Checked out the Smoked Meats Menu @ Plan b, Bangalore ?

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With guest for the day arriving and the beer and cocktails flowing in; Thashwin and Chef Daya were quick to get started with introducing the new menu of smoked meats. Meats Smoke the best and here on the menu is a lot of pork and chicken with some beef options as well. Most meats brined for over 24 hours, pork shoulders smoked for 8 hours, chicken smoked for 4.

Doing honours is the nachos with pulled pork and pulled chicken (2 different dishes). BBQ sauce was bloody good and the pork was clearly the preferred meat.

Smoked / grilled chicken wings came served on a board with the plan b signature garlic yogurt dip. The smoked chicken had the basic spice rub marinade and was grilled to perfection. This dish was addictive and we cleaned up numerous boards of chicken wings. I’m going back here for this for sure.

We merrily sipped on to our drinks and we knew our next course was the pulled pork burger and beef brisket burger. Considering we were on a tasting spree, we were served the pulled pork sliders and beef brisket sliders instead (No, sliders are not served on the menu). I don’t eat beef and having eaten the pulled pork burger before at Plan I looked forward to the dish. Today, it wasn’t the best I’ve eaten at Plan b but nonetheless I’d give the pulled pork burger a go again for it has been so very good previously.

Pulled Pork Slider (Read Burger)

For the next course - the mains, the griller was brought out and the meat was Pork Chops. The pork was fall of bone, well charred and glazed. Served with a side of mashed potato this was the highlight of the lunch meal.

From the mains, we also tried the smoked chicken topped with a sweet and sour sauce and with coleslaw on the side. The chicken had a lovely spice rub on it and the meat was succulent and perfectly done.

For the finale there was Smoked Ham and it arrived as a perfect show stopper - whole leg of pork beautifully glazed and was carved at our table for serving. Served to us in smaller portions was sliced ham basted with a Chili-Honey sauce with grilled veggies and choice of sides. The sauce was perfectly balanced and went really well on the ham. Meat was well done but I’d have liked it to be done medium rare. My pick of sides was the corn on the cob and a creamy and rich mac and cheese.

This lunch meal was on invite so we got to try most of the menu. When calling from the menu, you can either have - 

Mains ordered based on individual meat portions which comes with a side of choice

Or 

If you want to go all out you can hit the meat platter where you can choose 4 of the many preparations in meat and 3 sides of your choice. As usual, the portions are very generous so go hungry to enjoy a lovely meal.

This menu is offered in addition to the regular menu and while Plan b offers 1 + 1 on food for Zomato Gold members on the regular menu; this menu of Smoked Meats is exempt from Zomato Gold or any other 3rd party app offer. An average meal for two with a starter, 2 mains or a single platter of meat will cost around ₹ 1500 plus taxes and charges.

Do let me know what you tried and what you loved from the smoked meats menu? 

Address: Plan b, All Outlets - Brigade Road, Shantinagar, 12th Main, Indiranagar, Bengaluru

Phone Number: +91 888002 2737

Navroz Dronu at SodaBottleOpenerWala

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Navroz Bhonu is a feast of traditional Parsi food that the Parsi community / families feast on as they mark the start of a new year. At SBOW, there are 2 variants – Vegetarian and non-vegetarian and each can be upgraded to be enjoyed with unlimited cocktails and sangria. This Bombay-Irani café and bar from AD Singh and team was conceptualized to pay tribute to the Parsi community and to retain the dying legacy of the bustling, chaotic, quirky, colorful and eccentric Irani cafes of Mumbai. For the past 3 years, SodaBottleOpenerWala has been much adorned for being able to create the vibe a Bombay-Irani Café is known for.

Keeping with the tradition of Navroz / Parsi New Year, celebrated on August 17^th, marking the first day of the first month of the Iranian calendar, SBOW now offers the Navroz Bhonu till the 24^th August for both lunch and dinner. We got a sneak peak of the Navroz Dronu’ and here’s how it looked like:

The non-vegetarian Bhonu comes plated with mackerel fish fry, minced chicken pattice, Jardalu Ma Murgi, Mutton Pulav, Sarai, butter phulkas, Masala Ni Daal, classic kachumbari and a lovely Gajar Mewa Nu Aachaar. On the vegetarian bhonu, the non-vegetarian dishes are replaced with the likes of Vegetable cheese pattice, traditional Bhindi dish, Vegetable Pulav, and Patra Ni Paneer. Basically, what you get to feast on are traditional dishes and recipes which usually pass down through generations of Parsi families.

Non-Vegetarian Dronu

Vegetarian Dronu

While we awaited the arrival of our bhonu, we sipped on some mocktails and cocktails. In picture below is the lovely ‘Greater Than’ Gin based cocktail and the shikanjee (mocktail). What we also enjoyed was the classic Parsi drink ‘Raspberry Soda’ (no picture though).

The dronu with unlimited cocktails and Sangria comes prices well at Rs. 1200 plus taxes and charges which is a steal and the Navroz Drone without alcohol comes at Rs. 700 plus taxes and charges. Available for both lunch and dinner from August 10^th till the 24^th of August, go feast away the Parsi way while sipping on some of the unique cocktail recipes curated to go along with this wonderful Parsi cuisine.

When: August 10^th to August 24^th, 2018 – Lunch and Dinner

Wallet Factor: Rs. 700 ++ for the Bhonu; Rs. 1200 ++ for Bhonu with unlimited cocktails and Sangria

Address: 25/4, Lavelle Road, Opp. Harley Davidson Showroom, Bangalore

Contact: +91 70222 55299

Taste of Puglia - Straight from the heart @ Bene, Sheraton Grand Bangalore

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It's been a while since I've written about the food at Sheraton Grand Bangalore and is my first time I'm writing about the food at Chef Giuseppe's table. At the helm of Bene - the signature Italian restaurant; Chef Giuseppe hailing from Puglia is hosting a food festival showcasing the cuisine from his region placed in Southern parts of Italy. The food from here is rustic and earthy and Chef with his team at Bene left no stone unturned. Read on to know how the evening transpired.

As we took to our seats, our table was set up with breads baked in-house with the focaccia being a favorite. The texture of this bread was brilliant with a crispy outer shell and the airy centre. The flavor of extra virgin olive oil was evident and was a perfect accompaniment to every course of the meal. Hard to imagine an Italian meal without breads.

Olives were imported from Italy and were stuffed with either capers or almonds. The wine for the evening was from the Grover's produce. I generally love red wine and hence stuck to the Grover Shiraz. Must say, "I'm quite turning into a fan of their wine produce off late." The wine paired wonderfully with the food and before this could be concluded the olives paired with the wine did really enhance the wine experience.

Moving on, soon arrived the 'Bruschetta Pugliese' (missing picture) which was assembled to offer the sweetness of the cherry tomatoes, saltiness from the sun-dried tomato, pepper notes from the young arugula. This married brilliantly with the extra virgin olive oil and shaved parmesan drizzle; all topped on perfectly toasted Puglia bread. There was also 'Panzerotti Pugliese' fried mini folded pizzas stuffed with burrito cheese, tomato and basil. These were mini parcels of good ness reiterating the saying, "Good things come in small packages."

'Caprese Alla Barese' can easily make a comforting and satiating meal. The flavors and textures of the ingredients of this cold salad were a treat to the palate. This dish comprised of Bocconcini mozzarella, fresh basil pesto and sundries tomato tossed with extra virgin olive oil, fresh oregano and drizzle of Modena balsamic Vinegar. Most Italian restaurants offer this salad and so does Bene at Sheraton on its regular menu. But this preparation was an excellent representation of the region Chef hails from and by far the best I've had.

Each course that arrives had higher expectations to beat and the next one at task was 'Ciambotto' a seafood soup which includes the catch of the day cooked in bisque and fish stock and served with the Focaccia dipped in it. The flavors were earthy; sorry oceanic, the texture rich and I was a happy foodie again realising why I've loved Bene through these years.

'Orecchiette Alla Ragu' is a home made pasta originating from the Puglia region. This comes tossed in 48 hours slow cooked lamb ragout and pecorino cheese. I loved the bite that this pasta provided, the ragout it was tossed in and the slow cooked lamb was succulent and packed with flavor as a result. I swept this clean with no guilt what so ever.

The main course was plated with - (1) 'Branzino in Costa Di Palate' - a Chilean sea bass fish topped with potato crust placed on a bed of cherry tomato asparagus and garden salad. (2) 'Zucchine Al Tonno' - Zucchini stuffed with tuna capers and garlic. Both had a brilliant flavor profile but for me; of the two the Chilean sea bass stole the show for its simplicity in preparation, the perfect balance in cooking the fish and the accompanying salad and the cherry tomatoes clearly elevated the experience of eating this fish.

Next course was the final one and was the dessert. 'Biscotti di Mandorla' made and appearance. This was a warm South Italian short bread tart stuffed with home made nutella and came topped with again a homemade Mascarpone cheese ice cream'. While the table was filled with discussions during each course for their sheer excellence; during this it was a silent heavenly abode. No words were needed for the silence as everyone clean swept their plates spoke it all. I'm no dessert fan and I left no trace of this dessert on my plate.

So if you've been following me on my social media channels you'd have seen the buzz around this dinner already which has been pleasing dinners since 4th November. While this comes to an end as I write these lines, let me tell you this is clearly a reminder that Bene stands out as my go to restaurant in the city for excellent Italian food and hospitality and also a restaurant I will time and again recommend you to hit for a fantastic experience. 

The best way to experience it all is to go in for a 6 course experiential dining that was offered on the menu for Rs 2000 + taxes and charges. Absolutely worth the price and for those who wanted to go the a la carte way, a special menu was on offer with lots to choose from for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. 

While this festival may have run through the duration planned for, this review only clearly hints that Sheraton will only work again towards going beyond the expectations this food festival has already set. So while I look forward to more meals here, do watch this space for upcoming food promotions and festivals.

Quick Tip:

When you are at Bene and you happen to catch Chef Giuseppe, let yourself in his hands and he will walk you through an experience you will remember for a long time to come.

Address: Bene, Sheraton Grand Bangalore at Brigade Gateway, 26/1, Dr. Rajkumar Road, Malleshwaram - Rajajinagar, Bangalore - 560055

Phone Number: +91 80 4252 1000

Food Festival: An Essence of Chettinad @ Sheraton Grand Bangalore

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It was Day 01 of the Marriott - Starwood Merger and Yes, I was there :)

We kicked off our evening at Sheraton experiencing the in season Oktober Fest menu; buts that's for another post. Fast forwarding the evening to when Chef Sabari with all enthusiasm walked us to our table at feast to experience the food festival close to his heart - 'An Essence of Chettinad'. Hailing from the region, Chef Sabari shared stories of the culinary journey his team set out on to bring the authenticity and experience back to Sheraton Grand Bangalore and it clearly showed through the evening spent.

Indian section of the buffet was dedicated to Chettinad cuisine which was extensive enough to ignore the rest of the otherwise magnificent buffet spread. True to the restaurants name, the Chettinad spread alone was a 'Feast'.

We were welcomed with Panakam and Neermore and before heading to starters we started off with condiments placed on our table like a variety of chips, chutneys, pickles, spread of podi and more before we progressed to the next course of starters. Panakam is a jaggery based drink with lime juice, ginger, cardamon forming key ingredients. We shamelessly enjoyed a couple of rounds of this drink as we nibbled through the condiments placed on our table.

Starters was an enjoyable course - a result of good ingredients, spices, marination and cooking style. The non-vegetarian starters included quail cooked in Chettinad spices (Kadai Perattal), prawn fry (Karuvepillai Eral Fry) and lamb chops (kari Varuval). This only made me look forward to the coming courses from the buffet spread.

Live stations continuously dished out vegetarian and non-vegetarian starters, appam, Adai, parothas and Nei Paniyaram. Adai as recommended by Chef was enjoyed in the company of ghee and jaggery. Neil Paniyaram was relished with the wide spread of chutneys and podi. 

Mains included a range of dishes for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. There was Karaikudi Attiracha Curry; a flavourful lamb dish and Chettinad Meen Melagu Varuval; a seer fish preparation (yes! I was equally excited to hear Seer and not Basa)  that went well in the company of a nice flaky parotha. There was also Chettinad chicken biryani which I have usually never been  fan off. 

This was not all, I loved the vegetarian section too which had Pusanikkai More Kozambu, Vatha Kozambu and more. These were my favourites from the vegetarian menu and were relished with steamed rice. 

I'm not a big fan of desserts but I did venture into it. Amidst a wide spread selection, a fellow blogger recommended I try the Sago Payasam and it hit the bullseye. I did not need to look for any other dessert from the spread. At the end of it all there sure was a need of a digestive and to finish there was a delicious paan on offer.

It's a limited time showcase and the menu offering is on a rotational basis. So head here to enjoy a buffet that has an extensive offering of Chettinad food prepared from the heart by Chef Sabari and team. While only one more day remains for this food festival, I urge you to try it out and if that's not possible the buffet spread at Sheraton Grand Bangalore is fantastic and makes for an enjoyable experience. The buffet at feast comes priced at Rs. 1445++ for lunch and Rs. 1595++ for dinner.

Quick Tips:

Go enjoy an Essence of Chettinad at Feast, Sheraton Grand Bangalore and stay tuned for more to come.

Address: Sheraton Grand Bangalore, 26/1, Dr. Rajkumar Road, Malleshwaram - Rajajinagar, Bangalore - 560055

Phone Number: +91 80 4252 1000

Wish-Dish: Gundappa Donne Biryani

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I wonder why sometimes the neighbourhood joints take miss for elongated periods of time. Grabbing a meal here has always been a delight especially when what's offered is fresh and really hot; hot enough to burn you fingers should you dive into it in haste.

I'd like to visit this place more often that I do and was exactly the point I was making to a friend as we dined here late in the night. By late in the night on a weekday means 11 PM in Bangalore. I hope now nothing more needs to told about late nights.

Anyways, bringing focus back to the food, Gundappa Donne Biryani is a hole in the wall place located literally next door to where I live. Their starters are fantastic and their pulav as may be called chicken / mutton is spicy and delicious. Clearly not the very best I've had but trust me - 'Really high on the satisfaction quotient'.

On this evening, I was delighted to see a platter displayed which comprised of pulav surrounded by possibly a tasting portion of every starter this hole in the wall offered on its menu. No more time was needed to make a choice; Mutton combo it was. What came as a part of it was an enviable site - super hot pulav, chili chicken, kaima ball in a wonderful curry, guntur chicken, pepper chicken, chicken kabab, mutton keema vada, a gravy, hard boiled egg and a perfect accompaniment - raw sliced onion.

I will not say more except for, "The complete meal was polished off in no time." Here's leaving you with a picture which speaks and conveys possibly more that my words will.

Price: Rs. 180

Care for a Bubby Bento or Sushi?

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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