Many More Reasons to Visit Smoke House Deli, Bangalore

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It's been raining new menu introductions and this time it is none other that my favourite restaurants in Bangalore - Smoke House Deli. Smoke House Deli is a national brand and what's special about this newly introduced menu is that the new introductions are driven, crafted, and integrated completely based on the needs of the Bangalore market. It might be for the first time at Smoke House Deli that a menu is introduced in Bangalore and will be taken to the other cities and adapted there on.

The new menu has over 40 new dishes in categories like appetisers, soups, salads, sandwiches and burgers, pastas and risotto, mains, desserts and beverages. Phew! Without much ado we started with Wine Cosmopolitan in the company of a magnificent bread basket and an overload of assorted cheeses that came as a part of the SHD cheese platter.

Giving cheese platter a break, we moved on to the next round of drinks and it was SHD's twist to the classic mojito. In it's new avatar, the rum is replaced with bourbon whiskey which exudes a nice fruity and smokey taste and aroma . I enjoyed a couple of rounds of Jimi's mojito in the company of some starters which went well and kept good company for the drinks coming my way. Of the starters that arrived on our table, my pick was the 'Cheesy Chicken Triangles', 'Prawn Fritters with Mustard Aioli'.

The goodness of food only kept increasing from here with the arrival of two soups - a vegetarian and non-vegetarian. The vegetarian one was 'Full of Goodness Minestrone + Barley Soup' which was think and dense in texture and the flavors stood out beautifully. The non-vegetarian one was SHD's take on the Asian 'High Street Chicken + Noodle Soup' light and thin in texture with an equally good and aromatic broth. Dependant on weather I want a light or dense soup on my next visit, I'll pick one off the menu but on that day; I enjoyed the vegetarian one.

In the burgers, for the lamb lovers there is a South-West style lamb burger with sautéed onions, beans and chili as the works. This introduction is a testament of love from fans who enjoyed this burger during the burger festival a few months ago. Another burger that reads goodness is the Pulled Roast Chicken burger that come topped with Béarnaise sauce and a double cheddar melt. Mildly flavoured, this burger is for the ones who are limited to meat options.

From the salads and sandwiches what also well received were the 'Salad of Pear and Mango Chili Emulsion with Flax Seeds' and a 'Popcorn Shrimp & Chipotle Mayo Sandwich'.

From the very start, my brother and I knew we wanted to try the 'Coriander Crusted Basa with Saffron Coconut Rice' and the 'Chicken Schnitzel with Caper Sauce'. When it was time, we did exactly as planned. Each dish was wonderfully plated and was portioned generously for a person.

The fish had a lovely crisp and light crust, came topped with Veloute sauce (a french tomato based sauce) all placed on a saffron coconut rice base. It was indeed a medley of wonderful flavors and texture.

'Chicken Schnitzel with Caper Sauce' was crisp on the outside and gooey on the inside. Served in a cylindrical form like a bread roll, the chicken schnitzel was served on a bed of slides and roasted veggies. A nice wholesome meal in a plate it was.

Another main that we did sample from a friend was the slow cooked Brazilian pork belly that came with kimchi apples. What a fat chunk of belly it was! I'm not a big pork eater and to me this cut of pork belly was the biggest and the thickest I've ever seen. Loved it and if you love pork belly, this mean plate of pork can really mean a lot. What am I saying? I don't know.. Just get it on your table.

Now to the last course of our lunch; many await this and claim to have an additional stomach dedicated for the required sugar rush - Desserts. We tried 4 of them, each was better than the other but the top of the lot for me was the 'Oats and Caramel Tart' which was a real surprise package. This was followed closely by the 'Warm Apple Cake with the Vanilla Cardamom sauce' and 'Bitter Chocolate & Hazelnut Feuilletine'.

An average meal for two without alcohol will cost about Rs. 1500 plus taxes and charges. The new menu at Smoke House Deli is exhaustive and comprehensive in terms of offering to both vegetarians and non-vegetarians and also the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage drinkers. For me, it's many more (new) reasons why I must keep visiting Smoke House Deli and so I believe will be the case with you once you've given their new menu a try.

Address: 1029, 100 FT Road, Indiranagar, Bangalore

Phone Number: +91 80 2520 0899

When I met the Rockstar of the World of Cigars

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For me who does not smoke any form of tobacco; relates cigars as a style statement of the rich, classy and sophisticated celebrities, big business tycoons and the likes. Talk cigars and my mind draws images from classic English movies where cigar in many conversations lead me to believe the notion 'Cuban for cigars' - Not true. Apparently, not a single Cuban cigar has been rated as the top 5 cigars (Year 2014) of the world.

In an industry (cigars) built on name, recognition and reputation; its really rare to find a man who has attained exceptional heights and built a business empire of $ 30 million which he started out with little if not no knowledge off. His passion for cigars has his business produce 16 million cigars each year, employs 3500 people and owns huge tobacco plantations in Nicaragua and Honduras. What makes it even rarer if not impossible is to find a man who was originally a lawyer and out of passion for cigars set an empire that has grown this massive. 

Rocky Patel, the man and the brand itself are gaining popularity and recognition world-over. Some of his cigars have been consistently rated really high at 90 + out of a 100 by authorities on cigars. End of December 2014 also saw the cigar 'Rocky Patel Royal Toro' bagging the 5th place in the world for the 'Best Cigar of the Year 2014' by Cigar Aficionado.

Travelling around the world for 300 days of a year, Rocky Patel is an advocate of his cigars and believes in giving his customers the experience of meeting the man behind their favorite cigars. Honoring his belief, Rocky Patel was here in Bangalore for an evening of Cigar and single-malt whiskey pairing which was hosted at the Leela Palace by Cigar Conexion - the exclusive importer  and distributor of finest hand made and machine made cigars in India.

Most of the evening was spent interacting with Rocky Patel who not only spoke about how he got started in the Cigar industry but also about the nuances of cigar, art of smoking a cigar and lots more. Ask Rocky Patel what makes his cigars the class apart they are from the rest and he is enthusiastic to share a very details that go into it's making, right from sowing the seeds, harvesting, treating, fermenting tobacco leaves, wrapping, binding all the way to packaging. All through this process, the ingredients and the activities go through rigorous quality control to make each cigar in a box taste exactly like it's supposed to consistently.

For this evening, what was also ensured is that each one of us had more than sufficient supplies of cigars - 'Rocky Patel Vintage 1990' and 'Rocky Patel Decade Cameroon'. Ranked twice among the top 25 cigars of the world, I tried the former which was very smooth right from the first puff and through the duration it lasted that evening. The evening was elegant and involved loads of learning, interactions, food, drinks and most important of all - 'Cigars'.

Over the course of the evening, it was quite interesting to learn how a cigar gets its characteristics. Being a wine-lover, here's how I could relate cigars and wine:

- Like a good wine, a good cigar to can take a long time from soil to a packaged state. In this case, the Rocky Patel cigars took about 5 years.

- Like wines gets its character from the oak barrels they are stored in; likewise a cigar too gets its character through the process of it's making - smoking, heating, fermenting of tobacco leaves.

- Like wines can be made from grape varietals, likewise Rocky Patel cigars are made from various blends of tobacco.

- Like geographic conditions impact the end result of the grapes and ultimately the wine, likewise good tobacco and cigars too are highly dependent on geographic conditions.

The list can go on and this evening has only made me more curious to learn more and also try different cigars. For now, I have a 'Rocky Patel Decade Cameroon' that I carried back home with me to try. 

If you are in India and would like to give cigars a try too or even buy cigars you love, do visit the website of 'Cigar Conexion' where you can purchase either singles or a box based on your need. 

Caution! Smoking tobacco is injurious to health. Smoke Responsibly.

Mamagoto - The Fun Asian Dining

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Mamagoto is a Japanese term that essentially translates into 'to play with food'. It is a chain of restaurants spread across many major cities of India. While the food is clearly a success story, the very first thing to grab your attention is the famous yellow door which is a trademark of sorts at Mamagoto. I was recently invited to dine here and I gladly accepted.

At most restaurant (including Mamagoto) a guest is greeted by the staff but here, you are welcomed with the lingering aroma of the Asian herbs which are key ingredients to the Asian Cuisine. This aroma that fills up the air; in no time has you lost to the food fantasy land. With the aroma spread around, it's hard waiting for the food. 

I was recently invited to dine at Mamagoto to experience a wide range of delicacies that are dished out from the 'Fun Asian Kitchen' and also the innovative infused cocktails which again have a lovely Asian touch. We were provided with the menu cards which made one thing clear right away - the food (veg and non-veg) and beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) offering seemed really extensive. Having recently traveled to Thailand and Indonesia, my expectations were high and the flavors and tastes from the trip still lingered in the back of my mind.

With the help of the restaurant staff and our choices too, we started our food-trip which involved a round of Mamagoto special infused cocktails and starters. As we dined, what really worked well was my companion was a hardcore vegetarian and I was all into non-vegetarian. Okay I agree; 'hardcore vegetarian' is an oxymoron. :)

In non-vegetarian it was honey chicken with bell pepper and mild shezwan pepper, hot basil chicken cups and rock shrimp tempura. For me, honey chicken dish was a highlight in the starters and I could stop myself from polishing off the plate. Rock shrimp tempura is a simple preparation and came a close second in terms of the light batter, fresh and perfectly cooked shrimp. I generally like lettuce cups but in this case, I'd have preferred more flavoring in the chicken considering chicken doesn't really have a flavor of its own and usually adapts the flavors of the ingredients.  

Honey Chicken with Bell Peppers & Mild Shezwan Pepper

Rock Shrimp Tempura

Hot Basil Cups (Chicken)

My vegetarian friend called for vegetable basil cups, mixed veg tempura and Makati city discovery. He absolutely loved the light and crunchy mix veg tempura, vegetable basil cups followed and while the rice paper rolls served with a pineapple salsa was nice it was a little too bland for his liking. I didn't get to try the veg basil cups but personally liked the crunchy tempura vegetables and also the rice paper rolls stuffed with veggies.

Vegetable Tempura

Makati City Discovery

We surely needed drinks and decided to call for a couple of infused and signature Mamagoto cocktails. In the drinks what clearly stole the show for us was a Jack Daniel based cocktail called 'Cinnamon Whiskey Story' and two of house infused cocktails; 'Mexican Confusion' - a tequila based drink infused with Kaffir lime leaves and 'Thyme and elder-flower martini' thyme infused gin with an elder flower essence. What really surprised me with Mexican Confusion; and in a good way was though it contained lychee juice the drink was not overridden by the sweetness that lychee normally brings in. As for the martini, it was really smooth and went down the throat really well.

Cinnamon Whiskey Story

Mexican Confusion

Thyme & Elder-flower Martini

For the mains I was pre-decided on 'java grilled fish in red hot sambal salsa' and 'the laksa tribute - prawns' and my dining companion zeroed in on tofu teriyaki meal in a bowl and coal fired egg plant. First the non-vegetarian mains; the fish was a nice big and long fillet coated with the red hot sambal salsa and came wrapped in banana leaf. Steamed to perfection, the fish was soft, flaky and got a nice zing from the sambal salsa. This came portioned with a small mold of sticky rice. Overall the portion was quite generous and good to make for a main course.

There are no two ways - a noodle soup made with coconut milk, lemongrass, galangal, red chillis, prawns and more can have me slurping it off the bowl directly. That's 'the laksa tribute'. Had it not been for the enormous portion, I'd have swept it clean. Yes, even without the fish dish, I'd have easily split this laksa by two and walked out with a filled stomach; happy and content.

In the vegetarian territory, both dishes scored good points but off the two my friend loved the teriyaki meal in a bowl which again was a portion fit for two (not so very hungry souls). It didn't have meat but I still loved the flavors of this dish. It was a bowl full of sticky rice, veggies and teriyaki tofu. A perfect meal in a bowl with equally hearty portion.

With most of the dishes hitting the palate in the right way, we surely had a wonderful lunch and sipped some really good and not so good cocktails. The restaurant is well spread but gets really crowded. Like I mentioned earlier, please do make a reservation before you head here for a meal.

An average meal for two with food and a cocktail each at Mamagoto will cost around Rs. 2500 for plus taxes and charges. The pricing is pretty much standard and you surely will walk out happy and content with the food with out really making a hole in your pocket.

Address: 949, 12th Main HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore - 560038
Phone Number: +91 80 4093 7237

A Day Out @ Monkey Bar - New Introductions

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Needless to say, I have loved their drinks, the vibe, the food; especially the breakfast which I absolutely adore. It's a place I usually love to hang out in a group or just with a companion. I frequent Monkey Bar on weekends and that's quiet evident from my Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Very recently I was invited to review the new introductions on Monkey Bar's all day dining menu. Sunday lunch being the most convenient, I headed down to Monkey Bar with a dining companion. A lazy Sunday lunch is my idea of an ideal Sunday and the moment I entered Monkey Bar, I knew this was it. The music was soft, the place was not packed to the doors, the lighting was bright, families, friends and couples sat relaxed sipping on a few drinks, eating and having a good time among themselves.

My companion and I glanced through the 'New' all day dining menu to find an inclusion of both food and drinks. We began with an order of 'Reddy's Chicken, Devil Fries and Tempura Calamari for starters and 2 drinks to go with it.

The devil fries made for a great bar snack to go with the drinks and for a more fulfilling companion it surely had to be the calamari and Reddy's Chicken. What clearly stole the show so far was Reddy's Chicken which was packed with flavor and was down right succulent - a first taste and you know this is the very dish I want to go along with some drinks.

Devil Fries

Reddy's Chicken

Tempura Calamari - a preparation I first tasted in Monkey Bar, Indiranagar has made its way into the Monkey Bar, Wood Street menu as well. It's in fact been on their menu for some time and purely out of love, I called for this dish. It just seems like nothing can go wrong with this preparation. The Calamari was fresh, perfectly cooked and wonderfully flavored.

Tempura Calamari

As for the drinks, we had Mandarin Blast; a vodka based cocktail and Kiss-ky Whiskey; a whiskey based cocktail. Mandarin Blast was a very fresh and fruity drink apt for a lovely day with the sun out at its peak. If you love fruity drinks, this has got to be on your table.

Mandarin Blast

What's trending in my human system is a strong liking for Whiskey based cocktails and Kiss-Ky Whiskey is clearly the most recent entrant on my top favorite whiskey based cocktails. It's a drink that's got fantastic flavors coming from Irish whiskey, triple sec and again my favorite Ginger Ale. In the form of 'Kiss-Ky Whiskey'; Copper Monkey has competition!

Kiss-Ky Whiskey

We were quite stuffed with starters and thought of taking a break, meaning head down underground for some fun time playing pool and Foosball. We surely needed more drinks and the next round was a Bull Frog and Monkey Cup. Bull frog has been on the menu and is quite a potent drink with a mix of multiple white spirits to give you the kicks and Monkey Cup is quite an innovative drink of never ending white rum, pineapple, orange, amaretto, cinnamon and a pint of beer overturned. I love this drink and have had this on multiple visits now.

Bull Frog

Monkey Cup

We continued to sip drinks as we played pool and soon followed the mains which included our very own chicken tikka masala with a serving of rice (optional rice / pita bread), chicken katsu burger and banh mi. Chicken tikka with rice made for a really good meal and surely will be a popular hit among those looking for a very Indian and satisfying meal.

Chicken Tikka

Burgers have always been outstanding at Monkey Bar and hence, I did look forward to the arrival of this baby. It came as chicken sandwiched between the softest in-house baked bun and a side serving of delicious slaw, pickled cucumber and a paper cone full of french fries. What more can I ask for? With a lot of starters and drinks flowing through all afternoon, I'll admit sharing the burger between the two of us was also a Hercules task. At the end, deliciousness won and we did take the burger down to the last bite.

Chicken Katsu Burger

We assumed to have had the top picks from the new menu not knowing the dessert would have us floored. It's called 'I Scream Sliders'; a trio of 3 delicious flavors of ice cream - classic vanilla, salted caramel and coffee ice cream; all of them plated as sliders and served along with gooey hot chocolate sauce. I'm sure the picture speaks it all and I highly recommend you leave some space in your tummy for this decadent dessert.

I Scream Slider

A Sunday flew by really fast, yes it did. We nearly spent most of our afternoon at Monkey Bar playing games of pool and Foosball with other guests and savoring food and sipping drinks; lots of them. What ticks with me about Monkey Bar is, while the menu has been seeing new introduction and changes, it has the same old charm and vibrancy which it has retained to this day since it came into being. 

Without writing more, everything else remains the same except for the new menu which offers more reasons to go back to Monkey Bar!

'Old Monkey, New Tricks'

Address: Woods Street, Ashok Nagar, Bangalore

Phone Number: +91 80 4111 6878 / 79 

Asian Rooftop Bar - The Fatty Bao, Bangalore

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Be it 'Eggs in a Blanket with Mutton Keema' for breakfast at Monkey Bar, 'Ginger Roger' and 'Sloppy Joe' for lunch; again at Monkey Bar or 'The Bath Tub Special', 'Spicy Lamb Bao' and 'Sushi' at the erstwhile LikeThatOnly..... 

...... I have been a great fan of both the innovative food and drinks that get churned out from the kitchen and bar of Chef Manu Chandra and team. With Olive Beach and Monkey Bar to their credit, I was looking forward to the opening of this new Asian Gastro Bar - The Fatty Bao. It is a fun place which occupies 2 storeys above Monkey Bar in Indiranagar. I like this concept of 3rd floor offering an ambiance of a new Asian-Style dining and the 4th presenting itself as the super cool Asian rooftop bar. 

Finally the past week, I decided to head there with a cousin of mine for some drinks and short eats. This worked for us perfectly as the weather in Bangalore has been really nice and what better than a Rooftop bar to add to the experience!

Menu:

The menu be it of beverages or the food is quite extensive. The signature cocktails have quirky names and even fascinating concoctions which in no time succeeded in grabbing my attention. There are also the classics, bottled beverages, interesting shots and a lot more on offer. 

On the food side, the menu is outright delicious and each page of the menu has the potential to stop you from progressing further. They have dim sums, Sushi, the signature open-faced bao, a diverse selection of short plates (this is the hardest section on the menu for a food lover), of course the famous Fatty Bao Ramen and the list goes on.

What We Ate:

We settled in quite early in the evening and spent the rest of our evening indulging in some sinfully delicious drinks and short eats. No... We did not eat Ramen. I've heard it's something that cannot be missed but if you read on, you'll soon know why we didn't; rather couldn't get into that territory.

I told you it was hard to go through the initial pages of the menu itself. We had 'Char Sui Bao', 'The Fatty Bao PB&J', 'Kam Heong Calamari' and California roll coming to our table and we had not even gone past Page 3/4 of the food menu. The portions are fabulous and each plate was shared between the two of us.

For drinks, it was 'Mandalay Bay' - a very Asian drink that came from the bar counter as a concoction of Jasmine Tea infused Vodka based drink which came shaken with lime juice, Orange slices and topped with Ginger Beer. Subtle flavours are the rules of the game here. The Jasmine tea infusion was delicate enough to leave lingering mild taste on the palate. The lime juice, orange slices and chilled ginger beer only make it more refreshing and a light and easy going drink.

Left: Mandalay Bay; Photo Credit: Kunal Chandra

'The Fatty Sour' is 'The Fatty Bao' twist to the classic 'Whiskey Sour'. Everything remains common except for the inclusion of a blend of raspberries. This drink is available in two forms - with or without egg white. I went with the egg white and it tasted fabulous. For those who are wondering and having second thought about the egg white - "'No' you don't smell nor taste the egg; instead it gives the drink a fabulous silky smooth texture and the froth to top it all." The Jameson Whiskey was definitely present in good measure and you know it in every sip as you enjoy the smokiness of the whiskey. A perfectly balanced drink, with the flavors complementing each other beautifully.

Photo Credit: Kunal Chandra

It was en evening where pork ruled in the food department. We had 2 pork dishes on the table and each contending really hard to take the top spot, there sure was a party going on in our heart, stomach and mind. 'The Fatty Bao PB&J' was outright delicious and succulent. The Mustard-Miso JAM exuded flavor from the very moment it got into the mouth, soon to be followed by the awesomeness of the pork itself. The two of my memorable moments of having wonderful pork belly are both at different restaurants of Chef Manu Chandra - erstwhile LikeThatOnly and now The Fatty Bao.

'Char Sui Bao' was just out of this world. It had all the right ingredients, the perfect proportion of the bun, the smokiness and sweetness of the sauce, the crunch from scallions and generous portions of delicious pork belly. The best way to enjoy this dish is to down all the goodness of the bao, shredded pork belly and all the works in not more than 3 bites. Yes, not more than 3 bites and you experience the magic of flavors and textures happen in your mouth. My cousin who had also been here for dinner the previous night of our visit absolutely loved the 'Char Sui Bao' for its multitude of flavors. 

The next plate had us addicted to it for the rest of the evening. It worked really well with the drinks. It was full of flavor from the coconut milk, chili and curry leaves, freshness of the squid rings was clearly evident and the portion lasted for most of the evening. The only example of a dish being cooked to perfection that I can think of is this -  'Kam Heong Calamari'. Having a tendency to get really chewy with the slightest of overcooking, this calamari melted in mouth effortlessly even after an hour of sitting on our table. Do I even need to say more?

Sushi rolls are generally what I love to eat on most occasions but this time it probably was the day of delicious pork and calamari. Yes, one dish that didn't excite me much was the 'California Roll'. Though nothing wrong with the taste and flavor, I did find the roll thinner than my liking. They would have made for an enjoyable eat if they were more fuller than the actual serving. 

With all of these small plates keeping us great company and our sweet tooth demanding attention, we decided to try out a dessert each and call it a day. One was the signature 'The Fatty Hill' - a mint centered chocolate pyramid which came covered with praline and rice crispies with vanilla gelato on the side and the other was a 'Lemon Tart'. Choosing between the two, we enjoyed the former better.

Photo Credit: Kunal Chandra

Verdict:

The elegant bar with tall bar chairs, the table set up for people who'd like enjoy a dining style experience, the not so loud music and the lovely Bangalore weather enhance the ambiance and set the mood for a lovely Asian rooftop bar experience. A perfect balance has been created between various elements like casual setting, comfort and privacy. 

As for the food and drinks, it was 2 wonderfully concocted cocktails, a whole lot of short eats and dessert to finish off. It sure was an evening that I look forward to having again. Apart from what we ate, the menu has a lot more interesting stuff. I know for sure that, "I'm going back here to enjoy some favorites and also explore the other interesting offerings on their menu." 

An evening for 2 with about 4 short eats, 2 desserts and 2 drink in all will cost around Rs. 2000 plus taxes and charges. 

Valet parking is available which makes it easy for diners who otherwise would have to go through the hassle of finding parking in the bylanes around 'The Fatty Bao'.

Quick Tips:

Make a reservation, choose your experience - dining or rooftop bar, go really hungry and in a group to enjoy the multitude of offering.

You've got to have the Bao, calamari, and pork belly when you are here. 

Address: #610, 3rd Floor, 12th Main Road, HAL 2nd Stage, Opp. State Bank of India, Indiranagar, Bangalore

Phone Number: +91 80 4411 4499