Weekday Hunger Pangs - Dalma (Koramangala 6th Block, Bangalore)

My blog might be replete with posts of eating out at fancy places but trust me that’s restricted to once or twice a week. The rest of the times (ok, I do eat out a lot) are confined to no-frills places with simple but satisfying meals. A restaurant that sees me going back a couple of times every month, ever since I moved to Koramangala, is the Odiya restaurant called Dalma. I was first introduced to the secrets of this place by an Odiya colleague who insisted I try their absolutely scrumptious Rasagullas. After listening to (in length) the story of how the rosagulla actually originated in Odisha and how the Bengali’s usurped this sweet, made it whiter and more spongy and popularized it as their own, I was more than intrigued to taste the original one. And so one fine day, a couple of years ago I stepped into the building at the Titan Eye signal that declares in bold red font – Dalma, tasteful Odishan cuisine. 

Orissa and West Bengal are located next to each other on the map and people might find quite a few similarities in the cuisine of these two states. But similarities does not mean they are identical and you will create the biggest verbal battle if you even imply that to a Bengali or an Odiya. However since I’m not either and this is an independent blog, I can tell you that they both like to deep fry stuff, they both call cutlets or croquettes – chop, they both love rice more than rotis, they both adore fish and mutton over other meats and they both like a little bit of sweet in all their dishes and of course they both love their rasagullas!

 

Dining in Style - Riwaz @ The Ritz-Carlton (Bangalore)

A New York style maven once said, ‘Style is a way of saying who you are, without having to speak’. In the matter of The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore, luxury seeps through every pore of its being! From the awe inspiring driveway, to the elegant and intricate jaali work, to the splashes of gold and the fire and stone décor – you just can’t escape it. Riwaz their North-West Frontier cuisine restaurant envelopes itself in this richness while somehow managing to still keep the décor modern. Chef Ramandeep Kukreja heads the culinary team at the restaurant and is clearly passionate about the cuisine. While I felt this type of cuisine was done to death in all the ‘North Indian’ restaurants in Bangalore, I still could not turn down an invite to sample the new menu at Riwaz. (They make a conscious effort to come out with something new every six months.) Why, some of the recipes are sourced from the chef’s own family and that gave me the necessary incentive to accept a dinner invitation on a weekday. 

Hot Chocolate Shots @ Jus' Trufs (Jakkur, Bangalore)

When we think of indulgence, the first thing that comes to mind is smooth, dark, rich chocolate. Anything from a dull day to a roaring bad mood can be instantly remedied with a bar of chocolate. No wonder that it’s called the food of Gods! “A” likes his chocolate dark and dreamy and I like my chocolate rich and creamy – so between the both of us, we pretty much have a good collection. Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, White Chocolate, Chocolate with Nuts, Fudge, Mini Truffles…ok, the list kinda goes on! So when I walk into a Chocolate Cafe, you can bet your bottom dollar I’m going to go crazy!

Jus' Trufs call themselves ‘customized chocolatiers’ and have been crafting premium truffles since 2001. Chenddyna Schae is the lady behind the brand and her love for fine chocolate easily translates into a beautiful end product. While the focus all these years has been on corporate clients and event based gift boxes they have recently opened a lovely Chocolate Café to let people come and indulge in some chocolate love. They are located on Jakkur Main Road and while this might seem very far away for most of us – it is also a welcome respite for people living in that part of town.

Raspberry Mascarpone Pie

Raspberry Mascarpone Pie @ A Spoonful of Sugar, Indiranagar, Bangalore

I drove furiously; a few motorists were roughly pushed to the pavement. Six kilometers was nothing to satisfy a craving. And this time it was bad. I couldn’t think straight, I needed the fix…now. I had the rest of them on speed dial, but this one was different. If I wanted it, I had to go there myself. The anticipation builds up as you come closer. Maybe that was part of their plan? Parallel parking was not my scene, but I did it anyway. I didn’t want the moment to be interrupted by the cops. I walked into the space. There were others like me, reverently consuming their poison. He looked at me from behind the counter. The clear glass displayed everything that I wanted and more. Which one would I choose today? Something dark and dangerous or something sweet and exotic? There was one in Red calling out to me. I looked with scare concealed desire. He smirked and handed it over to me. I took Red with me to a corner. I didn’t want anyone recognizing me here. My face was already contorted with pleasure. I sat down on the cold concrete seat and picked up the spoon. The first bite is the most exquisite. I reverently dug into the layered pie. The Raspberry gelee mottled with raspberry bits, soft creamy mascarpone whipped to feel like air and the crumbly sweet biscuit – could it have been any more perfect? It was melting in my mouth and exploding on my tongue at once. Bite after bite the experience reached a crescendo! Sigh… it was over now. I walked up to the counter and paid him. ‘Would I like a tissue?’ he asked. Apparently, I still had evidence all over my face.