The Grill House, Bangalore

It’s been long since I wanted to visit the much heard about ‘The Grill House’ and finally on one weekend of April, 3 of us decided to visit the restaurant for a Tex-Mex dinner.  The restaurant has a very rustic feel with a lot of wood used in its décor. Thought being located on a very busy road, being inside the restaurant seems like an escape from the city’s traffic filled noisy roads.

Menu:

Specializing in Tex-Mex food, the menu was vast with a very good range of starters, salads, steaks, sizzlers, Mexican delicacies, burgers, sandwiches and desserts to choose from. The menu has separate sections of listing and caters well to both the vegetarians and the non-vegetarians. The Grill House also boasts of a well-stocked bar which we did not explore on this night.

What we ate:

Our food comprised of one vegetarian – Cottage Cheese Shashlik, non-vegetarian included a chicken steak and a king fish steak; both of which were requested to be served as a sizzler.

All sizzlers come plated with butter-boiled veggies, Mexican flavored rice and mashed potato. Both fish and chicken sizzler arrived on our table at the same time. At first, the lack of/minimal sauce on both the sizzlers took us by surprise leaving a puzzled look on our faces. The restaurant staff was quick to answer the puzzle. The very next moment, the pepper sauce for the chicken steak and an herbed lemon butter sauce for the king fish steak was brought in sauce boat (meant for serving sauces). Apparently, this is how it is served at The Grill House.

The chicken steak sizzler was quite nice. The sauce had a nice flavor, the rice was mildly flavored with Mexican herbs, mashed potatoes and boiled veggies were fresh and moist.

The King Fish steak sizzler was 2 big pieces of sear fish and rest of the works. This dish was quite disappointing for (1) the herbed lemon butter sauce was quite tangy to taste with an over powering flavor of lemon, (2) the fish which per the information from the staff was supposed to be boneless had its fair share of bones and (3) the fish didn't seem fresh and was also quite dry possibly due to over cooking.

The cottage cheese shashlik too failed to excite our taste buds. O.M.G! An overdose of vinegar in the barbecue sauce smothered over the cottage cheese cubes.

Verdict:

Apart from the initial glitches in service; I must admit that the service was quite nice. The staff was quite responsive, attentive and prompt in service. They were knowledgeable about the food being served and willing to help with suggestions.

While the portions of food are humongous the taste was fine but far from the WOW Factor!! Some interiors required attention to address the wear and tear; especially the sofas we sat on.

With no sign board visible, we parked the car ourselves. Only after dinner did it come to our knowledge that valet service existed with the sign board placed on the side of the building. Poor placement I must say.

For what we ate; accompanied by a non-alcoholic beverage we ended up paying around Rs. 1200.

Quick Tips:

Go if around Ulsoor.

Address: 8/6 Kensington Point, Ulsoor Road, Opp. Gurudwara, Bangalore

Phone Number: +91 80 40977011

Punjab Grill, Bangalore

Most of the times; we friends land up at a lounge or some place that served international cuisine.  At least this has been the trend since the past few months. Monkey Bar, Willy Vanilli, Toit and Bricklane Grill are a few names that come off my head. Indian food was something we missed and as we thought of where to go, one suggestion got all of us craving for this regional cuisine - Punjabi cuisine. Punjabi cuisine was something we friends had not tried in a long time. 2 restaurants that immediately struck our mind were Punjabi by Nature and Punjab Grill. Not having got a reservation at Punjabi by Nature we decided to meet at Punjab Grill.

Menu:

Both beverage and food menu were quite impressive. In the beverage menu, Punjab Grill had a special section allotted to cocktails with a twist like Khooni Chameli (Bloody Mary with an Indian twist). The food menu left our mouth watering; for the delectable listing of soups, tandoori starters, curries, Indian breads, biryani and desserts. There is a vast spread of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian tandoori starters and curries one can choose from. 

What we ate:

Quiet surprising, a couple of us thought soup would be good ways to start with while the rest of us though alcoholic beverages would be the way to go. So it was Tamatar shorba, beer and Punjab Grill special cocktail; the name of which I do not remember. With this we also placed the order for a vegetarian starter and one non vegetarian starter. The vegetarian starter was Kurkuri – minced vegetables wrapped in dough coated with vermicelli.  Each of these Kurkuri sticks came in a shot glass partly dipped in a sweet-chili sauce. First taste of this sweet-chili sauce had me thinking – “Thai infusion in Punjabi cuisine; bole to - Punjabi cuisine mein Thai tadka”. Well.. Thai Sweet-Chili sauce is what I mean. Nonetheless, this kurkuri sticks were nice and tasted well with the accompanying sauce.

The non-veg platter was what two of us looked forward to. Portion wise, the platter was good for 2 of us with 2 pieces each of Chaamp Taajdar (mutton chops), Amritsari Machhi, Murgh Malai Tikka and Murgh Tikka Punjab Grill. The mutton and fish were really tender and flavorful. The fish was fresh but the mutton chops barely had any meat on it. Both murgh malai tikka and murgh tikka were delicious and succulent.

For the main course, it was Patiala Shahi Kadai Paneer for the vegetarians - a very common Punjabi preparation of paneer, onion, bell pepper and various spices succeeded in hitting the right spot. Kadai paneer. Non vegetarians opted for another famous Punjabi delicacy; Murgh Tikka Lababdar – a rich and creamy tomato based gravy with succulent and mouthwatering boneless pieces of chicken.

Patialashahi Kadai Paneer

Murgh Tikka Lababdar

A couple of Indian breads which included butter and plain naan were called for as an accompaniment to the savory gravies. The naans both plain and butter were a big disappointment for they were hard to break into bite size pieces and also quite chewy. As a result, these were sent back and tandoori rotis were called in its place which was quite nice but really huge in size.  

The vegetarians decided to call for a pulao from the rice section and the pick was chutney pulao. This was a mint and coriander flavored preparation of rice and potato chunks. This dish was served cold and when the staff was informed about this, it was heated in a microwave and served again. This was not a big hit on the table for it was too dry and lacked enough flavoring.

While we were stuffed to the throat and had a lot of food left over due to the large portions of the gravies and the huge rotis, my friends - a dessert lover called for a highly recommended gulab jamun stuffed with chocolate that we all shared.  This was a nice finish to a rather inconsistent meal.

The most awaited part of our dinner was the finale… Paan Shots! At the end of the meal along with the check, Punjab Grill serves a sweet paan liquified and presented in a shot glass to each and every diner. I can easily say this was quite refreshing and easily formed the best part of our dining experience. We all loved it so much that we asked for another round of this to be served to us.

Verdict:

The first look that grabbed my attention was the waiting area - a very nice set up where we were seated for a couple of minutes until the staff confirmed our table was ready to be occupied. The ambiance was really nice with plush interiors, well spaced out tables and sections made for a private dinner. Diners have an option to pick between indoor and outdoor seating. Though it was a very pleasant night, we picked indoors for this restaurant is located very close to the busy main road and we didn’t want to get disturbed by the traffic sounds and the air pollution.

While the food was good but lacked the WOW Factor! Service at Punjab Grill is the weakest link which I had heard about quite often before visiting the place. Still unexpected; I can say, “We got a firsthand experience of the service lapses right from the start when we waited for a couple of our friends to arrive. To begin with, we were not attended to for 15 minutes possibly based on the assumption that we’d want to start only after the rest of the diners on our table arrived. The food brought to us was cold or got cold as we waited for the accompaniments to arrive. The staff failed to educate us about the portions of the food served especially the naans and rotis which were king sized and each could feed at least 2 people who have an appetite as large as mine. Dessert was forgotten and the check was brought out to our table.

The boon is diners do not have to worry about parking which is a big hassle in Koramangala for Punjab Grill provides for valet parking service.

Pricing is exorbitant for the poor service and overall dining experience that Punjab Grill offers. An average bill for 2 diners for a starter, a main course, breads and dessert will leave your pockets short by Rs. 1500 to 1800 excluding other charges and taxes.

Quick Tips:

Something a staff member here fails to suggest - Portions of the main course are generous. Indian breads are king sized and can be shared.

Go for: Good Punjabi food, great ambiance, Paan shots

Do not go for: Poor service

Address: SJR Primus, Ground Floor, 7th Block, Koramangla (LandMark: Opp. Forum Mall), Bangalore

Phone Number: +91 80 40902161 / 62

Fava, Bangalore

FoodLovers Magazine has been hosting a series of contests on their Facebook page and in one of them; I won a lunch voucher for 2. The lunch certificate entitled us to a 2 course prix fixe meal each which is served only during the weekdays. This was a good enough reason for us to break the work day monotony and catch up for a weekday lunch.

Menu:

The last 3 pages of the menu at Fava are dedicated to the Prix Fixe 2 or 3 course lunch. There is an array of dishes - both vegetarian and non-vegetarian that one can select from. The food mainly comprised of Mediterranean, French and Italian cuisine.  The listing was well classified between the first course, the second course and the third course – desserts and we were given an option go with any two of the three courses.

What we ate:

Having been given an option to go with any two of the three courses, my pick was Turkish Fish cakes from the first course and Crabmeat, Coriander and chili risotto and Puja chose to go with Balsamic Grilled Vegetables and mozzarella Panini for the mains and Kahlua flavored espresso and praline mousse.

While our food arrived, we were served Lavash with a tomato based sauce. The Lavash was nice and crisp and the sauce was creamy (thanks to the parmesan cheese) with the sweet and spicy flavor coming clear from the sugar and Moroccan chili used in its making.

Turkish Fish cakes arrived with a basket of 4 mini pita breads and plated with seasoned salad, Moroccan chili sauce and mint Labneh. The fish cakes were delicious and enjoyed best in the company of pita bread, the mildly spiced chili sauce and the very refreshing mint Labneh. A special note on these sauces that exuded such fine flavors that we couldn't help but ask for more.

Balsamic Grilled Veggie Panini was built with very simple ingredients and was packed with flavor of the grilled vegetables and the balsamic vinegar dressing. On the side with the Panini were served French fries and a salad.

The Crab-meat Risotto arrived with the aroma enough for anyone to assume that this dish was sea food based. What I loved about the Risotto was its flavor and creaminess but missed the crab-meat which I felt was sparingly used.

We felt quite full from what we had eaten so far but looked forward to our dessert – ‘Kahlua flavored espresso and praline mousse’. Did we get this? Of course, we did along with a complimentary bowl of chocolate truffles. The mousse was really nice and well balanced in terms of its sweetness for the dessert and the flavor of the coffee.

Chocolate truffles were gooey creamy balls of dark chocolate rolled over and coated with coffee powder dusting. We totally loved this and must admit that there was no better way that this to end a delightful meal at Fava.

Verdict:

We had a great time lunching at Fava. The food was simply fabulous. The portions were really generous and more than sufficient for a single person. The service was attentive, quick and prompt. The staffs were very courteous and polite.  They knew their menu and food well and can be depended upon for making a choice, if needed. We are definitely heading back here soon.

Being located in a mall, Fava does not offer valet parking or a private parking space. Parking is available on a paid basis in UB City.

We did not have to pay for this Prix Fixe 2 course meal. However, a scrumptious meal like this is a steal at Rs. 425 + taxes.

Quick Tips:

Go here for a relaxed meal, amazing Mediterranean fare and desserts. Mediterranean cuisine is really diverse and one of the ways to get started and sample this would be to try their ‘Tasting Meze Platter’. 

Address: #203, 2nd Floor, The Collection, UB City, 24 Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore

Phone Number: +91 80 22117444

Pasta Street, Bangalore

Pasta Street, a relatively new restaurant made its presence felt on Cunningham road a couple of months ago. This restaurant has been on my list for a couple of months now. This Sunday I finally headed here for lunch with my wife who was looking to grab some Italian food. We did go here with some expectations that were set based on the feedback from my brother who had dined here a couple of weeks ago.

Menu:

The menu comprised of a long list of pastas and pizzas for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians with some options of lasagna available as well. To whet our appetite the menu also listed garlic bread and bruschetta with a variety of toppings. In addition to this there were non-alcoholic beverages like tea, coffee, mocktails etc.

What we ate:

For starters, we called for a mixed bruschetta which was an assorted platter of pesto, red pepper sauce and marinated tomato bruschetta. The platter was very appetizing with the toppings giving a good flavor to the perfectly toasted bread.

In the mains, we picked ‘Rocket Pizza’. This was a 9 inch; crispy, thin crust pizza topped generously with pickled jalapenos, green chilies, green pepper and something called rocket leaves. The pizza was very light and crispy. It did taste spicy for it was topped with chopped green chilies but definitely not as spicy as the name would have suggested. In all, we like this one.

Our second pick in main course was fusilli pasta was Primavera veg sauce which came along with a slice of toasted garlic butter bread. Primavera sauce was a rich and creamy mixture of cream sauce and tomatoes, assorted peppers and zucchini with some black olives thrown in on our request. Needless to say, “it was a big hit with the two of us.” The portion was very good with one dish being more than sufficient for a person. Having arrived after the pizza, finishing the pasta would have been a big task had it not been for the taste to which we gave in.

We ended our meal with a nice cup of hot green and Assam tea.

Verdict:

Though the food was really good, the service was a disappointment. We had to wait really long to place our first order, food service took longer than usual, we had to look out for the staff every time we needed to place an order. So much so, we sat unattended post lunch before we could spot someone to call for tea. On observing, we also spotted other diners around us disappointed with the service.

We were on a two wheeler and finding parking on Cunningham road was easy. However, for four wheelers, they do not have valet parking and trust me finding a place to park on Cunningham road can be a task.  

A meal for 2 here would cost an average of Rs. 600 + taxes for two. I must say, it is money well spent.

Quick Tips:

While the service is slow, the food served is fresh, hot and delicious.

Address: 27/2, Chicago Avenue, Cunningham Road, Bangalore

Phone Number: +91 80 40975678

Secret Garden Cafe, Bangalore

Secret Garden Cafe is a nice quaint little place located at the end of Edward Street off Queen’s road on the terrace of a lovely bungalow. Tucked away in one corner, what caught my wife’s attention was how this place has distanced away itself from all the hustle and bustle of the city yet located in the very heart of Bangalore. This has been on my list of ‘to visit’ places for quite some time now. Finally the day arrived when my wife and I decided to head out for a Saturday lunch and I just knew ‘Secret Garden Cafe  is where we should head.

Menu:

The menu changes frequently and is listed down on a big black board placed on a stand. This board along with the stand is moved around the cafe from one table to another as the need arises. The menu is limited to a few dishes under salads, mains, dessert and some non-alcoholic beverages category; yet offering enough variety for both the vegetarians and non-vegetarians to choose from. The menu on our day comprised of some salads, European and continental, Parsi, and Moroccan dishes along with some cheese cakes and other desserts.

What we ate:

We started off with a very refreshing salad of avocado, tomato and figs to share along with a glass of ice tea each. The salad was a wonderful cocktail of flavors and textures – juiciness of the tomato, sweetness from the fig, creaminess of the perfectly ripened avocado, crunch of the sweet vinaigrette soaked lettuce. Must say, we were happy to have gone by the recommendation of one of the owners of this café.

For the mains, it was Moroccan veg Tagine and cous cous for my wife and Greek Moussaka and minced lamb for me. Moroccan Tagine was a flavorful assortment of chick peas, sweet potato dry fruits and more all served up with cous cous. My wife was all praise of the dish.

I was happy savoring the Greek Moussaka which was baked dish of minced lamb chunks, veggies served on a bed of eggplant slices and topped with a generous layer of cream and cheese. This dish was creamy and delicious. This was all mopped up by me in no time.

The portions here are good and well sufficient for one person. Having had a main each and a salad too share, we decided to share a dessert too. Our pick was ‘Passion fruit cheese cake with mulberry sauce’ which was a slice of passion fruit flavored cheese cake in the middle of a plate filled with mulberry sauce. Nice… The cheese cake had a mild passion fruit flavor and the tanginess of mulberry sauce was a good accompaniment to tickle one’s taste buds.

Verdict:

A first glance at this cafe and we were reminded of the cafes in Pondicherry housed on the terrace of residences that are run or rented out by food lovers. This place had a very relaxed non-restaurant like feel. The occupancy was about 50% which was a good mix of Indians and foreigners who came in as groups or just couples and spent time savoring the food, along with enjoying the ambiance and weather of Bangalore and/or reading a book.

On the service front, one of the partners attended to diners while another along with staff managed the kitchen. The show is run with minimum staff with each managing more than one department unlike a restaurant where normally each staff member is assigned a specific role to play. The service was friendly, prompt and fast. This cafe has an open kitchen and at no time it was difficult to grab one’s attention to our table. The food served was fresh and hot.

Located in a residential street, finding parking was not difficult. Yes, they do not offer valet parking.

For all the food we ate and beverages we consumed we paid about Rs. 1100 all inclusive.

Quick Tips:

Secret Garden Cafe is only open for lunch, Monday to Saturday. Sundays are holiday. This is definitely a good secret to know and I am most certainly going back here. 

Go here for a good food, chilled out ambiance  escape from the cities hustle and bustle (yet being in the heart of the city). 

Address: # 7/1, Edwards Road, Off Queens Road, Bangalore 560052

Phone Number: +91 80 41131365

Berry'd Alive, Bangalore

Browsing through the net, word of mouth recommendations and then recollecting memories of having spotted ‘Berry’d Alive’ while dining at ‘I & Monkey’; is how my wife and I landed up at this dessert haven one of the days last week. On this evening, we headed out with a plan to splurge on the desserts with actual dinner no where in our minds.

Menu:

The menu at Berry’d Alive is a listing of 15 to 18 desserts. All these desserts are a creation that involves the use of a wide array of flavors and ingredients chosen very thoughtfully. The menu is listed descriptive and for visual help they have a screen that keeps playing the images of the desserts. 

What we ate:

We took a good 10 minutes to decide the first 2 desserts that would visit out table. We were both tempted to try out something that was not chocolate based. Not that we do not like chocolate, but it was more to do with the interesting combinations that made the other desserts to have a better appeal. So the two desserts were – ‘Coffee and Walnut Crème Rolls’ and ‘Strawberry Mango Verrine’.

‘Coffee and Walnut Crème Rolls’ arrived first. While we knew how they’d be presented (courtesy: Menu Images) we did not anticipate it would be down-right delicious to its last bite. This dessert had a very interesting blend of texture and flavor - creaminess of the coffee-walnut flavored crème filling contrasted with the crunch of the sweet crispy crust and dusting of cocoa powder. 

The ‘Strawberry Mango Verrine’ was excellent too. This was a colorful presentation symbolizing the use of crème, strawberry and Mango as ingredients. Each of these layers contributed to the taste that lasted even after this dessert was downed.

Done with two desserts, we were all set for the third one. About to place the order and we met Aljeesh, the owner of Berry’d Alive who not only helped us make our third pick but also shared with us the history behind the desserts on offer, how Berry’d Alive came into being, process of introducing a new dessert into the menu, future plans etc.

Our 3^rd dessert was something unusual, really light, mildly sweet and definitely not chocolate based. It was ‘Raspberry Coconut Panacotta’. Unusual because - Imagining coconut as a base ingredient for the dessert was quite hard, yet what we received turned out to be great.

Verdict:

On the service front, the orders need to be placed at the counter itself. Desserts are served on the table. The service is fast and prompt with nothing much to be written about. The ambiance was quite nice.  The desserts were really nice and I am glad we chose to skip dinner and actually make dinner out of the desserts.

There is no valet parking service available.  

Each dessert served here ranges between Rs. 130 to Rs. 160 each - definitely, value for money.

Quick Tips:

Go for delicious desserts.

Address: #1079, 12th Main, Indira Nagar, HAL 2nd Stage, Bangalore 560008

Phone Number: +91 9611348003

Barbeque Nation, Bangalore

Barbeque Nation; a couple of months ago opened its 3^rd outlet in Bangalore in Ascendas Park Square Mall, Whitefield. This restaurant will undoubtedly be the most preferred and frequented restaurant among folks I know at my work place.  My most recent visit was for lunch with 10 other friends from office. This lunch finally happened after a month long push due the festive season; which along with fun, frolic and joy also brings in restrictions of consuming meat.

Menu:

What we noticed initially on our table was a hoisted flag of Barbeque Nation and a placard listing the spread on the buffet. This restaurant serves only buffet. During lunch one gets to choose from 2 buffet options; One is a 5 starter buffet which includes 3 Vegetarian and 2 Non Vegetarian starters and another is a 10 starter buffet which includes  5 vegetarian and 5 non vegetarian starters. Irrespective of the buffet chosen, the spread of main course and desserts remains the same for all diners. For dinners, patrons only get the 10 starter buffet.  

What we ate:

A hoisted flag means the 'starters can keep coming'. It was time we pay10 starters buffet is the one we opt for usually and this time too it was no different. This includes chicken (2), mutton, fish and prawns for the non – vegetarians and paneer, aloo, grilled veggies and more for the vegetarians. 

All of these starters are served on the table; with most of them placed on the personal barbecue set up on ones table. I like this part where, I can roast the starter further to suit my preferences. There are a variety of sauces placed alongside the barbecue allowing diners to cook the starters with the sauce of choice and personal preferences.

A star at our table was the tawa pepper mutton which was brought to our table as a special starter in addition to the ones listed on the menu. The meat was tender with the fat content left on the meat adding to the taste. The service has always been efficient with the starters been served consistently until the flag goes down. Yesss… you read it right.. Until the flag goes down because a flag down indicates 'we are done with starters'. 

The main course does have a whole lot of options from Indian (usually North and south, may be more), Chinese, Italian, and more… Usually, I am happy with the whole lot of starters served, but who can resist a biryani? At least I can't… So I head to the main course buffet for some biryani (mutton or chicken) and probably some crab curry (served only during dinner) with some Indian bread served hot on the table.

Desserts… There have been numerous times when I skip main course and head straight to the dessert counter. A good spread to choose from – fresh cut fruits, ice creams, toppings like nuts and sauces, pastries, Indian desserts like gulab jamoon, phirni and more again…. The desserts are excellent to taste. A winner to me personally is the phirni served in small or mini clay pots.

Verdict:

I have been to this place numerous times and must begin with saying that, "experience at Barbecue Nation has been overwhelming each of these times, both during lunch and dinner." Food spread is fantastic, service has always been outstanding. The staffs are very pleasant to interact with. The most recent visit is one we will always remember for we in true sense felt pampered. The service is very quick and efficient. The barbecues are refilled with starters of your choice constantly until the flag goes down.

The ambiance is very good, making it suitable for a family/ friends/business dinners. This place can sometimes get too noisy for business dinners. There are live performances in Indiranagar branch where on some days of the week live band performs while in Whitefield branch the staff gave us a performance on the latest sensation…. Gangnam Style. Reminded me of Hard Rock Café where the staff perform on Y.M.C.A.

Being situated in a mall, the restaurant does not offer valet parking service in this outlet. While the other 2 outlets – One at Indiranagar and another in Koramangla provide this service to its patrons.

Pricing of the buffet varies during lunch and dinner. The 10 starter buffet at lunch is charged at about Rs. 525 for the vegetarians and Rs. 580 for non-vegetarian while the same at night is charged at about Rs. 750 – Rs. 800.

Quick Tips:

I recommend making a table reservation before visiting this place. Reservations open 4 days in advance and is best made at least 2 days prior to the planned visit.

For unplanned visits, do not be disappointed for usually 70% of the seating capacity is max limit to the reservation are taken in advance meaning 30% of the seating capacity is left for walk-ins on a first come first serve basis.

Address: Ascendas Park Square Mall, ITPB, Whitefield, Bangalore

Phone Number: 9900080401