A neon with that number has been blinking at us for a while now, whenever we use the 80 ft Road in Koramangala, and since it also contained words like ‘steak’, ‘grill’, it didn’t require a lot of convincing for us to drop in. This is right next to Chandni Chowk (can someone explain to me the mad rush there every weekend?!) and on the top floor of the same building as 13 Spices. (map) Parking is not much of a problem if you’re there before 8.
Rooftop restaurants most usually works for me, and 898 was no different. Some nice tiled roofing and screens to close the sides means it’ll be okay even if it rains. For now, the screen that hogged all the attention was an LCD one. They have an interesting decor, confirming that kitsch is back. Different kinds of chairs, even those indoor standalone swings, and our table was a chest at some pint of time. A fish shaped wooden board, large mirrors, interesting lighting, you get the idea…
There was a good breeze too, as we sat looking at the menu. Mostly steaks, with some mocktails, and a couple of Thai soups thrown in. (click for a larger images)
We started with a Cream of Coconut Milk – Chicken. No by-twos were told, isn’t that against Bangalore culture? A watered down version of the Tom Kha, and a bit too diluted for my liking, but quite flavourful, and they were genrous with the chicken. We then got ourselves a Beef Satay. Quite well done, and the peanut sauce that accompanied it was better than usual.
For the main course, we ordered a Chicken Lasagna (ugly photo) and a Chicken Garlic Pepper Steak. I haven’t seen a lasagna served like that, but in terms of taste it was quite decent. D said the steak had a strong chicken smell, but again, it delivered in terms of taste. Neither were phenomenal, just about decent. We also ordered a Chocolate Martini (I’m still wondering why it was called that). It reminded me a lot of the old Joy/Dasprakash ice creams.
The bill came to over Rs.950. The ambiance was quite decent, though there was something missing about the food. Nothing bad enough not to drop in at all, but… The service is a bit slow, but it’s quite a relaxing place, so you probably won’t mind.They missed an item in the billing, probably teething troubles, though it has been over 2 months.
898, No.898/4, Opp IBP Petrol Bunk, 80ft Road, Koramangala 6th Block, Ph: 9844005050