there is a sit-down kind of facility upstairs. If you're looking for a relatively quiet time and less chaos, definitely climb up, but I recommend the mayhem downstairs any day. There's also a sweet stall adjoining the main eatery area which also serves snacks.

Two of the owners (probably) sit behind a tall counter in the food department. The person on the left takes orders for dining in and the person on the right takes take-out orders.

Actually, let's figure out what to order even before we look at the ordering method.

If you are a dosa fan, this is the place for you. Their ghee masala dosas and butter masala dosas while rich in calorific content, are a godsend to the palate. Made with the right amount of crispiness and potato stuffing, you can easily polish off two dosas with a medium appetite. The sambar made with a hint of jaggery is again very well made. You are served dosas with coconut chutney and sambar and the trio make for a harmonious eating experience. Other dosas that are noteworthy are the plain dosa, onion dosas and the set dosa. For those unfamiliar with the set dosa concept, this is a set (what else!) of three soft round dosas served with a thick Saag and of course the ubiquitous chutney. Over a period of time, one needs to try all the varieties of dosas here as they're all damn good!

The vadaas are another achievement this establishment boasts of. Though slightly oily (ok fine..very oily), the crispiness and the taste are superior.

If you are going by after 4 p.m., don't forget to pick up the Mangalore Bhajjis. These are round objects made of flour and fried. An order consists of 5 bhajjis and make ideal snacks to bring home.

Anyway, now for the processing of orders. If you want to eat right there, you fight your way through the throng and somehow make sure your hand is visible to the left guy. You also need momentary eye contact while you tell him your order. You'll get two receipts of different colors. Give the receipts to the next counter behind which is the kitchen. Total chaos seems to reign here but somehow it all works out. Someone grabs the yellow receipt (you keep the white one), glances at it, puts it on the counter and yells the order to the kitchen behind. There is really no acknowledgment from the culinary division on whether they heard him or not. However, in due course of time (10-20 minutes depending on the crowd), the guy you gave the receipt to will locate you, repeat your order and give you exactly what you ordered. If it's a take out, he'll put everything in a bag and hand it over. If not, plates of hot steaming goodies will appear together and you need to make sure you have enough hands to handle the supply chain because believe me, food will come in quick succession.

It's amazing that there are hardly any mistakes made. There will be an occasional one where they give you a masala dosa instead of a plain or vice-versa but these errors are few.

Other items to try here are the khaara baath, bisi bele baath, chow chow baath, idlis and the really strong coffee! And remember, this SLV is in J.P. Nagar and I do not vouch for any other SLVs in Bangalore!