Indiaranagar’s
bars have one more watering hole to compete with – Harry’s! The famous
Singapore bar choose this location in Bangalore to open its fourth outlet, hot
on the heels of the Mumbai one. Most bars these days are moving from glass and
chrome finishes, to more casual and warm interiors. Harry’s adopts a mahogany
and exposed brick look that is reminiscent of a speakeasy, albeit a modern one.
With the days of our prohibition (11 PM deadlines :P ) coming to an end, I’m
sure Harry’s is going to ride on the wave of general elation in the months to
come.
We
were invited for a mixology session by the godmother of bartending in India –
Shatbhi Basu. For anyone who’s watched her show on NDTV Good Times, you already
know the level of celebrity she is. But what you probably don’t know is that
her joie de verve is all natural and not just for the TV show. We got to
witness her finesse in churning out creative cocktails and keeping her audience
glued to her charming stories at the same time. Her hands seemed to have a life
of their own when she was mixing our cocktails and before we knew it, she
dished out one perfectly balanced drink after another.
Now
as synonymous as Harry’s is with Singapore, so is the Singapore Sling. Gin,
Cherry brandy, Pineapple and lime all come together to create the pinkest drink
you’ve seen. Now don’t be fooled into thinking this is a girlie drink because
of the colour, it’s potent enough to leave you light headed by the end of it.
I’ve always complained that the Singapore Sling concocted by bartenders here is
always on the ‘sweeter’ side. With Shatbhi ofcourse, I had no such complaints.
Perfectly balanced and very very likable!
As
Shatbhi got down to preparing the stage (in this case a small bar table) for the
next cocktail, we got down to nibbling on some bar staples. What I adored about
Harry’s was the fun plate of Peanuts roasted in their shell that was passed
around. Just sitting at the bar, shelling them peanuts and catching up on woes
of Friday evening traffic, made it a very therapeutic experience!
The
next cocktail was probably my favorite of the evening - a Bell Pepper and
Pineapple Margarita. A Shatbhi classic, this involved muddling some red, green
and yellow peppers with some pineapple chunks and shaking them up with some
tequila, triple sec and lime juice to result in a gorgeous pungent and sweet
drink. The only thing I missed, was it being served in a classic margarita
glass.
We
tried a relatively small selection of their menu which consisted of classic pub
grub. A few staples came out with some Asian twists that I quite liked. While
there’s not much to rave or rant about the Margarita Pizza (fresh tomatoes,
basil, mozzarella), the Thai Green Curry Pizza (umm… yes.) was quite a shock to
the palate. Thin crust pizza topped with a generous layer of chicken sautéed in
thai green curry paste. While the majority of the table couldn’t get enough of
this, I was still wary to the last bite. There’s something about dairy and thai
green curry that I can’t marry in my brains. But don’t let my cynicism stop you
– the table ordered four of this!
The Chicken
Drumsticks and the Chilli Potatoes were quite popular, but nothing unique to
write home about.
What
was definitely the star-starter of the day, was the Wasabi Paneer. Now you
might not find me singing praises of paneer often (actually make that never!),
but this one sure tickled my tastebuds. Paneer marinated with wasabi, wrapped
in nori and deep fried tempura style. Served with a *it’s killing me* wasabi
mayo – I will definitely recommend this dish the next time you go there.
Shatbhi
brought out two more cocktails to round off the evening. The Harry’s Old
Fashioned – a whiskey based cocktail with orange peel and caramel that found
favor with the whiskey lovers. And finally a desert cocktail called the Caramel
Popcorn. A baileys heavy concoction with sweeter notes of caramel topped with
some caramel popcorn for crunch. Yes, I suppose you could end your meal with
this one ;)
For
a weeknight, Harry’s was bustling. I saw a mix of both boisterous young crowds
and well as some older groups who looked like they were revisiting the Harry’s
Singapore experience. The music for one, found favor with everyone and we
couldn’t stop singing along to the classic rock songs and swaying to some good
jazz music. Harry’s is easy drinking and easy eating – nothing that will want
you to sit and analyze the experience or play with your mind. I can see the
casual, almost intimate vibe of the pub encouraging the large population of
office goers from the nearby IT hub to catch up for drinks post work. And who
knows, someone here might be the next Nick Leeson. I heard Harry’s Singapore,
gave out free beers when he got released from jail ;)
HARRY’s
1st
Floor, HAL 2nd Stage,
100ft
Rd, Above Copper Chimney,
Indiranagar,
Bangalore.
Ph:
9620813000
Parking: Valet available
Cost: Rs.1500/-++ for a meal for two with drinks.
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