The FPD Festival: Grill Fest @ Polo Club (The Oberoi, Bangalore)

Let’s say you had a chance to dine under the stars in a beautiful garden with the sound of a gurgling fountain in the background. Let’s say you had the finest and freshest produce laid out in front of you. Let’s say you had a very accomplished chef manning the grill to keep you company. And let’s round off this hypothetical situation with one talented mixologist who wouldn’t stop impressing you with exciting cocktails. Wouldn’t you rush to be a part of this? Well, lucky for you this scenario is not something I cooked up in my overactive imagination. Polo Club at The Oberoi ensures you will have a lovely evening at their Live Grills Festival. 

I was invited for an evening of grills, cocktails and fun conversations (the last part we rustled up ourselves) and left the evening a little more light headed then when I arrived. Polo Club is a place that fits perfectly with Bangalore’s Garden City tag. And it really is a joy to dine alfresco in a city that is designed for it! They also have indoor seating where you will come across vintage photos of the Raj era depicting scenes from the game of Polo. The garden area is bathed in the soft glow of candle light and definitely put me in a relaxed mood. In all, a classy space where you can linger over your cocktails or knock down some unique drinks and indulge in conversations with friends. 

The Live Grills Festival is on till the end of the month and there is more than enough variety to keep everyone happy. Get there by 7:30 pm and let Chef Gautam Uchil ensure your choice of meat, seafood, chicken and vegetables are grilled to perfection. You can choose marinades from North African Chermoula, Piri Piri from the Mediterranean, Oriental Teriyaki, Tunisian Harissa and Lebanese spices. I would also suggest trying some inventive cocktails from the bar – Mixologist Shashank Sharma has been very naughty with his mixes. ;)

I actually had the pleasure of trying tasting portions of most of the grill selection (someone has to do the job!) and came away mighty pleased with what’s on offer. On my plate was a lovely Seekh Kebab served with hummus and pita, grilled Pork Sausages, Peri Peri Prawns and Teriyaki Quail (perfectly cooked by the way and we all know how difficult that is, with a small sized bird). 

The Harissa rubbed Pomfret was also beautifully grilled and I was happy to tuck in. I’m not Bengali, but this is the preferred fish at our dinner table as well. We did have a Bengali on the table that evening (J) and she couldn’t resist pointing out art of buying fresh fish. We definitely took down tips (after some good natured ribbing about the Bongs love for fish of course!). The new rage in supermarkets – the New Zealand Lamb Chop, was only on my plate and it went very well with my wine. One of my dinner companions also choose to get some Tenderloin Steak grilled and it came with some roasted vegetables and mash to make a complete meal. When you order your mains, it will come with its complementing marinade and be served with its traditional accompaniments, so you can just relax and enjoy the experience. 

I just have to share this picture of how the whiskey was served. My dinner companion had a Cragganmore and a Laphroaig served on actual Whiskey Stones! It lets you put a chill in your whiskey without diluting the dram :)

 Who wants to try an aged Grey Goose Vodka? Just for the beautiful oak barrel, I did!

Desserts need to be had. Tiramisu, Trio of Chocolate and Crème Brulee. But of course, if you are exciting like us, you can choose to end with a flaming Citrus cocktail – either way – Polo Club makes it a sweet ending! 

Polo Club

The Oberoi,

37-39 M.G. Road,

Bangalore 560001.

Ph: +91 80 2558 5858

Parking: Valet available