All posts filed under: European & Mediterranean

Getting Fresh – FreshMenu (Bangalore)

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If you live in a bustling neighborhood like Koramangala where restaurants are a dime a dozen, stepping out to grab a quick bite is a no brainer. Say you live in Benson town, or maybe the boondocks Whitefield, your choices drop by a third. Ordering in is always an option, but who wants Sharmaji’s Palak Panner, Tandoori Roti and Chicken Tikka every day? FreshMenu seems to have birthed itself to cater to the needs of those who like to change things up a bit, on a fairly limited lunch budget. The concept is simple – quality ingredients, gourmet global cuisine, value for money pricing on a daily rotating menu, prepared fresh by trained chefs. Was it too good to be true? We put it to the test on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Chef Vittorio and The Art of Time Travel @ Ottimo (ITC Gardenia, Residency Road)

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Ottimo is known for its excellent Italian cuisine, plated ever so brilliantly by Master Chef Vittorio Grecco. The Pan-Italian restaurant has awed Bangalore residents with its renditions of quintessential Italian favorites with a focus on the freshest ingredients. So when the Chef decides to have a food festival called “The Art of Time Travel” – you pay attention! A spectacular four course menu with a twist – one portion prepared in the Classic way and one portion plated in a Contemporary way. The festival which is on till the 2nd of June has Chef Vittorio channel his creativity and playfulness in every dish that hits the table. The future of Italian cuisine might just be taking baby steps in Bangalore 😉 When you are presented with such an alluring menu, it’s hard to be objective with your choices. It’s a blessing that there were four of us and we were not squeamish when it comes to sharing! The end result is we ended up eating just enough, but pretty much trying most of the festival …

Savour France with Gout De France @ The Oberoi on the 19th of March

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Goût de / Good France will celebrate French gastronomy in various locations worldwide on March 19, 2015. Over a 1000 chefs on all five continents are expected to join the event on the eve of spring. Dinners served simultaneously in participating restaurants will honour the merits of French cuisine, its capacity for innovation, and its values: sharing, enjoying, and respecting the principles of high-quality, environmentally responsible cuisine. Why? In 1912, Auguste Escoffier started Les Dîners d’Épicure (Epicurean Diners): one day, one menu, served in cities around the world, to as many guests as possible. In 2015. Goût de/Good France takes the idea further, bringing all categories of restaurants together globally. This international event, taking place on March 19, 2015, will mark the first concrete demonstration of French cuisine’s recent listing in the “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” category by UNESCO, and its influence on the world.  Where? Le Jardin at The Oberoi, Bengaluru is the selected venue and Chef Amit Wadhawan‘s designed menu has been short listed as one of the 1000 restaurants in the world serving an …

Cocktails and Conversations @ Drinks (MG Road)

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The old maketh way for the new and Bangalore sees ‘Drinks’ occupy the space that was the erstwhile Couch, on MG Road. The elegant and comfortable lounge is spread across two floors and you will see floor to ceiling paintings of gentlemen in top hats and ladies in snazzy gowns invoking the gangster vibe from downtown New York or Chicago in the 60’s. Encouraging you to play catch up over expertly fashioned cocktails by award winning bartender – Alfonso del Portillio, Drinks is a place that will appeal more to the suave office goer than the teeny boppers that litter Church Street. If Classic is the vibe you are after – Drinks is the place to be. Considering they named the place ‘Drinks’, it is only fair to expect a heightened focus on the liquid menu! Thankfully with Alfonso manning the bar, that’s not a problem. The extensive cocktail menu has separate sections for concoctions with Vodka, Rum, Gin, Tequila and Whiskey. You can also skip the cocktails and pick straight from their lineup of …

Shaking things up – Smokehouse Deli’s New Menu (Indiranagar)

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My sister and her husband are the biggest fans of Smokehouse Deli. They love the food, the ambiance and the fact that SHD always has some fun weekend offer on drinks 😉 Every chance they get, they run there for a couple of drinks and grub. I like the place myself, but haven’t exhausted the menu like they have! So this post is dedicated to them – they’ll be happy to know that Smokehouse Deli has launched a new menu. If my change-averse sister is reading this – relax … they still retain some of the old favorites.

10 years and counting – Olive Beach (Wood Street)

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Olive Beach didn’t shut shop. They just moved the iconic blue door a couple of feet to the right. They also decided to do away with the pebbles – because they obviously care for your stilettos. And they added a Tuscan Kitchen with a brick oven – just to indulge you with the perfect wood fired pizza. They placed large ornate mirrors that reflect the soft candle light – to make you glow as you dine under the stars. They even upped the ante on plating – pretty flower garnishes never hurt anyone. And the massive bar at the back – well, that’s kinda self-explanatory, right? The little white villa on Wood Street comes to you in a spruced up avatar in its 10th year in Bangalore. They haven’t dispensed with the underlying theme of Olive – a large (sunny in the daytime) courtyard will still greet you as you enter and the whitewashed walls echo the charm of a Mediterranean villa. But…they’ve opened up the space – both literally and figuratively! The ‘new’ Mediterranean …

Toscano – Always on my List! (UB City, Lavelle Road)

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I have a couple of favourite places that I keep revisiting in Bangalore. The years have only added to their charm and increased my love for them. When friends and family ask for recommendations, these names always pop up first in my head and I don’t have any qualms about literally pimping them to all and sundry. Toscano has been on that list ever since they opened in 2005 and I’m thrilled that they are rightly rated as the “Best Italian Restaurant in Bangalore” *Times Food Guide 2014*.