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Breakfast and Gossip @ Church Street Social

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I hate having to get up at unearthly hours on a weekend (10 AM of course) to catch breakfast at a decent joint. Church Street Social serves Breakfast throughout the day. That’s reason enough for me to like them. I also like their industrial design, quirky prints, funky trays and fun drinks, but we’re not focusing on that today. We are paying homage to bacon and sausages and pancakes and eggs and French toast and sugar and spice and everything nice. Just like God intended. Word.

They don’t have valet parking in the morning, but they also don’t have the mad crowds that throng this place every hour of the day post 12 PM. So you win some and you lose some. Shimmy in and you have a variety of seating options. I always like the big tables next to the windows, although if it’s just two of you, the leather couches are way more comfortable. The menu is a newspaper style roll shoved casually in a box made of wooden rulers with a toilet roll moonlighting as a hand towel. If you didn’t believe me when I said quirky décor – this should resolve all doubt. My attention is focused on the first page of the menu – ‘Brekkers like a boss’ is clearly up my alley. Though someday I hope to get a little less greedy (or healthy) and just order assorted fruits with yoghurt and granola chunks. (like nevaaaa!)
Four of us – four different breakfast trays – four different sources of gossip. Life is so worth it some days! Here’s a picture review – just because there’s only so much I can rave about hash browns.


Hardy’s Bhai Istyle Breakfast: Rs.250/- 
Ok, we ordered it just because the name was so ishtylish! A choice between Kheema Ghotala or Bun Omlette (the pest of a friend decided to be sorely unadventurous and order the Bun Omlette), Bun Maska, Cutting Masala Chai and Khari Biscuit. First of – too much Bun! Two Bun omlettes and one bun maska – even for an ‘ahem’ bun lover, it’s way too much. The Bun Maska has so much butter that if you ever wanted paisa vasool – this one would count towards it. Khari biscuit and cutting chai are a match made in heaven, so who are we to put asunder what God unites :P.

 

Sid’s Very Posh Breakfast: Rs. 250/- 
Who can resist the so called ‘English Breakfast’? Two eggs any style, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, Hash browns, sausages, toast, preserves and English breakfast tea/ coffee! They could have totally upped the ante on this one by serving pork sausages instead of chicken – but I understand how this appeals to the larger audience. Hash browns were suspiciously McCain like, but that’s not going to reduce the overall marks for this tray. Comforting, enjoyable and just enough to enjoy that beautiful breakfast tea in the end.
Riyaaz’s Breakfast of Champions: Rs. 350/-
The most expensive tray on the menu – but definitely worth the moolah. Order this if, and only if, you have a large appetite! (It’s not called breakfast of champions for nothing :P). Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich squares, a steak sandwich (ok, steak hotdog oozing with chunks of beef and gravy), Anda Shammi burger and finally Irish coffee or a Milkshake to round it all off! It just makes me sweat thinking of the lineup! The Anda Shammi, was super yummy (eeks that rhymed). Some complained that there was too much cinnamon but that I think, is subjective. The steak sandwich itself is a full meal – so maybe its wiser sharing this tray. The Irish coffee actually has whiskey in it, so if you want to get giddy over breakfast, this will help.

 


Kiran’s Big Apple Breakfast: Rs.250/-
Mmmm… like Goldilocks finding her perfect bed – this brekkie was a perfect fit for me. Two eggs any style (I got them scrambled and I loved how creamy and buttery they were) with two slices of toast. The fluffy Blueberry Pancakes came with a smudge of Blueberry preserve and were not overtly sweet. My favorite was the generous portion of Bacon and French fries…pure greasy bliss! I rounded it off with a nice Chai and some Oreo cookies!

 


Do I recommend the #SocialOffline brekkie? Hell Yeah! The service might be patchy but the VFM offerings and the ambiance more than make up for it. I intend to get drunk at Social one Friday night and head there on a Saturday morning, for their ‘Last Night @ Social Hangover Breakfast’. Virgin Mary, Eggs and Bacon, Vitamin Water, Bananas, Toast and Water! They also offer this tray at a discount, to people who were there the previous night.
Don’t you love a place with a sense of humor? 🙂

 


CHURCH STREET SOCIAL
46/1 Cobalt Building,
Church Street,
Bangalore – 560001.
Ph: +91 80 41622755
Parking: Valet available post 12 PM.

Poush – Kashmiri Pundit Cuisine @ Cubbon Pavillion

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You would be hard pressed to find Kashmiri Food in a restaurant in Bangalore. The last time I relished Kashmiri Food was at a special Wazwan arranged by Bangalore Foodies Group and that was well over a year ago. A wazwan is a great way to experience the cuisine of Kashmiri Muslims – it constitutes a royal banquet of over 30-40 dishes shared family style between groups of people.  Most Kashmiri Food Festivals dish out the Wazwan style meal and the Gushtaba (velvety meatballs in a yogurt gravy) is its crowning glory. But the Cubbon Pavilion decided to showcase the less populist but equally exquisite cuisine of the Kashmiri Pundits. While both the cuisines share a lot of similarities (same ingredients and style of cooking) – the Kashmiri Pundit cuisine is unique in the fact that they do not use onion and garlic in their dishes. The tomato is also an oddity here and they resort to yoghurt based dishes to provide the same tangy taste. The most interesting aspect for me was that even though pundits in the rest of India eschew meat eating, Kashmiri pundits eat mutton and fish. Chicken and eggs however remains a taboo in the more orthodox families, but the younger generation has taken to including the same in their meals.
The festival called ‘Poush’ (Flower) is spearheaded by Masterchef Suman Kaul who is a Kashmiri Pundit and is passionate about the food of her ‘Gul Poush Vaadie of Kashmir’. A home chef who honed her skills in the kitchens of her grandmother found a patron in the ITC group who invited her to come onboard as a Food Consultant in 2006. Eight years of hosting Kashmiri Pundit Food Festivals across ITC hotels in the country have just made this affable lady more passionate about bringing a cuisine as old as time, to us mere mortals. (The Rig-Veda talks about the eating habits of Kashmiris – so as old as time is a good analogy no? :P)

There was a palpable excitement in the air as I entered the restaurant. Not to sound all dramatic, but it just makes me giddy with pleasure and pride to sample the more veiled cuisines of the wonderland that is India. And when I met the absolutely delightful Chef Suman and her husband, I knew this evening would unfold like a delicious book that reveals its treasures page by page. Not your traditional/average Chef-y type people, the Kauls made me feel like I was at their home and it was their duty to ensure their guest was well fed! And this treatment was not reserved especially for me but for every guest dining at the Cubbon Pavilion that night. In the jaded world of ‘fake love’ of restaurateurs and chefs for food writers, their sincerity was a breath of fresh air. Maybe living in the so called ‘Paradise on Earth’ just gives you a nicer disposition.
The festival is organized buffet style for dinner, so you have an option to sample the entire range of dishes. The bad part to this of course is that you will be tempted to try a whole lot more than your stomach is capable of holding! We started with the Kabargah, which was a succulent rack of mutton simmered in milk, saffron and Kashmiri spices. It is finally roasted in ghee before being brought to the table. The Kabargah is a special occasion dish because of the length of time it takes to make it. The meat is marinated for six hours in the milk and spice mixture and then slow cooked for another six hours. The final slow roasting of the meat in ghee ensures that the mutton fat is almost buttery and the spices just come alive. Serving this dish first, also ensures your palate is primed to enjoy its subtle flavors. The Tabak Maaz from the Kashmiri Muslim cuisine is similar in technique, though the one that I tried had a smattering of chilli powder whereas the Kabargah had no trace of it.
Disclaimer: All the credit for the trivia on Kashmiri cuisine that I’m writing about here, goes to Mr.Kaul. He kept popping by our table from time to time to patiently answer my umpteen questions on the cuisine. He finally gave up and just pulled up a chair post dessert so that we could continue the sprightly conversation which went on way past dinner, for another hour or so over Kevah.
The vegetarian starter was an interesting Bhajiya (chickpea fritter) of apples and paneer. The combination might seem strange but once you bite into it, you understand the pairing a lot better. Besides Kashmir is known for its delicious red apples so it makes absolute sense that they would use it judiciously.
Another famous export of Kashmir, apart from Apples and Saffron (more on that later) is their Basmati Rice. Grown extensively in the plains of Jammu, its fragrance, sheen and length of the grain is legendary. Sadly us Indians are deprived of the chance to enjoy it as most of it is exported! The Kashmiri Pundits main carbohydrate is basmati rice. They pretty much eat rice with every meal and the appearance of rotis are rare. So though the restaurant offered a choice of breads, I decided to stick to enjoying the main courses with rice. On offer were two varieties – plain steamed basmati rice and Modur Pulav, which was a borderline dessert with it saffron, raisins, almonds and coconut slivers. With a plate full of rice, I started ladling a dozen bowls with the variety of main courses on offer. It helped that I had a very accommodating dinner date who bought into the idea of sharing. This way I could try everything! *insert evil laughter*

The Moush (Lamb minced Dumplings in a rich chilli gravy) and the Kasher Gaad (succulent fish in red gravy) were a fantastic accompaniment to the rice. The lamb dumplings found a twist of taste by being minced with apricots. The spicy red gravy with hints of the sweetness from the apricots actually made me want to eat it with the sweet saffron rice. I don’t know if this is de rigueur but I thoroughly enjoyed the spicy-sweet combination. Kashmiri Pundits generally use freshwater Trout for their fish preparations, however Chef Kaul substituted Betki in Banaglore because Trout, well, tastes best when it is fresh and transporting it from Kashmir to Bangalore (if even over a day or two) compromises the taste.

I overlooked the popular Roganjosh (lamb rack in a hot gravy) for more rare-to-find-elements of Kashmiri cuisine and headed straight for the Haak. Essentially a collard green, it is soul food for the Kashmiri. Eaten with plain rice, it is a simple preparation of greens cooked in water with salt, mustard oil and hing (asefodita). A true Kashmiri can apparently tell the difference between Haak that is grown on land and Haak that is grown close to the water. The ones that grow by the famous Dal Lake apparently have a unique flavor. Chef Kaul lugged her consignment of Haak (along with Kashmiri Morels, Kashmiri spices and Kashmiri Saffron) personally to Bangalore. She claimed that Bangalore apparently had the perfect climate to grow Haak and one of us should attempt it. Any takers?

The Nadru Yakhni is another one of those dishes that begs to be tried. Lotus stem cooked in a rich yoghurt gravy – it is subtly spiced with ginger powder and fennel, peppered with whole spices. Lotus stems cut on the diagonal make a pretty picture with the flower-like patterns created by the water tubes running the length of the stem. Very fibrous, it requires a special cooking skill to get it just right for consumption. The ones I sampled were sublime – it retained the crunch but was also soft like an apple. I have had lotus stem before, where I felt I could use it as a toothbrush, so I was doubly appreciative of how well this was cooked.

I had my eye on the Morels as soon as I walked in the door. The Kanagechi Chaman (Kashmiri Morels with Paneer in a tangy gravy) was a definite treat. Mr.Kaul stated that a kilo of good quality morels retails at Rs.30000/- and even then it is rare to get authentic ones outside of Kashmir. I remember a Sindhi friend telling me that Gucchi Biryani (Morel Biryani) is mandatorily prepared by the mother-in-law to appease the groom as a wedding ritual. The Kashmiris also have a similar tradition where a morel dish is mandatory during the haldi ceremony. I assume it’s a show of status, but I’d like to believe they favor it more for its aphrodisiac properties 😛
Other surprises included the Gogji Rajma – a rajma dish so different from the Punjabi version that I intend to hold a blind tasting for my friends to see if they will pick this one as the winner. The addition of turnips (that honestly tasted and felt more like potatoes) just made it all the more interesting. And when I finally realized that the tangy gravy was not a result of tomatoes (apparently Pundits don’t used tomatoes in their cuisine – *gasp*) I was pretty much floored.
I also MUST nominate the Kashmiri Dum Aloo that I had on Friday as the best dum aloo I have ever eaten. It looked innocuous enough and I was actually going to pass it by, but for the strangely maniacal way the man beside me was piling his plate with it. The almost reddish-black spice coated potato was very different from the gravy laden poseurs you see in north Indian restaurants. Every bite resulted in a hot spice explosion in the mouth calmed only by the buttery softness of the potato inside. I can no longer call the Dum Aloos I have eaten earlier as Dum Aloo’s and Chef Suman you are to blame! 🙂 

In Kashmiri Pundit cuisine, the dessert is almost an afterthought and people generally gorge on the main courses. However we were happy that the menu incorporated not one but three desserts! The Saffron Kheer led us into a debate on why Kashmiri Saffron is so valued the world over. The production first of all is limited to the Pampur region of Kashmir and harvesting saffron as we all know, is a product of manual labour. It definitely tastes very different from the Spanish saffron I had at home and the length of each strand was much longer. The colour was also a cheery yellow and the final flavor seemed honey-like. All of which got me thinking that I definitely need to procure some Kashmiri saffron the next time I’m there. Hopefully I will get lucky and avoid taking home thinly sliced coconut fibers dyed to look like saffron! (Shocking news – courtesy of Mr.Kaul).
The Saffron Phirni was delectable but the show stealer was the Shufta (??) – a mixture of nuts roasted in ghee and dressed with honey and saffron. It almost looked like watery chikki but looks can be so deceptive. I was informed that this is always served in small quantities and one bite reinforced the message. It was so rich and decadent that I felt guilty even looking at it. But it tasted so divine that pretty much everyone on the table polished off their portions.

We washed down the perfect meal with a matka of piping hot Kehwa (Kashmiri sweet green tea with almonds and cardamom). This was served with what I thought was a bagel that the waitstaff had casually lifted from the bread section. I was later informed that this was a traditional Kashmiri bread called Tel Varu which is the standard accompaniment to Kehwa. A crusty, salty doughnut shaped bread sprinkled with sesame seeds, the Tel Varu could pass off as a spongier alternative to the pretzel.
I earnestly think anyone with an interest in Kashmiri cuisine or for that matter, just anyone with an interest in sampling honestly good food needs to pay a visit to Cubbon Pavilion over the course of this week. I am in rapturous over this wonderful woman’s cooking! What really makes it stand apart is the fact that she cooks with heart…and that my friends, is definitely food for the soul.

Candlelight and Surprises – Grasshopper

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I really wanted to hate this place. I wanted to turn up, eat there and then call peoples bluff on it. Give people fancy, mastercheffy, pretentious food and they all go gaga over it, just to avoid being called pedestrian. After eating out in *insert any five star restaurant* the squiggle of reduced Modena balsamic vinegar on that white plate or the lego-like placement of grilled meat over asparagus spears over celeriac mash, was frankly getting boring. And here I was, heading to a place that exalted in doing just that. Why? Because I am a seeker of truth. (Yes, the profoundness of it all boggles my mind as well!)

It’s a backbreaking ride from my side of town. Bannerghatta was and will always be the ‘The Zoo’ to me. No matter that the animals now, are the ones behind the wheel of a car in peak hour traffic! A small board (unlit) announces ever so subtly that you need to take a right to your destination. Follow the mud path and you end up at a farm-y bungalow type place. Park under the trees and follow the gravel lined path to the minimalist concrete structure. I could see how the setting could be termed romantic, especially at night with the flickering candles. We settled down (I, with a nervous twitch) and waited for the night to unfold. The concept (pretentious alarm going off) is that you make a reservation at least 24 hours in advance and give the chef a broad guideline of what meat/ veggies you like to eat. He then curates a seven course menu for you, with fresh seasonally available ingredients. (Both of us opted for a meal that eschewed beef, but everything else was game). Tonight I was going to be my bitchy best – no concessions, no niceties I told myself. If he was going to charge me the price of a five star buffet for this blind-date-type seven course meal – I wanted to literally be swept off my feet!

Arv ordered a beer, and I ordered a fresh lime soda. (Well, I needed all my faculties in place to be critical). The table setting was simple. A little glass had freshly cut yellow flowers and there was just a flickering candle to provide it company. Two tiny bottles filled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar gleamed in the soft light. I can’t remember if there was music in the background but I have to admit that the entire set up made me languorous. The smell of freshly baked bread wafted in as the waiter laid out a simple bread basket in front of us. The drive had made me quite cranky so I quickly tucked into some carbs to restore the balance! Twas good bread and good quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar. But that’s just a small win.

The first course arrived. Two small strips of anchovies wrapped around herbs marinated in a sweet citrus dressing and decorated with pine nuts. I literally sniggered. I am not a fan of anchovies. I find the silver skin and firm texture of raw anchovies too reptilian to classify as a food source. With great apprehension I popped one of the rolls into my mouth. The citrus dressing was just wonderful, the lemon slices almost like candy. But even this could not mask the taste of the raw anchovies. I thought the idea and execution of this course was bang on, if they’d only replace the anchovies for me!

A simple crostini – the thought irritated me. A whole second course dedicated to a slice of toasted bread?? Definitely some kind of a joke! But all it took was just one bite to shut me up. The crostini was topped with a single thick juicy slice of roasted aubergine. Beautiful caramelized onions lay on top of it. Above that was a generous dollop of walnut parsley pesto. I don’t think I have ever tried something that looked so simple but tasted so sublime.

The next course was a single grilled prawn in a ginger sesame dressing topped with sliced nori or seaweed. Infinitely simple but elegant flavors. I however think it’s quite dubious to be calling single nibbles ‘courses’, but the rest of the meal was still to unfold.


The salad course took my breath away when it arrived. It was plated so organically, that it almost looked like a mini garden on a plate. Beetroot, goat’s cheese and arugula with mixed greens tossed with walnuts and pomegranate seeds. Dressed in a balsamic reduction and topped with Dill leaves, it was effectively my favorite course. I literally will drive through the darn traffic every day, if they can serve me this salad just this way!
I seem to attract kids and dogs by the drove wherever I go. The latter I love, the former I tolerate. So it was no surprise that the friendly resident dog made its way to our table. He didn’t beg for food but he was a sucker for attention. After literally placing his face in my lap for ten minutes he hobbled off to the other end of the garden. He kept coming back in intervals to get petted and I kept getting up in intervals to sanitize my hand thereafter. The same thing happened with the kids in the adjacent table. They thought it was perfectly alright to come quiz me about why the dog was hanging out with me. The waiter had kindly ensured that the kids got a serving of mac and cheese to keep them happy as their parents dined. But they chose to come at regular intervals to ask me random questions nevertheless. Sigh…if someone figures out why I’m so popular with the wee-folk, please let me know! And maybe before you plan a romantic night here, you would want to call in advance and book a table at the farthest corner of the garden.

 

The seafood course was a generous fillet of Sea bass, pan poached with capers and thyme. This place was slowly getting under my skin. How could I find anything unflattering about perfectly cooked fish? Surprisingly after all the cribbing about nibble size portions, I was starting to feel full already. I still had two more courses to go and I’m not fond of giving up!

The second Main course was Braised Lamb Shanks in a rosemary red wine and shallot sauce. Nothing fancy, no great shakes invention here, but you should have seen the faultlessly pink meat just fall off the bone! Beautiful. *I might have held back a tear* The buttery baby potatoes and shavings of zucchini added to the overall appeal of the main course. However, in all honesty, I only managed to finish one lamb shank. I gave the other one away to Arv and he polished it off without complaining. Karma was kicking me in the gut for cribbing about small portions earlier in the evening!

I had already dismissed all my preconceived mean notions about this place and was ready to eat humble pie. So I received the dessert course in the most benign mood. Here Arv chose to go with the Espresso Panacotta with coffee caramel and almonds. I got the Chocolate Truffle with Mustard Ice Cream. You can go horribly wrong with savory bases for ice creams or you can zip into fame. This again managed to come out tops! Both the desserts were a supremely satisfying end to a sublime meal.

The mustard ice cream paved the way for an epiphany about Grasshopper. Here was a place that was anything but pretentious. It was in its essence, a tribute to creating magic with the ordinary. A celebration of seasonality and fresh produce and an ode to simple but flawless cooking. Take a bow Himanshu Dimri – for not knowing that you were in an imaginary evaluation of your talents, but still passing with flying colors. I will now go eat my earlier presumptions. (Maybe with a bowl of that divine beetroot salad you made).


GRASSHOPPER
45 Kalena Agrahara,
(1 Km after Meenakshi Temple)
Bannerghatta Road,
Bangalore 560076.
Ph: +91 80 26593999/ 65665130
Parking: Available
Timings: Open for dinner from Tuesday to Friday, and for both lunch and dinner on Saturday and Sunday. It is closed on Monday.
Cost: Rs.2200/-++ for a seven course meal for one.

The FPD Buzz: Citibank Chef’s Table Week – Jul 14-20, 2014

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Citi Chef’s Table Week will run across Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai from July 14th to July 20th. This one-week culinary event is now open to all credit / debit card-members giving diners a unique opportunity to experience a six-course customized chef’s tasting menu as well as interact with the Head Chef of some of the finest restaurants in Bangalore. 
Customers can enjoy exceptional signature dishes as well as off-menu specials as part of a six-course Chef’s Tasting Menu experience. These bespoke menus are priced across restaurants at INR 2,000 in Bangalore, (taxes and service charge extra). GH Mumm Champagne and Jacob Creek Reserve wines, will be available by the glass or per bottle at half the restaurant’s wine list rate. 
Here’s a list of participating restaurants: 
Alba ( JW Mariott Hotel Bengaluru)
Blue Ginger (Taj West End)
Dum Pukht Jolly Nabobs (ITC Windsor)
Edo (ITC Gardenia)
OKO (The Lalit Ashok)
Ottimo (ITC Gardenia)
Rim Naam (The Oberoi)
Riwaz (The Ritz-Carlton Bangalore)
Yauatcha (MG Road)
Zen (The Leela Palace Banaglore)
Blue Ginger and Edo are on my wishlist this time 🙂 
 
Citi card-members will have the exclusive privilege of making reservations starting July 7, 2014, through the Chef’s Table Week website (click here), while general reservations will commence online from July 9, 2014.

Geek is the New Cool @ Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park (Sarjapur, Bangalore)

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Somebody finally decided to design a place where Bengaluru’s techie community can feel right at home. The Aloft Hotel (part of the Starwood Hotels & Resorts Inc) at Cessna Business Park mixes technology, architecture, art and music to create a cool new space that appeals to the social, tech-savy global-traveler. It literally takes geek and makes it cool! Conveniently located in the emerging IT hub of Sarjapur, bang in the middle of a tech park, it already spells business. But who said business needs to be boring?

(Re:Mix Lounge, the Cessna aircraft suspended from the ceiling, Tactic – the Boardroom)

If you’re the type who likes to work hard and party harder, Aloft has figured out your needs. Hash out your business plans for the year in their board rooms called Tactic or if you’re focused on developing your own cool app, ‘In-touch’– their 24 hour fully equipped, gizmo loaded office space will help. If you prefer working in a less formal setting – their lobby called the Re:Mix Lounge is a quirky mix of work and play. The front desk doubles as a DJ console on party days and the funky lounge chairs can easily be your office space thanks to their hi-speed wifi. There’s a pool table and a foos ball table, to literally beat the stress out or you can just sink into the big neon chairs and imagine flying the Cessna aircraft hanging from the ceiling. The quirky design element is in sync with the fun and vibrant image of Aloft and also a direct reference to Cessna Business Park! If you’re too lazy for pool and prefer to bum around and check your FB feed instead, the giant electronic ticker might catch your fancy. Why don’t you check-in @AloftBengaluruCBP and see what’s displayed on screen 😉 

Who said techies don’t know how to party? Head to WXYZ bar for a sundowner. The open design flows from work to play and erases conventional boundaries. Order a cocktail, mix and mingle and watch the lounge literally light up at night! If it’s a Friday, you can even catch a local band in action. Nibble on some choice appetizers before you head to dinner at Nook, their café style restaurant. You will find everything here that tickles a global traveler’s palate – Grilled Rosemary Chicken, Belgian waffles, Murg Duheri Tikki, Camaron Di Ajo and more! If you tire of all the world cuisine, just ask for their ‘Tiffin Box’ at lunch. Inspired by the Mumbai Dabbawallahs, it’s a quick fix for the Indian tummy – dal, roti with chicken or a veg gravy, rice, papad, pickle and gulab jamun!
(Nook- the cafe style restaurant)
(The Tiffin Box)
When it’s time to retire for the night, rest assured you have a luscious bed to sink into. After a quick shower (they have a rainfall shower) with Bliss Spa products, wrap yourself in the cozy bathrobe and make yourself some piping hot Aloft signature coffee. Get into bed and switch on the 42” LCD TV. After browsing a while, if you’d rather watch the last Game of Thrones episode you downloaded this week, just hook your laptop up to the plug-n-play docking station in the room and project the same on the TV. The station also charges all your electronic devices. Kaching! Why don’t you shoot a quick email to your boss using the free wifi in every room? It’s always good to let them know how hard you’re working 😉


(The Standard Room)
 (The Suite)
Drive away Monday morning blues with a quick swim at their Splash pool. (Looking at it now might make you wish you had more time to relax on the sun beds!) Or if you’re not a water baby, you can exercise your muscles at Re:Charge, their 24/7 gym. Breakfast at Nook should keep your brain cells active for that power meeting at 9:00 AM. But if you’re running late, you can always grab a quick bite at Re:Fuel which offers grab and go meals and potent cappuccinos.
Use the self-service kiosk Touch-N-Go to check out. You smile as it even lets you print out your airline boarding passes! You quickly post an FB update – “Staying @AloftBengaluruCBP was a breeze. Now if only today’s meeting was this easy!”

 


ALOFT BENGALURU CESSNA BUSINESS PARK
Cessna Business Park,
Sarjapur – Marathahalli Outer Ring Road
Kadubeesanahalli, Bellandur Post,
Bengaluru – 560103
Ph: +91 80 45101010
Parking: Valet available
Note: Aloft Hotels are smoke-free

Pure Indulgence with Royce Chocolates

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 At the mention of luxury chocolate, the first thing that comes to mind is a Swiss or Belgian brand. So it was natural that I let out a faint sign of disbelief when JW Mariott, told me that Royce Chocolates (which was due to launch on the 20th of June at the Bengaluru Baking Company) was actually a product of Japan! Like most laymen, my association of Japan was with Sushi and Sony (yes I’m a bumpkin like that!). The team explained that the chocolate is produced in the Hokkaido region of Japan which is a doppelganger for the Swiss Alps with its green pastures, snow covered mountains and dairy farms!  Somehow, the world seemed less crazy now.
Royce(pronounced like Rolls-‘royce’, but having no connection to it), has been around since 1983 and is a pretty familiar name to the well-traveled in Asia. The most popular of their offerings (and in my opinion the one with most fanfare) is their Nama range of chocolates. We tried the Ghana Bitters (48% Cocoa) and the Mild Cacoa flavors. I was instantly taken in by the Ghana bitters. Delicate, creamy (courtesy – cream from the Hokkaido cows), melt-in-the-mouth with just the right edge of bitterness. Nama means pure in Japanese and the product stays true to the name by being hand rolled, using raw cocoa, and having no preservatives. This also means that it has a short shelf life and you need to consume it soon. (No problem with that!).


The consumption of Nama, as Chef Jolly of the JW Mariott explained, “Is an experience”. You first uncover the box from the thermal bag (used to maintain the optimum temperature to retain the shape and texture of the chocolate), then remove the box to reveal another foil covering with a mini spatula. Cut that open to find a transparent plastic box holding 20 delectable pieces. Now flip the lid and gently, ever so gently jab a single piece with the spatula and lift off the box and pop it into your mouth. The truffle like cocoa dusted squares are pure heaven!
Nama will be available in five flavors in Bangalore – Ghana Bitters, Mild Cacao, Equador sweet, Pierre Mignon and Au Lait. Each box is priced at Rs.1000/- but the indulgence is well worth it. Two or three of the mini-truffles and you will probably not find the need to order dessert.

 

The Japanese love for aesthetics and technology marries well in Royce’s Pure Chocolate. Shaped like a coin, with once side being completely smooth and the other side having ridges to mimic the shape of your tongue, it’s been designed for maximum chocolate pleasure. Apparently the shape and texture ensure you ‘taste’ more of the chocolate with your tongue. They have six varieties of this depending on the amount of cocoa in it. We tried the Milk Chocolate and the White Chocolate. Both were too sweet for my liking.

The most expensive cocoa bean in the world is the Criollo. Here’s a little snippet from Chocolate revolution to pique your fancy. “What the fine Arabica bean is to coffee, the even finer and rarer Criollo bean is to chocolate. Criollo chocolate has a distinctly reddish color, and an equally distinctive complex taste which can include flavors of caramel, nuts, vanilla and tobacco. Criollo bars are fairly rare and should definitely be sampled if encountered”. The Criollo Chocolate then, is Royce’s most expensive range considering the raw ingredient itself is sourced for a premium. I would recommend this to true chocolate aficionados, as the subtle variants in taste might be lost on mere chocolate lovers like us.

Royce is also very popular for their range of confectioneries. We tried some Baton Cookies – light and airy cookie fingers, coated with chocolate on one side. The Hazel Cocoa had finely crushed cocoa nibs and the Coconut had desiccated coconut peeking out from the cookie. Both varieties are ideally suited companions to a cup of tea. But I’d imagine the Coconut ones being considered almost ordinary in South India, owing to the fact that our Iyengar bakeries churn out a similar product.


The quirkiest of their products was the Potato chip Chocolate – chocolate covered wafers. Yes, you heard me right! Some crazy dude in a confectionery lab actually managed to convince his bosses that the sweet-salty combo works. And as a matter of fact, I think it works brilliantly. At Rs.1000/- a bag it might be the most expensive bag of chips you’ve ever eaten, but we must all encourage quirkiness, especially when it’s coated with chocolate!
Royce Chocolates will be available at Bengaluru Baking Company from the 20thof June. They have a fairly wide range of products to suit your fancy. With prices ranging from Rs.500/- for the bars and Rs.1000/- onwards for their more premium ranges, they certainly don’t come cheap. But Royce has an almost cult status in Asia and those who have experienced their Nama range will always go back for more.
ROYCE CHOCOLATE INDIA
@ BENGALURU BAKING COMPANY
JW Mariott Hotel Bengaluru,
Next to UB City,
Bangalore – 560001.
Ph: 080 67188551.
Parking: Valet available
www.facebook.com/RoyceChocolateIndia
www.royce.com

Mixology with Shatbhi Basu @ Harry’s

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Indiaranagar’s bars have one more watering hole to compete with – Harry’s! The famous Singapore bar choose this location in Bangalore to open its fourth outlet, hot on the heels of the Mumbai one. Most bars these days are moving from glass and chrome finishes, to more casual and warm interiors. Harry’s adopts a mahogany and exposed brick look that is reminiscent of a speakeasy, albeit a modern one. With the days of our prohibition (11 PM deadlines 😛 ) coming to an end, I’m sure Harry’s is going to ride on the wave of general elation in the months to come.
We were invited for a mixology session by the godmother of bartending in India – Shatbhi Basu. For anyone who’s watched her show on NDTV Good Times, you already know the level of celebrity she is. But what you probably don’t know is that her joie de verve is all natural and not just for the TV show. We got to witness her finesse in churning out creative cocktails and keeping her audience glued to her charming stories at the same time. Her hands seemed to have a life of their own when she was mixing our cocktails and before we knew it, she dished out one perfectly balanced drink after another.

Now as synonymous as Harry’s is with Singapore, so is the Singapore Sling. Gin, Cherry brandy, Pineapple and lime all come together to create the pinkest drink you’ve seen. Now don’t be fooled into thinking this is a girlie drink because of the colour, it’s potent enough to leave you light headed by the end of it. I’ve always complained that the Singapore Sling concocted by bartenders here is always on the ‘sweeter’ side. With Shatbhi ofcourse, I had no such complaints. Perfectly balanced and very very likable!
As Shatbhi got down to preparing the stage (in this case a small bar table) for the next cocktail, we got down to nibbling on some bar staples. What I adored about Harry’s was the fun plate of Peanuts roasted in their shell that was passed around. Just sitting at the bar, shelling them peanuts and catching up on woes of Friday evening traffic, made it a very therapeutic experience!
The next cocktail was probably my favorite of the evening – a Bell Pepper and Pineapple Margarita. A Shatbhi classic, this involved muddling some red, green and yellow peppers with some pineapple chunks and shaking them up with some tequila, triple sec and lime juice to result in a gorgeous pungent and sweet drink. The only thing I missed, was it being served in a classic margarita glass.

We tried a relatively small selection of their menu which consisted of classic pub grub. A few staples came out with some Asian twists that I quite liked. While there’s not much to rave or rant about the Margarita Pizza (fresh tomatoes, basil, mozzarella), the Thai Green Curry Pizza (umm… yes.) was quite a shock to the palate. Thin crust pizza topped with a generous layer of chicken sautéed in thai green curry paste. While the majority of the table couldn’t get enough of this, I was still wary to the last bite. There’s something about dairy and thai green curry that I can’t marry in my brains. But don’t let my cynicism stop you – the table ordered four of this!
The Chicken Drumsticks and the Chilli Potatoes were quite popular, but nothing unique to write home about.   
What was definitely the star-starter of the day, was the Wasabi Paneer. Now you might not find me singing praises of paneer often (actually make that never!), but this one sure tickled my tastebuds. Paneer marinated with wasabi, wrapped in nori and deep fried tempura style. Served with a *it’s killing me* wasabi mayo – I will definitely recommend this dish the next time you go there.
Shatbhi brought out two more cocktails to round off the evening. The Harry’s Old Fashioned – a whiskey based cocktail with orange peel and caramel that found favor with the whiskey lovers. And finally a desert cocktail called the Caramel Popcorn. A baileys heavy concoction with sweeter notes of caramel topped with some caramel popcorn for crunch. Yes, I suppose you could end your meal with this one 😉
For a weeknight, Harry’s was bustling. I saw a mix of both boisterous young crowds and well as some older groups who looked like they were revisiting the Harry’s Singapore experience. The music for one, found favor with everyone and we couldn’t stop singing along to the classic rock songs and swaying to some good jazz music. Harry’s is easy drinking and easy eating – nothing that will want you to sit and analyze the experience or play with your mind. I can see the casual, almost intimate vibe of the pub encouraging the large population of office goers from the nearby IT hub to catch up for drinks post work. And who knows, someone here might be the next Nick Leeson. I heard Harry’s Singapore, gave out free beers when he got released from jail 😉

HARRY’s
1stFloor, HAL 2nd Stage,
100ft Rd, Above Copper Chimney,
Indiranagar,
Bangalore.
Ph: 9620813000
Parking: Valet available
Cost: Rs.1500/-++ for a meal for two with drinks.

mmmBurger @ Smoke House Deli (Bangalore)

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Grills, Burgers, Cold Beers and other tidings of summer always make a Bangalorean happy. Not that we have too much to complain, considering our weather is more equitable than most cities in India and we indulge our summer fancies right through the year! The pub capital of India seems to have a soft spot for burgers (including veggie ones) and I can bet my bottom dollar that every pub has burgers listed on their menu. Why, even coffee shops and breakfast joints can’t stay away from listing meat sandwiched between a bun as their runaway hit. Smoke House Deli went a step further and had a whole festival dedicated to burgers. They call the mmmBurger Festival an ode to all things meaty as well as a little gift to all their patrons. “Each burger promises a distinct charred, smoky and flame licked flavor”, they say. We went on a balmy Wednesday evening to unwind over a couple of cocktails and sample their wares.

Every time I go to SHD I ‘need’ to order the Bacon wrapped Potatoes. These spuds are positively heavenly covered with smoked bacon and drizzled with maple syrup. These days they add some chilli flakes on top for some zing, which I am not entirely convinced about. (Why does majority of the Indian population want everything to be spicy??). We also got some Chorizo and Ham and Potato Croquettes to keep our drinks company. (The benefits of going out with a completely carnivorous group!). After ordering some martinis, margaritas and mojitos we peeked into the special burger menu.
There was literally a tussle for the Bacon and Beef Burger selections after which no one cared to read the rest of the menu. I of course, choose the next best option – a Lamb Burger and we rounded off the order for the six of us with a Fish Burger as well. There was an interestingly named chicken burger called “Lucy’s Juicy” – after thinking up all manners of inappropriate references to the above, we decided to abandon it. All burgers are served with coleslaw, fries and two big onion rings crowning them. So make some space and prepare to dig in. A quick photolog to capture the experience for you…
They should have called the South-West Style Lamb Burger – Lucy Juicy ;). A perfectly char-grilled lamb patty with mop butter and sauteed onions. I cut open the burger patty and it was deliciously pink inside. I’m glad they kept the condiments on this to a minimum because the patty itself was exemplary.

TheFish and Chips Burger does justice to the classic combo. Two generous deep fried batter coated filets of basa, sandwiched between soft burger buns. The caper tartare and malt mayo added the necessary creamy filling and the pea puree on the side gave it that British touch. I wish they had given a fatter cut of chips than the regular thin fries with this one.

The Benedictor sounded like a huge burger monster that we were eager to demolish. Char-grilled tenderloin patty topped with Black forest Ham served with a whole peppered runny egg and hollandaise sauce. When it arrived though, we concluded that it looked more like a morbidly obese patty that struggled to stay within the bun! This one promised all things glorious but failed to live up to the hype because of the lingering garam masala taste in the patty. We even check with the chef if the patty was tweaked to suit the Indian palate, but even though they replied in the negative – we could not shake off the masala taste. Shame, because the combination of elements is a hit.

The Baconator however was the hero that saved the day and erased all ill-will. The fact that it came overloaded with bacon, notwithstanding – it was still the winner. A sizable char-grilled tenderloin patty, topped with oak smoked bacon and ‘baconaise’. Yes, that’s the new word for bacon flavored mayonnaise! Everyone else who had ordered other burgers were plain envious of this one. Enough said.
SHD also has some cool veggie burgers. Kindly excuse my tribe for not bothering to savour the vegetarian burgers for your reading benefit. Instead of your potato patties and your mixed vegetable patties and your paneer patties – SDH has tried to keep things exciting for the veggie gourmet. Two of the offerings that caught my eye were the Spicy Soya and Spinach Burger (peppercorn, cheese melt) and Sweet Corn and Chickpeas Falafel (tomato salsa, hummus). So yes, if you are a vegetarian or have a vegetarian friend, don’t hesitate to go. 


We rounded the meal with my favourite from their dessert menu – The Flour less Chocolate Cake. Served with some espresso sauce, it is pure evil! Decadence takes on a whole new meaning with this one.
The festival is on till the 8th of June and prices start at Rs.280/- for the mmmBurger menu. So that gives you exactly 10 days to sink your teeth into the Baconator before you go back to eating from KFC and McDonalds.
SMOKE HOUSE DELI
52 & 53, Ground Floor,
Lavelle Road,
Bangalore.
Ph: 080 4127 6272
Parking: Valet available

Cost: Rs.280/-++ for the burger menu