The NH1 Highway Food Festival at Copper Chimney

The NH1 Highway which connects Delhi through Amritsar to the Wagah Border is very famous for its food offerings and has even been featured on many food shows. The six-lane highway has some of the best dhabas lined on both sides of the road enticing travellers to frequently stop and indulge in the rich flavours of North India. Copper Chimney of the Blue Foods Group attempts to recreate this through its outlets serving select items from the dhaba menu.

Langarwali Daal

We tried out most of the items on the menu at the Indiranagar outlet, but my favourite of the lot was the Langarwali Daal. The Daal had a greenish hue and was made of a mixture of urad, Bengal gram, and black lentils. Though I have never eaten the daal at a local langar, the daal served here had a homely feel to it and the dollop of white butter made it quite creamy.

Tangdi Kebab Masala

Other than the Langarwali Daal, another highlight was the Tangdi Kebab Masala which is an all time Punjabi favorite. The Tangdi Masala was quite spicy but the confluence of flavours really brought out the meat lover in me. Although this is poised as a starter, butter rotis / phulkas would make a killer accompaniment.

Mattha - Chilled buttermilk

The outlet also served drinks such as Mattha and chilled Kesar Lassi to gulp down the food along with it. The Mattha, which is basically chilled buttermilk with black salt and jeera, is one of the best drinks to aid in the digestion of the rich food served. They should really serve these in large copper tumblers which would give a more authentic feel of the highway festival to the diner.

Lababdaari Meat

No NH1 food festival can be comprehensive without the inclusion of the famous Parathas which are available around Murthal. In my opinion, paranthas are very underrated in the Indian cuisine. Although the preparation is quite simple, the taste of the filling varies from place to place, some prefer to have it with butter, some with pickle and the others with raita - catering to a huge group of food lovers. In fact, parathas, just like biryani, can be a full-fledged meal.

Ajwaini Parantha dn Aloo Pyaaz Mirch Parantha

The menu had three different parathas - Anardana Pudina Paratha, Aloo Pyaaz Mirch Parantha and Lachchedaar Ajwaini Parantha. The Aloo Pyaaz Mirch Parantha, which is mashed potatoes mixed with spices, cut onions and chillies and layered between dough, was the best of the lot. The three of them resembled stuffed naans more than the paranthas and were served with butter and pickle.

Ajwaini Fried Fish

Chicken Tariwala, Fried Fish and Achari Mirchonwali Jhinga were some of the other dishes in the NH1 Highway menu. The vegetarian fare included the Delhi handcart special Chhole Paneer Masala, Kofta, and Shahi Paneer.

Kesar Badam Phirni

To finish it off, we tried their special Kesar Badam Phirni which was garnished with chopped almonds and saffron strains. While sweets and desserts are not my areas of expertise, I really liked the phirni. It was optimum sweet and didn't add to the heavy feeling in the stomach. Some things which ought to be included on the menu are Dal Makhani, the thin jalebis available throughout the highway stretch and kadi chawal.

Festival Dates: 7th July - 15th August at all Copper Chimney outlets in India.

Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite from the restaurant.

Read More

Barbeque Nation's New Look: Orange is the New Black

Barbeque Nation is one of the favourite chains when it comes to get-togethers, whether it be personal or official. The concept of the live over-the-table grill is quite revolutionary and has redefined the way people experience the joy of dining. With a brand new outlet in the Soulspace Arena, the chain expands to eight restaurants in the garden city.

However, this new Barbeque Nation is a touch bit different from the others. While it retains its major hits in the food and service, the new outlet sports their new upbeat orange and white logo. The restaurant boasts of changes to the colour schemes and decor in addition to some fascinating accompaniments to its original fare, both to its grills and buffet menu.

Caramel Food Decoration

Inaugurated on the same day by Kannada film actress Kavya Shetty, I got a great chance to try their new menu firsthand. Being the non-vegetarian that I am, I headed straight to the exotic meats section which had rabbit, quail and duck along with shredded chicken, fish and sausages. Like most of the barbeque places nowadays, the food was prepared right in front of me. I had chosen a combination of rabbit, chicken sausages and quail which was made spicy and tangy right according to my taste.

Exotic Meats being prepared at the Live Grill

Right next to the exotic meats was the shawarma counter where layered chicken was put together and roasted on a vertical spit. Shavings are cut from the block of the meat and served with chopped veggies, mayonnaise in a pita roll.

Shawarma Counter

Close to our seat was the Kathi Roll Counter, where roomali roti wrapped rolls were being made available to the customers. There was an option of four different fillings like mushroom, paneer and chicken, of which I chose to have the chicken tikka one. I didn't quite like the kathi rolls as I felt they were a bit oilier than necessary but there were folks who guzzled down the kathi rolls in a jiffy.

While the chain is most famous for its grills, the blend of American, Mediterranean, Oriental and Indian cuisine in the buffet is always overshadowed. The buffet section in the Doddanekundi outlet is reinforced with some major changes including a soup station, dal station and a biryani section.

Over the table grill

I visited the soup station first. A vegetable clear soup stock is prepared and is kept as the base for all soups which can be customised with a choice of shrimp/prawn, chicken and exotic vegetables. Additionally one can also add vinegared chillis, soya sauce and salt and pepper to enhance a particular taste even further.

Soup Station

Another new addition to the buffet menu is the Dal Counter. The Dal Counter had three different types of Dal - Dal Panchmel, Dal Tadka and Dal-e-Dum. The chef present at the station is armed with various whole spices and dry chilli which is first roasted in oil/ghee to make the tadka for the daal. I liked the Dal Panchmel the best which was a mixture of five different types of daal - arhar, moong, chana, urad and toor. The dal was sweet but had a zing of the achari oil which was poured along with the tadka.

Dal Counter

Other than these they have their general set menu which is available in the buffets. The biryani counter which previously had a vegetarian and a non-vegetarian biryani now gets a third type too with folks getting an option to choose from the Hyderabadi and Awadhi preparation of the biryani. On the day I went, Lucknawi Mutton Biryani was up for grabs along with Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani. Each Biryani comes with its own characteristic salan and raita too.

The last but not the least, we visited the dessert counter which was filled with an assortment of goodies like pastries, cupcakes and fruits. Indian desserts such as moong daal halwa and jalebi with rabri was definitely a big hit in the group with kulfis often making their melt in the mouth appearances.

Kulfi

The new menu seems to lay more focus on the customizations which can be made available to the diner. I personally think this is a great move as the greater variety in spices and marination will result in people not having to adjust to the daily sale but modify preparations to suit their individual tastes.
The buffet costs comes to around Rs 900/- per person.

Address:
Soul Space Arena, 3rd Floor,
Doddanekundi Main Road,
Chinappa Layout, Marathahalli,
Bangalore

Phone : 080 60600000, 080 60600001

Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite from the restaurant.

Read More

Hard Rock Cafe: Taste of Mexico

Hard Rock Cafe, one of the distinguished international brands with many outlets across India often organises theme based festivals with deadly cocktails and irresistible starters and mains. Beginning May, Hard Rock Cafes across India will play host to a zesty and savoury Taste of Mexico menu which will explore the culinary trends of the land of enchantment.

Hard Rock Cafe - Taste of Mexico

Invited to a tasting session of the limited time festival, we were greeted with the classic Mexican wide hat sombreros and tequila slammers. Tequila Slammers, which are quite famous in Mexico and go by the name of muppet are in a sense equal portion mixes of tequila and a fizzy drink. The glasses are closed and slammed on the table generating fizz before gulping it down like a shot, providing swift intoxication. It seemed like the party had started even before the food arrived.

Chicken Quesadilla

The first dishes to arrive on the table were the Chicken Quesadilla and nachos for the veggies. The 10-inch thick tortilla was filled with chicken, feta cheese and vegetables. Folded into a half moon shape, the dish was topped with cilantro and served with Picante sauce, guacamole and sour cream.

Mexi Cal Spiced Cottage Cheese BBQ Skewers

Veg Nachos has always been my favourite order at Hard Rock Cafe. The tortilla chips with cabbage, olives and tomatoes, topped with cream, well complemented their newly introduced cocktails - Diablo, Troublemaker and Amigo.

All the cocktails - Classic Blue Margarita, Cranberry Lychee Margarita, Troublemaker, Shots on the Head, Diablo and Amigo

The Troublemaker was my favourite of the three, a tequila infused cocktail with chilli peppers adding to the zing. Diablo was a mango and cucumber flavoured cocktail while Amigo was made with liqueur and blueberry crush.

Mexican Bulldog Margarita

Some of the other drinks served were the Mexican bulldog Margarita and the Classic Blue Margarita, both of which were served in enough quantities to get two people well drunk. I loved the presentation of the Mexican bulldog margarita in which a capsized bottle of Corona was suspended into the frozen margarita. The combination of the two made the drink taste surprisingly well.

Chicken Tinga Tacos

Soon other savouries like the Tex-Mex spiced Chicken Skewers and Chicken Tinga Tacos were served. The chicken tenders in the skewers were marinated with Tex-Mex spices and had a sweetish taste of honey. The tacos were pretty crispy and had ample quantity of cream but could have had a meatier filling.

Tex-Mex Chicken Skewers

The items are priced around Rs. 400/- to Rs. 600/-  and are available for a limited time only as a part of the special Taste of Mexico menu.

Address : 
Hard Rock Cafe
Opposite LIC Building,
Off MG Road, St. Marks Road,
Bangalore

Telephone : 080 41242222

 Tags: #TasteofMexico #HardRockCafeIndia

Read More

Fomokart brings native specialities from all over India to Bangalore

The culinary diversity of India can be attributed to the varying tastes in different regions. From north to south, east to west, India has a wealth of flavours which translate into the native specialities of every region be it pethas of Agra, sweets from West Bengal, namkeen from Indore or other native sweets and snacks.

Angoori Panchhi Petha

Angoori Panchhi Petha

As kids, we often don't give much importance to the goodies and munchies available around us and take them for granted. Only when we sprout wings and go out into the adult world is when we realise what we have given up and the nostalgic memories creep in. As a Hyderabadi potta, I have grown up eating delicacies in the Pearl city like Haleem, for every Ramzan, but it was only when I went to college outside Hyderabad that I realised the joy of having Pista House Haleem delivered at your doorstep.

Shan-e-Delhi Mutton Quorma Masala

Fomokart addresses this very problem and provides a solution to all those who can’t be wherever they want to be, whenever they want to be to satiate their cravings of truly authentic taste from different parts of India. Their range currently includes sweets, snacks, pickles and mixes which they deliver only in Bangalore but I hope they will soon expand to the rest of India.

Maganlal Peanut Chikki

Maganlal Peanut Chikki

Overjoyed to find a website like this, I ordered a ton of items from Fomokart which was delivered within 5 working days. Of the lot, I was really excited to find Maganlal Chikki amongst the offerings. With shops across Maharashtra, Maganlal is touted by many to serve the best chikki be it assorted, groundnut or sesame chikki. They have many more varieties like the dry fruit special, cashew krush chikki and soft rolls which will definitely be part of my next order.

Chitale Bandhu Bhakarwadi

I was a bit skeptical about my order of Bhakarwadis from the Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwaale as I am not a big fan of bhakarwadis. However, one of the funniest things happened the next day in office when one of my colleagues who was returning from his hometown, Pimpri-Chinchwad in Maharashtra, got back an exact same box which had been delivered to me the day before. The bhakarwadis were packed in an airtight sealed box which kept it fresh and crispy.

Chitale Bandhu Bhakarwadi

Of the other items ordered, there were pethas from Panchhi Petha Agra, biscuits from Karachi Bakery and special masalas from Delhi. Getting different varieties of munchies and sweets delivered to our doorstep, that too from the most authentic sources has definitely won my heart. Definitely recommend all the food lovers of Bangalore to check out the range of savouries available at www.fomokart.com

Read More

Biryanis in Bangalore: Donne, Thalassery and Kolkata Biryanis

Biryani, a dish of Persian origin, has come a long away from its actual source and has evolved with the local palate giving rise to the various forms and types. Growing up in Hyderabad, working in Delhi and having my roots in Kolkata has created a natural affinity in me towards the dish. The distinct flavours of Hyderabad, Awadhi and Kolkata biryani have always amazed me, so, after relocating to Bangalore I promptly started looking around for biryani joints in the garden city.

Chicken Biryani and Raita at Gundappa Donne Biryani 

The biryani scene in Bangalore is quite different from Hyderabad. Hyderabad has hundreds of large, medium and small outlets selling Hyderabadi biryani. Andhra biryani, which is a pulav comes a distinct second and is sold in local messes or outlets. Biryanis from other parts of the country are hardly recognized and often scoffed at. In contrast, in Bangalore, I found an openness towards the dish – at least a dozen varieties of biryani from different states are extremely popular here.

Shivaji Military Hotel

I was first directed to the Donne Biryani of Shivaji Military Hotel at Jayanagar, arguably the most popular biryani place in Bengaluru.  The biryani gets its name from the dried palm leaf cups (called "donne") in which they are served. The hotel is a no frills place where customers queue up to try this dish. This biryani is actually a pulav cooked on firewood which imparts a distinct taste to it and is served with onion raita and spicy gravy. It is quite similar to the Rayalseema version of Andhra Pulav with a hint of pudina in the rice. We also ordered a Chicken Fry to go with the biryani, and it was the right thing to do. The place is normally very crowded so one may have to wait quite a bit to get a seat. Service is fast and they expect you to vacate as soon as you complete the meal.

Gundappa Thali

Another place which serves some good Donne biryani is Gundappa Donne Biriyani. It has outlets located all over Bangalore but I visited the Koramangala one where the FBAB (Food Bloggers Association of Bangalore) meet was organised. The restaurant is small with limited seating but serves some delightfully spicy biryani. They also have the Gundappa Thali which comes with a biryani of choice along with sides like Mutton Vada, Chicken Kebab, Chilly Chicken, Pepper Chicken and Guntur Chicken. One thali is more than enough for one person and adds a new perspective to the dish which is often eaten standalone. However, this is not a place for veggies as the closest thing that will find in the menu is Khushka (biryani rice).

Kudil

Another style of biryani which is famous and available throughout Bangalore is the Thalassery Biryani from the Malabar region of Kerala. The biryani of the Moplahs of Calicut region had an influence of Arab traders who used to frequent this region for business. Kudil, a small establishment in Church Street serves Thalassery Biryani with papad, pickles and raita.  The biryani had the perfect blend of ghee rice and masala, but my only complaint is that the quantity is too less even for a single person.

The other place to enjoy Thalassery Biryani is Hotel Metropole near Shivajinagar Bus Stand.  The place is small and lacks ambience, but the biryani here is extremely flavourful. The quantity is also much more and the biryani is served with a boiled egg on top.

Hotel Metropole

My maternal family is from Kolkata, and when I used to travel there on annual vacations I fell in love with the biryani there.  In Bangalore, I located a couple of restaurants serving this aromatic biryani, the hallmark of which is the boiled potato in it apart from mutton and chicken. In Koramangala, Lazeez serves this form of biryani. The saffron coloured sweetish biryani at Lazeez is flavoured with kewra water has a largish chunk of soft meat which easily comes off the bones.  The place also prepares some delectable Kolkata style Mutton Chaap, which goes well with the biryani.

Lazeez

My biryani quest in Bangalore continues with trying out of more and more places. On the cards are the Ambur, Awadhi as well as Andhra biryanis. Even for the versions that I have tried, I am on the lookout for restaurants where the quality is even better.

Locations:

Shivaji Military Hotel
1st C Main 45 Cross
Jayanagar 8th Block, Bangalore
Telephone: 9845149217


Gundappa Donne Biryani
100 Feet Road, Near BDA Complex
Koramangala 5th Block,
Bangalore
Telephone: 9945340348

Kudil
52/2 Basement
Church Street
Bangalore
Telephone:  7259710033

Hotel Metropole
26, Central Street
Near Bus Stand,
Shivajinagar, Bangalore
Telephone: 9945190521

Lazeez
479 KHB Colony.
Near Jyothi Nivas College,
Koramangala 5th Block,
Bangalore
Telephone: 49653192

Read More

The Mediterranean Seafood Festival at Sheraton

Surrounded by land on many sides, Mediterranean sea is the main source of seafood for the Southern Europe and Western Asian countries. The Mediterranean Seafood Festival at Sheraton Bangalore is centered around this theme and is hosted in both their restaurants Persian Terrace and Bene. The special offerings have both set menu and a-la-carte grill options.

Mixed Grill of Fresh Seafood with Greek Salad and Crusty Bread

The set menu is priced at Rs 2500/- for a 4-course meal with an appetizer, soup, main course and dessert. The wine lovers can also opt for their select paired dishes which comes with a helping of Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay. As the items offered in the set menu differ quite drastically in both the restaurants, it is advisable to have a look at both the menus and make a choice based on what would suit the palate more. Other than the set menu, one can also waltz around to the fisherman's market and pick fresh produce to be conjured up and grilled Greek or Persian style.

Fisherman's Market

The decoration has changed in Bene and Persian Terrace to suit the seafood festival. The normal table mats have given way to pseudo fishnets and then there is a small fisherman's market inside Bene. The fisherman market offers a wide variety of prawns, crabs and lobsters along with fish like Red Snapper and King Fish which can be grilled or made into a pasta and served as part of the festival fare. The daily catch is dependent on availability and the items on display change on a daily basis.

Seashells and Calamari

The tasting menu offered to us was a combination of the Italian and Persian seafood cuisine.  My last Italian experience at Bene with Chef Giuseppe was excellent, so, naturally the expectations were high. The Persian seafood dishes on the menu intrigued me as I was not very sure what to expect.

Persian Watermelon, Prawn and Feta Salad

We started off with the Persian Watermelon, Prawn and Feta Salad. I absolutely adore the watermelon-feta combination in salads as they quite richly complement each other, one being sweet, the other a touch salty. Add cold prawns into them and the combination is quite delicious. The salad also had papdi in it which made it taste like an Italian chaat.

Spanish Garlic Prawns

Served in a small green pot, the Spanish Garlic Prawns up next was piping hot. Paired with Nederburg Sauvignon Blanc, the prawns were delicious and were polished off the plate within minutes. The other appetizer on offer from the Italian cuisine was the prawn based Gambas Al Pil Pil.

Market Seafood Soup

After the starters, we moved on to the soups. The Italian speciality was the Market Seafood Soup, a tomato based broth which was loaded with seafood like prawns and seashells. The soup had a subtle flavour and went well with the focaccia bread kept on the table. The Persian soup - Ghalieh Mahi, was a Persian herb and fish soup. Although the presentation of the soup in a small cup impressed all, the soup had a strong taste and flavour which didn't quite suit my palate.

Mediterranean seafood served with Couscous

The main course was laid out after the soup bowls were cleared. The Persian dish up for grabs was the Mediterranean seafood served with couscous. Though not quite common in India, the couscous finds a dominating presence in the Israeli and Moroccan cuisine and is the staple accompaniment to curries. Mixed Grill of Fresh Seafood with Greek Salad and Crusty Bread was the other offering in the main course.

Tiramisu

For desserts, we ended with the creamy coffee flavoured Italian dessert, Tiramisu, which is a must try in Bene. The seafood festival is a culinary journey through the Italian and Persian cuisine, one which for sure will leave you enthralled.

Festival Dates: 12th February 2015 to 21st February 2015
Cost : Rs. 2500/- for Set Menu

Address: Sheraton Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway,
26/1, Dr.Rajkumar Road, Rajajinagar,
Malleshwaram, Bangalore
Telephone: 080 42521000

Read More

Oriental Fare at Noodle Bar

Noodle Bar  is the oriental cuisine restaurant under the prestigious Blue Foods Banner. The restaurant, which has set up shop in Bangalore, at the prime Phoenix Market City location, is packed during the weekends but the crowd remains easy on weekdays.

Crispy Chilli Lamb

The decor inside the restaurant is primarily wooden with shades of red and black filling in between. Invited to review the restaurant, I was pleasantly surprised to see a good variety of items in the menu for one to experience the unique flavours of Asia. Apart from the usual a la carte menu, the restaurant also has a 'Toss It Up' menu where you can pick your own noodles and the preparation style preferred. The menu lists out a variety of vegetables, meat and sauces giving extra customizable options. The Noodle Meal is an exciting concept and gives the diner a chance to mix his favourite food items into a delicious meal prepared with and by the expertise of the chef.

Seafood Imperial Soup

We started off with the Seafood Imperial Soup which was spicy and had an extremely inviting look. The soup was served in a large bowl and was quite heavy. Prepared with loads of vegetables, basa fish, egg whites and prawns, the chef had added crispy fried noodles on top to tone down the spice. The only thing missing, I felt, was the crab meat which would be perfect for the spicy broth.

Mandarin Chicken Skewers

The starters were simply stunning. The Mandarin chicken is one of the restaurant's best-selling dishes and presumably so.The dish actually has you from the start with its presentation - four marinated chicken skewers on top of the charcoal. A bite of the chicken will confirm it and make you yearn for more.

Prawn cakes with Hoisin sauce

The mocktails kept pouring in throughout the meal. The best one among them was definitely the Guava Mary with the sweetness of the guava richly complementing the spice. The other drinks served during the meal were Blue Lagoon and Orange Margarita.

Mocktails

The dimsums which were up next were presented in the Thai yellow curry. The golden-yellow hue gravy had a rich taste of coconut milk as is typical of most of the Thai gravies. Another concept which impressed me were the prawn cakes which was served with the Hoisin sauce. The cakes had a spicy masala filling which went well with the sweet sauce.

Chicken Dumplings in Thai Yellow Curry

The Nasi Goreng, which was a part of the main course was accompanied by Chicken Skewers, Fried Chicken, Prawn papad and a sunny side up. The Indonesian twist on fried rice was a semi-spicy preparation with the rice containing the goodness of prawns, chicken and vegetables alike. I especially liked the Fried Chicken which was well marinated and could work as a good finger food when served with tartar sauce.

Nasi Goreng

For desserts, I was treated to the Lime Panacotta and Passion Fruit Gelato. I really liked the panacotta, which was optimally sweet and had subtle flavour of lime.

Passion Fruit Gelato

Lime Panacotta

We finished the meal with a cup of Jasmine Tea. Known for its medicinal use, the divine aroma of the tea makes for a sumptuous ending to a heavy meal.

Jasmine Tea

Address:
Noodle Bar
1st Floor,
Phoenix Market City Mall,
Whitefield, Bangalore

Telephone: 080 67266466

Cost for two - Rs. 1200

Read More