Our last night out in 2023. We bet on the traffic being low on the night before New Year’s eve, and were thankfully right. I had seen Yuki from the metro, and thought the ambiance was great. And indeed it was. Yuki is on the second floor of a building that gives you a world of options – Leon on the ground floor, and I think, a North Indian restaurant, coming up soon on the first. As the name suggests, Yuki has Pan Asian cuisine.
(more…)Category: Indiranagar
-
Gawky Goose
We have almost stopped travelling to Bangalore for food, but since my first visit with the office crowd went reasonably well, and we had to find a meeting point half way, the Irish-themed Gawky Goose on Wind Tunnel Road seemed like a good option. It’s a fairly large space with three distinct sections. While the central section has predominantly plush settings with sofas and wing chairs, the two others are outdoor and al-fresco and more like a regular bar. The good part is that none of them really feel congested. And on weekend afternoons, there is a pleasant vibe.
We began with my regular Old Fashioned and a Brandy Sour for D. The only gripe with this was the pricing – quite high for a 30ml. However, since they had an offer running, we hardly paid anything for it!
The food menu is pretty expansive and has a whole lot of cuisines. We began with the Coorgi (sic) Pork that was superbly cooked and had just the right amount of spice. It came with soft Kadambuttu that complemented the taste very well. Up next was the Dan Dan Chicken and Water Chestnut Dim Sum, which had excellent spicy sauce and dim sums with great texture.
Since the first round of dim sum worked, we ordered Chicken & Basil for the kids, and that was a success too. The Kung Pao Chicken was sweet and spicy with Hoisin sauce and Shaoxing sauce, a good break from the flavours thus far. And finally, we tried the Ghee Roast Chicken-stuffed Paddu. I am not a Paddu fan but this I was happy with. I did wonder whether they could have been more experimental than the standard chutney.
We were reasonably stuffed, and tried only a couple of mains. The Spicy Chicken Diavola lived up to its name and the devil-style sauce, though the usual jalapeños were ditched in favour of peri peri sauce, pepper confit, chilli flakes and a topping of arugula. And finally, to calm everything down, we ended with a Grilled Chicken Breast, with red wine jus, Bok Choy and what someone called man-made-cauliflower – broccoli!
A meal for two would be in the Rs.2000-2500 range. The service is prompt, and it’s worth mentioning that they employ at least two visually-impaired folks. That’s worth a clap. The food was quite good, and if it weren’t for the distance, we’d probably drop in again. If you’re looking for something a little different from the vanilla Indiranagar watering holes, this one is it.
Gawky Goose, #77, Wind Tunnel Road, Murugeshpalya Ph: 9901787273
-
Inntense Restobar
We made the trek to Indiranagar because the first part of the name described the last few months, and the second half was exactly what we needed. Actually, it happened to be midway for all parties, and it was expansive with no air conditioning. Am I justifying too much? Ok. Let’s move on.
The entry to this place is a little tricky. I suspect that we were not the first folks to try the entrance behind the 3M showroom. We saw another couple do the same while we were leaving. But only a few would have climbed up four flights of stairs before realising their mistake! 😐 The tiny gate after the 3M building is the actual entrance, and thankfully, there’s only a lift!
It was surprisingly packed for a Saturday afternoon, and I don’t think they were prepared for it!
It all began sweetly. Actually, a little too sweetly. I can understand the Belgian Chocoholic (dark chocolate ganache and dark rum) and even the Sangria being sweet, but the Old Fashioned needs a balance. And they didn’t get that right. The Sangria was actually not bad, and thanks to the dose of brandy, D was extra happy until late evening!
We were famished by the time we got there, ans thankfully, they were able to get the Wings pretty fast. The Bhoot Jholokia version wasn’t available, and we were recommended the Peri Peri (not on the menu). This was spicy enough to make me forget the sweetness of the Old Fashioned for a while. But then began the extensive delay!
We had to remind them about all the dishes we ordered, at least twice. When the twice-cooked pork belly finally arrived, it was half cooked. The insides were frozen! A complete waste of pork. The Calamari was probably fresh – judging by the delay, it had arrived at our table straight from the coast!
Such were the delays that we worried that the mains would equate to dinner! But we persevered. Unfortunately, it wasn’t worth the wait. Both the dishes we tried – the Spaghetti Carbonara and the Fully Loaded Meat pizza were insipid in terms of flavours. Meanwhile, even by the end of the meal, the Akuri on toast we had ordered a couple of hours ago hadn’t materialised.
But a word of mention for the courtesy of the staff. They tried their best to make up for the inefficiency of the kitchen (I think they were short-staffed). They even got a couple of milkshakes for the kids, though it wasn’t on the menu.
A meal for two with a couple of drinks, and an equal number of starters and mains would set you back by around Rs.2500.
Inntense Restobar, 4th floor, Smart Square Complex, #3, 100 Feet Rd, Indiranagar, Bengaluru Ph: 9513099663
-
Bohemians
Bohemia in the heart of Indiranagar would seem an impossibility, but Bohemians does manage to get it done. My first visit was with colleagues and since I knew D would love the decor, I decided to give her a surprise and we braved the traffic to Indiranagar on a Saturday evening.
I was given a surprise by the folks there who said the entire indoor section was closed for pest control. A restaurant choosing to do that on a Saturday evening is indeed Bohemian! Thankfully, on promising that we wouldn’t grab a table, we were allowed to look around a bit before taking a table outside. This section, facing 12th Main, is a great alfresco option too – the transparent fiberglass makes sure the view of the open sky, and tree isn’t obstructed. That’s if you want to look up. You could also raise your spirits by looking sideways – at the bar! Oh yes, there was a “no photos” challenge too, which I tend to happily accept in public spaces. In this case, why would you not want people to share this lovely looking space!
It was the perfect weather for the Portobello markets mulled wine that D ordered, and enjoyed much. I went with a Turkish version of my favourite drink – Old Fashioned. Normally, I dislike any variations, but cardamom bitters are an exception, because the aroma adds to the experience.
The Ukranian Borscht seemed like a good place to start. My intense dislike for beetroot was balanced by the love for beef. The soup was flavourful and delicious, though I missed the sour cream topping. The Banana Leaf Wrapped fish (Patra Ni Machi) got the green chutney perfect and the garnish added a little texture.
Since we were eyeing the dessert section already, we decided to go light on the mains – the Barbeque Chicken seemed perfect. I found the sauce a tad too sweet for my liking, but was distracted enough by the bacon. The Oreo Peanut Butter pie has obvious greatness in the name itself and is a great way to end the meal – excellent ganache and surprisingly light.
The service is helpful and prompt, which was a surprise since I had heard exactly the opposite! The playlist is perfect for the mood of the place. The wallet was lighter by a shade short of Rs.3200. Drop in when you’re around 12th Main, for good food and a unique experience.
Bohemians, 966, 12th Main Rd, Indiranagar Ph: 9880435789
-
Punkah House
Punkah House has its fans, and they have been recommending the place for a while now. But we really didn’t have the appetite to negotiate traffic, and kept postponing the visit until we got one of those weekends when people leave Bangalore for a long weekend and transport it to the past. That also meant that we arrived earlier than anticipated. Not complaining, since we hopped over to the church of Magnolia (judging by the lines of those of us who waited patiently in a queue for salvation) to get ourselves some banana pudding for later.
Punkah House is undeniably classy, and barring the honking, manages to keep the chaos of 12th Main out. The decor and wicker furniture on the first floor, where we sat, would remind you of an older era of clubs. There are other sections too, each with a distinct nuanced layer over the broad colonial theme.
The menu follows this with dishes from the subcontinent with a lot of representation from Ceylon and Burma and of course, India, albeit with a contemporary twist. An amuse-bouche arrived – sago with a zingy sauce – even as we were debating over drinks – which one to order, that is! D chose a Tokyo Tomo, and I asked for the Brigadier. The first has sake, lime and a mild pandan leaf flavoured gin, altogether quite refreshing. The Brigadier’s presentation is quite something, and bourbon, absinthe and bitters made for a fantastic drink that one could nurse for a long time!
The Chorizo and lentil Goa vada was intriguing enough for us to try, and it delivered an excellent texture in addition to the combination that worked well together, helped by a spicy chutney that came along! We then went into zombie mode and ordered an Old Bombay Brain Scramble hoppum. I know appam (from my homeland) and hopper (from Lanka) but it seems the combination is a word! Curiously enough, it was served with coconut and chilli-tomato chutneys that are more of dosa BFFs. It wasn’t bad though and in any case we were distracted enough by the delicious brain! Midway through this, we were served another hoppum. We thought the staff were going above and beyond, but turned out it was billed. Oh well, getting punked at Punkah House is probably par for the course.
There were a bunch of mains we wanted to try, but we were stuffed. The Rustic Chicken flat bread with fermented chilli salsa turned out to be a safe bet. Chocolate won over Kapimisu but the Eton Mess was the only dish that we would file under just ok, at least in terms of flavour if not texture.
The bill was a a hefty Rs. 3400+ affair, but given the location, ambiance and quality of food, I wouldn’t complain. The service is friendly, the vibe is unlike anything else in the vicinity and we’ll definitely make the trek again.
Punkah House, 2989/B, 1st Floor, 12th Main Road, Indiranagar Ph: 41471005
