Cocktails with Shatbhi Basu @ Harry's, Bangalore

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

It was two evenings back to back when I got to meet Shatbhi Basu. On the first, it was an evening when Shatbhi introduced us to American Whiskeys and on the next evening, it as an introduction to the signature cocktails of the recently opened Harry's . Yes, the very same Harry's; one of the most popular bar from Singapore opened doors in Bangalore on Indiranagar's bustling location - 100 FT road. 

The evening started with us munching on some starters which included Margarita Pizza, Thai Chicken Pizza, Wasabi Paneer, Spicy Potato Chilli and Fried Lollypop Singapore Style. Of these the Thai Chicken pizza and the Wasabi Paneer was a big hit for its innovation. I tried some vegetarian stuff and liked the potato chilli starter and the classic margarita pizza. 

As we munched on some starters, we also got set to witness India's most renowned mixologist and beverage consultant Shatbhi Basu create some of the most famous cocktails that trail down all the way from Harry's Singapore. 

Coming from the legacy of Singapore, the first drink we witnessed being concocted was the ever famous Singapore Sling. This blush pink drink is a gin based cocktail and was originally know as 'Gin Sling' before getting its current name 'Singapore Sling'. This cocktail served on ice nicely brought out the flavor of gin, cherry, pineapple, lime and vermouth; some of the key ingredients.

The next drink was quite interesting. It was a tequila based drink which gets its prime flavors from pineapple and bell pepper chunks which were muddled and shaken with the other ingredients. I loved the complex flavors of this spicy and mildly sweet drink. Oh! What is it called? 'Pineapple & Bell Pepper Margarita'

The other cocktails that we tried on this evening were 'Harry's Old Fashioned' and 'Caramel Popcorn Matini'. 'Caramel Popcorn Martini' was a nice twist to the age old classic caramel popcorn. It had a lovely balance of flavors and vodka. 

Harry's Old Fashioned is a twist to the classic. The recipe is again flown down from Harry's Singapore where this was originally made at first. For me what gives a kick about this drink is the Cinnamon sugar rim with orange zest.

While this event was more about the mixology session with some good starters keeping company, I'd definitely want to revisit Harry's to be able to try some of their signature food which includes their Fish N' Chips, Nachos and the likes.

Address: No. 2006, First Floor, H.A.L. 2nd Stage, 100 FT Road, Indiranagar, Bangalore

Celebration of Taste - Dum Pukht Jolly Nabobs @ ITC Windsor, Bangalore

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

It was an evening of indulgence, elegance, a celebration of taste and a salute to the Royal whiskey - Royal Salute 21 YO whiskey. An evening hosted by Virender Razdan and orchestrated by Sandeep Arora, a whiskey connoisseur and a pioneer / director of Spiritual Luxury living; this evening was nothing short of extravagance and royal repasts.

Sandeep Arora

An evening that was a curtain-raiser to the month long celebration of taste. It is a pairing of food and Royal Salute 21 YO whiskey midst a treatment bench-marked alongside the treatment at a king's table.

Joining in this celebration of taste is a fabulous menu specially crafted to comprise of the best of Dum Pukht Jolly Nabobs. Yes, a set menu that has a lot on offer for both the vegetarians and non-vegetarians. This menu of indulgence wonderfully pairs with the ultra rich and smooth Royal Salute 21 YO. 

Yes, Royal Salute 21 YO... 

Moving on to the food, first off - I was a vegetarian on the given day so my write up involves multiple dimensions. One being savoring the food myself (Vegetarian), second being my previous experience of dining at Dum Pukht Jolly Nabobs - ITC Windsor, ITC Hotels and reactions of the diners on my table (Non-Vegetarians). So here's to an evening of indulgence:

It started with delicious kabobs - 'Dudiya kabab' and 'Khus Khus kabab' for vegetarians and 'Jingha Dum Nisha' and 'Kakori Kabab' for non-vegatarians. 'Dudiya Kabab' was potato, herbs, nuts stuffed between 2 slices of melt in mouth cottage cheese. Khus Khus kabob was flavourful patty of veggies and poppy seeds. Both these preparations came plated along side mint chutney, salad and Indian bread.

In non-vegetarian, I saw diners relish the signature dishes of Dum Pukht - 'Jhinga Dum Nisha' and the  ever gracious 'Kakori Kababs'. For 'Kakori Kabab' my belief is that, "If you haven't eaten it at Dum Pukht then you haven't eaten a Kakori Kabab'

For mains, it was (1) 'Qasar-E-Pukhtan' - Paneer cubes in rich gravy of tomato puree, fenugreek and cream; (2) 'Dum Ki Khumb' - a  mushroom dish which again was a delicious gravy. Yes, I don't enjoy mushrooms and hence it was the gravy for me that worked wonders.

As non-vegetarians can we ask for more? There was the ever fabulous 'Mahi Dum Anari' - a preparation in pomegranate sauce and fish stock. What always gets ensured is that the flavors of the sauce do not overpower that of the fish. The one dish I have not tasted before is the 'Murgh Rezala' - succulent pieces of boneless chicken in a rich gravy of onions and almonds. I didn't try this but there surely was a buzz around this preparation.

The whole meal is no less than any extravagant affair. What the vegetarians and non-vegetarians have in common in their menu is the 'Subz Miloni', 'Dal Dum Pukht Qureshi', Guncha-O-Keema with an assortment of flakya and Ajwain flavoured Warqi Paratha, tandoori paratha and more. More about this can be read Here.

A meal at 'Dum Pukht Jolly Nabobs' can never be complete without a serving of biryani and some decadent  desserts. Flavorful and aromoatic veg biryani for me and the rest of the table was served the super delicious and my all time favourite 'Dum Pukht Biryani' - a preperation of twice cooked lamb and full of flavor rice.

Dessert had 'Kulfi-Labe-Mashook' and the unconventional  'Begum's Pudding'. Served along with fruits soaked in honey in the form of a Popsicle. It made for a perfect end to a meal that's really royal in its stature and memorable for a long time to come. Absolutely loved the Begum's Pudding, it sure is a dessert that will always make it to my table in every visit I make.

This complete meal paired with a Royal Salute 21 YO comes at a price of Rs. 4000 (Vegetarian) and Rs. 4500 (Non-Vegetarian) plus taxes and charges. 

Do I even need to conclude? Well, needless to say, "On any day, I love dining at Dum Pukht Jolly Nabobs - the Lucknawi restaurant at ITC Windsor." And with this month long (On till 15th July) celebration  - 'Renaissance of Royal Repasts', it's time to pamper yourself on the King's Table. It's a table where indulgence, exquisiteness, extravagance and elegance keep you company in the form of fabulous food, champagne to begin with and a pairing of Royal Salute 21 YO whiskey for the rest of your evening.

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

Phone Number: +91 80 2226 9898

"In a Shell" - Seafood Festival @ Bene, Sheraton at Brigade Gateway, Bangalore

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

My love for the food at Bene has been quite evident in the previous blogpost(s) made. My visits here have been frequent and have continued to enjoy the food coming out of Chef Hemanth's kitchen. What appeals to me about Bene is the sophisticated and elegant ambiance, wonderful service and the consistently great food being dished out in each of my visits.

In my most recent visit early this week, I went on to explore the new menu at Sheraton that has been crafted for the ongoing festival 'In a Shell'. This 10 day long sea food festival boasts of dishing out exotic offerings from the oceanic life in a traditional Italian form. The menu is is not extensive but apt for a 10 day festival which is on till June 25th, 2014.

Our evening started off with the traditional serving of bread and spreads, a customary beginning at Bene. Keeping us company was a wonderful Australian red wine from Jacobs Creek. Over the course of dinner, I switched to a white wine by 'Two Oceans' from South Africa. 

Our  food course started with Anti-Pasti, 'Duo of Bruschetta' - One being slow poached prawn with a fresh cherry tomato and the other being steamed crab meat with pickled onion. Both were really nice but for me it was the steamed crab meat bruschetta that provided a kick-start to an evening of deliciousness. The meat was sweet and perfectly steamed to a melt in mouth consistency. The bread though was too thick for my liking. Meat as is but a slightly thinner bread would have made for a perfect marriage rather bruschetta.

Prawns Bruschetta

Crab Meat Bruschetta

Oysters in its raw form are the most commonly eaten form of oysters. In this form, you will either love it or totally hate it. Here, it was 'Oysters "Reinvented"', yes the name of the dish. It was fried oysters with agrodolce, fennel, onion and peppers. It was not slimy as I expected raw oysters to be but of course these were fried and not raw. I will probably have to eat more of it to really write more about it. 

Primo - For me the highlight of the evening was clearly the 'Seafood Chowder'. This was still the second course and I had made up my mind already. It was all fragrant and delicious bowl of earthy tomato base seafood broth with fresh clams, mussels, prawns and crab meat. Actually, I also remember seeing squid rings. I could have made a complete meal of just this one course which I will do on my next visit before the festival comes to an end.

Secondo - In the mains, my pick was 'Lobster, Asparagus & Pasta' which was a delicious looking open faced lobster ravioli with asparagus, vilted spinach and zucchini sauce. The lobster was perfectly cooked and was really easy to cut and melted in the mouth with no effort at all; clearly a preparation with a lot of love and care. The lobster came together very well with the pasta and the zucchini sauce which was of a wonderful consistency. What didn't work for me and and some friends on the table was the overpowering asparagus which actually killed the smooth and subtle flavors of this dish. Without the asparagus this dish is a clean sweep.

On the table, was another main which got rave reviews 'Smoky Pasta and mussels'. An innovation form the kitchen, the pasta was smoked and served with clams, mussels and crab meat in a tomato and basil sauce. As I dug into this, the smoke flavor was really clear and comes through very well. The seafood in it brought in a nice balance and texture to the dish. While many loved this dish, for me it was the Lobster ravioli that did the trick.

Smoky Pasta with Mussels - Shared between a couple of us for tasting

Dolce time: It was 'Walnut & almond tart' which came served with a scoop of Vanilla ice cream. I dont enjoy nuts in my dessert and this tart was too nutty for me. So for me this was a 'No'. For you? Well, I must tell you it was really rich and gooey though. So, if you like nuts, this one will sure please you.

A lovely coffee is a perfect and befitting end to a lovely Italian meal. So 'Cappuccino' it was.

Bene and award-winning restaurant by Sheraton at Brigade Gateway needs no introduction and especially if you have been following my blog or the FaceBook page, you know it all. As for the seafood festival, its delicious, is different in its offering and definitely a lot more that a mere fish festival. What impresses me is the pricing which is clearly the standard pricing of the regular menu at Bene. Yes, the prices here are not jacked up just because it is seafood festival yet, as one would expect from a brand like Sheraton - freshest of the seafood is procured each and every day. 

An average meal for two at Bene will cost about Rs. 2500 plus taxes and charges. It is definitely worth it and I urge you to go give this limited period menu a shot. 

So what are you waiting for? 25th June is the last day...

Address: 4th Floor, Sheraton @ Brigade Gateway, 26/1, Dr. Rajkumar Road, Malleshwaram - Rajajinagar, Bangalore - 560055

Phone Number: +91 80 4252 1000

An evening of fine American Whiskeys & Cocktails - @Vivanta By Taj, Bangalore

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

Being an ardent fan of the famous TV series - 'Two and a Half Men', I have always been curious to explore the range of Bourbon whiskeys. Not being well versed in this segment of beverages but always willing to try new stuff, I was looking forward to attending an evening of discovering fine American Whiskeys. It was an evening hosted by 'The Distilled Spirits Council of United States' (in short - DISCUS). The session was highly interactive and was led by India's Ace mixologist, beverage consultants and Indian American Whiskey Ambassador - Shatbhi Basu.

Over the rest of the evening I learnt some really interesting stuff about whiskeys and of course also went through an elaborate tasting session of some Bourbons from Kentucky and Tennessee.

Interesting Facts: Like the rest of the world, I was amazed to learn that Bourbon has been recognized as a distinctive American product and has also been included in the constitution of United States of America in the year 1964. Being recognized by the American constitution, this whiskey has certain legalities to follow to be identified and termed as Bourbon. Some of these being:

 - American made

 - Barrel: Aged in new charred oak barrel

 - Content: the grain mixture must contain at least 51% corn

 - Distillation: not more than 160 proof

 - Entered into the barrel for aging at not more than 125 proof or 62.5% alcohol by volume

 - There's a lot more..

Whiskey Tasting:

The whiskey tasting began with 'Jim Beam White Label' - a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey which is aged for 4 years and has a high content of Rye in the grain mix. This whiskey was sweet on the nose, exuded flavors of vanilla, toasted oak and spices on the palate and left a long finish which was a melange of spices, pepper and a hint of sweetness. I personally enjoyed the 'finish' of this whiskey.

Interesting Facts: Considering only new barrels are used for ageing, what happens once the barrels are made use off? They are sold to distilleries around the world for ageing other whiskeys.

'Jim Beam Black Triple Aged' - again a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is one of the most recognizable  labels. It is aged for 6 years and has a nice caramel like color. On the palate it is silky smooth and shares flavors of butterscotch honey and dried fruits.

Interesting Facts: Whiskey matures and gets its character from the oak barrel it is stored in. Barrels are toasted to pull sugar to the surface and charring further turns sugar into dark caramel.

The third whiskey was 'Maker's Mark' a fruity and rich drink. The drink was really smooth with flavors of spiced honey, butterscotch, vanilla and of course the primary toasty oak. What I loved the most about this drink is the sweet and smooth finish with no burning sensation left behind. This comes as a result of the rye being replaced with red winter wheat. Post the tasting I have this drink included on list of purchases.

Interesting Facts: The degree of charring actually reflects in the color and flavor of the whiskey.

'Woodford Reserve' is known to be a great ingredient in the famous classic 'Old Fashioned cocktail'. This was a very well balanced whiskey with hints of tobacco, mint, leather (Yes! Leather) and surely more. The finish was warm, spicy (coming from hint of black pepper) and long.

Thus far, we tasted whiskeys from the distilleries of Kentucky. Now, we move on to the whiskeys from Tennessee. Speak of Tennessee whiskey and the first to come to mind is most often Jack Daniel's, in short known as JD. From this brand we tasted 3 products each having characters of its own.

Interesting Facts: Per the 1964 constitutional recognition, any whiskey produced in US with the required set guidelines was catgeorised as Bourbon and JD fit the Bourbon bill too.

Having been filtered through 10 feet of sugar-maple charcoal, a top seller from JD; 'Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey' impresses you with its sweet and slightly smokey aroma. Not stopping at that, this drink is really smooth on the palate with flavours of banana and caramel clearly evident.

With a double filtration process through sugar-maple charcoal, Gentleman Jack is a really mellow and smooth drink and a classier counterpart of the classic 'Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey'. This whiskey is smokier than its counterpart classic with hint of vanilla toffee and some spices.

Interesting Facts: All American Whiskeys meeting the required Bourbon criteria are not necessarily Bourbons. At least, Tennessee whiskey producers claim that Lincoln County Process where the whiskey is filtered through sugar-maple charcoal is a key differentiator between Bourbons (Kentucky Whiskey) and Tennessee Whiskey.

Coming to the last of the whiskeys we tasted is the legendary 'Jack Daniel's Silver Select' which has been on my list of purchases to be made. I love this whiskey for its nice christmas cake like fruity flavors. A lovely marriage of spices and sweetness, this drink has a long and spicy finish.

Cocktails:

American whiskeys are lovely to drink up on the rocks or straight; they also make for a great ingredient in cocktails like Whiskey Sour and the likes or the simple mix of bourbon and ginger-ale. On this evening, Shatbhi concocted two wonderful cocktails; one was the 'Twisted Whiskey Sour' and the other was Choco-nut madness. 

Twisted whiskey sour was a very refreshing cocktail with bourbon as the base and came topped with a couple of drops of the wonderful and fragrant 'Angostura Bitters'. Since good things are to be shared, follow me on twitter (www.twitter.com/nkandhari or @nkandhari) where I will shortly be sharing with you the essentials to make this simple cocktail at home.  

Natasha says, "anything that contains peanut butter has to be so very good." I agree with her and what a lovely cocktail 'Choco-nut Madness was. It did get its share of repeats and in my view this made for a perfect dessert cocktail. Again, twitter is where I will share this goodness, so don't forget to follow me.

Verdict:

A great evening spent with friends learning about and sipping on some fine American Whiskeys. At the end of this session, I know I'm gonna attempt to make the above 2 cocktails and also include the following whiskeys in my home bar collection - 

- Jim Beam White Label

- Maker's Mark

- Jack Daniel's Silver Select (Well, I always wanted this one)

Joining in with DISCUS to spread the word - Drink Responsibly.. Cheers!!!

Tiffin Box etc, Bangalore

Working in Whitefield, Many of us are in a lookout for a quick meal and buffet lunches fit the bill for the following few reasons:

- No hassle of reading through the menu, 

- Waiting for the food to arrive post preparation,

- Covers various meal courses.

What becomes difficult is to find the right balance between spread and pricing. Most of the times, the spread is too large for what can be enjoyed in a quick meal or the pricing is too high for the spread that is being offered. 

Being in close vicinity, I decided to give 'Tiffin Box Etc' located inside 'In Orbit Mall' a shot and must say, "I am happy to have dined there." It is a fast paced restaurant offering delicacies from various regions of India. The emphasis lays on the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western specialties represented by major cities of the regions. In addition it also has a focus on Brimingham which is famous for Chicken Tikka Masala.

Menu:

Tiffin Box Etc boasts of being the first of its kind restaurant that offers novelty tiffin box options like Bangalore Tiffin Box, Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi tiffin boxes on the menu. Each of these boxes contains delicacies specific to the respective regions. In addition this, there is a fair listing of A-La Carte selections and a lunch buffet that offers diners a fair spread at decent prices.

What We Ate:

We mostly focused on the buffet but also called for two of the tiffin boxes to get an idea of the offerings in it. The lunch buffet available Monday to Friday, includes a fairly sufficient spread of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. This spread includes a soup, a few salads, pickles, an appetizer each for both the vegetarians and non-vegetarians, mains, breads, rice and desserts.

Like always, my focus remains on the non-vegetarian food but based on the recommendation of my friends on the table, I tried the soup of the day, some papdi chaat and moongfalli vada from the buffet.

On the non-vegetarian front, I relished 'Chicken Tikka' - an appetizer was a nicely marinated boneless preparation from the tandoor. It was soft, juicy, succulent and went very well with mint chutney.

In the mains, it was 'Chicken Kohlapuri', 'Mutton Korma' that were delicious and were best enjoyed with fresh and hot butter naan which is served on the table.

Desserts offered on the buffet were blueberry cheese, caramel custard and butterscotch ice cream. Simple yet classic offerings. My favorite of the lot was the butterscotch ice-cream and the caramel custard.

While this was all about the buffet, in between we also tried a vegetarian Delhi and non-vegetarian Kolkata tiffin box. The Delhi tiffin had paneer butter masala while the Kolkata thali offered 'Kosho Mongsho Mutton' in the mains in addition to the rice, chapatti, yellow dal and gulab jamun which come with every tiffin. 

I absolutely loved the Kolkata signature; tender mutton in the 'Kosho Mongsho'.The flavor of the mustard with the other spices was bang on. The food was very much like home cooked food and the portions in the tiffin box were more than sufficient for two (may be with a side call of a few more chapatis).

Available on the a-la carte menu, the Nalli Nihari was another wonderful preparation from the kitchen of Tiffin Box Etc. Slow cooked mutton fell of the bone effortlessly and the gravy was rich in flavor. This makes for a delicious meal in the company of steaming hot white rice.

Verdict:

The buffet was really nice and did not go overboard in terms of the spread. Having said this, "I'd have loved to round of my mains with a serving or two of chicken or mutton biryani which apparently was not on the buffet that given day." Being an ardent lover of biryani, for me this was the only negative point in the buffet spread. The a-la carte presents some interesting dishes and the tiffin box concept is really nice and makes for a nice fixed meal menu for 2 in the company of some additional phulkas or chapati.

The ambiance is very simple yet very attractive with a lot of wall art, tiffin box lighting and more setting or representing the whole theme of TiffinBox etc. Very thoughtfully placed is a take away counter on the food court side of the restaurant where folks can do a quick grab and go lunch.

The buffet is priced well at Rs. 350 and an average a-la care meal for 2 will cost anywhere about Rs. 750 both exclusive of taxes and charges.

Quick Tips:

- Buffet is a great option for a quick meal with a nice spread to keep you content. 

- A-La Carte is available only for dinners on weekdays and both lunch and dinner on weekends. 

- Tiffin box is a great concept and the portions are large enough to share between two.

- Stay tuned to hear about the door delivery service of the TiffinBox meal...

- The counter in the food court is a nice option for a 'Grab N Go' meal.

Address: 1st Floor, In Orbit Mall, EPIP Industrial Area, Whitefield, Bangalore 560066

Phone Number: +91 80 2802 9599

High on 'HIGH Ultra Lounge', Bangalore

Lets say, "you are high on an altitude of 421FT.."

Lets say, "It is the tallest commercial building of South India.."

Lets say, "sippin' on some fantastic cocktails straight from GuruPrashanth's bar.."

Lets say, "Enjoyin' a fabulous Pan-Asian meal under the starry sky.."

Nice thought!!! Isn't it? Okay.. This is exactly what I want you to experience...

Never mind if you have missed the Signature lounge in Chicago or the famous rooftop lounge in Mumbai; there is something better that Brigade Group has to offer - HIGH Ultra Lounge. Yes, located on the 39th storey of the Brigade World Trade Center, this place  is the highest point in south India and boasts of breathtaking views of the city, the sunset and more. An open roof top, glass walls all around make HIGH a perfect place to celebrate the weather of Bangalore.

Menu:

A new menu has been introduced and is very impressive in terms of its offerings. It boasts of grills, hot and cold appetizers, salads, soups, sushi and maki, mains, desserts and more. Of course there is a special menu for beverages both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. This menu comes in after much thought and research transitioning from a smaller select menu. This new menu spans from from various countries across the length and breadth of Asia making the menu itself a delicious read. A preview of this menu resulted in a joyous evening with spouse, blogger friends and the team and people responsible for High Ultra Lounge.

What We Ate:

As we entered we were welcomed by a drink called 'Why GOA' by mixologist Guru. This drink gets its name from Guava being the key ingredient and for some Pun intended. It was a refreshing one topped with some pickles and pepper for the taste.

As we sipped our drink, we walked around and took a tour of the venue. While doing so, I learnt - High is segmented into 4 sections; each suiting ones own needs. Here, I write about 'High Mix' - As the name suggests; it is a section of HIGH from where the DJ swings some music, Guru and team mix some of the best cocktail concoctions and also where one get to mix with the crowd.

We spent our early evening here with Guru taking charge of his bar from the other side of the counter. He and his team in no time presented to us the first cocktail of the evening - 'Walk the talk'. A whisky based cocktail which also involved the use of house made bitters. A sip and we were all in love with this cocktail. Unlike many other whiskey based cocktails, this one did a fantastic job of retaining the flavors of the whiskey and also brought in an added smokiness to the drink. The secret behind this was the bitters used were smoked over a period of time.

Right on, I was not leaving the bar counter. I only looked forward to more from the other side. Next was Guru's Love Portion - A brilliant twist to the classic 'Cosmo' with Carbon-dioxide infused into the drink through special shakers called all the way from New York City. This drink is so very fresh and out of the world. What's equally interesting, if not more is the making of the cocktail. Easily the best cocktail of the evening.

And in no time we get our third cocktail which was more like a cocktail dessert. It came topped with foam and silver crystal balls. A delight to drink and definitely worth having a round off.

Before we moved to the next section, we got a sneak-peak into the kitchen at HIGH where the chef was kind enough to allow us to take a shot at making our own Vietnamese Rice Paper wraps.

Soon, we were settled in the comforts of our table in HIGH Dine - a section dedicated for diners who love Pan-Asian cuisine and would love to eat in a beautiful outdoor setting; 421 feet above ground level. Once we settled down, it was a long session of conversations, loads of food and some more drinks.

There was a lot of sushi on the table. It was a medley of vegetarian and non-vegetarian sushi and maki with at least 4 in each category. I love sushi and it is a delight to begin a meal where the taste buds liven up from this wonderful preparation. Each was different in its own way and taste. What better accompaniment than Kikkoman soy, wasabi and pickled ginger?

Sesame cheese rolls were like spring rolls stuffed with philly cheese served with a dipping sauce of strawberries, jalepeno and peanut. The cheese was gooey and the outer crust of the roll gave a nice crunch to the preparation.

Moving on to dumplings, Puja enjoyed the 'Chinese Cabbage and Tofu Dumpling' and also the 'Pok Choy and Shittake Mushroom dumpling'. The mushroom dumpling specifically needs a mention as Puja; not a mushroom fan really enjoyed this dish. My love sea food always takes precedence over chicken. Yes, for me on the non-vegetarian front, Har Gau (prawn and bamboo shoots dim sum) takes the first spot for its sheer freshness and a light, jelly like; yet firm outer casing. Eat it hot to enjoy the true flavors of this dish. Chicken gyonza (chicken and shittake mushrooms) which was both steamed and pan fried followed close.

Diakon Soup was really light and nice on the palate. It was a Korean chili broth of fresh pineapples and vegetables like white radish and mushrooms. AS we sipped on more starters were in store.

This time around it was'Rock Shrimp Tempura', 'Stir Fried Chicken in Black Bean sauce' and Grilled Scallops with Pickled Plum'. The crunchy shrimp tempura was tossed in a house special Japanese spicy mayo and sichimi. The tempura remained crunchy and the sauce fabulously married with the tempura and shrimp. Best eaten hot, this dish I must say rocked my world.

Chicken stir fried in black bean sauce was succulent and delicious. I first decided to to savor this with the jasmine rice in the mains but one bite of it and I could resist finishing it up. Thank fully I did for there was a lots that came in the mains as well.

Grilled Scallops was a simple preparation and came topped with Japanese pickled plum and scallion. It not only tasted very good but was really well presented coming placed on a shell.

On to the mains, it was another fabulous food ride. We tried the 'Thai Green Curry',  'Long Beans in a Black Bean sauce', 'Assorted veggies in Sambal Oelek in vegetarian and 'San Bei Chicken', 'Steamed Fish with Ginger Scallions', 'Prawns with Asparagus' in non-vegetarian. All of this deliciousness was devoured with Japanese Steamed Rice. Eating all this in one evening at 421 feet above ground level of the Brigade WTC was like being in food heaven (Haven). While each of the dish was delicious but I have to make a hard choice to pick my favorite, it will have to be - the steamed fish dish, the prawns with asparagus and the Thai green curry.

It was not all, for dessert we had Tiramisu and Lemongrass ice cream. Of the two, I'd easily go with the lemongrass ice cream.

Verdict:

I'm in absolute love with the place, the food, the ambiance and of course the cocktails. the mix of indoor and outdoor spaces with different mood settings makes it a perfect destination for lounging, dining, partying and celebrating special occasions. I was here on a cloudy day and missed the views of the sunset. Hopefully, the weather plays sport and allows me to enjoy a drink in the company of good food the next time around.

A meal for two with a drink each will cost an average of Rs. 2500 + taxes and charges. To me its  neat pricing and a real value for the overall experience HIGH offers.

Quick Tips:

Make sure you focus on both food and drinks.. None of them can be ignored. The ambiance is fabulous and the Bangalore weather can surely be your best friend.

Address: 39th Floor, World Trade Center @ Brigade Gateway, Malleshwaram - Rajajinagar, Bangalore 560011

Phone Number: +91 80 4567 4567