Kolkata Street Food Festival at Monkey Bar

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It's that time of the year when Bengali's world over travel back to India to reunite with their loved ones and celebrate the Kolkata's biggest festival - Durga Pujo. The grandeur and the extravaganza of the pandals and the celebrations are spoken about world over and is a festival looked forward to not just by Bengali's but people of different religions and castes as well. Like all festivities, people flock to the pedals not just for worship but also to experience the Bengali gastronomy which is really sought after. 

While Pedals are known to have food stalls set up with some of the traditional bengali delicacies on offer; this year around; Monkey Bar decides to take us on a gastronomic trip down the iconic lanes of Kolkata. 'Next Stop Kolkata' is a special menu curated by Kolkata based home chef 'Its Misra' and Monkey Bar's head chef 'Deeraj Varma' will be available across Monkey Bar outlets in Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai all day from October 4th to 21st, 2018. 

What's different about this food festival is that Money Bar honestly attempts to showcase the classic and traditional street food available in the streets of Kolkata which became available as way back in it's time as immigrants from different parts of the country and world started to make Kolkata its base. It can be said that the Kolkata street food is not the local street food but an inspiration / ode to the global immigrants who have made Kolkata their home.

The menu's got the Chinese inspired prawn dumplings widely available at the Tiretti Bazaar area; Pork momo's widely available at the many Tibetan joints at Elgin Road; Kolkata-Style North-Indian Chaat of Moong Daal Pakodi from Vardaan Market ; Beadon Street Fish Roll and many more. Each dish available on the menu has a Monkey Bar twist to it and it does uplift the preparation for an enjoyable experience. 

During the preview, I tried a few dishes from the menu which includes the lovely deep fried fish fillet breaded on the outside and stuffed with a mince curried shrimp filling called 'Beadon Street Fish Roll' made popular by Mitra Cafe; 'Vivekanand Park Ghooghni' a dish of curried white peas topped with potato sali; normally served with Pav but here was served with a wonderful masala brioche bread.

Continuing the lunch, the Moong Daal Pakodi was served as a chaat topped with khatta-meetha chutney, yoghurt, boondi, sev and crisp fried curry leaves; a Monkey Bar take to the traditional Moong Daal Pakodi served on the streets at Kolkata. 'Esplanade Mughlai Porota' is served in 2 variants - stuffed with egg or with spicy mutton Keema filling. We tried the one with egg and it came served along with Paanch phoron baby potato. 

My top picks for the day were these next 2 dishes:

- 'Girish Park-er Shoitan Deem' aka Egg Devil - This was boiled egg encased in a Shammi Kebab mince instead of the minced potato encasing as available on the streets near Girish Park. Well, another great example of how Monkey does a twist.

- Chitpur Road Chicken Rezala - It's a mildly spiced and flavoured white chicken curry; silky texture getting its subtle flavours from cashew and poppy seed paste comes served with the triangle porota known widely in Kolkata as 'Teen Kona Porota'.

Then; Monkey's got to do cocktails too and so we have 3 cocktails inspired from the flavors experienced and time chef Dheeraj spent on the streets of Kolkata - 'Piara Peara' - Tequila based cocktail with Guava juice spiked with tobacco; 'Puchka Paani Capriojka' - Vodka, Gondhoraj lime, mint and puchka Paani (Pani puri water) and then the 'Thaanda Cha' - Vodka, chillied spices infused Darjeeling Tea.

I'm going back here for some of the above dishes and a round of keema stuffed mughlai porota. When are you headed here?  

Oh! You got to know this; if you hold an original driving licence from Kolkata each day you are in for a treat; courtesy Monkey Bar. 

Bon Appetit!

Address: #610, 12th Main Road, HAL 2nd Stage, Near Crosswords, Indiranagar, Bangalore

Phone Number: +91 80 4411 4455

Note: This visit to Monkey Bar was on invitation but the opinions expressed are solely mine and are absolutely unbiased nor influenced by the brand in any way.
Pictures Courtesy: Monkey Bar

Monkey's Coastal Adventure @ Monkey Bar, Bangalore

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

Culture of India is known for its diversity; be it languages, dance, music, architecture or even food. There is diversity across length and breadth of this nation and as you move from one place to another or one region to another, this diversity comes across in full rhythm. Keeping our focus on food, this can be experienced at Monkey Bar as it takes us through a delicious journey across the coast of Kerala through Karnataka for the reminder of this month of June. 

This gastropub is known to give a fine twist aka the 'Monkey twist' as it may be aptly called. So when monkey traveled the coast, his adventures led to creation of a menu of food and beverages called 'Monkey's Coastal Adventures' and like always the Monkey Twist' was evident and was consistently good. I set out to experience the Monkey's coastal adventure menu and here's what I relished enroute - 

Not creating a trail, I savored was Kuttari Salad, KP Tacos, Batak dosa, Prawn Ghee Roast, Mandeli fried fish and Ode To Molly. What's a journey without a few drinks to accompany, so from the drinks it was Soulful Khadi, Chilli Puli, Vanakam Panakam. The menu further offered an interesting array of dishes which include clam sukka, Monkee Eggs and Coast to Coast to name a few unfortunately which I couldn't try.

So let's begin this journey with an introduction to Soulful Khadi which was a concoction of Gin, kokum syrup, tender coconut, leaves and lime cordial for that perfect balance. The drink was well balanced and leaned towards the sweeter side and I quite liked the flavor profile. If you are the one who likes your drink to lean towards the sweeter side than the tangy side; this one is definitely for you. 

Soulful Khadi

What did not work so much for was this other cocktail called Chilli Puli which was a tequila based drink with tamarind paste and green chili to lend a flavor to the concoction. This for my taste buds was an overkill in terms of flavor and is good as a pass around drink just for the kicks of it. 

Chili Puli

What really had me wanting for more this afternoon was 'Vanakam Panakam' a whiskey-based cocktail which by the name of it was mixed with Panakam - a drink made usually made with jaggery, cardamom, black pepper and is known to be a cooling agent with a lot of health benefits. For the time being, let's forget the health benefits for this Panakam with whiskey had me clearly wanting more of it.

Vanakam Panakam

In food, we started light with a really refreshing salad of baby spinach, raw mango slivers, shaved coconut, peanuts, curd chilis and at its heart the Kerala boiled rice called the Kuttari Salad. This Salad was a big hit on my table and from what I hear has been receiving some raving response during this festival. The prawn ghee roast on the other had was stir fried in with spices and ghee in typical Kundapur style. The prawns were perfectly cooked in Kundapur spices with ghee and was served up with really crunchy garlic toasts. It wasn't long before this dish was cleaned up among the two of us.

Kuttari Salad

Prawn Ghee Roast

Batak dosa was Kerala style duck confit on bite sized set dosa topped with shaved onions and chutney. The meat was succulent and flavorful on soft and fluffy dosa (uttapam). The onion slivers gave a nice crunch to this preparation and complimented well with the flavor of the duck meat. Mandeli Fried Fish was white anchovies rava fried and served with an accompaniment of baby onion salan puree and plantain chips. Nice and comforting but not something to look forward to from the kitchen of Monkey Bar.

Batak Dosa

Mandeli Fish Fry

'KP' in 'KP Tacos' stands for Kerala Paratha which held Chettinad style pulled chicken with black lichen, baby onion salan, garlic pickle and finally topped with white radish slaw. Bang on flavors for a coastal Indian twist to a classic Mexican dish. We had no space left for mains but the bar had to be raised and so it was 'Ode to Molly' a dish with subtle flavors served as fillets of spice marinated seabass sitting on a bed of fragrant lemon rice surrounded by avial inspired vegetables and a turmeric-coconut milk sauce. This was quite a twist to the Kerala classic Meen Moilee and surely a good one with different textures and varied but subtle flavors to tickle the palate.

KP Tacos

Ode To Molly

I wish my stomach had more room for food to try out the Monkee Eggs a makeover of the popular egg puffs available across the smallest of the bakeries and the Monkey's version of a south Indian thali called Coast to Coast. Nevertheless, it was indeed a Sunday afternoon very well spent catching up with a friend over some delicious food, drinks and conversation.

The festival is on till the 30th of June and is available for lunch and dinner at Monkey Bar Bangalore and Delhi. An average meal for 2 without drinks will cost approx. Rs. 1200 ++ and with a drink each will cost around Rs. 1900++; definitely not heavy on the wallet.

Quick Tips:

I love Monkey Bar and it's a known fact. However, they're offering a really good twist to the classics from this region. There's enough for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Beverages have cocktails on offer as a part of the special menu. 

From what I've tried, go here for the Kuttari Salad, Prawn ghee roast, KP tacos and Ode to Molly in food and 'Vanakam Panakam' and 'Soulful Kadhi' in cocktails. 

Bon Appetit!

Address: #610, 12th Main Road, HAL 2nd Stage, Near Crosswords, Indiranagar, Bangalore

Phone Number: +91 80 4411 4455

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

Afghani Afternoons @ The Royal Afghan, ITC Hotels - Windsor, Bangalore

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A lot of things have been happening at #ITCHotels #Windsor, Bangalore. There was a Christmas cake mixing celebration, the super successful Afghani Afternoons at The Royal Afghan and also a new menu introduction at the South Indian specialty restaurant - Dakshin. The cake mixing celebration was a fabulous afternoon with Christmas joy spread in the air as if Christmas were tomorrow. I look forward to trying out the new introductions to the Dakshin menu; but for now, I'm all excited to share my experience of another great afternoon spent at ITC Windsor. They call it 'The Afghani Afternoons'.

A specially curated offer for the discerning diner saw a successful and fabulous response in October which had lead to its extension for the month of November and December. What's in store during 'The Afghani Afternoons'; every Saturday and Sunday is unlimited portions of melt in mouth kababs (vegetarian and non-vegetarian) and unlimited beverages which include the lovely Fratelli wine and Kingfisher beer. What better that enjoying all of this by the pool side in this lovely Bangalore weather!

End of November, I rushed to give this promotion a shot for I knew I could eat unlimited portions of my ever favorite Barrah Kabab, succulent chicken malai kabab, lovely chicken sheek, melt in mouth and perfectly spiced lamb sheek; and the list goes on to include a few more kababs from the highly regarded kitchen of The Royal Afghan.

Without saying much, here's me sharing with you a pictorial review of my rendezvous with Afghani food at a specially curated event called 'The Afghani Afternoon'

Mutton Sheek is what I'd naturally prefer but this plate of chicken sheek promised a burst of flavors and what must I say, "It did deliver the promise it showed; in each and every bite." A great start to a lovely Saturday afternoon.

Chicken Sheek Kabab

It was the first time I got my hands on the lamb sheek. It looked sinful and if eating it was a sin, I was all geared to committing it. The sheek was very well flavored with spices that hit the palate with the right notes. The marriage of the spices and the flavor of the meat itself married very well without overpowering the either. 

Lamb Sheek Kabab

Murgh Malai Kabab was down right succulent. It had a very rich texture and flavor coming from heavy cream and hint of coriander being used in its preparation.

Murgh Malai Kabab

Chilled Kingfisher Beer

Lovely Wine to go with the Kababs

My ever favorite is the Barrah kabab. I waited for this deadly plate of meat to arrive. It's Lamb marinated in a mixture of yogurt, various spices, malt vinegar and cooked in red hot embers. A bite into it and I know again that I can make a complete meal of just this one dish.

Barrah Kabab

Now here's the deal - A wonderful afternoon with unlimited kababs and unlimited beer and wine comes at a steal for just Rs. 999 for the vegetarians and Rs. 1499 for non-vegetarians. Taxes and charges extra. With all the delicious kababs served, you will not even see a need for a main course or probably have any space left for deserts.

In my perspective, this is an absolute steal and a food promotion that I highly recommend each one of you to visit while it lasts only till the end of this month. Do note, the Afghani Afternoons are on in ITC Windsor's The Royal Afghan only on Saturday and Sunday for lunch.

Quick Tips:

Go savor unlimited portions of the best North-West Frontier kababs in the company of unlimited wine and beer.

To make reservations please call 080 - 4140 1205

Address: The Royal Afghan, ITC Windsor, 25 Golf Course Road, Bangalore 560052

Phone Number: +91 80 4140 1205

An unforgettable evening with the inimitable Grand Masterchef Imtiaz Qureshi

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This legend strongly believes in his preaching – ‘Dil Se, Dimag Se and Mehnat Se’ and that’s exactly how he dishes out the food from his kitchen. He has singularly been responsible for reviving and gifting us the privilege of savoring the lost ancient cuisine of Dum Pukth. He has a rich history in the form of ancestors who have been Khansama’s or chefs to the nawabs of Lucknow. 

He has cooked for eminent personalities like Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Morarji Desai, Indira Gandhi, APJ Abdul Kalam and the list goes on.. He has also been responsible for leaving Bill Clinton and Queen Elizabeth in absolute love for Indian Kababs and food. An 85 year old legendary chef who Gordon Ramsay wishes lived in UK to change the perspective of Indian cuisine in all of United Kingdom. Gordon has been his humble student and has learnt the art of making a delicious Goat Biryani.   To no surprise, this man has an even interesting life history that he is ever willing to share. 

The numerous Indian restaurants that you dine at across ITC Hotel properties are a creation of this very man; the most famous being ‘Dum Pukth’. A man who has a reason and an inspiration behind each ingredient he uses or a recipe he creates; holds the same enthusiasm, eagerness and willingness to innovate and perfect in his cuisine. Books can be written about him yet words may not be enough to do full justice in introducing and describing this legend. Yes, I’m writing about none other than Grand Masterchef Imtiaz Qureshi.

August 9th, 2014 is a date I will remember forever. On this day, I got an opportunity to dine with this legend at the very restaurant ‘Dum Pukth Jolly Nabobs’ at ITC Windsor, Bangalore. Here, I not only got to savor the food he is famous for but also to interact with him and hear stories of his life and experiences for the rest of the evening. One thing I know for sure, while other Prime Minister’s have dined on the table of Chef Imtiaz Qureshi before me, “I have dined on his table before our current PM Sri Narendra Modiji.” ;) 

Again words cannot speak enough and his food is best experienced firsthand. My idea of sharing this post with you is to tempt and urge you to not miss this opportunity of dining at the table of the legendary Chef Imtiaz Qureshi. In Bangalore till 17th August at Dum Pukth Jolly Nabobs, ITC Windsor; here’s what you will get to indulge in – 

(Disclaimer: No words or image can do any justice to the food served on this table)

Badam Ki Galouti (Vegetarian) - A dish that has full potential to deceive the best of non-vegetarian. Even a hardcore non-vegetarian must eat this dish.

Murgh Zaffrani - Tender, succulent, simple ingredients and preparation with saffron and elaichi heading the fragrance and taste department.

Jhinga Qureshi - Succulent jumbo prawns stuffed with feta cheese and spinach; wrapped in a pastry casing. 

Raan-E-Huzoor - An exquisite preparation and marriage of Indian spices and dates with fall of bone tender meat of a whole leg of lamb. I can eat this dish each and everyday of my life with Sheermal.

Paneer Kundan Qaliya - In vegetarian, I love a dish that contains paneer and this one was very light bodied and went perfectly with Indian bread.

Anjeeri Aloo - Anjeer sandwiched slices of aloo in  a rich gravy packed with flavor. 

A dish that I do not have the photograph of but I absolutely loved was a 'crab meat dumpling in a methi (Fenugreek)  flavored gravy. The gravy was silken smooth, exuded the wonderful flavor of methi yet paired very well with the crab dumpling which equally exuded freshness and sweetness of the crab. I had it all by itself such was its flavor. 

We also had biryani on our table. This was quite innovative and different but really rich in flavor. Served stuffed in a whole chicken skin, it was great to be eaten standalone but Chef Imtiaz insisted on pairing it with an unusual but a fabulous preparation of ajwaini aloo. Trust me the flavors are inimitable. 

Though no space for dessert, I couldn't resist but ask for Begum's Pudding a signature dessert at Dum Pukth Jolly Nabobs.

I will just sign off with a reminder - 

The event on till 17th at Dum Pukth Jolly Nabobs - ITC Windsor is aptly called 'Inimitable Imtiaz'. In all true sense, this legend is inimitable and so is his cuisine and flavors. An event that cannot be missed is on for dinner with just 5 more days. 

Words cannot speak enough and his food is best experienced firsthand. Don't think twice, reschedule your calender and fit this dinner in....

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

Phone Number: +91 80 2226 9898