All posts filed under: Food Festival

Amar Sonar Bangla – Bengali Food Festival @ Cubbon Pavilion (Residency Road)

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Bengali Food holds a special place in my heart. From standing in line at the Ulsoor Bengali Association as a nine year old waiting for Bhog to be served, or having the canteen attendant set aside extra rosagullas for me as a student in IIM Calcutta or finally being surrounded by so many Bengali’s at work that Muri Ghonto was as familiar as sambar. I am irresistibly drawn to this wondrous cuisine that has great reverence for its ingredients, method of cooking and perfectly balanced flavours. Like a moth to a flame, I land up at the Cubbon Pavilion for a festival that celebrates the land inspired by poetry – “Amar Sonar Bangla”. Chef Bhagmita Jena hails from Dhiga, a small town at the border of Bengal and revels in the opportunity to showcase a cuisine she adores, to the rest of the world. Years spent in the kitchen watching her mom churn out exquisite Bengali recipes cemented her love for cooking. The diminutive Bhagmita’s passion for her art is clearly visible in the spread …

Going Street – Church Street Social (Church Street)

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Street Food. The way to my heart. Pani Puri, Pav Bhaji, Bhajjis, Rolls, Kulfi – you name it and I have a soft spot for it all! There hasn’t been a day that I’ve passed a Pani Puri vendor and not wanted a plate of Puchkas. Not to get morose, but I’ve always said my last meal if on death row, will be chaat and biryani… mutton biryani of course. You can easily suss out the character of a city with the street food that’s on offer. Think of the practical and filling Vada Pav of Mumbai, the steeped in history decadent Nalli Nihari of Delhi, the traditional light Idlis of Chennai and the fuss-free hot Balekai Bajjis of Bangalore. Street food is comforting, tasty, inexpensive and above all woven in our DNA.

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 …

North-East Culinary Adventure @ Curry & Things (Frazer Town)

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Bangalore is birthing restaurants almost every day because our craze for novelty is insatiable. Being the cosmopolitan city it is, diverse influences from all the people who call it home, has made it the most exciting city on the culinary map of India. People here are willing to experiment with their food and that is the single biggest factor supporting restaurants that specialize in novel cuisine – be it Korean, Japanese, Bengali, Chettinad, Vietnamese or Persian!

Hobson Jobson Festival @ Monkey Bar (Wood Street)

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Missy baba, Tip-top, Abli, Bleddy Buggers, Dekchis, Blessed thing, Suzies – If all this sounds like mumbo-jumbo to you, you probably didn’t have cool Anglo-Indian friends and neighbors like I did! Growing up in the Cantonment area of Bangalore, I was exposed to more than my share of ‘my girl, ‘junglee’ and ‘what men (man)?’ than I care to remember. But what it also did, was expose my palate to the wonder that is Mutton Ball Curry, Coconut rice, Railway cutlets, Bobo Curry, Kedgeree and Keema Puffs. I’m not ashamed to say that I sat close to Melanie Lushington during junior class, so that I could share her tiffin! So it is with some nostalgia that I welcome the Hobson Jobson Festival at Monkey Bar. A tribute to all things Anglo-Indian, but with the customary monkey-business thrown in!

The Asian Food Cart @ Ministry of Food (Hilton Residences, Domlur)

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The kitchens at the Hilton are buzzing with creativity. Every time I’ve dined there, there has been something that’s always caught my eye and my imagination. Few restaurants serve food with as much panache as the Ministry of Food. Part of the credit definitely goes to Chef Anirban Dasgupta, who seems to take pride in turning the ordinary into something extraordinary. A Street Food Fest centered around an Asian theme (including the Indian subcontinent) served as a perfect backdrop to showcase his craft. Weekday lunches are a good excuse for some theatrics, no?

Aquafest 2014 @ Karavalli (Residency Road)

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My favourite festival at my favourite restaurant in Bangalore is back! Aquafest at the Karavalli started 24 years ago and has become an event to look forward to every year. A seafood lover is assured of a sublime experience till the end of this month! Karavalli (the land by the sea) has distilled the best cuisine secrets from the bunts of Mangalore, the Kodavas, the Malayalees, and the Goan Portugese to bring them under one roof. And Aquafest is the crown jewel, where twenty new Sea food preparations with as many seafood varieties, will be dished out from the kitchen as well as the ‘West Coast Grills Station’. And for those who love their classics, the Karavalli Signature Collection is also part of the festival.