First published in Bangalore Mirror
Whitefield is slowly but surely trying to carve a piece for itself in the eatery map of Bangalore, and one of the latest contributions is The Bungalow Bar & Kitchen. (map, valet parking soon) Let me take that up one by one. A classy white door leads into a space that totally lives up to the name. A huge hall with a high ceiling and an eclectic mix of seating is what one first notices. Plush leather sofas, bar seating, and high chairs, all of which represent different dining styles, make up the ground floor. A couple of stairways lead to more seating options, including a balcony that overlooks the bar counter. Speaking of the bar, it isn’t open yet, but will be soon. The overall ambiance pretty much demands spirits, (that should have happened by now) and we could immediately imagine two kinds of crowds. The first is the one that will chug down beer, hang around the pool table and be devoted to the gigantic TV screen that can be seen from almost all the tables. The second is the kind that will listen to the soulful jazz and classics that made up the playlist when we visited. Lastly, the kitchen. The spread is not overwhelmingly huge, but the interesting fusion attempts and the seemingly handpicked dishes from various cuisines give one the feeling that it might require several visits to do justice to the menu. That completes the dissection of the name, but the sum of the parts in this case is indeed greater than the whole. The courteous staff, the little technology that allows you to press a button to activate the service staff’s watch and tell him that the table needs attention, the way the space has been done up, all promise to provide an experience that goes beyond the food. Judging by the crowd, Whitefield seems to have taken notice.
A bunch of starters, soups, dim sums and salads are what you could begin your meal with. Our tangy Tom Yum Kung soup with fresh, succulent prawns flavoured by a subtle touch of lemongrass and galangal provided a good start. The Crispy Filo Cigars did have a good filling – cheese, spring onions and pomegranate seeds – but the fennel and sesame cigar ‘tip’ was a tad overpowering. We found the squid rather chewy in the Semolina Crusted Calamari, but the dip managed to compensate a little. The Spicy Chongqing Chicken brought it all back with well cooked chicken backed up by Sichuan pepper and whole chillies. The Char Siu Bao took it up a notch – superbly cooked pork complemented by a hot and sweet dip.
Pastas, pizzas, burgers and wraps, and an assortment of mains to choose from for mains. The Zaatar Manakish pizza had an exotic ring to it, and though we were warned that it was simply bread with an Arabic spice topping, we quite liked the simple, subtle flavours. Calling it a pizza though would probably be an exaggeration. The Hare Masala ki Macchli was a dish I was a little disappointed by, more so because the description promised much – “Green herb marinated fish on pickled rice cake served with coconut tomato sauce” Technically, all of it was delivered, but the dish in totality seemed to be overdone. It was almost as though someone just managed to save it from being burnt! The Kai Pad Krapow, which is Thai spiced chicken mince with basil, was a lifesaver. We also tried the Yan Chow fried rice – apparently a traditional Chinese dish with chicken, prawns and ham. We had never heard of this and I wondered if this was a mutant version of Yeung Chow Fried Rice which shares ingredients. Anyway, the combination of meats didn’t really work well together.
The Paangulab Jamun’s description did a great sales job and we simply had to try it. The addition of paan to the standard gulab jamun gave it a unique, refreshing flavour and we loved it. The Stewed Apple and Berry Crumble was not bad, though it didn’t seem really fresh. The anti climax appeared in the form of the Mango and Coconut custard pudding which seemed to have used coconut powder.
A meal for two would cost you around Rs.1200. They also have a buffet priced at Rs.399/449/599. Some dishes worked and some didn’t, but one must appreciate the attempts at fusion. The overall ambiance, and specially the music, which is already really good, would be even more well served by a bar. Would you come all the way to Whitefield for it? Not yet, but if you’re around, you should drop in, it is quite a unique setting.
The Bungalow, No:95, EPIP Area, Opp Vydehi Hospital, Whitefield, Ph: 080 49652787