All posts filed under: Restaurant Reviews

Matriarch of Moplah Cuisine – Ummi Abdulla’s menu at Dakshin, ITC Windsor (Palace Road)

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She carefully inspects the thickness of the pastry that encases the succulent chicken filling. A cross between a samosa and a gujia, the Kozhi Ada is a Moplah specialty that is actually served as a tea time snack. She laughs when I ask her about the equally enticing Ulliyada which has a caramelized onion filling. ‘Moplah cuisine is not high on vegetarian delicacies’ she says smiling, but she improvised to please the vegetarian guests. She signals to the ITC staff that the Ada is up to the mark and then settles down to regale us with tales from Moplah land. After two hours of abject gluttony and childhood stories, I’m floored by this 80-year-old diminutive food adventurer called Ummi Abdulla. Her first love – traditional Moplah cuisine, is being showcased by Dakshin, ITC Windsor till the 12th of September. Right off the bat, let’s just say you need to experience it!

Asia hopping and turning two @ The Fatty Bao (Indiranagar)

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And just like that, Fatty is all grown up! Two, to be precise – that’s how long we’ve been regaled with glorious baos, ramen and sushi from 12th main. Celebrations start today with an anniversary menu that spans treats from 10 countries across South East Asia. Fatty’s even ensured every guest gets a chance to win a return air ticket to Singapore from Tigerair! So pack your bags and get ready to hop across Asia – maybe the culinary trail will inspire you to do the real thing 😉

Chase away your Monsoon blues with the Soup and Dim Sum Festival (Hunan, Koramangala)

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Hunan has grown from strength to strength. This Chinese restaurant started off with humble roots as an outlet in Bowring Institute over 10 years ago and moved to its own standalone space in Koramangala and then BEL Road. With the addition of Chef Pema as its Head Chef the menu underwent a dramatic transformation which resulted the restaurant winning not one but four ‘Times Food Awards’ for ‘Best Chinese Restaurant’. Hunan has been a mainstay dining option for me in Koramangala for its excellent Chinese food and the innovations that they always bring to the table. The Soup and Dim Sum Festival is an excellent showcase of what the restaurant has whipped up for the monsoons – perfect comfort food!

Steaming Hot Dim Sum this Monsoon – Shiro (UB City, Bangalore)

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Not too much is required to convince me that steaming hot Dim Sums pair wonderfully with the Indian Monsoon. The Asian version of our Chai-Pakoras offers a more eclectic spin to our rainy evenings. Shiro has always bought us some traditional flavors but never ceases to experiment with turning out some crowd pleasers as well. A festival showcasing 40 unique gourmet dim sum paired with tea and some infused cocktails, are just what the doctor ordered for July!

Nouvelle Cuisine gets a champion in Chef Sumit Batra (Le Jardin, MG Road)

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Delhi, Mumbai, Udaipur, Kolkata, Sri Lanka and New York – Chef Sumit Batra packs all that’s he’s learned across the world and returns to his alma mater at the Oberoi to showcase a new Western menu at Le Jardin. Having worked under culinary gurus like James J. Kent and Daniel Humm who shaped Michelin star winning restaurant Nomad in New York, Chef Sumit attempts to balance simple, fresh produce with complex, new-age culinary technique. We were invited to try his signature tasting menu – a four course journey of interesting flavours and textures.

What’s for lunch? – EatFresh (Bangalore)

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Online ordering portals that promise a great, well packaged meal, for a competitive price are a dime a dozen these days. The food startup business has spawned many me-too’s and has given an already lazy populace more excuses to stop cooking and just order in. If earlier the fear of preservatives, MSG and unhealthy food deterred most people from ordering in, the current trend of food startups offering Fresh, Homemade, Healthy meals is changed that paradigm. EatFresh seems to have taken a page (or two) out of its immediate competitor’s business model and hopes to get a leg up by offering meals cooked by a network of five-star chefs with an emphasis on Indian Cuisine.

Dragon Boat Festival celebrations @ Yauatcha (1 MG Road Mall)

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The Dragon Boat festival is a traditional holiday that has its origins in China 2000 years ago. As with most festivals, the focus inadvertently shifts from the original purpose to the rituals of food and drink associated with it. So in present day India at Yauatcha, we are celebrating this festival by eating Zongzi and drinking some cocktails. The festival menu is available a la carte till the 30th of June, so let the celebrations begin!

Sattva – Pure Vegetarian Lunches @ Cubbon Pavilion, ITC Gardenia (Residency Road)

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Round and round we go, but we always come back to where we started. After world cuisine and exotic eats became hot topics, we are all running back to our roots now. Local produce and regional dishes are gaining prominence over everything ‘phoren’. Cooking with local ingredients is the new sustainability mantra, because, God forbid! we rake up the carbon miles. While some may attribute it to being a fad, I for one am thankful to be getting closer home. Nothing can be more comforting and soul satisfying than a home cooked meal of dal, rice and some stir fried veggies. A papad on the side, some pickle to liven things up and you have all round bliss handed to you on a plate. Cubbon Pavilion goes one step further and brings you Sattva – a plethora of vegetarian, no onion, no garlic recipes in a wholesome Thali focusing on foods abundant in Prana (the universal life force).