Tag: 12th Main

  • The Fatty Bao

    On a Saturday, when we wanted to do more than just monkeying around, we climbed a few more floors to get to The Fatty Bao (map) We had reserved a table for two, and even though most of the tables were empty, we were rather firmly asked to take a specific one, just like we were told not to go upstairs because it was full. One of the tables we asked for remained empty until about five minutes before we left. Oh, well. Despite all that, I quite liked the ambiance – fun and relaxed with a dash of quirky.

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    While the decor has a panda domination, the ‘Monkey’ flavour is evident in the menu. There are quite a few interesting cocktails to choose from – I asked for the Mandalay Bay, and D wanted a Bora Bora. The jasmine tea in my drink was refreshing and worked really well with the vodka and ginger beer. The other drink was quite a melange – gin, coconut water, vodka and passion fruit – and it was difficult to get one dominant flavour. But that also made it quite a lively drink! (more…)

  • Mother Cluckers

    12th Main Indiranagar now rivals Koramangala in terms of cuisine diversity! Mother Cluckers belongs to the Plan B family and pretty much rules the roost in terms of popularity in the area. (map) I was told that finding a table among the dozen options available would be near impossible. But we were early cluckers and got a spot, near the ‘hippie entrance’. In about half an hour, the place was packed. Not surprising, since it’s not a really large space. In case you don’t get lucky, take your drink and spend some time in the smoking zone beside the entrance. They have made the most of the space – rustic brick walls adorned with plaques and posters that sum up the commitment to clucking good food. The glasses, tissues and even the menu show the lineage quite clearly – Plan B. The dim lighting (though they have done a fantastic job of ensuring tables are well lit) and a general informal ambiance and decor make it a perfect spot to unwind in the evening. That’s despite the mildly uncomfortable wooden park bench seating. The music went everywhere from ‘Walk of Life’ to ‘Summertime Sadness’, and the decibel levels don’t really encourage a lot of clucking.

    One gigantic menu, one side of which is occupied by solids, and the other by liquids. The focus is clearly on bites that can go with drinks, which does make eminent sense given the place’ intent. We decided to test out the standard stuff before the specials. The Long Island, despite not skimping in alcohol, fell rather flat. The Caipirovska didn’t have as many illustrious ingredients, but was a much better drink – smooth and refreshing. The obvious choice for me, from the house specials, was Chutney Mary – a mix of vodka, guava juice, and spices. I suspect the ‘spices’ were chaat masala, but the drink is fantastic, if you’re the kind who doesn’t mind the drink being ‘hot’. Also, it does set the tone for the food. From “The Clucker’s Arsenal”, we asked for the Fiery Clucker, boneless chicken, grilled and marinated. Tasty enough, but surprisingly, despite the name, it turned out to be relatively less spicy than the other starters we tried. The Chilli Fried Pork, on the other hand, did live up to its name, and is only for those who can handle the heat! The Beef Chili Cheese Fries occupied the middle ground, with the cheese tempering the spiciness of the beef. The bacon with sausage, was exactly like all things that have bacon – great! The crunchy prawns were true to the name, and though the batter was bland, the mildly pungent dip made up for it. It was also a good respite from the spice assault! This is not really the best place for herbivores, but the Stuffed Mushrooms are totally worth a try, thanks to the delicious cheese and spinach stuffing.

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    The mains options consist of burgers and a reasonable selection of other dishes. We started with the Pandi Burger, probably the most unique one in the list. Instead of the patty, there’s spicy Coorg pork, with a zesty tang to it. They have a crab burger as well, in case you prefer a sea adventure. The Smoked Spare Ribs is another dish that stands out from among the spice crowd! The marinade is sweet and only mildly spicy, with well cooked meat. Yet again, there was a pleasant veg surprise, this time in the form of Baked Eggplant, with a healthy dose of cheese and a tasty sauce.

    The menu doesn’t display desserts, so we had given up hope, until one of us noticed the board outside with four options! We chose the Banoffee pie and a Chocolate cheesecake. It’s counterintuitive to go to a pub for desserts, but you’d be forgiven in this case. Spectacular stuff and a sweet mother clucking end to a meal!

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    A meal for two would cost around Rs.1500 (Inclusive of taxes and service charge) – a couple of cocktails, a non veg starter, a main course dish and a dessert. There are only two things that can bring tears to your eyes – your preference for veg dishes (if any), and the spice levels in pretty much all the dishes. If you’re fine with that, and a hoarse voice that comes from shouting over the music, you’ll completely enjoy the place. The place is built for carnivores who enjoy their drinks. The rest of the world would unfortunately have to go cluck itself.

    Mother Cluckers Bar, 957, 12th Main, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar Ph: 9886092625

  • The Humming Tree

    Indiranagar was definitely the area we wanted to be, but The Humming Tree was a second choice. We’d called up Loft 38 earlier in the day for a reservation, but they said they weren’t taking any and we should just walk in at 7.30. We did, and walked out at 7.31, because they were fully booked. Very professional! So we sulked our way to The Humming Tree, which was the other place we’d considered. Thankfully, the place was near empty when we reached and we could easily get the seat we wanted – glass facade facing the road. Oh wait, the restaurant is on 12th Main, (map) exactly opposite I & Monkey, on the 3rd and 4th floors.

    The place definitely has character, and has been modeled with music events in mind. Funky decor that includes posters, a mishmash of furniture kinds, foosball and spaces that give you privacy with the right amount of buzz around you. I didn’t agree much with the music early on, but I ain’t that young no more! 🙂

    The night was perfect for a soup, but they didn’t have any on the menu, which, unlike the pretty one you see at Zomato was just a group of printouts living together on a clipboard. We were just in time for the last Happy Hours order (< 8PM, on weekends as well!) and chose a red wine Sangria. Some of the beers listed on the menu were not available, and that was quite a downer. There was beef among the starters, so that decision was easy. The Sangria came quickly enough, and was really good. Just the right amounts of fruit, ice and alcohol and not measly in terms of quantity. The Beef Piccante was a little cold by the time it got to the table (wonder why) but it was spicy and had well cooked meat, and we really enjoyed it.

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    For the main course, we asked for a Gnocchi with creamy pesto and chicken, and a Pork Burrito, which won against the Goan Pork Sausage Burger. The Burrito had braised pork, cheddar cheese, lime rice, beans, salsa, sour cream and onion and the flavour bursts ensured a good dish. The Gnocchi proved a great complement of sorts, thanks to its subtle flavours. We wanted the Chilli Chocolate Cake for desserts, but that wasn’t available. The next choice was the Dark Chocolate and Almond Mousse Cake. The texture wasn’t really mousse – it was a different kind of moist soft – but we liked it.

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    All of the above cost us a little over Rs.1850, inclusive of all tax and charges. By the time we were through, the place was really packed, and it was easy to understand why. Excellent ambiance, good food, prompt service. We’d definitely like to visit again.

    The Humming Tree, 949, 3rd Floor, 12th Main, Indiranagar, Ph: 9886651373

  • Red Fork

    For some strange reason, these days we’re more inclined to Sunday breakfast-outs than Saturday dine-outs. Though a beer brunch has been the standard, we decided to give that a break one weekend and try out Red Fork, for more healthy options – bacon and such. 😉

    Red Fork is in the same premises as (the new) Daddy’s Deli – here’s a map to help you. Park in one of the many side lanes that spread out of 12th Main, and walk up. Helps build appetite! At noon, we just about managed to find a table from the indoor and outdoor options. The menu is on blackboard(s) and is usually a marginally different version of this. The ambiance is pleasant and peppy, and the owner (I’m guessing) is extremely helpful. The decor is functional, includes a lot of quotable quotes, and reminded me of an elegant home – especially the shelf units.

    From the beverages menu, I asked for a Kahlua Coffee and D ordered an ‘Indian’ tea. The coffee came in a wine glass and drew suspicious glances from the tables nearby, especially when I added the sugar! 🙂 D’s Indian tea had a cardamom flavour and was in a kullad. Pretty much two ends of the spectrum.

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    We oscillated between the ‘Big Breakfast’ and the Breakfast Pizza and finally, the latter won. The other dish we decided to check out was the  Eggs on Kheema. We had chosen the soft bread option for the ‘Pizza’,  which had bacon, a tomato based sauce and a poached egg! Quite tasty, though the soft bread obviously began getting soggy pretty fast. I loved the flavourful eggs on kheema – in terms of looks, this was closer to a pizza than the other dish. Since we had some additional space, even after considering desserts, we decided to try out the Mini Lamb burgers. Good choice, I thought, with excellent patties, cheese and a tinge of mustard. A good time to note that the Big Breakfast, which were being consumed all around was quite a looker – especially that mini frying pan, that seemed straight out of a kid’s kitchen set! For dessert, we asked for a chocolate mousse, and it was quite good, the quantity just right for two people who have hogged reasonably well!

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    The bill came to around Rs.1350, and that seems reasonable enough for the location and quality of food.

    Red Fork, #59, 12th Main, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Ph: 41154372/5/6

  • Habanero

    ..is a kind of chili pepper, which can now be found on 12th Main Indiranagar. In fact, they have named an entire restaurant after it! 😀 (they have also been around for a while now in Whitefield) It’s almost exactly opposite I & Monkey. Parking was a little bit of a mess, and it was surprising how there was basement but that was only for the gym upstairs! So you have to use one of the side lanes.

    We had reserved a table for 8.45, but we were warned that there could still be some waiting time. Fortunately there wasn’t, and also good that we did reserve, because there were several groups of people waiting outside for a table all through our meal. The restaurant is on two floors, and has a smoking section too. We got a table on the upper floor with an oblique view of the road.

    We had checked the menu on Zomato earlier, but had decided to select the dishes when we got there. The Breaded Chicken Tenders seemed like a good thing to start with and apparently, a Sangria pitcher was available for Rs.999, and that’s how we began. Even without the Sangria, there was quite a buzz about the place – music, conversations, and a general bustle. The starters arrived very fast, as did the Sangria. The slight blandness of the chicken was compensated for by the dip. Nothing spectacular, but did the job. The Sangria pitcher was about 4 glasses, but had more ice than we would have liked. The drink itself was quite good though.

    For the main course, we were pulled in two directions – burger vs pasta – after we decided we would try the pizza anyway – Chipotle Chicken. The pizza looked small, but that turned out to be quite deceiving once we started eating it. Spicy, grilled chicken it was, and the sauce added an extra bite. The burger won finally, mostly thanks to the green chilli presence. This one turned out hot in more ways than one – pretty to look at, and with a solid chilli and pepper presence.

       

    The only problem was that we were stuffed and had no space for that Mud Pie I so wanted to try. All of the above came up to Rs.2200, which was not really bad at all, considering the cuisine, location and quantity. I would definitely visit again, especially because there are quite a few things I want to try out – the Turkey & Bacon burger for one. The service was prompt, helpful and cheery

    Habanero, 948, 12th Main, Next to ICICI Bank, Indiranagar, Ph: 41692109