Sunday Brunch @ HIGH Ultra Lounge (World Trade Center, Malleshwaram)

Sunday brunches are sure shot ways of letting all your diet plans go down the drain, or in this case go down a flute of champagne. Over indulgence aside, the sheer variety of cuisines laid out like a smorgasbord of sin is enough to send my head reeling. And with zero will power when it comes to the amount of food I consume – I’m walking on dangerous territory. So getting to HIGH Ultra Lounge for their Sunday Brunch was guided by two important aspects – a. They focus on just Asian fare which is definitely lighter than our ghee laden kormas and b. The absolutely fabulous cocktails their main man Guru dishes out. What’s a Sunday brunch without some tipple eh?

Bright and breezy – we couldn’t have asked for a better day for an open air  Brunch. By open, I mean the 31^st floor of the World Trade Center - getting High is literal here! The brunch is laid out across two of their four dining areas – High Mix (the indoor part area) and High Dine (alfresco dining). The cold starters are laid out for you to pick and choose, however the rest of the hot starters, dumplings, sushi and main course need to be ordered off the special brunch menu. We chose a table overlooking the fantastic views of Bangalore city and sat down to get pampered. 

The FPD Festival: Hot Rock Grills @ Dublin (ITC Windsor, Bangalore)

There’s something about the sizzle of a grill that brings out the caveman/ cave women in us. The thrill to see something cooking on a hot rock versus a modern day oven is a primitive urge I can’t explain. There are umpteen theories about why this style of cooking results in the most luscious grills. The ones that makes the most sense to me are A. the ability of the stone to retain and distribute heat evenly and B. the retention of moisture and flavor in the food while preventing flare-ups caused in regular grills. Now, not all of us have the privilege of owning hot stones (generally made of volcanic rock) but Dublin at the ITC Windsor brings the excitement of cooking on a hot stone right to our plate, with the Hot Rock Grills festival. The Irish pub comes alive with a variety of sizzlers crafted by Executive Chef Uchit Vohra giving diners an option of healthy, oil free cuisine made from a selection of meats and seafood. Presented on preheated “Rocks” served with an array of rubs and sauces, it’s a festival designed to delight your inner grill monster. 

We tried their offering this Saturday and (I’ll say it even before I finish the post) came away absolutely delighted. There are many restaurants these days that focus on the frills and thrills rather than the food and eventually lose their regular patrons. Dublin need not worry – their commitment to make food the hero, will always hold them in good stead. 

A New way of getting High @ HIGH Ultra Lounge (World Trade Center, Malleshwaram)

Yes you heard me right, Bangalore has a new way of getting high. Considering our pours of alcohol last us only till 11:30 pm, we all need something to supplement the evening. Now before your mind goes wandering in directions that could get both of us into trouble – I’ll cut the suspense short and introduce you to HIGH Ultra Lounge. Located on the 31^st floor of the World Trade Center in Malleshwaram, it aims to set the bar ‘high’ for all clubs in Bangalore. At 421 feet above the ground you can’t really help feeling ‘above the rest’! 

We were invited for a special blogger preview of the club, which officially threw its door open to the public this weekend. We were asked to dress warm because of the altitude but nobody warned us that the ride to the top in the glass lift would be nothing short of an adrenaline rush. The dedicated lift takes you zooming up to the 31^st floor in under two minutes and if you have vertigo its best to keep your eyes closed. You will open your eyes to posters of women in red hot lipstick and an escalator takes you to the landing for your entry into the ‘highest building in South, East and North of India’. That itself warrants a visit!

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.

Amiamo La Pizza - Fall in love with Pizza @ Mezzaluna (Movenpick Hotel & Spa Bangalore, BEL Circle)

Pizza! Not the rolled-out-of-your-backyard Pizza Hut one, but the really good Italian, wood fired thin crust, topped with fantastic cheese and fresh herb variety! I mean seriously, how can you not fall in love with that one? That’s exactly what 'Amiamo La Pizza' means and that’s exactly what I did – fall in love with it! I generally reserve my opinions till the end of the post, but this one deserves special mention - it blew my mind and captured my heart (not to mention the little pirouette my taste buds did!).

All that glitters is not... Azure @ Taj Vivanta (Yeshwanthpur, Bangalore)

Generally I avoid being the bearer of bad news (In ancient Rome you were killed for it). So I write this review unwillingly. We were invited by Taj Vivanta, Yeshwanthpur as part of the Bangalore CaL Bloggers table, for a night of drinks at Shimmer (their new lounge bar) and dinner at Azure (their Mediterranean restaurant). I had sampled the wares at Azure just a week before and was mighty pleased with the experience. Unfortunately this time the Food Gods did not shower their blessings on Azure. Forget shower – there wasn’t even a drizzle of benevolence. 

Sattvic Food at Sattvam (Sadashivnagar, Bangalore)

When you hear of a restaurant serving delicious vegetarian meals without the use of onion or garlic you are bound to be intrigued. When someone tells you that the restaurant is located in the upmarket Sadashivnagar area and serves ‘designer’ vegetarian fare – it piques your interest some more. And finally when you read that the restaurant not only serves vegetarian fare, but that all of it is Sattvic as well – the deal is sealed!