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

'The Moplahs of Malabar' - Unique Tastes at Dakshin - ITC Windsor, Bangalore

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Under the aegis of Kitchens of India, ITC Hotels have been hosting numerous food festival; each showcasing an aura of specialty cuisine that they aptly categorize under the following themes:

- Unique Tastes

- Forgotten Treasures

- Royal Repasts

Like always, this running food festival showcasing the unique tastes of 'The Moplah Cuisine' is no less of a grandeur giving insights into the food and cultural amalgamation of the highly respected community of Kerala Muslims also known as 'Moplahs'. Under the able guidance of Mrs. Ummi Abdullah - a Moplah culinary specialist; chef George at the helm from ITC Windsor's Dakshin along with his team are wonderfully steering a legacy that ITC hotels is known to live by.

A meal here always starts with generous servings of a variety of chutneys, uttappams, papads and fries. I've always looked forward to this especially the banana uttappam which tastes so very distinct when had with a different type of chutney. I expected it to be a long evening with loads of food so I had to balance out my indulgence to be able to last through the rest of the evening.

The experience of the 'Moplah Cuisine' started with the arrival of none other than Mrs. Ummi Abdullah who in all her enthusiasm shared stories ranging from the love for cooking, extracting coconut oil, the 3 generations that follow her, all time favorites, complexities and unique techniques involved with this traditional cuisine and so on. All these conversations were enjoyed in the company of delicious appetizers that followed one after another.

Mrs. Umi Abdullah (3rd from Right)

Taking the lead were fried onion fritters and deep fried pockets of spiced chicken; the former called 'Ulli Ada' and the later being 'Kozhi Ada'. A bite into each of these and you know right away that the food is non-greasy, not spicy / hot but the emphasis is clearly laid on the use of fragrant spices. I can be biased towards non-vegetarian food and you know that very well too. But in this case, I was really impressed with 'Ulli Ada' the fried onion mini samosas if I may call them.

Kozhi Ada

Fried Onion Fritters

The filling of deep fried sweet onion and it's marriage with the fragrant spices hit the right notes on my palate. 'Kozhi Ada' was minced chicken subtly flavored with spices stuffed in a really thin yet perfectly crisp casing. I was amazed to hear that this can be deep fried and then stored for over a month packed in containers for consumption as a tea time snack. How cool is that! Isn't it?

Next up were 'Thenga Unda' and 'Chemeen Unda'; both being steamed rice dumpling with the former containing onion and coconut while the later contained fragrant - spiced minced prawns. subtle and delicate flavors and the simplicity of flavors is what made me happy about 'Unda'. 

Tenga Unda

Chemeen Unda

If you thought this was all we had for starters, the best was yet to arrive and when it did; it seemed like a complete meal by itself. This was the 'Meen Porichandu' - grilled seer fish slices marinated in Malabar spices. A drizzle of lime and accompaniment of onion was all that was required to make this soul satisfying.

With this, we made a foray into the mains which were served in the classic Dakshin thali. Served on the plate left to right in the cups is - 'Meen Mulakithattu' a traditional moplah fish curry made with tamarind; 'Chena Varatharacha Curry' yam simmered in coconut gravy; 'Erachi Nadan Porichathu' an authentic preparation of succulent lamb in a paste of garlic and coriander; 'Thakkali Vattichathu'; 'Kozhi Varattiyathu' chicken drumsticks tossed with traditional malabar spices and to the extreme right is 'Alisa' a porridge of slow cooked broken wheat and lamb topped with fried onion and ghee. This was similar to haleem and traditionally in a Moplah household; Alisha is best enjoyed with a mixing of sugar and hot ghee. I tried it both ways and did love the rich consistency of Alisha. 

Main Course - Dakshin Thali

The mains were accompanied by 'Appam', 'Podi Pathiri' and Ney 'Pathri'. Each one was very different from another and was a blend of distinct texture and unique tastes. The course does not end here. What followed was a delicious 'Thallasseri Mutton Biryani' which was fragrant rice  with succulent mutton and topped with dried fruits.

Mrs. Ummi Abdullah at the start of the meal introduced our table to a dessert that is a result of finesse. This uses egg as a main ingredient and when plated traditionally it takes the form of a garland and hence the name 'Muttamala'. Muttamala made with egg yolk is served resembling string hoppers and comes topped with 'Kinnathappam' steamed and sweetened egg white disks. Saffron, cardamom and the sugar syrup used as ingredients in the making of this dessert wonderfully basks the otherwise prominent flavor that egg can leave behind in a dessert if not done right. This was perfect and was polished off in no time. 

This meal at Dakshin is available for lunch and dinner as a thali or can be called for a la carte from the menu till 12th September. At Rs. 2300 + taxes (ITC does not levy Service Charge), trying the thali is the perfect way to experience the unique tastes of Moplah cuisine which is yet another experience wonderfully curated by the team of ITC Windsor.

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

For Reservations - Phone Number: +91 80 4140 1205

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

Israeli Delights at Nook; Aloft Bengaluru CBP

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This revisit to Aloft was much looked forward to for the history of experiences I've always cherished from here; be it the Launch of Aloft Bengaluru CBP, the stay at Aloft, their annual event 'Project Aloft Star'. 

Having missed numerous celebratory food festivals at Aloft; I was determined to visit back to create another memory of a really good evening at Aloft with a buffet celebrating the 'Taste of Israel' till the 28th of August by an international Chef. Chef Shachar having grown up in Israel, lived and worked in different parts of the world sticks to his roots of mastering the art of preparing and serving Israeli food. 

Falling on the Eastern belt of the Mediterranean Sea, the vegetation of this land is known to produce olives, tomatoes and the likes. The cuisine gets its influence from the Mediterranean region, and the influx of different cultures like Arabs, Jews and so on which happened with the formation of the independent state of Israel in 1948. 

The culture lays emphasis on family and sharing and this is clearly visible from the way food is plated to be shared on the table rather than plated for individuals. With this, lets move in to the highlights of the evening that showcase #IsraeliDelightsatNook #AloftBengaluruCBP.

The evening started with a note from Chef Shachar himself about Israeli food followed by an address from Consulate General of Israel who also happens to be the wife of Chef Shachar. This was soon followed by an array of kebabs and other pass around starters from the buffet spread at Nook that moved around the floor in the company of an extravagant spread of infused vodka and shots I have ever seen. 

Before we got to our table at Nook was another special act by a specialist from behind the bar who set up a Diablo trail of Jäger bomb in two forms - classic and Aloft's creation. 

What followed was the main highlight of the evening and sure did elevate the experience that evening. It was our turn to head to the table at Nook to Savour the Mediterranean, Arabic and East European delicacies prepared by Chef Shachar and the talented pool of chefs at Aloft Bengaluru CBP. 

It all started with an array of dips and breads from the buffet spread. Referred to as Mezze; this included Labne, Baba Ganoush, Amba, cabbage salad, Tahini and more. If this was not all, the buffet had a wider spread of different dips to go along with the breads. These dips were enjoyed best with freshly baked assortment of breads like pita bread, challah, Jerusalem Bagel and Fricassee. 

Mezze

Jerusalem Fricassee

This course did not end with breads and dips. There was more to go along like the fresh Israeli salad, whole baked cauliflower, beetroot carpaccio with a topping of white cheese, grilled egg plant topped with tahini and a serving of the freshest Tabbouleh salad I've eaten in a long time. Most of what I ate was vegetarian but surprisingly I didn't miss the meat yet. That's some good news for you vegetarians out there because there's a lot of vegetarian fare on this buffet.

Grilled Egg Plant with Tabbouleh

Baked Cauliflower

Beetroot Carpaccio

Up next we noticed a trolley being pulled towards our table and moments later chef showcased the preparation of hummus followed by a custom made hummus was served to me just the way I like it. This one came topped with boiled egg, olive oil drizzle, fresh lime juice, pine nuts and sprinkling of Sumack. 

It was not just food that stole the show this evening. There were concoctions to keep company and one in particular that kept good company to both food and me was the one in the picture below. The balance of the rum infused with coconut, the pineapple juice and the balancing mixes surely had me imagining an exotic beach destination vacationing.  

For mains, we headed back to the buffet counter and there was the warm and mildly spiced Israeli Pilaf which I enjoyed eating (by chance) with the fresh and cold Tabbouleh. Among the Israeli herb stuffed chicken, meatballs with olive and tomato sauce and fish tahina tomato, I least preferred the fish dish only because the fish used was 'Basa'. The whole food industry seems to be fixated on the Basa and I fail to understand why so? Aren't there any other fishes left to be caught? My recommendation - please don't do this as we love the real fish enough to settle for Basa.

That's not all, the live station had Shawarma too that was custom made to liking or the traditional way in which it is sold in the streets of Israel. You make the choice. For me this was nice but because I love shawarma, I was expecting more. One mention though - the meat / chicken was perfectly marinated with spiced and cooked to succulent perfection.

The buffet did not end here. There was more for the vegetarians amidst the buffet that extended to other cuisines like Indian, continental and Chinese to name a few. This course led the way to another important course of the meal and yes this reference being made is to the desserts. 

Strictly sticking to Israeli treats; sweets and candies were served to us on the table and the visualisation, the colours, textures and the variety was a real treat to have awaiting to be enjoyed. Without much ado, this large platter was relished with some treats bringing back memories of childhood. Another highlight was fig with fresh cream and caramel which was simplicity at its best.

For the grand finale, there was a creation of dessert art on a table sufficient for a community to share. This was a delight to watch as the team from Aloft put up a splendid show to create an art that was edible and delicious. This last one was for the joy of sharing.

So with this, I headed out for a long drive back home satisfied and happy with the evening spent at Aloft Bengaluru CBP relishing the Israeli delights at Nook. I definitely recommend a visit here for a lovely Israeli meal before 28th August for this special showcase is only on till Sunday evening between 7PM and 11PM all days of the week. Here are few more reasons for which you should make a visit - Shakshuka, Minced chicken liver, an Israeli street Favourite Falafel and more.

Address: Cessna Business Park, Sarjapur–Marathahalli Outer Ring Road, Kadubeesanahalli, Bellandur Post, Bengaluru - 560103

Phone Number: +91 80 4510 1010

Website: Aloft Bengaluru CBP


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