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

Bangalore's 1st Bombay Irani Cafe - SodaBottleOpenerWala

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Even with a little over 2 months into operations in Bangalore, the buzz around SodaBottleOpenerWala does not seem to die down. SBOW (is the way I will refer & mention henceforth) continues to be flocked by families, couples, friends, work associates and the likes. Open all day, it does not get easy to get a table especially during lunch and dinner hours. Many find the wait for a table worth every minute spent.

This Bombay Irani cafe and Bar had created a strong buzz much before its opening all thanks to it's earlier outlet from different cities in India; not to mention, the legacy of good experiences earned by AD Singh and team. SBOW itself is a tribute to the Parsi community and a concept created to retain the dying legacy of the bustling, chaotic, quirky, colorful and eccentric Irani cafes of Mumbai.

Full of vibe, this Bombay Irani cafe offers an interesting menu which includes the typical/signature Parsi delicacies and some Irani specialties. The menu stretches to Irani bakery stuff and Parsi inspired alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, full-fledged bar menu, teas, coffees and a lot more. Being an all day diner, it's a place you can visit for lunch, dinner or in between for drinks or quick snack with a cup of chai or coffee.

I've been here twice to date and want to go back to try stuff I still haven't been able to get my hands on. Before getting there, here's what I've loved from my previous visits -

'Spicy Mushroom on Khari' - a twist to the popular khari biscuit that comes topped with mushrooms, chili and cheese,

'Eggs Kejriwal' - egg on toast with cheese in between and a generous sprinkling of cheese; a dish made famous and originated in the Royal Wellington Sports Club of Mumbai,

'Kolmi fry' - a simple dish of prawns fried with onion slivers/ rings around it. Mope it up with the mint chutney and it seals the deal,

'Bohri Style Keema Pav' - Everytime I visit SBOW, this dish will surely make it to the table. It's mildly spiced but really rich in flavor mutton keema served with pav made in the in-house bakery. I don't know if this qualifies to be in the starters though as it is a meal in itself and enough for me make a meal out of this.

'Mutton Dhansak' - Comes packaged in a tiffin box with 3 containers. One contains the mutton Dhansak and the other holds caramelized rice and kachumber. Nice, but not the best Dhansak I've eaten.

'Berry Pulao' - This comes in veg/chicken/mutton variants. I personally love both chicken and mutton but given my meat preference, will recommend the mutton berry pulao. Berry pulao is fragrant rice and meat combination topped with fried onion and berries. The fried onions and berries add a nice hint of sweetness to this preparation but the flavoring is really elegant to allow for the sweetness to take over.

'Parsiana' (Cocktail) - A connection with Bangalore indeed. Old Monk based rum cocktail with plums and orange muddled in. A very well concocted drink indeed.

'Caramel Custard' - I love caramel custard and this one surely leaves it' mark. You've gotta try this.

Perfect for the chai time or an evening snack are also 'Vada Pav', Shrewberry biscuits, Mumbai special 'Kandha Bhajji' in the company of some 'Irani special chai' or 'Masala chai' from the Irani Chai Bar menu.

In all, SodaBottleOpenerWala has an all day dining menu with something suiting the time and purpose of your visit. The beverages are very competitively priced and the food for two will cost an average of Rs. 1300 plus taxes and charges.

I have been here twice so far and will surely go back to get my hands on the 'Bacon Keema Macaroni', 'Irani Falooda', 'Sali Chicken / Mutton', 'Bheendi Bazaar Sheek Paratha', 'Mawa Cake' and more.

Note: All pictures in this post are representative and only tasting portions. Actual portions served are much larger and hearty.

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

Phone Number: +91 70222 55299

Johnny Walker Double Black Whisky Experience

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Some spell it 'Whiskey' while others spell it 'Whisky' and the right way to spell it has been an argument that is quite overdone. The funda goes like this -

 - If the country has the alphabet 'e' in its name; then this fine alcoholic beverage is spelt as 'Whiskey' with an 'e', and;

 - The countries without an 'e' in its name conveniently skip the alphabet and spell it as 'Whisky'.

In this post, I will go by the globally accepted standards and spell it they way its ought to be and that's 'Whisky'. Easy to term it as the most popular whisky brands world over; across whisky categories is the brand Johnnie Walker owned by Diageo from Scotland. Our Whisky for the lovely evening ahead was the 'Double Black Whisky'; a deeper, smokier and a more intense version of the world no. 1 blended scotch whisky - Johnnie Walker Black Label.

It truly was an experience to be hosted by Diageo at the al-Fresco and classy bar Blue Ginger at Taj West-End. Our evening began with a showcase of the Johnnie Walker Double Black whisky with the Diageo Reserve Brand Amabassador 'Zbigniew Zapert' alias 'Zibi' curating a deconstructed tasting session of the complex flavors of the exquisite and creamy blended Scotch whisky. The only way this experience could be elevated from its heights could be by pairing the whisky with delectable food from the dynamic kitchen of Chef Sandip Narang.

Focusing on the 4 key elements / flavors of Double Black whisky; Zibi concocted 4 cocktails; each specifically highlighting flavors of raisins, green apple, berries or spices. Our first drink for the evening was the 'Double Black Raisin Sour' which beautifully brought out the flavor of the raisin on the palate and the aroma and freshness of the twisted orange peel to the nose. As the cocktails were passed on among us, the first course of the food pairing arrived and it was a platter of cheese to go along with the cocktail. Simple and elegant were the words I reminisced.

Next up was the 'Double Black Oaky Apple' paired with Smoked Ham. This cocktail was served in a martini glass and was a concoction of oak aged port wine and Johnnie Walker Double Black'; topped with a Green Apple foam for the freshness.

Our third cocktail for the evening was the 'Double Black and Berry' paired with perfectly grilled and subtly flavored lamb chops. This cocktail had two of my favorite ingredients - Whisky and ginger ale. The berry syrup also an inclusion to make this cocktail added a sweetness that I did not enjoy much.

The next pairing had me amazed and standing on my feet. 'Double Black Maple Masala Old Fashioned' paired with the Indian classic 'Galouti Kabab' placed on sheermal. Needless to say, "This cocktail is by far the best twist to the classic old fashioned I've ever tasted." Barring the whisky, the surprise element that really elevated this cocktail was the maple syrup that was infused with garam masala for over an hour. Pairing was brilliant with the galouti adding to the spice and the sheermal working beautifully to mellow the intensity. 

Done with the cocktails; the last was 'Double Black and Water' which was clearly intense, had a warm finish and left a lingering taste of the smoke. The final pairing was my first experience and certainly something I've looked forward to in the recent times - 'Rich German Chocolate Cake'. I loved this pairing for the way the chocolate and Whisky contributed to the pairing in terms of textures and flavor and at the same time; maintained their individual notes and characteristics.

The evening seamlessly extended into a casual social gathering with more Double Black whisky and cocktails with a good spread of complimenting food which included breads, cheese boards, cold cuts, live grills, Asian mains and desserts.

With different things happening over the course of the evening, what remained constant and repetitive (in a good way) was Zibi's reminder, "Drink less but drink better; choose better places, better situations, better booze and most of all great company and wonderful food."

What else can I say, "I absolutely agree with you Zibi!" Cheers!