There are times when you get a craving for a particular type of food, and this weekend it was Bengali. While it probably isn’t at the top of my list when it comes to favourite cuisines you’d be mistaken to think it doesn’t have some of the best dishes I’ve ever eaten.

The only other restaurant I can compare this to is 6 Ballygunge and while my first experience ( years ago ) was a great one my last was abysmal and recommend you avoid the place.

The Experience:

If you decide to eat here on a weekend be prepared for a long wait, but the good thing is that where there is a crowd you can be sure the food ought to be decent.

To Drink:

They have a range of mocktails and softdrinks but no alcohol, and with this cuisine your focus should be on the food and not the beverages that accompany them.

To Eat:

There is a huge list of food to choose from, something to cater to every individuals craving for both Vegetarians and Non-Vegetarians alike. As a rule I tend to start with the Luchi and Alur Dom ( potatoes ) with a side order of the Kosha Mangshor Chaap ( Mutton ). The flavours are intense and guaranteed to wake up your taste buds. My only warning is that the quality of their mutton isn’t very consistent, so some days you get brilliant pieces and other days you don’t.

Another interesting item on the “specials” menu that day was a fowl cutlet. From a taste perspective it really wasn’t very unique, however I have a feeling they coated the meat with a layer of spicy mustard paste which really gave the crisp dish a nice zing.

If there is one dish you have to try its the Chingri Malaikari ( massive prawns ) with steamed rice, its rich and creamy and getting to the meat is half the fun.

P.S: Do not eat with cutlery!!

Finishing Up:

As with most Bengali restaurants you can be sure there are a few sinful dishes on display but if you have a particularily sweet tooth the Natun Gurer icecream is the way to go. It taste like a potpurri of every bengali dish blended together with a generous helping of jaggery to top it off.

The Fine Print:

Type : Restaurant

Cuisine: Bengali

Meal Details: Lunch & Dinner

Alcohol? : No

Meal for 2: A “meal”  for 2 would set you back around Rs 1000

Cards? : Yes

Gripes:

Their mutton quality isn’t very consistent.

Ratings:

Price: 4/5

Food: 4/5

Ambience : 3/5

Service: 4/5

Contact Info:

Get all the information you need from their website.

Related Posts

• Pizza Hut
• How to Make a Bloody Marias
• Chung Wah
• And I’m back!
• Idli’s, Omlette’s and Such
• Daily Bread
• Global Tree Cafe
• Dominos Pizza
• How to Make a Bloody Mary
• Monsoon @ The Park

It’s been a while, a very, very long while since I posted anything on the blog. Though I can think of a hundred reasons I put this of, a new job, a house, life in general, the truth is I’ve just been very lazy.

I asked myself what’s changed? Have I stopped trying out new restaurants? taking pictures? or salivating about my next trip? No. I probably haven’t started this post with a bang and hope that this time around there isn’t another descent into laziness.

For those of you who like the pictures I’ve got close to a hundred that need to find their way on this blog eventually. The question of how quickly depends on me getting my lazy ass into gear.

Nothing gets me in a good mood like a cold beer, and if you are a beer drinker I would suggest trying the wide range of Belgian beers that are available across most of Bangalore today. For those Kingfisher fans out there, please try something new!

While this picture is quite dated I think thats the last time I enjoyed baked potato skins with bacon bits, at the always brilliant Hard Rock Cafe. Served alongside Crisp onion rings, deep friend chicken strips, yummy chicken wings and spring rolls it makes for the perfect “snack” with your cold beverage.

On the other side of the tracks is a dish that I tend to order when thoughts of healthy food go flying out of the window ( not that most of what I’ve talked about paints a different picture) .  The Boneless chicken Biryani at Meghana Foods has to be the tastiest I’ve ever had. It is rather spicy sso if you have a queasy stomach common sense dictates you should avoid it.But, I say try it anyway!

The prawn masala is definitely worth ordering as well, they however tend to overcook it sometimes resulting in a rather rubbery texture.

Last but not the least a place that I frequent a lot is Satya’s Bar in Koramangala. The cost of food and drinks here is very reasonable and the non-veg platter is to die for! At 350 bucks it has a wide range of meats ( Chicken, Mutton, Prawn and Fish ) .

I’m going to posting a ton of other pictures and writeup’s ( I hope ) so please stay tuned!

Related Posts

• Idli’s, Omlette’s and Such
• Dominos Pizza
• Herbs and Spice
• Bhojohori Manna
• Daily Bread
• At 30,000 Feet
• Global Tree Cafe
• Drinks & The Best Of…
• How to Make a Bloody Marias
• Pizza Hut

I had a feeling it was about time I started an “unstructured” section on my blog that allowed me to pen down random thoughts on the subject of food. This first post titled Idli’s, Omelette’s and such  is an attempt to do just that.

While my preference in cuisines range from Japanese to Italian I am a huge fan of the South Indian breakfast. Dosa’s and Idli’s in particular, so when an opportunity presents itself I tend to favour this over eggs and bacon ( sometimes ).

This “tryst” happened at the Garuda mall where a few of us had decided to go catch a movie ( since I can’t remember which movie lets assume the food was the high point of that visit ) . While we waited quietly muttering at the crowds the Sukh Sagar stand caught my eye. They had a “variety” idli plate which included a regular rice idli, a rava idli and what I swear looked like something made out of basin. Though, honestly I’d have eaten anything with the brilliant chutney they served.

If you are a fan of chaat’s then you really ought to try theirs, however the dahi samosa was a tad sweet. Even though some people tend to shy away from dahi based dishes and stick to the more fiery ones I’m afraid my tolerance is rather low and hence when it comes to chaat, dahi puri, papdi always seems to be my chaat of choice – The crunchiness of the sev and the balance between the sweet of the tamarind and the spice of the chilly sauce.

I reconnected with an old friend a couple of months ago at my office cafeteria, a bread omlette. To this day I’m amazed at how well this dish appeases my hunger, after having moved on from those days in college when this was considered part of our staple breakfast. Though honestly choosing this dish in the morning was a no-brainer given that the only other option were the “clay pigeon” idlis.

And bringing up the rear of this post is a horrid veggie sandwich from Barista, which costs easily 5 times as much as any of the other dishes and is as many times less appealing.

Until my next craving, soldier on my fellow foodies!

Related Posts

• And I’m back!
• Daily Bread
• Kaati Zone
• At 30,000 Feet
• Global Tree Cafe
• La Patisserie
• Bhojohori Manna
• Emirates : Blr-Dub-Ist
• Dominos Pizza
• Drinks & The Best Of…

Daily bread has been around for quite a while and I have, on more than one occasion, made a beeline for their cafes during the afternoons and early evening when I haven’t been able to find a restaurant to eat in. Over the years they’ve slowly expanded their foot print in the city and today cover a sizeable part of Bangalore.

It still hasn’t blossomed into a place you’d actually want to grab a meal in, but a coffee yes.

The Experience:

There isn’t much to speak about here given how vastly different each outlet is. Again this is more a factor of how “new” the outlet is. Their service is good and given that most of what they sell is over the counter there service is fast.

To Drink:

This is a cafe so expect a variety of coffee’s, tea’s, soft drinks and nothing more.

To Eat:

This is a traditional cafe so there are a number of small dishes to choose from, though they tend to focus on salads and sandwiches for the most part.

• Caesar Salad
• German Potato Salad
• Egg & Dill Salad
• Greek Salad
• Paneer Tikka Sandwich
• Tuscan Verve ( ahem! )
• Miami Vice
• Sloppy Joe
• Tuna Melt

The one thing that they are famous for are their breads.

• Masala Loaf
• Panini – Herb & Pesto
• San Francisco Sourdough Loaf
• Parisian Baguette
• Italian Bell Pepper & Heb Toscanne Loaf
• Ciabbatta – Black Olives
• Foccacia – Onion & Sun Dried Tomato
• Multigrain Loaf with Apricots

Related Posts

• The Bistro
• Aahar
• Sunny’s
• 64
• Idli’s, Omlette’s and Such
• Global Tree Cafe
• Fame Cafe
• La Vigna
• Chung Wah
• KFC

Inaugurating my “At 30,000 Feet” section we have the Bangalore – Dubai – Istanbul journey on Emirates. I’ve always wanted to fly this airline given the good reviews I’ve heard from a number of people and I’m happy to say my experience was no different.

I left Bangalore at 10 in the morning ( which I believe is a great time to board an international flight ) on my way to Istanbul with a quick stop at Dubai.

The first leg of the journey was rather nice and I managed to get seats right up in front where the legroom rivals business class space ( at least I’d like to think so )

The first thing I noticed about the airline was the fact that the air hostesses spoke a multitude of languages ( including Swahili !! ) which definitely goes a long way to promoting themselves as an international airline.

The service is exceptional and highly efficient which makes a world of difference when you spend a couple of hours in the confines of a chair. There is a huge collection of movies, serials and music to choose from so the chances of you getting bored are rather slim.

Now on to the food. While I have no complaints I must say the quality on the Indian leg of the trip wasn’t as nice as that on the international leg. Again, this is something I’ve noticed with other carriers as well.

The Packed Lemon Juice is great fun to open and if you aren’t careful there is a good chance it will end up on your lap or on the persons next to you

The one thing I notice on all my trips abroad their sprites and lemonades taste so much fresher than the ones we get here. I wonder why?

I love the tiny cans which allow you to finish the entire drink without having to force the last bit down your throat.

As with most airlines the basic “meal” is more or less the same with the central dish varying to allow for more practical packing. If you are on an Indian leg you tend to get more options in the form gravies and curries which I don’t really like, and isn’t ideal for long haul international flights.

This time around I decided to try the Murg Chettinad with Sprout chat, Steamed basmati rice, Green bean coconut fry and read. They even tossed in Semiya which was quite brilliant if I do say so myself.

However I wasn’t particularly happy with sprout chat and in all fairness to the dish it has to be said that I hate sprouts from the bottom of my heart. The problem with service rice of course is the fact that you run the risk of having it dry up and that is  something you most certainly do not want.

On the Dubai – Istanbul leg we were served Mushrooms, Chicken and Veggies with salad. Everything tasted fresh and delicious.

All in all a very nice experience and I wouldn’t be surprised to find myself flying Emirates again.

After having spent a reasonable amount of time in the air I hit Istanbul to start my holiday, more on that coming up soon….

Related Posts

• At 30,000 Feet
• Aahar
• The Only Place
• Take 5
• Cilantro
• Idli’s, Omlette’s and Such
• Daily Bread
• Global Tree Cafe
• Drinks
• How to Make a Bloody Marias

As I mentioned in my last review I spent most of September travelling and that seeded the though of starting a travel section on the blog. I realized that a flavour of the food and drink one would experience outside the confines of Bangalore might liven things up a bit and allow people who aren’t in the city to contribute to the discussion.

The first section is called “At 30,000 Feet”. The aim here is to review food that you get served on Airlines ( both domestic and International ).

The second, is the actual travel section which aims to cover ( by city ) places I’ve visited and my experiences. While I do realize the growth of this section is entirely dependent on me travelling around a bit it’s still something I’d like to do, and yes the travel section will also include trips within India.

So stay tuned…..

Related Posts

• Emirates : Blr-Dub-Ist
• Contact
• Idli’s, Omlette’s and Such
• Drinks & The Best Of…
• Introducing User Ratings
• Delicacy
• Chung Wah
• Cafe Terra
• Chilli’s Grill & Bar
• Tavern at the Inn

The Anonymous Foodie has been away for a while, and for that I apologize. Most of September was spent travelling which was a blast. It also gave me an idea to introduce two new sections on the Blog. You should see them up shortly ( if I get the time to actually put them up that is! )

Right, so back to the review. Sunday brunch with friends or family is a great way to start the day and while I have tried a number of the restaurants in the city I’ve found that with most of them there is a trade off with either the cost of the meal or the quality of the food. The Global Tree Cafe really surprised me by delivering on both fronts.

The Experience:

Please note that this review is focused only around their buffet and not their regular menu which I’m presuming would be a lot more expensive.

The restaurant enjoys a relatively quiet atmosphere thanks to its location just off St.Marks road and with Valet parking available you don’t need to worry about finding parking space.

I love what they’ve done with the decor, lots of wood and glass with tons of natural light streaming through the floor to ceiling glass panes. I would highly recommend sitting up front. There isn’t a better view!

To Drink:

They have a wide range of drinks to choose from, most of which are rather nice. The last time I went there they had a special offer which gave you free drinks after the first one. Imagine that!! Like me I presume there were a number of rather drunk people stumbling out of the restaurant at 3 in the afternoon.

I’m partial to Mojito’s or Mimosa’s during brunch but you could stick to ice cold beers ( carlsberg ) or a Bloody Mary which in my opinion is a meal by itself and a drink I would only indulge in as a hangover cure.

To Eat:

The range of dishes to choose from is rather impressive, and the fact that you get to taste all of them really does bring a smile to ones face.  Unlike a regular buffet you get plated “tasting” portions and I would advise going in a large group so you actually get to taste everything. From what I gathered their menu refreshes itself once a week which means you won’t get bored even if you decide to revisit them.

Right, now to break down what we ate.

The Crab cakes were rather nice and it helps that they were served fresh.

Crab Cakes, Coconut Chicken, Smashed Baby potatoes, Moorish Chicken – I couldn’t resist taking a picture of them laid out next to the table.

The Coconut Chicken was nice and crunchy and the sweet / hot sauce they served with it really did compliment the dish rather well.

The Grilled Rack of Lamb was another dish I would recommend trying, the meat was a little drier than I would have liked but a decent dish.

Paneer Masala – with dal and steamed rice, for those of you who need to have their rice .

Fish Puttanesca

The Steak and Onions Sandwich has to be one of the best I’ve had in a really long time and would highly recommend that you order it.

Prawns

Balsamic Glazed Breast of Chicken

The Sesame Crusted Tuna wasn’t very great since the fish came out quite dry and this is something I would avoid ordering if i found it on the menu again.

Chicken red wine

There was a whole lot more to choose from but given that I’m limited by how much food I can ingest in a day I decided to stay away from sampling everything on their menu. I do think I managed to try a sizable portion however

Finishing Up:

A meal like that wouldn’t be complete without desert and they do have a couple you might want to try.  Given the fact that their menu does tend to rotate you might not find these listed if you do decide to visit.

The Opera Slice ( A must try )

Chocolate Mud Cake

Walnut Banana Coffee Cake

Chocolate Truffle Mousse Cake

The Fine Print:

Type : Restaurant

Cuisine: Continental for the most part, there is some in

Meal Details: Lunch and Dinner

Alcohol? : Yes

Meal for 2: A “meal”  for 2 would set you back around Rs 1500

Cards? : Yes

Gripes:

For the price I paid? Nothing really.

Ratings:

Price: 4/5

Food: 4/5

Ambience: 4/5

Service: 4/5

Contact Info:

440333888

Getting there:

F&B, Rt Before Vital Mallya Road, Papanna Street, St. Marks Road

Related Posts

• 64
• Delicacy
• Chilli’s Grill & Bar
• Daily Bread
• Aahar
• Little Italy
• Wok with Chung
• Idli’s, Omlette’s and Such
• Drinks & The Best Of…
• Drinks

Domino’s has been around for as long as I can remember and while they did take a beating with Pizza Hut setting up shop they still have a loyal following. Probably driven by their reasonably priced pizza’s and their 30 minutes or free delivery clause ( Condition’s apply ofcourse ).

This review isn’t focused on one of their outlets, but rather on the pizza’s I had delivered home. And no, I didn’t get them for free.

The Experience:

To Drink:

Don’t expect anything more than coke, sprite or fanta.

To Eat:

While they have a wide range of pizza’s to choose from I would suggest ordering a mix of personal pizza’s so you can experience more than one flavour.

My favourite are the non-veg doubles - Jalapeño & BBQ Chicken, Onion & Spicy Chicken, Shallots and Chicken Sausages, Capsicum and Chicken Pops.  However I must say that of the four the Jalapeno & BBQ Chicken and Onion & Spicy Chicken does taste better than the other two.

You do have non-veg singles, veg singles and veg doubles if you want something different or are vegetarian.

I’ve noticed that a recent addition to their menu are their pastas. Though honestly I’m extremely wary to try a pasta that costs 50 bucks .

Finishing Up:

None that I noticed, so if you need to satisfy that craving please stock up at home.

The Fine Print:

Type: Restaurant , Fast Food

Cuisine: Continental, Italian, Mexican and Indian

Meal Details: All Day Dinning

Alcohol? : No

Meal for 2: A “meal”  for 2 would set you back around Rs 300

Cards? : Yes

Gripes:

A much more reasonable alternative to Pizza Hut.

Ratings:

Price: 3/5

Food: 3/5

Ambience: 3/5

Service: 3/5

Contact Info:

You can reach them at 1800-111-123 or 44448888.

Getting there:

You don’t need to worry, they get to you

Related Posts

• Pizza Hut
• Kaati Zone
• And I’m back!
• Chung Wah
• Bhojohori Manna
• Idli’s, Omlette’s and Such
• Daily Bread
• Global Tree Cafe
• How to Make a Bloody Marias
• How to Make a Mojito

One of the biggest problems with creating content on a blog is structuring it, and ensuring that readers are able to get to the information quickly and without too much hassle. Granted, most of us rely on search more than anything else and thankfully the search here works pretty well. I’ve even tossed in an auto complete feature ( which is rather temperamental ) to make searching that much easier.

Drinks and The Best Of… are two new sections I’m putting together, the first is to help you find recipes for drinks  (by alcohol type) and the second is a list of the best restaurants broken down by cuisine or by specific food type. Just keep in mind these are my favorites and if you’ve had a different experience you’re always welcome to leave a comment

Related Posts

• 64
• Aahar
• Sunny’s
• Daily Bread
• At 30,000 Feet
• Global Tree Cafe
• The Bistro
• Fame Cafe
• Umerkot
• La Vigna

The Bloody Marias is essentially a Bloody Mary made with tequila instead of vodka. So if you are in the mood to drink something that sounds a little more exotic  than a regular Bloody Mary this might just be the drink  for you. And yes,  I still find chugging a tomato juice cocktail a little strange.

Ingredients

• 30ml Tequila
• 125ml tomato juice
• Worcestershire sauce.
• lemon juice.
• dill pickle juice
• Tabasco sauce.
• horseradish sauce
• Celery sticks

While the list of ingredients is exhaustive you could make do with the tequila, tomato juice and tabasco sauce.

1. Mix 30ml of tequila, 125ml of tomato juice , 2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, dill pickle juice, Tabasco sauce, horseradish sauce, celery salt, lemon juice and pepper and perhaps a slice of lemon/stick of celery for decoration.
2. Shake all the ingredients in a tumbler.
3. Pour into a glass filled with crushed ice,you can use ice cubes but the texture wouldn’t be the same.
4. The celery stick makes a nice addition to the cocktail however if it isn’t fresh please avoid it.  You might want to try leaving a few of these sticks in a tomato / tequila concontion in your fridge overnight. It should allow the celery stick to absorb the flavour and make it taste better.
5. Some people like to throw in a sliced green chili to give it a bit of a zing.

To make a Virgin Mary you need to follow the same steps but leave out the alcohol

Related Posts

• How to Make a Bloody Mary
• Drinks
• Bhojohori Manna
• Global Tree Cafe
• Tavern at the Inn
• And I’m back!
• Idli’s, Omlette’s and Such
• Daily Bread
• Emirates : Blr-Dub-Ist
• At 30,000 Feet