Thanks to the traffic nightmare that Bangalore is, it is becoming increasingly difficult to dine out unless you set out from home immediately after lunch. On a relative note, Sunday noon is a safe enough time to venture out. We had seen Ishaara on a recent visit to Phoenix Marketcity, and chose a gloomy, overcast Sunday when we hoped few others would want to get out of the house.
Ishaara is on the second floor of Phoenix Marketcity, and is tastefully decorated with wicker furniture, greenery, and elegant seating options. It would have been great if they had the al fresco section facing the mall courtyard, but that belongs to a drinks-focused outlet, though it seemed they were ‘siblings’ – service staff double hatted for both. Ishaara’s service staff have a hearing and/or speech impairment, hence the name. The ordering is obviously not difficult because you simply point on the menu, and confirm portions. My request for warm water too went fine, as it was easy to understand the boiling sign response, which I confirmed. The menu is fairly detailed, and I noticed at least one person who could speak, so I think even clarifications can be managed. The menu offers a bunch of options for all courses, and we started with a Dungar Chicken Tikka, which had chicken thigh pieces with Delhi chilli. That plating was pretty, and masala nimbu added a nice touch in terms of flavour. We debated a couple of options and finally settled for the Sufiyani Biryani, which in terms of ingredients, sounded unique. A mix of basmati rice, white spices, green chilli and cashew nut paste. The texture was quite different from every other biryani we’ve tried, and we really liked it. The chicken was cooked well, and the mix of spice and cashew was fantastic – tempering each other. Overall, highly recommended. Ishaara’s butter chicken is not too different from many other we have had, but the good news is that they have made it well. Creamy, rich, and without the sweetness that some places saddle it with!
The bill was around Rs.2250, including the service charge. They serve alcohol and I saw at least a couple of interesting cocktails. But that’s for a later visit. If you’re in the vicinity, well worth a visit.
