Tag: italian

  • Spaghetti Kitchen (Koramangala)

    Though we asked for an EMI option at the Indiranagar version, we picked up the courage to try out the Koramangala version, thanks to Poshvine. Mostly for the awesome view of Hosur Road while we dined. Located right at the Forum junction, above Punjab Grill, there’s valet parking. There’s also a coffee shop in the same premises.

    The ambiance, which is bright and cheerful in daylight, gets an additional classiness at night, and suckers that we are for road facing views, this one was just awesome. We had a fair idea of what we wanted, courtesy the menu at Zomato, but added a Sangria for two to that list.

    The complimentary bread basket was excellent, and the bread was indeed fresh. We started with the Cappuccino of Four Mushroom soup (/2) and it turned out pretty and tasty, though I’d have liked a dash of pepper. Thankfully that’s available on the table easily. For the main course, we asked for a Fettuccine with Cream & Cheese and a Tutto Carne thin crust (Rs.50 extra) pizza. The all meat pizza arrived first and though we couldn’t complain about the meat presence – ham, lamb…, the crust was burnt a bit too much. Basically, pay Rs.50 extra for a burnt crust. The pasta though, was awesome. Don’t judge it by its skimpy appearance, it’s quite heavy and there’s no stinginess on the cream and the parmesan – pecorino sauce was just amazing.

     

    The wallet felt lighter by about Rs.2350, after the Poshvine discount. Pricey, and probably the place to go to when you’re in the mood for celebrations. The lunch buffet on weekdays (<500 after tax) is something I’d very highly recommend though.

    Spaghetti Kitchen, 1, SJR Primus, 1st Floor, Adjacent To Raheja Arcade, Koramangala. Ph: 41160500

  • Toscano

    Between the Diesel 50% sale and the fact that I’ve heard so many diverse comments about Toscano, the decision was swung in favour of a UB City visit. (as opposed to a special event at Benjarong) Toscano is at one end of the food court on the 2nd floor, and opposite Soul City. As almost all the eateries here go, the seating includes an al fresco option too, an excellent choice on a windy Bangalore night.

    8.30 pm on Saturday is around the time that Bangalore behaves as though it hasn’t eaten all week. So we did reserve, but still had to wait for 10 minutes for a table. It might have been more if I hadn’t pointed out a free table. :\ There’s no real waiting area, so it wasn’t  the greatest of beginnings.

    But thanks to the wait, we had the time to decide what we wanted to eat. Yes, I’d have preferred doing that sitting down, but let me not nag now. 🙂 You can take a look at the menu here. Also take a look at the wine list and watch out for the day’s specials! A complimentary bread basket arrived before the Minestrone (chicken) soup we ordered. Two dips, one seemed to be herbed butter with olives, and the other had a chilli flavour. The soup was thick, with a tasty, mildly spicy broth base, and yes, chicken pieces were spotted along with pasta and cheese! (the photos were taken using the  phone camera, that would explain the worse-than-the-usual-bad visuals) 😉

    For the main course, D ordered a Linguine Chicken Aglio e olio Peperoncino and I asked for a Fettuccine e Salsiccia Piccante. (yes, just point to them on the menu card!) The former was a tad bland (for our palate, of course) despite the promise of chili in the description. But a huge dose of chicken cubes slightly made up for it. I quite liked the fettuccine though, lots of spicy sausages and a mild tang to it.

     

    Despite appearances, the dishes were quite filling, and we didn’t have space for desserts. The service was quite prompt and all the above cost us just over Rs.1300.

    Toscano, UB City, The Collection, 2nd Floor, Vittal Mallya Road, Ph: 4173 8800

  • Chianti

    D’s organisational duties and my laziness conspired to make sure that we had a ‘home’ match. Thanks to Zomato, we came to know about Chianti. It’s on the road that goes from Sukh Sagar on 100 feet Road in Koramangala towards Jyoti Nivas. (map) You can’t miss the orange sign on the left. This, I thought, is probably how Nepal feels like – India  (Sukh Sagar) towards its south and China to the north (Beijing Bites, Mainland China) They have valet parking and two-wheelers can go underground.

    You can either watch the world go by or enjoy air conditioning. We chose the former, though the brick wall and the chandeliers inside looked very inviting. We were given a DIY Bruschetta (no, it’s not Mallu) on arrival, even as we checked the menu. In that order, we rubbed (on the bread) garlic, basil, (fold first) tomatoes, and then added salt and pepper and the olive oil, but they won’t chuck you out if you tried any other order. 🙂

     

    On the paid part, we started with a Crema di Funghi and D used puppy eyes on the person who took the order, and asked for chicken to be added.  He seemed familiar, and it turned out that we had seen him at Fiorano. Same owner, apparently. Though we were told that the chicken would be added, the chicken didn’t get the memo. But the soup was thick and creamy and quite a good dish otherwise. A complimentary bread basket arrived too, and I quite liked the dip that they provided with it. For the main course, I tried to nudge D towards a thin crust pizza but she refused to bite. So we ended up with D’s Cannelloni (Beef Ragu version) and my Tagliatelle Prosciutto e Funghi. I ordered it partly because it reminded me of the Tattaglia family in The Godfather, who make attempts on Don Corleone’s life because he wouldn’t partner them in the heroin business, nor allow them to trade in it (hint hint) and partly because it had a creamy sauce and ham! D’s dish turned out to be a bit too tangy for her liking though she did like the Ricotta cheese and the overall taste. The other dish was heavy and a bit salty, though I loved the ham in it. We also had a Red Wine Sangria which we quite liked.

     

    The service is friendly, but are a bit over eager in asking for our opinions. (not the person who took our order) The meal cost us Rs. 1548 inclusive of charges and tax. Considering the location and the cuisine, I’d say it’s fair. It’s not the place you go to if you’re in a hurry. Sit back, enjoy the food and the wine, and watch the world go by.

    Chianti Ristorante & Wine Bar, #12, 5th A Block, Koramangala, Ph: 41132021/4

  • Under the Mango Tree

    This review was first published in Bangalore Mirror (yes, yes, we got our name in the papers n’ all) 😉 Have reworked it to suit the blog’s regular format. 🙂

    Remember Cornucopia in Richmond Town. (map) Its now got a new owner and a new name – Under the Mango Tree. The set up has been modified ever so slightly, the mango tree remains, and the erstwhile elaborate menu changed completely, though it still serves Continental and Italian. Here’s the new menu. Meanwhile, this time, my company consisted of Gautam, Radha, Karthik and Prmod.

    (click to enlarge)

    I started with a Cream of Mushroom and Leek soup, which turned out to be the best among its kind. Karthik’s Cold Melon soup was a bit of a disaster, and Gautam had still not come to terms with the existence of a vegetarian French Onion soup. The Goan sausages made a pretty decent starter.  The Pita and Hummus were only just ok.

    The ‘King Size sausages’ was what I chose for the main course, and again got lucky, because it was quite a good dish, with its caramelised onion sauce. Prmod’s Veg Lasagna also turned out to be tasty enough. The Sea Bass was quite a disappointment  – Karthik was sure it was mackerel, and both the Pepperoni as well as the Mozzarella – Hot Pepper pizzas one were only average.

    On to desserts. The Chocolate Mousse is not something a chocoholic ever complains about, but this one could’ve been better. The Mango mousse cake tried to be the saviour and just about managed to succeed despite some essence extravagance. The chocolate mousse with caramelised banana could’ve been a winner if the mousse had been allowed to be strong enough, it would have worked well with the banana, I thought.

    In essence, some hard work needs to go into the place. The aambiance is pleasant enough, and the owner, Nirmala, helps with the order as well as some amount of customisation. Cost for two people would be about Rs.1000, which would get you a couple of soups, a starter, main course dishes and a dessert. So, drop in, if you’re in the neighbourhood, and give it a shot.

    Under the Mango Tree, # 3, Laurel Lane, Richmond town, Bangalore. Tel: 9686601021

    PS: If you’re in Bangalore, and would like to be featured in a review, drop me a line with your favourite cuisine or new restaurant you’ve noticed – manuscryptsATgmailDOTcom, and we’ll figure something out 🙂

  • Medici

    No medicinal jokes will be entertained unless they end with ‘chee’, for that’s how you pronounce it. You can read all about the House of Medici here. It would tell you that they were a banking family turned royal house who originated from the Tuscan countryside and finally settled in Florence. It also informs you that they were one of the families who fostered and inspired the birth of the Italian Renaissance. What it doesn’t tell you much is about Catherine de’ Medici‘s role in fusing French cuisine with Italian and introducing the French to the fork. To read up on that, you’ll need to go to Medici, on 100 ft Road in Indiranagar. When coming from the Koramangala direction, its on the left, above Maharaja furniture, and opposite Indigo Nation. Parking is a breeze – valet for 4wheelers, and a large basement for 2 wheelers. 🙂

    We walked in at about 7.15 pm, and managed to get a good table, facing the road. Extremely stylish, but understated ambiance, that’s the first thing we noticed. The place somehow gives a feel that the visitor is in safe hands, of someone who is confident of what they’re doing. Hey, the cuisine is Franco-Italian, i have to at least pretend snobbery okay? But seriously, despite the cuisine’s ‘reputation’ (in these parts of the world), that’s another aspect that Medici needs to be credited for – the efficient service that relies on pleasantness, not snobbery. 🙂

    On to the menu. They have quite a collection of mocktails, and I was tempted to try the Funky Toffy, but I thought I had much ground to cover and this might weigh me down later. Even before we ordered, we were quite impressed with the complimentary bread served. (you must try the cheese provided along with it. Amazing) The food menu starts with appetisers, and includes a Prawn Mousseline, Beef Carpaccio, Salmon Tartare, Calamari Peperoncino, Quiche aux e’ pinards, Bruschetta, Tomato Mozzarella tian. (Rs.150-300). We chose a Poulet et de bacon quiche, “traditional French quiche with chicken and bacon”. You have the choice of 1 person/2 person portions. We chose the former, and regretted it since it was quite tasty. The crust part was slightly flaky, but complemented the filling extremely well, quite unlike anything I’ve tasted before. Highly recommended.

    You could also choose from the salad section – Caesar, Rucola, Roast Duck, and Seasonal Fruit. (Rs.150-280). We briefly considered the Roast Duck, but decided instead to go for a Wild Mushroom Soup, “creamy wild mushroom finished with truffle oil”, from the choice of soups – French Onion, Bouillabaisse, Gazpacho, Borscht,  and Chicken and Leek. (all Rs.150). The soup turned to be as good as claimed (by Karthik). It was creamy (brownish color though), and the truffle oil gave it a flavor that took it up several notches.

    Moving on, you could try the pasta options – Spaghetti Carbonara, Tagliatelle Puttanesca, Spaghetti Bolognaise, Ravioli, Tortellini,  Beef Lasagna, and Fusilli Marinara. (Rs.200-300) or Risotto – Prawn, Mushroom (Rs.300/250). The main course options are split into Meat, Poultry, Seafood and Veg. The veg section consists of Baked Aubergine, Asparagus Crepe, and vol-au-vent. (Rs.250). The poultry options are Chicken Parmigiano, Chicken de Medici, Duck a l’orange (Rs.300, 650). The meat section (Rs.350-400) has Fillet Mignon, tornado, Rack of lamb, and the one i chose – ‘Grilled Pork chops, “pork chops marinated with anchovy and basil served with brown jus and garlic mash”. The seafood options (Rs.350-650) are Fish en papillote, Grilled Scampi, Pepper crusted fillet of salmon, and D’s choice, Duo de poisson –  “fish fillet layered with salmon mousse and zucchini”.

    The pork chops were quite good, but my folly lay in underestimating the anchovy’s effect. Like D pointed out, it did mean that they took the ingredients seriously, but it made the meal slightly difficult for me. (I have a seafood allergy, with only a few exceptions). The garlic mash was quite good though. D was quite impressed with her fish dish, and felt that (probably) the cream cheese in the salmon mousse covering added to the taste.

    The dessert options are quite tempting too, especially the Chocolate Fondant, but we had a movie to catch, and were actually quite stuffed. The other dessert options are Tiramisu, Fresh Fruit Tart, Crepe Suzette, and Creme Brulee. (all Rs.150). Just a note that though the menu seems skewed towards non vegetarians at first glance, the vegetarians do have enough choice.

    All of the above cost us over Rs.1200. I plan to visit soon again, to atone for my wrong choice of dish, and to try the dessert options. I’d highly recommend that you drop in too, for a really smooth ambiance, excellent service, the best food presentation we’ve seen in a while, and a choice of dishes that are not really common here.

    Medici, Mannan Arcade, 2nd Floor, 1206, 100ft Road, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar Ph: 42044987, 42350674

    Menu and Photos at Zomato