First published in Bangalore Mirror
Even as recently as a decade back, going to HSR required a strong stomach, because very few roads even had streetlights! But times have changed. These days, I’m finding it difficult to digest the fact that more new eateries are opening here than in the neighbouring restaurant paradise (and our favourite) Koramangala! Broadway Gourmet Theatre is the latest attraction. (map, you’ll have to make do with basement/valet parking – a very helpful security guard!) The signage is bold enough to make it visible from afar, but for the kind of showbiz character the restaurant has chosen to have, we found the ambiance a little underwhelming. It isn’t as though the space is unrefined or cramped, it’s just that we expected a little more flair and grandeur. There is one way in which it redeems itself though – an outdoor section that offers a splendid view of not just HSR on one side and the busy Sarjapur Road on the other, but the greenery of the army land across the road. We spared a thought for the jawan guarding the compound border, probably sitting on duty for most of the day in the shade of lush trees, even as we prepared to do our duty and sample what the restaurant had to offer. Food, after all, knows no boundaries!
The elegant looking menu is an eclectic mix of various cuisines and we intended to try out as many as possible. Our original choice of Indonesian soup wasn’t available, thankfully so, because its replacement was the well presented Magic Mushroom soup. Though our hopes of ‘magic mushroom’ went up in the smoked porcini, the deliciously thick soup that also had button mushrooms and truffle was exactly what a wintry Bangalore night demanded! We did wonder why exactly the tender chicken stick that came with it was called a solder though. The Labneh Patty that followed was creamy awesomeness. The soft cheese, made from strained yogurt, was the melt-in-the-mouth variety and the patty’s crust provided just the right texture. The pork dish we wanted wasn’t available so we decided to swim with the tide and ordered a Tawa Grouper. The fish fillet had a chilli masala that provided an excellent contrast to the milder fare we’d had thus far.
Japanese seemed a signature cuisine here, with its own menu and a specialised chef, so we tried the Suzuki Sashimi. Sea Bass with the standard soy sauce, wasabi and gari sidekicks turned out to be decent fare. We also got ourselves a Bhuta Niku. That’s teppan pork which we felt could’ve been cooked a bit better. The sauce was superb though!
The Dolsot Bibimbap was an easy first pick in the main course, and we asked for a squid version. The stone bowl wasn’t the sizzling hot one we expected, but it looked as good as it tasted, or is it the other way? The chilli pepper sauce was just the right level of spice, the squid was perfectly cooked and it all came together very well with the sautéed vegetables, fried egg and the rice. We decided to Greek out next with a Spanakopita, a traditional spinach pie with feta. A version with bacon was available, so we obviously took that! The spinach was undercooked and the crust was a tad too brittle and flaky for our liking. We had space for one more dish and wanted to end with a bang with the Hathoda Murg. But that wasn’t available and they didn’t have the spirit for the Tequila Dynamite (only literally). Instead of blowing our top over the unavailability of dishes, we let off steam with a Lava Lasagna (chicken). Quite tasty, though having less chunkier pieces would have helped.
No shortage of dessert options here! The Melting Globe, which we had eyed at another table, was a must have. Quite some theatrics as the chocolate globe melts when the hot sauce is poured and reveals a brownie and ice cream. Scrumptious stuff. The Tab Tim Krob looked great on paper but the packed coconut cream (instead of the promised coconut milk) left us tongue Thai-ed!
Multi cuisine usually ends up doing an injustice to everything and everyone, but Broadway is an exception. Though a few dishes were unavailable, the menu spoils you for choice, so it really isn’t a huge issue. The prices are quite fair – a meal for two would be around Rs.1800, and though the space doesn’t really help in setting the stage, the food, in terms of appearance and taste, puts on quite a spectacular show
Broadway Gourmet Theatre, 2802, 27th Main Road, Sector 2, HSR Layout, Ph: 9901026561