Month: November 2018

  • XOOX Brewmill

    Not that we needed an excuse to go to Koramangala, Bangalore traffic notwithstanding, but a microbrewery does provide the extra inspiration. We visited XOOX in September, when it was still relatively new. Located right next to the HDFC bank building in 5th block, it promises a traffic nightmare soon when the crowds increase. It is crazy how Koramangala continues to accommodate so many eating/drinking joints! On entering XOOX, one gets the feel of an elegant 60s bar (no, I am not that old, I am basing it on pop culture references) with its high roof and plush sofas, but a right turn takes you to the alfresco area that has a modern, lounge feel. And that’s where we chose to sit. We had made a reservation, and that will most definitely help if you plan to go after 7. And yes, there is a dress code – no Salmon Khan style upper body wear, boys!

    After we settled ourselves comfortably, we decided to begin with an Apple Cider and a Japanese Dry Blond Ale. The first had the right fruit and sweet notes and is one of the better ones we have tasted. The latter was dry as promised but smooth enough with the rice and malt flavours giving it a balanced feel.

    The Dehydrated Dosa with Tomato & Coconut chutney had to be tried. The crisp dosa with the occasional red (chili) bits actually worked. It helped that the chutney was fantastic. One half of our companion couple arrived and promptly ordered a Citrus IPA and a Chicken Nashville. The beer was bitter but somehow managed a zing as well, the citrus and sweet flavours were underplayed. The chicken on first sight looked like a posh cousin of KFC, but thankfully didn’t ape the taste – the spicy citrus sauce was an excellent difference maker.

    Since my first beer was ale and hearty, I continued the good start with a Smoked Amber Ale. This was a very good take on Rauchbier. The smokiness was evident and the icing was that the beechwood gave it a very bacon smell!

    One of our standard procedures for places that are open all day is to arrive as early as 5-5.30 and stay for a couple of hours. Dusk falling is a pretty picture in most places and this one was no exception. Meanwhile, Thai Fish Cakes and Cantonese Chicken were next. The first was lemongrass flavoured red snapper cakes that had great texture and were complemented very well by the spicy dip. The chicken was well cooked, with a chili sauce, and was more standard fare than awesome.

    D ordered a Belgian Wit for herself and I decided to get a Stuffed Pork Burger with a charcoal bun. The beer was pale, wheat and had a nice zing. The burger was star studded – chorizo, pork mince, jalapeno, mustard mayonaise and Philly cheese – the flavours were very good though I wish it had been less mushier. We also ordered a Georgian Garlic Cheese bread whose chilly garlic dressing gave some unsuspecting folks a spice kick!

    I liked that they took desserts seriously!  We agreed on a Buttermilk Panacotta and a Japanese Lemon Drop. Some shade was thrown at me for rejecting the Red Velvet Parfait. But it had beet as one of the ingredients and my standard response to that is to quote Michael Jackson! The Panacotta was fantastic and had a raspberry and rose decoction which only added to the subtle buttermilk flavour. The lemon drop had citrus flavoured (Yuzu, apparently) jelly and some croutons that provided some excellent contrasting texture, though breaking them without pieces flying off is an art!

    The service was friendly and quite prompt once they overcame an initial tardiness. The bill came to a little under Rs.4650 and that is quite fair given the location and quality of food. The crowd was a little mixed, or maybe I haven’t been to Koramangala enough recently. That signaled a “there’s something off about the place” feeling. It was also not as full as I would have expected on a Saturday night, or maybe 8 is too early to judge. But for now, drop in for some very interesting craft beer and food options.

    XOOX Brewmill, 8, Koramangala Industrial Layout, Near HDFC Bank, 5th Block Ph: 49653219 (map)

  • The ocean at the end of the lane

    Neil Gaiman

    ‘Tender’ is probably the word I’d use if I had to describe this book in a word. I have to admit that it wasn’t until the last few pages that I started reading it non-literally. And then it hit me, a bit like waves that seem benign from far and then strike you with tremendous force.

    You could read the book like a simple fantasy story or you could make guesses on the possible symbolism at work. In the first case, it is a gripping tale of a little boy caught in the midst of forces far outside the realms of a normal English life. A vulnerable yet determined child, his enigmatic guardians, and a monster of a nanny all make for a very interesting read.
    It gets even more interesting if it’s the latter – possibly a commentary on growing up, feminism, relationships and so on. It also raises a question of what is real and what isn’t. In a way, aren’t the ‘stories’ that we make up to absorb, confront, or just handle the things that happen to us as children as true as the things that really happened? How true are our memories when we remember the past?

    P.S. Loved it for this – “I lay on the bed and lost myself in the stories. I liked that. Books were safer than other people anyway.”

  • Brand – ego vs evolution

    In my previous post on brands, I had briefly touched upon the brand’s integrity of intent as an imperative to its success. I brought up two approaches to it – one based on self image and the other based on self actualisation. The first is a target, the second is exploration. While I was agnostic to the approach earlier, the book I am reading now – Matt Ridley’s The Evolution of Everything – has given me a bias for the latter.

    This is why – evolution has been the longest running phenomenon ever, beating anything made by man quite easily. Because before there was mind, there was matter, whether it was perceived or not. That includes even the idea of God, which is probably the best brand ever built. Arguably, evolution’s success can be attributed to its having no end goal in mind. Can that work for a brand? (more…)

  • HQ

    When we first came to Whitefield, Inorbit was a mall in name only. The lack of a multiplex didn’t help either. That particular issue remains unresolved, but in the last few months, we have seen an uptick in both the number of outlets opened, and the crowd. Most of the new restaurants have been of the family-friendly (read “no alcohol) kind, so the launch of a casual dining place with a bar was very welcome.

    We completely missed the entry on the ground floor, mostly because we were quite focused on getting to Shoppers Stop. That entrance did seem fairly conspicuous on hindsight. The other entrance is in a corner on the next floor, and we chose a cosy little table from the limited 2 seater options. For larger groups, there are quite a few plush sofa options though. If I had to do a word association for the place, I’d say green! There is lots of it, and that does a good job of creating a different atmosphere within the concrete mall structure.

    The alcohol menu is not elaborate, and from the few cocktail options available, I chose the Dark n Stormy Cocktail (that was the only one with Dark Rum) and D chose a Watermelon Mojito. My drink was dark rum and lime juice, though the actual recipe has ginger beer in it. A decent drink, just like D’s Mojito, which did have a distinct fresh watermelon touch.

    Our original starter choice was an Assamese Pork Khorika, but apparently that wasn’t available, so we went for a Hakka style pork. Crisp pork with soy and chili sauce, sliced chilies and shredded vegetables which they called pok choi (sic). But hey, the dish didn’t suffer on account on that. We also tried a Butter Garlic Calamari, which had way more salad than I expected. Thankfully, it was cooked well enough.

    For mains, we wanted to try a Cheese Chicken Fungi, which seemed interesting, but first ordered a “The Lot” pizza – chicken ham, chicken salami, mushroom, pineapple and a sunny side egg. There was indeed a lot happening, and yet, the overall flavour was bland. In addition, someone forgot the description of the egg, so we got yolk pieces too! The medium pizza was enough to abandon another dish. The dessert options weren’t exciting, and when there are specialist options around, why bother?

    The meal made us lighter by a little under Rs.1800. The service was friendly enough, and they had a good playlist going. Only the ambiance would warrant a revisit, so it’s gonna take a while.

    HQ, Inorbit Mall, 75, EPIP Area, Whitefield Ph: 49652626

  • The Sovereign Individual

    James Dale Davidson, William Rees-Mogg

    One of my favourite books is The Moral Animal. It does a great job of explaining the connection between the mental organs and behaviour, and does justice to the explanatory line on its cover – “why we are the way we are”. I liked it a lot because it did a stellar job of helping me understand the reasons behind my mindset, relationships and interactions with the world at large. While that book helped me understand myself, this one helped me understand the world much better.

    Considering that it was published in 1997, this is as much a prediction machine as it is a brilliant book. It took at least till the middle of the last decade for even the internet to manifest itself in the form we are now familiar with. Therefore, accurately predicting the rise of e-commerce and cryptocurrency (referred to as cyber currency) is a feat in itself. The projections are not just in the field of business but cover social, economical, societal, political and even moral aspects as well. For instance, the rise of nationalism, filter bubbles, the twist in increasing income disparity (from between nations to within nations) because of lack of access are all themes that are being played out now. (more…)