Category: Indiranagar

  • Curry Meen

    Curry Meen has been on our radar for quite a while, but considering that we live in Keramangala, with multiple Mallu food options, we had been ignoring it. Thanks to a sale at Bangalore Central and my excitement towards checking out the Bangalore Metro, we zoomed in on Curry Meen, which is close to the Indiranagar Metro stop. The restaurant is located on the Double Road between CMH Road and BDA complex, Indiranagar. A not-so-accurate map here. It’s actually after that 5th Main junction when going from CMH Road.

    Parking wouldn’t be very difficult. There’s space inside the compound, as well as options on the road outside. We saw an inactive Dosa Counter downstairs and some minimal seating on the ground floor, and proceeded to the first floor, which offered a decent view of the relatively uncrowded Double Road. On the way back, we also noticed that they had another room upstairs, where seating was available, but whose lights were switched off. 🙂 They’d probably open it only if required.

    The menu can be found here, and is a bit of a Malabar-Chinese collaboration. We were here for the Kerala food, so we focused solely on that. The Mussels were not available, so we marked our protest by ordering a Hot & Sour Chicken soup and then started the actual meal with a Jinsi Chicken Kebab (half) and a Malabar Fish Fry. The soup was a homage to the pepper trade from Malabar, and our eyes watered at this historical hat tip, and for other reasons. The Jinsi Chicken was an attempt at Pakodas, it seemed, and a failed one at that. Avoid! The (seer) fish was quite good with a spicy masala coating.

    For the main course, we asked for a plate of appam, a Malabar Paratha, a Fish Moilee and a Kozhi (chicken) curry. I’ve tasted several poor versions of the Fish Moilee, but this one was an outright disaster. The appams didn’t help either. The chicken curry was thankfully quite tasty, spicy and seemed like a relative of the varutharacha curry, but without the coconut. Figure that. The Chicken Biriyani was served with an egg (extra points for that) and was reasonably good.

    The staff didn’t seem to be from Kerala, but that didn’t hamper the experience much. They were quite prompt. All of the above cost us just over Rs.850. I think I’ll stick to our Koramangala favourites.

    CurryMeen, No:218, Double Road, 1st Stage, Indiranagar,  Ph:42283999

  • Huckleberry

    First published in Bangalore Mirror.

    The original Adventures of Huckleberry Finn begins after Tom Sawyer and Huck come into a fortune. In the modern day Bangalore retelling, an investment banker couple build a brick oven on the terrace of their parents’ house; the pizzas become a rage, the idea of a wood fired pizzeria is born; their friends get involved in the décor – painting all the chairs- and the rest, is a restaurant! Located on 100 feet Road, Indiranagar, after the CMH road junction when coming from Koramangala, and right next to TOIT, on the first floor. (map) Yes, valet parking is available, and two wheelers can encroach upon the wide pavement!

    In addition to the Tom Sawyer-ish paint job above, the place also owes its name to a berry that has a second degree connection to the kind of cheesecakes it specialises in, and managed to fit in well as the fun, whimsy name the owners wanted.

    The best tribute that one can give to any original work is to ensure that the character remains alive. And character is something Huckleberry has oodles of. From the tree that nonchalantly makes its way up through the restaurant, to the painted chairs, the funky graphics and the wooden fireplace, the place somehow manages to mix a lively, vibrant ambiance with a warm, laidback feel. Peppy music at just the right volume adds to this. Tom Petty seems to be a favourite. But that’s enough about the place, and on to the menu before you start yawning! The printed menu only has a few pages and focuses on pizzas, drinks and desserts, but they augment it with a weekly special menu on the blackboard.

    When pizza’s on the mind, starters might seem a bit of a distraction, but a few things on the menu looked interesting. The Herbed Lemonade, in which basil, lemongrass and green apple vied for attention, had basil emerging as the clear winner and also did a good job of whetting the appetite. The Berry Happy was a mix of cranberry, strawberry, grape and lemon juice, but what it really did was to take us back a few years – to the time we consumed Poppins by the dozen! The only drink that disappointed was the Virgin Mojito. In case you’d like to experiment with wines, or wine based cocktails, there are a few options available too.

    The Chicken Consommé soup came with its own dumpling but the mild chicken and caramelised onion flavours didn’t really impress. The Chicken and Prawn Bruschetta was a much better dish – crispy bread with the chicken version being helped by a creamy cheese presence and the prawns aided by herbs. The pick of the starters was the colourful Spicy Chicken Salad, which actually lived up to its name and didn’t take advantage of the ‘salad’ – the chicken wasn’t just a token presence.

    The Smoked Turkey pizza was an automatic choice and Rithika (the co-owner, who helps out at the restaurant after her day job!) suggested that we add a jalapeno topping. It worked brilliantly with the cold cuts and the herbs and made it our favourite main course dish. The Meat Feast had a stellar cast including lamb and pepperoni but lost its pizzazz a bit with a slightly burnt thin crust and its disproportionately high contribution to the bill.

    The Baked Pesto Chicken was the most photogenic of the dishes and the creamy pesto sauce was ample proof that it wasn’t just a pretty face. But the Pan Seared Sea Bass with Lemongrass and Coriander was unfortunately just that. Though the fish seemed fresh, it was also quite bland and the rest of the ingredients were just titular. The Chicken Tortellini was reasonably good, but could’ve been made better with a thicker, creamier sauce.

    There is a significant chance that when I visit this place next, I’d start with the desserts. I’m usually quite racist when it comes to chocolate and prefer dark over white, but the White Chocolate Mousse (with lime) easily won the desserts crown. The Dark Chocolate Mousse tried valiantly, but though it kept its status as a reliable favourite, it was an unfair fight from the time we tasted the other. If you don’t mind a strong cinnamon flavour, the Huckleberry Special is something you might want to try. The Blueberry Cheesecake got the texture right, but I missed the tart flavour and the cheese presence was underwhelming.

    A meal for two here would cost about about Rs.800, with which you could share a non alcoholic drink, a non veg starter, a non veg pizza and a dessert. You’ll get that bill in a folder that has an image of the first edition book cover of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. With a unique identity based on its food and ambiance, Huckleberry is probably a place that you’d like to visit more than once, for its homely charm and lively atmosphere. Mark Twain’s has said “Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.”  So don’t be afraid to try out the pastas, pizzas, wine and desserts all at one go. 🙂

    Huckleberry, No: 298, 100 feet Road, Indiranagar, Ph: 8040917416

    PS: Huckleberry takes an off on Monday.

  • A Taste of Rampur

    The Koramangala version was one of the first restaurants reviewed here, and the review of the Indiranagar version first appeared in Bangalore Mirror.

    The restaurant is located right after the flyover when coming from Koramangala, above Bombay Store. (map) Don’t try the U immediately after the flyover – there are cops waiting for you. 🙂 Two-wheelers can be parked right next to it, and more wheels will be taken care of by valet parking.

    As per the restaurant’s own description, Rampur is a princely state in the upper regions of Uttar Pradesh, which has been influenced by Afghan Rohillas, Mughals, Rajputs as well as the British, in addition to its homegrown Nawabs. But Bollywood is probably a bigger influencer since Jaya Prada has been beating the royalty in elections regularly. Apparently, the food still owes much of its allegiance to its Nawabi heritage – ‘rich’, and cooked in ghee. That and the fact that it had a bias towards non-vegetarian delicacies were key factors in prompting a visit. With a gigantic hookah, swords and a shield, fez worn by the staff, and comfortable seating, some of the place’ character is indeed reflected in the restaurant itself. You can find the menu at Zomato. The beverages menu is quite exhaustive, and includes wines, champagnes and mocktails too.

    When life gives you a lime, it might not be a bad idea to add some chaat masala, and that’s what makes a Nimbu Pani Rampuri, which would’ve been quite good if not for the dominant masala flavour. The Mix Vegetable Shorba was thick, creamy and a decent start to the meal. It was definitely a few notches higher than the Murgh Badami Shorba, a thin soup which the Badam didn’t deem worthy enough for an extended presence. The best of the starters was the Bhune Hue Subzi ke Sheek Kabab, mildly spicy and coarse, in terms of texture. The fish didn’t seem to have bought into the concept of Mahi Sarson ka Tikka. Not only was it unevenly cooked, it also suffered from a dominance of mustard and an absence of any other flavour. The Galowti (sic) Kabab was much better fare and though it wasn’t at ‘melt in the mouth’ levels, it did get pretty close.

    The veg dominance continued in the main course too, with the Rampuri Dal Tadki wali – mixed dal, smooth and mildly spicy – becoming the favourite. The Paneer Lababdar came a close second with its thick consistency and creamy flavour. The Gosht Kundan Kaliya did sound like a Bollywood movie remix, but proved a fairly good dish with tender meat and a mildly spicy gravy with a dash of turmeric. We weren’t that fortunate with the Murgh Makkan Rampuri which had a tasty gravy but was spoiled by the chicken itself – hard and bland. There was unfortunately nothing khaas about the Rampuri Kaas Paratha, and the Taftan, in addition to being slightly burnt, lacked the saffron-cardamom flavours that make it special. The Ulta Tawa ka Paratha was relatively the best of the breads, though it did skimp on the ghee. The Murg Dum Biriyani also did not live up to expectations, and though the chicken was good, and the portion size large, the overly sticky and flavourless rice let it down. It needs to be mentioned that none of the dishes were really ‘heavy’, but considering the Ram’pure’ desi ghee proposition that the restaurant claims, that’s not really a good thing.

    The spectre of dessert unavailability that seems to be following me around refused to let go here too, though its presence was limited to the Kesar Rasmalai and the Shahi Tukda. The soft Kesar Gulab Jamoon was the best of the lot though the Kesar itself couldn’t attend. The Matka Kulfi wasn’t so bad either though it could’ve been sweeter. The Phirni was quite insipid, and the Rampur ka Sewian was completely ignored, after the first tasting.

    A meal for two would cost roughly Rs.1200, and they also have lunch and dinner buffets available on weekdays and weekends. The restaurant’s self proclaimed bias for non veg dishes fell flat on its face with the veg dishes clearly upstaging them. There seemed to be a focus on the buffet, which could explain the service staff trying to nudge us towards it, as well as the average delivery of the a la carte offering.

    A Taste of Rampur, #4031, 1st Floor (aboveBombay Store),100 Ft Road, Indiranagar, HAL 2nd Stage, Ph: 080 42156000

  • Thulsi N Thyme

    Kyunki sauce bhi kabhi herb thi. Two can play at that game eh? But seriously, a restaurant with a name like that does manage to grab your attention. I’d been seeing the name a bit at my regular online haunts, but this was one time when one column led to another. Well, almost. I was covering Poshvine (if you’re a foodie in Bangalore, you should check it out) for my startup column, and seeing Thulsi N Thyme listed there, went ahead and reserved a table via Poshvine.

    TnT (from now on) is located on 100 feet Road, Indiranagar, after the 12th Main signal when going from Koramangala, (map) above Touche and Cream Centre. For now, only the 4th floor is open though they plan to expand to the next soon. The resturant has, what they call an Indopean theme, in terms of the menu. The alfresco section, with the tree canopy around, did manage to provide a wonderful ambiance, despite the mild rain and strong winds that played havoc with the menu card. In a wonderful display of un-snobbery, one of the service staff even quipped that they should probably look at heavier menu cards. Nice 🙂 The plan is to provide some kind of screens soon. On to the menu (there is a beverage menu too, and they seem to have a decent collection of wines, cocktails, mocktails….)

       

    (click for larger image)

    In addition to the Indopean menu, there was also a pure North Indian 2 pager. We started with an Asparagus and Red Capsicum soup. A deliciously thick soup, and presented well. The red capsicum portion hit the spot but the asparagus portion disappointed slightly, and the hard garlic bread didn’t help either. We then tried the Burrah chop Lazeez, which was reasonably good. The meat was tender, and the char grilling only a couple of notches below perfect. There seemed to be a cardamon twist to the mayo(?) that came with it. Quite good, as was the tapenade.

    For the main course, we asked for the Stuffed Chicken Makhani and the Baked India Salmon. The fish was wonderfully cooked and the only small let down was again the bread. The stuffing in the chicken was goat cheese, which together with the subtly flavoured risotto, ensured that we were stuffed too. 🙂 Unfortunately that meant we couldn’t try the desserts. 🙁

    The thing that works for Thulsi N Thyme is the balance they maintain between the Indian and European constituents in the dishes, and yet manage to bring out both. It’s quite a fresh take on the dishes we’re used to. Well worth a visit, and if you want to make it a bit more special, go back to the top, and get there the same way I did. 🙂

    Thulsi N Thyme, 4th & 5th Floor, #762, 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar Ph: 25271555/666

  • Applewood

    It’s been a while since we left the safe confines of Koramangala city and explored dining options in the suburbs. And thus it was that we decided to try out Applewood, the newly opened restaurant in Indiranagar. It’s on 100 feet Road, above the Van Heusen showroom, just after the 12th Main junction when going from Koramangala. Here’s a map to get you there. There’s basement parking, so you don’t need to worry on that score.

    Applewood is on the 3rd floor, and is more partly open than really alfresco, with a few seating options facing the 100 ft Road – 2 and 4 seaters. The ambiance is quite pleasant, and wood indeed dominates. Music is 90s pop including MLTR. 🙂 The menu is mostly continental, with plenty of pasta options, but also has sizzlers, and a smattering of Mexican and Spanish. You can see the complete food and liquor menu at Zomato.  Meanwhile, the placemat spelling did manage to confuse me. Though there are no soup options on the menu, except as part of the pasta combination, they do serve it if you ask for it. But we went for a Pema Chicken, which is billed as ‘must try’. It turned out that it indeed was. A kind of spicy kebab-like dish complemented extremely well with a Skinner’s chutney and a smooth mint chutney.

    For the main course, we decided to check out the sizzlers. The Roast Clay Pot Chicken was only moderately spicy and the skewers reminded us more of kababs than anything else. The Cheesy Chicken Fungi got the chicken breast right but skimped on the cheese and cream. The onion rings were also soggy. For dessert, we asked for the Very Good Chocolate Cake. It turned out to be Very Long in making, but was thankfully worth it. Bit costly at Rs.195, but boy, it’s XL!! Make sure you leave enough room for it.

    The service is quite enthusiastic, and only the serving time for dessert was a downer. All of the above including the service charge and tax cost us just over Rs.1300. Do give it a shot if you’re in the area and are in the mood for some fine dining.

    Applewood, No: 760, 3rd Floor, Above Van Heusen Showroom, 100 Ft Road, Indiranagar Ph: 40942311