Category: Whitefield

  • Geist

    And thus it is, that after six months, finally there’s a food post here! When I wrote the last one in March, I wondered whether at the time of publishing it – May – the virus would be in the rear view mirror. What an underestimation that was! The actual time till the next visit turned out to be seven and a half months. That’s the kind of year 2020 has been. True to the spirit of the year, we visited Geist on Halloween, a couple of days after they had opened. The photographs I had seen on Twitter did a good job of convincing us to finally step out!

    The location is accurate on Maps, though after we passed the gate, the looping path did give us a few moments of doubt on whether the place was open. Later, I also wondered whether this would add to the loopiness as one was getting out of the place after a few beers! Anyway, we were finally rewarded with  open spaces,  abundant greenery, and excellent beer and food. As Mr.Narayan, the CEO of Geist pointed out, a banyan, a peepal and craft beer do make a good recipe for nirvana! Word had definitely gotten around, because we found the place fairly packed. I mean that loosely because there was enough space between tables. Also present were the other “artefacts” of this era – sanitisers at multiple touch points (punintended), and masked service staff.

    We first ordered what we came for – craft beer! Six out of the nine beers were available, I started with a German Lager and D asked for a James Blond. The latter turned out to be a good way to tip the hat to Sean Connery, though we didn’t hear the news until later. The lager had the perfect level of maltiness, and the Blond, a Belgian ale, was smooth and fresh. Since good pork was something that had eluded us for a while, we immediately agreed on the Pork Seekh. Well cooked, great flavours and superb texture. From the tricolour dip, I loved the spicy red the best. The Bacon Thecha Kulcha was next. More subtle than the previous dish, we would have loved to see more bacon in this one.

    I liked the sound, and taste, of James Blond enough to have it for my second round. D went with a Witty Wit, a light and easy drink. The Coorgi Pork (should be Coorg is my understanding) was quite enticing, but we finally went with the Baffat Pork Cutlet, which came with an excellent spicy gravy and spaetzle. A great way to end an Oktoberfest that never was!

    The service was friendly and polite. An excellent rock playlist enhanced the ambiance, and we felt lighter by a little short of Rs.2400. A dine out after more than 200 days though, felt priceless!

    Geist Brewing Factory – Restaurant & Beer Garden, No.23/3, 21st KM Stone, Old Madras Road Nimbekaipura, Bidarahalli, Uttarahalli Hobli, Bengaluru Ph: 8861557576

  • Fox in the Field

    Each time we visited Forum Shantiniketan, we wondered when the sign would evolve into an actual microbrewery, and finally, sometime in early January, it actually happened! The craft beer menu wasn’t available on Zomato so we called to confirm. After reasonably meh experiences at multiple eateries in the mall (Rassasy by Barcelos, Smokehouse Deli, Uno Chicago Bar & Grill) and only Punjab Grill being the saving grace, we were naturally cautious and expectations were minimal.

    Seating should never be a problem here – there are 4 floors, including one that seemed like a mini amphitheater! We chose the terrace option on a crisp Saturday night. Part covered, part al fresco, it has comfortable seating options for different group sizes. Bacardi seems to have branded the fox’s den, if one goes by this floor’s decor.

    Of the five craft beers available, we skipped two – the Chocolate Stout and the Tripel IPA. We began with a Hefeweizen, which from experience is the safest bet. This one was no exception, and seemed fresh as well. The Saison Farmhouse had an intriguing description – “champagne of the beer world”. A pale ale, highly carbonated, it had a touch of sour that worked well.

    The Dabeli pizza with bacon was interesting since they don’t really occur naturally together. The bacon was only the topping but its texture and the spiciness of the dabeli complemented each other very well. Naan Pops also was an interesting dish – we chose the Butter Chicken option and it didn’t disappoint. A good time to note that if you like pork, the menu has a ton of options across cuisines.

    We then tried the lager – spicy hops and a refreshing zing! For mains, we chose the Linguine with lamb dumplings. The pasta itself was a little suspect, but the tomato based sauce, and the lamb dumplings made up for it. The bread too contributed with texture and taste.

    The dessert options didn’t excite us much, so we skipped.

    The bill came to a little over Rs.1800, which is absolutely a good deal given the location and the quality of beer and food. The service was friendly and prompt, and the playlist was perfect evening lounge. This one we will repeat!

    Fox in the Field, Forum Shantiniketan Mall, Whitefield Ph: 47483072

  • Lord of the Drinks

    Given the name, the ideal location would’ve been the Ring Road, but this one is in the Mahadevpura part of Middle Earth. Specifically, Phoenix Market City, and just so you don’t wander and get lost, its large signage is difficult to miss when you’re standing in front of the mall.

    We were early and got ourselves a table on the first floor that gave us a view of the mall’s front yard, and the road beyond. The table seemed to have started early, without us, and was already wobbling when we joined its company. We shifted to a less wobbly one. The seating is comfortable and the decor and the high ceiling lend the place a distinct look and feel.

    Since my regulars were unavailable, I opted for a Black Jack Whiskey, and D got herself a Cucumber & Basil Sangria. Black berry, ginger ale and lime juice actually worked well with the whiskey. I found D’s sangria a little too sweet for my liking, but since she didn’t agree, everything was fine!

    The food menu is elaborate and you’ll be spoilt for choice. We finally mixed cuisines and went with a Spicy Chicken Katsu and Kalonji Mutton kebabs. The first had shichimi and tonkatsu (spelled wrongly in the menu) sauce which made it perfectly spicy. They were also generous with some surprisingly good wasabi. The pepper malai added a zing to the mutton kebabs though the Malabar parantha (sic) was quite off.

    The Spicy Chettinad Chicken Pizza sounded promising and though it wasn’t spectacular, it did a fairly good job. For dessert, we had the Boozy Cakesicle – it’s difficult to get a combination of Old Monk and chocolate wrong, and we weren’t disappointed.

    The bill came to a little over Rs.32oo. The staff was friendly and prompt, and the playlist added a nice lounge feel to the ambiance. The price might be justified given the setting and location,  but there’s plenty of competition around – from Social to Shizusan.

  • EDGE – Infusion Bar & Kitchen

    A long time ago, when I was still confused between a Tom Yum and a Tom Kha, we visited On the Edge in Barton Centre, had a meal for all of Rs.950, and loved it. Time, as it is wont to do, flies. 8 years later, the place is now ASEAN – On the Edge, and a version of it has opened in Whitefield. Edge – Infusion Bar & Kitchen.

    The building (Miraya Rose) houses Ebony and Toscano in addition to Edge. And what’s more, there’s Daily Sushi, Cafe Noir and a Starbucks and Frozen Bottle in the same compound! Edge sits above the other two, and in a relatively small area, manages a bunch of seating options – high bar stools, a lounge section outside and casual seating inside. The decor and ambiance has a touch of class – special mention for the cutlery.

    We visited a fortnight after they opened for business, and found the place quite empty. While we were there, less than three tables were occupied. Not that we minded!

    There were plenty of cocktail options, but only a few based on dark rum/whiskey. So I went with an Old Fashioned, though I don’t trust places which call it Old Fashion! D asked for what I called a dirty sounding drink – Porntini, but it was a harmless concoction of vodka, vermouth and vanilla. The drinks, despite the names, were quite good.

    We first tried the Togarashi Chicken Stick – wonton crusted, Togarashi seasoning and Sichuan chilli flavours. The potato spirals were a nice touch. The flavours worked well and the crust and the spiral added an excellent texture. The Chakori Murgh Tikka was next, the yellow chilli gave it a mildly spicy flavour which made it a good companion for the drinks.

    For mains, we asked for the All Meat Cajun Jambalaya. It had chicken and sausages (the shrimp was excluded on request) and was served with salsa, sour cream and guacamole. Great flavours, and surprisingly filling despite the seemingly small portion size.

    The playlist had a good lounge vibe, and the service was friendly. The bill came to a little over Rs.2200.

    Edge Infusion Bar & Kitchen, Miraya Rose, 66/2, Siddapura, Varthur Road, Whitefield Ph: 47483026

  • Rassasy by Barcelos

    After three attempts at becoming food friends with Forum Shantiniketan, and mostly failing, we should have given up. But it’s food and drinks, so we persisted – this time with Rassasy by Barcelos. I had to google Barcelos to understand that they were a South African chain. That was the second warning, given the meh experience with Nando’s, but I ignored that too, mostly thanks to the Sangria pitcher pricing.

    Located on the ground floor of the mall, the place has two seating sections. The one inside offers plush sofas and generally more comfortable seating, but the evening breeze got us to sit outside.

    The warnings played out in the form of the sangria pitcher not being available. Funnily sangria glasses were available. When asked for the reason, we were told that the bar had opened only that day and they hadn’t got pitchers yet! And so we whined with glasses – D with a White Sangria with Kiwi & Grapes, and I with a Caribbean Sangria. D’s white sangria was mostly red, we were informed that the guilt lay with the grapes. My drink was like the Windies cricket team these days- mostly in shambles.

    The Cream of Broccoli (with chicken) saved the day a bit – creamy and flavourful with reasonably generous chicken. The Meat balls in spicy tomato sauce was the best dish of the day – the meat was cooked well and the spice was exactly the way we liked it. For mains, we tried the Portuguese Gravy  (Trinchado) with rice. This was peppers, tomatoes and onion (mildly spicy peri peri sauce to be added), served with spicy rice. This too wasn’t a bad dish and we probably would have appreciated it more if not for the sangria fiasco.

    The service was just about ok, the ambiance was decent enough, and they had a nice playlist. The bill came to a little over Rs.1750, and either by design or not, they forgot to add one sangria. Oh, well.

    Rassasy by Barcelos, Forum Shantiniketan Mall, Whitefield Ph:47483436