Hungry in Bangalore: Sattvam, Sadashiv Nagar

The starters roll in

Sattvam is a buffet only vegetarian restaurant which focuses on Sattvic food - sattvic meaning good for the body and soul. Located in Seshadri puram, it is a very unique restaurant experience with one of the best tasting food in Bangalore. In a nutshell, the food is excellent, the service great and you really don't feel heavy after the meal - which my Family unanimously felt makes it a good restaurant.

Buffets almost always evoke a groan in my house. Same old tired concepts of the usual starter+roti sabzi+rice+gulab jamun with ice cream which were perhaps from the wedding hall down street or the barbecue Non veg buffet which doenst work in my household rule by majority vegetarians.

But Sattvam creates a unique twist to the buffet experience with a very tasty, wide and impressive spread. The several starters are just superb, the masala puri with tiny bottles of pani to start with comes with a dry ice presentation. The buffet spread is huge covering a lot of Indian salads, starters, sabzis and rice dishes. All of them great. The few chinese are continental dishes were above average. The deserts were numerous and extremely well made. Plus there was a live cold stone ice cream counter and a live pasta counter. The Pizza slices were really good!

For Rs.630 per person on weekend for Dinner, this is a very satisfying restaurant.

Great presentation

Hungry in Hyderabad: Little Italy at Hitech City (finally!)

Can't escape the buffet

There are some places which are ubiquitous, everyones been there done that a million times. Eating at Barbecue Nation for one is as usual routine for techies as getting a haircut. But there is of course chance of  one odd which gets left out.

Same it seems is for Little Italy, I seriously don't know why I missed it. The countless eating excursions as part of the IT industry to the same old tired and tasted venues, its so bad I never got to try Little Italy in Bangalore.

Its a vegetarian Italian restaurant with very good and wide options. Ordering a la carte doesn't make sense here when compared to the buffet. So if its lunch time, it has to be the buffet. A wide spread of soups, salads, breads, starters, dips the list goes on. Plus you get to order a starter, pizza course and pasta course at your table.

The desert array is pretty good. The Mousses and Panna Cotta are great! We were warned to make room for desserts and its to be taken very seriously.

OK thats done, next stop long pending visit to Hard Rock cafe.

Hungry in Hyderabad: Dialogue in the Dark at inOrbit

Yes that's how it looks

This is my best shot of a restaurant ever, actually its just black color image. But that's exactly what is Dialogue in the Dark all about. Its a dining experience in absolute darkness, and a unique experience it is. You absolutely cannot see anything. All you have to guide you are your other senses touch, sound, smell and would you believe - taste.

Unlike a usual restaurant you pre-pay for your meal from the combos on offer, check in your phones (I like this a lot, I hate phones during meals), your watches and basically any light emitting device. You also get frisked by a guard for good measure. Past thick curtains you meet your server, a very capable and warm blind person who leads you to your table and looks after you for the meal.

You constantly remain amazed at the lack of sight in the new, almost alien environment where even discovering there is a plate and fork, spoon placed in front of you and how you and your friends sound. Those senses are highly amplified. I couldnt wait for my meal.

The server serves your meal deftly, and its a complete surrender to the food. Despite my unwashed hand, I had to dig in to feel what I am eating and taste it and know it minutely. As I said - amplified. I could really taste how good the various items on my plate were. Very nice experience to have.

Outside,  some of the staff leaving for the day in the background

And I really liked the fact that this idea benefits the blind, gives some of them a role in such an experience and some of the funds go for their welfare.

Its also a very good corporate team building activity I came to know, so I might get my future colleagues to a similar place later.

Viva la Pondichery, seconde partie

'Sunburnt and pot bellied', apt description as I stepped back into campus for the remaining 5 terms of MBA from a wonderful break to Pondicherry (now officially called Puducherry). Still stuck with a ridiculous patch of un-tanned skin around my eyes due to sunglasses, currently making me like a comic book super hero, I aimed to write this article down before I lost the tan and the memories.

My second sojourn to Pondicherry, this time with a much more boisterous group bent on vacationing with a vengeance. We did a lot which cannot be accommodated (or should be mentioned) in one blog

So heres a quick write down:

Where we stayed:
L'ESCALE Pondicherry - a quaint and surprisingly affordable boutique hotel on the street parallel to the promenade. Superbly located in the french town (white town), very close to the best attractions in the town and well connected. That is, if you are looking for a Pondicherry experience and not a resort experience for which there are plenty of resorts along the coast. But thats no fun since you cant swim in the waters due to the dangerous currents and narrow beaches. L'escale  is definitely a worth stay and a worth revisit.

Where we ate and what did we eat:
As planned, all we did was eat, relax and ride bikes around town. So chronologically:

Baker Street: Ironic, its a french bakery named after a fictional english scene. Nicolas the hotel landlord recommended  as with all of his  accurate and helpful suggestions, for a quick lunch. It seems to be 

a popular boulangerie with a wide selection of baked goodies and snacks. In total, we visited this place 3 times.

Le Vietnam: A vietnamese joint, my pals tried while I napped - pretty decent for a bit of the variety. The 'Chaiyo' - fried vietnamese snacks got good reviews here.

Rendezvous Cafe Restaurant: This was one of the highlights of our food journey. Very good and wide selection of food. A bit on the expensive side though really good food, service. Unfortunately, as with several things in Pondi, this place closes early so make sure you reach early.

Satsanga Restaurant: Its a big open air restaurant with ultra slow service, bad food and loads of mosquitoes for company. Though it seemed to attract a lot of foreign crowd, I guess the place appealed to a different crowd from us perhaps, though this place I feel was a mistake.

Le Cafe

Le Cafe: The Historic cafe located on the promenade, I made up for missing this must do in my last visit. Its a cafe situated at a wonderful location built a rustic way. The place was run tardily though which was a shame. We had the usual breakfast and though breakfast over looking the sea in a french cafe was pretty unique.

La Terrase: This was the best food I had in Pondicherry and the last meal of the visit, which was lunch. Diagonal to our hotel, right next to the iconic Le Club - which we skipped, something for another visit perhaps.Tasty, quick food and great service from this place. I wished we had heard of this place before. What was especially good was the offerings for the vegetarians, the freshness of the food, the juice and the taste again worth mentioning. Though there is a difference of opinion with a few of my friends, the desserts for example didnt match up to the other courses that we had.

While not eating:
Apart from earning the tan on our two wheelers, the compulsory visit to auroville was accomplished. Auroville is an impressive achievement for the followers and I feel a visit inside the Matrimandir (the meditation dome) might be worth experiencing.

Surfing - was sorely missed. I wanted a go at round 2 after my initiation to surfing in Manipal. The Surf school was closed due to a surfing competition which was quite a spectacle. It was held near the pier close to the rocks off the promenade which made for a thrilling photo opp.

The french style architecture of houses with wide doors set against bright and long pastel colored walls with framed windows, the prevalence of artsy nooks, almost cobbled streets and stylish cafes  makes for a great photo essay. The above picture captured by Pranay, one of many good ones.

There are probably other activities to be done, all aimed at leisure and variety. Though expecting a lot of action and excitement in this town might be a bad idea. So with the right expectation, time and right amount of Sun screen lotion , this is a great place for a weekend.

Hungry in Hyderabad: Ohri Rubaiyat, Hi Tech City

Imagine a place with food so good, it makes you come out of your blogging semi retirement, past bad memories of pre - carpel tunnel syndrome to  write about it. Past few months have been eventful, so anything average pales in comparison most of the time. Tonight's dinner made me write about it promptly, which is unusual.

My comrade in fork and spoon, Kartik the localite took us to his 'Number1' place for food in Hyderabad - Ohri Rubaiyat at Hi Tech City. I have always enjoyed the food here in Hyderabad everytime I have been here. Now that I am a resident atleast for the next 8 months, I have been discovering this city is so consistent with its food.

Bangalore may have a lot of variety, though Hyderabad has its quality. I have had countless Paneer Tikkas at innumerable restaurants in 2 countries including once made by a chef who once served Bill Clinton. I know the build up is a tad too excessive, but the Paneer Sufiyan here was really really good. Never had Paneer of such an amazing texture and taste. Definitely top notch.

We ordered a Peshawari murgi, Bhara Tamatar which of course after the wonderful starter were also great. The Murg was superb, the Bhara Tamatar even better.

Rotis. Had them everywhere. Never had them like here before. Flaky, soft, flavorful and of a unique consistency, I enjoyed this simple component of the meal a lot.

2 Mocktails. I am tired of saying awesome. A mint masala cooler and a orange twist were remarkable.

I feel the bench mark has gone way up when it comes to Mughlai cuisine.

Hungry in Bangalore: Madras Central JP Nagar

Jitain vs food

Its Saturday evening in super cool Bangalore and it can mean only one thing. Temple Hopping! Terribly short on cash and tremendously large on pot bellies, we roomies decided the evening was perfect to pay homage to the gods and try out some great vegetarian food. I read an article somewhere that Indian IT males are aging prematurely, I feel that's nonsense.

So we headed to the beautiful Balaji temple in JP Nagar which was decked up in all its electrical finery. As with most Balaji temples, this one too is opulent, beautiful and attracts a lot of devotees. I dont have much patience for standing in lines, but the darshan took hardly 5 minutes in all.

Photo captured with a potato

Right opposite the temple is the Madras Central which is very unlike a lot of South Indian eating joints at least in the evenings. We could sit down a welcome change unlike the usual eating grub standing up like horses. The waiter quickly took our orders which were for this place obviously Pongal Vade.

Pongal is a kind of Khichadi (kedgeree) spiced with peppercorns and  soaked in Ghee. A nice comfort food from Tamil Nadu which is light, filling and also curative. So I learnt today. All these years I have been having an insult to this dish. As Jitain, who hails from Tamil Nadu, explained Madras Central served a good example of a Pongal. Served with different kinds of Sambars and Chutneys and in our order a crispy Vada to make things more interesting. The Vada nice crisp and fluffy went like a duet with the white coconut chutney. The entire combination of Pongal Vada makes an excellent breakfast choice which I was very happy having at 7 PM.

So often we fail to acknowledge some dishes just because we have been eating the wrong versions. Now I feel the need to seek out great renditions of everyday food to make everyday a great day.

Jitain as usual knew the fellows at this joint, who were warm attentive and really enthused to serve their customers. I was shocked. In Bangalore getting a smiling service is truly rare.

Coffee the right way

 
A Madrasi restaurant worth its salt should have good coffee and this place does a killer coffee. Served in the traditional 2 tumbler system, with sugar at the bottom, this coffee is fueling this blogging fury. Doctor Jitain showed me how to deftly decant and drink this coffee which would make even 007 have his Martini decanted not stirred.

Hungry in Bangalore: Variety Dosa at Koramanagala Park

This weekend also turned out to be fortuitous. After another great session at Writer's club, the ride back to my end of Bangalore is usually pretty painful in Saturday evenings given that people head out all at once to Carpe Diem the weekend. It took a small accident to stop and smell the dosas.

I wrote a big paragraph to explain how an idiot on a Honda Dio (no surprise at the choice of vehicle) executed a minor hit and run on my bike ironically right in front of the Koramangala police station. I think this should suffice. Good thing we have gun control in India, otherwise guys like these would get lit like Diwali.

I stopped near the Koramangala park to asses the damage on my left foot, which was negligible since I was wearing some sturdy shoes. The park was full of evening walkers, kids and few conscious couples - supposedly a prosaic sight but hardly acknowledged by me or most of us. I dont remember the last time I went to a park like this, choosing the confines of my cold apartment. Partly because of the lack of good parks my side of town.

But what enthralled was the food. It was 6 pm and the vendors had just started to gear up for the weekend evening rush. I remembered I was hungry all of a sudden. I had had a brunch which was long digested. I was thinking of mounting up and going home, my stomach didnt let me.

I had heard a lot of this place, Koramangala Park for its amazing street food, but majorly for its variety dosas (not dosa varieties). Basically dosa varieties, simple. But this here was special, this stuff I havent found in the tens of restaurants I have been in Bangalore. But surprisingly last in Mumbai. I can guess back in 2000 in Borivali, we have a varieties dosa guy who gets swamped with customers to try out his chinese, pav bhaji and other tasty varieties.

Fortuitous, as I mentioned I parked right in front of the 99 varieties lip smacking dosas. They have 6 charcoal fired tavas to craft the dosas which were fired up in anticipation for the rush. I remembered I had attempted eating here but the rush was unbelievable and had quit.

'Chinese, Mushroom, Paneer, Masala, Mysore Masala...' , definitely not 99 man. More like a figure of speech. But the offerings exceeded more I could remember, which I didnt care cause I was ravenous. The aroma, oh man. Imagine a smorgasbord of aromas from chineese, south indian, pav bhaji, spicy and savory.  'I dont care just give me anything' I said. Still he demanded' 'no choose we have chinese, mysore masala, paneer..'. 'Aah Paneer and make it quick'.

I found a plastic stool and with my back against the park boundary I observed the two cooks work deftly with the dosas. Its a modified rickshaw with a long cargo bed decked with charcoal stoves, containers and cubby holes for condiments. A boy was constantly shredding veggies and ingredients on the foot path and I saw Paneer getting grated for my dosas. 'Is it clean' I asked the boy. He just smiled at me. Good enough.

I got served within minutes. I tried to dig in, but my fingers got burnt. Burnt meaning painful for the next 2 hours burned, it was that hot. The filling seemed tomato curry based , with a load of veggies and paneer added to it. They were using bricks of Amul butter and generously at that. I have noticed many a times people add cheese, or butter or 'chinese' up any dish the flavors dont gel, dont harmonize. This dosa got it just right. The flavors were synchronized perfectly and yet you could taste everything. The Paneer was nicely distributed, the veggie base perfectly spicy and the butter was like a great bass player in a rock concert. A green coconut chutney and a mint chutney were good. However a red sweet and savory Hyderabad style chutney could have been a better accompaniment for this particular dosa, but since it was my first variety I am not the expert.

The sweet spot is when the dosa cools down just enough for you to access its masala innards. It took me merely a minute or so to finish the rest.

At the start I thought I would eat 2 varieties, but it was very filling. For 50 bucks, it was more than worth it. And looking at the crowd that had suddenly assembled, I was lucky I came in at the right time.

Darjeeling style Momos were next stall which I heard were pretty decent. So were chaat, fruit salads, ice creams and juice. But enough for today since I had to a waiting matters.

All this and not a drop of sweat, enjoyed in the shade of a park tree in a relatively clean place. I think Bangalore scores really well in these aspects as compared to other cities. Street food is more enjoyable with the weather being so great and city being clean in many places. I wish it stays the same or gets better if possible.

Hungry in Bangalore: Lunch at Mavalli Tiffin Room (MTR)

It took me 5 years, a cracked motorcycle fiberglass cowl and the magic of technology to enjoy the hallowed MTR meal. And one does not simply walk into MTR, one has to go through the arduous task of waiting in serpentine queues which could take up atleast an hour in the crowded portal of MTR. I have tried thrice previously and having exhausted patience had their sandwiches and desserts to satiate my hunger, which were pretty decent. Not worth the wait I decided, this place and Maiyas Jayanagar which are managed by the same family, I wouldn't eat at all.

I had to get a replacement for a part for my motorbike. A fiber glass cowling which wraps around the headlight, useless vanity and over engineering at work, but nevertheless required for a neat looking vehicle. The only place to procure this was JC road. Dusty and extremely confusing with its one way roads and multitudes of auto shops, I spent all noon getting the part and finding a decent service centre to install it for me. I was famished. The Mechanic told me it will take them 2 hours to get to start work on the bike and another 1 to finish. I had to kill 3 hours at a minimum.

Thank god for google maps. The search nearby function showed up Urvashi theatre and MTR. MTR impossible, lets head for the movie - Life of Pi. Looking at the crowds at the theatre I had a better chance at a ticket there than the MTR lunch.

It was 3.30 pm and haven't eaten since 11 am had made me super tired, hungry no more. MTR was the nearest source of nourishment and so sandwiches and ice cream it is. But there was no line at the coupon counter! Note  there are 2 stages of lines, one at the counter the other at the dining hall.

180 Rupees and dining hall waiting 30 mins, I couldnt believe my ears. I was afraid I would lose my appetite by the time I get served. And so I stood in line. 15 minutes later I was sitting in the old style dining hall sharing a table with a couple and their little daughter who weren't interested in small talk.

The fare is typical Kannada Udupi Brahmin style which is light vegetarian and closer to the 'sattvic' principles. Its healthy and when prepared well with the best ingredients is very delicious. Served in several courses, having lived in the south so long and having eaten this particular style of cooking several times, I knew exactly what to expect.

Round one

Steel plates instead of plantain leaves was disappointing but made sense given the ongoing garbage fiasco in Bangalore. And the onslaught begins - round one - puris with potato curry, mint and coconut chutney, crunchy carrot and lentils, thin payasam of coconut milk with cinnamon and cloves and a beans gojju. Great great taste. The food was really fresh and well prepared. Very less oil, simply prepared and everything rightly balanced. Oblivious while eating, I was served a super milk halwa dish I had for the first time, lovely semi caramelized dish of which I had two helpings.

Next came the star of the show - Bisibelle bhaat. This is the second best I have ever had which is a high compliment cause I have had this dish many times before, this here was a masterpiece. Really nice and thick with the correct spice balance - people mess the spice balance badly but this was on the dot. Served with a thin raitha and some crunchy mini papads. This Bisibelle bhaat was the high point of the meal.


Rice Sambar, Rice Rasam followed which were textbook dishes. Usual, but the quality of rice and preparation were top notch.

At this point, people around me were very stuffed. Still the food didnt feel so heavy at all. Louis CK said 'The meal is not over when I'm full. The meal is over when I hate myself'. There is no hating here, just the feeling of contentment.

Almost, I still have to try out their breakfast...

Hungry in Mumbai: Sammy Sosa Andheri/Oshiwara

I love bowling. The idea was to go bowling but Mumbai seems to have forgotten 10 pin fun. The closest and most proper bowling alley at Fun Republic has 2 lanes out of 4 working. It has people wearing all the wrong footwear dancing around the alley. Coconuts are more rounder than the bowling balls there. As expected a frame costs an arm and a leg and insult to injury a 2 hour waiting time. So its straight to dinner.

But choosing dinner isnt easy in this city. Fortunately I was in the company of 2 life style experts who amongst them would know all the way from good vada pav stalls to the worst mistakes you could do while ordering food in Beijing. Still we had the relatively easy task of locating an eatery in Andheri west. After a flurry of names I was less familiar with (and I call myself a foodie!) we decided on Sammy Sosa.

A Mexican and western casual eating joint in Mumbai would be the USP of this place. Warm comfy ambiance with a lively crowd, this place has a selection of imported beers which are pretty pricey. Of course there are the locals to give company. We started with the godzilla garlic bread and spicy bean tortilla which were very nice and quite filling. The portions are big so sharing would be a good plan.

While the main course was to come, I was enlightened what not to do in restaurants in China - dont share a table with other people or they might stick you with their food bill, you might get arrested and you surely dont want to do that. Also scratch out your CVV number on your credit card in that country.

Back to main course from the mexican part - Burrito - very very nice and the World Cuisine Main - Hommade Tortellini Stuffed Pasta was great for me but my pals didnt like it as much. The accompanying garlic breads were a bit too much to eat so again the main course is meant for more than 1 person easily (with normal appetites).

The only other mexican that I know of (not to be confused with Italian or Continental) is Taco Bell. So obviously this place ranks high for getting some change in your dinner routine.

No place for any desserts unfortunately, so definitely coming back again to try the other dishes on offer.

Hungry in Bangalore: Kakori Kababs and Curries JP Nagar

The life of Bangalore restaurants usually goes something like this:

1.      New eating joint on the Bangalore eating block so all out efforts. Good food, reasonable prices, excellent service and the good reviews come pouring in – lasts about a year max
2. .       Now that all the nearby IT offices have had their lunches and far off ones tried and gone, service is strictly OK, prices jacked up and the food doesn’t quite hit the spot – lasts a long time say 3 years
3.        Patrons just want to get drunk, change in management, all the good furniture sold off, staff is  basically all the street egg roll vendors in bigger kitchen and– 6 months tops and then a new restaurant or shady local liquor den in place.

But the very few good ones last. Although business seems great in Bangalore, its probably tough to compete in this city with the steady inflation and fickle eating interests of patrons. 5 years in Bangalore (A term I will now use more frequently) I have seen this life cycle and happy that my favorites have stuck around.

Kakori Kabab is probably at stage 1. New on the map, a good addition to South Bangalore. A bit inconveniently located in JP Nagar but that’s good. Fewer crowd in the joint hence more attention for us.

So like almost all big eating events it was my teams jaunt for a Birthday celebration. After having tried and tired of all the nearby restaurants we decided to go for this. Kakori Kabab is a specialty of the Nawabs cuisine from UP state in India. It’s a rich soft lamb kabab composed of a special secret mixture of lamb meat, paneer and spices.

Though I don’t think we had any of that. We had the Kabab platter which costed around 900 rupees but was total bang for the buck. An assortment of really really good fish, chicken and lamb kababs. I couldn’t make out which was which but the fish and chicken kababs were off the hook. I feel sorry that I didn’t take a pic, cause I would have hung it on my wall. The kababs were that good. The name suits the game.

The veg starters were disappointing.  So that was a big let down. I didn’t have any so no complaints from me.

But it got better again after that. Up next Dal Makhni, Nargis Kofta and Nawabi Haandi along with rotis, kulchas and phulkas. Dal Makhni so good. Nargis Kofta so so so good. Nawabi Handi meh.

The portions average. The ambiance comforting and pleasing and the price was a bit above average. We returned back to office super full and happy and ready to nap with our eyes open.

Hungry in Bangalore: Ayda Persian Kitchen & Ibaco Ice Cream

 OK before I start, I had written down all the things below nice and fine and wasnt going to add this part cause its not pleasant or nice, but I need to warn people of this place. 15 mins after reaching home for dinner, I had to answer natures calls which gradually turned to screams.Ditto for Chandu. Thank god we have 2 loos in the house. We suspect it was the 'Doogh' which we had- which is a spiced minty thick buttermilk very nice and refreshing AND a potent drain cleaner. Heres a pic of us having it and my expression displays the strong taste of that stuff.

Last week I was pleasantly surprised to see this new restaurant called Ayda Persian Kitchen in BDA complex Banashankari. The place has becoming a truly happening place for South Bangalore. With many new places, many of them ice cream shops, having a foreign cuisine opened up in this part of town is exciting.

From the outside it just looks like it dosent want to be found. Almost as if it wants to exclusively cater to Iranians. A faded board declares the location but black tinted windows and nothing else going on in the attract customers department. So its easy to miss.

But if its new and different I cant wait to try. As soon as we enter the waiter informs me in Kannada - Its not spicy. Whatever dude. Its me, Chandu and Uma for this dinner. The interior is all wooden, yellow lighting and Irani TV showing Ajay Devgan movie - Hindustan Ki Kasam dubbed in Farsi. The walls have posters of erstwhile Irani movie posters, judging by the skimpy clothes in the posters seemed to be pre-revolution. Place is not crowded, just a few customers who were all Iranis or seemed like Iranis.

We started with Hummus and Naan. I had Hummus twice before but this was way way better. Nice and creamy with nice balance of garlic which went well with the Naan. We ordered the Joojeh Kabab basically chicken kabab served with saffron rice, butter and some vegetables. The chicken is mildly spiced (for us Indians atleast) and the rice is just wonderful. The portions are massive so expect huge quantities. The Hummus is deceptively filling so after a few bites assess your situation.

Its a nice place to taste some variety in stuff, but really things arent that different from the usual Mughlai fare. Its easy to get confused and disappointed, but there is more stuff to try. So we called it quits for then and had the 'Doogh' which is a nice thick minty buttermilk. I have mentioned it in the starting Para.

For desert we had to try one of the many new Ice Cream shops in the area. We headed to Ibaco which is a nice new concept for an ice cream parlour. You pay 50 bucks per 100 grams. So you can go crazy with ice cream, toppings and sauce combos all within your price range. And the ice creams are really really good. Wonderful flavors which are very different from the original. Even the Vanilla is different and really nice and we had a tough time to decide which ones to have from amongst all the samples they let me have. I had the peach and strawberry with mango sauce and it was just super. Not too sweet and very flavorful. The textures and flavors are beautifully balanced. I am definitely coming back for more from this place.

Hungry in Mumbai: Carter Road, Bandra

As per the latest unofficial survey of the few people who were tortured by this blog, I should be hauled over coals, again. Apart from the usual travesties inflicted, my friends complain that I have failed to do justice to my home town of Bombay. After being adopted by Bangalore I seem to have forgotten my roots and sworn my allegiance to Vada Sambar over Vada Pav. To this I say, my home is where I charge my laptop.

My dull Republic day holiday evening was rescued by the Agnel College gang consisting of 2 other neo-Bangaloreans like me. For them there is only 1 place to hang out, the hang out to beat all hang outs in Mumbai - Bandra, which I unfortunately had done very less of hanging out.

So after much jostling for parking space we hit Carter's Blue for the awesome succulent shawarma, chiken tikka and paneer rolls. This is rolls the right way. I think this is the best I have ever had and I have had a lot. The Shawarma here is much better than the authentic Mediterranean wraps I had in california. I shall come again.

Dont get distracted by the aston martins, harleys and the lowly BMWs while you finish your friends rolls after you done yours. Next up, dosas. After suffering Bangalore's dosas - yes suffering cause face it after sometime what you eat everyday gets pedestrian, we wanted the Bombay version. Cheesed up and crisped out, non jain varieties and made by the trademarked bushy mustached fat Tamilian Anna plated up some Mysore Masala, more like Mumbai Masala. Good stuff.

OK now for some Momos. Dear stomach, I am gonna punish you today. We were disappointed with the poor attendance of celebrities. Anyways as a consolation we snapped up Dance India Dance judge Terence. If you dont recognize him dont fret, neither did Ankit who's expression was priceless.



Ok now what, frozen yoghurt. Seems to be all the rage with one shop crammed to max and a line snaking out into the road. I don't have homicidal tendencies, usually, but after standing in line for a frozen version of 'Shrikhand' if I have to wait behind girls who probably apply make up with a mop wondering what toppings they want only after reaching the counter, getting it piled and then asking them to make it again as the yoghurt wasn't Non Fat. Urge to kill rising...

Note to self, skip the frozen yoghurt stick to Kulfi.

11.30 and the streets were full of people having a good time, something I feel Bangalore lost out a few years ago. We head to Cafe Mocha, another college hang out and we proceed to order another cache of desserts. Time to loosen the belt one notch. Wonderful Apple Cinnamon Tea complimented the ungodly size of cake and Oreo Chocolate chip shake. All this while there was a DJ spinning tracks and happily taking requests.

In this particular visit I came to Mumbai with a pouring cloud on head. This city sure knows how to turn a frown upside down.

Hungry in US - Monterray, CA: Indian Summers

Do you know the Chinese food in India. Its not Chinese. Here is what is happening to Indian food. Well not the exact analogy, since Indian is so unique you can only go so far as to corrupt it..anyways hungry from our long drive we come down to the nice city of Monterey in the night. Read that this place is a tourist destination - well not in the night.

Indian Summers. Music is arabic, not a single desi in sight. Its definitely a happening place, but chilly and the fireplace you see in the pic is not for show. You need the fire to keep warm. Well food, me and Sharayu tried to Non veg with Spicy Fried fish not spicy, Chik Jalfrezi - mysteriously spicy since we didnt see chillies. The veggies had a good time with the Maakhanwala, the dal and the peas jeera rice. They even went as far to say this was the best they had! Come on now Non Veg is also food, you have to make both of them good.

Anyways we had to leave before the Reggae band started playing. Yes Reggae band in and Indian Restaurant. On the expensive side...

On a foodie blog roll! No.3:

Hungry in US - Aptos, CA: Manuel's Mexican

I was growing loathsome about Mexican food in the US. Mexican is close to the Indian cuisine, but I just simply didnt like the fast food version. Until we got hungry along CA1 and decided to have some mexican. Thank you GPS, for guiding us to this delightful place. I like mexican now, especially at Manuel's.

Hemant guided the vehicle to this blink and you miss restaurant. This place is pretty old with and old style mexican tavern feel to it. The service was very warm and friendly. We needed a lot of guidance with the orders since we were new to this authentic cuisine which is unlike that of taco bells. Lot of variety for Non Veggies. We didnt want to risk anything meaty on the road so we opted for everything Vegetarian. Which again the hostess guided us. The Cheese Enchilada I had ordered was enchanting. Delicately made pockets of veg stuffed with cheese and covered in a wonderful tomato bean gravy melted in my mouth. Sharayu had the Quesadillas and the guys had the traditional Bean Burrito which were pretty decent. The Salsa Fresca was adequately hot. The Mexican equivalent of masala Papad - the Tortillas and Habanero sauce kept on coming. We generally dont have deserts, cause in the US, the portions are huge. Still we decided for the hostess's suggestion and again she hit the sweet spot with Flan and Mexican ice cream - a nicely spiced (not hot spice) chocolate ice cream which she described as 'her favorite ice cream'. Its really really good.

For those who would want to know and should know, they do not take Amex :)

Hungry in Bangalore: Halli Tindi Darshini

Its always breakfast time in Bangalore. Idli vadas are to Bangalore (and many many places in South India) what corn flakes are to the whole world. I practically lived solely on the combo my entire 1st year in Bangalore. There is a good chance one will get tired of this stuff, variety is the key. So you basically eat the same stuff at different places.

After climbing and descending a hill, its small but a hill, in Banashankari Bangalore to visit Ganapati at Banagiri, the best way to satiate your hunger is just opposite the steps. Head to Halli Tindi darshini. Recently opened, this place is an instant hit. It goes a bit beyond the usual Darshnini fare and serves you some variety in your everyday breakfast. The signature dish here - The Peserottu Dosa. Featured in many Bangalore newspapers, this dosa is healthy , tasty, fulfilling and as the proprietor scowls it - dilisius. Also must have the Jumbo Tindi, translating into Jumbo Meals. Not too Jumbo but the breakfast platter you were always looking for with idli, vada, dosa, upma and sheera.

Location - Banashankari 3rd stage on Ring Road. You can spot it by the crowd. The tea coffee is passable, you can have some real nice and exotic varieties at the 'Tea Shop' close by.

Hungry in Bangalore: Shree Krishna Cafe Koramangala

The usual dilemma strikes again, you are at some hip locality and you wonder where do we have lunch? This thought has befuddled and repeatedly caused me and my pals to end up in KFC/MC or a very tried/tired and tested eatout for food not worth the price. So the next time you have a thought like and you happen to be in Koramangala, head straight to this place.



Revered for its wonderful Tamil - particularly Tanjavur veg cuisine, Shree Krishna cafe is a favorite of many from all over the country. Its in a street full of fancy restaurants like China pearl (), Oye Amritsar and many more. Blink and you miss, its above Kairali, announced by a modest board. Lets jump right into the food - meals.

I crown this place the best place to get a South Indian meal on the Leaf, so far in Bangalore.

Serendipity brought me to this place. Hungry after a tiring seminar, 4 of us were looking for some lunch. Last on my mind was a South Indian rice meal. Whats there to eat I exclaimed. As my friend Ravi, who I had befriended that very morning said, said this is the best Southie meal you will ever have. Challenge eh? Lets go. Two simple dining halls accommodate the patrons with simple furniture. The Plantain leaf is put as soon as you sit. 95 bucks for a meal. Say yes and the parade begins. I guess 3 sabjis, variety of sambhar, dal, rasam, buttermilk kadhi, assortments, vada (to die for) some sweet and some things I just dont know the name for keep coming. This is true to the word unlimited. I never saw myself eat so much rice before. The best stuff was the authentic Ghee which they dish out by the tablespoon load. This is the good stuff man.

You need to eat to stay alive, you need to eat good to stay happy.Go to this place, I am sure you will feel happy.

Viva la Vile Parle - Gajalee

A town is defined by its people, places, events, weather etc. Gajalee is one such restaurant which has been an icon on Vile Parle’s and Mumbai’s culinary map since several years, lending Parla its distinctive identity. A Landmark on Hanuman Road, this joint has attracted many sea food enthusiasts and is a favorite of many celebrities, appealing mainly to Maharashtrian tastes. Tastes I say because Marathi sea food cuisine is not simply Malvani as many think. The food here has influences from Karnataka as also a generic way of preparation which might appeal to wide demographics. Check out some of the awards and accolades at http://www.gajalee.com/.

I have come back home after a brief period from Bangalore, and if there is one of the things unique which set Mumbai and Bangalore food apart is the sea food, obviously. So when asked which place to have dinner I couldn’t resist Gajalee, again.

First off the start without asking for a menu we, meaning me and my Brother, ordered Fried Bombil (Bombay Duck) and Tandoori Pomfret. These dishes are to die for. If not the need for the variety on offer we could have ended dinner on rounds of these two dishes. The Bombil is perfectly fresh and crispy, melts in the mouth leaving you wondering if you ever had some. The Pomfret was nice and robust. Cooked with the right amount masala and oil or butter – it was deliciously light. Tempting us to order a second round but we held on to having a main course. The waiter – conversing in Kannada after eaves dropping on our conversations suggests we order an Oyster Masala with Neer Dosa and Akki roti – or Rice Bhakri. Palak Khichadi for Mom as she is a Vegetarian, and so am I most of the time. Beverages were Sol Kadi and Fresh lime soda. The Sol Kadi is of a love it or hate it kind of make, so not recommended for the un adventurous.

A waiter does the rounds of tables balancing a fresh Pomfret, Lobsters and live Crabs for the customers to choose. As the price varies with the item, the waiter has to display the many offerings. The live giant crabs wriggling around are a sight and the kids reactions are quite a sight. I remember meeting my meal last time I had come here – he or she was a sprightful fellow who transformed into a tasty meal.

Palak Khichadi that mom ordered is very nice. It’s a bit heavy on the fat though but tastes awesome. It soothed my tongue from the fiery Oyster Masala. Beware this one is not for Kids, spicy hot with a tomato based gravy – the Oyster masala was a unique experience. I never had oysters before and I think I will skip them and stick to rather mobile crustaceans.

The cost of such a wonderful meal – 1200 for 2 sea foodies and dear vegetarian Mom.

I leave for Bangalore with new memories with my family, satisfied expectations and a hunger again which is so easy to deplete in times of task. I hope I come across newer experiences like ones to be had at Gajalee.

Now I am off for some Vada Pav…

Bowled out by inSwing

"Doctor I can only see Ducks"
Doctor - "Have you seen an Optometrist?"
"No, only Ducks".

These and other cricket themed rib ticklers and trivia adorn the table mats on this quaint eatery. Blink and you miss, situated in a nook on the first floor above Overhaul accessories in Banashankari BDA complex in Bangalore, this place has been a favorite for many people for different reasons. Firstly the theme - cricket. Cricket greats are remembered in many Black and white photos, their anecdotes and feats captured in frames which cover the walls. They enthrall me everytime that I come here. You have to spend a minute checking out the painting of Ganapati in 8 forms with Bats and cricket pads, the ambiance will catch you with a surprise! The food - is homely North Indian; affordable and very tasty. You can find some new thing to like when you come here. Today I discovered the Onion rings, superb stuff. The Chaas here never bores me. Highly recommend the Palak based dishes as the palak gravy is too good. Dont expect a mughlai feast, this is homely food so its made the usual down to earth, moderate style - which I love.

Cost comes down to the strictly moderate slab - 3 Thaalis with starters and drinks comes to about 300 bucks, super score. Watch out for the sly waiter, he will count your orders twice on purpose (experienced this on two outings), but you wont regret the extra helping. I am sure you would want to play more Innings with inSwing..

Bangla in Bengalore - Bengali food at Bangliana

Heres a cool place to try some authentic Bengali food in Bangalore. These guys make it the authentic way, vouched for by a semi-Bong and a full Oriya, right from the ambiance which takes you to a cramped Kolkata eatery decorated with Bangla curios. No ac, no cushion seats, Bangla music and a real high pitched owner makes you feel right at home.

Ok Food. The Vekthi(or Bekthi) is to die for ( I dont know how its supposed to taste and since this is my first encounter with Bangla food I will let Sandhya and Ashu to judge on that). And it was superb. Its a fish preparation wrapped in a leaf with spices and fried in the typical Mustard oil. The flavor hits you like a truck so be careful digging into it like tandoori chicken. This is the first time I had a leaf cooked fish or anything and it tastes quite good. Thats not quite the best thing here though.

The fish curry and mutton curry were nice. I notice the good dose of mustard oil makes the dishes a bit getting used to initially. So dont get spurned away at the first bite. They also serve some tasty fish heads chutney. This is sure to drive away all Veg readership.

Now the best stuff. Bengali Sweets. The magical originals were present in their true forms competed to win our taste buds. Rossogolla - super soft and sweet just to perfection. The Mishti Doi was awesome. Its like a Shrikhand only a bit more runny. Then the Payash, synonym for the south Indian 'Paysa' was the super star. Sweet Mango chutney was delightful. The winner hand down was the Payash. If not the main courses or the usual stuff - the desserts will have you running back to this place.

Csst - Rs.1050 for 6 hungry people and 1 non participant who did eat later on for a fully satisfying belt loosening Bangla experience.

Bite into great Desi Chinese cuisine - Beijing Bites, Jayanagar

Food - Bite into great Desi Chinese cuisine - Beijing Bites, Jayanagar

K, V and S giving a great colgate moment.
Bachelorhood. Married guys envy, bachelors pride. Yet another weekend spent postponing studying for the imminent competency exam. But no regrets. Yesterday, 29th, was one of the most enjoyable nights I have had in Bangalore. Dinner with good friends always ranks among top of my favorite activities.

So it was me, Ashu, Sandhya, Victor, Sandy and Kavita trying something other than loitering at BTM or Forum; we decided we would loiter around Jayanagar , except for Kavita who had better things to do, and then end it with dinner at Beijing Bites.

We first hit another avatar of Cafe coffee day, Kalamane koffee ( or something similarly named) to sample some fresh brewed south Indian coffee while waiting for Sandy to grace us with his ever delayed presence. Great place to chill with some really interesting kaapis. Worth checking out for its uniqueness and the price. The crowd was as usual youthful but I did notice an elderly gent with I guess more discerning taste present there. I wouldn’t mind visiting Kalmane kofee to seriously try some more.

After some more dilly dallying and delaying Kavita further, we managed to move into Beijing Bites a full hour later than schedule. No need for reservation, there was enough place for many diners. The décor was great. Grades better than the Beijing Bites at Banshankari which looks like an over glorified Chinese tapri compared to this place. The crowd was a good mixture of young and sophisticated. Again scoring above the Banshankari place.

Victor, luckily or un luckily, for him was seated between Sandhya and Kavita causing the young couple seated next table much pain. The gentleman then, I guess was forced to shield his ladyship from Victor’s charm by sticking real close to her. We provided them further engagement in their uncomfort by gesturing and speaking in obvious hushed tones at them. The entertainment was superb.

Trying to reform back to vegetarianism, albeit for a full 10 minutes, I made Kavita agree to Veg Koithio , a Malaysian noodle dish, and crispy chili vegetables. Veg Koithio I should mention is a must try at B B’s because of the unique flat noodle make and the spice. It’s a great welcome break from the usual fare. The veggies were great, better than some of the non veg stuff. Well that’s what I can say about the veg.

Many more fowls lost their lives when we asked for Manchow soup and Hot and sour Chicken soup. The Manchow was reliably good, but the hot and sour was just too bad. Sandhya and Ashu had a hard time gulping it down. Then we asked for the all time favorite at BB - lemon basil chicken which did not disappoint us. Must mention another connoisseur friend Samrat whose extensive research in non veg dishes at many eateries results in reliable recommendations. One more dish was passable. For the main course was noodles and fried rice. The spice was provided by pickle chicken curry. Frankly the main course wasn’t a great experience, it was just as expected. I was expecting a surprise. It seems the food dosent change much between branches of the same chain of restaurants.

The bill for such a big quantity of food came to INR 750. Shared among six that’s a great deal! The service was better than average similarly the food. Much better than the Banshankari outlet.

We continued chatting till we reached our steeds, strolling in the beautiful Bangalore night. For a guy from Bombay, which I love, the weather was simply wonderful. Bidding everyone a safe ride back home, I ended yet another enjoyable Bangalore experience.