Outback Restaurant

It was one of those days when we got bored of the mundane lunch in office and decided to eat out. Now where is always the question? Our usual craving would be for andhra meals or biriyani at the nearby Nandhini, but this time we wanted something different. Quick search on Zomato and Outback restaurant in the Ascendas mall nearby was zeroed in.

We were amongst the very few customers there, probably it being a weekday.The ambiance looked cozy and rustic, great for a gang of friends to unwind.

We were offered a drinks menu but turned it down – it being a weekday and all ;) .

We were stumped by the menu, and kept changing our minds on what to order – which is a good sign isn’t it.

We skipped the starters and went straight for the mains.

We ordered a grilled chicken sizzler, chicken burger and a chicken risotto.

Let’s start with the grilled chicken sizzler – it was a nice portion of chicken breast served with mushroom sauce and veggies. 

Grilled Chicken - sizzling away!

You have a choice of having it with rice, fries or mash. We tried the potato mash. The chicken was heavenly – absolutely right – none of that stringiness associated with overcooking the chicken. The mash was fabulous as well, no lumps and nicely flavored. It remained hot and steaming till the last bite – it was a sizzler after all.

The chicken burger was the unexpected star of the day.

Chicken Burger

Perfect and juicy, with all the right amount of fillings, which doesn’t overwhelm the burger patty. The fries it came with were awesome. We just couldn’t stop taking huge bites of this burger.
The chicken risotto was a let down – not bad but not great either. 

Chicken Risotto

I felt it was a little too dry for me although I can’t complain about the quantity.

We were really full at this point but couldn’t leave without having a bite of dessert. We ordered a sizzling walnut brownie to share amongst the three of us.

Sizzling Walnut Brownie

A combination of walnut butter brownie and vanilla ice-cream topped with hot chocolate sauce just can’t go wrong can it.

Overall we all were very satisfied with the meal. The service was quite friendly and I would love to come back and try the other options on the menu.

Location – Ascendas Park Square, Ground Floor, ITPB, Whitefield, Bangalore

Price (for 3) – Rs 1400

Yum-O-Meter – 3.5 / 5

Lokah , Cochin

We visited Lokah along with friends one evening for dinner. The restaurant boasts of world cuisine with the tagline  ‘The world on your plate’. I have to admit I was a little skeptical on whether it would live up to its promise, but I’m pleased to admit I was wrong.

The ambiance is casual- minimalistic and simple, so perfect for hanging out with your friends.

We started out meal with an unusual soup – chicken and beetroot soup, unfortunately I dint make a note of the exact name of the dishes :( . Our friends suggested it –I was not so sure especially when I saw a deep ‘magenta’ soup with some cream on top.

Chicken and Beetroot Soup

I changed my mind as soon as I put the first spoonful in my mouth – velvety is the exact world I would use. It came with bread sticks, which babies A and M munched on. Both the fussy babies enjoyed the soup, which is always a plus for the parents.

For mains, I ordered the Chicken Cordon Bleu. It was a crumbed fried chicken steak with a wee bit of cheese, served with French fries and veggie salad. It was not bad but not exactly the best I’ve had.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

S had the Meatloaf served with mashed potatoes and boiled veggies. Now, the meatloaf was simply delicious and I loved the light and tender texture of the meat with the sauce. The mashed potatoes were a little bit lumpy and dry though.

Meatloaf

Our friends ordered the Creole fish with the lemon butter sauce – which was good but nothing to rave about. Somehow the fish tasted better without the sauce .

Creole fish with Lemon Butter sauce

We also had a Pasta Alfredo, which was creamy and light.

For dessert, we tried the coconut soufflé and the mocha custard pudding.
The coconut soufflé was too gelatinous in texture and we were not big fans of it.

Coconut Souffle

The mocha custard on the other hand, was fabulous, perfectly creamy and we wiped the plate clean.

Mocha Custard

The portions are just right and satisfying. I would love to go back and try out the different things on the menu.

The best part of this meal was the bill – excellent value for money especially compared to Bangalore rates. Worth a visit!

Location – NH47 Bypass Road, Vyttila, Cochin

Price (for 4) – Rs 1200

Yum-O-Meter – 3 / 5

Olive Beach

Olive Beach has always featured on our list of must-try sometime restaurants, but in so many years it never actually materialized. I guess we were just waiting for the right occasion, which came in the form of our 6^th anniversary. It was pronounced date night, we got dressed, kissed baby A goodnight and set off for a wonderful evening.

Though being in one of the busiest parts of Bangalore – parking wasn’t a hassle thanks to the valet parking. We did make an appointment before hand and you might want to do the same lest you be disappointed. We chose to sit outside amongst the candles and fairy lights, perfect for that special date.

 We started off our meal with some cocktails. I had a passion fruit martini which was just right – not too fruity and sickenly sweet as it’s usually in some places.

Passionfruit Martini

S ordered a chilli martini .Wow, now that packed a punch! Perfect kick with the chilies and alcohol. It was one of the best cocktails we’ve ever had till date.

For starters, we vowed to try something different and what caught our eye was the Beef Carpaccio. We have heard it mentioned time and again in Masterchef and Topchef and often wondered what it was. The description read pepper crusted fillet sliced paper thin and served with parmesan cream, arugula and truffle oil salad, and fried capers.

Beef Carpaccio , Chilli Martini

The presentation was just beautiful-the picture actually does no justice to it, thanks to the low lighting. I tried to get everything in a single mouthful for that perfect bite which was difficult with the beef so tender and so thin, but it was something totally different. Fresh and full of flavour. My favorite part was biting into the fried capers, just awesome. This came to us along with an assortment of breads, some herb butter and olives.

Next we tried the Shrimp Bisque, which is essence of shrimp with brandy and aromats,served with sweet water shrimp tempura.

Shrimp Bisque

 The tempura shrimp was crunchy and went well with the thick, hot and creamy soup. Seafood lovers will just adore this soup.

The most difficult part was choosing the main course – we were tempted by all they had to offer.The pastas, risottos , tagine, everything just sounded so tempting.

Finally I settled for the Braised and caramelized Pork Belly ( again the influence of Masterchef). It s described as coorg inspired pork belly braised for 8 hours in a mix of black pepper , vinegar , cumin and herbs.

Braised and caramelized Pork Belly

It was served along with polenta which is cornmeal cooked like a porridge, and roasted apples. The pork was tender and yummy and went perfect with the polenta but I wish there was a sauce just to give it that extra bit of flavor.

S had the 8 hour lamb – which is shoulder of kid lamb braised in cabernet and aromatics served with twice cooked lemon butter potatoes,  and a smoky mustard fortified ancho and lamb bone sauce (quite a mouthful).

8 Hour Lamb

The lamb was good but strongly reminded me of a good Indian mutton curry. The potatoes were spectacular, crisp on the outside and soft and creamy inside.

We couldn’t leave without trying the desserts and opted for the Catalan bread pudding.

Catalan Bread Pudding

It hit the spot with its amazing texture, full of nuts and served with caramel ice-cream and cinnamon cream anglaise.

It is definitely on the pricy side, but amazing food and great ambience. I would love to go back and try out everything else on the menu.

Location – 16, Wood Street, Ashok Nagar, Off Brigade Road, Bangalore

Price (for 2) – Rs 4800

Yum-O-Meter – 4/5

Cafe Thulp

This is a review long overdue, considering the fact it’s in my favorite list, and a place we frequently visit with friends and family. Café Thulp is nestled in the heart of koramangala, and considered ’The place’ for the best burgers in town. We have tried almost all of the burgers and none of them have ever been less than awesome. 

First up – come early, if you want good seating. It’s almost always crowded, and open through out the day which is a good thing .

The ambience is very lively and in case you turn up alone for a bite, there is a section with old books and even some (old) toys to occupy the little ones. There are board games as well, to be enjoyed wit a group of friends. The menu is a fun read, with innovative names.

In the starters- aptly named ‘Start me Up’, the ‘Buffalo Bill’,which are described as fiery buffalo chicken wings ,are to die for. 

Buffalo Bill

 It’s well marinated and succulent- everything you’re looking for in chicken wings and comes with a cream cheese dip.

The ‘Skin flicks’ are sinfully good- how can the combination of crispy potato skins slathered with cheese sauce, bacon and ham go wrong.

Skin Flicks

The ‘Gonzo Garbanzo’ had really soft and fresh pita bread and creamy hummus to dunk it in.

Gonzo Garbanzo

 Going to the all day brekker options, our favorite is the ‘Frogs in Heaven’.

Eggs Bangadicti(L) , Frogs in Heaven(R)

 Don’t be put off by the name – its just French toast with cinnamon and orange ,along with side of honey and butter– really filling  and baby A loved it.

The ‘Eggs Bangadicti’ consists of two perfectly poached eggs, just bursting with flavors of spicy cheese sauce, grilled onions and grilled ham on toasted buns.Yumm!

Do check out the corner blackboard with the days specials- the cheese omelets are amazingly fluffy  and for sides you can chose ‘Sideshow Bobs’ which are bacon rashers, fried ham or sausages.

Now the part which Thulp is known for – the burgers!

Usually we go for the Moo burger with bacon and cheese. All around meaty beef served with french fries and coleslaw. 

Moo Burger

 If you have the stomach for it , you can try the ‘Moos yo daddy’, but be warned ,its 400gm cheese burger , impossible for us to finish in one sitting .

Moos ya Daddy

Look at the size of that!

 The other special ‘Moosies’ (burgers ) here which we’ve tried are the ‘Ho Chi Minh’ ,which is a Vietnamese grilled pork burger with mint and chili . The combination of the oriental flavors and mint really shine through.

The ‘Ginza by Night’ is a teriyaki beef /chicken burger with grilled mushrooms. Nicely done and spiced, worth a try.

The ‘Gonzeshwara’ is a bacon wrapped fillet steak, cheese and egg burger with bbq sauce.

Gonzeshwara

 I somehow didn’t enjoy it as mush as the others, cause it was like having a steak inside the burger and it was not as tender as I expected , had to do a little extra chewing .But flavors are spot on.

My favorite is the ‘Singin Saudade’ which is beef burger topped with fiery goan sausage and grilled onions. 

Singin Saudade

 It’s incredible and spicy. Perfect for those cold nights, for your spicy meaty fill.

Each of these come with coleslaw and French fries – which are both really well done, it’s so difficult to get good coleslaw nowadays.

There’s also a variety of sandwiches and pastas .

We generally wash down our meal with ‘A Cardinal Sin ‘ , which is hot chocolate and a snickers bar- the snickers generally is our dessert . 

A Cardinal Sin

 There are a couple of desserts on display as well but I’ve never tried any of them.

I’m sure this is a place we would be coming to, again and again, as we feel its worth our money and never ever been a letdown. Perfect place to hang out with your friends for a nice meal to just talk or play some games. A must try !

Location – 1st Main, 1st Block, Koramangala, Bangalore

Price ( for 2) – Around 800 Rs

Yum-O-Meter – 5/5

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

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

Breakfast @ Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad!

This is a continuation of our trip to Hyderabad. Since it was in celebration of my parents 30th anniversary , we decided to treat them to a special day and booked a days stay at the Taj Falaknuma Palace, amongst the top most hotels in India, and by the way things are looking , heading towards the top list in the world. It was just a spectacular experience. Get ready to get pampered in style from the moment you arrive - where a horse driven carriage awaits you at the reception, rose petal showers welcome you inside , and once inside your breath is taken away by the wondrous architecture which is a mix of European and Indian. Each and every tile, lamp, clock around  manages to fascinate you by its beauty . I especially loved the lobby with its venetian work , beautiful murals and soft lights.

The lobby

In the evening , you can attend the palace tour by the historian , truly a very interesting tour - his knowledge of the Nizami way of life and times is immense. After which you can relax and listen to some qawwali music on the balcony overlooking Hyderabad city.

Each and every room in this palace is so unique and remarkable, but to mention a few, there was an amazing library with extremley rare books, many first editions ones like the Encyclopedia Brittanica, books by Winston Churchill, a book written by one of the survivors of the titanic. I especially enjoyed thumbing through the earliest Visitors book with entries from British officials.

Library

Every ballroom was lovely with breathtaking chandliers, and the most famous room here is the 101 dining room - named so cos it can seat 101 guests . Its the longest dining table in the world, complete with Versace plates and gold tumblers.

101 Dining room

Truly magnificent and no picture can do justice to its beauty .
We spend the whole day exploring the palace , clicking thousands of pictures and just taking everything in.
Obviously the next morning we were ravenous. Breakfast was an absolute delight , we could choose whatever we wanted from the menu in the Celeste restaurant , and it was made fresh and bought to us.There is a great selection to choose from and ,while you wait they bring you a wide selection of croissants( both white and brown), muffins ,pastries, biscuits,doughnuts and danishes.

This was served with a variety of preserves, honey and fresh juices as well as champagne(!) .
We ordered quite a bit of things and everything was delicious.
Here you can see poached eggs , served on top of toasted muffins, ham and wilted spinach. Really tasty. 

Poached eggs with ham

Where ever we see an english breakfast on the menu , we have to try it , and here it was no disapointemnt with a spread of scrambled eggs done perfectly, chicken sausages, bakes potatoes, toast and grilled tomato.It had a side of baked beans as well .

English Breakfast

For baby A , we ordered the banana pancakes with honey and cream.This was seriously addictive - filled with the richness of bananas and butter. Baby A loved it and so did we.

Banana pancakes

Dad went for the spanish omlette - which is a thick omelette with potatoes and served with some baked beans and toast . He seemed to be enjoying it as he dint even look up while eating it :)

Spanish omelette

Bro tried the orange french toast served with some mascarpone cream - again so buttery and rich and oh so full of calories, but who cares when you are on vacation .

Orange french toast

We also tried sides of ham and pork sausages.

Mom went for indian and tried the upuma , as well as the panner paratha.

Upuma and sambhar

The paratha  was served with a variety of chutneys and tasty with lots of desi ghee but then it was like the ones we get in good north indian restaurants .

Paneer paratha

Now we were totally bursting at the seams after this spread .

Truly a 5 star meal , we all immensely enjoyed the stay as well as the food.Of course, being a Taj property its on the expensive side but I think it was worth every penny. A trip to remember!

Price - Around 1000Rs ( Buffet + included in the stay )
Yum-O-Meter - 5/5