Tag: Chocolate

  • the chocolate room

    This review first appeared in Bangalore Mirror, but since there can never be enough chocolate in the world, it gets posted here too. Over on Facebook, ‘Chocolate’ is listed as one of my religious views. For others like me, the chocolate room would be quite close to the paradise they have dreamt of.

    Getting to paradise isn’t that difficult. It lies between Forum Mall and Dairy Circle, here’s the map. Parking is easy for two wheelers and there’s some space in the basement for the larger species.

    The ambience plays its part quite well. The colours are a mix of dark and white chocolate, and sometimes makes you wonder whether everything is edible as it is in its namesake in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” There are even two tiny Taj Mahals – in dark and white chocolate at the counter. The quotes on the walls exhort you to consume more chocolate and give you quirky reasons to do so. I could also identify with the vision to build a chocolate city. 😀

    The menu has a deluge of chocolate vying for your attention in various avatars. First in the drinkable form – Hot Chocolate, Choctails, Chocshakes and Chillers. There is then some minuscule attention paid to coffee and tea. Just to give you a respite, there are a few ‘regular’ food options – panini, croques, wraps, baguettes, sandwiches, crepes, pastas and salads. Before you can be diverted, the next set of chocolate incarnations appear – preparing you with pancakes and waffles, before knocking you over with chocizzas, ice creams, sundaes and fondues. There are also ‘Shots on the bar’, like Choco Rum. You can take a look at the menu here. (this is a different franchisee, but the menu is standard)

    The Belgian Chilli Chocolate is an adventurous way to start your chocolate journey. The chilli delivers a delayed, but excellent kick. If you want a more sedate start, the Mint Cuddle cup will do the job, and to get right into the scheme of things, begin with a Black Forest chocshake. Among the chillers, the Choco Crunch Mocha chiller will remind you of ‘Coffy Bite’. The Coffee Nirvana did not live up to the promise though.

    The Buttered Mushrooms Croque serves as a good snack despite having an extra helping of cheese. The Open House Chicken Panino, with its tangy flavour was also a favourite, as was the Teriyaki Chicken Wrap. The Basil Chicken Pasta was quite decent too, but the Creamy Paneer and Capsicum crepes didn’t find many takers.

    The Chocolate Sizzler deserves the ‘chocolate, chocolate, chocolate’ description and would’ve been the day’s winner, if it were not for the Chilli Hot Chocolate Pizza. In appearance, this chocizza is quite an unassuming dish, but melted chocolate, chilli flakes, oregano and cheese converged to ensure that all decorum and etiquette were forgotten when it came to the last slice. Chief among the spoilsports was the hyped chocolate fondue which turned out way too mild for our liking. The Chocolate y Churros, (also known as Spanish Doughnut) might have worked in isolation but was completely lost in the chocolate avalanche.

    Though they seemed a little surprised that we were ordering non-chocolate items too, they were quite prompt in delivery, and except for the crepes that turned up less than lukewarm, all was well. The handwritten smiley Thank You on each bill is a nice touch. With loads of chocolate, reasonably good service and a fine ambiance, this place is a must visit if you consider yourself even remotely a chocoholic. If you’re not, this is probably the place which will deliver the chocasm that converts you.

    The Chocolate Room, No: 8,9, ‘Glassics’ Building, near Forum Mall, Krishna Nagar Industrial Layout, Hosur Road, Bangalore – 560029 Ph: 9243000422

  • Truffles Ice & Spice – Koramangala

    D was inclined to have a steak, I wasn’t quite sure if I wanted pasta, chocolate is always interesting for both, I didn’t want to ride far, and we didn’t want to pay more on account of a fine dining tag. Usually, Boca Grande is where all these coincide, but we’d been there only a few weeks back, and that’s when we figured there’s an Ice & Spice in Koramangala!

    Its unfortunately not the easiest place to find. If you know Taste of Rampur, go down that road further, and you’ll find Ice & Spice on the right. This is the road that joins 1st A Cross Road (which has everything from Ping to Golmaal Paratha to Tunday Kababi, Empire, Sufi etc) and the service road diagonally opposite Forum (by the side of Monday to Sunday after Raheja Arcade). If you’re on 1st A Cross, take the left at Desmonds. (the one after Jyoti Nivas) Hope that makes it easier. Parking shouldn’t be too difficult, especially for 2 wheelers. Besides there’s a huge parking lot just nearby.

    Its an absolute hangout ambiance and the sight of chocolate (lots of it) is welcoming! The stone seats are quite okay once you get used to them. Of course, for the kids who regularly frequent this place, it wouldn’t be a discomfort at all! Yesterday they were playing Xmas carols. 🙂

    On to the menu. In addition to the regular menu, (below, click to enlarge) they also have an additional menu now. That one has a couple of soups, salads and starters and more than a dozen main course dishes including more pasta, steaks and even some Oriental dishes.

    Just as I’d feared, all previous half decisions went for a toss and we set about ordering random things. A soup to start with – Asparagus & Cheese soup, from the additional menu. D ordered a Chicken Merango, I asked for an oriental item from the additional menu – Chicken Tom Kha Pha (sic). Greedy that we were, we also ordered coffee so that we wouldn’t convince ourselves to drop it later. D ordered a Hazelnut Coffee and I asked for a Turkish coffee (with English Toffee and whipped cream). That last addition did backfire as they brought the coffee first! Partly our fault, we should have ordered it only after the meal. To get over the ‘gloom’, we asked for a ‘Tons of Fun Burger’.

    The coffee looked on as we started with the soup, which turned out to be delicious. I didn’t even miss the chicken, (I prefer all soups with chicken, unless there’s chocolate in it) since those little cheese dollops  more than made up for it. This one is highly recommended. The ‘tons of fun’ burger came next. We had asked for the chicken patty option, and it also had chicken salami and egg. Yes, there were vegetables taking up precious real estate too. Sigh. This was really good too, though slightly pricey for its size (I’ve been spoiled by the Peppa Zzing guys)

    I’m only familiar with the white Tom Kha soup, so we sized each other up before getting fully acquainted. In addition to the red chillies base, it also had green chillies. The coconut milk flavour was almost lost amidst all this. It tended towards salty and was quite spicy, but the basil rice helped balance it. Loved the shiitake mushrooms. So, worth a shot if you’re in the mood for this kind of food. D always gets lucky with her selections and the Merango was no exception. Velvety smooth, and excellent herb rice too.

    The coffee was reasonably good, but the flipside was that there was absolutely no space for dessert. But we are not to be outdone! The Oreo cheesecake and the Ferrero Rocher cake wait in the fridge for the rendezvous tonight!

    ALL of that cost us Rs.825. This now becomes our go-t0 place in Koramangala when we don’t want to spend time on deciding where to go, but need to be assured of good food and lots of chocolate. Except for the minor coffee fiasco, the service is prompt and helpful.

    Truffles Ice & Spice, #28, 4th B Cross, 5th Block, Koramangala Ph: 41466565, 41536565

    Menu at Zomato

  • Cafe Pascucci

    As Namma Metro construction turns MG Road into what seems like the aftermath of a Transformers All Spark brawl, and as pedestrians and motorists battle it out for control of the footpath, we decided to wake up and smell the coffee. Okay, there was a significant delay between the two, but Cafe Pascucci (part of an international chain) which opened shop right in the heart of the battlefield, between the HP petrol pump and Prasiddhi silks, (just before Brigade Road when coming from the Trinity Circle direction) was where we landed up on Saturday night. Parking? Don’t you get it? MG Road as you know it, is gone. So, try parking at Bangalore Central/Brigade Road and walk it up.

    So we stepped off the chaos and entered this lively cafe, which was almost full at 7.45. But we managed to get a decent table. The music was loud enough to drown the memories of the world outside, though the tracks were a few years old. The ambience is absolutely great, well lit, with comfortable seating, a great place to hang about, and if you get one of the two seating options facing MG Road, you can have a great time watching the world go by.

    For all you coffee lovers out there, there is a separate menu card only for that!! But before we get there, the food. Italian is the cuisine, and there’s a decent spread, if not elaborate. There are about half a dozen appetisers, ranging from Rs.45-65, both veg and non veg, with add on options of olives, cheese, chicken stuffing etc, for prices ranging from Rs. 15- 30. There are also an equal number of salads, but mostly veg, ranging from Rs 75-150.

    For the main course, you can choose from pasta – penne/fusilli (Rs. 75), and then add your choice of sauce (Rs.25), add a couple of extras from a choice of 8 for Rs.25 (mushroom, broccoli etc)  and chicken/smoked chicken sausage for Rs. 35. If this doesnt work for you, you could try a Gnocchi di spinaci, risotto (with veg/chicken add ons) or spaghetti, all of which range from rs.125 – 150. There are also sandwiches – you can choose your bread (regular or multi grain) at Rs.55/60, spread and fillings which are priced from Rs.20-40. You could also try out Piadine (an Italian bread).

    We chose to start with a Fresh herb crumbed chicken with cheese and paprika dip. The portion had six pieces, so quite good on the quantity front, but was a bit salty. The dip was just about good. For the main course, D ordered Spaghetti Meatballs, and I chose Fusilli with creamy sauce, mushrooms, parmesan and smoked chicken sausages. Both the dishes were very good, though the garlic bread they gave along with the dishes were too crusty. Though we had read in some reviews that the quantity was very less, we felt that, for the price, they were quite decent sized portions. We could be biased because they left enough space for dessert 😉 The only cause for complaint was that, in spite of specifically asking for the main course to be brought only after we finished the starter, all the 3 dishes were brought together. Thankfully, the main course stuff was really hot, so no real heartburn.

    And now, a preview of coffee heaven. A dozen different kinds of espresso, a similar number of capuccinos, half that number of hot chocolate versions, and soft drink/juices- including a bottled coffee soda, five kinds of filter coffee, from different parts of the globe, 13 kinds of iced coffee, ten kinds of teas, a dozen different ice cream combinations almost all of them operating in exquisite combinations of chocolate, coffee, whipped cream, chocolate sauce etc. You get the idea!! No, actually you can’t. Not until you see those photos, which I thought was sadistic, because whatever you choose, you will always miss the others that reached the final round!! After excruciating elimination rounds, I settled for an African Nera – made of chocolate ice cream, coffe ice cream, espresso coffee, dark crema confuso coffee cream, chcolate sauce and cremino chocolate. D chose a Yogurt Cappuccino fruit, made of gold espresso, light yogurt mousse, and fruit. My loud slurps towards the end were a testament to my deep appreciation.

    If you’re planning to go for lunch, they have a fixed menu combination – salad, pasta and dessert, at Rs.149 and 179 for veg and non veg respectively.

    Our meal cost us just below Rs.600, absolutely good value for money. The coffee menu and I look forward to meeting each other again, several times. 🙂

    Caffe Pascucci, United Mansions, 39, MG Road, Ph: 40912134

  • Daddy’s Deli

    This rendezvous with Parsi food has been long pending. Daddy’s Deli is a restaurant in Indiranagar that serves Parsi cuisine, and is open only 3 days a week-  lunch and dinner on Friday and Saturday and only lunch on Sunday. Its on 12 th Main Indiranagar, when coming from the Koramangala side, take a left at the 12th Main – 100ft Road junction and go straight till you see the Executive Inn on the left. Its in the same building on the first floor.

    We reserved in advance and though a couple of tables were occupied by 8pm, we could still find a good place. The ambience is excellent, with comfortable seating and cosy corners. Book shelves lined with old Readers Digest issues, and the ancient green soda bottle lend a nice touch.

    Since the place serves (almost) exclusively Parsi food, the menu is quite small, but there are still enough choices for all sorts of -vores. Munching on the complimentary sarias (Parsi rice chips), we decided to start with a plate of brain cutlets, and also wanted a Chicken Liver on Toast, but the latter wasn’t available. So we had to live with that lack of cholesterol, but the crispy on the outside, smooth inside brain cutlet made up for the disappointment. There’s no need to brainstorm on this one, have it!! There are also other starter options like cocktail kababs and Farcha (fried chicken) for the non vegetarians and at least half a dozen veg options.

    For the main course, you could either have dishes like Sali Murghi/Boti/Kheema accompanied with rotli (4 for Rs.30) or go for rice dishes. Thanks to our greed, we ended up ordering a Patra ni Machhi, “fish coated with green chutney and steamed in a banana leaf” and Sali Murghi, “chicken in brown gravy topped with potato crisps” from this set, but decided to skip the rotlis. Instead we ordered a Dhansak, “the all time favourite. A parsi speciality – masala dal with mutton, served with brown rice”. The descriptions were quite disappointing, they really don’t do justice to the food. 😀

    The fish was soft, almost boneless and served with a mint-coconut based chutney. D had to be stopped from finishing the banana leaf too for the chutney particles that stuck on. I loved the chicken dish, and thankfully, it went quite well with the dhan. The mutton-dal combination of the saak was new to us and so we took some time warming up to each other, but we parted as friends. Now before the vegetarians close the page, there were at least 4 options I counted in the rice dishes.

    And thus we come to what we call the main course, and the more ignorant ones call desserts. After much deliberation, we chose a lagan nu custard, ” a Parsi favourite, steamed and baked brown”. Soft, and topped with crisp nuts, this just melted in the mouth and was over very very soon. And then we realised what marital understanding was all about. With no words spoken, except of course, for placing the order,  a Chocolate mousse made its way to the table. Daddy’s Deli – Double Dessert – Parsi for the course!! 🙂

    All of the above cost us Rs.950. Drop in for a homely ambience, very helpful service, and some great food, don’t be parsimonious for once. 😀

    Daddy’s Deli, The Executive Inn, #3289, 12th Main, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar. Ph: 41154372-75

  • Cafe Y

    Yes, before you wise ones point it out, the name does elicit a feeling of connectedness with the blog. You can guess y. 🙂

    We’d heard about Cafe Y and ‘filed’ it for the future when we were returning from ‘Something Fishy‘, but we never managed to remember it when the dine out question arose, until D did this weekend. Cafe Y is on Langford Road, very close to the Hosur Road – Langford Road junction, but its a one way (no entry from Hosur Road until that morning when Bangalore’s traffic cops have their next mood swing), so you’ll need to take the right turn after that junction and loop back. Parking is available on the side road right next to it.

    We hadn’t reserved in advance since we planned to go early – and we turned out to be only the second group at 7.45. By about 8.30, there were several other groups though. There are a couple of seating options outside, very close to the road, but could work well on a breezy night. We chose to sit inside. The yellow-red decor is worth mentioning. Its pleasant and bright and yet somehow lends an amount of coziness to the functional design. In addition to the main Continental menu, they’re also now offering a Chinese one. The latter is not exactly exhaustive, but has decent options of soups, starters, and main course dishes in both veg and non veg, and yes, desserts too.

    Now, the continental menu, that’s what I’d call fairly exhaustive. There are no less than 14 soup options (and thats after counting ‘creams’-of which there are multiple options as a single option) and a lot of them are different from the usual suspects we see around – ranging from the regular minestrone, mulligatawny and consommes to Hungarian Goulash, Scotch Broth, seafood chowder, and some good options in veg too – for instance, I’ve never come across a Gazpacho before. We decided on a Fragrant Chicken soup, which is a “chicken flavoured cream soup with pasta seasoned with fresh lime, mild chilli and chicken”. It turned out to be an excellent thick soup with a unique flavour, actually flavours, though you wouldn’t call the chilli mild, but hey, I’m not complaining. Loved it!!

    There are salads too, and an option to make your own from choices of vegetables, meats and dressing. And what has been referred to in the menu as ‘Sidewalk’, which could serve as side munchies as well as starters – veg and non veg, priced at Rs.55 and Rs.80-125 respectively. The ‘stuffed tuna in pepper’ and ‘chicken liver pate’ have been duly noted for future consumption. 🙂

    For the main course, you could choose from a variety of sizzlers – you have the option of creating your own in this too. Choices of veg, and all sorts of animal life – lamb, beef, pork, chicken and a couple of seafood options too!! Sigh. And then there are the ‘Fusion Flare sizzlers’ – that come in veg and non veg. Ever seen a “Corriander and jeera rice served with chicken katti roll and Indian curry sauce”? There’s also a special ‘Kiddies menu’ and a whole assortment of bakes too – lasagna, sausage moussaka, and so on. And then the plethora of steaks which give you a high. This was the only part of the meal that left me disturbed – a couple of pork dishes, a few beef ones, and many chicken ones, I love all of the animals in question equally – okay, some more than others, but had to forsake dishes made of them when I made my final choice for the main course, after long and intense deliberation. I promise to return.

    I ordered a Chicken Olivia, “grilled chicken served on a bed of sphagetti and topped with tomato, basil sauces, olives and fried egg” and D chose a King Chicken Americano, “crumb fried breast of chicken with a stuffing of mushroom, olives and parsley served with BBQ sauce, french fries and assorted vegetables”. The dishes remained true to the fantasy that their descriptions had created. The sauces were excellent, the quanities were perfectly sufficient, and the flavours somehow retained their uniqueness even while complementing each other.

    Now, the blueberry cheesecake here has quite a reputation, but I’m quite a blinkered horse when I see a Chocolate Mousse on the menu. And as i type this, I close my eyes in fond memory of that awesome piece of work. It was rich, with that tiny hint of better that (for me) takes a choc mousse to another level.

    The nice part is that all of this leaves one full without that bloated feeling, and one’s wallet without that thin feeling. All of the above cost us just over Rs.600. The service, while efficient, could do with more smiles. They did give us a wide smile after we paid the bill though which left me wondering what was it about me that made them think that I might not. Still, Cafe Y moves quite easily into our list of favourites on all fronts – ambience, food, value for money, and yes, skills with chocolate. 😀

    Cafe Y, 2/2, Langford Town. Ph: 41144561

    Menu at Zomato