First published in Bangalore Mirror.
The Island has turned into a Warehouse, (map) and the refurbished outlet now sports a casual bar look and feel. An open bar and extra seating that takes complete advantage of Bangalore weather, a basement area that aims to give an underground tone, a stage on a higher level to host special events, and a basketball court (!) all contribute to a very energetic vibe. Apparently the place turns into one massive club on weekend evenings. The seating is a bit skewed towards larger groups but that’s probably because the audience they want to cater to typically hang out in herds. The walls have an industrial look, complete with exposed bricks and warning signs, which accentuates the name of the place and its underlying theme. The music is upbeat and I got quite a few dirty looks from the rest of the group for using the spring seat to good effect!
The bar was well stocked on paper, including a few standard cocktails. A few beers though, were unavailable. I tried a Pain Killer, usually a rum based drink, but this one was Whiskey and one of the best I’ve had. It wasn’t stingy on the alcohol but managed to balance it out really well. The LIT was also quite heady. The Spicy Margarita used chilli powder for spice and the drink in itself was just about fine.
As is becoming standard in the casual bar scene, the starters occupy a large portion of the menu. The Veg Enpunadas arrived first – the vegetables and cheese mix stuffed in a pizza base completely lived up to its spicy description and was complemented by a sauce that only added to the hotness! The Cinnamon Grill chicken was excellent too, with each morsel providing a whiff of cinnamon that added to the dish’s appeal. The Lamb Kabebs (sic) made absolutely no mistake on the meat, this was the melt-in-your-mouth variety and had a mildly spicy sauce that complemented it very well. Our other favourite was the Jamaican Beef Dumpling, which had well-cooked mince and a spice pop, and again, a honey-chilli sauce that did wonders to the dish. The Thai fish ball was another good starter, and the mince fish, scallion root and a hint of lemon grass made it quite a flavourful dish. The last item we tried from this section was the Chilli Beef, which fell short a bit, mostly thanks to the extra salt and the beef that was fried a little too much.
We began the main course with the Chicken Slider and though the description said it was a mini bun, it turned out to be a full grown bun! But the dish itself, with pulled chicken, caramelised onion and a sunny side up egg for company, was delicious, so we weren’t complaining. The Beef Inenchilada (where are these names coming from?!) had a tortilla with beef and baked beans filling served with herb rice. The beef was a little undercooked this time. The Grilled Chicken Chimichurri, served with herb rice got the green sauce quite well. My favourite though was the Chicken Maggi – the masala flavour is awesome enough to bring me back here!
I don’t think the standard crowd here would need or expect a sugar kick in the end, and that would explain the presence of all of three dessert options. The Butter Milk tart sounded interesting but wasn’t available. We tried the Chocolate Obsession, but its obsession to excel turned out to be one massive egg sell going by smell and taste! This was the only disappointment in an otherwise excellent meal!
A meal for two would cost around Rs.2000 (Inclusive of taxes) – a couple of cocktails, a non veg starter, a couple of main course dishes and a dessert. Except for the dessert, the food left very little to complain about. The drinks were excellent too, and though not cheap, were generous on the spirits. The service was friendly and prompt and all this, coupled with a zestful energy ensures that The Warehouse has all the wares to make it a hot sell in the market.
The Warehouse, #3, 80 ft Road, Indiranagar, Ph: 080 41261114