Bangalore’s first Gastropub has been a hot topic of discussions for quite a while now, so we thought we’d monkey around a bit too. We used the now standard replacement for Saturday dinners at ‘hot’ properties, and dropped in on a Sunday afternoon.
In case you remember Taipan (no branches) on the Richmond Road – Wood Street junction, it’s gone! And Monkey stands in its place. The road is a one way and you’d have to approach it from the Brigade Road end or do a right-left-left from Richmond Road via Castle Street. The map is here. Parking on the street, so park where you get space, and don’t wait till you see the place!
The place was packed when we got there, and we thought we’d have to wait, but we realised that if you dig deeper, you’re bound to be rewarded. The basement has, in addition to a few tables, a pool table and Foosball. The posters, a story continued from the dining area above, are quirky and fun and have advertisements, movies and so on. The soundtrack is awesome and every alternate song was a favourite – Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Free Fallin’, Iris, One of Us, and so on.
It’s a gastropub, so we had reasons for looking forward to the food. The menu doesn’t disappoint, it’s completely about monkeying around with dishes, and those small plates, though they take it literally, ensures that you are spoilt for choice.
There was a Tom Yum soup around, so we had to have the chicken version. Spicy, flavourful and a perfect appetiser. In terms of solid food, we started with the Chilli brain and the Tiger Beef. The brain dish consists if 3 cutlets, and if you’re really a spice fiend, you’d only be just okay with it. The ace in the sleeve though, is the bottle of Blair’s Jolokia on the table. From the time that D discovered it, our spice wants were taken care of. The Tiger Beef didn’t need any external help though, with chilli paste, galangal, lemon and peppers. The bowl was small, but this one is highly recommended.
We debated whether we should try another starter, but in the end, the combination of burger + chocolate won out. The Brownie Cookie Shake reminded me of the Horlicks/Maltova chocolate versions, and was quite thick, though not as much as say, the Chocolate Room ones. The price is comparable, but the quantity is lesser. The MoBar burger, has bacon, so we pardoned the Rs.440 price tag. French fries come in a cone and the arrangement is quite cute. For desserts, we had the Chocolate XS Cake, though D wasn’t convinced of the flourless part. I was too busy gobbling it up and the ice cream with it. We’ll go back for some of those main course dishes that we simply must try out.
The service is helpful, but don’t expect an eat-and-dash experience. It is laid back, and by design. The food does take time to appear, but is usually worth it. With the charges and taxes, the bill came to just over Rs.1650. Drop in for a menu that’s completely different from what you get elsewhere in Beantown. Eat, drink and if in the mood, play ball downstairs. 🙂
Monkey Bar, 14/1 Krishna Manere, Wood Street, Ashok Nagar Phone: 080 41116878/9