Category: Restaurant Reviews

  • Tandoori Hippie

    This review was first published in Bangalore Mirror, where some wise desk person also called it soul food. Sigh. This is a less maligned version. Peace, love and Tandoori Chicken. Tandoori Hippie is on the 4th floor of the Mother Earth building on Intermediate Ring Road. (map) They also run a lounge bar called Loveshack on the floor above. There’s valet parking, so you won’t have to wander about like hippies for that.

    The chairs in the reception area immediately grab your attention because each of them is unique – including a barber’s chair! The restaurant is divided into several sections – an alfresco area that offers an excellent view of the Ring Road, a second area which offers an excellent view of the day’s cricket match thanks to a giant LCD screen, and a third, more private area which offers an excellent view of various spices. A saxophone, a trumpet, an old radio, a gramophone, a grandfather clock and many such trinkets vie for your attention as you make your way inside into a bright ambiance that’s at once rustic and hip. All part of what they call  ‘Fun dining’.

    Despite the decor, the hearth is Tandoor, and only the soul is hippie. A couple of shorbas, and some salads make an appearance before we get into the meat of the menu. There are quite a few kebabs to choose from, including seafood. The main course offers some options for the vegetarians as well, in addition to the standard non veg Tandoori dishes. Tandoori Hippie has a lunch buffet and in the evenings, a Chai Bar that serves chaats, samosas, golas etc. They have a decently stocked bar, with a few cocktails too. We tried a Passion Martini and found it to be quite good.

    The special Zafrani Lassi, though priced a tad high, is excellent and quite filling. The flavourful and succulent Kastoori Kebab served on the seekh, as well as the Lahori Seekh Kebab, with just the right texture, are both good starters to try. The Achari Paneer Tikka was quite bland, and completely lacked the flavour it’s supposed to have. Among the main course dishes, the Macchi Hara Masala was quite a disappointment thanks to the spinach invasion and overly salty fish. The Aloo Chutneywala, with its unique gravy makes a good dish for vegetarians. They also did a good job with the Gosht Rogan Josh and the Hyderabadi Murgh Biriyani, the latter as pleasing to the olfactory system as it was to the palate. Desserts are available on paper, but do check their availability before reserving stomach space. The poor guy in charge of the table enthusiastically asked us to ignore the menu and reeled out a few options he insisted we try. But it turned out to be quite a sad affair as we were told that the Rajbhog and Cham-Cham we’d ordered were over, after confirming availability. The Phirni we got was actually sour and the Rasgullas way too rubbery. The Gajar ka Halwa was the saving grace among the desserts.

    But despite some delay in getting the main course dishes, specially the biriyani, and the dessert mix-up, the earnestness of the service has a way of winning you over. On the cost front, for Rs.1000, you could share a lassi, a starter, a couple of non-veg main course dishes, a few rotis and a dessert.

    Though the menu sticks to the tried and tested Tandoor fare, the ambiance and enthusiastic service staff give this place a uniqueness that warrants a visit. It would be great if the mash-up in the name could be translated onto the menu too.

    Tandoori Hippie, #541-543, Mother Earth Building, 4th Floor, Amarjyoti Layout, Intermediate Ring Road, Domlur – 70 Ph: 41500787

  • Nando’s

    The review was first published in Bangalore Mirror, this one isn’t peri peri different, just a few changes.

    30 countries spread over 5 continents, but now, we’re just one Big 10 away from our chance to sample what they call the Nando’s “experi-perience”. An international chain of casual dining restaurants that originated in South Africa, Nando’s has a Portuguese – Mozambique theme, and is famous for the Peri Peri sauces.

    Since it’s Church Street, I am not competent enough to offer any suggestions on parking. We reached there early – around 7.30, my strategically selected Nandosts and I, and found ourselves among the first lot of customers for the evening. The snag therefore was a constantly hovering service staff, whom we finally had to politely but firmly fend off.

    The decor and furniture are quite a few notches above casual dining. Bright colors and music that goes with the restaurant’s theme ensure that there’s a buzz to the place. The unique tablemats and the famous bottles of sauce only add to the setting. My friends noted that this setting was quite different from their Nando’s experience abroad.

    The menu screams chicken. Loads of it – liver, wings, chicken meals, Espetada and so on. But vegetarians need not be completely put off since they have quite a few options including salads, hummus, burgers and several side dishes. Zomato has the menu and a few photos. Like all the other chains that pay homage to the uniqueness that’s India, Nando’s does too, in the form of a Peri Peri Paneer. There are also a few interesting beverages and dessert options. Note the conversational tone of the menu and the occasional witticisms and wordplay.

    We decided to start with the Indianised offering – Peri Peri Paneer, with the Extra hot sauce. It wasn’t as spicy as we expected, but still managed to deliver. The Petisco platter would’ve worked if not for the chicken wings, which were not only undercooked – a problem that was repeated later with the Quarter Chicken Meal, but suffered from an uneven distribution of spiciness. Its other flaw was the pita bread, though the hummus was quite good.

    The Chicken Espetada Rustica, in the main course, was quite a visual treat, in addition to being a reasonably tasty dish, despite the deceptively bland butter. The Chicken Strips & Rice also proved a good choice though the rice could have done with more flavour. The potato wedges were surprisingly good. The Chicken Wrap was a complete disaster, with the wrap taking its role too seriously. The sauces, famed for their spice were more tangy than hot.

    Except for the Natas, the desserts failed to make any impact. Ditto the beverages, though we expected much from the Crimson Cola and the Poncha Zurra Tinto. So that should give you an idea of Nando’s and dont’s. Meanwhile, the portion sizes are not that great for the Quarter Meal and Chicken Strips, so a full stomach is not guaranteed.

    The service is a bit patchy, especially when the crowd grows. Though there were no delays in taking orders or serving the dishes, refilling water promptly is a skill that needs to be learned when dealing with spicy stuff.

    Go there you must, to know what makes the African Bird’s Eye chilli so famous, but though it’s definitely different from the regular chicken stereotype, you’ll wonder whether it’s really worth the hype. Nando’s does need to polish its act for sustained prosperi-perity.

    Nando’s, 1A Church Street, Bangalore – 1. Tel: 65681480

  • Dalma

    The Oriya cook is quite good, but the side-effect is that we kept shifting our ‘odyssey’ to Dalma, despite it being only a short walk away from home. Dalma specialises in Eastern India cuisine, and is located on the Intermediate Ring Road, at the junction with 8th Main. Zomato has the map as well as the menu. They have some parking in front of the restaurant, but that’s minimal. You should probably park on one of the side lanes nearby, especially if you have a 4 wheeler.

    Though it has a bright setting, comfortable seating and other such necessary ingredients necessary to make it a functional restaurant, there’s something about the place that  makes it a ‘home away from home’. I confess to not having any knowledge of Oriya homes, despite this boy and this girl being among my best buddies, but for those who’re familiar with the erstwhile “Ravi’s Kitchen”, perhaps you’ll get an idea. The smiling and helpful staff only add to this.

    We started with a Chicken Pakoda, which didn’t turn out great. It got the pakoda part right, but the bones spoiled the dish. For the main course, we ordered a Chicken Kasha with Luchis. The luchis were thicker and I felt it was better than the Bengali versions I’ve had. It also went very well with the thick chicken gravy. We also ordered a ‘Saguati Khechudi – Chicken’ and a fish fry. The former is a rice dish, reminiscent of the Biriyani, but only in basic form and the latter turned out to be Rohu, cooked very well. And then the real main course – Pahala Rasgulla, and Chhenapoda. I liked the former much more than the familiar sponge rasgullas and the latter, with its burnt crust and made from cottage cheese was also awesome!

    All of the above cost us just over Rs.450. A visit is highly recommended, for a simple yet different cuisine experience.

    Dalma, #37, 100ft Ring Road, Koramangala Ph: 41660921

  • Oyster Bay

    In continuing with Koramangala’s tradition of multiple options for each cuisine type, we now have a seafood restaurant called Oyster Bay on the Jyoti Nivas college road. (map) This is right next to Bhima Jewellers, another good example of how we’re slowly converting it to Keramangala, the official Bangalore #mallu outpost. Oyster Bay also has a Kerala owner, I was told. 😀 The BBMP has a free parking lot nearby, so parking shouldn’t be a problem at all.

    Now I’m one of those strange Malayalis who have an allergy for most kinds of seafood. Stop looking at me like that! Piscean that I am, I’m fishy too, okay?! So I was a bit afraid that I wouldn’t have too many options here. But I checked out the menu beforehand on Zomato and found that I did have more than a few options after all.

    I quite liked the ambiance – stylish casual dining. Bright colors, functional but elegant furniture, and excellent (dish) presentation. You also have a chance to point and prey – a  seafood live counter of sorts, though only D checked it out.  (they also serve alcohol and have a sort-of lounge space)

    Though we contemplated the veg soup option, we finally settled on two starters – “Mussels and Sausage Satay” and “Finger 3”. (cubed) As you can see, the former also has mushrooms for company. The ‘paste’ in the centre, I thought, had a peanut flavour, D wasn’t sure, but it was quite good. With each starter, you also get a complimentary veg starter portion. In this case, we asked for  a ‘Hara Bara Kebab’, which was reasonably ok. Overall, worth a try if you like mussels. The other starter has 3 kinds of breaded ‘fingers’ – fish, chicken and cuttlefish. The cuttlefish was excellent, the fish came a close second and the chicken was only average. The complimentary potato wedges were decent too. Most importantly, I added cuttlefish to my seafood gastronomic repertoire. 😀

    For the main course, D ordered a Shark Ambotik and I asked for a Country Duck Roast. For all main course dishes, you can choose from Steamed Rice, different Pulaos, Parathas etc. D asked for a Jeera Pulao and I asked for Kerala Parathas. The shark dish is a Konkan one, and is sweet and spicy, though the former dominated more than I’d have liked it to. It went well with Jeera Pulao and even the plain rice which we ordered later. Shark was, I discovered, just like any other fish. 😀 The Duck Roast, despite the bones, was spot on in terms of flavour. I told D that I could actually imagine the Syrian Christian Kottayam home where it was made. 🙂

    We skipped desserts, despite a Palada option. All of the above, including a service charge and tax cost us just over Rs.950. The service was extremely good – helpful and prompt, despite the place being almost full by the time we were on our main course. If you’re into sea food, this place is a must visit. Even if you’re not, you’ll survive and judging by my experience, thrive 😀

    Oyster Bay, 77/A, Cygnus Chambers, Jyothi Nivas College Road, Koramangala Ph: 42090000

  • Zingron

    Zingron serves Naga (and some Manipuri) cuisine and is almost opposite Corner House in Koramangala.(map) The trend of climbing required to reach restaurants serving North East cuisine continues. Remember NE Diner? In Zingron’s case though, there is a midway stop in the form of Coorg.

    Unlike NE Diner, which is purely functional, Zingron is tastefully done in what seemed (in artificial lighting) a cherry red dominated ambiance. The wicker chairs-and-low table options, and the road facing views I am a sucker for, all added to the peace that comes after a good climb. 🙂

    But hungry hogs we were, and thus, dived straight into the menu. You can too, virtually, below (dim lighting didn’t help, and I am bullheaded about using flash)

    As you might notice, choice is abundant, and thus it required complicated rounds of delicate discussions before we decided on the exact food path.

    Since we weren’t foodsure, our first foodhold (last one, promise :D) was in familiar territory – chicken momos. We also ordered a ‘Pork sausage in Tangkhul style’ and a Chicken and dry rice powder soup. The pork came first, and though quite unique and different from the regular fare, was a bit bland. Maybe we should’ve asked for a Bhoot Jholokia chutney. Next time, I’ll try the pork ribs. Meanwhile, the food is served in those nice Manipuri earthenware plates. (we’d seen earlier in a shop in BDA complex, Koramangala, and were told that it actually contributes to the taste) The soup turned up next, and was quite decent, reminded us of sweet corn though it did. The momos turned out to be great, but it was actually the chutney that accompanied it that made the dish fantastic.

    We’d also ordered a Gooseberry juice and a Banana juice. The former was just okay, I liked the one I had at Ants Cafe better, but the fermented banana juice was simply awesome. It would also play a major role later in the dinner.

    For the main course, I ordered a Luira pork and D ordered a Fish fillet with peppered sauce. I was tempted to order a Beef dish too, but decided to figure that out later. We were told that plain rice would work best with what we’d ordered.

    The food takes a while to arrive, but the service more than makes up for it by being very helpful. That pork dish, cooked with red chilly powder in Raphei style, has to be one of the spiciest things ever, and had D crying in seconds. So potent was it that, the fish, which had its own dose of pepper power paled in comparison. Thankfully. The rice managed to temper things a bit, but it was the banana juice that actually saved the tongue from total annihilation. Both dishes are highly recommended, but don’t attempt the pork if you have a problem with chillies or pork fat. The only downside was that we just didn’t have space enough for the beef. But the good part is that D has taken her baby steps towards accepting North Eastern cuisine (at least at Zingron) as a viable repeat-visit place. 😀

    On the cost front, all of this cost us just less than Rs.950, and was completely worth it. Drop in once, and I’m sure you’ll go gaga over Naga too. 🙂

    Zingron, Solitaire Cascade, #62, 2nd Floor, 1st A Main, 7th Block, Koramangala Ph: 40997506