Category: Central Bangalore

  • 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

  • Urban Solace

    This review was first published in Bangalore Mirror, and the busy urban life routine ensured that I was delayed in posting it here. 🙂

    If you don’t know the area well enough, you might end up circling Ulsoor lake a few times before you find solace. It’s between Foto Flash and Tamil Sangam. (map) Parking for 2 wheelers is easy, and the extra wheels can find space in one of the many small roads nearby.

    Despite the space constraints, the ambiance had a vibrant café feel to it. The bookshelf (despite the business books that looked out of place), the music, the posters, and the art all played a part in lending uniqueness to the place’s character. The idea, apparently,  is to create a balance between the ambiance of a café and the dining experience of a regular restaurant. It has quite a ‘house converted to cafe’ feel too, since you can wander into at least a couple more rooms, with a few tables each. Poetry reading sessions are on every Tuesday night.

    Meanwhile, the menu, on paper, looks good enough to guarantee a good meal. Short eats include a selection of sandwiches and burgers. There are quite a few options in starters and soups, and just enough salads, main course dishes and desserts to take it beyond the standard café fare. They also serve an English breakfast on weekends. You can take a look at the menu below – somehow seemed to have missed the main course page!!

    In addition to the chicken soups for the soul – Tom Yum and Cream of Chicken, that were actually spicy enough to affect the palate too, the Spanish soup, based on spinach puree, is also worth trying. Both the starters we tried were disappointing. The Stuffed Mushroom filling turned out to be a bad mushroom–potato combination and the Chicken Gujons were just bland.

    The Veg A’la King, with mushrooms cooked in white sauce, and the Mexican Chicken with a thick brown tomato based sauce, were the best among the main course dishes. The biggest disaster was that many of the items on the menu were not available. That included the entire selection of mocktails, all the special coffees, and almost the entire dessert section. The one dessert that was available – Orange Choc cake didn’t find favour either.

    On the cost front, for Rs.750, you could share a soup, a non veg starter, two main course dishes and a dessert. This seems just about fair enough considering the quality of the food.

    Though the service staff was polite and prompt in terms of delivering the food to the table, placing the order itself was quite a tedious process. Add to this, inconsistent, and sometimes unclean cutlery, and a credit card machine that wasn’t working, and you would be tempted to call it a disservice.

    You could consider dropping in if you’re around Ulsoor and need a quick bite, but the place really needs to do some soul searching. Urban Solace calls itself a ‘cafe for the soul’, and indeed, the poetry reading sessions and something about the ambiance does show potential in this regard, but sadly, amidst the soul proprietorship attempts, the food seems to have been forgotten. Many of the items in the menu were not available, and though we did manage to have a decent meal, we weren’t really sold on it.

    Urban Solace, 32, Annaswamy Mudaliar Road, (between Foto Flash and Tamil Sangam) Bangalore – 42. Tel: 25553656

  • Tattv

    The review was first published in Bangalore Mirror. Though the tattv remains the same, the presentation has been changed 😉

    For those familiar with Umerkot in Koramangala, this one belongs to the same family – AST foods. Gautam had mentioned this earlier to me, and given me enough of a glowing recommendation to warrant a visit before the official review. So I dropped in on a Sunday that also saw me ogling at Harley Davidson bikes and merchandise and then dragging the vehicle to fix a puncture. No, not the Harley, my Activa. 😀

    Tattv is on Lavelle Road, just before Mocha, Java City and above Barista Lavazza. That’s one crossroad to be at when coming down Lavelle Road. If you go back, Shezan and 3 Storys, turn left and there’s Spiga, The Egg Factory, (one way notwithstanding) turn right for Khansama and other UB City splendours, and go straight for coffee floods and Tattv. What we chose, is elementary.

    If you, like my guests for the day, agree that valet parking on Lavelle Road is a boon in itself, then consider yourself blessed. A stylised yet understated ambiance, using red, gold and black to good effect. The stone jaalis, the jharokhas and the menu with the golden tinge, all lend a touch of class to the place and ensure a setting that matches the richness of the food. Vegetarians would specially appreciate the different colored drinking glasses. And if you get the seats that face the road, you also get a view of the Harley Davidson store. 🙂

    According to various Indian schools of philosophy, a “Tattv” is an element or aspect of reality conceived as an aspect of deity. Wikipedia agrees, but when a menu says that on the front page, you wonder if the heavy, deity food for thought will overshadow the real reason for visiting the restaurant – the dietary aspect. Thankfully that elementary part of a good dining experience– great food, is completely taken care of at this new restaurant on Lavelle Road.

    The idea here is to present cuisine samplings from across the sub continent and Central Asia, using five culinary elements. So you find Goa mixing with Rajasthan and Kerala with Lebanon in the same menu section. Intrigued? Here’s the menu (click to enlarge)

    As you can see, it consists principally of five culinary elements – Tandoor, Sigri, Tawa, Kadhai and Curries. Though there are enough choices that tempt you to consider a kebab-only meal, there are many main course dishes that will vie for your attention too. The Bhutte ke kebab with its tender corn is a great start for the vegetarians. The Tandoori Tamatar Shorba, though, was particularly bland and conspicuously absent was the tomato flavour. For the non vegetarians, the mutton seekh kebab, with pomegranate as the surprise element, is quite a good choice, as is the Murgh ki Chaanpan, with its dash of paprika.

    Among the main course dishes, the Dal Makhni, was a favourite. But the Dum Olav, though promised as a spicy curry, turned out sweetish.  The Machli Dum Pukht, seer fish stuffed with salmon, and the Laal Maas with an obvious red chilli base, are must-have items. The Murgh Dhaniwal paled in comparison to the non veg titans! The light-as-a-cloud Gilafi Kulcha, and the ghee laden heavy Warqi Paratha are both good, but the Ulta Tawa Paratha steals the show.

    And if all that’s not enough, some unique desserts seriously compound your worries on what to focus on while ordering. there’s no pardon if you haven’t left space for the sinful Chocolate Gujia, and if you’re not really a chocoholic, you could try the Gulab Jamun stuffed with Gulkand.

    On the cost front, for Rs.1500, you could share a non veg starter, a couple of non veg main course dishes accompanied by a few rotis, and a dessert. When you consider the quality of food and the ambiance, the cost does seem justified.

    Tattv gets a high five and is definitely worth a visit on all counts. Great food, classy ambiance, courteous staff and some splendid music together ensure that all the elements are in place for a great experience.

    Tattv, 1st Floor, 25/4, Lavelle Road, Bangalore – 1. Tel: 41552225

  • Peppa Zzing

    This review was first published in Bangalore Mirror, and though the title I had given was ‘Zzing is King’, someone obviously loves playing with articles, so it was edited to ‘Zzing is the King’ :|. Anyway, this is a revised version.

    So, Peppa Zzing opened shop on October 4th, and is run by popular MC Mark Rego and his wife Rini. It owes its name to their daughter who thought ‘zing’ best denoted the food, happiness and colours of the outlet. The ‘Peppa’ just adds to the spice. And thus food soldiers on Infantry Road now have a new place to focus their attack on. Parking shouldn’t be difficult. There’s all of Infantry Road and even the Safina Plaza area. Walk a bit, trust me, it’ll help.

    Pleazing, that’s how the ambiance can be described. Peppa Zzing has a typical fast food place feel to it, with functional furniture, and a prominently displayed menu. But the bright red hues and the pictures add a zing to what otherwise might have been a predictable setting.

    Guests for the evening were Umesh and Ranjani. Many thanks to Umesh for not chickening out despite a minor accident on the way. The third person I’d invited called me just as I entered the place to give me a flimsy excuse after confirming just half an hour back. I’m just barely resisting the urge to link his twitter account here. Thankfully, good friend (of mine and all things edible) Gautam John was around to beef up the efforts.

    The menu is not really big, but after my encounter with the Whammy, that’s not something I’d accuse the burgers of. They also have plans to add some steaks soon. Gautam, Umesh and I focused on the meatier portions of the menu, even as Ranjani volunteered to test the greener side.

    (click for larger image)

    The menu has burgers for three player levels – the regular Burger for the beginner, the Monster Burger for the advanced and the Whammy is quite obviously a multi-player option, except for those six brave people (including a woman) who have managed to finish it so far. If you can get there by 1 pm today, you can perhaps be part of the Whammy challenge and win a trip to Goa.

    We started with a Bar-be-cued Chicken wings, which suffered thanks to a domineering sauce, and the Cheesed Fries were a bit too hard for our liking. But the Potato Wedges were done well, though tending towards bland. The lamb and beef burgers were fantastic. The patty was crisp on the outside, tender on the inside and the toppings we tried – mushroom, fried egg and cheese complemented it well. The Whammy Burger is a planet in itself and I just managed to explore half of it.  The Pasta with Tomato sauce also did not disappoint. A few more dessert options would help, as the Hot chocolate fudge we tried was only average.

    The service was quick, helpful and there were hardly any delays. Though the place was definitely value-for-money, they don’t mean plastic money, but we were told that they’d start accepting credit cards in a couple of days. If you have any sort of inclination for fast food, this is definitely the place to drop in. You need solid guts to vanquish the Whammy burger, and from experience, it’s a battle you need to win in your mind first!

    Peppa Zzing, G-18, Kedia Arcade, 92 Infantry Road Ph: 41232843

    Menu at Zomato

  • O! Ustaad

    This review was first published in Bangalore Mirror. This is a much modified account.

    Thanks to the Gateway Hotel, you could end your gastronomic journey on Residency Road with ‘Arre huzoor, wah Taj boliye’. But in case you were wondering how to begin, you now have hope, in the form of O! Ustaad, at the other end. This is right after the St.Marks Road/Residency Road junction and placed under a certain Purple Haze, literally. Here’s a map. (the arrow mark is the right location) Parking should not be too difficult, since you have Hayes Road/ Convent Road also nearby.

    O! Ustaad claims to be an ‘asli Indian restaurant’, serving you the best fare from Lucknow to Mumbai and Delhi to Konkan with nazakat and nafasat, but we journeyed from the delight of Wah! Ustaad to the despair of Waah! Ustaad.

    This is one of the places where you shouldn’t go by outside appearances, because though the frontage might seem a tad dingy, the interior is bright and peppy. O! Ustaad definitely serves up an attitude and has a penchant for wordplay, judging from ‘Facebhook’ and ‘LaLoo’. The photographs of street food, and an eclectic mix of music from Junoon to classic rock, all add up to a unique character. So much for the mahaaul, now for the real haul.

    The menu may not be spread over a lot of pages, but it covers much ground in terms of geography. Kebabs from Lucknow, fish dishes from Goa and Bengal, vegetarian fare from Himachal and Punjab, and Old Delhi specialities, together ensure that both vegetarians and meat eaters are kept happy. Add to this the uniqueness of many of the items and the day’s special dishes and you’ll find that there’s no dearth of choice. Take a look. (click for larger image)

    From the 3 starters we tried, the Mutton Kulfi (one of the Day’s specials) was easily the best. The combination of melt-in-the-mouth mutton and a green chilly laden coating made it a unanimous favourite. The two starters we ordered from the regular menu were disappointing. The Pondicherry Bullet Paneer had no proof about the bullet or Pondicherry, and one of my friends had to be pacified as she felt she’d been conned into buying a Paneer Pakoda! The accompanying honey-lime dip didn’t make a good combination either. The ‘famous’ Chicken Salli Kebab was more potato than chicken.

    Himachali Dhingri Dhulma Lucknowi Gosht Korma Prawn Malai curry Bengali style Anda Paratha

    In the main course, the ones that impressed were the Murgh Khatte Pyaaz, with its unique gravy of vinegar soaked onions, pepper and yogurt, and the Himachali Dhingri Dhulma, with mushroom, capsicum and paneer in a slightly spicy gravy. The Lucknowi Gosht Korma, though decent, was lost in the bargain. The Anda Paratha is definitely worth a try too, and though the Gobi Paratha had an extra helping of chillies, it was still reasonably good, as was the Aloo Paratha. The Prawn Malai curry Bengali style had an excellent creamy gravy which was ruined by the overcooked, rubbery prawns. The Chicken Nasi biriyani, which was another Day’s special, was, as one of my friends put it, Tomato rice with chicken. Somewhere in the kitchen, a cooking oil well has been discovered, judging by the liberal usage. Though the menu lists 4 desserts, which we were eager to try, we were told that they weren’t available. The apple and chocolate pies we were offered instead were both quite avoidable.

    The service was quite prompt, and Jitesh, who looks after the Bangalore outlet, did a good job of helping us choose the dishes, especially since the day’s specials didn’t have explanations. O!Ustaad is worth a visit when you’re in that part of town.  A meal for two would cost about Rs.800. Though some of the dishes fell short of expectations, the uniqueness of the menu and a cheerful ambiance should make up for the shortfall. They also have lunch buffets which seemed reasonably priced.

    O! Ustaad, Below Purple Haze, 17/1, Residency Road, Bangalore – 560025 Ph: 080 41518147