Tag: bon South

  • bon South

    Five years have passed since we visited the first version of bon South, in Koramangala. bon South had soon shifted to Malleswaram, and the original location now houses Prost, I think. The new version of bon South is where Ping (#youremember) used to be – the one way from Intermediate Ring Road towards Jyothi Nivas. (map) They have valet parking.

    We went there for lunch on a Sunday, and think we were lucky to get a table without reservation. The place was packed! They seemed to have learnt from the earlier experience – there was no cold welcome towel and there is a clear shift from extravagance to value for money. They only have a buffet (menu) – different rates for weekdays/weekends and veg/non veg. Special rates for kids. Smart. They seem to have more space than Ping used to, and while the flooring and walls seem to have been left unchanged (from the previous owner – some multi cuisine placeholder) they have added some decor elements that lend a touch of authenticity to the theme. The old fashioned light shades deserve a mention here.

    The live counter items are served on the table along with the choice of welcome drink. (beer/bottled drinks/kokum juice/buttermilk/mocktail of the day) D chose the mocktail which turned out to be a fruit punch, and I had a buttermilk. The fruit punch was strawberry heavy and just okay. The buttermilk was cold but a bit diluted and wasn’t the spicy kind I prefer. The menu differed a bit from what we’d seen on Zomato. The pick of the starters for me would be the podi idly – small, soft, spicy! This would be closely followed by the spicy grilled chicken and the thair (curd) vada. The mutton patties, the steamed fish (raw mango  flavoured and served in a banana leaf) and the uthapizza (I’m calling it that because it was an uthappam served in a pizza-like slice) were also very good. The corn, and the glazed pineapple were decent. The not-so-good items were the paneer, prawns (both were bland) and the veg patties.

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    The main course is the traditional buffet style – you have to go to the food. 🙂 The photogenic pickle and podi spread grabs your attention before anything else. In the main course, we skipped the soup options (mutton stock, rasam) and began with the fish, mutton and chicken (all gravies) The appam/porotta/dosa/podi dosa will be brought to the table after you tell them what you’d prefer. A good idea would be to order this just before you pick up the dishes. The fish turned out to be quite bland and D didn’t like the crab masala she’d picked up. The chicken and mutton were both curry leaves based, but differed in taste. I thought the mutton was really good and D favoured the chicken. The appams were very good, as were the podi dosas. (I’d gladly pay for that podi if they’re selling it!) The Kerala Porotta and the dosa were decent enough. In the next round, we tried the chicken biryani, which wasn’t that great. There are enough veg options, it’s just that we skipped them – except for the stew, which was really good.

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    We barely had space for desserts but bravely soldiered on. The elaneer payasam is magic and a must try. I had 2 mini glasses. D loved the jalebis as well. The phirni, pastry, pradhaman, jamun and rasagullas were standard fare. We were too stuffed for the gola! 🙁 The meal ended with a filter coffee.

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    It cost us Rs.1200 including service charge and taxes. I think that’s excellent value for money, especially given the location. The service deserves a special mention – enthusiastic, pleasant and prompt! I’d definitely drop in again.

    bon South, 130, 1st Cross, 5th Block, (behind Sukh Sagar) Koramangala Ph: 2552 6362 / 6363

  • bon South

    We heard about it last weekend, when we were chided for not having visited it when it was in our own ‘backyard’ – Koramangala, and then again, when a friend suggested we meet up there. The latter didn’t happen, since my dinner on other days would’ve been adversely affected if I reviewed the place without the better half as my dinner companion. But yes, the universe did conspire to get us there, even though other reviews had convinced us that our wallets would be left significantly lighter.

    Its relatively easy to find, on the 80ft road in Koramangala. At the Sony World Junction on the Indiranagar – Koramangala ring road, take a left turn when coming from Indiranagar, and you’ll find this on the right after the Levis outlet and Barista. There’s valet parking, but not for two wheelers. Damn!! 😉

    We’d reserved in advance, which would be a good thing to do, since there was a crowd, and we saw people having to wait. The place practically screams snob value, from the word go. That’s not intended as a put-down, its just smart positioning. We had to wait for a few minutes, while our table was being cleaned, and they did a smart thing by showing us around the place, to keep us from fidgeting around. Though the space is very optimally used, it manages to retain a cosy feel, largely due to the comfortable seating and dimly lit ambience. I had a brief ‘flight’ moment, when they offered us a cold wet towel. Hmm, was that a bon connection (voyage, and south). Okay, got it, we’ll just talk about the food.

    The menu features cuisine from the four South Indian states, complete with soups, starters, main course and desserts. The place also serves alcohol, no, not necessarily from these states!!! We decided to skip the soup, since they were mostly the thin type, and instead ordered a starter, Kori Kempu Bezule, which is ‘tender pieces of boneless chicken marinated in a mangalorean home style masala, and deep fried’. Now, I have not been to mangalorean homes, but it tasted good – the chicken was actually tender, and the masala had a distinct flavor without being excessively spicy.

    For the main course, we tried to give representation to all states, but TN got left out. We ordered a Kozhi Varutharacha Curry, which is ‘boneless chicken with roasted coconut and spices’, an excellent Kerala dish, if done well; a Chappala Pulusu, a tangy and spicy Andhra fish curry, and to go alongwith that, podi masla appams, and Sajjige Roti (a thick bread made with semolina, coconut, green chillies and curry leaves). Once the food was served, we realised that it may not be sufficient, and ordered egg appams too. Now, I knew that appams and the chicken would go well together, but I’m sure it would help if there was some advice offered on the correct combinations. In this case, the fish curry was not exactly a great match.

    The chicken dish, though it differed marginally from the taste we were familiar with, was very well made. The fish was a bit too tangy and not spicy enough for our liking. The gravy portions are just sufficient for two people. The appams are not miniscule, thankfully, and are the regular size we make at home. The podi masala appam has podi and masala onion laden onto the regular appams. The egg appam is well, like the name suggests and both were made well. But since, appamd are fluffy by nature, even two per person won’t be sufficient. The Sajjige roti was quite unlike anything else we’ve tasted, and deserves a try. You get four rotis per plate, and its not too heavy. There were dessert options, but we passed, though if you’re not very familiar with South indian desserts, you should give it a try.

    So, the meal went quite well, but they delayed in clearing the table, giving us finger bowls and presenting the bill. I find it very strange when restaurants do this, especially while people are kept waiting outside. Isn’t it in their interest to get us out of there after we conclude our business? Anyway, they first presented us a bill upwards of Rs.2300. Thankfully, before my heart reacted violently, i realised it wasn’t ours, but even the correct one came upto just less than Rs.1300. So there was a tiny lurch, though I was prepared for it. I wonder if they had this in mind when they said that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.

    So, if the idea is just to taste some South Indian food, I’d say, try out Malgudi (though we weren’t very impressed with the service the last time we visited), Annachi (though I have a problem with their small portions) or even 3 Storys, (no complaints, and though it is not an all South cuisine, it offers some great Coorgi stuff to compensate). But if you’re in the mood to splurge, and want an upmarket experience, with decent food and a liberal splattering of snob appeal, you should try bon South.

    And we’ll end with a thanks to the young lady in a party dress at the adjacent table, whose expression on seeing a couple in ragged tees and cargo trousers walk out as she walked in, made up for the exorbitant bill. 😉

    bon South, 749, 10th Main, 80 ft road, Koramangala. Ph: 080 40543434.

    Update: Shifted to Malleswaram