Benito's

We walked into Benitoes one evening with no clue what to expect – how would the food, ambience etc be. We had some grocery shopping to be done and then didn’t feel like heading back home , but at the same time dint feel like taking a drive outside the HSR area- the traffic and endless signals were a big put off .So got in with just the intention of having a dinner out and  no high hopes.

The ambiance is cozy, simple and the tables are spaced out well .The menu is predominantly continental – sizzlers, burgers and the like .

We started our meal with spicy chicken wings and , leek and chicken soup.

Chicken and leek soup

The soup came with a slice of toasted bread. It completely hit the spot – warm with no extra condiments required, the flavor of leek was infused throughout .Baby A enjoyed it a lot – he almost finished a whole bowl .Suffice to say that would make any mommy happy.

Spicy chicken wings

 The spicy chicken wings were good quantity but no dip accompanying it.Normally I’ve had it with a blue cheese dip or some mayo dip. It was spicy and messy, nicely coated with the mix. But I did miss having a dip to dunk it in.

For mains, I ordered the beef Bolognese with spaghetti.

Beef bolognese

It was warm and hearty, S just loved it , seemed like a complete boys meal-spicy but not overwhelming , and tangy with vinegar.

S ordered a vegetable ratatouille in a mild cheese sauce.

Vegetable Ratatouille

 It looked pretty daunting seeing all the cheese over it and made us wonder if we should get it packed instead, but once we dug into it there was no stopping us. It was actually quite light with the sheets of pasta and roasted vegetables. Both came with slices of toasted garlic bread.

We opted out of dessert cos everything sounded too heavy and decided to have some light chocolate mousse from a Corner house nearby instead.

We were pretty surprised when we got the bill – it is really rare to have a filling and satisfying meal and then pay less than 1000 rs nowadays.

We liked it so much that a couple of days later we picked up some pasta as takeaway .

We tried the spaghetti carbonara – which is usually spaghetti in a creamy white sauce with bacon and egg.

Spaghetti carbonara

In this case it was chicken instead ( there  is no pork served here) . It was good but not as good as the version with bacon in it .

Another dish we tried was the penne chicken alfredo .

Chicken Alfredo

It was quite good – tangy tomato sauce and chicken, with a liberal sprinkling  of parmesan cheese.

Also had the lasagna – which was layers of thin pasta layered with tomato based rich sauce and minced chicken and cheese.

Chicken lasagne

 Very,very sinful but oh so tasty. But I must admit my favourite lasagna all time  is the one I've had from Juke box in Koramangala. All these dishes are really filling  and very good quantity as well.  So, don’t overdo the ordering. 

Definitely worth a try and I'm  sure we would be going back again to try out other items on the menu.

Location – Next to Pragathi Motors, Near Wipro Corporate Office, Sarjapur Road, Bangalore

Price ( for 2) – Rs 700

Yum-O-Meter – 3.5/5

Golconda Chimney

I’ve passed Golconda chimney in my to-fro office journey from the time I’ve been in Bangalore, it always looked like an interesting place but never got a chance to try it until recently and I must say, I should have visited it earlier .

The interiors are very simple yet elegant with stone walls and pretty colored glass lamps.

The menu is a mix of Indian and also a bit of Chinese but we only had the Indian .

For starters, we ordered the special Chimney kebab.

Chimney Kebab - notice the way its served!

After a little bit of a wait, we got some pretty decent sizes of boneless hot n spicy chicken which  had the smoky taste of being done very well in the tandoor.It was served with a mint n yoghurt chutney( more of yoghurt than mint) and onion salad.

Next we tried the chicken clear soup .

Chicken clear soup

 It was definitely clear with a medley of cucumber,spring onions,spinach and boiled chicken. Tasted healthy, I liked it but my colleagues weren’t so sure.

For mains we ordered the Chicken Zabardast – this was chicken cooked with a heavy masala of spices, tomatoes, lots and lots of curry leaves and garlic.

Chicken Zabardast

 It went very well with the rotis, which soaked up the thick gravy.

One of my friends had ordered the masala kulcha which was soft and tasty with a good filling of spicy paneer.

We also tried a Chicken Dum Biriyani which came with raita.

Chicken Dum Biriyani

 The rice was long grained and it looked scrumptious but it looked better than it tasted. I would have liked my rice a little more cooked and also the masala hadn’t absorbed properly in the rice and chicken which ended being a little bland .

We just couldn’t leave with out having something sweet – so ordered one plate of gulab jamuns(3 in a plate).

Gulab Jamun

Hot and sweet and perfectly completed our meal.

Service is a little slow but otherwise food was fine , quantity was good for the price.

Location –Near Kundanhalli signal,Varthur Main Road, Whitefield, Bangalore

Price ( for 3) – 1100 Rs

Yum-O-Meter – 2.5/5

Coco Grove Beer Cafe

Cocogrove Beer Café is nestled in one of the hot spots, Church street in Brigade road. Not to be confused with the Coconut Grove restaurant ( right next to it ) (which is a Malayali restaurant) ,Cocogrove is a place which is open through the afternoons and once you are done with all your shopping , drop in for a quick bite to eat and maybe a beer to refresh you .

The food is mainly continental with sandwiches , burgers ,finger food and sizzlers on the list .You also have your pick of milkshakes, beer , cocktail and mocktails.

I dropped in here one day , famished after spending a hot afternoon in brigade road with my friend. We didn't have the patience for starters so immediately ordered a soft drink and lamb burgers for both of us.

Lamb Burger

Here, you can see the lamb burger – which is basically a mutton cutlet (reminded me of those cutlets you get in bakeries in Kerala) , served in a bun with lettuce , onions, tomatoes and mayo . It has a side of potato chips- out of a packet( not French fries) .

I tried the special lamb burger which is the same as above ,with an addition of an egg (omelet) and cheese. Not mind-blowing stuff but satisfies your hunger and not bad for the price. The place was filled up when we went there on a Sunday afternoon .Seems to be a nice place to hang out for a couple of hours with your buddies without creating a dent in your bank balance .

Location –Spencers Building, Church Street, MG Road Area, Bangalore

Price ( for 2) – Rs 350

Yum-O-Meter – 2/5