I’m a complete sucker for cheery spaces with an abundance of natural light. Couple that with an all-day dining menu that serves Avocado Toast and Half & Half Pizza and you have me sold! Café Felix in 1 MG Mall is, your friendly neighborhood café, even if you live in far off Whitefield. This café also serves the most delicious drinks – let’s all pray that MG Road gets de-notified from being a highway soon!
Pan-Asian restaurants are cropping up all over Bangalore and MISU on St. Marks Road makes a chic entry. Seeing the crowds at the launch parties and the days following it, I’m inclined to believe that this place is going to be a favorite among the swish set. And rightly so because the food is delicious, the ambience hip and the drinks potent enough to keep you in rocking spirits the entire night!
The classic and the contemporary get a refreshing spin with the new menu at the Polo Club. Chef Ajit Raman and Hitesh Pant have created magic with simple, fresh ingredients that reflect the new look of the revamped cafe. Overlooking the lush gardens, the Polo Club has always hit the ambience jackpot. Now the menu will do it justice as well!
If you thought Farzi was already twisted, wait till you see the new additions to the menu! I love how this restaurant always manages to have fun with its food and not be bogged down by ‘authentic’ or ‘traditional’ combinations. Molecular Gastronomy, Modern Indian food, Artistic Plating and Gimmicky cutlery – not everything might work right off the bat, but it definitely gives your brain and your palate something to chew on. Ready for the Farzi Twist? I sure am and lip-smackingly so! Drinks are served in funky glasses with even funkier concoctions, but I always gravitate towards the Chai-Pani for it’s drama and surprisingly balanced taste. Literally translating to Tea-Water, this drink gives you a smoking drink in a glass kettle with Coffee Liquer, Tea decoction, Apple juice, Earl Grey Smoke and Vodka. The orange peels in your little chai glass make it even more refreshing! Definitely one of my favourite cocktails in Bangalore. The other drink on the table was a Bottle Ka Gin, served in … wait for it…. a bottle shaped …
It’s been a while since I dined at a Dhaba. After Bobby Da Dhaba moved from Ulsoor, I haven’t even ventured to any place with the name ‘dhaba’ attached to it! Having the iconic Delhi restaurant – Dhaba by Claridges opening on 12th Main in Indiranagar, was definitely a sign to flex my memory. We walked up the stairs that day and were bemused to see milestone markers on the walls, up to the restaurant on the second floor. Bangalore was missing a casual North Indian restaurant that serves up some delhi-style cuisine, and Dhaba by Claridges hits the spot!
Let’s get it out of the way. Sanchos is now Sanchez. Their new menu is decidedly hip and happening, so none of us should care that the ‘os’ was replaced with ‘ez’. Located in the piazza of UB City, the Mexican restaurant serves up some taquitos, nachos and tamales in style. When you get to sip on lip-smacking Margarita’s and delicious ceviche in a setting like this, there’s very little to complain about. Sanchez is known for their party like atmosphere as much as their food, but with the recent tweaks to the menu – I’m betting the food will be the main draw. They still make a pretty mean Margarita and I definitely recommend the Mango version, though the classic will always be my favourite. If you have deep pockets they have a range of imported tequilas you can try. Go ahead and loosen those purse strings, I don’t think I’ve seen these bottles anywhere else. We spent a good four hours mulling over our drinks and taking bites of their to-die-for Charred Corn …
Whitefield, that suburb of Bangalore that’s now the new ‘IT’ location has a new watering hole in The Whitefield Arms. With the influx of the IT crowd and the expat population, Whitefield is slowly becoming a coveted spot for some weekend indulgences. The English pub and café (with a marked colonial hangover) is a part of the Waverly Hotel & Residences in VR Bengaluru. A moody ambience indoors, with tungsten bulbs, leather bar stools and cozy booths sets the tone for some tipple in the evenings while the cheerful picnic-table seating outside, is primed for a good breakfast or an afternoon of beers. Freshly brewed craft beers are on the cards once they get their brewery license. You can order al la carte from their hot breakfast menu (which runs till 10:30 AM everyday) and have the option of adding a cold buffet to it at a nominal price. The all day dining menu has decided anglo-indian influences and you will see that reflected in the names as well. The Earl Grey mixture with JW …
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!
The FoodPorn Diaries 