All posts tagged: Luxury

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.

Nimisserie – Opulent Modern Indian (Wood Street)

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There has only been one restaurant to have attempted Modern Indian fine dining in over a decade in Bangalore. So Nimisserie stepping into that space would not seem overly ambitious, especially since it’s mastermind – Chef Nimish Bhatia has been toying in that territory during his previous life as head chef of The Lalit. He now pours his dreams and vision into this standalone restaurant attempting to offer Bangalore a taste of progressive Indian Cuisine, interspersed with his own creative take on food.

Dust Trails, a Tiger and Wine on the Verandah (The Serai Bandipur)

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We decided to make the best of a long weekend break in November and picked a luxury getaway over slumming it out. With an anniversary to celebrate – the extravagance seemed justified. A four hour drive on the picturesque NH17 bought us into jungle country – Bandipur (together with the adjoining Mudumalai, Nagarhole, and Wayanad sanctuaries, this area forms the largest protected reserve in South India). Before we even reached the sanctuary, we had already spotted a herd of chital, wild boars and grey langurs.

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 …

Terrariums and other Surprises @ Ottimo (ITC Gardenia, Bangalore)

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It looks like every five star hotel worth its salt, needs to have an Italian restaurant to cater to our new found love of Italian cuisine. You can’t blame them after all, the Indians have taken with gusto to pasta as if it were dal chawal! Ottimo (which means excellent in Italian) has steered away from the carb-heavy renditions of Italian cuisine and bravely presented a lighter fare with emphasis on nutrition and fresh ingredients. Chef Vittorio Grecco has also indulged his love for molecular gastronomy here and his experience in Michelin starred restaurants across Italy has helped him nudge us towards trying something which looks unfamiliar, but in the end is an excellent tribute to the flavors of Italy. Ottimostands in place of the erstwhile West View Grill and has an air of relaxed luxury. The restaurant itself wraps around the main kitchen which displays a row of terrariums (Micro gardens within their own eco-system, sitting pretty within glass containers). While I am not personally a fan of velvet sofas (this one has a …

Dining in Style – Riwaz @ The Ritz-Carlton (Bangalore)

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A New York style maven once said, ‘Style is a way of saying who you are, without having to speak’. In the matter of The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore, luxury seeps through every pore of its being! From the awe inspiring driveway, to the elegant and intricate jaali work, to the splashes of gold and the fire and stone décor – you just can’t escape it. Riwaz their North-West Frontier cuisine restaurant envelopes itself in this richness while somehow managing to still keep the décor modern. Chef Ramandeep Kukreja heads the culinary team at the restaurant and is clearly passionate about the cuisine. While I felt this type of cuisine was done to death in all the ‘North Indian’ restaurants in Bangalore, I still could not turn down an invite to sample the new menu at Riwaz. (They make a conscious effort to come out with something new every six months.) Why, some of the recipes are sourced from the chef’s own family and that gave me the necessary incentive to accept a dinner invitation on a …

A New way of getting High @ HIGH Ultra Lounge (World Trade Center, Malleshwaram)

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Yes you heard me right, Bangalore has a new way of getting high. Considering our pours of alcohol last us only till 11:30 pm, we all need something to supplement the evening. Now before your mind goes wandering in directions that could get both of us into trouble – I’ll cut the suspense short and introduce you to HIGH Ultra Lounge. Located on the 31st floor of the World Trade Center in Malleshwaram, it aims to set the bar ‘high’ for all clubs in Bangalore. At 421 feet above the ground you can’t really help feeling ‘above the rest’! We were invited for a special blogger preview of the club, which officially threw its door open to the public this weekend. We were asked to dress warm because of the altitude but nobody warned us that the ride to the top in the glass lift would be nothing short of an adrenaline rush. The dedicated lift takes you zooming up to the 31st floor in under two minutes and if you have vertigo its best …

Citibank Restaurant Week – Szechwan Court (The Oberoi, Bangalore)

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Restaurant Week is a week of indulgence for me. But excesses of the excellent variety are always welcome in my books! This is the second year for the Citibank Restaurant Week India (RWI) in Bangalore (23rd Sep to 2nd Oct) and reservations open for Citibank customers today. Everyone else will have to wait till the 18th of September to get a chance to dine in the finest restaurants of Bangalore – think Olive Beach, Szechwan Court, Dakshin, Caperberry and a whole lot more! RWI runs twice a year in March and September, simultaneously across Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. The prix fixe menu allows the restaurants to showcase their signature dishes in each category and diners get a chance to experience this at an unbelievable price of Rs.750/-++ in Bangalore. You need to make reservations online before you can dine – so having a fast broadband connection and the gumption to beat the hundreds of others vying for a dinner slot helps. I was offered a preview dinner for RWI at the Szechwan Court a week …