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