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

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.

Navroz Dronu at SodaBottleOpenerWala

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Navroz Bhonu is a feast of traditional Parsi food that the Parsi community / families feast on as they mark the start of a new year. At SBOW, there are 2 variants – Vegetarian and non-vegetarian and each can be upgraded to be enjoyed with unlimited cocktails and sangria. This Bombay-Irani café and bar from AD Singh and team was conceptualized to pay tribute to the Parsi community and to retain the dying legacy of the bustling, chaotic, quirky, colorful and eccentric Irani cafes of Mumbai. For the past 3 years, SodaBottleOpenerWala has been much adorned for being able to create the vibe a Bombay-Irani Café is known for.

Keeping with the tradition of Navroz / Parsi New Year, celebrated on August 17^th, marking the first day of the first month of the Iranian calendar, SBOW now offers the Navroz Bhonu till the 24^th August for both lunch and dinner. We got a sneak peak of the Navroz Dronu’ and here’s how it looked like:

The non-vegetarian Bhonu comes plated with mackerel fish fry, minced chicken pattice, Jardalu Ma Murgi, Mutton Pulav, Sarai, butter phulkas, Masala Ni Daal, classic kachumbari and a lovely Gajar Mewa Nu Aachaar. On the vegetarian bhonu, the non-vegetarian dishes are replaced with the likes of Vegetable cheese pattice, traditional Bhindi dish, Vegetable Pulav, and Patra Ni Paneer. Basically, what you get to feast on are traditional dishes and recipes which usually pass down through generations of Parsi families.

Non-Vegetarian Dronu

Vegetarian Dronu

While we awaited the arrival of our bhonu, we sipped on some mocktails and cocktails. In picture below is the lovely ‘Greater Than’ Gin based cocktail and the shikanjee (mocktail). What we also enjoyed was the classic Parsi drink ‘Raspberry Soda’ (no picture though).

The dronu with unlimited cocktails and Sangria comes prices well at Rs. 1200 plus taxes and charges which is a steal and the Navroz Drone without alcohol comes at Rs. 700 plus taxes and charges. Available for both lunch and dinner from August 10^th till the 24^th of August, go feast away the Parsi way while sipping on some of the unique cocktail recipes curated to go along with this wonderful Parsi cuisine.

When: August 10^th to August 24^th, 2018 – Lunch and Dinner

Wallet Factor: Rs. 700 ++ for the Bhonu; Rs. 1200 ++ for Bhonu with unlimited cocktails and Sangria

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

Contact: +91 70222 55299

'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.

Exotic Pizzas at Mezzaluna, Movenpick Hotel, Bengaluru

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"Breads are holy to Italians", Said Chef Armando of Mezzaluna at Movenpick Hotel Bangalore in the very first minutes of my interaction with him.

For many, the word 'bread' brings imaginations of different kinds of foods to different ethnic groups across the world. For some it might be sandwiches and burgers, for some - pita bread, bagels; for some pav and so on. Of it all, the most common response will likely be Pizza.

It's a crowd favorite in India too and keeping this in mind, Chef Armando and team has come up with a special menu dedicated to Italian pizzas which is being offered at Mezzaluna; the specialty Italian restaurant at Movenpick hotel. This special menu dedicated to Pizzas and calzones has a listing of 13 pizzas – 6 vegetarian and 7 non-vegetarian; so there’s aplenty to choose from. You have a choice to have it in the form of a pizza or as a calzone. What will you pick? Moving on, to take it a step further with every pizza / calzone ordered, you also receive a house pour of chilled draught beer unlike the usual glass of wine that gets paired at an Italian restaurant when they come to think of food and beverage pairing.

Coming straight from the brick oven are pizzas topped with the soul of Italy expressing in every bite freshness, simplicity and uniqueness in the sauce and toppings. Yet at the heart of it all is the light and thin crust of bread.

While the pizzas were being readied to be plated, we sampled different forms of bread made out of the very same dough but yielding different taste and texture. The bread sampler on the table was soon enjoyed in the company of the traditional olive oil with a Balsamic drizzle. At Mezzaluna, I was recommended to try it with a sprinkling of salt and pepper too in the olive oil and I loved it. Once the tray holding the breads was swept clean, the refills came arrived as if it was tacit. Acknowledging this gesture to Chef Armando, I was explained, “In Italy, a table will always have bread available all through the meal.” I’d clearly love such a table. 

I knew we were moving closer to the pizzas when the Anti Pasto arrived which is also considered the official beginning of an Italian meal. There was the traditional Bruschetta, Aranchi, pickles and more. It was nice but I didn’t want to fill myself up as the starts for the day were slated to arrive next.

It started with a vegetarian pizza – ‘TRINITA’ DEI MONTI – Ricotta, tartufo e olive’. Toppings of truffle, olives, ricotta cheese made for a great combination. The topping as you see in the image was present and surely there but in apt portions to add the required flavor to go along on a bread that was thin, light and perfectly baked to not make it to crisp or soft.

The first one set expectations from what was to arrive next and when it did arrive, it for me was the star from the vegetarian selection of the pizza. ‘PIAZZA DEL POPOLO – Carciofi ed asparagi’ came on bread with a sauce made of asparagus, topped with artichoke hearts, asparagus and cheese. I’m surely heading back to Mezzaluna and from vegetarian this one is gonna be back on my table. I highly recommend to you to visit Mezzaluna and when there this master piece and a few more of the pizzas have got to make it to your table. Read on.

Up next was a pizza topped with linguine pasta. I was skeptical but this one ended up being the best of both the worlds – creamy pasta and a Italian pizza. Need I say more?

Switching gears, we moved on to select non-vegetarian pizzas from the menu. Humble lamb and pecorino cheese arrived topped on yet again a bread that I’m now at a loss of words to write any further. This toppings on each pizza were clearly present to enhance the flavors but still there was not an overload to steal the show away from the bread or make the pizza really heavy like what happens with the New York style pizzas. So is this also the difference between the humble Italian pizza and the overloaded New York style pizza? Leaving you with some food for thought.

‘PINCIO – Rucola, prosciutto e fichi’ swept me off the floor. Read it slow and steady – Parma Ham, Rucola salad, figs and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Again! Parma Ham, Rucola salad, figs and Parmigiano-Reggiano. This combination of freshness from the salad, saltiness from the Parmesan cheese, Salty-sweet profile of the perfectly sliced ham and the sweetness from the fig was magical. The experience of actually eating it is the only way to do justice to this wonderful creation and in the non-vegetarian section, this one is the brightest star of this galaxy named Mezzaluna.

While we had a choice to get a pizza or a calzone on the table, so far it was just pizza’s but the last two for the evening – one vegetarian and the other non-vegetarian were brought in the form of a calzone from the very same brick oven. Vegetarian one was ‘VIA DEL CORSO – Crema di peperoni e zucchini’ filled with cream of bell pepper and zucchini and the non-vegetarian one was ‘FONTANA DI TREVI – Acciughe e gamberi e fiori di zucca’ denoting anchovies and prawns. Crisp bread casing and the gooey stuffing; here’s and image of the non-veggie one.

Dessert was the Italian classic Tiramisu served with a twist from Chef Armando’s kitchen. This one was light and smooth. One of the really good tiramisu’s I’ve eaten in Bangalore.

Moving back to the stars of the evening – pizzas here are excellent with some breaking barriers and creating new standards which can be hard to match up to. I highly recommend you to visit Mezzaluna at Movenpick Hotels; for this kitchen dishes out  an outstanding pizza and the tap pours out draught beer, all of it at a fair price of Rs. 699 exclusive of taxes. I’m going to go back here for their pizzas and I do hope to see you too at Mezzaluna.

Cheers!

Address: Movenpick Hotels & Spa Bangalore, 115, Gokula Extension, HMT Road (Near BEL Circle), Bangalore - 560054

Phone Number: +91 80 4300 1000 


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