Thanks to the traffic scene, the ‘town’ part of Bangalore is usually nostalgia territory. However, every once in a while, an opportunity presents itself. This time, when we were around Kundalahalli at midday, Google Maps indicated that the central district was only half an hour away. Since such fortune is rare, we quickly decided to try a place recommended by a colleague of mine. That’s how we landed up at the Laughing Llama Gastropub.
It’s on Brigade Road, rather the extension of that towards Richmond Road. Very near to an old favourite that shut down a while ago. The bright yellow pop on the road is hard to miss and a yellow door takes you straight into Llama land. The decor has a load of Llama puns, and merchandise to boot. The space has been done up quite well – some diner seating and some standard long tables, a few bar stools, and a really narrow smoking section which is literally between two walls! The overall decor is lively, I really liked how they have converted drinking water into a DIY. (check the pic below)
We quickly got started with a Slushy Sangria for D and a Drinks Like Jagger for me. From a variety of starter options, we finally agreed on a Ghee Roast Chicken Wings. The other starter – Koli Gappa- had been pre-decided! The latter arrived first and had butter chicken in gol gappas, served with makhani shots. Fantastic stuff! I have been scarred by badly made Ghee Roasts for a while now, and this one was thankfully an exception. The flavours were finger-licking perfect. The drinks took a while to arrive. D’s sangria had white wine, orange, lime juice, honey and apple, and was a bit on the sweet side, just the way she likes it. My drink took even longer. The listed ingredients included dark rum, orange syrup, curry leaves, jaggery and tamarind water, though I couldn’t be sure of the last one in terms of taste.
Since the options in starters were more appealing than the mains, we decided to go for a Kheema Paniyaram next. Once again, fusion done really well with a smart move on the curry leaf flavoured mayo dip. Since Nipah was no longer a scare, we went for the Pork Vindaloo. Unfortunately they didn’t have sannas, but offered rice instead. D successfully negotiated for buns. Hot and sour, this dish too was fantastic. The bowl was wiped clean!
Dessert options weren’t much, so we tried something we hadn’t seen before – Madras Coffogato (affogato + madras coffee). D uncharitably but rightly called it a cold coffee with ice cream.
The bill came to a little under Rs.2050, and except for the dessert, was absolutely worth it. The playlist was perfect for a Sunday afternoon, and though the service was a little slow, they were polite and friendly enough for us to ignore the delays.
Laughing Llama Gastropub, 148/149, St.Thomas Building, Brigade Road