Israeli Delights at Nook; Aloft Bengaluru CBP

Twitter: @nkandhari     Facebook: Review Of Restaurants     Instagram: Review Of Restaurants    

This revisit to Aloft was much looked forward to for the history of experiences I've always cherished from here; be it the Launch of Aloft Bengaluru CBP, the stay at Aloft, their annual event 'Project Aloft Star'. 

Having missed numerous celebratory food festivals at Aloft; I was determined to visit back to create another memory of a really good evening at Aloft with a buffet celebrating the 'Taste of Israel' till the 28th of August by an international Chef. Chef Shachar having grown up in Israel, lived and worked in different parts of the world sticks to his roots of mastering the art of preparing and serving Israeli food. 

Falling on the Eastern belt of the Mediterranean Sea, the vegetation of this land is known to produce olives, tomatoes and the likes. The cuisine gets its influence from the Mediterranean region, and the influx of different cultures like Arabs, Jews and so on which happened with the formation of the independent state of Israel in 1948. 

The culture lays emphasis on family and sharing and this is clearly visible from the way food is plated to be shared on the table rather than plated for individuals. With this, lets move in to the highlights of the evening that showcase #IsraeliDelightsatNook #AloftBengaluruCBP.

The evening started with a note from Chef Shachar himself about Israeli food followed by an address from Consulate General of Israel who also happens to be the wife of Chef Shachar. This was soon followed by an array of kebabs and other pass around starters from the buffet spread at Nook that moved around the floor in the company of an extravagant spread of infused vodka and shots I have ever seen. 

Before we got to our table at Nook was another special act by a specialist from behind the bar who set up a Diablo trail of Jäger bomb in two forms - classic and Aloft's creation. 

What followed was the main highlight of the evening and sure did elevate the experience that evening. It was our turn to head to the table at Nook to Savour the Mediterranean, Arabic and East European delicacies prepared by Chef Shachar and the talented pool of chefs at Aloft Bengaluru CBP. 

It all started with an array of dips and breads from the buffet spread. Referred to as Mezze; this included Labne, Baba Ganoush, Amba, cabbage salad, Tahini and more. If this was not all, the buffet had a wider spread of different dips to go along with the breads. These dips were enjoyed best with freshly baked assortment of breads like pita bread, challah, Jerusalem Bagel and Fricassee. 

Mezze

Jerusalem Fricassee

This course did not end with breads and dips. There was more to go along like the fresh Israeli salad, whole baked cauliflower, beetroot carpaccio with a topping of white cheese, grilled egg plant topped with tahini and a serving of the freshest Tabbouleh salad I've eaten in a long time. Most of what I ate was vegetarian but surprisingly I didn't miss the meat yet. That's some good news for you vegetarians out there because there's a lot of vegetarian fare on this buffet.

Grilled Egg Plant with Tabbouleh

Baked Cauliflower

Beetroot Carpaccio

Up next we noticed a trolley being pulled towards our table and moments later chef showcased the preparation of hummus followed by a custom made hummus was served to me just the way I like it. This one came topped with boiled egg, olive oil drizzle, fresh lime juice, pine nuts and sprinkling of Sumack. 

It was not just food that stole the show this evening. There were concoctions to keep company and one in particular that kept good company to both food and me was the one in the picture below. The balance of the rum infused with coconut, the pineapple juice and the balancing mixes surely had me imagining an exotic beach destination vacationing.  

For mains, we headed back to the buffet counter and there was the warm and mildly spiced Israeli Pilaf which I enjoyed eating (by chance) with the fresh and cold Tabbouleh. Among the Israeli herb stuffed chicken, meatballs with olive and tomato sauce and fish tahina tomato, I least preferred the fish dish only because the fish used was 'Basa'. The whole food industry seems to be fixated on the Basa and I fail to understand why so? Aren't there any other fishes left to be caught? My recommendation - please don't do this as we love the real fish enough to settle for Basa.

That's not all, the live station had Shawarma too that was custom made to liking or the traditional way in which it is sold in the streets of Israel. You make the choice. For me this was nice but because I love shawarma, I was expecting more. One mention though - the meat / chicken was perfectly marinated with spiced and cooked to succulent perfection.

The buffet did not end here. There was more for the vegetarians amidst the buffet that extended to other cuisines like Indian, continental and Chinese to name a few. This course led the way to another important course of the meal and yes this reference being made is to the desserts. 

Strictly sticking to Israeli treats; sweets and candies were served to us on the table and the visualisation, the colours, textures and the variety was a real treat to have awaiting to be enjoyed. Without much ado, this large platter was relished with some treats bringing back memories of childhood. Another highlight was fig with fresh cream and caramel which was simplicity at its best.

For the grand finale, there was a creation of dessert art on a table sufficient for a community to share. This was a delight to watch as the team from Aloft put up a splendid show to create an art that was edible and delicious. This last one was for the joy of sharing.

So with this, I headed out for a long drive back home satisfied and happy with the evening spent at Aloft Bengaluru CBP relishing the Israeli delights at Nook. I definitely recommend a visit here for a lovely Israeli meal before 28th August for this special showcase is only on till Sunday evening between 7PM and 11PM all days of the week. Here are few more reasons for which you should make a visit - Shakshuka, Minced chicken liver, an Israeli street Favourite Falafel and more.

Address: Cessna Business Park, Sarjapur–Marathahalli Outer Ring Road, Kadubeesanahalli, Bellandur Post, Bengaluru - 560103

Phone Number: +91 80 4510 1010

Website: Aloft Bengaluru CBP


Note: This visit to Aloft Bengaluru CBP was on invitation but the opinions expressed are solely mine and are absolutely unbiased nor influenced by the brand in any way.

Care for a Bubby Bento or Sushi?

Twitter: @nkandhari     Facebook: Review Of Restaurants     Instagram: Review Of Restaurants 

My neighborhood is known to host some of the best hotel properties of Bangalore. I may sound over-confident but that doesn't change the equation. Very recently, I visited this beautiful and sophisticated Pan-Asian rooftop offering tucked away in possibly one of the most expansive hotel properties in Bangalore. Driving into the property itself is an absolute pleasure. This rooftop restaurant is also an apt place to lounge and soak in the wonderful weather Bangalore has to offer especially around this time of the year.

You possibly have guessed it by now, "I am speaking of none other that 'OKO'". I love the concept of Bento meals which offers personalized portions of multiple meal courses allowing you to explore a cuisine of interest. Going a step ahead, sometimes it also allows for customization of what goes into the Bento meal. 

Being served for lunch at OKO it is called 'Bubbly Bento'; for the bento meal comes with a glass of bubbly to savor. Here one can choose a bento meal being offered for 3 cuisines - Japanese, Thai and Chinese. Interestingly, it is also possible for you to customize the box to include more than one cuisine if you may wish.

Each of the cuisines are available in vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. My Bubbly Bento meal was customized to offer a mix of Chinese and Thai dishes. Here's a look at a wholesome Asian meal:

The above box was a nice mix of the somethings Chinese and something Thai. The soup was 'Tom Yum Kai' was fragrant Thai with Thai spices and exuded distinct hot and sour flavors. Lemongrass, Kaffir lime leave and Galangal were clearly felt and contributed to a lasting after taste. In the salad it was the Thai classic 'Som Tam Thai'. It's a salad that can easily go wrong but when it's right it has the potential to kill your appetite for the remaining cuisines you may have planned for your meal. The flavors were bang with an interesting medley of flavors and textures like sour, chili, sweetness, crunch and so on.

The bento meal also comprised of delicious and succulent 'Szechwan La Ji'; a delicious and succulent preparation of chicken with chili bean sauce. The flavor was distinct and the chicken was melt in mouth. The stir fried Chinese greens were light on the stomach and perfectly blanched to retain the much required crunch. Both the chicken and the stir fry greens were best enjoyed on their own or with the accompanying Thai jasmine rice. 

The meal was enjoyed in the company of a lovely glass of Sula Brut sparkling wine; the buttery texture and the complex flavors of which best complimented the milder Asian dishes. 

I'm in love with sushi and given a chance I'd be more than willing to make a complete meal out of it. Unable to resist the temptation, I gave an assortment of sushi a shot. There was 'Maki sushi' (rolls), 'Nigiri sushi platter' (Meat on a lump of sushi rice) and 'Sashimi platter' (just meat). Describing the ingredients as top quality or fresh will be an understatement and this clearly reflected in the taste.

Maki Sushi

Sashimi Platter

Nigiri Sushi

It was time to call it a meal and having chosen a mix of Thai and Chinese bento, the dessert of my choice was the obvious 'Tab Tim Grob' - water chestnuts in coconut milk with a heap of shaved ice. It's the best way to end a meal at any Thai restaurant and for me it did make for a perfect ending to a lovely meal.

Continuing the indulgence on sushi, Chef Tenzin brought out her signature that was rightly kept for the end - 'Chocolate Sushi'. This was rich and indulgent with a chunky stick of chocolate ganache stick used a s filling and melted dark chocolate to coat the sushi rice. In short it was a burst of richness in the mouth.

The bento bubbly meal is very well priced at Rs. 899++ for vegetarians and Rs. 999++ for non-vegetarians. Here's leaving you with more reason to visit OKO. For table reservations please call +918030527777.

The Lovely Bar Counter

DimSums

Restaurant Seating

Bon Appetit!

Address: Oko, Hotel Lalit Ashok, Kumara Krupa Road, High Grounds, Bangalore

Phone Number: +91 80 3052 7777

New Menu @Dakshin, ITC Windsor, Bangalore

Twitter: @nkandhari     Facebook: Review Of Restaurants     Instagram: Review Of Restaurants 

What pulls me back to a restaurant is either I loved the dining experience or an introduction of a new menu. What makes it really exciting is when both the criteria's are met. Such has been the case recently with Dakshin; the south Indian specialty restaurant at ITC Windsor. After a rendezvous with the colorful flavors of Chettinad; I was back here a couple of weeks ago to try out new dishes introduced to the menu at Dakshin.

With Chef Shankarnath taking charge of the kitchen at Dakshin; there are new and delicious inclusions to the Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala sections of the menu. If I have to showcase or experience South India on a plate, Dakshin is that one place which provides the much needed diversity all under one roof.

Our meal for this evening started with the signature and traditional beverage called Muneer. Muneer is a bright green drink made of jaggery, coconut water, honey, sandal syrup and Khus syrup providing the color. Its sweet, an instant cooler and tunes the palate to welcome an upcoming scrumptious meal.

Traditional in its approach, we looked forward to the customary start that begin with assorted papads, fries, mini banana uthappam and a variety of chutneys to munch on. Off all this, it is the mini banana uthappam that I looked forward to for it's distinctly sweet marriage with the assortment of the chutneys. It's called Dakshin Vishesha and gets dished out from the famous Iyer's trolly.

I absolutely loved the non-vegetarian starters that were dished out. One was the Kozhi Roast which is nothing but the famous chicken roast. Marinated and cooked in chef's special masala, the slow cooked chicken was succulent, fresh and well balanced in flavor. Enjoy it is with a side of raw onions and a glass of chilled beer; Perfect!

Chapa Vepudu was a classic pan seared king fish preparation in a marinade of red chilis. The fish was easily the freshest catch I've eaten here in Bangalore. It's easy to over cook a fish and drain it off its moisture content and here's where the skills of the chef come to a test. The fish was perfectly cooked, lovely flavors and really smooth to savor.

In mains, it was the fabulous 'Veg Stew' exuding the rich texture and flavor of coconut milk with vegetables simmered in it and the tomato pappu - a traditional Andhra delicacy which tasted good but was too dense in texture for my liking. 

On the non-vegetarian plate, there was also 'Veinchina Mamsam' and 'Royala Vepudu'. 'Veinchina Mamsam' was a delicious preparation of boneless lamb morsels in a rich gravy of brown onions, coriander and spices. 'Royala Vepudu' was succulent, fresh and perfectly cooked prawns tossed with brown onion, ginger and green chilis. This preparation had a nice crunch to it and tasted relish in every bite. 

The main courses were best enjoyed in the company of idiappam, appam and Malabar paratha. The appam was nice and fluffy in the centre and around it was a fabulous layer of crunch or crisp appam. I loved the sweetness exuded by the appam. No points for guessing, the appam and stew tasted heavenly and I could make a meal from it. The Malabar paratha was light, flaky and involved the use of minimal oil for it's making. 

Desserts are usually considered to complete a meal but for me even before we head there; a biryani is mandatory. So came from the kitchen a freshly prepared Andhra kodi chicken biryani. It was succulent chicken cooked in a spicy fragrant rice the perfect blend that makes for a delightful Andhra Chicken Biryani.

Moving on to the desserts was really a task but picking what to have; was the easiest it can ever get. We asked for the Dakshin classic; rather their signature - Elaneer Payasam. It was light, thin, rich in coconut and cardamom flavor. To me, this surely was the perfect end to a lovely meal.

An experience for two at Dakshin can be enjoyed at an average of Rs. 3500 plus taxes. I use the work 'experience' considering the overall package of:
 - A lovely and fragrant welcome at ITC Windsor's plush and rich lobby
 - A sophisticated yet traditional setting at Dakshin
 - Top notch service standards
 - Really high standards of quality of ingredients, meats, seafood, etc
 - Needless to say the flavors and portions too

Address: Dakshin, ITC Windsor, 25 Windsor Square, Golf Course Road, Near Sankey Road, Bangalore

Phone Number: +91 80 2226 9898