Barbeque Nation

Barbeque Nation is a restaurant that offers customer to make their own food on their personal grills which are there on every table. They have three branches in Bangalore: one in Indiranagar, one in 1st Block, Koramangala and the third one in J.P Nagar, Phase-III.

I really loved the concept of having a live grill on each table. While dining here one should only concentrate on the starters and the desserts. If you waste your valuable stomach space on the main course you would be missing out on the tasty starters that you could have grilled and eaten.

The place is a bit on the expensive side, but I personally feel it is worth the money as they serve varieties of starters and plenty of desserts.

The ambiance is pretty good if you sit on the first floor, but avoid the ground floor as it is stuffy and cramped. The first floor is a semi-covered place with long tables and is pretty spacious for you to enjoy your meal. Ensure that you go with a reservation, else you might have to return with an empty stomach.

Barbeque Nation keeps changing the rates for the buffet. But last time I went the rates for the buffets were Rs.350 and Rs550 depending on the number of starters.

Barbeque Nation:

Plot 4005, 100 Feet Road

HAL 2nd Stage

Indiranagar

Ph No: 080-60600000, 080-64506728

Chandni Chowk: The taste of Delhi

Chandni Chowk is a North-Indian restaurant in Koramangala 6th block having a very interesting decor and decent food. The floor of this place is made of loose stones and you are made to sit literally on stone blocks.

Chandni Chowk used to be a very good place to enjoy North Indian cuisines when I moved to Bangalore in mid 2007, though a it was a bit over-priced. Now, in 2009 it still serves decent North Indian food but it extremely over-priced and over-crowded. Chandni Chowk is one of the very few places in Bangalore which serves good tandoori chicken and yummy lassi (one of the very few things I miss of Delhi).

Think of visiting this place only if you are missing North Indian food and have made a reservation beforehand. You will find most of the gravy items to be the same, so just ensure you order "tandoori chicken" and have a glass of lassi after the meal.

A dinner for a couple at this place would cost you around Rs.650-700

Chandni Chowk:

28, 80 Feet Road

6th Block, Koramangala

Ph No: 080-41105454, 080-41105757

Aranya: Dining in a rooftop jungle

Aaranya is undoubtedly one of the very few good restaurants on the Outer Ring road of Bangalore. The seating on the rooftop is amazing, one can really enjoy the wonderful Bangalore breeze while enjoying a sumptuous dinner seated on big wooden tables and chairs.

After coming to Bangalore, I had been looking for a place to go out for birthday treats. According to me, a place to give treats should have the kind of food most people like and more importantly should be inexpensive. It took me almost a year to discover Aaranya. It serves decent North Indian food (punjabi food) at an affordable price and liquor at low prices.

It is hard to find a table at Aaranya on weekends and one should reserve a table before coming. This is a three storied restaurant and only the top floor (roof top) is worth coming to. The Ground floor is suffocating and first floor ordinary. There is enough dishes on the menu to satisfy both veggies and non-veggies. Just a word of caution though, do not order any exotic dish else you might be disappointed with what you end up consuming.Aaranya used to serve decent red wine at a moderate price, but have stopped serving wine now. But, they still serve quite a number of liquors to ensure that even alcoholics find enough reasons to visit the place. This place is worth visiting just for it's ambiance, also the food they serve may not be out of the world but is good enough for eating out with friends.

Cost for a meal for two: About Rs.400-500

Aaranya:

462, Teachers Colony

HSR Layout

Opp Fernhill Appartments

Ph No: 080-25634339, 080-41108334

Lazeez: All about Food !!!

Lazeez, is my first love in Bangalore and it is one of the primary reasons I shifted to Koramangala from Jayanagar. This restuarant serves great biriyani and deliciously hearty rolls. They have four branches in Bangalore: two in Koramangala, one on Commercial Street and one on Brigade Road.

I have been to three of the above four and all are shabby looking places, with uncomfortable seating and stuffy buildings.

The food here is cooked in the way rolls and biriyanis are made in Kolkata and people unused to that taste might find the food a bit different. It is very difficult for me to suggest what to order at Lazeez as I love almost all the dishes they serve. But, the mutton roll is the best of the lot, with the mutton biriyani a close second. The mutton rezala is also brilliantly done, and should be consumed with the oily paratha served here. But, ensure that you finish off the meal with the ever-popular phirni.

The service at Lazeez is not great and the hygiene questionable. But, if you are not fussy about decor, service or ambiance, and care only about the food you eat, then this place is a must visit.

Cost: Rs.150-200 for a couple

Lazeez

479, 1st Cross, KHB Colony

5th Block, Koramangala

(Near Jyothi Nivas College)

Contact: 080 41104271

Hotel Fanoos

Hotel Fanoos is a small, dingy little place in Johnson Market, Bangalore. It is located just opposite Fatima Bakery on Hosur Road.

During my two years in Bangalore, I found that most of the non-bangaloreans have just heard about the place but have never eaten there(which is a pity). This is one of the few places outside of Kolkata, where I found the street food to be worth living for. The place as I mentioned is a small, unimpressive and maybe even an unhygienic little place and one has to stand and eat. But for a food-lover that shouldn't be a problem as the food they offer makes up for all it's short-comings.

I have heard and read that Hotel Fanoos is famous for it's sheekh kabab rolls and the fact that it is open till the wee hours of the morning. But, I found that the boti kabab rolls are the best thing one can have here (maybe even in the whole of Bangalore) and also that you have to reach before 8:00 pm to enjoy the boti rolls (or they get finished). Also, for all of you haleem-lovers, Fanoos serves a killer haleem during Ramzan.

I should warn all the so called self-proclaimed food-lovers of Bangalore that one shouldn't go to this place if one believes that a place serving good food should be clean and shiny. The only thing one gets here is delicious food and for a food-lover that should be enough.

Hotel Fanoos:

Johnson Market, Richmond Town

Phone:

Why the hell do you need to call, just go and eat.

Timings:

All through the night

Cost:

1 Jumbo Roll: around Rs.50 (enough for one ravenous male homo sapiens)

Hyderabad House

The Hyderabad House is an old, shabby looking restuarant with blue limewashed walls and dirty restrooms on Richmond Road, near Lifestyle Mall. Though it's decor and ambiance are nothing impressive or even satisfactory, the briyani they serve here is awesome.

The Hyderabad House has many near namesake restuarants in Bangalore (most common being Hyderabadi Briyani House) which shouldn't be confused with this place and avoided at all costs.

The Hyderabad House has a simple menu with nothing much to offer other than the briyani or maybe the chicken 65 (of which I am not a big fan). I would suggest one orders the mutton briyani with double spice. The briyani comes with a spicy curry and a raita. The quantity is pretty satisfying and two plates would suffice for three hungry homo sapiens.

Vegeterains please avoid this place as it is highly unlikely that you would be able to full your stomach here, though I have been told that the veg briyani and bagara baigan is decent. But, I am pretty sure that those are not reasons enough to go to Hyderabad House.

The average cost for a meal for two (or three) would cost around Rs.250 here.

Hyderabad House:

Near Lifestyle

Richmond Road

Ph No: 080 22116786

Purple Haze...Acting funny I don't why...Purple Haze all around !!!

Bangalore is known as the "Pub Capital of India", so my blog would remain incomplete if I didn't add the review of a pub in my blog. So, here goes my favourite one...Purple Haze...

There are three Purple Hazes in Bangalore that I know of: one in Marathahalli, one on Residency Road and my fave one in Koramangala, opposite Jyoti Nivas College. The Purple Haze in Koramangala, 7th Block is a three level pub, which is elegantly designed with a wooden floor and Jimi Hendrix at one end in a classic smokey haze. This pub plays mainly Classic Rock like The Doors, Metallica, ACDC and so on. I love the music they play at this place and this is where you might find me on every Friday night, trying to take the week long boredom of office out of my bones.

The food and drinks you get at this place are pretty much standard, though I find the chicken sausages to be quite tasty. But food is not why you would go to a place like this. You go to a pub to drink BEER and listen to rock music. And this place provides you with ample opportunities to do so. So, start with a pitcher of beer and some starters and complete the night with a couple of tequila shots.

I would have loved to tell you how much an evening at this place costs. But unfortunately I never seem to remember how much I had spent the next morning. I blame it on the music and not the alcohol. ;)

Purple Haze

5th Block, Koramangala

opp Jyoti Nivas College

Phone Number: 080-41104747

Samarkhand...

Samarkhand is a restaurant on Infantry Road, Bangalore. It specialises in Mughlai and North-Indian cuisines. The ambiance is wonderfully soothing with it's low seating, dimmed lights and earthy tones. The menu card is something that would catch your eye for sure as it is in form of a newspaper. I would like to add that however wonderful the ambiance might be, it doesn't matter at all when we talk about Samarkhand, as the food is mind-blasting.

So, without any further ado, lets talk about the food. One thing you have to order here is the sikandari raan, which is the leg of a baby lamb roasted on a slow charcoal fire. Second on the must have list is the tandoori chicken, this is served on a sword (yeah a sword) and it is so delicious I would have gladly fought for my life with that very sword to grab a piece of it. Third on the list, Gosht briyani, it is a mild flavoured briyani. Fourth are the various kebabs the place has to offer. i could go on and on, but I do realise both our stomachs and wallets have some limits. So, the fifth and final item on the list is Kulfi, don't miss it even if . I do realise that all the dishes mentioned are non-veg items (except the kulfi), but vegetarians listen up: If there is any reason why God blessed us with canine teeth, Samarkhand is the reason.

An average dinner for two (without drinks) here would cost you around Rs.900, but trust me it worth every penny.

Samarkhand

66, Gem Plaza

Infantry Road

Ph No: 080-41113366

The Only Place...

The Only Place is an open-air restaurant on Museum Road, Bangalore. The Only Place serves mainly continental food (though they have started a North Indian lunch buffet recently), but the food they serve is a bit on the bland side and the portions they serve are huge.

The pastas and lasagna are not be tried here as they don't do any justice to the chef, but the steaks are wonderful. I tried the Veal and it was easily the best steak I had ever had. The meat was tender and succulent, and it melted in my mouth. The quantity of the dishes are extremely fulfilling and I had a tough time finishing off my plate. I went there with a friend who is crazy about the apple pie there, we ordered it but I personally found it to be a bit too sweet.

On the whole, the ambiance, the food and the location of The Only Place makes it a must visit for any food-lover.

Contact:

13 Museum Road

080 32718989

20 Feet High ...

This restaurant is exactly what it's name suggests, 20 Feet High is a shack perched twenty feet above the ground, it has wooden floor boards and cosy round tables. This is one of the very few restaurants in Bangalore which makes use of the wonderfully pleasant Bangalore weather. According to me, it is the name and the ambiance which would take to you this place and it is the food and service which will bring you back.

This place serves mainly continental food. The steaks are good, but the fish and chips are exceptionally delicious. I have had a variety of steaks at this place, beef, chicken, lamb, etc , and have found all of them to my liking. One warning though, do not order anything whose price is not mentioned on the menu or you will be in for a shock (Ice tea for example is Rs.150).

All and all this is a wonderful place to chat with friends over a delicious meal.

A dinner for two at 20 Feet High would come out to around Rs650-700 (without drinks).

20 Feet High:

22, Church Street

Bangalore- 560001

Ph. no. - 080 25594631-2

American Desi

Indijoe is located on the airport road and is just opposite to Diamond District. It is one the many restaurants that BJN group can boast of serving great food with good ambiance. BJN describes the food at Indijoe as Global cuisine with a desi twist. I would say it is an apt description with their menu consisting of pizzas, salads, noodles, soups and kulfis (an west asian ice cream).

I would suggest that you go to this place for a lunch buffet as there is no way you would be able to appreciate the variety of food it caters if you are ordering Ala carte. As it is with most buffet, your battle plan should be start with deserts, skip the main course and finish with deserts.

This plan works pretty well at Indijoe, but do not miss the thin crust pizza or the pasta. I have tried pizzas at many places but this beats them all. The salads are varied, ranging from fruits, veggies, cheese, chicken to sea food. be vary of the soup as it is disappointing most of the times. Then go to the pizza (couldn't help but mention it again), I could pay a 1000 bucks just for the pizza itself. Then nibble a bit on the fish and the pasta and when you stomach is on the verge of bursting, go and indulge yourself in the variety of deserts served: cheese cakes, pastries, fruit salads, etc. But remember, never miss is the kulfi (I had had 4 once, but would not advise you to do the same, because the after effects were not pleasant), they serve an addictively tasty kulfi. I been trying to find out where they get it from, so that I can stuff my freezer with it, but no luck so far.

This place should be visited on weekdays and that too for lunch buffet. And ensure you have a reservation, as it gets as crowded as hell. The cost per head is about Rs.320 on Mondays-Thursdays and Rs.370 on Fridays-Sundays..

Indijoe:

1, Carlton Towers

Airport Road, Bangalore

Contact: 080-4113636

Pearls from China ...

China Pearl, is a very popular Chinese restaurant in 5th Block, Koramangla where you have to wait for at least half an hour on a weekend to get a table, unless you make a reservation. It serves quite a number of dishes which are unique (wouldn't say authentic Chinese, as from what I have heard, the Chinese food we eat in India is nowhere close to what people eat in China). The food is delicious and interesting at the same time because of the menu it provides. There are many things in the menu which you would not find anywhere else in bangalore like Red Dragon, Drunken chicken, etc. The ambiance is pretty good with comfortable seatings and decent lighting (which I find missing in many restaurants).

Most of the dishes here are pretty good. But, the chicken momos here just melt in your mouth and I assure you that the more you eat the hungrier you become. Another must have here is the drunken chicken, which is chicken cooked in home-made Chinese rice wine. This dish has a strong taste and smells of wine, which might be difficult for some people to like. Nonetheless, you should certainly give it a try.

This place is decently priced too, with a meal for two would leave you poorer by just Rs.600-650.

China Pearl

53/1, 5th Cross

6th Block, Koramangla

Phone Number-41105060

Taste of Tibet ...

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon and my regular dabba, had not come. I was alone and in a not in a mood to spend, wondering what to eat and drifting through the streets of Koramangla, I came across a small Tibetian restaurant, Momo Hut, it looked like a promising place with the owner hardly speaking any hindi or english.

I went inside and ordered a plate of steamed beef momos. They were hot and succulent, the fillings were adequate the sauce was spicey, just the way it should be. I followed up this order with a plate of Phing with Tingmo, though I had absolutely no idea what it was. When the dish came, I found out that Phing was a soup with lots of vegetables and meat and Tingmo was a Tibetian steamed bread. The Phing was really hot with lots of pepper and garlic and the Tingmo was rubberly but went pretty well with Phing.

This place is really worth visiting just for the steamed momos, if you are not in a mood to experiment. The other dishes like Shaptra, Phing and Thukpa have a distinctly different taste which takes some time to adapt to, but once you start liking it they are addictive.

Momo Hut is a very small place near The Empire in Koramangla, 5th Block. It is pretty clean for such a small and inexpensive place. The best part about this place, apart for the delicious food they serve, is the cost, a meal for two will come out to be just Rs.130-150.

Contact:

Opp Daily Bread, 4th 'B' Cross

5th Block, Koramangla Industrial Layout

Bangalore-560095

An Obituary ...

This blog is dedicated to one of the most unique restaurants I have had dinner at, Dahlia. Unfortunately the place has closed down, but the memories remain and hence it finds a place in my blog. Dahlia was a modest but clean little restuarant on Church Street, which looked like a two bedroom flat converted to a restuarant.

I never had any intention of trying Japanese food, but I went there with a few of my friends, who wanted to have sushi. I was a bit disappointed by the business like seating and the bare blue walls, but when I tasted the food I was thrilled. The maguro (tuna) sushi was amazing, though the fish was raw, I had never tasted anything so wonderful and succulent in my life. The soy sauce and the wasabi paste were perfect to go with the fish, rice and seaweed treasures that were entering my mouth. Next on the menu we ordered some fried prawns (forgot the name of the dish), the prawns were of the perfect size, neither too big which makes them hard, nor too small which leaves you disappointed. We had all the dishes with japanese tea, which is neither warm nor cold, but is served at room temperature. This was one of the most wonderful gastronomic adventure I had ever had and was on the verge of commiting suicide when I saw that this place had closed down.

This place wasn't expensive considered the exotic quality food that they used to serve here. A dinner for two would leave you poorer by around Rs.1000 .

I don't consider myself to be experienced enough to rate restuarants (yet), but if I did this would have got a 5/5.

From the plates of the Sultans ...

Anyone living in Bangalore would have heard of Sahib Sindh Sultan. It is located in the very popular and over-crowded mall, Forum, which is on Hosur Road. Two things I promise about this mall: one, you would never have any trouble finding it and two, you will never get a table without making prior reservations. The ambiance is quite impressive as it's interiors are made to resemble the first Indian train which travelled from Bori Bunder to Thane in the year 1853. You get to sit inside the train or the platform. Now to the important part, the food. Unfortunately, I found the food really disappointing. The starters were ordinary, the rotis hard and chewy and the main course disappointing. I had the much reputed atta chicken, which I found was nothing but a whole chicken roasted inside a wheat flour covering and wasn't impressive at all. One might go to this restaurant only if he/she is looking for place with an impressive ambiance and ordinary food.

The restaurant is pretty expensive. An average meal for two would come out to be around Rs. 700-800 (without drinks).

Level 2, The Forum
080 22067878

sahibsindhsultan.blr@bjnhotels.com

From the western coasts of India ...

Kubay, is a homely little restuarant near Koramangla Club which specialises in Mangalorian and Goan cuisine. They serve prawns, squids, crabs, fish and pork at really affordable prices. The food here is really spicey and must be taken with a glass of chilled kokkum water. The starters are a delight for any food-lover and one must try the kubay sukka masala (clams), squid or prawn sukka/garlic fry, fish fry and butter garlic squid. For the main course I would suggest any of the curries from the seafood section with neer dosa (which is dosa cooked without oil, don't ask me how). It is better to avoid the chicken and veg dishes here as they might be a bit disappointing. But if you live in Bangalore and love to eat, you should be hanged for not eating at this place.

The average cost per head here would come out to be around Rs 150-200.

Kubay:

# 110, 6th Block, 6th Cross
Koramangala Club Road
Bangalore 560 034.
Tel 080 5110 5221

http://www.kubayrestaurant.com/index.htm

A New Beginning !!!

I have been thinking of starting this blog for a long time now. Being a software engineer in Bangalore with limited hobbies, I had to find a way to keep myself busy. So I decided to immerse myself into the oceans of gastronomical delight. Two years afterwards, armed with the experience of trying out 50+ restaurants, I decided to enlighten the world ( or at least the food lovers of Bangalore) through this blog.

I decided to start with the restaurant which is the fave for many a meat-lover of Bangalore, "The Jukebox"

The Jukebox is a smallish restaurant located in Koramangla, 7th block. Though it is a multi-cuisine restaurant, one should only indulge in the continental non-veg section of the menu. The steaks, specially the Hawaiian Ham and theBeef Steak with Pepper sauce, are out-of-this-world. The lasagne is wonderful, but only if you really love cheese. Make sure that you order the dishes with mashed potatoes and also that you have plenty of time in hand as the dishes take some time to get served.

The per head cost here would be around 250-300 (main-course + a beer)

Jukebox is closed on Mondays and if are coming for lunch ensure you are there before 2 p.m as it closes at 3 p.m