Category: Restaurant Reviews

  • The Old Fashioned Bar

    I have now figured out the right time to travel cross-country in Bangalore – long weekends. So when it was clear that shopping would take us to Koramangala – shopping the good old fashioned way that is – we decided to mix it with our other favourite pastime – eating (and drinking) out. Choosing a place in Koramangala, especially when the number of restaurants in the neighbourhood is inching closer to the number of people living there, wasn’t an easy task. But I liked the name ‘Old Fashioned” and a quick look at the food menu gave me enough choices to suggest it to D.

    It was only on the way that she informed me that they had more than a dozen kinds of Old Fashioned – my favourite drink! She also had her eye on a special Christmas menu they had. They have a typical old-school pub set up – plush seating, dim lights – and unfortunately, a hat tip to current times in the form of a giant screen. I know, I sound old! 😐

    The place has two floors but the upper one would only open at 9, we were told. Towards the end of our visit, we did go upstairs to use the restroom. A few tables were occupied, and it was hardly 7.30! We did get a nice, small table overlooking the road though. Meanwhile, D was miffed because the staff seemed unaware of the Christmas menu (which was on Zomato!) Thankfully, the menu had enough options for us to still make a good meal out of it.

    After much deliberation, I chose the 1881 Old Fashioned. D’s original choice – Buttercups – wasn’t available, so she went into Hulk mode and asked for a Gin Basil Smash. D had told me that the 1881 was the strongest Old Fashioned they had, but my first drink was fairly mild. The second one (thanks to a Zomato Gold 2+2 on drinks) however was strong. D’s drink had lime juice in addition to the obvious ingredients and packed a punch.

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  • Wanderers

    Not all who wander have lists, but we do. It was Oktoberfest and we had decided to visit as many breweries as we could. So off we went to Kalyan Nagar, which as I’ve said before, is a place we enjoy visiting. This time, we also got to witness the famous (or infamous) “white topping”, because 7th Main, where Wanderers is located, was being subjected to it!

    We found the ground floor a little too closed, despite the landscape drapes! The next floor was not yet open, and so we sat on the rooftop, which we quite liked, despite me being underdressed for surgical strikes. A pedestal fan and mosquito coils helped.

    We began with Cauvery’s Bliss and Erica. The first is a Pilsner style Lager. Crisp and slightly bitter, it was medium hop and went down smoothly. But we liked the latter more – Kölsch style ale, again medium hop. From what seemed an elaborate menu then, we asked for Assam’s Ghost Chili Balls. The filling was chicken spiced with chili beans and tossed in soy sauce. This was a very good beer companion though it took a while getting to the table.

    Zomato had a 2+2 offer on drinks, so we ordered another Erica and a Wanderer’s Weizen, which was essentially a Hefeweizen.  The Jamaican Pulled Pork Sliders weren’t available, so we tried a Liver Peppers. That’s when we first encountered the curry leaves fetish. At first, it didn’t bother us. But it hit us hard in the Coorgi Pork, which was a replacement for Australia’s Meat Pie, another dish that existed only on paper. Check out the images below, those two dishes are practically twins!

    For an artisan cafe, the desserts were pretty standard, so we skipped. After all, we have our own artisanal fare at Bloomsbury near home! The bill came to a little less than Rs.1550. The service was quite friendly, though a warning on the twins would have been nice.

    Wanderers, 7th Main, 1st Block, HRBR Layout, Kalyan Nagar Ph: 25455225

  • Punjab Grill

    …and we have a brand new mall in Whitefield. Let’s not speak of whether we wanted one. The mall wasn’t fully functional when we visited (mid November), but from the looks of it, the Indian non-resident Americans of Shantiniketan would be a happy lot. I was most excited by a microbrewery coming up. That makes it 9 in the vicinity! As D mentioned, there would really no need to get out of Whitefield on weekends.

    Meanwhile, Punjab Grill was what we visited for, and that was on the ground floor. The frontage is completely open, and while that might show off the interiors to passers-by, it does take away from the privacy. The decor is definitely fine dining – plush seating, chandeliers, photos of royalty and elegant crockery. The staff is very courteous too.

    All of that also means the pricing is exorbitant too! There’s no alcohol available, so we asked for lassi – D wanted a Kesar Pisteywali version and I chose coconut. We asked whether the coconut flavour was fresh (and not powder or extract) and were told it was. Reality was different and given the Rs.295 we were paying for it, I did something uncharacteristic – I sent it back, and asked for what D was having. That was thick, rich and a much better offering for the price.

    The Murgh Tikka Punjab Grill was our chosen starter – boneless chicken with a mildly spicy red chilli marinade. This was delicious fare and highly recommended.

    Mains was a Patiala Shahi Kadai Murgh which had onion, tomatoes, and green chili in a cashew based gravy. Microgreens for the with-it quotient. 😉 The Zafrani Paronthi Naan sounded interesting and turned out to be so as well. Filling too. D tried the Rajgira Parantha, which was described to us as one with an aloo filling. It didn’t have much of that but did have great texture.

    A nice paan shot (complimentary) ended the meal well.

    The wallet was lighter by a little over Rs.2500. We did know that going in, so we were mentally prepared. The service is extremely good. They are courteous, describe the dishes- along with the spice level to expect, and make sure serving and refills happen at the right time. If you’re in the mood for North Indian fare in this part of the world, this will do the job.

    Punjab Grill, Ground Floor, Forum Shantiniketan, Whitefield Main Road Ph: 49653240

  • The Yellow Submarine

    Beatles, beer of the craft kind, and a 4.4 rating on Zomato. What’s not to like, we thought, and the long Dussehra weekend gave us the courage that one must have in the face of Bangalore traffic, especially when we have to get to the other half of the planet – Bannerghatta Road.

    We reached there by around 5.30, and got our first warning – the building has Big Bazaar on the ground floor. We were reminded of 3 Monkeys, Bangalore’s worst microbrewery in our experience. Even the Sarjapur ones couldn’t beat that one. The trip to the fourth floor, where the brewery is located, wasn’t really an uplifting experience either. The elevator had a capacity of 4, and was already full. So we took the stairs, and that was an olfactory assault that we barely survived.

    After the entrance hatch, things get a little better. The rooftop itself has two levels, and we chose the lower one. It has bar stools and regular seating, and probably thanks to the greenery across the road (IIM campus), there is a fair amount of wind. Later in the evening, when the yellow lights are switched on, the place does look pretty.

    From the beer menu, I asked for a Kölsch, partly because I had liked the version at Wanderers. D chose a safe Hefeweizen. When the waiter said “select starters”, I began doing just that. But it turned out that only select starters were available till 6.30 – fries, masala peanuts and the like. Thankfully, pizzas were available, so we ordered a BBQ chicken pizza. After a while, we began wondering whether he had meant that service in general would happen only after 6.30! We consoled ourselves that perhaps he didn’t want us getting the beer without anything to eat. Around then, we saw a pizza making its way from the kitchen to a serving table nearby. After an appropriate cooling time, it was allowed passage to our table. We casually enquired about the beer, and got a “really?” look in return. The beer mugs had obviously not seen cleaning for a while and we had to clean them ourselves. My beer, on the other hand, seemed like soap water! The Hefeweizen was a consolation. The pizza wasn’t bad, and they were nice enough to ask, after we had finished most of it, whether we needed any sauce! Aww.

    Only because there was a 2+2 on Zomato Gold, I asked for a Belgian Witbier. This one seemed to be from the initial batch – around the time they had started the place! 😐

    D merely repeated her drink! In the meanwhile, we were told that pasta also made the cut in the ‘select’ dishes available. The tri colour lasagna seemed like a patriotic must-do. The yellow lights had been switched on, so every picture took on a jaundice filter! The pasta was so-so, and by then it was 6.30. We chickened out of the Ghee Roast and ordered a Housemade (sic) Snicker Bar. This thankfully, wasn’t very bad.

    The bill came to around Rs.1350, mostly thanks to the 2+2 beers.  The service, from what we experienced, considers this a glorified bar. Masala peanuts is their go-to suggestion. They also have a very rule book led south Bangalore approach – only tiffin until 6.30! The music is classic rock, and that helped drown the sorrow of having traveled more than 20 km one way! It barely beat 3 Monkeys, so I wouldn’t recommend a visit.

    The Yellow Submarine, 4th Floor,SRK Towers (Big Bazaar building), Bannerghatta Road, Ph: 8722147555 (map)

  • 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)