New Menu @ Kebabs & Kurries - ITC Hotels Gardenia, Bengaluru

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Pic Credit: ITC Gardenia

ITC Hotels, in my opinion has given us 2 of the finest restaurants in the form of ‘Dum Pukht’ and ‘Bukhara’. One introduces the dum pukht style of cooking from the region of Awadh and the other serves the royal repast of the North-West Frontier. They have a legacy of their own and have been serving up an enriching experience time and again. With the legacy comes traditions based on which food from one restaurant will not be served in another. While we speak of this, I have to make a mention that I was recently invited to ITC Hotel Gardenia to try out a menu that had some classics and some new introductions to the menu Kebabs & Kurries a very elegant restaurant nestled within the luxury property.

One look at the classics and my question was, "What is the difference between the classics here and the ones at Dum Pukht and Bukhara?" The immediate response was, “'Kebabs & Kurries’ caters to the best of both worlds and not just this; it also has some dishes which are legendary on its own.” The response was clear and convincing. I now looked forward not just to the new introductions but also some of the existing items from the menu I have always loved. It was a table of non-vegetarians and so that we could do justice to our vegetarian friends and readers, we requested for a few vegetarian dishes to be served in smaller portion so that we could give them a try as well.

We started sipping on our welcome drink and in a short while food started flowing in with the non-vegetarians starters making its way. ‘Gilawat ke Kebab’; a finely mince lamb kebab rich in flavor of cloves and cinnamon was served around and the aroma clearly set the tone for the goodness that was in store for the rest of the afternoon. This kebab was a fine melt in mouth preparation with the flavors of the lamb and spices well married. Ignore the folk and knife on this one because you don’t even need teeth to enjoy this dish. 

‘Murgh Kali Mirch’ Kebab is a signature dish at Kebab & Kurries. This one is a creamy chicken malai tikka spiked with freshly milled black peppercorn. If there is one dish that can set benchmark then it has got to be this juicy, succulent and delicious chicken dish. To say the list, eating this was a delightful experience. ‘Jhinga Ajwaini’ was jumbo prawns marinated in an “ajwain” flavored mixture of yoghurt and other spices skewered and roasted over charcoal fire. Like any other experience at ITC Hotels, the prawns were perfectly cooked made for a delectable eat. I was in awe of the chicken and the prawn dish and wished to ask for more but resisted for there was still a long way to go that afternoon. And guess what? It was the right thing to do.

What arrived next, blew our minds to the extent that the whole table was at awestruck for a moment and then the next moment was this exchange of appreciation for this vegetarian dish called ‘Lagbeer’. This was the vegetarian version of the ‘Gilawat ke Kebab’ pan grilled with butter for a crispy outer crust and made with fresh beetroot stuffed with a mixture of green chilies, mint, cashew and cheese flavored with cardamom. Still mid-way through our lunch, this dish was a declared winner on my mind for this afternoon. You’ve got to eat it to know what I’m trying to rave about. Another vegetarian dish that we were really impressed with was ‘Nadru Ki Chaamp’; crispy golden fried cake of minced lotus stem enhanced with flavors of onion, green chilies, pounded coriander seeds and red chilies.

Moving on to the mains, were the Kurries both vegetarian and non-vegetarian which were served in the company of assorted Indian breads of which I really enjoyed the warqi paratha and the khamiri naan. Most of the dishes followed in quick succession which included ‘Mahi Qaliya’ seer fish in a rich gravy of fish stock, soured with dry mango and enhanced with fenugreek seeds; ‘Nehari’ Succulent flavourful lamb preparation simmered overnight with green herbs and traditional spices, served with crisp onions, coriander, mint, green chillies; ‘Murgh Khushk Purdah’ in non-vegetarian and famed ‘Dal Bukhara’ among many of the vegetarian dishes. I really enjoyed the ‘Dal Bukhara’ which is a signature dish at ITC hotels and the ‘Mahi Qaliya’; but what really had me hooked on to from the mains was the Nehari. This was an Awadhi preparation and was packed with flavor and way different from the ones you normally are served at most restaurants which do it the old Delhi way. I’ll do a separate post on the ‘Nehari’. Stay Tuned.

This was followed by the Awadhi ‘Dum Pukht Gosht Biryani’ which comes served in a handi that is sealed before it is set on dum for cooking. The seal is usually broken at the table right before serving. The rice grains are well flavored and the biryani was fragrant and flavorful made with basmati rice and succulent lamb.

For dessert there was the ‘K&K Platter’ that comes plated with Kulfi, Shahi Tukda and Shaan-e-aam and also tried the 'Khubani Chenna'. I’m not high on desserts and usually enjoy a really small serving a bite into it to finish off a meal. Here’s a picture of the dessert platter and 'Khubani Chenna'

Indian portions are known to be sharing portions and a meal for two at Kebab & Kurries will cost an average of Rs. 3500 plus taxes and charges. 

My best bets from this menu new and classic are 'Lagbeer', Nadru Ki Chaamp', 'Daal Bukhara' (Classic) from the vegetarian menu and the 'Jhinga Ajwaini', 'Murg Kali Mirch' Kebab, 'Nehari' and the 'Mahi Qaliya' from the non-vegetarian menu. After all this, I had to meet the chef behind this culinary delight and here's a picture with the Sr. Master Chef himself who was visiting from ITC Maratha, Mumbai.

I'm signing off by saying, "Go give it a try to experience the elegance our Indian Culinary has to offer." This menu is available for both Lunch and dinner; all days of the week.

Will you come back and tell me what you loved?

Address: No. 1, Residency Road, Bengaluru - 560025

Phone Number: +91 80 2211 9898


Note: This visit to ITC Gardenia Hotel, Bengaluru was on invitation but the opinions expressed are solely mine and are absolutely unbiased nor influenced by the brand in any way.

Travel for Food - Escape from Bangalore for a Quick Lunch in Mysuru

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Been nearly a year since I posted on this blog and getting back to it, I start with travelling to another city for lunch. Travel experiences is something I've always wanted to share and this time around I start by combining 2 thing I love the most - Travel for Food. 

Travel to Mysuru makes for a perfect lunch plan. You can do a roadtrip and explore the food at various hole in the wall and legendary outlets or simply take the train if you simply want to get to #Mysore hassle free for a quick yet delicious lunch. 

Depending on how much time you have and how you want to make the best of it, you can also add on a few things to do in Mysore and extend your Itinerary to make it a fun day trip.

What I did this time was - 

8 AM - Boarded train 16536 Gol Gombaz Express from Bangalore City Railway station.

11 AM - Arrived at Mysore Junction and headed out for a meeting.

12:30 PM - Wrap up the meeting and headed straight to Hotel RRR for a wonderful Andhra style meals, Chicken Biryani and some starters to go along. 

1:45 PM - Headed back to the railway station at Mysore which is a 10 minute drive from RRR.

2:15 PM - Boarded 12008 Shatabdi Express for Bangalore. 

4:30 PM - Arrived back at BLR railway station.

What are you waiting for? Go ahead and book your ticket for a quick lunch at Mysore via the IRCTC Website.

Tips:

- Auto is a convenient means of commute.

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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

Bangalore's Legendary Past - 'The Cuisine of the Navaithas'

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It's raining back to back festivals in Bangalore. Food festivals or cocktail festivals a lot is happening on the Bangalore food and beverage scene. ITC Gardenia, under the aegis of Kitchens of India … brought about an experience of the rare culinary jewels from Bangalore’s legendary past 'The Cuisine of Navaithas'. A festival run at The Cubbon Pavilion between 24th July to 2nd August was ITC Gardenia's ode to the age old cuisine rich in its roots.

Navaitha Cuisine has a rich historical background dating back beyond the times of Tipu Sultan. However; it was since the times of Tipu Sultan, the Navaitha Muslims have formed an integral part of Bangalore’s living fabric. Originally brought to fill the barracks of the British army in the war against Tipu Sultan, the Navaitha Muslims are the Urdu speaking community from Gingee. Nestled in the heart of Bangalore, they chose to stay back in Shivaji Nagar, bringing with them their unique cuisine. Now you surely know what I am speaking about. :)

Like every other food festival, the Indian section this time was dedicated to the legendary cuisine of the Navaithas. Famous for mouth-watering and tantalizing preparations like sheek rolls, grilled chicken, grilled raan, pathar gosht, paya and more were reasons enough for me to head back to Cubbon Pavilion.

My focus was clearly on the non-vegetarian part of the cuisine. Being a rotational menu on the buffet, my evening saw starters like the classic chicken kababs being dished out. When I say classic chicken kababs, you know I mean the Bangalore famed kababs that you find at numerous food hangouts across the city. These were nice and succulent; perfectly seasoned and coated; and fried perfectly to offer the crunch. It is comfort food and I could not help resist myself from multiple helpings. 

There was also the brain fry which I really looked forward too. However, the lack of enough spices and marinade failed to excite my taste buds. I missed the punch that usually pepper and curry leaves can bring out in this dish. The tala machi was a very simple batter fried fish that was well cooked and nice to taste but had nothing to rave about. 

Brain Fry

Tala Macchi

There was one vegetarian starter that I really liked and that was 'Zimikand (Yam) ke kabab'. Melt in mouth and laden in ghee, this preparation showcased the connection between the Navaithas and the nawabs.

Overall, the starters was a mix bag and I really looked forward to that first dish that I really get raving about. The wait was short lived for what arrived next was the 'Paya Khamiri'. Delicate, rich, flavorful, succulent, melt-in-mouth are adjectives not enough to do justice to this dish. I enjoyed every morsel and spoon of this preparation. 

Now I really did look forward to the mains, there was a good spread of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. My focus mostly on the non-vegetarian section, Of this, I really enjoyed the Seena Gosht which was mutton in a wonderfully spiced gravy. A perfect accompaniment for this dish were the light and airy butter naan or steamed rice.

A chicken dish that I loved in the mains was 'Dum ki Tangdi' - Chicken simmered in a really rich and creamy gravy. The chicken was melt in mouth and did soak in all the flavors of the gravy. I enjoyed this dish all by itself and did not need any accompaniment to go along.

There was more, the Soya Lauki was a hit among the rest on the table but for me it didn't work its magic. The Tamatar ka dacha was an example of simplicity at its best. Palak in the palak prawns was really nice but the prawns were a tad bit dry or overcooked for my liking. The Sukka Macchi was a nice and simple preparation of seer fish and made for a good eat with the other mains on offer.

Palak Prawns

For me the highlight of the day was the 'Gosht Timatar Biryani' followed by the 'Paya Khamiri'. I admit I am a sucker for biryani but when its this good, it clearly will have be raving about it. The mutton was succulent and tender imparting great flavor. The flavor of the rice, tomatoes, spices and the mutton married to create a match made in heaven. I so wished that my evening should have started with this lovely biryani and also ended with the very same dish.

I'm not much into desserts and they just form a customary course in my meal. I like to sample and taste dessert for a sweet taste to linger post the meal. There was a lot on offer but what I relished completely was the Roohafza Kheer.

I clearly love food festivals and when a food festival has a story or a history to relate to it's clearly a treat in every sense. There's a lot on cards at ITC Hotels; both at Windsor and Gardenia - So stay tuned for interesting experiences that you can explore.

Address: No. 1, Residency Road, Bengaluru - 560025

Phone Number: +91 80 2211 9898

New Menu @Dakshin, ITC Windsor, Bangalore

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What pulls me back to a restaurant is either I loved the dining experience or an introduction of a new menu. What makes it really exciting is when both the criteria's are met. Such has been the case recently with Dakshin; the south Indian specialty restaurant at ITC Windsor. After a rendezvous with the colorful flavors of Chettinad; I was back here a couple of weeks ago to try out new dishes introduced to the menu at Dakshin.

With Chef Shankarnath taking charge of the kitchen at Dakshin; there are new and delicious inclusions to the Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala sections of the menu. If I have to showcase or experience South India on a plate, Dakshin is that one place which provides the much needed diversity all under one roof.

Our meal for this evening started with the signature and traditional beverage called Muneer. Muneer is a bright green drink made of jaggery, coconut water, honey, sandal syrup and Khus syrup providing the color. Its sweet, an instant cooler and tunes the palate to welcome an upcoming scrumptious meal.

Traditional in its approach, we looked forward to the customary start that begin with assorted papads, fries, mini banana uthappam and a variety of chutneys to munch on. Off all this, it is the mini banana uthappam that I looked forward to for it's distinctly sweet marriage with the assortment of the chutneys. It's called Dakshin Vishesha and gets dished out from the famous Iyer's trolly.

I absolutely loved the non-vegetarian starters that were dished out. One was the Kozhi Roast which is nothing but the famous chicken roast. Marinated and cooked in chef's special masala, the slow cooked chicken was succulent, fresh and well balanced in flavor. Enjoy it is with a side of raw onions and a glass of chilled beer; Perfect!

Chapa Vepudu was a classic pan seared king fish preparation in a marinade of red chilis. The fish was easily the freshest catch I've eaten here in Bangalore. It's easy to over cook a fish and drain it off its moisture content and here's where the skills of the chef come to a test. The fish was perfectly cooked, lovely flavors and really smooth to savor.

In mains, it was the fabulous 'Veg Stew' exuding the rich texture and flavor of coconut milk with vegetables simmered in it and the tomato pappu - a traditional Andhra delicacy which tasted good but was too dense in texture for my liking. 

On the non-vegetarian plate, there was also 'Veinchina Mamsam' and 'Royala Vepudu'. 'Veinchina Mamsam' was a delicious preparation of boneless lamb morsels in a rich gravy of brown onions, coriander and spices. 'Royala Vepudu' was succulent, fresh and perfectly cooked prawns tossed with brown onion, ginger and green chilis. This preparation had a nice crunch to it and tasted relish in every bite. 

The main courses were best enjoyed in the company of idiappam, appam and Malabar paratha. The appam was nice and fluffy in the centre and around it was a fabulous layer of crunch or crisp appam. I loved the sweetness exuded by the appam. No points for guessing, the appam and stew tasted heavenly and I could make a meal from it. The Malabar paratha was light, flaky and involved the use of minimal oil for it's making. 

Desserts are usually considered to complete a meal but for me even before we head there; a biryani is mandatory. So came from the kitchen a freshly prepared Andhra kodi chicken biryani. It was succulent chicken cooked in a spicy fragrant rice the perfect blend that makes for a delightful Andhra Chicken Biryani.

Moving on to the desserts was really a task but picking what to have; was the easiest it can ever get. We asked for the Dakshin classic; rather their signature - Elaneer Payasam. It was light, thin, rich in coconut and cardamom flavor. To me, this surely was the perfect end to a lovely meal.

An experience for two at Dakshin can be enjoyed at an average of Rs. 3500 plus taxes. I use the work 'experience' considering the overall package of:
 - A lovely and fragrant welcome at ITC Windsor's plush and rich lobby
 - A sophisticated yet traditional setting at Dakshin
 - Top notch service standards
 - Really high standards of quality of ingredients, meats, seafood, etc
 - Needless to say the flavors and portions too

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

Phone Number: +91 80 2226 9898

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