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

Spice Island Flavors of Tamil Nadu

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Dakshin at ITC Windsor is known to celebrate the rich heritage of the four Southern states of South India. The offering is diverse spanning from Kerala's Meen Moilee, Chettiyar's Chettinad lamb chops, Kori Gassi of the Karnataka bunts and Andhra Pradesh's Mamsam Koora. 

ITC Hotels under the aegis of 'Kitchens of India' has been consistently showcasing the unique and undiscovered cuisines or cooking styles of India. This time around at ITC Windsor's Dakshin, the theme was 'Discover a heritage dived by ocean' but united by History'. At the helm of the Kitchen was Priya Bala - an eminent writer of food and travel, a home cook to say the least. Her food speaks stories of how her cooking skills have been inspired by her childhood in Sri Lanka, cuisine of Madurai and the deep south of Tamil Nadu.

In short, this is an undiscovered cuisine of Southern Tamil Nadu melded with the fabulous, fragrant and famous cuisine of Sri Lanka. Over the course of the evening, it was only getting clearer that food is not just about History but also about geography. We were able to notice similarities and influences of even the South-East Asian countries in this cuisine. 

The menu composed of a wide array of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. These were simple home style preparations. In appetisers or 'Prambham' as Dakshin categorises my favourite were 'Fish Cutlets' which were drum-fried parcels of flaked fish in a really mild seasoning. The texture and flavor of the fish was exquisite and a dish that really had 'comfort food' written all over it. Had it not been for an extravagant affair that awaited us, I would have indulged in more of these beauties.

In the mains, We loved the burst of flavors presented by 'Annasi Perattal' a pineapple curry scented with cinnamon and fennel. It was sweet, tangy, had a hint of spice and really robust in flavor. The flavor was addictive and I did not leave the cup down until it was all polished off. There was also a delicious Lamb curry called 'Errachi Curry' which was also nice but the the winner clearly was the pineapple curry.

'Lamprais' was for me a clear winner in meat dishes. It was a delicious banana leaf parcel of fragrant rice topped with curried chicken cutlet, sambol and vegetables. It was a complete meal wrapped and baked in banana leaf. 

What also shined bright was the combination of Iddiypam Kothu with Sodhi; a mild and fragrant coconut curry. This combination was a star.

In desserts, we absolutely loved the simple 'Kiri Pani' - thick yogurt topped with palm jaggery syrup. After a heavy meal, a simple and light dessert like this can only take the dining experience a notch higher. Close second was 'Love Cake' - cashew meal cake scented with rose water and spices.

It was yet another memorable meal at ITC Hotels and this time exploring a unique cuisine or cooking style.

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

Phone Number: +91 80 2226 9898

Celebrating 25 Years of Karavalli, Gateway Hotel Bangalore

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While I've been always in a look out to try new restaurants and new cuisines and dishes; there are some places I keep visiting and really look forward to visiting time and again. Karavalli is one such place where I know what to expect in each and every visit and that's exactly how I expect it to be.

The food here has been the most consistent visit after visit. It seems like Chef Naren has left no scope of improvement and that level of consistency, love and passion speaks in the form of the iconic 25 dishes. It is these signature dishes that make for a legendary menu that has been integral to the 25 glorious years of Karavalli.

I've always looked forward to an evening of conversations and food at Karavalli with chef Naren and this time around it was - Celebrating 25 years of Karavalli with its 25 signature and classic dishes. The menu for the evening was not a surprise and this was the best part about the evening.

The start was customary - A small portion of jaggery was provided to cleanse our palate and prepare it for the fabulous food that was about to arrive.

Starters arrived one after the other and like always I was in all awe with every passing dish. Read on for some food porn and this one clearly has no age bar:

‘Kuttanandan Karuvapila Konju’ – Tiger prawns pan fried with onion, tomato and fresh curry leaves. Memories of the previous visits over the years came alive; I looked forward to this preparation even before it arrived and even after it was downed with a cry as it headed to a finish. The ingredients are simple yet enough to get one on a food high.

'Koli Barthad' a chicken starter was pan - fried in a blend of roasted spices and corgi vinegar leaving a mild tarty after taste. The chicken and the spices married really well and would make for a lovely starter with a chilled pint of beer.

‘Kane Kaidina’ – Whole Lady fish was seasoned generously with fine ground Mangalorean spices and pan cooked leaving the fish downright delicious and succulent. Another fish served this evening was 'Meen Eleittad' - a black pomfret marinated in Malabar masala and pan-fried wrapped in a banana leaf. This preparation tasted as delicious as it looked with the balance of the spices and their flavor felt clearly yet not overpowering the flavor of the fish itself. Cooked a minute or two lower and this would have just kicked ass.

In the mains, it was a feast contemplated at an all new high. This indulgent course is not for someone with a weak appetite. There was:

'Allapuzha Meen Curry' - a moderately spiced curry of ground coconut, raw mangoes and ginger with the seer fish simmered in it.

'Kozhi Malliperlan' - delicious gravy of coconut milk and fresh spices with succulent boneless chicken drowned in it.

'Attirachy Ulathu' is something I've always enjoyed at Karavalli. It is a dry preparation of lamb cubes cooked with tomato, onion and fresh spices based from Travancore, Kerala.

What I've again always loved at Karavalli and in vegetarian is the 'Maavinakai Mensukkai' which is a dish of preserved mangoes cooked in a blend of chilis and coconut. It's a beautiful amalgamation of sweet and sour flavors. While this tasted great with the malabar paratha, I could mop this dish just by itself. A 'Pachakkari Stew' or 'Veg Stew' is hard to get wrong and is such a great combination with the appam and idiappam.

For desserts it was Bebinca and Dodol with vanilla ice cream. Bebinca is a coconut based Goan dessert and 'Dodol' served warm was a rice cake cooked gently in coconut milk and jaggery. Both these desserts are best enjoyed warm with vanilla ice cream and that's the way it was served.

A meal at Karavalli is never complete without a scoop of Banana-Caramel ice-cream which is a must-visit on your table before you can even think of calling it a meal.

What more can I say, "It's always been a great and consistent experience dining at Karavalli and with no surprises in store, the flavors still tend to surprise me ."

Address: Ground Floor, Gateway, Hotel No. 66, Residency Road, Bangalore

Phone Number: +91 80 6660 4545

Time Travel through the Food @ Ottimo - ITC Gardenia, Bangalore

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With over a year into operations, the highly acclaimed and award winning restaurant has been a delight to visit. With memories of my first meal here still fresh and alive on my mind; I was most certain that this visit will only create more memories. Expectations were set knowing that Chef Vittorio Greco was at the helm of things and a festival was curated to specifically make diners travel through time; from classic to contemporary.

At Ottimo, ITC Gardenia; it is hard to decide if the restaurant brings out the vibrancy in Chef Greco or it is Chef Greco's vibrancy that results in the vibrancy of the restaurant. 'Vibrancy' a term most often used in relation to ambiance; here seamlessly extends to the service, food being dished out of the kitchen, the plating and the complete experience itself.

Getting back to the food at this festival aptly named 'The Art of Time Travel', Chef Vittorio works his magic in a whole new way by curating two experiences on one single plate - the traditional versus the modern or reinvented new-age Italian cuisine. Every course that arrived was a delight in every sense and also to every sense one can experience at a steal price of Rs. 2250 ++ which also includes a glass of domestic wine or beer.

With a special menu crafted and personalized for me, I couldn't help but just looked forward to starting the experience with 'Antipasto' which was 'Insalata di Pollo' - a classic and a modern take on this signature Italian salad. This was one dish that gave me a hard time deciding which was better. One version was just topped with capers providing for a nice salty and briny zing to the subtle chicken salad and the other was topped with pickled vegetables like asparagus, broccoli and more for that nice crunch in every bite. 

'Primi Piatti' or 'Primo' is a course known to have a pasta preparation and is usually a course served hot. My pick from the non-vegetarian choices in this course was Lamb Ravioli artistically prepared and presented to showcase a classic and modern take of this Italian favorite. The lamb in the ravioli was clearly treated with a lot of love. The contemporary version was served as a long roll of lamb ravioli topped with the broccoli coulis or sauce and a drizzle of garlic dusting.

In vegetarian, I got to try the classic spinach and ricotta cheese stuffed ravioli. A quick look at it and you might just not spot the difference but a closer look and you realize that the classic had just the one pocket that contained the stuffing of spinach and ricotta cheese prepared together while the modern had 2 compartments - one for the spinach and the other for the ricotta. The difference might seem really subtle but making this wasn't a cake walk. Likewise, the modern and classic versions also felt very different in terms of taste and texture. While the classic version is a favorite world over, I loved the modern take for the dense texture and clearly different flavors of the ricotta and spinach being prominently felt.

The wines we stuck to all through the evening was the smooth and creamy Fratelli Sangiovese Bianco and the rich and oaky Fratelli Sangiovese.

The next course 'Secondo Piatto' is considered the main dish of an Italian meal structure. There was a classic and reinvented version of 'Seabass Livornese. While both were great and the flavor composition was really different, I loved the modern take on this dish for the flavors of the prime ingredients - fish and the deconstructed sauce were distinctly felt on the palate. 

The difference between the two versions? The classic version of this dish came as fish fillet and the delicious sauce of tomato, olives, pepper, olive oil cooked together while the modern came as a deconstructed version with the sauce topped with olives, herbs, and other ingredients with the fish cooked all by itself which helped it retain the flavors of the sea. 

Another non-vegetarian option for those who do not enjoy seafood as much was the 'Chicken Caccaitora' where again the modern version stood out for me. It was chicken stuffed with vegetables and base ingredients like tomato, onion and garlic which make the sauce. Served on a bed of velvety mashed potatoes; I absolutely enjoyed this dish.

Continuing on 'Secondo' was also a vegetarian classic 'Puttanesca' a dish famed in South of Italy. A classic version uses spaghetti as the pasta tossed in a sauce of onions, tomatoes, olive oil, capers and olives that give it a salty flavor. The modern take used risotto instead of the spaghetti and was again a deconstructed form. This is inspired from the food habits of North Italy where risotto is widely consumed. While I love risotto and this deconstructed form tasted as delicious as the classic; I'll go the classic way on this dish.

The classic & my pick

Dolce was something I waited for through my meal. There was coffee written all over it. 2 versions of the ever delicious 'Tiramisu'; It couldn't have gotten better. The modern take was a deconstructed version served as a dome filled essentials to make a delicious tiramisu and surrounded with espresso, coffee beans, crumbed lady finger biscuits etc. Which was better? Both... It contained coffee. :)

If you thought this was the end of our meal; it clearly wasn't. We had to finish it with a coffee made the way Italians make it each day at home - Espresso made in moka pots. Simply delicious!

Dining at Ottimo is an experience and with the festival being hosted by Chef Vittorio; it's clearly an icing on the cake. Do make sure you manage a visit by the 2nd of June as the festival is till the mentioned date. This time travel through the cuisine of Italy comes at a lovely price of Rs. 2,250++ which also includes a glass of wine or beer.

Address: ITC Gardenia, 1, Residency Road, Bangalore

Phone Number: +91 80 4345 5140 

Oodles of Noodles @ Sing Kong, Bangalore

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Around the same time last year, Bangalore witnessed the opening of two highly spoken about restaurants. The objective of each the very same - 'Desire to recreate an international fine-dining experience for the people of Bangalore'. Both these restaurants cater to cuisines world apart, I mean - Pan-Asian at one and Mexican at another. 

Celebrating one year of operations in Bangalore, a special menu has been curated for both the restaurants. Special menus always excite me for it gives me an added reason to visit / revisit a restaurant and also has the potential to elevate even the finest of the experience I might have had at the very same restaurant. 

The past week, I was invited to Sing Kong the Pan-Asian restaurant housed UB City's ambient, ever vibrant and bustling Piazza area. Opting for seating on the outer deck, a cousin and I settled in to experience 'Oodles of noodles' a specially crafted menu available only till the 14th of May. As the name suggests, it was all about noodles right from soups through to the dessert.

We started with tasting portions of two different soups. One was 'Slow poached chicken and egg clear soup' which exuded subtle flavors and the other was the spicy and full of flavor 'BBQ Pork & Udon Noodles Soup'. It's a very personal choice on your preference because I loved both the variants for that day; my pick was the 'BBQ Pork & Udon Noodles Soup'.

As we savored our soups, chef Shiva paid visit with a plate full of the numerous types of noodles on offer at this food festival. Not in the slightest of my imagination did I know of the various forms of noodles that existed. Every noodle marks a difference in taste, texture, shape, flour used and country of origin to say the least.

We were pretty excited and looked forward to the rest of the meal. While various mains (read noodles) were being stirred up in the kitchen, we decided to try the 'Jasmine Tea Mojito' and 'Citrus Sling'. Pan-Asian being the theme, these cocktails as the name suggest had an Asian touch in terms of flavor driven by the ingredients. The Mojito had a nice and subtle Jasmine tea flavor with a freshness of mint leaves and balance of zing and sweetness from the muddles lime and sugar. 

'Citrus Sling' was a gin based cocktail with kaffir lime leaves to impart the Asian flavors. It was good in flavor but lacked the punch of the Kaffir lime leaves though present in good measure.

Mains began with Char Kwe Teow Prawn noodles. This dish was clearly my personal favourite for its fresh ingredients and a simple and really mild flavors. Followed soon was a dish which is comfort food to me Kung Pao Chicken with egg noodles. Clearly a contrast to the prawn noodles, this dish was packed in flavor coming from black bean, SambalOelek and oyster sauce.

If it was really good thus far; I was floored by the complex flavors of the next noodle dish.  Every bite had a melange of flavors that took my palate by surprise - Sweet to start, followed shortly by tang and ultimately leaving wonderful spice notes. Clearly a contribution of the oyster garlic sauce and the red ginger chilis; this was Bakmi Goreng.

Moving to the vegetarian segment, it was a Thai favourite; Pad Thai. Made with flat noodles made of rice flour; this preparation came with a good mix of tofu and exotic veggies like pokchoy, shiitake, beans sprouts and Chinese cabbage. Tossed in a sauce containing tamarind pulp and palm sugar to say the least it was really nice on the palate. Plated on the side were roasted peanuts and lime allowing a little customisation. Well, this is how a good Pad Thai is served traditionally.

The last of the mains we tried was Crispy noodles plate with sesame garlic vegetables. It was a chopsuey of crisp fried noodles topped with delicious sesame garlic vegetables. The best way to describe this will be 'Comfort Food' and this is the very reason why this dish also makes itself a part of the menu at Sing Kong's Oodles of Noodles festival.

Dessert was a Chinese classic - Organic honey tossed noodles drizzled with roasted sesame and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This was light and flavourful; definitely a perfect dessert to end a fabulous Pan-Asian meal.

It was a fantastic meal with nothing on the table which did not catch our attention and surely goes beyond a fantastic meal. There clearly are aplenty reasons to have me revisit Sing Kong which includes at the top - 

 - their delicious and mouth-watering lovely Pan-Asian delicacies, 

 - a couple of nice cocktails or chilled beer,

 - a wonderful and a long lunch session,

 - Worth every rupee being spent at an average cost of Rs. 1400 for  with out drinks and taxes and charges.

 - Bangalore weather playing great sport, 

 - Piazza at UB City, and

 - a special menu; this time being 'Oodles of Noodles'

This specific food festival and a celebration of food is on till just the 14th of May; that leaves us with just a little less than a fortnight. 

Do not miss it!

Address: UB City, 4th Floor, Piazza Area, Lavelle Road, Bangalore