Khaana means food in Hindi

Dum Pukht

2012-01-15T21:51:00.000-08:00

Hello friends and readers. Apologies for the lack of updated restaurant stories on this blog. I have a good excuse; I’ve been busy getting married and now I’m back and eating!

I have to admit that recently, it’s been challenging to find foods and restaurants that are worth writing about. That’s up until last night when we went to Dum Pukht Jolly Nabobs. No, it’s not slang for Dumb F*cked and it’s definitely not a dive bar in an old part of town. It’s a very good Indian restaurant that serves Lucknowi food and dare I say, the very best biryani I’ve ever eaten! The restaurant is tucked away in the corner of the newer wing of the Windsor Manor hotel, a side that I never knew existed and if I did, I must’ve thought that's where the guest rooms were located.

The old interior of the restaurant complements the rest of Victorian-stlye décor of the hotel and if it wasn’t for the occasional Caucasian men in bermuda shorts and polo shirts who were walking around to grab a beer or two, I would’ve been lost in my olden-Anglo-Indian-palace fantasy. It’s easy to be lost; the crystal wine glasses, life-sized paintings of Indian ladies in fancy sarees and prints of photographs taken in the 1800s all hung on the wooden walls, chandeliers, chinaware and middle-aged servers in black suits with names like Hamilton added to the charm.

The dining room.

Here’s what we ate (sorry, the meal was very meat-centric because "A" did the ordering.)

Murg Chandi Tikka (left) and Kakori (right). This must have been the most "royal" tikka I've ever eaten. Tender thighs with smokey tandoor taste. That is not leftover aluminum foils from cooking, it's actually eatable (I hope) silver foils that were added on purpose I'm unsure why (do you?). And kakori was super finely minced mutton blended with cloves, cinnamon and saffron that melted in my mouth!

Can't remember the name of this roti, but it was served with my kakori and it was delicious!

Murgh Rezala. Pieces of chicken morsels cooked in creamy oinon and almond gravy and eaten with steamy hot roti tasted like freshly baked whole wheat bread that just came out of the oven! This was meant to be our "second" course but I think we could've done without because it took up space for our precious...

... Dumpukht biryani. Have I mentioned, the best biryani ever? Every spoonful had so many layers of flavor and with the oh-so-tender mutton pieces and the side of "burrani" - a type of raita but tasted and looked more like spicy aioli, was the most expensive but totally-worth-it Rs1500 I've spent on biryani.

Overall Ratings:
Po's: 9/10
"A"'s: 9/10

Would we return?
Yes, when we want to splurge on a very good meal.

Address
ITC Windsor Manor, Golf Course Road, Bangalore

The Tasty Tangles

2012-01-13T11:17:00.000-08:00

It's always strange to me that tables at Tasty Tanlges remains empty while its neighbors (Toscano's, Subway, Cafe Noir, and Rajthani) are packed during meal times. They have a nice-looking indoor area, and also a spacious open-air section that is great for people watching especially on weekend evenings. Their exposed kitchen is quite entertaining; you can observe the slightly self-conscious cooks as they prepare your food. The reviews they have from burrp website are fairly decent. So, why is the place so empty?

I was craving Chinese food during lunch one day and remembered my in-laws saying that this place serves yummy Peking ducks, which I came to know is a rare find in Bangalore. To my disappointment, they were not serving duck that day, and on top of that they have an "Asian" menu, instead of a Chinese menu.

So here's what I ended up eating.

Siu Mai - it was just okay, considering there aren't too many options in town for dim sums. I know it's very easy to screw this up, but they managed to get the flavors as close as a siu mai can be. Nice little trick replacing orange fish roe with finely chopped carrots.

Har Gao - nicely steamed with dumpling skin still intact. The prawns used as the filling was decently cooked so there was still a slight crunch to it.

Penang Curry Laksa - disappointed but to be fair, the last time I tasted curry laksa, I was actually in Penang, hence there is really no comparison. This dish tasted more like the Burmese "khao suey" but with a thinner broth. Basically, I was looking for a punch and I wasn't finding it in this bowl of red coconut noodle soup.

Nasi Goreng - not bad except it's also missing a few ingredients that makes up a good nasi goreng like sambal and eggs. Served with a piece of chicken satay, which was also so-so.

Stir-fry lamb, kung-pao style. Pretty spicy and not too drenched in sauce, which I like.

Stir-fry bak choy, which tasted like it was pre-boiled and then had some oyster sauce stirred-in.

My conclusion: I guess the reason why the restaurant always seems quiet even though the location is great and ambiance good, is because the food is really just so-so. And since they can't compete with Rajthani and Subway prices, they end up being the last choice. That's what I think.

Overall Ratings:
Po's: 6.5/10

Would we return?
When we're really hungry and the other restaurants in UB City are full.

Address
UB City, Vitay Mallya Road

Touché in Indiranagar

2011-07-18T02:29:00.000-07:00

I don't know how to categorize this restaurant without using the term "multi-cuisine", so I just left the label out. To me, multi-cuisine spells "I don't really know how to cook anything, so I'll cook everything", which too often means mediocre-tasting food in abundance. While food is not their specialty, digital entertainment might be. I think this place would be appealing to people who don't like socializing over food or for parents dining with ADD kids who constantly need to be entertained.

I don't mean to sound negative. This place is not all bad. For instance, they are one of the more eco-friendly restaurants in town. No use of paper (you place your order on the touch-screen computer that's also your dining table), and instead of paper towels, they provide clean, ironed white napkins.

Chicken quesadilla was a safe order and turned out to be not bad at all.

Caesar salad - not made with caesar dressing but more like mayonnaise (and too much of it!) with a few wilted lettuce leaves and a bad attempt on croutons.

Walnut brownie with vanilla ice cream, which turned out OK but I swear it tasted like it was made out of Betty Crocker's brownie mix.

The touchscreen menu which lists all the food and beverages along with their photos. When you're done ordering your meal, you could also play some games and read a few jokes, if you like.

Inside Touché.

Overall Ratings:
Po's: 4.5/10
A's: 6/10

Would we return?
Highly Unlikely.

Address
100 Feet Road, Indiranagar , Bangalore

Citrus at the Leela Palace

2011-07-18T01:21:00.000-07:00

I love Sunday brunch buffets! I know I haven't reviewed too many of them, so this past weekend I thought I'd check out the brunch at Citrus, in the Leela Palace. Unfortunately though (and to my surprise), we were too early for the brunch buffet (it was 11:30a.m and brunch starts at noon. Really? Isn't brunch breakfast + lunch. Wouldn't "lunch buffet" be more appropriate that late?). So we had to order from the a la carte menu which is not bad, but the fun factor of having breakfast or brunch at the Leela is that the cafe is surrounded by peaceful and beautiful greenery.

For Rs650, I got the following.

Fresh seasonal fruits, with a nice tall glass of freshly squeezed juice.

Omelette with pieces of lobster, mushrooms, cheese (and they forgot to add red peppers). I thought the lobster was a bit fishy and the omelette didn't have any seasoning. Other than that, it was a nice and fluffy omelette, which is how I like it.

And to end the meal, a cup of hot chocolate (which turned out a bit too milky for my taste).

Overall Ratings:
Po's: 7/10 (mainly for the peaceful atmosphere)

Would we return?
Probably for brunch.

Address:
Airport Rd, Kodihalli
Bangalore, Karnataka

The Fat Chef in Whitefield

2011-05-23T02:31:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love it when I enter a new establishment and see that someone has put some thoughts into the decor. I especially liked how the interior of the restaurant has a combination of rock cut walls and perfectly white pillars and beams. I thought it's very modern "Karnatakan". The food is good but nothing with a "wow" factor but I think it has a lot of potential. I'm looking forward to coming back soon.

Menu at the Fat Chef.

Bruchetta with tomatoes and basil, cheese and olive - a very refreshing starter. The bread could be a bit more toasted though.

Beer battered prawns - so very crispy on the bite but light and tender on the inside.

Alfredo with vegetables - considering how it's just vegetables with white sauce, it turned out pretty good. The dish was nicely seasoned and the sauce wasn't sweet like how it is in some places in Bangalore.

Lobster roll - I went to a New England seafood restaurant in NYC with my sister a couple of years ago and I remember feeling guilty because the small sandwich was both so very good and so very expensive. When I saw "lobster roll" on the Fat Chef menu, I had to order it. It wasn't as expensive (Rs240 vs. US$20) but it wasn't quite like the lobster roll I devoured back in NYC. I wish they had used less ketchup (I thought the sweet flavor and pinkness came from ketchup) and no cabbage. The lobster has an opaque color (undercooked, perhaps?) and didn't have much taste. Otherwise, it was a good try.

Pesto chicken and pasta - tender pieces of chicken and fusili drenched in pesto sauce and topped with shredded parmesan cheese.

Overall Ratings:
Po's: 7.5/10
A's: 7/10

Would we return?
Likely.

Address:
No. 5/2A, Jagriti, Ramagondanahall,
Varthur Main Road, Whitefield,
Bangalore

(Attached to the Jagriti Drama Theatre)

Caperberry

2011-05-10T23:31:00.000-07:00

It was Friday evening and it wasn't a special occasion or anything. In fact, it was merely because there was an IPL match at the Chinaswamy Stadium which means a normal 20-minute drive home would’ve taken us an hour. Besides, it’s been way too long since our last visit to Caperberry. It’s about time.

To my surprise, we got a table without making reservations beforehand. A fine-dining restaurant like this in New York or Bombay on a Friday night would have starved me until 10:30pm before they would offer us a table or even worse, turn me down because reservation is full for the next few weekends to come.

Instead of a proper 5-course French dinner, we decided to dine tapas-style.Here’s what we ate:

Alfonso Mango and Chicken Salad – So very refreshing and a great combination of sweet, tart and savory all on one plate. My friend Moots liked it so much she ordered another one.

Two different types of crostinis – The chorizo one had caramelized onions as a base, a nice compliment to the saltiness in the chorizo. The pesto chicken one I thought was just OK, maybe I’m getting a bit bored with the combination of chicken and pesto.

Fois Gras – I know, we're all over the place with our meal tonight, but here’s a rarity in Bangalore. I was apprehensive (because if you don’t cook the liver right, it becomes tough and powdery) but this one turned out pretty good. Served on slices of green apples and roasted tomatoes.

Calamari Rings with Aioli – What! Who ordered this? Why are we wasting stomach space on food you could find at Herbs & Spice or TGIF? To be fair, this has got to be one of the best calamari rings I’ve eaten in Bangalore. Perfectly seasoned (do I see a bit of rawa-style?) and fried, crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

Cooked in an actual patella.

Chorizo and Chicken Paella – Not on the menu anymore, but my dining mates were craving for pork that night, so they made this especially for us. The rice (I’m guessing Arborio) was tender, slightly al-dente and was nicely flavored by the capsicum, saffron and chorizo. Topped with a bit of aioli.

Chocolate Duet – I am going to be absolutely honest, I don’t like chocolate mousse, so I didn’t enjoy it much. The rest of my dining mates didn’t enjoy it either because they were making fun of it (they were very imaginative). The cakey side of the chocolate is also a so-so for me. There is a salty taste in the fudge which I found a bit overwhelming.

So French. Complimentary little pieces of petit four.

Overall Ratings:
Po's: 8.5/10
A's: 8.5/10

Would we return?
Certainly.

Address:
48/1, Ground Floor, The Estate, No 121,
Dickenson Road, Bangalore

Phone: +91 (0)80 2559 4567

Olive Beach

2011-05-10T02:56:00.000-07:00

Someone wrote to me through this blog recently, asking for suggestions on restaurants that have buffets. Apart from the Sunday buffet brunch at the Taj, where my first landlord took me to as an incentive to try and get me to extend my lease two and a half years ago, I realized I've never really been to any other buffets or brunches. I started asking around and I did some research on the internet. It was like digging into an old pair of jeans and finding a Rs.500 note! Sunday brunches in Bangalore are such a popular pastime that people discuss the vast variety of options on Internet forums! These buffet brunches aren't cheap though. They range between Rs800-Rs1000 back in 2006, and today you won't be able to find a good brunch for lesser than Rs2000 (excluding tax and service charge).

So for Mother's Day, after some nudging (because "A" can't fathom spending Rs2000 per person on brunch), we decided to take my (soon-to-be) mother-in-law to a buffet brunch at Olive Beach.

I've always liked Olive Beach. I've dined there a few times in the past two years. Heck, I've even attended a wedding party here. The food has always been fresh and delicious, and the atmosphere, though a bit staged, somehow managed to transport me out of India and onto an island in Greece.

The Mother's Day brunch menu. It occurred to us then why they'd charged so much for brunch. The extensive meal also includes an all-you-can-drink, like any kind of drinks, from the bar. Needless to say, "A" and the rest of the family were happy campers.

Fresh Cochin oysters. I was very excited about the prospect of eating raw oysters but was a bit disappointed when the waiter rinsed the shucked oyster in a pail of fresh water before serving them. It tasted a bit diluted but nonetheless, very fresh. I know you're curious, and the answer is no, none of us got sick from eating raw oysters in India.

The widespread buffet. Salads, cheeses, breads, dips and cold cuts, all for our consumption.

From the grill - rosemary marinated lamb chops, medium done. The meat was so juicy and well seasoned, there was no need for the extra sauce that came with it. Also on the grill was steak, fish and sliders but this was good enough for me!

Desserts - on top of what's served here, there was a person who'd make fresh waffles.

I'm not doing justice with the photos here. As you can imagine, I was too occupied with stuffing myself silly and was happily tipsy on my mojitos.

One of the best things about India is that even though it's a buffet, which often means self-service in other countries, it doesn't really apply here. You can sit on your dining table for four hours and just tell the waiters what you'd like and you'll have your choice of food served to you with a smile.

Overall Ratings:
Po's: 8.5/10
A's: 8.5/10

Would we return?
Absolutely!

Address:
16 Wood Street,
Ashoknagar, Bangalore

Phone: +91 (0)80 4123 9483 Reservations Recommended

i-t.ALIA at the Park Hotel, Pt. 2

2011-05-10T02:21:00.001-07:00

I know, it's not fair. How can one restaurant have two posts. I can't help it. This place is genuinely good, and in my mind, still the best Italian food served in Bangalore. Check out my previous posting from last year here.

A friend of mine from NYC was in town for a quick two days in Bangalore and I felt like it's my duty to show her the "other" side of India. My initial choice of cuisine was Andhra biryani but I know she had been traveling in the most rural areas of India for the past few weeks, and by now she would appreciate some really good non-Indian food in a slightly upscale setting. We came into itALIA, ordered a bottle of good Indian wine, and took our time with our meal decisions (too much catching up to do!), while the waiters patiently waited on us.

Stuffed cannelloni with seafood - delicious! The perfectly cooked diced shrimps, squids and white fish added a hint of sweetness to the tangy tomato sauce. The slightly burnt ricotta cheese was a nice creamy addition to the whole dish.

Goat cheese ravioli in mushroom sauce. The mushroom sauce was a tad salty, when eaten with the ravioli but the combined flavor was absolutely mouthwatering.

Tagliatelle with prawns with saffron cream sauce. I absolutely adore fresh pasta. To know that they serve it here made me so happy. My only complaint is the way they serve the dish. Instead of letting the pasta soak-in the sauce and then letting them fall graciously on the plate, they've jam-packed the noodles into a mold. So as you'd expect, the noodles were stuck onto each other when I dug into them.

Overall Ratings:
Po's: 8.5/10
A's: 9/10

Would we return?
We just did!

Address:
The Park Bangalore
14/7 Mahatma Gandhi Road,
Bangalore 560042, India

Phone: +91 (0)80 2559 4666

I-95, Goa

2011-03-31T04:29:00.000-07:00

While we were in Goa, we met up with "A"'s second cousin's wife's parents for some drinks and they graciously took us out to dinner. Since they spend half of their time in Goa, they've acquainted themselves with a lot of locals and of course, know of a lot of good places to eat.

If you're looking to dress up a little and experience fine dining in Goa, you should definitely check out I-95 (I know, the name sounds very much like an American highway ). You won't be disappointed. The menu is unpretentious and there is a good selection of wine to go with it.

The restaurant shares the same entrance of this age-old building which is also a gallery. The entrance reminded me a little of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Warm mushroom soups in test tubes. I was a bit weirded out by the presentation but the soup was a nice comforting start to our meal.

The dining area is simple and humble.

Overall Ratings:
Po's: 8/10

A's: 7/10

Would we return?
Very likely

Address:
Castello Vermelho,
Behind the Art chamber,
1/115 A Gauravado,
Near Kamats Holiday Homes,
Calangute 403516
Telephone: +91 832 2275213

Souza Lobo, Goa

2011-03-31T04:28:00.000-07:00

Goan food is one of my favorite Indian foods. Unlike the majority of India, where local specialty foods often mean vegetarian (by the way, I have nothing against vegetarian food!), Goan food is often made with "catch-of-the-day" seafood. That said, it's never going to be as good having Goan food anywhere else.

Here's a restaurant that's been around for a long, long time. It's right on Calangute beach but you have to walk through a small, sandy lane and pass a few tattoo stores before you come to the entrance of this restaurant.

Chili-fry oysters.

Fish fry - seer fish marinated and lightly pan fried.

Mutton Vindaloo. The challenge I find with taking photographs of Indian dishes is trying to capture the deliciousness in the picture, which is not easy considering many of the dishes are in gravy.

Fish Curry - one of Goa's most popular dishes. Usually eaten with rice.

Crab curry

Souza Lobo restaurant.

Overall Ratings:
Po's: 7.5/10
A's: 8/10

Would we return?
Maybe

Address:
Calangute Beach

Florentine, Goa

2011-03-31T04:09:00.000-07:00

I love stepping into a restaurant filled with locals when I travel. Florentine is a Goan restaurant that's tucked away (the good local ones are always tucked away) which we found out from a restaurant owner in Bangalore who visits Goa every other month. Here's what we ate.

Oyster rawa fry. Crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside.

"A"'s favorite food in the world; Goan style fish fingers.

Prawns Balchao - prawns cooked in Goan masala, is so good with just plain boiled rice or poi (Goan bread).

Chicken Cafreal - this dish made Florentine restaurant popular amongst the local, and I can see why! The chicken is marinated with green masala and grilled. Yum!

And for dessert, caramel custard or creme caramel or flan. I found out this dish originated from France and was spread all over Europe and now all over the world, and to this little humble restaurant, in Goa.

Inside Florentine restaurant.

Overall Ratings:
Po's: 8/10
A's: 8/10

Would we return?
Probaby

Address:
Chogm Road, Saligao,
Bardez, Goa

Sunny's Indiranagar

2011-03-31T04:05:00.000-07:00

I went to Sunny's a couple of times in both locations in the past few months. I have to say, even though the food is nothing to write home about, it has been consistently mediocrely good. One thing for sure, the ingredients used have always tasted fresh to me and the chefs at Sunny's cook decently good tasting Italian (now fusion) food.

Crab cakes - tasty, but a bit soggy.

Calamari fried to a perfect crispness.

Stuffed zucchini rolls, not the most popular appetizer on the table, but I thought it was an innovative dish.

Smoked salmon with cream cheese.

Almond crusted fish with lemon cream sauce.

Another grilled fish which I vaguely remembered to be slightly overcooked.

Asian style sea bass served with bok choy.

Chicken Diane.

Ganache tart

Overall Ratings:
Po's: 6.5/10
"A"'s: 7.5/10

Would we return?
Er, yeah, only because there are not a lot of choices.

Address:
34 Vittal Mallya Road,
Bangalore 560 001
Phone: 2224 3642

OR

No.769-770,100 Feet Road,
12th Main Road, Indiranagar,
Bangalore - 560 038
Phone: 4125 5157

Malaysian Street (or Stall) Food

2011-03-31T01:45:00.001-07:00

I've been getting a lot more questions from random people recently about where to go and what to eat in Malaysia. My guess is since Air Asia started flights from Malaysia to India, more Indians are planning travels to my home country. To share the "where to go" will make this post too long, but I can certainly share the "what to eat".

Here are some delicious foods that I have happily stuffed my face with during my last visit to Kuala Lumpur (KL) and Penang. Some of these foods can be found in restaurants but most of them are street foods and even though it's a big no-no for most of us to eat on the streets of India, it's generally OK to eat on the streets in KL and Penang. In fact, there is a local saying, "the dirtier, the tastier!" But to be on the safe side, you can find these foods in any food courts. I recommend the Lot 10 food court in KL.

Street stalls in Penang.

Wan tan mee - Usually eaten for lunch. This is a slightly bigger serving size. I asked for a double order because one helping is just not enough for me! The egg noodles were quickly cooked in boiling water then dipped into cold water (a process to make the noodles slightly chewy) before mixing with a soy sauce concoction. Served with slices of char siew (barbecue pork), some choi sum (chinese brocolli) and a small bowl of wan tan soup on the side. Delicious and very satisfying!

Chee Cheong Fun - generally a breakfast food, at least for me while I was growing up. A very simple meal made out of broad rice noodles, and served with sweet hoisin or shrimp paste sauce, chili sauce and sesame seeds.

Claypot chicken rice - When I was studying in a college in KL, I used to have this at least twice a week for lunch. Rice cooked in a claypot with chinese sausage, marinated chicken pieces and a soy sauce concoction. The authentic claypot chicken rice will come with a side of salted fish, to be mixed into your rice to make the rice even more savory than it already is.

Pan Mee - Hand-made noodles in clear pork and anchovy broth. Served with spring potato leaves, fried anchovies and some seaweed. For some extra kick, eat every bite with a bit of sambal belacan that comes with the dish. It's a simple bowl of noodle soup, but so very satisfying.

Har Mee - also known as prawn mee or prawn noodles. Noodles of your choice (thin rice noodles, egg noodles, lai fun or hor fun or mix two!) served in a slightly spicy but savory prawn-based broth. Served with slices of prawns, pork and quartered boiled eggs.

Char Kuay Teow - This has got to be one of my (and possibly "A"'s favorite) Malaysian Chinese street food. Kuay teow (rice noodles) fried with eggs, bean sprouts and sometimes, Chinese sausages. If you find a good stall, you can actually taste the wok hei (breath of the wok) in your noodles!

Indian Mee Goreng - Egg noodles cooked with kicap manis (sweet soy sauce), chili sauce, tofu, bean sprouts and eggs. No, I haven't found the equivalent in India. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's the many generations of Malaysian Indians who had invented this dish. This dish can be found in any mamak (a slang addressing tamil muslims in Malaysia) stalls.

Mee Rebus - Same place you find mee goreng, you will also find mee rebus. Instead of frying the egg noodles, the noodles are submerged with a savory-sweet-spicy sauce and topped with a boiled egg, some crisps, tofu and spicy squid.

Roti Canai - Anyone who has been to a Malaysian restaurant in the US, UK, Australia or anywhere else in the world would have eaten the infamous roti canai. In Malaysia, instead of serving the roti with chicken curry, it's normally served with dahl and if you request, you might get extra fish, mutton or chicken curry sauce. You can find this in any Indian or mamak stalls or restaurants at any time of the day.

Nasi lemak - loosely translates to "fat rice". It's not because it's fattening but "lemak" literally means the fat from coconut milk, a popular ingredient used in Malaysian cooking. Coconut milk is added to the rice, hence the wonderful flavor. Eaten with a bit of sambal (spicy chili condiment usually made from belacan or shrimp paste), a sliver of boiled egg, fried anchovies and fried peanuts. It's served wrapped in a piece of banana leaf.

Yong tau foo - vegetables stuffed with fish paste and then boiled or deep-fried. Usually eaten with a bit of sweet (or hoisin) sauce and chili sauce.

Or-chien - baby oyster omelette, generally sold on the side of "dai chow" eateries ("dai chow" is a kind of restaurant that cooks their food (generally noodles) in a big wok, on top of charcoaled flames). It's usually eaten with a bit of tangy chili sauce.

There are many more street foods (like Curry Laksa, Asam Laksa, Wat Tan Hor and the list goes on...) that I didn't get a chance to photograph while I was on this trip. Hopefully, this will keep you full (but wanting more!) while you are in Malaysia!

Chinese New Year in Malaysia

2011-03-06T08:48:00.000-08:00

In case I haven't mentioned, I was born and raised in Petaling Jaya (commonly known as "PJ" by the locals), which was developed as a satellite town for the overpopulated Kuala Lumpur back in the 1950's but has been since granted city status not too long ago. To me, it always has been and always will be, the residential suburbia I grew up in. There are a handful of mega malls, but if you ask me what's there to do in PJ, I'd say eat.

Last month, I went back to PJ for Chinese New Year, and as much as I wanted to see my family and catch up with many of my childhood friends, I have to admit, I was equally excited to stuff my face with much-craved Chinese food.

Chinese New Year, is one of the more popular, and perhaps the only celebration we have in our home. The celebration lasts for 15 days, but the busiest day in our house is the day before the first day because it's the day where members of the family come home and have a reunion dinner, hence, the day where we (mainly my dad) spend many, many hours in the kitchen preparing the feast. There is no limit to how many dishes we make, as long as each dish symbolizes something auspicious.

Unfortunately, I don't remember the symbolic values of each dish, but I do remember them being super delicious! Here's what we made this year.

Here's dad's game plan.

Braised Chicken Feet.

Stir-fry vegetables with scallops.

Braised pork with shiitake mushrooms and sea cucumber.

Pak gai (or steamed white chicken).

Sweet and savory prawns.

Dung Gu Pau Yu (Braised abalone with shiitake mushrooms).

Woo tau kau yook (steamed yam with roast pork).

And last but not least, my dad's signature dish, fried tung fun which has been passed down from my grandmother. Usually eaten wrapped with butter lettuce. Yum!

And here's the full meal.

One very important point about Chinese New Year reunion dinners is that it is an absolute must to have leftovers because it symbolizes abundance of food available for the rest of the following year!

Edo, ITC Hotel

2011-01-08T04:54:00.000-08:00

Whoa! When did this open? How come no one told me about it?

That was my reaction, when I first walked into Edo. I’ve been living in Bangalore on-and-off for the past two and a half years and there were times when I longed for some good sashimi. Yes, of course there are other Japanese restaurants in Bangalore, oh heck, sushi is even served at some “oriental” restaurants in town, but more than often, the raw fish served tastes bland or fishy and sometimes even mushy.

Edo has a bi-weekly shipment of the best and freshest quality goods flown in from Japan, so yes, you can be sure it's not cheap to eat here. As I let the piece of toro melt in my mouth, I heard my guilty conscience reminding me of how much carbon footprint was created just so I (and you) can savor this little sliver of perfection.

Sushi is just a piece of raw fish on top of some compacted rice, right? No. It’s more than that. I heard that it takes years of daily practice of rice cooking AND fish-slicing before one can be titled a “sushi chef”. So, Mr. Sushi Chef of Edo, I hope you stick around, like forever, and not just to train the staff.

Edo interiors and Mr. Sushi Chef.

So, how did I know the fishes served here were fresh? I put my nose close to the uncut fish and sniffed. All I smelled was a slight hint of the sea. This smell shouldn’t be confused with “fishy”, which often means the fish has already lost its freshness. Another important thing about sushi is its rice. It should be sticky but not soggy, firm but not hard. Edo did it perfectly.

Some edamame to start.

Nigiri sushi and sashimi platter. We picked our own fish.

Wasabi root - not the prettiest-looking but is such a great compliment to sushi and sashimi.

Our waiter grating fresh wasabi.

Freshly grated wasabi.

Soft-shell crab rolls.

Spicy tuna rolls, which turned out to be not that spicy.

Prawn tempura, so very crispy on the outside but strangely soft on the inside. I say strange because fresh prawns are usually firm, not soft, when cooked. Nonetheless, it wasn't greasy and tasted perfect when slightly dipped into tentsuyu sauce.

We also ordered a few things from the robatayaki section of the menu. Traditionally, customers sit around the grill and pick and select vegetables and meat or fish to be grilled.

Grilled miso-marinated chicken.

Grilled garlic.

Hot soba noodles with seaweed.

Chanko Nabe - is a sumo wrestler dish cooked and served in a hotpot. Super yum!

Complimentary desserts from Edo. (L-R) Baby macaroons, white chocolates and matcha (green tea) cookies.

Edo claims to have the largest collection of sake and shōchū in Bangalore.

Also available is a wide variety of Japanese whiskey. My friends from New York City will be very pleased.

Overall Ratings:
Po's: 9.5/10
"A"'s: 9/10

Would we return?
Definitely. A says, "it was really f*&#ing good".

Address:
ITC Royal Gardenia, No.1, Residency Road, Bangalore
Phone: 080 22119898

Phobidden Fruit

2010-12-24T01:16:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Eve everybody! Apologies for the long silence, I've been away in the Americas selling, packing and moving. I can safely say that Bangalore is now my new permanent home.

While I was in living in New York City, if I wasn’t out and about with friends, I’d stay home and order-in a bowl of steamy “pho” (pronounce "fuh", is a kind of Vietnamese noodle dish) and savor it until the last strand of rice noodle was gone. So when “A” and I found Phobidden Fruit, a Vietnamese restaurant while driving down 12th Main in Indiranagar, I was ecstatic! I didn’t wait too long to check out the food.

For restaurant atmosphere and level of tastiness, I’ll give them a thumbs-up but in terms of authenticity, the foods were lacking a few distinct ingredients, fish sauce is definitely one of them.

Papaya salad - tasty, but it's not your typical papaya salad. The fried shallots were overpowering and the papaya tartness was missing.

Vietnamese springrolls - also pretty tasty, however, instead of using thin rice noodles as a filling, they used rice. In New York, I'd cringe, but since I don't have much of a choice in Bangalore, I happily ate four pieces.

Springrolls with rice filling.

Siu Mai - huh? Is this even Vietnamese?

And last but not least, my bowl of pho. The ingredients and condiments were fresh but is it similar to the phos I had in New York and Hanoi? Not even close. The chicken pieces, instead of boiled are fried. The noodles, instead of silky smooth has a grainy texture. And lastly, the most important piece of the equation to a perfect bowl of noodle soup; the broth, is lacking the deep flavor you get from simmering protein and its bones for a very long, long time.

Table condiments - (left jar) pickled carrots and radishes. Pickled radishes tend to have a very pungent smell, so if you're not big on pungent, don't open this jars.

Restaurant Interiors

Restaurant Interiors

Overall Ratings:
Po's: 7/10

Would we return?
Probably during my next noodle-soup-crave.

Address:
12th Main (a few doors from Corner House)
Indiranagar, Bangalore

Phone: 080 4125 5175

Cuite au Feu de Bois in Nice, France

2010-10-20T07:50:00.000-07:00

My friends Hel and P-Em took us to this hole-in-the-wall in old Nice town. The food was a Nicoise specialty and the pancake-like bread was cooked in a wood oven. The bread is usually eaten alongside deep fried foods like fried stuffed zucchini flower, fried stuffed zucchini, fried battered sardines and fried minced pork.

I can't say I'm in love this food because to me, it was a bit bland and lacking some moisture and texture. The deep fried foods were warm but not crispy and I found myself searching for some sort of sauce to dip my fried foods in. Maybe I was just spoilt after spending the past 6 months in India, eating freshly fried pakoras with spicy chutneys.

Stuffed zucchini flower

Stuffed vegetables

Pancake-like bread made in the wood oven.

Pissaladiere, a local "pizza" usually topped with sauteed caramelized onions and olives.

Apple tart.

Rating: Worth trying

Le Saut du Loup in Paris

2010-10-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

Of all the days we could have gone to the Louvre, we decided to visit it on a Wednesday and it was closed. So instead, we went to the sister museum; Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Even though the museum was significantly smaller in size compared to the Louvre, we managed to spend too many hours there and by the time we were done, it was way passed lunch time and we were famished. So, here's Le Saut du Loup, a restaurant located in the same building as the museum.

Seared scallops with little pasta.

Pan roasted fish (I think it was bass) with snow peas.

Tiramisu reinvented.

Space food, Washington D.C.

2010-10-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

I was in Washington D.C. last week and visited the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. I loved exploring the space gallery in the museum and was especially interested in the food the astronauts ate in space.

I've never tasted any space food but "A" mentioned that he had tried freeze-dried ice cream (also known as space ice cream) and thought it was horrible. It was like artificially flavored water that dissolves from an uncomfortably cold icy-powder block, without any kind of texture.

Here are some photos taken at the museum of food carried during the first space shuttle mission in 1981. These are made out of wax, of course.

Bofinger restaurant in Paris

2010-10-15T21:58:00.000-07:00

I read somewhere that Bofinger is the oldest brasserie in Paris and we can tell from the art nouveau interiors and how the restaurant operates that it has been around for a while, but considering how old and classy this place is, it's not as pricey as we thought it'd be.

Bofinger interiors.

Escargots; one of my favorite foods to eat in France. I know, eww... snails, but let me tell you, it's not what you think at all. It has a chewy texture and it's usually doused with olive oil and garlic either to mask or enhance a certain seafood-y taste. Delicious and highly recommended.

Langoustine; one of the must-eats while in France. Very mild seafood taste and less meaty compared to crabs but doesn't have the muddy taste of a crawfish.

Seared lamb, fois gras and fruits.

And for desert, the very traditional floating island; meringue floating on crème anglaise or vanilla custard topped with toasted almond slices and caramel.

Address: 5-7 rue de la Bastille; 75004 Paris

La Villa, a Corsica restaurant in Nice, France

2010-10-15T21:47:00.000-07:00

Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea that is located to the west of Italy and southeast of France. Even though Corsica is technically a French region, it's cuisine is a pretty good mix of French and Italian. While we were in France, we visited my childhood bff Hel and her husband P-Em in beautiful Nice, who graciously took us to this wonderful Corsica restaurant.

Duck with ratatouille.

Lightly grilled baby octopus.

Corsica prosciutto.

Mushroom ravioli.

Corsica lasagna.

And to wash it down, a bottle of Corcica wine.

Creme brulee

Tiramisu

Le Moulin de la Galette Cafe in Paris

2010-10-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite neighborhoods in Paris is Montmartre and it's not because Moulin Rouge is located at its foothills or where you can find most of Dali's work but because it's just plain pretty. And with the many attractions available in this area, it was a big challenge finding a restaurant that wasn't "touristy". Thankfully, we stumbled upon Le Moulin Galette Cafe, which turned out to be pretty darn good. Here's what we ate:

Fois gras served with fig and apple compote, served with a side of salad.

Roasted sea bass with risotto and pumpkin.

Osso bucco. I don't eat any parts of a cow, whether it's young or old. "A" ordered this and I have to admit, it looked too good to pass. I sampled a bit of the homemade pasta with the osso bucco sauce. Divine.

The restaurant entrance.

Address: Montmartre, 83, rue Lepic 75018 Paris - France

Cafe Beaubourg in Paris

2010-09-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the lack of restaurant posts. I have been traveling outside of India in the past month, and will be for the next few months. I was contemplating for a while if I should blog about restaurants that are not in India and I decided to go ahead with it because who knows, maybe some "multi-cuisine" restaurants in India would benefit from these posts.

A few weeks ago, I was in one of my favorite cities in the world; Paris. It's been about six years since first and only trip there, and I knew then that if I were to ever leave NYC, I would move to Paris. That fantasy didn't even come close to true but here I am, back in Paris again!

Since this it the very first "international restaurant" post, I'll keep it short and sweet. This was a quick lunch stop at a cafe before our visit to the very stylish and high-tech Pompidou Centre.

The croque-monsieur is perhaps the most popular sandwich in Paris. A thin slice of ham and gruyère cheese between slices of white breads, grilled and served hot.

Fois gras was one time my most favorite things to eat. I loved the creamy, satiny texture and the decadent, almost sweet taste. It's very sick, I know, and absolutely horrible what they do to geese and ducks just to get their liver to swell up to a certain size only to slaughter them, but hey, I'm in Paris and you don't get this quality of duck liver in India!

Click here to learn more about the Pompidou Centre

How to Make Homemade Ladakhi Thukpa

2010-09-08T20:17:00.000-07:00

One of the things we did while in Ladakh was stay in a traditional farm house. You can read more about our experience here but one of the many things I learnt while living with this wonderful family was to make Ladakhi thukpa. Most, if not all, of the ingredients used were grown in the family farm, right in front of the house. Water used for the thukpa broth came from the river that flows right through the house compoundand the dehydrated paneer was made from milk that came from their own cow. It will be hard to top Tundup's thukpa since my ingredients will never be as fresh but I'll be sure to try!

Cooking in Tundup's kitchen.

Ingredients from Tundup's farm

Ingredients

For the broth
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
4 medium radishes, chopped
1/2 cup spinach, blanched
3 small onions, chopped
5 big garlic cloves, chopped
4 sprigs of spring onion, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro
1 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoons cumin powder
1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon turmeric
4 tablespoon mustard oil
Salt to taste

For the Noodles
1 eggs for noodles
3 cups atta
About 1 cup water

Preparation
In a heavy skillet, heat mustard oil until hot and add onions and garlic and fry until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes then add all the masala powders and pepper. Add spinach and radish and cook well for 10 about minutes. When radish is soft and spices are fragrant, add about 4 to 5 cups of water and bring to boil. Lower heat and let it cook while you make the noodles. Add chopped spring onions and cilantro right before serving.

Making thukpa noodles
On a big bowl, mix flour with egg and add a a few tablespoons of water at a time while kneading mixture into a dough. When thoroughly mixed, roll out dough like a chappati and then slice the flattened dough into long strips. Slowly add dough strips into boiling broth and cook covered at medium heat for about 20 minutes. Add salt to taste, or do what the locals do which is omitting the salt altogether and taste the natural sweetness of each and every ingredient used to make this delicious dish.

Dehydrated paneer

Making noodles

Cooking noodles in thukpa broth

My very first bowl of homemade Ladakhi thukpa

Il Forno

2010-08-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

Il Forno is worth trying only if you are craving for pizzas. In our case, "A" was a bit tired of Ladakhi food and was yearning for a slice. They serve decent pizzas but I won't recommend anything else...

Pizzas and tandooris are made in this oven.

Thin crust pizza and reasonably tasty marinara sauce with some good melted cheese.

Lasagna - A bit mushy, kinda like eating cheese soup.

Rooftop seating. Service is extremely slow, but you can literally see the whole town go by from up here.

Overall Ratings:
Po's: 7/10

Would we return?
Only if "A" is craving for pizzas.

Address:
Zangsti Road