'A Pinch of Persian' at The Persian Terrace, Sheraton Bangalore

And it ends on March 2, 2014.......................

It is a rarity that something beats the Bangalore weather; especially the way our evenings have been for the last few days. It only goes one notch up when you can dine in with a starry sky right above you. Isn't it?

Now, what if I say, “the levels become hard to match when the food and ambiance have you wishing to just pack your bags and travel to the Mediterranean land; if not teleporting you to the wonderful land right away”?

This is exactly what Puja and I experienced when we dined at Persian Terrace. Persian Terrace is a highly acclaimed restaurant and one the 3 jewels of Sheraton Bangalore at Brigade Gateway; the other two being Bene – their Italian restaurant and Feast – the coffee shop serving global cuisine under one roof. It was a long pending visit and we couldn't resist visiting it last night after being tempted by the food photos of their ongoing festival ‘A Pinch of Persia’. 

Seating @ The Persian Terrace

As a part of this festival, a special menu has been curated by ‘Chef Abdel Wahed’ who is the visiting chef from Sheraton Sharm Hotel, Resort, Villas & Spa. This specially curated menu has a wide range of selection across meal courses which include hot and cold mezze, salads, mains and desserts. The menu has a bit of various Mediterranean cuisines which include Persian, Lebanese, Turkish and more; hence the name ‘A Pinch of Persia’. There is plenty for non-vegetarians to choose from with a fairly decent selection for the vegetarians too. 

With a menu listing food dishes as delicious as it can get, we were soon in a fix on all that we can eat. Chef Abdel was kind enough to help us pick food for each course of our meal. It may come as a surprise to you all, but we had more vegetarian food on our table last night than non-vegetarian and I equally enjoyed relishing the vegetarian as much as I did with the non-vegetarian. Over the course of the next hour or more, we treated our senses and stomach to some hot and cold mezze (small plate servings or starters), salad, mains and dessert. Below is a pictorial review of what we ate (I wish, I was here for lunch only to do justice to the food photographs). 

Hot Mezze: Sambousek Cheese  - A nice crunchy pastry casing with all the delicious goodness of feta cheese, herbs and Arabic spices stuffed inside.

Salad: Olive Salad - Olives stuffed with red capsicum mixed with veggies and feta cheese. topped with a drizzle of olive oil and pomegranate sauce.. WOW!

Cold Mezze: Vine Leaves - Wrapped with a stuffing of rice, onion, tomato, fresh mint and pomegranate sauce

Cold Mezze: Baba Ganoush - Roasted eggplant with yellow and red capsicum, olive oil and pomegranate. Have eaten this before but none anywhere close to this wonderful preperation

Hot Mezze: Sojok Roll - Minced lamb marrided with Arabic spices, spread on Arabic bread, rolled and deep fried..  By looks or thoughts it's hard to imagine how exquisite the flavor of this lamb preparation was. I couldn't help but prolong eating these rolls

Veg Main: Tagine Couscous with mixed veggies - Nice and subtle flavors

Non-Veg Maincourse: Kebab Azmeer - Delicious, tender, melt in mouth Lamb kebabs with pine nuts and mozzarella cheese served with Syrian bread. 'Goodness on a plate!!!'

Dessert: Maamoul Walnuts - Semolina dumplings stuffed with nuts and dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Mild sweetness coming from dusted sugar and a nice flavor of Cinnamon. Nice!

Dessert: Mohalabia - Traditional Egyptian dessert made with milk, pistachio and dry coconut. Custard like consistency, this was delicious. Guess what - this dessert got it's zing from the grated orange zest which was also used in preparation. You get the zest in every spoonful.

At the end of it, Puja and I were happy souls who drove back discussing about making a trip to the Mediterranean land. 

An average meal for two? 2500 ++ - Definitely worth every penny being spent. 

Just 2 days left!!! To reserve your table at The Persian Terrace, call Sheraton Bangalore on - 080 4252 1000 or click http://goo.gl/EuXn5i

Smoke House Deli, Bangalore

"When are we meeting?" was a question one friend asked. Almost instantly, the others replied, "this weekend."

The conversation ended here for the rest of the week. Come Saturday and we go all around Bangalore before we all strike a chord for our lunch meet up..

Where?

The much heard and talked about restaurant currently - Smoke House Deli.

Menu

We usually are at least 8 of us and an extensive menu of food and drinks always excites us. Smoke House Deli has one such Menu - An extensive listing of both food and beverages. 

The food menu includes varied cuisines primarily European and Continental while the beverages menu is very impressive too. It holds a range of very interesting cocktails like smoked pineapple mojito, smoked melon martini etc. They also have an additional placard style menu for the appetizers. Both vegetarians and non-vegetarians are well thought out for by Smoke House Deli and this can be said from their menu listing.

What we ate:

It was a lovely Sunday we spent over a couple of drinks, loads of fabulous food, fun and conversations. Being a good number of us on the table, I think we covered every section of their menu, well if not everything, it has to be pretty much everything. Let’s go over a pictorial review of what we ate at Smoke House Deli and what we think about it:

The Customary Start: Assorted Bread Basket

Breakfast Section: Yes, they have a section on their menu listing breakfast dishes like cereals, pancakes, scrambled eggs, range of omelet, French toasts etc. The good news, all of this is available all day long.

Masala Omelette

Appetizers - These are listed on a placard placed on every table. Our pick included:

Chicken Fritters: Dry and chewy meat; Can be avoided

Three Cheese and Jalepeno Toast - Gooey cheese and crunch bread. A good pick

The Cottage Cheese and Chicken skewers were delicious with chicken being juicy and tender and the cottage cheese - melt in mouth.

Spiked Cottage Cheese Skewers

Coriander Chicken Skewers

I am not very fond of mushrooms, but the mushroom lovers on my table liked the Mushroom crostini.

Mushroom Crostini

Moving on from appetizers, we decided to go with 2 Italian dishes, 1 burger and 2 Smoke House Deli signature mains. In Italian, for us it was the Ravioli that stole the show. 

Spinach & Ricotta Cheese Ravioli

Do not recollect the name of this dish

The cottage cheese steak was nice and crunch on the outside with well seasoned and minced cottage cheese on the inside. Ratatouille provided a nice blend of flavors and texture to this dish. 

Cottage Cheese Steak with Ratatouille

The Lamb burger was delicious and was all eaten up without ever being placed back on the plate.

Fish 'N' Chips - another SHD special was fabulous. The fish was flaky and moist; perfectly cooked with encased in a really light and crispy fried batter coating. 

Desserts – We were over stuffed with a lot of food and drinks but were in no mood to settle without desserts. We thought we could do with 4 desserts to share but the decadent looks got us calling for 5. The best we liked was the White Chocolate and Orange 'Creme Brulee' closely followed by the 'Hazelnut Mousse Flan'. The 'Raspberry and Oreo Cheese Cake' was nothing exceptional. Oreo only constituted to the crumble base. To our surprise, the 'Molten Chocolate Cake' was a total disappointment. The melting chocolate or the cake lacked any trace of flavor and sweetness.

Hazelnut Mousse Flan

The super delicious White Chocolate & Orange 'Creme Brulee'

Raspberry and Oreo Cheese Cake

Roasted Almond Ganache Torte

Molten Chocolate Cake

Verdict:

It was an afternoon that left each of our stomach and heart very well satiated. The food was fabulous; most of the dishes hit the good notes be it the appetizers, the burger, Italian or continental. Desserts provided for a perfect end to a fantastic meal. The only disappointment being the molten chocolate cake. 

The cocktails were a disappointment with Bellini being an exception. The smoked drinks like the melon Martini lacked any smoked flavor; the smoked pineapple mojito was not very refreshing and also lacked any flavor of pineapple.

The ambiance was really captivating. We got to sit by the lovely glass facade that provided for natural light. The interiors are done up in all white adding to the brightness. The service started off on a weak note but caught up really well for the rest of our visit. The staff seemed well informed about their menu. They were quick to suggest when asked for an opinion. Everything we ordered was served well in reasonable time. The food and desserts were well plated too. The portions are well sized and more than sufficient to feed a very hungry person.

A worry on a busy 100 FT road has to be Parking space. You need not work, Smoke House Deli provides for Valet service.

Two diners can have a good and relaxed meal at an average cost of Rs. 1500 (without alcohol) plus taxes.

Quick Tips:

To me, Smoke House Deli definitely qualifies to be one of the restaurants I’d love to visit again and again. I’ve already been here 2 weekends back to back and look forward to visiting them soon.

The menu is extensive but from what I've eaten so far, here are my recommendations for when you are at Smoke House Deli –

Spiked Chicken Skewers, Smoked Lamb Burger, SHD Fish ‘N’ Chips, Spinach and Ricotta ravioli, House spiced smoked Chicken with 5 spice Jus. To give a perfect end to a lovely meal, do not miss the White Chocolate and Orange ‘Crème Brulee’.

Address: 1029, 100 FT Road, Indiranagar, Bangalore

Phone Number: +91 80 2520 0899

Feast @ Sheraton, Bangalore

Last year, around the same time Sheraton, Bangalore hosted a Japanese festival. OK, let’s be precise, it was a Sushi festival. And now; ‘Feast’ a multi-cuisine restaurant at Sheraton, Bangalore plays host to yet another Japanese food festival. On till the 14^th of July, Chef Kyoji Endo from Westin, Tokyo is here to take you through the culinary delights from the ‘land of the rising sun – Japan’. An invite came my way for this event and it took me no time to say a ‘Yes’.

Menu:

Since it is Japanese food fest, a section of the buffet otherwise shared between the South East Asian countries has been solely dedicated to Chef Kyoji Endo’s creations of his homeland. This spread included specialties like sushi, sashimi, miso, udon, green tea ice cream and not to forget something Chef Kyoji Endo is a specialist at – Tempura preparations. All of this was accompanied by a magnanimous spread of food and desserts representing various cuisines of the world. So aptly named is this restaurant!!! ‘Feast – world of flavors’

What we ate:

Of course! It was a Japanese fest and that’s exactly what we kick started our meal with. My companion seemed very fascinated with the concept of customizing her own soup. Chef Kyoji Edno helped her with the customization. The soup was served cold in a broth made of miso, dashi and more. Ingredients include udon noodles, topped with tofu, nori, finely chopped scallions and some other toppings. This was a winner since when we dug into it.

My pick was the miso - egg drop soup that was served hot. This soup was really light in consistency, the flavors well balanced appealed to my senses. I remember having not enjoyed this soup much at another Japanese restaurant a couple of months ago. But here, I loved it.

Moving on - next on the radar was tempura and sushi. I savored the non – vegetarian version of both while my partner in crime – a vegetarian went with the vegetarian options. Both tempura and sushi were served plated on our table. The tempura was the first to arrive. One look at it and I could say, “The batter must be really light and crunchy”. True to my imagination, the batter was light, crisp, and non-greasy. The shrimp was perfectly cooked and retained its flavor, moisture and softness.

The veg tempura was stuffed with chunks of assorted veggies and was also equally enjoyed. What took the whole tempura experience up a notch for us were green tea salt and chili salt; the unique accompaniments prepared by the visiting chef.

The sushi followed soon. The buffet displays just the rolls format broadly known as Maki sushi. On enquiring, we were told, nigiri and sashimi was on offer too. The reason for it not being present on the buffet display was just to maintain the freshness factor. What came to my table was a platter of sushi, sashimi and nigiri. While I love maki sushi rolls, it was the salmon nigiri that stole the limelight for me. There was California roll for the vegetarians which had a crispy cucumber as the filling. I did dig into this and loved it too.

The Japanese section of the buffet also had fried pork (Ton Katsu), whitefish in a vinegar sauce, potatoes in teriyaki sauce and fried tofu. The whitefish in vinegar sauce was cooked but served cold; traditionally the way it is eaten and was good in flavor but the fish seemed a tad bit hard and dry. ‘Potatoes in teriyaki sauce’ was a nice preparation with sweetness felt from both potato and the teriyaki sauce.

Whitefish in Vinegar Sauce

At a Japanese dinner one would definitely expect to dig into a scoop of green tea ice cream. Though not displayed on the buffet, this in-house creation is brought to the table. The ice cream had a mild flavor of green tea but was one dessert we relished.

In between all this, we also paid visit to the other sections of the buffet. To show you the magnitude of the spread Sheraton has on offer here is a quick pictorial representation:

Salad Bar: Make your own salad or choose from ready salads

Mediterranean Fare: Pita bread with assorted dips; herbed rich with Chicken and Lamb kababs 

Indian Non-Vegetarian Fare: Meen Pollichattu, Chicken Biryani & a gravy I do not recollect

This is not all; the buffet also hosted a vast spread of Italian and American food as well. Not to mention, a fantastic array of desserts Indian and international.

For more food pictures from this dinner, visit the photo albums on my FaceBook page Review Of Restaurants

Verdict:

The Japanese food was nice especially the soups and the tempura. I’d say, “If looking for Japanese food and you are in the vicinity – Feast is the place.” What better? You also get to experience the whole range of spread offered on the buffet.

True to its name - ‘Feast – World of flavors’; we got to experience not just the Japanese fest but also a diverse range of cuisines from across the world all under one roof. The dinner buffet priced at Rs. 1345 ++ is absolutely worth a splurge. The ambiance during the day is filled with a lot of natural light and at nights the warm lighting sets the mood for a great evening ahead. On the service front, I appreciate the attention the staff gives to every table to ensure that the diners’ requests are met in the best of their capacity.

Feast at Sheraton, also offers a lunch buffet which is priced at Rs. 1195 plus applicable taxes and charges.

Parking is never a problem here. Valet service is available.

Quick Tips:

Go here to experience a world of flavors the buffet has to offer. 

Address: Sheraton @ Brigade Gateway, 26/1, Dr. Rajkumar Road, Malleshwaram - Rajajinagar, Bangalore - 560055
Landmark: Adjacent to Orion Mall in the same campus

Phone Number: +91 80 4252 1000

Fava, Bangalore

FoodLovers Magazine has been hosting a series of contests on their Facebook page and in one of them; I won a lunch voucher for 2. The lunch certificate entitled us to a 2 course prix fixe meal each which is served only during the weekdays. This was a good enough reason for us to break the work day monotony and catch up for a weekday lunch.

Menu:

The last 3 pages of the menu at Fava are dedicated to the Prix Fixe 2 or 3 course lunch. There is an array of dishes - both vegetarian and non-vegetarian that one can select from. The food mainly comprised of Mediterranean, French and Italian cuisine.  The listing was well classified between the first course, the second course and the third course – desserts and we were given an option go with any two of the three courses.

What we ate:

Having been given an option to go with any two of the three courses, my pick was Turkish Fish cakes from the first course and Crabmeat, Coriander and chili risotto and Puja chose to go with Balsamic Grilled Vegetables and mozzarella Panini for the mains and Kahlua flavored espresso and praline mousse.

While our food arrived, we were served Lavash with a tomato based sauce. The Lavash was nice and crisp and the sauce was creamy (thanks to the parmesan cheese) with the sweet and spicy flavor coming clear from the sugar and Moroccan chili used in its making.

Turkish Fish cakes arrived with a basket of 4 mini pita breads and plated with seasoned salad, Moroccan chili sauce and mint Labneh. The fish cakes were delicious and enjoyed best in the company of pita bread, the mildly spiced chili sauce and the very refreshing mint Labneh. A special note on these sauces that exuded such fine flavors that we couldn't help but ask for more.

Balsamic Grilled Veggie Panini was built with very simple ingredients and was packed with flavor of the grilled vegetables and the balsamic vinegar dressing. On the side with the Panini were served French fries and a salad.

The Crab-meat Risotto arrived with the aroma enough for anyone to assume that this dish was sea food based. What I loved about the Risotto was its flavor and creaminess but missed the crab-meat which I felt was sparingly used.

We felt quite full from what we had eaten so far but looked forward to our dessert – ‘Kahlua flavored espresso and praline mousse’. Did we get this? Of course, we did along with a complimentary bowl of chocolate truffles. The mousse was really nice and well balanced in terms of its sweetness for the dessert and the flavor of the coffee.

Chocolate truffles were gooey creamy balls of dark chocolate rolled over and coated with coffee powder dusting. We totally loved this and must admit that there was no better way that this to end a delightful meal at Fava.

Verdict:

We had a great time lunching at Fava. The food was simply fabulous. The portions were really generous and more than sufficient for a single person. The service was attentive, quick and prompt. The staffs were very courteous and polite.  They knew their menu and food well and can be depended upon for making a choice, if needed. We are definitely heading back here soon.

Being located in a mall, Fava does not offer valet parking or a private parking space. Parking is available on a paid basis in UB City.

We did not have to pay for this Prix Fixe 2 course meal. However, a scrumptious meal like this is a steal at Rs. 425 + taxes.

Quick Tips:

Go here for a relaxed meal, amazing Mediterranean fare and desserts. Mediterranean cuisine is really diverse and one of the ways to get started and sample this would be to try their ‘Tasting Meze Platter’. 

Address: #203, 2nd Floor, The Collection, UB City, 24 Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore

Phone Number: +91 80 22117444