A Maharashtrian Gem in Bangalore - Suryawanshi

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Rewinding back in time to August last year, I was introduced to Maharashtrian food by my cousin in Nagpur. Technically speaking, it was an introduction to one of the cuisines called Saoji cuisine; specific to the Saoji community. Known for its simple but really spicy non-vegetarian food, I was in love with it the very moment I got my hands on it. So more about it in another blog post.

Returning from the past to the present, I was quite excited when I heard the buzz in social media about the opening of a restaurant that served Maharashtrian food. What I was even happier to hear was that, "It is located in Whitefield very close to Satya Sai Hospital." Well, that's where my office is which means, I could walk from work to this restaurant for lunch. Going by this thought, I headed to this restaurant a fortnight ago with a colleague from work.  

Menu:

The owner mentioned the food was specific to Kolhapuri cuisine. The menu is quite nice and presents options to diners in the form of thalis. So going by the obvious, the menu had a lot of thali options to choose from for the non-vegetarians like a solo or gala chicken thali, gala chicken and mutton thali, splendid gala mutton thali to name a few. The vegetarians on the other hand have a very limited listing to choose from. 

Apart from the thalis, the menu at Suryawanshi also offers an a-la carte selection of individual dishes that come as a part of either of the thalis. In all, if you are a non-vegatarian you might loose you way into the menu for the sheer variety that is on offer.

What We Ate:

We started with vegetarian and I must tell you, this was the only vegetarian dish on our table post which we feasted on non-vegetarian food all through. Why the exception? Of course, it is the popular or celebrated Maharashtrian dish - 'Misal Pav'. Needs no introduction, this was a good way to start. Misal was well spiced and came with buttered pav, chopped onion, lime and a small cup of curd. The curd acting as a nice coolant. This was shared between the two of us and we were glad we did.

Soon arrived 'Seer fish fry' which is bought by the owner himself only if he is satisfied with the quality and freshness factor. Clearly evident as we dug into it, the fish was well spiced and shallow fried in a pan. It was cooked to a nice moist consistency with the freshness evident from the moist yet flaky texture. My friend a Mangalorean; who know his fish well was quite happy and content with this dish. Served up with lime and sliced onion, the only thing I missed to keep this company was a mug of chilled beer. Needless to say, I loved it too.

As we consumed the fish, two lunch thali arrived. The fried mutton thali comprised of chapathis, Kolhapuri fried mutton, mutton curry, egg curry, Tambda rassa, Pandhra rassa, Sol Kadhi, masala rice and a slice of onion and lime. 

Both Kolhapuri fried mutton and the mutton curry were delicious at its best. Do not get deceived at the start of you meal on the spice levels as they do get on to you slowly. I enjoyed every bit of it. Both fried mutton and mutton curry are best eaten with the chapatis served. The masala rice is best enjoyed with tambda rassa while Pandhra can be consumed as a soup. Sol Kadhi acted as a coolant for all the heat generated through the spice levels in the dishes presented as a part of the thali. Describing the thali in a word - 'Scrumptious'

Mutton Fry

Mutton Curry

Tambda and Pandhra rassa are unlimited and make for a delicious drink all through the meal. Tambda is a spicy red curry made with mutton stock, red chilies and more while pandhra is a more soothing curry made again with mutton stock, cinnamon, coriander and coconut milk. While both were delicious and rich in flavor coming from the mutton stock, I enjoyed Tambda rassa for its higher spice levels. Pandhra and Sol kadhi worked by provide the much needed cooling to bring down the heat level from Tambda rassa.

Another thali on the table was the fully loaded 'Splendid gala mutton thali'. Similar to the 'Fried Mutton Thali', the only difference being egg curry was not a part of this thali. Instead, there was another mutton dish - Mutton Keema. Loaded with all goodness of mutton,  this is a thali for a true mutton lover with an appetite.

In between the first visit and posting this review, I visited this place again and this time I tried the 'Gala chicken and mutton thali'. This thali comes will a delicious chicken gravy, the ever lovely mutton curry and the usual like egg curry, Tambda rassa, Pandhra rassa, Sol Kadhi, masala rice and a slice of onion and lime. The chicken was very well cooked and succulent. It went very well with the spicy gravy it came in and was a delight to eat with the chapatis served.

Verdict:

With 2 visits made thus far to Suryawanshi, I have enjoyed every bit of the meal here and I know there are going to be many more visits. The ambiance is really simple with nothing much to write about. Located on the 2nd floor of Santosh towers very close to Sathya Sai Hospital, this place surely is a delight for the non-vegetarians.

The egg thali starts at Rs. 110, the chicken and mutton thalis start at Rs 210 and go up to Rs. 370 which is the cost of a fully loaded 'Splendid Gala Mutton Thali'. The meal here is definitely full filling and satisfying. 

Quick Tips:

If you love Maharasthrian food, this is the place to visit in Bangalore and if you haven't tried this cuisine yet, Suryawanshi is the place I'd recommend you to visit. 

PS: I'm in love with this cuisine and would like to explore more of it in Bangalore until I make a travel to Maharashtra. If you know of places in Bangalore to visit for Maharashtrian food, do drop in a comment below.

Address: 2nd Floor, Santosh Tower, EPIP Industrial Area, Whitefield, Bangalore 560066
Landmark: Near EPIP Busstop

Phone Number: +91 97380 19048

Kempegowda International Airport - An Experience, Bangalore

I have always loved the elegance of the Bangalore Airport - KIAL (Kempegowda International airport. The glass ceiling makes way for all natural light during the day while the nights are well lit, unlike various airports when the lighting just seems inconsistent.In numerous visits what has worked for me is the spaciousness, the lighting (both natural and generated) and the cleanliness.

This view only got renewed when I got the privilege of spending a day at the airport, exploring the new offerings that are now in place for a discerning traveler. For this specific day, the corporate office of KIAL organized for journalist passes which provided us with special access to the airport terminal. We did get through special lines meant for the airport crew and team but I must make a mention that, "At no point in time was the security compromised. We did go through the same elaborate security check process as would anyone at KIAL."

Post its inauguration in May 2008, the airport recently underwent an expansion to increase its capacity to support 18 million passengers per year. With this expansion, KIAL has not only achieved increase in capacity but has also given travelers numerous reasons to arrive in early to the airport and spend time experiencing a wide array of services that have now been introduced. 

For travelers with lots of time on hand:

On the international departure side of the airport, 'Bar 380' is the new and swanky bar. It offers the best of views of the one and only airport runway and the Bangalore landmark 'Nandi Hills'. The name 'Bar 380 Degrees' is an ode to the first A-380 which is expected to make its first landing at the Bangalore airport in the near future. Going by the theme, the menu presented is in the form of a passport with a lovely listing of international food and beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic). I tried the 'BIAL French fries', 'Bruschetta', 'fish and chips' and a lovely 'fresh watermelon juice. My pick of the lot was the good old 'Fish and Chips' and the fresh watermelon juice. Pricing here definitely intrigues me as it busts the age old myth that, "Pricing at airports are really unreasonable and sky high."

Clockwise from the top: Menu for the day, Coaster and Passport style menu at Bar 380

Sampler Platter

Known to have one of the highest international traffic in the country, the airport has a fabulous duty free shop which boasts of a lovely collection of duty free goods like alcohol, perfumes and a lot more at prices better than US, Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong airport; to name a few. If your question is - Did I get to buy liquor from the duty free shop? My answer is  - 'No, as a boarding pass is mandatory'. But, how I wish....

Unlike most airports, the emphasis here is on serving freshly prepared food and beverages to travelers. Keeping this in mind, in addition to 'Bar 380' KIAL has also introduced 3 other restaurants - 'Noodle Bar', '7 Tawas' and 'Malgudi Tiffin Center'. '7 Tawas' offers North Indian food like samosa chaat, kathi rolls and more while 'Noodle Bar' offer Chinese food where one gets to assemble their own noodles for instance. At both these restaurants, you get to see the food being prepared right in front of you. 

When can you grab a grub? Anytime of the day or night - It operates round the clock.

Masala Chaas @ 7 Tawas

Chicken Tikka Kathi Roll

Busy work schedules sometimes allow no time for a relaxed spa treatment in the regular course of life. So when at the airport with time available before your flight takes off, it might be a good idea to indulge in a relaxing spa treatment at the O2 spa.

O2 Spa

By this time, it felt like I wouldn't be able to eat anymore. But the signature offering at the airport - 'Malgudi Tiffin Center' (MTC) was yet to be visited. Located on the domestic side of the terminal, this restaurant has a feel of the refurbished house shown in RK Laxman's 'Malgudi days'. Specializing in the cuisine of South India's Coastline covering Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, this restaurant is a must visit for its sheer delicacies. 

The food arrived and I was all hungry again. A look at the thali and I knew 'It was a trap!' - 'A food trap'; a plate full of food that looked downright delicious. I got to try the 'Gongura Kodi (Chicken)', 'Mangalore Fish Curry' and 'Mutton Varutharacha Curry' with an assortment of accompaniments like 'Malabar Paratha, 'kallappam', 'iddiappam', 'sannas' and 'rice'. Suddenly, I couldn't stop eating for its sheer deliciousness. For dessert there was 'Palada Payasam' and the meal was finally rounded off with a glass full of 'cold badam milk'.

Non-Vegetarian Thali

Vegetarian Thali

MTC opens early at 5:30 AM for breakfast and operates all through till 10:30 PM serving and catering to travelers delicious courses of meals. A breakfast and any other meal at MTC will cost around Rs. 350 and Rs. 900  plus taxes for two, respectively. Totally worth the experience.

For travelers with not much time on hand:

The airport very thoughtfully has also set up express counters at both - international and domestic sections of the airport terminal. For continental stuff, there is 'Urban Food Market' which serves pastries, sandwiches, pizzas, burgers and more. It's an apt outlet for those who want something quick - to go.

For the Indian fare there is Malgudi Tiffin Express where you can 'Grab-N-Go' some south Indian delicacies like pakodas, bajjis, rice varieties, some tea or coffee; makes for a perfect accompaniment and an easy way to kill time on flight.

For the non-travelers:
Are you visiting the airport only because you love to drive down the best road in Bangalore? Yes, the very same newly opened stretch of road between Hebbal to the airport? Then there is a lot of grub for you as well - CCD, Cafe Noir, Hatti Kappi, subway and more. And guess what! For all of this stuff, you just need a parking space for your vehicle. No air ticket or no boarding pass required. Again, open round the clock. :)

Signing off:

Non-Travelers - Enjoy your drive and some grub available outside the airport complex.

Travelers - Bon Voyage! And, do include the airport experiences in your travel itinerary .

Address: Terminal 1 of Kempegowda International Airport

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

Bharawan Da Dhaba, Amritsar

I was in Amritsar for just a day and had just 2 things in my to do list during this visit:
1) Pray (@ Darbar Sahib/golden temple)
2) Eat (@ Bharawan da Dhaba)

In this space, I will share my experience of dining at Bharawan da dhaba.

Being on a family holiday, 8 of us went to Bharawan da Dhaba which is located in the very much accessible - Town Hall area of Amritsar. The restaurant serves only vegetarian food and seems quite familiar because the taxi driver took us right there with just a mention of the Bharawan da dhaba.

The restaurant has a small entrance which was really crowded with people walking in and out of the restaurant. On entering the restaurant, I saw the restaurant's large hall packed with family, couples, and foreigners to full capacity. 

Menu:
Within a few minutes of being seated, we were presented with menu cards. Needless to say, the menu was filled with the rich and tempting Punjabi food options.

What we ate:

Being in Punjab, it is hard not to get tempted to try the paneer, chole and dal makhni. To devour all of this, we decided to call for a special veg thali which also included boondi raita, salad, rice, pickle, papad and 2 lacchha parathas. The paneer, chole and dal makhni were excellent and the portions too were well sufficient for the accompaniments. The lacchha parathas were hot and fresh from the tandoor loaded with butter on top. It was not only delicious to eat but also a delight to watch the paratha with butter smothered over it. Boondi raita was loved so much that we called for additional portions of it.

A meal in Punjab is best accompanied by sweet lassi and the one served here was very nice and refreshing. Unfortunately, I could not get hold of the glass for a picture.

There is nothing better than a sweet ending. My search for a perfect phirni ends here. It was served just the way I always wished to eat it - cold, in a small disposable vessel made of clay, nice thick paste like consistency, garnish of some dry fruits. Perfect! 

Verdict:
Indeed a very satisfying meal.

The service was very nice and polite. In spite of being full house, the service was brisk, food served was fresh and hot. Even better, repeat orders were entertained with a smile. The atmosphere was really nice, comfortable and relaxed with a nice mix of crowd.

An average meal for 2 here which includes a couple of thalis, lassis and dessert is very pocket friendly and will cost anywhere between Rs. 500 to Rs. 700.

Ohh and Yes.. 

The food here was loved so much that one of our meat lover (who planned to eat non-veg for another meal in Amritsar) said, “If I get such amazing vegetarian food to eat, I don’t mind skipping the plan to eat non-vegetarian food in Amritsar.”

Address: Town Hall, Amritsar

Phone Number: 0813 2532575