The FPD Festival: Poush - Kashmiri Pundit Cuisine @ Cubbon Pavillion (Residency Road, Bangalore)

You would be hard pressed to find Kashmiri Food in a restaurant in Bangalore. The last time I relished Kashmiri Food was at a special Wazwan arranged by Bangalore Foodies Group and that was well over a year ago. A wazwan is a great way to experience the cuisine of Kashmiri Muslims – it constitutes a royal banquet of over 30-40 dishes shared family style between groups of people.  Most Kashmiri Food Festivals dish out the Wazwan style meal and the Gushtaba (velvety meatballs in a yogurt gravy) is its crowning glory. But the Cubbon Pavilion decided to showcase the less populist but equally exquisite cuisine of the Kashmiri Pundits. While both the cuisines share a lot of similarities (same ingredients and style of cooking) – the Kashmiri Pundit cuisine is unique in the fact that they do not use onion and garlic in their dishes. The tomato is also an oddity here and they resort to yoghurt based dishes to provide the same tangy taste. The most interesting aspect for me was that even though pundits in the rest of India eschew meat eating, Kashmiri pundits eat mutton and fish. Chicken and eggs however remains a taboo in the more orthodox families, but the younger generation has taken to including the same in their meals. 

The festival called ‘Poush’ (Flower) is spearheaded by Masterchef Suman Kaul who is a Kashmiri Pundit and is passionate about the food of her ‘Gul Poush Vaadie of Kashmir’. A home chef who honed her skills in the kitchens of her grandmother found a patron in the ITC group who invited her to come onboard as a Food Consultant in 2006. Eight years of hosting Kashmiri Pundit Food Festivals across ITC hotels in the country have just made this affable lady more passionate about bringing a cuisine as old as time, to us mere mortals. (The Rig-Veda talks about the eating habits of Kashmiris – so as old as time is a good analogy no? :P)

The FPD Festival: mmmBurger @ Smoke House Deli (Bangalore)

Grills, Burgers, Cold Beers and other tidings of summer always make a Bangalorean happy. Not that we have too much to complain, considering our weather is more equitable than most cities in India and we indulge our summer fancies right through the year! The pub capital of India seems to have a soft spot for burgers (including veggie ones) and I can bet my bottom dollar that every pub has burgers listed on their menu. Why, even coffee shops and breakfast joints can’t stay away from listing meat sandwiched between a bun as their runaway hit. Smoke House Deli went a step further and had a whole festival dedicated to burgers. They call the mmmBurger Festival an ode to all things meaty as well as a little gift to all their patrons. “Each burger promises a distinct charred, smoky and flame licked flavor”, they say. We went on a balmy Wednesday evening to unwind over a couple of cocktails and sample their wares.

The FPD Festival: Mango Mania @ Grand Mercure (Koramangala, Bangalore)

It’s very hard to keep me away from Mangoes. Considering they make their hallowed appearance once a year and all the good ones are always exported – I always give them A-one priority on my list. So when Grand Mercure announced a Mango Festival (on till the 17^th of May), where everything from drinks, appetizers, main course and dessert will be mango based, I was hard pressed to say yes. Considering the hotel is practically in my backyard, I even accepted a weekday invite. Anything for good mangoes I tell you!

A table under the stars was arranged for us (complete with organic mosquito repellent) and the blogger group got to work immediately. (By that I mean running around to find seats with the best lighting!). Drinks were ordered and we waited in anticipation of our first experience of the mango menu. 

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 FPD Quickie: Drinks and Dimsums @ Yauatcha (M.G. Road, Bangalore)

This restaurant has been spoken about in hallowed hushes and reverent tones ever since it opened its doors to us poor Bangaloreans. The branch of a Michelin starred restaurant from London? Here? To grace us? *gasp, stutter, swoon*. Take a second - breathe. Now hear me out. For all the brouhaha – Yauatcha does not claim to be some super sexy, high-on-a pedestal brand. What it does claim to be and rightfully so (considering its pedigree) – is a contemporary dim sum teahouse offering an international experience. You would not wince to spend $70 on a nice meal for two abroad with the same quality of ingredients, similar setting and almost ditto execution of the dish – so why flinch now?

Zen and the Art of Lounging @ Tao Terraces (M.G. Road, Bangalore)

After reading mixed reviews about the Tao Terraces, it was time for me to check it out myself. I have always visited their gorgeous terrace lounge bar for a couple of drinks and to enjoy the best house music in Bangalore. Even through the restaurant on the 1^st level looks like a setting out of an opulent Thai mansion, I’ve always headed straight up for the views and the wonderful Bangalore weather. This time I was determined to give their Pan-Asian restaurant a try as well, especially since I realized that they served Japanese, as well as Burmese cuisine.  

Situated on the 5^th floor of the 1MG mall, it’s not hard to find. The hostess will guide you to the big red door that opens into the lavish and distinctly Asian setting. We headed up to the lounge first for a couple of drinks before our dinner reservation downstairs. One thing the Tao Terraces can boast of is having space! The terrace is made up of Thai style open cabanas, water bodies and little lamps. Overlooking MG road and Ulsoor it makes for a pretty picture. My only grouse is that they serve only drinks and a limited selection of starters and dim sums at the lounge – for the full menu you need to head back to the restaurant. (They also have something called the meal in bowl option – but I’ll save that for a quick lunch day). 

Feeling Blue - News Cafe (Indiranagar, Bangalore)

News Café is like the poor cousin of Smoke House Deli. They opened pretty much the same time on 100 ft road in Indiranagar and both have a similar cafe/ all day dining format. SHD created quite a buzz in the Bangalore food scene, whereas News café failed to garner anything newsworthy. The reason we ventured there was also because of SHD – they were full one Saturday afternoon and could not accommodate us. We were hungry and had already parked our car close by and it seemed like too much of an effort to drive again. So we walked next door to News Café and zoomed up the elevator to the terrace. (Seems like the trend in Bangalore to have restaurants and café’s on the terrace – is the rent cheaper?)

News Café is a South African chain of restaurants and boasts of having 50 outlets with two in Bengaluru and Hyderabad. (Concentrating on the IT hubs, are we?). Their website claims that they have won the ‘Best Cocktail Bar’ 11 years in a row – but I’m guessing that’s for their flagship restaurant in South Africa. Unfortunately I won’t be able to tell you about the cocktails here because none of us were in a mood to drink that afternoon. The café/ lounge in Bangalore is split into three distinct zones. A cozy indoor area that overlooks a bright and sunny deck with cane chairs and white cushions and if you walk up one more level – another deck with the main bar and really lounge worthy, blue sun beds! We headed to the topmost level because it was blue, breezy and beautiful – perfect for a lazy afternoon.

It was just us that afternoon (another group of six walking in, just as we were leaving). That itself made me wonder, if we choose the right place to eat. Sometimes…not always…crowds at a place are a good indicator of quality. This of course does not apply to the nightclubs – Bangalore’s younglings jump from one new place to another, just to be seen. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what News Café aims to be – a place to see and be seen (according to the website again). Ironic much?

Flight Of Cocktails - Sundowner @ LikeThatOnly (Whitefield, Bangalore)

I like my cocktails. Why must I have a stodgy old rum and coke when I can have an exciting Cuba Libre with a dash of lime? Or if you’re a vodka drinker like me, a fancy Cosmopolitan to sip at, whilst we elegantly drape one long leg over the other, at the bar counter? Or to go all James Bond and have a Martini – shaken, not stirred. Sounds dated? Well it is! With so many permutations and combinations of heady liquor and even headier liqueurs, you would expect the bars in Bangalore to offer us something other than creations from the 1960’s! Yes, we like our cocktails and yes, we order them religiously on a night out, but just because we are easy to please – doesn’t mean you don’t even try!! For lord’s sake, a single cocktail costs as much as a main course in some places and if I’m going to get Vodka topped with Cranberry juice from Tropicana – I’d rather give it a miss. (Ok, I lie… I’ll still drink it …but grudgingly). So finally coming to the point – LikeThatOnly (of all things Asian and Whimsical and Whitefield) invited a couple of us discerning drinkers (ahem…ahem…) to give their new Cocktail menu a go. 5 PM is a good time to start drinking, yes?

We seated ourselves at the long bar counter with two handsome men behind the bar. (That always helps – restaurateurs take note :P) While we checked out the, ahem…cutlery, Chef Manu Chandra gave us the lowdown on why LikeThatOnly had to be the one to take the plunge!  LTO has set a benchmark in the city for its innovative food, quirky décor and often-irreverent take on the concept of traditional cuisine - It was only a matter of time before the bar caught up with the kitchen. With the cocktail making a comeback the world over, it was time to replace mindless sugary concoctions with house made bitters and artisanal gins. No, it’s not pretentious to call Bartenders ‘Bar Chefs’, if the final focus is on elevating the quality and the experience. We appreciate the effort LTO … we really do!

Sunday Brunch @ M Cafe (Bengaluru Mariott Hotel Whitefield)

The FoodPorn Diaries dictionary (yes, it exists…if only in my mind!) defines ‘Brunch’ as nothing but copious amounts of Booze + Lunch, generally consumed on a Sunday, to arm yourself for the travesty of work on a Monday. Since most of us run the corporate rat race during the week, (which gives us just enough time to drag ourselves to bed every night), what better way to spend a weekend afternoon than by overcompensating? I generally don’t bother reviewing brunches because, let’s face it – everyone has the same offerings. Indian, Chinese and European cuisine served with loads of alcohol and bubbly, edging you to consume in one afternoon what you probably should be eating over a span of a week! But since so many of us are in the quest for the holy grail of Sunday Brunches, I decided to take a dive and do it for you. Starting with the brunch at M Café in the Mariott, Whitefield.

I am forced to look at the Mariott everyday because my work desk faces the large window that overlooks it! So when S invited us to brunch at the Mariott, I almost felt like it was a trap to get me to come close to office on a Sunday! I was persuaded by the fact that the brunch would include specialties’ from their new Italian restaurant – Alto Vino and that is how I caved.

Togarashi and The Bento Box @ Monsoon (The Park, Bangalore)

Japanese cuisine is so varied that to even fit the basics into one post would be a gargantuan task. So I will restrict myself to what I tried as part of the new Bento Box introduced by Monsoon at The Park Bangalore. The Bento Box is ahem…a box (sheepish grin), that holds a single portion meal of rice, cooked fish or meat along with pickled vegetables. It is the Japanese version of our lunch dabbas, albeit carefully prepared and presented (as is with everything Japanese)!

The Japanese have created an art form, even with something as simple as a lunch box. Bento’s can range from the simple arrangement of food to the more complex ‘Kyraben’ where the items are arranged to look like popular Japanese cartoon figures or ‘Oekakiben’ where the food is arranged to form a picture. The Bento boxes itself can range from beautiful black lacquered boxes, shiny metal boxes to the more modest and convenient disposable microwave boxes. Japanese homemakers spend a considerable amount of time making Bento’s for their kids and they even have competitions to judge the most beautiful Bento. (I shudder to imagine how much time that must take up everyday – especially with our harried schedules and workloads!)

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!

Lunch at Aloro, Crowne Plaza (Electronic City, Bangalore)

Bangalore is really being kind to people who love food. The number of restaurants cropping up every day and the many cuisines that you can eat here are amazing. It’s no wonder that people are upping the ante and offering us patrons of good food more opportunities to indulge. The 'Food Lovers Gourmet City' event (click here) offers prix fixe menus from 31 of the city’s top restaurants for you to enjoy. It runs from 15^th – 31^st of March, so I’ve been blocking my calendar and trying out signature dishes of the city’s gourmet destinations at a VFM price point. I told you we Bangaloreans had it good!

Launching 'The FoodPorn Diaries'

After pondering over many moons, I've decided to separate my recipe and restaurant reviews.

Food for Swaps has always been about documenting the recipes that are dear to me and work in my kitchen. Or the ones that have failed miserably and I never want to try again. Photographing my escapades in the kitchen and sharing them with you, so that you can have tried and tested recipes to fall back on! And i'd like to keep it that way. Fair? ... I think so  :P

So I'm moving all my restaurant reviews to my other blog - 'The FoodPorn Diaries'. This will be an exclusive place to share my experiences of eating out - whether they be in Bangalore or outside. I'm on a quest for lust worthy food! 

And to give you a preview of what’s in store, here’s an excerpt from the latest entry:

Conversations over Coffee

When The Serai invited eight bloggers to celebrate Woman’s Day at their lovely resort in Chickmagalur I did a double take. Really? I was swamped with work that week. I quickly asked for the names of the rest of the bloggers. I didn’t know anybody. (My interest was fading). They wanted me to come and spend two days getting fawned over and pampered. (Interest awakened). Have a look at the website, they insisted. I peeked into it reluctantly. (Wow, Desire generated). They called me back. There was a spa treatment involved, Will I be able to make it? (Resolve weakened). I cancelled my meeting. I was going to the Serai!

We met at the Café Coffee Day Square on Lavelle road. (Serai and CCD are owned by the same parent company). After introducing ourselves and tucking into the breakfast at CCD, we got ourselves into a minivan and drove out of the city. It’s amazing how ten women who have never met before can talk till their jaws drop. No need for introductions, thank you very much!

If that peaked your interest and you want to read more…here's the link to the new blog. Bless it by visiting it! :)

http://thefoodporndiaries.blogspot.in/

You can also ‘Like’ the Facebook page to get regular updates on What's hot ... in the food world obviously!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/thefoodporndiaries

Thanks for stopping by … love as always ... FoodforSwaps J

Smoke House DELI in Bangalore! (Indiranagar, Bangalore)

I don’t want to be biased…no I really don’t. But I couldn’t help doing cartwheels when Smoke House Deli finally opened in Bangalore a week ago. I remember driving down 100ft road and doing a double take in Feb, when I saw the huge glass façade with the black and white writing that said ‘Smoke Hou’ (the rest of it was covered, but I knew in my heart, that it was Smoke House Deli). For all practical purposes we are going to refer to it as SHD in the rest of the post!.

“Smoke House Deli is an all-day café and delicatessen. This award winning brand serves everything from pancakes to noshes, pasta to burgers and dessert to cocktails.” - SHD

After wowing patrons in Mumbai and Delhi SHD decided to grace Bangalore!! I was invited for a Bloggers Table a day after it opened (yes, I have some perks) and boy was I raring to go, even though it was a Wednesday night. And what a night it turned out to be –chatting with the owners Riyaaz and Kiran, being lavished with an awesome menu from chef Glyston Gracios, gossiping with my fellow bloggers and downing cocktails like there was no tomorrow. (Unfortunatley there was a tomorrow… and a hangover crashed the party as well, but that’s a story unfit for a food blog!)

You walk into SHD and it’s like walking into a very quaint and expensive illustrated storybook. The walls are like a treasure trove of interesting sketches of the stories that make Bangalore special. Take a walk around when you visit and spend some time staring at the walls. I guarantee a wave of nostalgia and euphoria will sweep over you, as you decipher and connect the dots about what makes this town your own! Zameer Basrai needs a big pat on the back for doing his research on Bangalore and translating that into his detailed quirky illustrations. Riyaaz Amlani, can we get a coffee table book soon please?

For the second day that SHD was open, it was packed. The hipsters sure know how to find the best watering hole! We made ourselves comfortable in our little nook, when our cocktails arrived. SHD is not SHD for nothing! The concept revolves around interesting food that they can churn out using a smoke machine. Meats are de rigueur but they even have smoked cocktails! I opted for a Pineapple and Vanilla one (to start with). By the end of the night we had tasted all of the smoked cocktails and most of the other cocktails on the menu. There’s a picture of umpteen empty martini glasses doing its round on the internet. (I’m just saying….) 

That night, the cocktails were perfect. Good amount of quality alcohol and great taste coupled with quirky combinations. (Need to go back and check if they maintain the same good punch on regular days).

Considering our calorie intake for the day was already maxed out on the alcohol, we asked the chef to bring us only tasting portions of everything. So here’s a grand tour of what went down that night.

The Paprika puffs with Wasabi Salsa were so bloody good, that I could eat a whole plate by myself. It’s almost like fancy chaat and no, that’s not a bad thing at all!

The Squid rings are an all-time favorite at most places. Here the batter was spicy and crunchy and I couldn’t have asked for it to be any lighter. Hear hear! The Tenderloin bites apparently were a hit as well.

Cottage Cheese Skewers – ok so they were fine, but I really don’t care for them much. The Tofu and Sesame sliders on the other hand were really good. If Tofu can be pimped to taste this way, maybe more people will turn fans of it!

The holy grail of SHD for me – the Bacon wrapped Potatoes. Hamana hamana hamana!! Good Lord have mercy on me! I am melting in my seat just thinking about them. Perfectly chewy bacon wrapped around crispy on the outside, buttery on the inside golden potato squares. Sigh… sigh… sigh…!

In a day and age where soggy lettuce leaves are the norm for salads (even in fancy places), I loved that SHD got its salads right. I don’t have a picture of the Oak Ash Chevre with California Oranges and Passion Fruit Emulsion, but that was the star of the three! Divine.

Heading to the mains – the Spinach and Ricotta ravioli with tomato, capers and olive tapenade was faultless. The Chili crusted Cobbler with Lemon and Thyme was good as well. Basa is gaining popularity in Bangalore though there are an equal number of folks who would run a mile away from this most un-fishlike fish. There is even a foodie group that says ‘Basa beda’ – which essentially means ‘we don’t want Basa’! I am not in that group – so I liked this fish main course especially because it was served with a gorgeous risotto. I sent my compliments to the chef.

Little did I know a revelation still lay in store for me – the Mushroom risotto! This was a close to heaven experience for me. I have always sung paeans of the Mushroom risotto at Graze (Taj Vivaanta)  – this one is it’s equal! I don’t think I can do justice to it by writing flowery words here – just go eat it!

Even though we tasted all the mains as a group – I was reaching bursting point. I took a small bite of the Peri Peri Chicken. I’ll give it a decent rating. It’s not the Chicken’s fault – if you follow the Risotto, that’s what happens to you! The rest of the group raved about the Tenderloin steak. They got the Medium rare just right and I heard a round of applause when they sliced it and found it nice and pink.

My spare stomach for dessert was putting on it’s party shoes. There was a heated debate on the Tiramisu being mildly under the radar on the coffee flavor. Since I don’t much care for coffee at all, this didn’t affect me. The flourless Chocolate fudge was brilliant. Being a chocolate dish, it got polished off the plate in a jiffy. 

The White Chocolate and Orange Crème Brulee was very well made. The custard silky and creamy and the caramel crust just cracking with a snap under the spoon. (You know how this works right? After all we are Masterchef addicts!). I’m saving the best for the last. The Plum Philly Cheesecake. Most perfect cheesecake in Bangalore. Take a bet with me…go ahead I dare you! It brought back memories of the perfect Philly Cheesecakes I used to gorge on in Philadelphia and New York. 10/10 for you SHD.

I loved the SHD experience. Can’t wait to go there for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Maybe for tea sometime in the evening as well – they are open all day! Welcome to Bangalore Smoke House Deli – I expect fantastic things from you …don’t let me down!  

  

SMOKE HOUSE DELI,

No.1209, Ward No.72, HAL II Stage,

100ft Road,

Indiranagar,

Bengaluru.

Ph: 080 2520 0899/ 080 2520 0898

Cost: Rs.2500/- plus taxes for a meal for two with alcohol.

Parking: Valet Available

Signature Tasting Menu @ Peshawari Tandoor by Turquoise (Koramangala, Bangalore)

I have eaten at Turquoise and Peshawari Tandoor a couple of times and have always enjoyed their food. The restaurant plates their food beautifully and after seeing some pictures of the Sunday brunch captured by my fellow foodie Harsha (of the FB group Bakasura) I had to go and get click crazy! The reason I haven’t written about it for so long (almost a year!) has been two fold (a) My forgetfulness – which includes leaving the camera at home and (b) the low ‘mood’ lighting in their Indian restaurant. (It’s done up with multi-hued ceiling to floor chandeliers!). Mood lighting encourages romance but does NOT a good picture make!

So I happily trumped in on Sunday with my camera and my friend Shwe in tow – expecting to go photo crazy on their buffet table. Unfortunately, they informed me that the Sunday brunch has now been stopped L (Lesson learned for being a procrastinator!). Luckily they had a Signature Tasting Menu of all their best dishes and we were more than happy to sample the same. And the best part – they were going to serve each dish at the table, so I could relax and let the party come to me!

I made two small requests – firstly, can we be seated at their sunlight restaurant on the 2^nd floor? and secondly, I wanted a seat next to the large window. Since I mostly eat out at night, I was not going to pass up the opportunity of clicking pictures in daylight! Now that we got the basics of a good lunch in place (I’m a food blogger… what do you expect?), we settled down to be entertained.
 

They serve a complimentary glass of red/ white wine with the tasting menu. I ordered a Grovers Chenic Blanc and Shwe decided to be content with a Lemon-Soda. The Lime-Soda was apparently perfect. (She really forced me to write this!).

Our first starter was a Dahi Ke kebab which came shaped in the form of a heart! Since Shwe and me are Chaddi buddies, this ‘romantic starter’ had us giggling like schoolgirls. (Inside jokes :P) I liked the subtle flavor punctuated by a hit of fresh green chilli and cardamom. However Shwe (who’s not a fan of elaichi) wished that there wasn’t any!  

Next the Murg Gilafi Kebab and the Peshawari Paneer Tikka arrived. The Gilafi Kebab was fascinating to look at – red and green peeking out of the chicken sheek. I don’t think I’ve seen peppers being used in a sheek before, but this one made a pretty picture. The Peshawari Paneer was coated with a light spice paste and grilled. The owner informed us that they make the Paneer in-house with Buffalo milk. No wonder it was nice and soft! 

The Kumbh Khazana which is mushroom stuffed with creamed spinach and grilled was something the vegetarians will be happy about. Or maybe I’m biased because I love mushrooms in any form. The Galawati Kebab was fantastic. Super silky spiced mince served over a special paratha soaked in ghee. Decandent? Well obviously!  

This was my favorite starter of the day – the Barra Kebab. Lamb Chops in a spicy marinade chargrilled to perfection. We started to attack it with our fancy forks and knives when the owner stopped us midway. ‘The only way to fully enjoy this is with your hands’, he said. Who are we to argue – we dug in with abandon! I could have eaten many more of this but I knew we had something special coming along for main course.

Nalli Ka Salan! The sheer beauty of seeing slow cooked lamb shanks standing proud in a thick, creamy, fatty, gravy is enough to give me the shivers! And this one din’t disappoint. It was served with a Khameeri Roti. Shwe commented that it was like a version of Pita bread – you could definitely smell the yeast. Both made good lunch companions J.

Peshawri  (or North-West frontier cuisine) is famous for it’s Dal Bhukhara. Now ITC has almost single handedly raised this dish to iconic status. Dal Bukhara is a medley of lentils cooked overnight to achieve an almost homogenous effect, finished with tomato paste and dollops of butter and cream. (Though I think the last two ingredients are recent additions in the restaurant business). Shwe who’s not really a black dal fan, actually enjoyed this one. I on the other hand have always been a fan of this one and couldn’t stop loading my plate.  

Of course the meal cannot be complete without a Dum Biryani and Salan. We got ours served hot at the table where they slowly cut into the dough to reveal the glistening strands of saffron and white rice. The aroma hits you in the face and then all you can do is grind your teeth to avoid yanking the dish from the waiter and start stuffing your face. The meat was cooked beautifully but what rocked the biryani into the stratosphere was the Burani Raita. It was sweet and spicy and creamy and yummy! We begged the owner for the recipe. (We are now proud owners of the same – though I have a nagging doubt that he didn’t fully reveal the ‘secret’ of how the raita gets a faint caramelized taste!) 

I was already stuffed. When the starters arrived I was actually disappointed that it was just one piece each. (Ok, Ok, the idea of a tasting menu is lost on me most of the time!). But I’m glad they restricted it, because there is a big risk of getting stuck on the starters and not even getting to the main course - which for me is a must try.

A trio of desserts arrived. The most awaited but the least impressive was the Qubani ka Meetha. I may be judging harshly but I would have much preferred it with a simple dollop of malai rather than the elaborate Rabdi they served it with. Too much sweet can actually be difficult to stomach. The Baklava on the other hand was just right – flaky pastry brushed with clarified butter encasing yummy crushed pistachios. (The owners wife makes these herself). The best of the three was the Badshahi Malai Kulfi. OMG yum! Best kulfi I’ve had in a long time. Period.

Koramamgala is a place that’s teeming with new players in the food space everyday. There is no dearth for novelty here – from Persian to Naga cuisine. And people love new and shiny things – fact. It’s sad to see, that a restaurant with such good food like Peshawari Tandoor, still needs to fight to retain its place in the spotlight. Will novelty or good taste win? – Let’s hope sense prevails and it’s the latter!

PESHAWARI TANDOOR

2^nd and 3^rd Floor,

#9, 1^st A Main Road,

(Near Sukh Sagar)

5^th Block, Koramangala,

Bengaluru

Ph: +91 97399 42912/ 080 65776588

Cost: Rs.1150/- plus taxes for the signature tasting menu. Rs. 1400/- excld taxes, for a meal for two (without alcohol)

Parking: Valet Available

Zomato Lunch with Rocky and Mayur (HOMP) @ Bak Bak Bar (Koramangala, Bangalore)

(Pic Courtesy: Ruth and Sudhakar Prabhu)

I was sick with fever last week…so sick that I couldn’t get out of bed. What bothered me more than being sick, was missing the Zomato Food Guide 2013 launch at the Sheraton! And to add to the misery, Zomato had a special treat lined up for food bloggers over the weekend – a lunch date with NDTV’s Highway on my Plate superstars – Rocky and Mayur!! Saturday morning came and my energy was still zero. I hate to go under medication for a regular fever, but this time I made an exception and popped some pills, tidied my act up and headed to Bak Bak Bar! Oh, come on…don’t roll your eyes…how many times do you get to meet Rocky and Mayur???

I had heard about Bak Bak Bar from a couple of foodie friends, but still hadn’t planned an outing. It’s the old Manchester United Bar – refurbished and redone in a new avatar. The co-resident will be mighty pleased, considering he is a Chelsea fan! The place is bang opposite the rear entrance of Forum Mall in Koramangala. Thank the Lord they have valet, because there is no way you can look for parking on that road. Although you might need to get the valet’s attention when you are 100ft away from the venue so that the people behind you in the road don’t clobber you for stopping! I thought the venue was perfect for this lunch. It’s got a comfortable, casual vibe about it and their name implores you to have conversations  or colloquially -  ‘Bak Bak’!

Entered the place and was pleasantly surprised to see familiar faces – Karthik (hugs for inviting me) and Pallavi of Zomato and my other food blogger friends – Monika, Ruth and Sudhakar. After explaining why I won’t be having a drink for about half hour – I succumbed and ordered a beer. A room temperature beer. According to ancient legend (ya right!) – a warm beer can help bring down the temperature when you have a fever. So if my comrades thought I was more boisterous than normal – I’m blaming it on the alcohol and meds!

The picture above is of a drink called Gabbar Singh – a vodka cocktail with chilli and salt. Ruth got a taste of it and loved it. Sipping our drinks, we caught up on the trials and tribulations of a food blogger (yes, we do have various trials!) when Rocky and Mayur walked in. My feathers aren’t easily ruffled by celebrities…BUT….these were food celebrities… and people I saw weekly on TV… and they are passionate about food… and they are so funny….. and….. you get the picture. So yes, I was kinda gobsmacked when Rocky walked in and seated himself in what I like to call the ‘naughty end of the table’. Rocky is a roller coaster of interesting escapades, food trivia and photography tips. He even sweetly transformed his phone into a soft light using tissue paper so that we could get better pics of the food! His story of being on the road for the show had us in splits. Can you keep a straight face if the Royal Family of XYZ, introduced themselves to you as the ‘insert Hindi bad word with C’ family. (That’s apparently what they are called!) Rocky and Mayur not only kept a straight face but encouraged them to talk about the “C” family some more. Of course that bit was edited out, but the entire unit had tears in their eyes from laughing. Karthik came and literally dragged Rocky away because we were hogging him for our entertainment. Well, atleast we had some time to compose ourselves and concentrate on the food!

The bread basket was standard. Then the Citrus potatoes arrived. It looked like what my mom would make at home, but the more I ate it, the more I loved the tangy spicy play on my tongue. Squeeze some more lemon over it to make it a fine accompaniment to a sweet cocktail. Beef Kheema with Pav was an instant hit. (I have stopped eating beef, but I vouch for it looking at the expressions of everyone else at the table). Chicken Sausage Kali Mirch which was sliced sausages tossed in a pepper sauce and stir fried onions was nice as well. There was also a veggie cigar (spring roll) stuffed with corn and other goodies. If I was a vegetarian, I would have been pleased. The Chicken wings with a Cola glaze were the next to arrive. It’s a welcome change from the BBQ wings that have become a standard at every pub in Bangalore. But if you still want the BBQ version – they have that on the menu as well. Round one was getting to be a heavy round but we had to sample ‘Porkalicious’ – pork cubes in a green chilli, ginger, onion masala. It was reminiscient of home style cooking and was yummy but because of the more gravy like consistency maybe some bread/ pav would have completed the picture.  

(Pic Courtesy: Sudhakar Prabhu)

Now that our bellies were happy, we plotted our way into getting Mayur to sit with us. He happily obliged. Mayur asked the bartender to make a cocktail for him, that could be used to sweet talk the ladies into submission. While the bartender opened and shut his mouth in disbelief, Mayur removed him from his misery by quickly convincing him that he was joking! (Or was he? :P). Ok, let’s address the elephant in the room. (Not him! – he’s fit and fine J) Is Mayur actually Vegetarian? The answer is …..YES. He’s tried to eat non-vegetarian food before but prefers vegetarian, so now that’s what tickles his palate. We ribbed him by saying how exciting can a vegetarian menu be? We got a story on Akhuni. Now Akhuni is a fermented soya bean paste that’s famous in Nagaland. The process involves cleaning and boiling the beans till soft and leaving them in pot in the sun or next to a warm fire to ferment. They are pulled out of the pot after a week or when it just smells right. ‘Try Akhuni for excitement’ he said, ‘just the smell can knock your socks off (and not in a good way!)’.  

We moved on to round two. They got us a lovely looking dish. Jalepeno’s stuffed with yoghurt, encased in a light tempura like batter and deep fried. It is gorgeous to see the red of the jalapeno peeking out through the translucent batter. On first bite, I was sadly disappointed. Monika however urged us to take a nice big bite to experience all three flavours - the crunch of the batter, the heat of the jalapeno and ending with the soothing creaminess of the yoghurt within. Interesting order – atleast just for the poetry of how it looks.  

Wasabi Prawns! Sounded exciting and even looked exciting but unfortunately did not pack a punch. Maybe I expected the wasabi to explode in my mouth and hit the roof of my nose. No such luck! The portions were generous nevertheless and the prawns were cooked well. 

The monk flamed chicken generated a fair buzz of excitement on the table. No, a monk did not arrive to flame our chicken. The monk here refers to Bangalore’s favourite Monk – Old Monk Rum! The waiter arrived with a shot glass of rum, a spoon and a lighter. Everybody loves pyrotechnics - especially if it’s being performed by someone else. (I am a super klutz!). He expertly lit the spoon on fire and spread the flame over the chicken. Oooooo! We wanted more. He performed the routine again. By the end of the third round – the dish was more old monk than chicken! So next time maybe I’ll restrict the fire display to one time!

There are burgers and then there are BURGERS. The Bak Bak version falls under category two. So long have I held the belief that Bacon makes anything better – Bak Bak seemed to have been listening. My burger came loaded (really loaded) with a fat grilled chicken patty, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, grilled onions, Mayo and mustard! Served with a  nice paper cone of fries – it is huge! Loved it! The smoked mayo that accompanies it just elevates it to a whole new level. Monkey Bar burgers – you have some serious competition!

It goes without saying that people concluded the beef burger was better. On some level, I have to agree. The fats in red meat are what maketh the burger juicy. A chicken burger will unfortunately falter here. I wish they put a Lamb Burger on the menu. Then I can have my cake and eat it too! Mayur ordered the veggie burger. The patty which was made of red beans and oats was a pleasant upgrade from the insipid aloo patty – Kudos!  

We got chatting some more with Mayur as we wolfed down the ginormous burger. We were all ears for Highway on my Plate stories. Mayur told us that Rocky was a cleanliness freak - he cleaned a bathroom before having a bath in it! Another one where they pulled a fast one on a couple who asked them if they were gay – and they said yes and so is our crew! Substituting tea with whisky for a tea tasting that ended up with two presenters who were very ‘high’ in a tea estate. Sleeping with sleeping bags on really dirty beds in remote villages, eating the best food along the coast of India (Their new show is titled Coast to Coast), reading 70 pages of researched scripts for a 18 minute segment and always, always looking for the next hole in the wall eatery that’s going to blow their minds! Rocky and Mayur seriously rock – and I’m not generous with my compliments for people!

Rocky and Mayur are now the Brand Ambassadors for Zomato. So after prodding us to write more reviews on Zomato (they have a wider reach than a single blog) and encouraging us to keep looking out for food gems they got ready to leave. We pounced on them for photographs (yes, we were totally and completely celeb struck by now). Being the sweet hearts they are they willingly obliged and even got the entire group to act goofy! I had a whale of a time and next time I watch HOMP on NDTV, a new found respect for the amount of work these guys put in to deliver an informative and authentic experience!

Dessert of Rabdi Mishti Doi Cheescake (yes, I got the name right) arrived. I was already stuffed but since Monika (of Sin-a-Mon) helped develop the dessert menu I had to try it. Verdict – Unexpectedly, harmoniously delectable! Take a bow Mon!

I have to say Bak Bak bar were the perfect hosts. Maybe the service and food was up a notch because of celebrity presence, but they served us exactly what was on the menu and the offerings (beverages and food) did impress. If they can manage to impress me even half as much on my next visit it will be a task well done. P.S. I need to go back to sample their cocktails anyway!

BAK BAK BAR,

1, Kira Layout,

Opposite Prestige Acropolis,

Hosur Main Road,

Koramangala,

Bengaluru

Ph: +91 80 30412940

Cost: Rs.1000/- for two (without alcohol)

Parking: Valet Available