Eats, Shoots and Leaves

Mama's

2011-12-23T09:26:00.010+05:30

1701, Stockton St.,

San Francisco, CA

Phone: (415) 362 6421
Website: http://www.mamas-sf.com/index.html

Food: 4/5
Ambience: 3.5/5
Service: 3.5/5
Meal for 2: $$

Thanks to a 'continental drift', we have been MIA on the blog for a long long while. Yes, we are now on the other side of the Pacific ocean - which does not bode too well for our waistlines (you must see the portion sizes here - HUGE!) but yayy to new foodie adventures!!!

Mandatory pic of the Golden gate bridge - check.

The San Francisco Bay Area, where we now live, is like an 'amreekan' version of Bangalore - there's the Silicon Valley, there are the desi geeks and there are the restaurants - oh! the restaurants - of all shapes and sizes, from every corner of the world, where one can savour a different cuisine for every day of the month. No wonder we are so tummy-happy with the move!

A frantic google search on an empty stomach in San Francisco pointed us to Mama's, located in North Beach, the Italian quarter of sunny SF. Online reviews warned of a looong wait for a table and boy- where they right or what! We waited a good 40 minutes outside on a Saturday mid-morning - our hungry tummies growling from bass to baritone. Not to mention the tempting menu on the window (torture- I tell you) and the smell of toast and eggs and other good things wafting out - I was wiping off my drool from the sidewalk .

Waiting.....

...and some more

The iss-speshals!

The tiny but cosy restaurant was done up in cheery colours to match the holiday season and was full of happy, chattering folks (must be the food - always a good sign!). The orders are taken at the cash register but making up our minds on what to eat was no easy task - everything sounded yummy! M'omelettes (short for Mama's omelettes) or benedicts? French toast or pancakes? How about one of each? Thankfully this foolishly sanguine idea was promptly dismissed in the interest of errrm....health, shall we say?

'Tis the season to be jolly

So we waited for our order to arrive over coffee and a mug of hot chocolate. My omelette arrived - fluffy and light, folded over minced Dungeness crab, sliced avocado and havarti cheese. My choice was driven by my love for the crustacean (of course as food!!!) and also to make the most of the Dungeness crab season that had just begun. There was a lot of crab inside the omelette - soft and fleshy - needing just a hint of salt and pepper to enjoy the fresh and flavorful meat. The cheesy avocado elevated this simple breakfast into a hearty meal. (Excuse me, while I salivate on the memory.)

Dungeness crab omelette

The chocolate cinnamon french toast for Balaji came with heaps of berries and bananas and gooey chocolate syrup drizzled on top. Soaked in eggy goodness and dusted with sugar, it looked like it would send one into a sugar rush lasting for days. Surprisingly, it wasn't overpoweringly sweet- just the right degree of sinful goodness.

Chocolate cinnamon French toast

Being the inquisitive Indians that we are, we could not help but unabashedly look at tables around us to 'check out' what others were having. We learnt that the Monte Cristo (turkey breast and baked ham sandwich, in cheddar and havarti cheese bread dipped in egg, grilled and served with homemade jam) is a popular lunch option here (Mama's is open for breakfast and lunch only). We also heard of (and promptly noted down) some other popular restaurant haunts in the city. What a wealth of info some discreet eavesdropping can get you! Warning - This stunt to be performed only by experts.

A fresh batch of Monte Cristo's being made in the tiny and busy kitchen

Despite being packed, service at Mama's is prompt and quick. The waiters are well-informed and courteous and the ambiance, warm and welcoming.

Mama's is a lovely nook of North Beach to refuel after a jaunt in the city. There's always the longish but pleasant walk all the way to Fisherman's Wharf to work off all those calories later!

Did you know......................

........................................that the Dungeness crab is named after Dungeness, Washington where the US West Coast's first commercial fishery, mainly producing these crabs, was built in 1848?

.......................................that French toast is supposed to taste best when made from day-old or leftover bread? In fact, French toast is called pain perdu which means "lost bread" in French.

City buzzin'

2011-02-11T15:11:00.006+05:30

A lot has been happening in our corner of the world so just popped in to tell you that some the reviews on this blog have been published in City Buzz - a new neighbourhood newspaper for South Bangalore. Yayy to us!

Bada Bing

Bada Bing Bang!

Boom!!

Seeing my byline gives me a huge kick! Goes without saying- thank you dear readers for sticking by us and this blog!

The newspaper is available at newstands all over JP Nagar and Jayanagar. You can see an online version of the newspaper here, though all the articles (including our reviews) aren't up yet.

Aroy

2010-12-27T15:09:00.030+05:30

74, 15th Main,
3rd Phase JP Nagar,
Bangalore 560078
Phone: 080 4093 9311
Website: http://www.thearoyrestaurant.com

Food: 3.5/5
Ambience: 3.5/5
Service: 3.5/5
Meal for 2: Rs1600

JP Nagar gets hip! Forgotten by the biggies in the hospitality business for long, this suburb now boasts of a true blue Thai restaurant, nestled in lush greenery. Aroy, meaning 'delightful' in Thai, opened a few months back and has managed to elicit a similar response from residents of JP Nagar and the surrounding areas (us! us! us!).

Situated on a rooftop, next to the Sarakki mini forest, its the perfect ambience for a leisurely meal (ambitious plans if you are adventurous parents with a pint sized brat in tow). The breeze swishing through the trees as you indulge in some wholesome and delicious South East Asian cuisine under the open sky, drowns out all the din from the traffic below. There is also an indoor seating arrangement if al-fresco isn't your cup of tea (or, if like us, you are caught unawares by a sudden downpour :((( )
The banana blossom cakes came with a lot of recommendation from other reviews and did meet expectations. A crisp crust with a soft inside of shredded banana flower, served with pickled cucumber, the cakes built us a nice appetite.

Banana blossom cakes

The hot and sour Tom Yum soup gets a thumbs up too. Bursting with tangy flavours of lemongrass, in harmony with fresh galangal and aromatic fish sauce, this hearty soup is just what the doctor ordered to beat the winter blues. The kaffir lime leaves added a distinctive zing to the stock. The fish soup with prawn head paste didn't disappont either- delicate chunks of fish in a pungent broth, good for the nasal passages!
The twice cooked chicken wings were full of greasy goodness and best eaten hot. The prawn satay could have been better though; it was quite insipid.
We attacked the burnt garlic chicken noodles with gusto. The shitake mushrooms and pokchoy gave a nice bite and the smoky flavour of the dish was given good company by the chicken krapow (Thai basil chicken stirfried with long beans and red chillies).

Burnt garlic noodles

Thai basil chicken

Aroy also has a limited menu of Burmese and Chinese so we gave Ong Noh - Khao Swte (pronounced -Ono cow soy; also spelt khao sway, khauk swe, khaot swe, Khao Swea etc) a try. Noodles with curried chicken in coconut milk, it is a meal by itself. It came with a host of condiments like peanuts, slices of boiled eggs, slivers of red chillies, sliced onions, quarters of lemon and the like. Being a spice junkie (blame my South Indian genes!), I was disappointed by the (coconut)milky flavour but I hear that this is how the Burmese broth is supposed to taste like.

Khao Swey

And now for my favourite part of the meal- dessert! Do not give the lemongrass icecream a miss even if you are bursting out of your pants after the meal (very likely- did I mention that the portions are very generous?). I fell in love with the nuances of citrusy taste that came through. The zesty flavour of lemongrass made my tastebuds tingle in Hallelujah.

Oooohh..lemongrass icecream

Actually, I am a sucker for anything citrusy so if you aren't, please ignore my ridiculously wordy exaltation and try something else- water chestnuts in coconut milk maybe? Which, by the way, is good too. Crunchy, cold and sweet.

Crunchy waterchestnuts in coconut milk

(Pssst...do.not.miss.the.LEMONGRASS ICECREAM!!!!!!!!)

Did you know.......
...............................that citral, the oil from lemongrass, is used as a mosquito repellent (citronella)around the world?

...............................that galangal is considered an aphrodisiac, and acts as a stimulant and has been said to cause mild hallucinations?

Dahlia

2010-09-22T14:20:00.023+05:30

Kaveri Complex, Nungambakkam High Road,

Chennai 600034.

Phone: 044-28265240

Food: 4/5

Ambience: 3/5

Service: 3/5

Meal for 2: Rs 1500

A Japanese establishment that has managed to survive in filter-kaapi land for over a decade definitely deserves a dekko, especially for poor us who had to settle for the ubiquitous Saravana Bhavan (miniscule helpings with decimally challenging prices - mini coffee for Rs 10.45!!) almost every time we dared to venture out in the Chennai heat.

We did spend some time trying to locate the restaurant, hidden as it is in a nook of an old building (which led me to wonder if all Japanese restaurants are housed this way - check our review of Harima). The neat interiors are done up sparsely with Japanese lanterns, a shelf full of Japanese DVDs and books (for rent, I presumed), a small TV tuned into a Japanese channel, traditional Japanese seating as well as conventional tables and chairs.

We were given cold towels and refreshing chilled wheat tea (ocha in Japanese) upon arrival. Perfect to go with the icy hostess and co-owner, Revathi who was reticent, almost to the extent of being rude to us throughout our meal. We did notice that she seemed courteous to the Japanese patrons present there though. Hmphf!!!

They close early (2:30pm and 9:30pm are the last orders for lunch and dinner)

Being cold shouldered by the hostess, we had no option but to take menu suggestions from a kind looking Japanese gentleman who was seated at the next table, Mr. Toshi. He was not only good company; he also recommended some pretty interesting Japanese staples and accompaniments which we enjoyed.

Mr.Toshiyuki Nakagome

Japanese food is supposed to taste natural with almost no spice added. Soya sauce, ginger, wasabi, seaweed etc are used on the side to add some flavour during meals. We started off with simple and crisp Ebi Tempura (batter fried prawn) with a soya sauce dipping. Dahlia has an impressive variety of fish and other seafood on its menu so an order of mixed maki sushi made its way to our table. The fish was extremely fresh and the sushi rolls get top rating for their subtle flavour. We enjoyed it so much that we almost didn't realize that the fish was raw....not something we get to eat everyday ;) Not to forget a rehash of the mind-numbing wasabi experience!

Ebi tempura

Maki Sushi

Next was the Teishoku or the Japanese set meal which is a portion of rice, miso soup, pickled vegetables and a vegetable or meat dish- in our case, roasted pork with ginger. The pork is spooned over the rice (the accomplished ones use chopsticks!) and eaten, with a bit of the accompaniments in between. The tender strips of pork, mildly sweet and cooked to perfection were outrageously tasty. The miso soup tasted watered down but we were told by our Japanese friend that it is how it should be.

Teishoku

To quote Lonely Planet, it’s hard to imagine how Tokyo could function without noodles. Fittingly, the menu at Dahlia offers staples such as soba (brown buckwheat noodles) and udon (white wheat noodles) served hot or cold, in a range of styles. Our serving of Zaru soba (cold noodles) came in a bamboo plate with slivers of seaweed on top, along with some broth, wasabi and chopped spring onions. The wasabi and spring onions are mixed a little at a time in the broth, the noodles are then dipped into it and eaten. Despite not being richly flavoured, the dish was very satisfying.

Zaru Soba

There are no desserts on Dahlia's menu but what we had was filling enough. The portions are good enough for two and the flavours are appetising without leaving an aftertaste for the rest of the day (which means no going burrrrp and smelling of onions or fried chicken later :D).

Revathis ill-mannered behaviour (seems to be a common sore point across many reviews we came across) would have dampened our experience if not for Mr Toshi who helped us pick from the menu as well as surprised us with useful nuggets of information on Japan and its food. Thank you for letting us know that our babys name means 'happiness' in Japanese!!! Yes, we have a daughter, A DAUGHTER, WORLD!

Edited to add: Dahlia has a branch in Bangalore as well. Church Street is the place to go if you are craving some Japanese chow.

Did you know.......

...............................that maki means 'roll' and refers to any type of sushi which is made in a roll with sushi rice, toasted seaweed and various fillings?

...............................that although it’s highly rude in the West, in Japan it is customary to slurp your noodles, both to cool them (when hot) and to enhance the flavour?

Oh Ghee....!!!!

2010-07-22T14:11:00.011+05:30

I found this list of 43 most mispronounced food words and it was quite an eye-opener. Some samplers...

Bruschetta (broo-SKEH-tah)
Guacamole (wah-cah-moe-lay)
Ghee (ghee, not jee) - muhawhawhawhaw!
Turmeric (ter-me-rick)- never thought anyone needed to be told that, eh?

Now you know how to sound like a food snob :D !!!

Did you know...........
.....................................that crêpe is pronounced by the English as 'crape' and by the French as 'krep' (e is pronounced same as in the e in 'wet')?
Cartoon courtesy cartoonstock.com

Coorg Calling

2009-08-31T13:46:00.001+05:30

What we devoured on a weekend break in Coorg Valley. Drool on keyboard guaranteed with this read.

What do you do when you are up to your ears with news about pigs that fly? Escape to Coorg and hog (pun unintended) on pork, like we did. And to our pleasant surprise, we also discovered that there's more to Kodava cuisine than just porcine delicacies, all thanks to our lovely hosts -Dilip and Vidya - at Kabbe Holidays.
The homestay offers atleast one authentic Coorg dish in every meal which meant that we ended up sampling a whole lot of awesome food during our stay, carefully prepared under Vidya's supervision.
If it was steaming upma and kaipuli pajji (chutney made from marmalade oranges) for breakfast one day, it was hot akki otti (roti made of rice) with nutty yell pajji (sesame seed chutney), served with honey and ghee the next. The otti, I've enjoyed earlier too, but the upma was a revelation. It made me, a champion upma detester, a convert for life!

Kabbe Holidays on NDTV - watch the anchor savour yell pajji and akki otti

Akki otti and yell pajji, Coorg honey and ghee

Lunch and dinner threw up many more lip-smacking delights, both from Coorg and beyond the border- spicy Kerala kadala curry (black chick pea curry), kootu curry, bollari fry (a delicious traditional dish with a tinge of sweetness, made from Mangalore cucumber), fried balekai (raw banana), steaming paputtu (rice cakes) with koli curry (chicken) and chaat kuru curry (made from black eyed beans). Vidya's mouth watering mushroom pickle (another Coorg speciality) was the perfect accompaniment to the meals.

(From L to R) bollari fry, poori, pork fry, kadala curry, balekai, chicken

Paputtu with koli curry

And the piece de resistance - pandi fry. Chewy chunks of pork, abundantly peppered, flavoured with kachipuli (also known as Malabar Tamarind or cambogia - the souring agent in Coorg food) and fried with crunchy onions - best enjoyed with chilled beer, friendly banter, gorgeous weather and a crackling bonfire. The fieriness of the dish left me disorientated after just one bite, but I was back for more after dousing my tongue with lots of water. Oh, and pork is prepared at Kabbe homestay by request only so Vidya needs to be informed in advance if guests would like to have it.

Simple but gutsy pandi fry

A special mention to the luscious desserts served by Vidya - kheer, bread pudding, caramel custard and the guilt-flavored, totally addictive chocolate cake that she baked for Balaji as soon as she got to know that his birthday fell on one of the days we were there!

Calorie rich! Saddle bags guaranteed

Due to favourable rain and climate conditions in the valley, fresh vegetables, fruits and spices are in abundant supply. We made the best use of our visit by stocking up on pepper and fragrant cardamom from Dilip's plantations, as well as the popular Coorg honey. Luckily for us, they had enough stock of home-made squashes of bitter sweet pomelo (chakota in Kannada) and tangy passion fruit, for us to take away a bottle each. By the way, these squashes make for great cocktails with vodka - as Balaji discovered, thanks to Dilip.

Bounties of Kodagu - that's kachipuli in the bottle on the left, followed by honey, pomelo squash, coffee and spices

On our way back to Bangalore, we picked up some of the famed coffee from Coorg Coffee Works, which is close to the clock tower at Virajpet. The Nilgiris outlet in Gonikoppa is a good place to pick up locally made squashes and fruit wines (pomegranate, star apple, fig - sounds deliciously exotic, right?). We also found kachipuli, pork masala and tender bamboo pickle (a Kodagu speciality again) here. Both towns have streetside vendors selling native fruits and vegetables for a fraction of the city prices- we found fresh avocados for Rs 20 a kilo (yes, read it again - Rs 20 a KILO).

And the air smelling of the freshness of spring? Priceless!

Did you know........
................................that pork is the most widely eaten meat in the world, accounting for about 38 percent of meat production worldwide?
................................that the pomelo is also called the shaddock, after an English sea captain who introduced them to the West Indies?
...............................that natives of Coorg are NOT called Coorgis? The correct term is Coorgs or Kodavas and the language spoken by them is also called Coorg.

Sri Shankarnarayana Refreshments

2009-07-24T12:14:00.045+05:30

10, 12th Cross,
JP Nagar 2nd Phase ,
Bangalore.
Phone : 080 42456060

Food: 3/5
Ambience: 1.5/5
Self service
Meal for 2: Rs 50-75

We heard of this very well-kept-secret of a brekkie joint only recently, though it has been around for the past 18 years or so. Methinks its one of the perils of a small establishment which does not rely on accolades of idli/dosa-kaapi contests, content with only word of mouth publicity.
So we hunted down this place on a hungry Sunday. Yes, actually hunted it down - it's in an obscure street in the belly of JP Nagar - and to avoid going round in circles like we did, here is a 3 step plan:
1] Go to Rangashankara
2] Ask for directions to Ambarish's house (you don't know Ambarish? the red-eyed-'rebal'-star?)

3] Once you are done trying to peek into his compound, ask any passerby for SN Refreshments (or bhattru's votlu - as known in those parts) and there you are!

Ramachandra Bhat and staff

And what did we find here? One of the best idli-vada combos this side of town, swimming in a puddle of lipsmacking, spicy coconut chutney. Crispy, perfectly done vada and sambar. Hot masala dosas straight off the griddle, giving out sibilant sizzles. Pongal, khara bath and all other tiffan items too. Strong coffee to down it all with. And if you can manage to stuff yourself some more, don't leave without giving the kesaribath a try. One spoonful of saffron sweetness is enough to make you weep with joy...ok maybe I'm getting a bit dramatic here....but you get the drift, dontcha?

Fluffy idlis with the best vadas in town

Nutty coffee

The pièce de résistance

And if you are left licking your lips throughout the day, did I mention that bhattru's place is open in the evenings too? ( 7am to 1pm and 3.30pm to 7.30pm on weekdays, 7am to 1am on Sundays) Mast majaa maadi!
P.S - You still don't know who Ambarish is? Seriously??

Did you know................
........................that the bath (or bhaat or baath) in "kesaribath" means "steamed rice" in Marathi? Though popular versions of this dessert use rava or semolina, the rice preparation is similar to "sakkare pongal" minus the dal.
.......................that the good old vada has a hole in the middle for even cooking? Since the batter is thick, the hole allows the vada to be cooked from the inside as well.

Hello World

2009-07-23T16:25:00.008+05:30

We are back (in case you thought we had fallen off the face the earth). Life here got busy the past few months and a lot of things went on the backburner, this blog being one of them. In the meantime, we have visited new restaurants, discovered yummy recipes, tried new cuisines and rediscovered old ones. Result: thickening waistlines and a few hundred pending posts.
We hope you missed us. (Please say yes)
And now that we know you did :) we hope to be more regular in our blog updates.
Thanks for staying around!

Edited to add: Don't forget to take the quiz on the right.

Cheers!

2008-11-03T15:24:00.018+05:30

Our blog was featured in the Bangalore supplement of Deccan Chronicle on the 21st of October 2008! Yaaaaaaay!!!!

Click here to read the article

Needless to say, we are mighty thrilled about it..because all along, we thought we had like three readers...What with our long spells of absence and chronic laziness we did not expect anyone would even notice this blip of a blog in the big, vast blogosphere. But hey, we are glad someone thought it was worth a mention, albeit three sentences spanning twelve lines - but what precious, precious twelve lines of newsprint!
And now, time to bring out the tissues. Thanks a million to you- our readers. If not for you, we wouldn't be motivated enough to write about our wonderful experiences. Thanks for the comments, suggestions and feedback. And for the ones who haven't given any, please delurk! We would love to hear from you.
We would like to thank our family and friends for their overwhelming support...errr...doesn't matter that most of them didn't even know about the blog till we showed them the article...and we aren't even going to mention the ones who said...'Blog- aa? Andre?*' (Aaaargh!!!)
And who can forget my well known aversion to anything that starts with 'cook' and ends with 'ing' as well as Balaji's insatiable appetite for food (sorry hon...couldn't resist that dig...teeeheeheee!)If not for those, we would not have ventured into uncharted territories in Bangalore and beyond, sampling culinary delicacies and disasters, to regale you with our adventures.
OK. As you can see I am super excited which is why I am getting absurdly wordy....which in turn is why...tadaaaaa....I wrote two posts today! Leaving you to catch up on the post below and thanks once again! Muah!
Psssst...there's a surprise give away coming up this month so hang in there!

* Andre? - Kannada expression for 'Means what?' accompanied by a blank look.

Gourmet Bazaar at The Olive Beach

2008-11-03T09:20:00.001+05:30

16, Wood Street,
Ashok Nagar,
Bangalore - 560025.
Phone : 41128400, 9945565483
Website : http://www.olivebarandkitchen.com/

Gourmands in Bangalore must by now, be well aware of The Olive Beach, an award winning restaurant cocooned in white washed walls keeping with the Mediterranean theme of the cuisine. Since much has been written already in every possible food review worth its salt, extolling the virtues of its thin crust pizza or the crunchiness of their marinated pear salad, we will not bore you with more of the same!

But we thought we must, absolutely must, make a mention of their gourmet bazaar, a fun concept that started around a year ago and takes place on the third Saturday of every month. This is when you can find tables groaning under the weight of a delectable selection of chocolates, cheeses, jams, pestos, pickles, oils.....in a rustic European market like setting with wooden boards, checkered table cloths and picnic baskets. The perfect (though pricey) opportunity to furnish your kitchen larder with exotic condiments while munching on some freshly baked goodies.
We stocked up on chunks of toasted almond chocolate, sinful walnut brownies and flavorful Greek feta cheese. We loved the slices of ham pisaladiere (no, I don't know how to pronounce that but its nothing but pizza!) and the chocolate croissants that we had while browsing through the stalls. Not to forget the rosemary and sea salt focaccia - the words alone make my mouth water. It paired wonderfully with bacon at breakfast the next day and tasted deliciously.... delicious on its own or with olive oil mopped up. There was also the awesomest collection of meats available - salty, smoked, cured, dried - good enough to take back home for hearty breakfasts or a quick sandwich.

Freshly baked comfort

Olives - rightly known as 'gift from the gods'

Coonawara wines had a wine sampling counter in the bazaar the day we had dropped by. And who can say no to free wine! Tea tasting sessions, cooking demos, fun kitchen accessories, home made jams and preserves, seasonal produce are other treats you can expect to find in this market.

Hic!

The happy bonhomie in this colorful bazaar is hard to miss. With all things culinary under one roof, the gourmet bazaar makes for a memorable gastro-shopping experience.

Did you know....................
........................that Olive Beach is co-owned by Sagarika, sister of the popular Indian singer Shaan?
.......................that the word 'gourmet' is from the French term for a wine broker employed by a wine dealer?

Hae Kum Gang

2008-07-14T09:20:00.000+05:30

20, Paul Castle,
Castle Street, Near Brigade Towers,
Ashoknagar, Bangalore - 5600025.
Phone : 41127730, 41127732
email : haekumgang@hotmail.com

Food: 3.25/5
Service: 3/5
Ambience: 2.5/5
Meal for 2: Rs 700

The food scene in Bangalore never ceases to amaze us. Where else would you find great Korean food, prepared true to its roots, miles away from its land of origin? Hae Kum Gang (named after a river in Korea), on Castle Street, pleasantly surprised us with the lovely cuisine of far away Korea.
Perched on the second level of a drab office building, one would not believe that this restaurant houses a cheerful and homely atmosphere - spilling over with Koreans, busy catching up with each other and with their ghar ka khana! A boisterous group of Korean students occupied the table next to ours and their spirit was infectious. Artefacts from and about Korea filled the simple and well lit dining area.

Crowded!

The staff was courteous and prompt though they hardly spoke any English (definitely room for improvement here). It was getting a bit difficult conversing with them which was when the owner, Mr Chi Jung Sik stepped in and was more than helpful with his suggestions.
Since we were totally clueless about Korean cuisine, he suggested the meal sets (with choices of chicken, seafood, beef, pork and vegetarian) which had a bit of everything that is part of a traditional Korean meal, something like our thalis.

Looks like Greek and Latin? - its actually Korean!

The chicken chulpan gui set had juicy chicken gui (grilled meat in Korean) presented on a sizzling plate (chulpan). And we really enjoyed slurping the outrageously tasty seafood broth that was part of the hemul jeon gol set (hemul means seafood). Rich and aromatic, with succulent pieces of fish, prawn, mussels, squid, shrimp and even crab - this broth alone can make for a wholesome meal even without the accompaniments.

Chicken chulpan gui set

Slurpy broth

Speaking of accompaniments, or banchan as they are known in Korea, the sets were served alongside spinach, sweetened baby potatoes, tofu, batter fried brinjal, vegetable soup and rice - all unlimited. Two kinds of kimchi (Chinese cabbage and radish) complete the meal. We heard that the kimchi is prepared fresh everyday and is also sold by the kilo.
Kimchi, a Korean staple made of fermented vegetables and spices, is traditionally eaten with rice and banchan. Spicy and tangy (sweeter variations are also found in certain regions of Korea) , it is probably Korea's best known food. In fact, the Koreans are so passionate about this food item that in 1986, a museum was established in Seoul to inform and educate the world about it!Thousands of foreigners were introduced to it for the first time during the Summer Olympics in Seoul in 1988!
Bulgogi is another popular meat dish in Korea made from marinated and barbecued beef. We had to give it a miss because we were stuffed (after all the broth and kimchi we gulped down!) but we are sure it is delicious.
We felt the dessert section was woefully inadequate considering that the rest of the menu was full of great choices. Ice creams in different flavours and a fruit dish with seasonal fruits in sugar syrup was all that was on offer.
Strictly for the adventurous foodie, this is the kind of place in Bangalore which will wake up your tastebuds. Jal meokkesseumnida (Bon Appetit) !

Did you know....................
........................that when taking photographs, South Koreans often use the word 'kimchi' in the same way as English speakers say 'cheese'?
........................that unlike the Chinese version, Korean chopsticks are medium length stainless steel rods that taper to a square blunted end, traditionally made of brass or silver? Koreans use a spoon for their rice and soup, and chopsticks for most other things at the table.
.......................that a segment of the population in Korea consume dog meat during the summer since it is believed to keep the body cool? Since 1984, selling dog meat has been illegal in South Korea. Dog meat manufacturing and processing are not allowed, but the order is sometimes ignored. And relax, Hae Kum Gang DOES NOT serve dog meat.

The Eastern Trail

2008-05-31T12:04:00.005+05:30

Chronicling our adventures with food during our travels in Kolkata, Darjeeling and Gangtok.

We made this trip quite sometime back but all intentions to blog about it were overcome by sheer laziness. I recently dug up the copious amount of food related notes made during the trip which brought back memories of guilt flavoured sweets, kulhad tea by the roadside and puchkas by the park. Here goes!
A meal for two at most of the places mentioned will cost you around or less than Rs 300 except for the ones marked with * which can set you back by Rs 400-600 for a meal for two. Places marked with ^ are on the pricier side (Rs 700-Rs 1000) for a meal for two.

Kolkata: Anyone travelling to Kolkata is sure to have heard of Flurys- a legendary tearoom founded in 1927 by the Flurys couple. This establishment located on the posh Park Street, is now synonymous with an unhurried cup of tea accompanied by one of their gorgeous looking pastries or filling sandwiches. Remember to grab a box of their chocolates for a friend -they are delicious!
Park Street also houses Sourav Ganguly's eponymous restaurant. It looked like a regular unimaginative 24 hour coffee shop from the outside but was filled with his cricket memorabilia and knick knacks. We didn't try anything here but it should figure on your list of places to visit if you are Dada's fan.

Swiss open sandwich at Flurys

For the sweet tooth; Flurys

Sourav's

The ubiquitous India Coffee House, has several branches in the city, the most famous being the one at Bankim Chatterjee Street, opposite to the Presidency College, popularly known as "College Street Coffee House". This branch is a regular hang out for students, old timers and 'jahaan artist log coffee peete hai' ('where the artist types drink coffee' -to quote someone who gave us directions to the place!). The coffee here is nothing to write home about but a visit here is a must to experience the air thick with political discussions, the rendezvous of versatile minds and informal discourses on art.

Artist log at India Coffee House

Bhojohori Manna*, named after a mythical chef made immortal in a famous Bengali song by Manna Dey, is a chain of restaurants (check link for locations) conceptualised by a bunch of notable Bengalis (film director Gautam Ghose being one of them) who wanted to preserve and perpetuate the traditional delicacies of their land. Bengali cuisine is centered around fish and the Bhetki Rongpuri special, a flaky white fish crumb fried in Bengali marinade, and the meaty Ilish in mustard sauce, redolent of the sharp pungency of mustard are worth a try. We enjoyed eating the Jumbo Spicy crab as well, though it was a bit messy- trying to pry it open with our bare hands! Pomfret Paturi consisting of a succulent slab of the fish infused with mustard and coriander flavours, wrapped in a banana leaf (paturi) and steamed is excellent.

Bhetki Rongpuri special

Pungent Ilish in mustard

Spicy (and messy!) jumbo crab

For some mouth watering puchkas (golguppas or panipuri as we know it) that Kolkata is famous for, head to Vivekananda Park in Southern Avenue in the evenings. The footpath is crowded with chaat sellers and tea stalls but the person to look out for is Deepak Shaw - a renowned (you can see newspaper clippings about him displayed around his cart!) puchkaseller whose tangy puchkas have won awards for being the best in town. He claims to specialise in puchkas with chicken filling as well for which you need to give him a day's notice :)

And the winner is......Deepak Shaw!

Aaheli, the Indian restaurant at The Peerless Inn^, Dharmatala serves a Bengali vegetarian thali which is a gastronomic delight. The gulab jamoon especially is rich and mouth-watering!

Thali at Aaheli, Peerless Inn

Kewpies*, located on the quiet side of Elgin road, is a homely restaurant where the Bengali thalis (non - veg and veg) are popular. It has often been voted as the best Bengali restaurant in Kolkata and the food is served on the traditional Matir Thala (earthenware) here.

Kewpie's

Like any bustling city, Kolkata is dotted with multi cuisine restaurants and Kwality Restaurant, on Park Street and Gariahat Road is one such joint popular with the family crowd, dishing out some decent Indian-Tandoor-Chinese staples.
Kolkata has a strong Chinese community of immigrants and their descendants, who emigrated during the late 18th century to work at the Calcutta port and later during the Sino Indian war of 1962, most of whom live in Chinatown in the northern part of Kolkata, the only Indian city to have one. Therefore it is not surprising that some of the most authentic Chinese grub we have had so far was at the bazaar near Poddar Court, Kolkata. The vacant lot near Poddar Court is transformed into a bustling vegetable and poultry market in the mornings. If you manage to visit early enough (around 6-30...7am), amidst all the chaos, you can feast on filling Chinese breakfast of fish ball soup, dumplings, steaming pau (Chinese bun) stuffed with pork, sausages, fish wafers and much more - all prepared fresh each morning by the Chinese residents from this locality in their own kitchens. The goodies are so popular that they disappear in a couple of hours - happliy devoured by the shoppers around. While we were here, we also stocked up on chopsticks, Chinese five spice powder and chilli sauce from a quaint shop run by a Chinese lady.

Chow time!

Fish ball soup

Dumplings

Yes..she is using an abacus!

The famous kachoris at Tasty Corner, Mandeville Gardens are a revelation for anyone used to the crusty version available back home. The kachoris in Kolkata are soft like puris, stuffed with potatoes, green peas and lentils and taste fab!
Wild horses and New Year resolutions can't keep us away from desserts and anyway, a trip to Kolkata is incomplete without gorging on delectable sweets, right? Balaji discovered the best mishti doi (sweetened yogurt) in Mithai,Gariahat Road and Syed Amir Ali Avenue. Spongy rasgullas floating in sugary goodness, soft luscious rasmalais in creamy sweetened milk, milky sandesh are other Bengali sweets that are available here as well as in the KC Das outlets all over the city.

Mithai - check out the Misthi doi here!

Roshogullas from KC Das

Try the Azad Hind Dhaba in Ballygunge for yummy masala chai in cute little kulhads (clay tumblers). This dhaba seemed to be a popular joint milling with customers, some being served at the tables and many in their cars! Tea stalls are scattered all across Kolkata and sipping on refreshing chai from matkas by the roadside is an experience to be savoured in the original tea capital of India.

Refreshing!

Darjeeling: Steamy cuppas of Darjeeling tea, the champagne of teas, at the Kurseong Tourist Lodge on the way to misty Darjeeling was a perfect way to start our holiday in the hills. The view from the lodge is breathtaking and the tea, with steam rising slowly onto our faces was right for the nip in the air.

No trip to Darjeeling is complete without a visit to Nathmull's, the best tea shop here. Started by a Rajasthani trader, this establishment is now split between two brothers, both of whom are selling tea under the same name. So you have a one room outlet on Laden La road, crammed from floor to ceiling with tins of tea and another trendier tea boutique in the Rink Mall, selling packets of tea leaves, pretty tea sets and other accessories as well as serving freshly brewed cups of tea. The staff in both places gladly walked us through the various kinds of teas and their virtues and also enlightened us on the correct method of brewing the perfect cuppa. We picked up some packets of first flush to take back with us. First flush is the most prized variety of Darjeeling tea and is harvested in March after the rains in spring. It is light in color and aroma and mildly astringent to taste. Initially apprehensive of how it would taste back home, we must say we were happy with the results!

Nathmull's tea cosy, Rink Mall

A bud and two leaves - that's how tea is picked

Due to the influx of foreign tourists in this hill town, there is no dearth of places serving English breakfasts and continental fare. The charming Glenary's on Nehru Road is a popular eatery where we had some of the best croissants this side of the world. Buttery and flaky, I fell in love with it when I had it with strawberry jam!

Glenary's

Proximity to the north eastern border of India also means an abundance of Chinese and Tibetan restaurants in Darjeeling. Dekevas, Gandhi Road, a Tibetan restaurant that is part of Hotel Dekeling was where we had our first taste of Tibetan fare. Soups made from noodles (called gyathug in Chinese and thugpa in Tibetan) in various shapes - thenthug (flat noodles) and sogthug (shaped like macaroni) being some of them - seemed to be popular as well as filling. The shabalay is a meat stuffed griddle bread and is also an intrinsic part of a Tibetan meal. We tried the notorious yak butter tea, which is an acquired taste (its salty!). The various momos are a good choice if you are a non-adventurous foodie.

Gangtok: This friendly hill station is bustling with tourists but has a meagre choice of good restaurants. Masala on MG Road is an option for some not-so-bad vegetarian multicuisine. They have hookahs in various flavours on offer as well.
Roll House, tucked under a stairway between the market and MG Road, is packed with tourists and locals all waiting to have the tasty rolls available here. The egg rolls particularly are a must have.
Sikkim produces 80% of India's large cardamom (badi/moti elaichi). The Indian Cardamom Regional Research Station for large cardamom is also located in Gangtok. We picked up some of this aromatic spice from the main market in Gangtok to take back with us.
A visit to the laal bazaar is also a must for the local produce sold by farmers - soya beans, corn, yak cheese, dried fish, yeast for making chhaang - a local liquour. We bought some interesting wooden cutlery here - bamboo straws typically usd to drink chhaang, wooden spatulas, chopsticks and cute butter knives.
The cuisine of the east, not being overtly spicy, would suit any palate. Availability of fresh fish and a blend of various cultures, thanks to sharing of borders with Nepal, Tibet and Bangladesh has resulted in a delightful variety when it comes to food. Wholesome and filling, it is a cuisine that has been adapted to providing energy on the arduous terrains. Not to forget the cups of comforting chai, the warmth matched only by the friendly faces in the mountains!

Did you know...............
........................that cardamom belongs to the ginger family Zingiberaceae?

.......................that it is widely believed that in 1868, Nobin Chandra Das, father of K.C Das (founder of the eponymous sweet shop) modified the original recipe for rasgulla to extend the shelf life of the highly perishable sweet and make it marketable?

.....................that only tea that has been cultivated, grown and produced in the 87 registered tea gardens of the District of Darjeeling and, when brewed, has a distinctive, naturally occurring aroma and taste with light tea liquour and the infused leaf of which has a distinctive fragrance can be called as Darjeeling tea? Darjeeling tea is regarded as a Geographical Indicator (GI). Any tea grown in any other region from the same sort of tea plants cannot be called Darjeeling tea.

Wild Spice

2008-05-08T12:00:00.009+05:30

#1, Cariappa Bhavan,
Field Marshal Cariappa Road (Residency Road),
Bangalore - 560025.
Phone : 9880381009

Food: 2.5/5
Service: 2/5
Ambience: 2/5
Meal for 2: Rs 250

We stumbled upon this hole-in-the-wall restaurant one late evening while looking for some grub after a movie. Easy to miss, it is located in the basement of the Cariappa Bhavan - opposite to Good Shepherd Convent and St. Joseph's College of Business Administration - a short walk from Brigade Road. It looks dingy on the inside, especially at night with dim yellow lights (that's why the 'shady' pics:) ) and a tiny, blaring TV perched close to the ceiling. Don't let that deter you from experiencing some delightful Coorgi fare available in the city.

The kadambattus are well worth a try. Listed as hot, snowy balls on the menu, this staple from Kodava cuisine is nothing but steamed dumplings made from rice. They could have done with a pinch of salt but I guess its only because we weren't used to the taste of it. However, you can't go wrong with the pandi (pork) curry as an accompaniment. The distinct black colour of the curry comes from the homeground roast spices used. Beware! It is quite spicy and it took several cold drinks to get over it!

Hot stuff!

The rice rottis and chicken pepper fry make for a good meal as well. The rottis are soft and very filling and the chicken, cooked in Coorgi style was fiery; lest you forget that the "Land of the Brave" is also the land of spice - what with an abundance of pepper grown in the verdant valley!

We heard that the pumpkin fry and ghee rice are other Coorgi delicacies and that Wild Spice serves a mean version of them but sadly, we were too stuffed with copious amounts of rottis and kadambattus to try anything else.

We would recommend this place to anyone who is looking for traditional and reasonably priced Coorgi food in Bangalore.

PS - Did we mention the amusing quotes printed on the menu, some of them attributed to Confucius? Sample this...'A family that dines together, grows sideways together'! Another smart one - 'For a healthy life, choose your restaurant like you would choose your spouse'. Deep, eh?

Did you know..........
...............................that the Coorg wedding is perhaps the only Hindu wedding where alcohol and meat are served? No wedding in Coorg is complete without kadambattu, pandi curry, koli (chicken) curry to name a few.

Ta'am

2008-04-15T15:41:00.015+05:30

A Square, #565, 8th Main, 4 Block, Koramangala, Bangalore 560034.
Phone : 4116 9898, 4146 9595
Email : taam@taamrestaurants.com
Website : http://www.taamrestaurants.com/

Food : 3.75/5
Service : 2.5/5
Ambience : 2/5
Meal for 2 : Rs 400

Ta'am was touted as a vegetarian restaurant specialising in cuisine from the middle-east and sounded promising enough for us to forego our carnivorous tendencies last weekend! I was hoping to find dim lighting, flimsy curtains, large cushions and trance playing in the background (blame it on my regular dose of Bollywood:)) so I was disappointed to see the stark decor of this no-frills eatery. Impersonal fluorescent lighting, granite topped tables and the only thing that matched my expectations - the comfy low seating against a wall with colourful cushions thrown in.

However, my disappointment at the interiors took a backseat when the food arrived. We had ordered a hummus platter, a vegetarian platter and some extra falafel with hummus and baba ghanoush. The veggie platter had a humungous amount of a crunchy and vibrant looking salad which we just couldn't get enough of! It was accompanied by pita bread, an array of pickled vegetables, olives, tahini, hummus and sauces. The hummus platter, similar to the veggie platter minus the salad, had falafel and a generous helping of hummus as well. The platters were large enough for two people to share easily.

Hummus platter

The pita was soft and fluffy and it is eaten with a filling of all the items in the platter. The staff at Ta'am was helpful in showing us how. You break the bread in half, smear the inside with hummus, add the stuffing inside the pocket and top it with tahini and sauces. The stuffed pita tasted deliciously fresh and makes for a wholesome meal in itself. The falafel, which is a fried patty made from chickpeas, tasted very much like our masala vada! It is a common street food in the middle-east and is considered the national food of Israel.

Vegetarian platter

The hummus, again made from chickpeas, was appetizing. Baba Ganoush seemed like the Arabic avataar of the desi baingan bharta and did not taste any different from our version either. Surprisingly, the tahini, a popular accompaniment with many Arab and Mediterranean dishes, paired well and wasn't bitter despite being made from ground sesame seeds. This could be because of the middle-eastern method of making it, by hulling the seeds before they are ground.

The meal ended with a complimentary baklava. The chef somehow got the pastry wrong by adding too much ghee to it but we were ready to forgive him because of the amazingly authentic Arabic food that we had! We heard that he was trained in Israel for three months and it does show in his cooking!

The prices are as honest as the food. The portions were big and the ingredients - fresh and authentic. They do, however, need to work on their service. The food was long in coming and our drink orders did get mixed up. But the servers are polite and were a great help while ordering, offering good suggestions.

Ta'am definitely lives up to its name (it means 'taste' in Hebrew). This place delivers true middle-eastern cooking at incredibly reasonable prices. And they really know how to make you eat your vegetables...the kind of place my mom would approve of!

Did you know.......
...............................that in Egypt, McDonald's has their version of a falafel sandwich - McFalafel?
..............................that according to the urban dictionary baba ganoush is slang for 'a guy or girl from the Middle East or India who is throbbing hot'? ;) !!!!

PS - Here's an easy-breezy recipe for falafel. We haven't tried it yet but it sure seems simple. If you do make it, we would love to know how it turned out.

Edited to add: Ta'am also serves non vegetarian now

The Rajasthan Diaries

2008-03-04T17:36:00.026+05:30

Juicy tidbits from our trip to Rajasthan spanning Jaipur, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur.

We were prepared for a riot of colors in Rajasthan but didn't expect to be bowled over by the food as well- after all what can you expect from an arid state with unfavorable conditions for vegetation, right? Well, we were proved wrong and happily so! Read on to find some delicious discoveries and must visit food haunts across Rajasthan.
A meal for two at most of the places mentioned will cost you around Rs 300 except for the ones marked with * which can set you back by Rs 400-600 for a meal for two.

Jaipur: MI Road is where you should be headed to for tasty khana in the Pink City. This street is teeming with restaurants of all shapes and sizes and reminded us of Church Street in namma Bengaluru. The Rajasthani Thali at Surya Mahal is worth every penny. Rotis and rice served with kadi (yogurt based gravy), churma (coarsely ground wheat crushed and cooked in ghee and sugar), dal, aloo ki sabzi, gatte ki sabzi (gram flour dumplings in a yogurt based gravy), raita, dessert, papad and many more items that I don't remember right now make for a wholesome meal. Oh yes - and lassan chutney (garlic chutney) is lipsmackingly good! Wash down this meal with a tall glass of lassi topped with cream from any of the three lassiwalla's across the road. A tip - lassi tastes best in the morning since its freshly set.
Next door to Surya Mahal is Nero's* which is popular among the tourists from outside India - probably because of the not-so-bad Chinese and continental items dished out here.
Another foodie landmark down MI Road is the Moti Mahal* restaurant - a branch of the famous Delhi chain that boasts of having introduced the recipe for tandoori chicken.

Tandoori Chicken at Moti Mahal

The chicken tasted absolutely divine, perfectly tandoored (!) served with green chutney and pickled onions. However, don't waste your time on the butter chicken, even when the waiter insists that it's the most popular dish on their menu. At best, it can be described as bland - slightly tangy but overpoweringly creamy.

Butter Chicken

Another popular joint among the locals (though not known to tourists yet) is Sharma Dhaba in VKI Area.

Always crowded with happy, noisy families it provides a very laid back atmosphere to gorge on excellent dal makhani, dal fry, rotis, naan etc. The cool shikanji and chaach (buttermilk) make for a killer combination with the spicy food served here. The yum rasmalai available here was, in Balaji's words, the creamiest and tastiest he had ever had.
Lakshmi Mishtan Bhandar*, known as LMB, in Johari Bazar is a landmark in Jaipur's culinary history. The sweets here are quite a hit among locals and tourists alike. The story goes that the ghevar - a crunchy honeycomb made of paneer, milk and flour - available here is shipped to eminent sheikhs in the Arab world on popular demand. LMB also has a restaurant attached though we felt the food was overrated and overpriced here. The thali has miniscule helpings of all items and service is a little iffy. The thali at LMB includes the well-known Rajasthani staple - dal bati churma - which was missing in the Surya Mahal thali.

LMB's thali

Try the tea here - spiced with cardamom and a hint of ginger, just right to energize you after hours of shopping in Johari Bazar. Before we forget, coffee is a rarity in Rajasthan but the tea is almost always very good everywhere and is usually served in its masala avataar- with cardamom and ginger in it.
For a typical Rajasthani breakfast, Agarwal Caterers near Vidyadhar nagar is the place to go to. Feast on dhoklas, kachoris (with onion or lentil fillings), samosas and the artery clogging goodness of syrupy jalebis in hot milk! Yes, this is a special breakfast for many families that arrive by the carload on weekends in this nondescript eatery.

Fully loaded at Agarwal Caterers

Chokhi Dhani* on Tonk Road is a must visit attraction for any tourist in Jaipur because of the unique Rajasthani experience it provides. It is designed on the lines of a theme park cum resort with a rustic atmosphere that reflects a typical Rajasthani village or dhani complete with camel rides, astrologers, lassiwallas, chaat wallas, bonfires, folk dancers, game stalls, mud huts, wells, hawkers selling toys and balloons - you name it, they have it. Don't forget to taste rabri here- not the sweet milky dessert we know of but a classic desert dish - bajra mixed with buttermilk in an earthen pot and cooked over dying embers all night long which results in a nutritious porridge. Chokhi Dhani is open from 4-30 pm till 11-30pm on all days and the entry fee of around Rs 300 per person includes a dinner infused with local flavours - bajra and jowar rotis (millet rotis) , kair sangri (locally grown beans cooked in butter milk with spices), dal bati churma, gatta, kadi, salad, malpua (rich, soft pancakes in sugar syrup - a special dessert from Pushkar) and an array of chutneys.

At Chokhi Dhani

Served in desi style on leaves, this meal not only encompasses the ubiquitous Rajasthani dishes but also the warm hospitality of the people - something that we constantly encountered through our trip. Extra rotis, some more butter, a little more of kadi - all pushed on to your plate amidst your wild protestations and their mild chidings - you can't help but stuff yourself at Chokhi Dhani!

Jaisalmer: Due to the profusion of foreign tourists in the Golden City of Rajasthan, it is bursting at the seams with restaurants serving cuisines from different corners of the world - Italian, French, Tibetan, German, Chinese, Mexican and Greek apart from several desi eateries. All of them have signboards loudly proclaiming that they are recommended by the Lonely Planet guide though we wonder how much of that is actually true!
Riddhi Siddhi (excellent aloo jeera) at Hanuman Chauraha, Monica (try the laal maas here) near the fort entrance and The Handi are some good Indian restaurants. Hungry after an escapade in the fort? Little Italy*, inside the fort just beside the entrance dishes up some decent Italian food alongside a good view of the impressive fort. The Artist* in Kalakar Colony is another quaint restaurant run by an Austrian gentleman we met on the train. They serve up a mean Hungarian goulash with Swiss rosti. The menu also mentions Indian food though we did not try them. Not to forget the great view of the citadel from here, especially at night when it's all lit up. The Trio seemed to be a trusted restaurant among tourists but we only had the chance to grab a quick breakfast of omelette and toast here which was not too bad. The locals swear by the makahaniya lassi (blended yoghurt with lumps of butter) available at Kanchan Shree, close to Gadisagar lake. Saffron flavoured, thick and creamy, it gives a good respite from the intense heat in the desert. Craving for sweets? You will definitely fall in love with the ghotua- a Jaisalmer speciality- at Dhanraj Bhatia Sweets in Bhatia market - made right before your eyes.
Don't miss the refreshing tea at Prabhu Tea Stall, Hanuman Chauraha. The kadhai doodh here deserves special mention. This is milk left to simmer in an iron kadhai for hours on end, with the milk becoming thicker and slowly imbibing the taste of the kadhai itself. Saffron and almonds are also added to the milk during the process. Try it for a different take to your daily dose of doodh.

Check out the kadhai!

Oh, and for those kids who don't like milk, this seems like an interesting alternative available just outside the fort! ;)

Jodhpur: Janatha Sweet Home with branches at Swastik Gate and Nayi Sadak was highly recommended to us for its mawa kachoris (a speciality of Jodhpur) and mirchi badas (or vadas as we know them). The kachoris are an anorexic's nightmare - filled with khoya (condensed and dehydrated milk) and drowning in sugar syrup! Too sugary for our taste but we guess it fulfils the Rajasthani's penchant for sweets! Mirchi badas, as the name suggests, are batter fried chillies. However, we were surprised to find the chillies in question to be the normal sized green chillies unlike the large ones that we are used to in Bangalore. A doughy mix of masalas makes up for the rest of the spicy bada thus adding to the size of it. The locals eat it with slices of bread, something like the Mumbai vada pav and it makes for a good snack.
Rocktails*, close to The Umaid Bhawan palace is a cozy place for a fantastic meal under shady neem trees. Ajit Bhawan* down the same road has a restaurant thats well worth a try for some very good Indian food. The vintage setting of the hotel premises, which was once the home of Maharaja Ajit Singh, younger brother of Maharaja Umaid Singh of the erstwhile Jodhpur state , added a serene and old world charm to our last meal on this trip. Don't forget to check out the Maharaja's vintage car collection on display here. Absolutley charming!

Rajasthani cuisine is much spicier than what South Indians are used to and the amount of oil used while cooking is enough to send your dietician into a tizzy. But food is serious business here and that reflects in the recipes, carefully selected and passed down from generations, each one ingeniously devised - more out of geographical compulsion than out of a fetish for the taste. Minimum use of water, generous use of milk products and locally available lentils, spices and vegetables, food that can be stored for longer, yet retaining their high nutritional value are the hallmarks of Rajasthani cuisine - judged the most majestic and richest by Indian food connoisseurs.

Did you know.......
................................that Laal Maas (literal translation - red meat) is the unique creation of the Maharaja of Salwar? It was named Junglee maas then and was a great favourite among the Maharajas. Due to the scarcity of exotic ingredients in the camp kitchen, the game brought in from the hunt was simply cooked in pure ghee, salt and plenty of red chillies. However, now this dish has been adapted to the less controversial ingredients like lamb or poultry.
...............................that the Rajasthanis even have a term for the affectionate force feeding of their guests? It is called manuhar or manvar. The adage 'Athithi Devo Bhava' ('The guest is like God' ) is practised very seriously here. It is considered extremely rude to just lay the food on the table and expect guests to serve themselves.

Monsoon

2008-01-30T15:40:00.008+05:30

The Park, 14/7, MG Road, Bangalore - 560042
Phone : 25594666
Email : tpbl@theparkhotels.com
Website : theparkhotels.com

Food : 3.5/5
Service : 3.5/5
Ambience : 3/5
Meal for 2 : Rs 1500

A quick lunch date on a very busy day took us to Monsoon at the Park. This tastefully done up 24-hour restaurant serves multi-cuisine where you can take your pick from a well planned menu of Mediterranean, Indian and South- East Asian cuisine.

Tenderloin with green pepper sauce

The tenderloin with green pepper sauce was piquant and fresh on the tongue - mind you, these were not green bell peppers but green unripe berries of the pepper plant. The mushrooms and potato fries served alongside were a perfect foil for the mild but fiery taste of the sauce on meat.

BBQ Quail with grilled veggies, jerk seasoning and balsamic reduction

Next was the barbequed quail with jerk seasoning , grilled vegetables and balsamic reduction. Sounds like a mouthful, doesn't it? It tastes equally delectable! The meat was moist and tasty and the seasoning complimented the subtle charred flavour of the dish.

And now for my favouritest part (pardon my English, I lose control when I talk of dessert!) of this review - chocolate mud cake with icecream! I had never had mudcakes earlier and I am glad my first one was at Monsoon. Because I now truly believe that nothing can surpass the lusty mudcake I had here.

No chocolate is too much chocolate!

The sight of rich chocolate sauce oozing out of the warm cake is like poetry to the eyes of a chocoholic! This dessert is meant to be savoured slowly, taking time to enjoy the gooey warmth of the cake with the cold sweetness of icecream. Yummy!!! This is definitely a must try for those with a sweet tooth.
Also on offer at Monsoon is a sumptuous buffet during lunch where I could see some divine looking desserts (needless to say, I always spot these first!).
Pricing is a bit on the higher side but this restaurant is worth a visit - atleast for the mudcake :)

Did you know.......
..........................that chocolate is a mild stimulant to humans mainly due to the presence of theobromine? It is much more potent for horses, and its use in horse racing is prohibited.
..........................that the muscle tissue from where the tenderloin is cut does very little work, so it is the most tender part of the cow and thus the name?

Brahmin's Coffee Bar

2007-04-09T09:42:00.006+05:30

Shankarapuram, Bangalore.

Food : 3/5
Ambience : 1/5
Meal for 2 : Rs 50

See the crowd?

This tiny, unassuming eatout had recently been voted as one of the best idli - coffee joints in Bangalore which invoked our curiosity to check out the place ourselves. But as luck would have it, we would always end up here when it was closed - on Sundays and after 7pm on other days. They are also closed between 11 am to 3pm on all days.
It opens at 6-30 am and by the time we reached the place, around 8 am on a Saturday morning, it was packed, with people spilling over to the road and many families even having their tiffin-giffin in the confines of their cars.

Tiffin thintheera?

The coffee bar serves only 3 items - idli, vada and kesari baath - and of course, coffee and tea. Since this is a 'self-service only' joint, you have to first buy the tokens for your items at the counter near the entrance. Then starts the herculean task of squeezing your way through the crowd milling around. When you finally reach the serving counter, catch your breath, get your snacks on a tray and turn back, you realize that you are now faced with the near impossible task of making your way out of the place without spilling tea or dropping a steaming idli on someone around or worse, yourself!
Once outside, there is an old man standing right near the entrance, pouring chutney for everyone on their plates (a prize for making it out of the place in one piece, perhaps? ;)). Now that the hardships are done with :), its time to happily gorge on the simple but superb food. The idlis are quite fluffy and soft, the vada - crisp and not over done. I'm not a huge fan of kesari bath and Balaji found it was fine but a tad too sweet - too much of pineapple, we guess. There is an unlimited supply of chutney, thanks to the thaatha who happily pours it for all who ask.
Nothing better than a steaming cuppa to end an enjoyable breakfast. The coffee and tea -served in Kerala tea house kind of glasses - are quite good and upto the mark.
This place is definitely worth a try for true blue fans of idli-vada-kaapi. We do not have the exact address or phone number of the place but to get there, take the Bull Temple road from the Gandhi Bazaar side. There is a HOPCOMS and then a Neeladri office on the left. Take the right turn in front of this, go a little ahead and to your right, when you see a place teeming with people, some sipping piping hot coffee and some downing steaming idlis - you'll know you are at the right place!

Did you know.......
.......................that the idli finds mention in the Kannada writings of Shivakotiacharya in 920 AD, and it seems to have started as a dish made only of fermented black lentil? One description circa 1025 A.D. says the lentils were first soaked in buttermilk, and after grinding, seasoned with black pepper, coriander, cumin and asafoetida. The Kannada king and scholar Someshwara III, reigning in the area now called Karnataka, included an idli recipe in his encyclopedia, the Manasollasa, written in Sanskrit ca. 1130 A.D.

Roasted Pepper Prawns with Pasta in Arabiatta Sauce

2007-04-03T09:19:00.007+05:30

Healthy food is generally perceived as bland and boring. However, a cookery show where Sanjeev Kapoor was featuring a zero-oil recipe - roasted pepper prawns, caught our attention last week.It seemed so easy to make and looked so good that we tried it out later that week. Paired with pasta, it turned out to be a simple, healthy and fulfilling meal - one that can be cooked when you are pressed for time.

The ingredients for the Roasted Pepper Prawns are:
Jumbo or medium sized prawns, cleaned and deveined 250gms
Tomato sauce 2 tbsps
Mustard sauce/paste 1 tbsp
Chopped garlic 1 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste 2 tsp
Ground black pepper 2 tsp
Broccoli and chopped carrots 1 cup
Lemon juice 1/2 tsp
Few fresh basil leaves (can be substituted with 1/2 tsp of dried basil)
Salt to taste

Ingredients for roasted pepper prawns

Boil the broccoli florets and carrots with very little water in a pressure cooker. Five minutes is enough or else the veggies will end up overcooked and soggy.
Mix the tomato ketchup, ginger garlic paste, mustard paste, cooked carrot and broccoli, prawns, salt and ground black pepper. You can add a little more tomato ketchup if the mixture seems too dry. However, go easy on the mustard paste, since it has an overpowering flavour that can mask the taste of the other ingredients.
Heat a cooking pan and roast the chopped garlic- no oil, remember?- for a minute. Now add the mixture prepared earlier and cook on medium flame for around 8 minutes. Garnish with fresh, torn (this brings out the flavour) basil leaves. Dried basil available in most stores can also be used instead. Add some lemon juice if desired. Serve with pasta cooked as mentioned below.

Roasted Pepper Prawns

Ingredients for Pasta with Arrabiata sauce:
Spaghetti - just enough for 2 (this is usually half of the normal packet size that is available in stores)
Arrabiata Sauce - 3 tbsps
Extra virgin olive oil - 1 tbsps
Dried basil - 1/2 tsp
Dried oregano - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Cook the pasta as per instructions on the pack. Remember not to overcook it; it should be al dente. Make sure you add a couple of drops of olive oil to the boiling water so that the pasta does not turn out sticky. Once cooked, drain and keep aside some of the pasta starch.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a pan. Add the arrabiata sauce and cook on medium heat for a minute. Add 4 tbsps of the pasta starch and cook for another minute. Now add the cooked pasta and dried basil and oregano. Toss till the sauce and pasta get mixed well. Serve hot.

Pasta with arrabiata sauce

The whole meal took about 30 minutes to make but the end result looks like a lot of time has been spent on it - truly gourmet ;). All the items for the recipes are easily available at departmental stores. Jumbo sized or atleast medium sized prawns would be ideal for the roasted pepper prawns though we used small prawns. The recipes given above serve two.

Did you know.......
......................that the arrabiata sauce is called the angry sauce? The word arrabiata is Italian for "in an angry mood", which describes perfectly the spicy, zingy flavor of a good arrabiata sauce.
......................that "spaghetti" is the plural form of the Italian word "spaghetto", which is a diminutive of "spago," meaning "thin string" or "twine"? The word "spaghetti" can be literally translated as "little strings."

Villa Pottipati

2007-03-05T18:24:00.004+05:30

142, 8th Cross, 4th Main Road, Malleswaram, Bangalore - 560003.
Phone : (080)-23360777, 41280832, 41280833
Fax : 41280835
Website : http://www.neemranahotels.com/villapottipati/index.html.htm

Food : 2/5
Service : 2.5/5
Ambience : 4/5
Meal for 2 : Rs 800

Tucked in a corner of the ever busy Malleswaram, is a charming colonial bungalow now converted into a hotel, Villa Pottipati. A sprawling property with a lovely house, a pebbled courtyard, abundant trees under which you can have your lunch....hard to believe this is in namma bengalooru. Getting there was a boggling task with all the one-ways, bylanes and the infamous traffic that Malleswaram is never short of! But once we reached this pocket of green, the bustle of the city seemed like a distant memory.
Villa Pottipati has a fixed menu everyday with four courses and a choice of vegetarian and non vegetarian. For the alcoholics, beer is the only drink available. It would be wise to call up to the restaurant a couple of hours in advance for reservations and directions (believe us, you will definitely need that!).

Under an old mango tree with the call of birds in the background, we settled for our meal. It felt like time stood still that afternoon; it was so peaceful and quite. Unfortunately, the food at Villa Pottipati is not so appealing :(
The carrot soup that we started with was bland and passable. Next was the compose salad which turned out to be the ordinary green salad in disguise. Sliced cucumber, shredded capsicum and carrots topped with some kind of sweet brown sauce and mayonnaise, it was nothing special.

Carrot soup

Salad compose

Following that was the capitan grill for me and chicken in orange sauce for Balaji. The capitan grill was a huge slice of grilled fish which tasted very good. The way it was presented, it looked like a dish from an Andhra restaurant, lemon wedges et al!

Capitan grill

The chicken in orange sauce was not bad either, the chicken succulent and the orange sauce, a tad too citrusy but still good.

Chicken in Orange sauce

Choice of dessert included a very ordinary tasting fruit salad and roasted pineapple with honey. Roasting had killed the taste of pineapple and it also smelled a little odd.

Fruit salad

Roasted Pineapple with Honey glaze

Service is good and unintrusive - something that naturally goes well with such an ambience.
If only Villa Pottipati served better and more innovative food, it would be the right place to laze over a satisfying lunch on a deliciously languid afternoon soaking up the old world charm amidst the peace and quite.

Did you know.......
................that the name Pottipati derives from a village in Andhra Pradesh from where the owners, the Reddy family, originally migrated to Bangalore?
................that this 120-year-old garden home was restored by award winning heritage hotel experts Francis Wacziarg and Aman Nath?

i-t.ALIA

2007-03-04T23:03:00.003+05:30

The Park, 14/7, MG Road, Bangalore - 560042
Phone : 25594666
Email : tpbl@theparkhotels.com
Website : the parkhotels.com

Food : 3.75/5
Service : 3/5
Ambience : 3/5
Meal for 2 : Rs 3000

There is no sincerer love than the love of food - George Bernard Shaw.

Happy Valentines Day!

We chose to go to i-t.ALIA last month on Valentine's day to celebrate our love for food (amongst other things :)). That this Italian restaurant is based in the IT hub of the country is the reason behind the interesting way it is spelt.
The interiors are done up elegantly. Dark wood on the floors and crisp white linen on the tables creates an atmosphere of subdued sophistication. Dim lighting and candles set the mood for a cosy dinner; the fixed menu specially arranged just for Valentine's day.

The meal had four courses with three to four choices in each course and included a glass of sparkling wine. There was ample choice for vegetarians as well as non-vegetarians. A bread basket with freshly baked goodies, olive oil and vinegar served alongside arrived at the table while we waited for our first course.

Mini pizza hearts

For appetizers, I chose mini pizza hearts. The pizzas were topped with juicy mixed mushrooms, grilled shrimps and chewy mortadella. Delicately spiced, the mortadella was the tastiest topping of the three.
Balaji went for a salad of roast chicken with watermelon, feta and black olives; skeptical about the combination of watermelon with chicken, he nevertheless gave it a try. A unique blend of sweet and meaty tastes, the salad was interesting. The best part of it were the bits of basil that let out a distinctive flavour in the mouth and enhanced the taste of the salad.

Salad of roast chicken with watermelon, feta and black olives

The primo was prawn and fennel risotto with sambuca for me and a four cheese risotto for B. I love the aromatic taste of fennel, so there was no way I could not like the excellent risotto!! The prawn was done just right... not too overcooked, and was fresh.

Prawn and fennel risotto with sambuca

Balaji's risotto was a little too heavy for my taste, what with generous amounts of parmesan, fontino, gorgonzola and mascarpone in it, but is sure a treat for cheesy tastebuds.

Four cheese risotto

This was followed by a rose petal sorbet. This is supposedly a culinary tradition to cleanse the palate between courses.

Rose petal sorbet

Balaji had grilled lamb chops with pistachio crust, sauteed mushrooms and rosemary jus for the secondo. The well done chops were generously seasoned with ground pistachios. Paired with shiitake and button mushrooms, this dish was a delight.

Grilled lamb chops with pistachio crust, sauteed mushrooms and rosemary jus

I opted for olive crusted salmon, couscous and crabmeat sauce. Being the sea'foodie' that I am, I relished the delectable slice of salmon. Salmon, usually quite subtle in flavour was spiked with the crabmeat sauce to make an interseting and delicious combination. The couscous tasted something like our desi upma. It is made of semolina and is cooked in almost the same way!

Olive crusted salmon, couscous and crabmeat sauce

The portion of salmon was quite large and I was nearly full by now but how can I say no to dessert? ;) Succulent strawberries marinated in champagne(reminded me of 'Pretty Woman') seemed to be the perfect way to end a very fulfilling dinner.

Champagne marinated strawberries

Balaji's dessert was nemesis, chocolate and cointreau cup, white chocolate and blueberry mousse. Delicious!

Nemesis, chocolate and cointreau cup, white chocolate and blueberry mousse

Service at i-t.ALIA is spiffy. No complaints on that front. The staff seems knowledgable on the food served and is helpful in suggesting the right choices for you.
i-t.ALIA lives up to its reputation of the best Italian restaurant in town. The right place for a decadent meal well worth the indulgence!!

Did you know.......
..........that the secret behind the perfect risotto are the short-grained classic Italian varieties of rice such as Arborio and Carnaroli? And good news for those who want to try it at home - this rice is now being imported to India.
.........that the constant gentle stirring required while making risotto abrades and removes starch from the rice surface so that it can thicken the cooking liquid to a creamy consistency?
.........that the term 'sherbet' is derived from the Turkish word for sorbet, serbat which in turn comes from Arabic?
...........the word basil comes from the Greek basileus, meaning "king", as it is believed to have grown above the spot where St.Constantine and Helen discovered the Holy Cross?

Bobby ka Dhaba

2007-02-18T16:06:00.005+05:30

Next to the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurudwara, Ulsoor, Opp to Ulsoor lake, Bangalore - 560001

Food: 2.75/5
Ambience: 1/5
Service: 2.5/5
Meal for 2: Rs 150

Picture this - hot, just-off-the-tawa parathas with a dollop of butter on it, steaming hot channa masala and a tall glass of creamy buttermilk to wash it all down with.....sounds tempting, doesn't it? Then we suggest you set off to Ulsoor where, right next to the Gurudwara, you will find authentic Punjabi ghar ka khana at Bobby ka dhaba.

Bobby ka dhaba - blink and you'll miss it!

The dhaba is easy to miss because neither does this oh-so-tiny place look like a restaurant from the outside, nor does it have a board announcing its existence. And to top it all, the neighbouring restaurants, when asked for directions, will pretend like they do not know where this dhaba is.....they probably cannot digest the competiton :) !

The first time we went here, we were alarmed by the sight of the dhaba from the inside.

A tiled ceiling with quite a few broken tiles here and there, walls that badly needed a coat of paint, furniture that was nothing more than a few tables and stools and an old wheezing refrigerator in the corner. In the middle of it all was Bobby, shouting instructions and orders to his kitchen staff in Punjabi.

'Ik pyaas, do gobhi maar...'

Nothing much has changed now. Except for the ever increasing clientele and the old faithfuls who visit the dhaba for a true taste of surprisingly affordable, Punjabi food.

The menu is very simple and basic at Bobby's dhaba. Five to six kinds of parathas, a few side dishes, kheer and buttermilk are on the offering. Parathas are served with butter, pickle and a plate of sliced cucumber and onion. All side dishes are served in portions just enough for two. The sight of the steaming hot parathas with the butter slowly puddling on top is enough to make you hungry even on a full stomach! The mooli and onion parathas that we tried were soft and piquantly delicious. Channa masala and aloo jeera make for good company along with the parathas. They are not overtly spiced, like you would expect from typical Punjabi cuisine, so it suits all palates.

Mouthwatering!!

The egg bhurji, the only non-vegetarian dish available here, is also a good accompaniment to the meal. It is peppered with green chillies and a hint of garam masala which gives it the right amount of zest.
And now coming to Balaji's favourite part of this meal - the buttermilk.

Glug.....glug.....glug.....buRRRRP

Rich and frothy, served in a tall steel glass, it is the perfect cooler after a heavy meal like this. Our quest for the best buttermilk in town ended here!
Service is quick and efficient. Inspite of the Sunday crowd, the staff made sure we didn't have to wait for too long in between orders.
Bobby da Dhaba is open for lunch between 12-30pm and 3.30pm and for dinner from 7.30pm to 11.30pm. It gets a little too crowded on Sundays due to the devotees from the Gurudwara dropping by, so come prepared to wait a while to be seated.
But take our word for it, the wholesome food here is worth the wait. The right place for foodies to chak de phatte!!!

Did you know......
.......that Indian immigrants took the paratha to Malaysia and Singapore, resulting in variations such as roti canai and roti prata? In Myanmar (Burma), where it is known as palata, it is eaten with curries or cooked with either egg or mutton, or as a dessert with white sugar.

Cafe Inch

2007-01-24T20:53:00.003+05:30

57, Milestone, Defence Colony, 100 ft road, Indiranagar, Bangalore - 560 038
Phone : +91 80 4153 8088

Food : 2.75/5
Service : 2/5
Ambience : 2.75/5
Meal for 2 : Rs 250 approx (for breakfast)

The first Indian outlet of a Swiss venture, this cafe offers a refreshing atmosphere to sink into a filling meal. The interiors look inviting with splashes of orange and yellow and comfortable couches as well as tables, both inside and outside (where you can have your meal overlooking the 100ft road - but I guess that wouldn't make for a pleasant view on a weekday, what with choc-a-block traffic on the road!).

The menu listed a whole lot of options for breakfast, starters, soups, items for lunch/dinner, pastas, juices, teas and coffees. We opted for an English breakfast (just realized, I'm blogging about English breakfast for the second time...hmmm) which was scrambled eggs on toast, bacon, sausage, baked beans and juice.

English breakfast

The eggs and bacon were well done. The baked beans tasted quite good too but I suspect this came straight out of a can :). There were also sauteed mushrooms along with the breakfast which was succulent.
However, the service is quite slow at Inch. The waiters look a little lost and take ages to get your order. This kind of mars the experience of a satisfying meal. There is definitely room for improvement in this area.

Our recommendation -go to Cafe Inch for the food but don't expect attentive service. You will come away with a happy tummy!

Sweet Sins

2007-01-22T15:23:00.005+05:30

No. 421-G, I Main, 3rd Cross, I Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore – 560 038
Phone : 98450 36988, 2525 5534 / 35
Fax : 2525 5532
email : dxblr@vsnl.com

Food : 4/5
Avg price for a 1kg cake : Rs 500

Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first. -Ernestine Ulmer. :)
So we set out to Indiranagar first thing on my birthday to collect the Exotic Fruit Gateau from Sangeeta Damani's Sweet Sins. We had read about her luscious pastries and desserts in many blogs and this seemed a good occassion to try them out ourselves.

The gateau was a three layered cake interspersed with layers of fresh fruit. Like the name suggests, the fruits were of the exotic kind - kiwi, strawberries, plums, figs and oranges too. Decorated with soft, fluffy cream - the cake looked good enough to eat (pun intended!)

Exotic Fruit Gateau

If just looking at it was a treat to the eyes, savouring the cake was an out of the world sensory experience! Spongy layers of cake with the fruity bits in between all enveloped in guilt-rich cream had us begging for more. The gateau was not of the sickeningly sweet variety and was quite filling. In fact we were still stuffing ourselves with it the next day too!! (My sweet tooth rejoicing all along! ;) )

The gateau tastes best when eaten fresh and if you are planning to eat it later, it has to be stored in the fridge immediately; though we would suggest you finish it on the same day coz thats when it tastes the way it should - delicately made up, succulent and rich.

This is not a place where you can drop in and have something on the go. To order cakes and desserts, you need to inform Sangeeta in advance over the phone/by email. She also has a range of meringues, pies, tarts, healthy desserts (is that actually possible?), cookies and lasagnas on offer.

Now who was that who said, "You can't have your cake and eat it too"?

Edited to add: Sweet Sins has been renamed 'Spoonful of Sugar' and now serves light continental fare.

Cafe De Lekkerbek

2007-01-03T12:11:00.005+05:30

80ft road, Koramangala, Bangalore.
Phone : 57686767
email: lekkerbek@rediffmail.com
blog: http://belgiancafe.blogspot.com/

Note: Just after writing this post, the name of this eatery was changed to Cafe Terra

Belgian Cafe on the first floor

Food : 2.75/5
Service : 2/5
Ambience : 2.5/5
Meal for 2: Rs 250 for breakfast

A lazy Sunday morning in December, swathed in wollens, half awake from deep slumber we set out to a Belgian cafe in Koramangala. This suburb is teeming with a profusion of restaurants of all shapes, sizes and cuisines but most of them, according to our experience,turn out to be run of the mill with just a fancy name to attract crowds. However we were pleased to discover that Cafe De Lekkerbek lived up to its reputation and it was well worth dragging ourselves out of bed on a cold morning!!

The cafe is tucked away on 80ft road, Koramangala in the same building as Bandbox. A small cosy looking place with a huge shelf full of Tintin comics (which other Belgian can you think of?)

along with Calvin & Hobbes and Archie comics on one wall,this restaurant looks like the ideal place to sit with a book and coffee for hours.

Gourmet, epicure or glutton - what are you?

Spongy delicious muffins, perfect waffles with maple syrup along with hot tea on a wintry morning.... thats exactly what I had in the Belgian breakfast. The waffles were lovely - crisp on the outside, not too soggy, sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with maple syrup. My hunt for the perfect waffle in Bangalore is over!!!

Belgian Breakfast

Balaji had a filling English breakfast which was toast, a chicken cutlet, eggs (made to order - scrambled in this case) and chicken sausages with coffee. The sausages seemed to have a mild hint of masala in it which tasted so good that he ordered an extra plate of them coz I was polishing off his share with glee! The scrambled eggs were peppered, light and fluffy. The cutlet was crunchy and tasted more Indian than English but who cares coz it tasted good:)

English Breakfast

I think it's something in the air over there, what with the delicious smells of cooking wafting out of the kitchen area, I was tempted into ordering a spanish omlette despite my groaning tummy. The crunchy layers of spinach, baby corn and many more veggies makes for a scrumptious and filling meal in itself. We wolfed it down like we were starved for ages!

The menu also lists food from across the continent for lunch and dinner. Their minestrone soup, banana cakes and various salads are quite popular. This is a place that definitley requires a second visit!!

Diana

2007-01-02T15:45:00.003+05:30

Diana Circle, Udupi - 576101.
Phone - 2520505, 2522586

Food : 2.5/5
Service : 2.5/5
Ambience : 2/5
Meal for 2: Rs 100

Think Udupi and think beaches, temples and gadbad from Diana!!! What better way to chill out in the sweltering weather (yes...even in the middle of December!) than stuff yourself with icecreams renowned for their quality and flavour for decades.

You will find over 50 icecream delicacies in Diana's but the favourite among locals and tourists alike remains the gadbad.

Gadbad

For the uninitiated, the gadbad is a tall glass filled with droolworthy layers of jelly, fresh fruit and dry fruits interspersed with 3 scoops of icecream. Definitely not for the calorie conscious! And it didnt help that my gadbad was topped with a yummy scoop of my favourite flavour - strawberry!!

The superior quality of the icecreams - and I can vouch for that since I've been coming here every other year or so - has been maintained over the years because they are made inhouse in the factory owned by Diana. The icecreams are creamy in texture and come in a whole range of flavours from the standard vanilla to fig-n-honey. And yes, you still get tutti-fruity flavour here! I thought that flavour was extinct - long replaced by the new ones like chocomint or blueberry introduced in the metros by the bigger brands.

The ambience at Diana's is unpretentious. No fussy decor, no snooty waiters. Just a clean, bustling restaurant which has retained its old world charm - and also a few of its old waiters!

This restaurant is not just restricted to icecreams but also serves items ranging from dosas to what seems to be a staple of any vegetarian restaurant - baby corn manchurian :) The channa bhatura is quite a hit here. We did not have a chance to try it though since we were busy devouring the yummy icecreams. Maybe next time.......