Checked out the Smoked Meats Menu @ Plan b, Bangalore ?

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With guest for the day arriving and the beer and cocktails flowing in; Thashwin and Chef Daya were quick to get started with introducing the new menu of smoked meats. Meats Smoke the best and here on the menu is a lot of pork and chicken with some beef options as well. Most meats brined for over 24 hours, pork shoulders smoked for 8 hours, chicken smoked for 4.

Doing honours is the nachos with pulled pork and pulled chicken (2 different dishes). BBQ sauce was bloody good and the pork was clearly the preferred meat.

Smoked / grilled chicken wings came served on a board with the plan b signature garlic yogurt dip. The smoked chicken had the basic spice rub marinade and was grilled to perfection. This dish was addictive and we cleaned up numerous boards of chicken wings. I’m going back here for this for sure.

We merrily sipped on to our drinks and we knew our next course was the pulled pork burger and beef brisket burger. Considering we were on a tasting spree, we were served the pulled pork sliders and beef brisket sliders instead (No, sliders are not served on the menu). I don’t eat beef and having eaten the pulled pork burger before at Plan I looked forward to the dish. Today, it wasn’t the best I’ve eaten at Plan b but nonetheless I’d give the pulled pork burger a go again for it has been so very good previously.

Pulled Pork Slider (Read Burger)

For the next course - the mains, the griller was brought out and the meat was Pork Chops. The pork was fall of bone, well charred and glazed. Served with a side of mashed potato this was the highlight of the lunch meal.

From the mains, we also tried the smoked chicken topped with a sweet and sour sauce and with coleslaw on the side. The chicken had a lovely spice rub on it and the meat was succulent and perfectly done.

For the finale there was Smoked Ham and it arrived as a perfect show stopper - whole leg of pork beautifully glazed and was carved at our table for serving. Served to us in smaller portions was sliced ham basted with a Chili-Honey sauce with grilled veggies and choice of sides. The sauce was perfectly balanced and went really well on the ham. Meat was well done but I’d have liked it to be done medium rare. My pick of sides was the corn on the cob and a creamy and rich mac and cheese.

This lunch meal was on invite so we got to try most of the menu. When calling from the menu, you can either have - 

Mains ordered based on individual meat portions which comes with a side of choice

Or 

If you want to go all out you can hit the meat platter where you can choose 4 of the many preparations in meat and 3 sides of your choice. As usual, the portions are very generous so go hungry to enjoy a lovely meal.

This menu is offered in addition to the regular menu and while Plan b offers 1 + 1 on food for Zomato Gold members on the regular menu; this menu of Smoked Meats is exempt from Zomato Gold or any other 3rd party app offer. An average meal for two with a starter, 2 mains or a single platter of meat will cost around ₹ 1500 plus taxes and charges.

Do let me know what you tried and what you loved from the smoked meats menu? 

Address: Plan b, All Outlets - Brigade Road, Shantinagar, 12th Main, Indiranagar, Bengaluru

Phone Number: +91 888002 2737

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.

Made In Punjab - Extravagant Punjabi Fare

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Coming from the celebrated family of Kalra's the launch of Made In Punjab was much awaited and when it did it was with all pomp and show in true Punjabi ishtyle. Invited to experience the offerings from their menu, a friend and I headed one evening for some hearty Punjabi fare.

We started off with the legacy tandoori champ which were succulent lamb chops in a special house mix of spices. The evening surely did kick start on a really high note. Soon giving us company on our table was 'Bhatti  Ka Murgh' which was perfectly spiced tender chicken leg.

Appetizers continued to flow in with a melt in mouth 'Paneer Barrel Tikka' which as the name goes resembled barrels with an in between filling of spinach and cheese. Not usually a fan of mushrooms, the restaurant staff did insist we try 'Jau Mushroom Chakli' and it sure did have us asking for more. It was deep fried parcel with a filling of barley, minced mushrooms mildly seasoned and came served with a mustard-garlic chutney.

Punjabi evenings are never sober and hence the liver got it its fair share of job to perform. We had some interesting cocktail concoctions which had fancy Punjabi naming conventions. In order of preference I loved the 'Nayaa Zamana' which was MIP's take on the classic 'Old Fashioned' cocktail which concocted with a base of bourbon whiskey, caramel, citrus and apple. This was closely followed by 'Nashili Chai' a concoction of various white liquor and in house tea infusion.

Nayaa Zamaana

Nashili Chai

Heading to our next course 'Main Course' I had to have the much talked and heard about 'Nalli HardKaur'. It was a visually pleasing sight and even more enjoyable to eat; all the way through the last morsel of the intense lamb shank and finally sweep clean the plate to not leave a drop of the silken curry. The meat was cooked to fall of the bone consistency and exuded intense flavors.

I can go on about 'Nalli HardKaur' but let's move on to 'Luxury BC'. Let's cut the thinking, this is the luxury butter chicken; succulent chicken chunks in an ultra rich and delicious gravy. Both the dishes were best enjoyed with the traditional Punjabi breads like butter naan, paratha, tandoori roti and likes.

Finishing with a dessert, we tried the dates Rasmalai. The dates added a nice flavor to this dessert but for me this dessert lost out on the texture for it was too spongy unlike the traditional rasmalai which usually just melt in mouth. As I said, "this did not work for my palate but my dining companion relished this dessert."

An average meal for 2 at MIP will cost around Rs. 2000 ++ inclusive of food and a beverage each. I know I'm going back here often for delicious Punjabi fare and kick-ass cocktails. The menu is vast with some extravagant offerings and apart from repeats I look forward to trying more off their menu.

Address: Made In Punjab, UB City, Bengaluru - 560103

Phone Number: +91 81309 55899

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

'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.