My favourite Bangalore Restaurants!

Bangalore has restaurants to suit myriad taste buds. But may not necessarily suit all pockets. But if one day you decide to let the wallet wander, maybe you would find this post useful.

All comments here are based completely on my personal opinion about the restaurant. Am not a food critic nor a restaurateur, am just an average software engineer who loves to try out new restaurants.

Mediterranean:
1)One of my favorite restaurants , Infinitea does well to suit people like me. Its menu boasts of a good selection of Mediterranean food. Those looking for a filling meal can try the Pesce Florentine. Those who wish for a more light meal can enjoy the summer pasta salad. And this restaurant only does it better by serving different types on cold and hot tea. Enigma on the rocks should suit those who do not want to have merely tea!!,while the jolly few can try the different ice teas. Kiwi is my favorite one. In hot teas, Kashmiri tea and Green tea are a good try. Penny Rosette is more those who can taste the subtle flavors.The Spinach soup gets a mention too frankly because, would you ever think Spinach soup would taste good?!
Avg bill for 2 should be about Rs 500.
Rating 4/5 (extra rating for the very well done decor)

2)Herbs and spices,80ft road Indiranagar: This one is so delightful, that you dont mind the small space with simple decor. Infact, alongwith the open roof , the place warms you up. It has a impressive menu, not a extensive one albeit. The desserts are just not to be missed. There isn't much of choice when it come to beverages apart from the standard. Evenings are the best time to visit this place.
Avg bill for 2 should be about Rs 800.
Rating 3.5/5 (the desserts get the extra)

These restaurants get a mention because they serve what they say, that is Mediterranean or European. They do not "indianize" anything.. So if you are the spice and tasty kind, maybe European is not your piece of pie !!

3)Little Italy,100ft road Indiranagar: A completely adorable place. One of the best pizzas I have had in a long time. And here is the biggie..its Completely Veg. The P20 and the P32 (I wish I remembered the names!!) were really good. Tiramisu comes close to the original. Those who have read my post on creme brulee would empathize why I fear to try it in any restaurants in India.
Avg bill for 2: Rs 500
Rating 4/5
pic:Bread Basket at Little Italy


Sea Food:
Ask any on my Goan friends in Bangalore, and you would know that Mangalore Pearl, Frazer Town, is synonymous with sea food. There is just no other. And best of all, it suits the pocket so well. The fresh sea food really makes you wonder how they manage to keep the prices so reasonable.

In 300 bucks two can easily glut over prawn fry, squids, prawn masala, ponpallein, rice and caramel pudding. Oh, and don't forget the sol kadi!


I refuse to mention any other restaurant here!

Chinese:
Mainland China,Church Street, does very well to serve close to authentic Chinese food. The jasmine tea in the beginning of your meal should not be missed even if you are not too fond of tea.

Magnolia,Koramangala may not be as impressive as Mainland China, but the food is quite good. Especially the Spicy Crab Meat Soup.

China pearl, koramangala is an average restaurant for the Chinese food lovers who would like a more moderate budget but quality food.

Indian/Punjabi:
Sikander, Garuda Mall
9 mile Dhaba Hebbal Road
Copper Chimney, Bangalore Central

Sizzlers/Steaks:
Juke Box, Koramangala - Sizzlers and beer, does anyone want anything else?
Kobay's, Garuda Mall

Carribean:
Sue's Kitchen, Indiranagar, this is the only one i found in Bangalore!

I have to mention Ebony/13th floor , Barton's Center MG Road, just for its location. Nested on the 13th floor , this restaurant is frequently visited by foreigners for its lovely view. Its impossible to get a table in the balcony without prior reservations and if you are seated inside, you might as well have dined some place else. Its the Bangalore city view in the night with cool breeze that makes this place special. The food is just an excuse. And yes, the view comes with a price!

Salads:
Namdharis, Koramangala- The healthy eaters, don't fret. Namdhari's is a good choice for salads. You can shop for your health groceries too.

Pure and Naturals:
Has a nice menu with hot and cold salads alike.

Manchinabele!

A biking trip was awaited. It had been too long. I for one cannot stay in the city for very long lengths of time. An occasional drive outside the city or a bizarre bike ride with a friend are looked forward to.

These guys had not gone biking for a (very) long time and my friend Liz was more than glad to hang out with friends. So it was set. The night before, Liz and me (mostly liz as I was heavy with sleep) prepared chicken sandwiches and chutney sandwiches for the trip. What did the guys do? Ask them. Braulio for one will happily inform you that he boiled half a dozen eggs. Nigel sent a message about a minor injury to his hand and that he would not join. After several unanswered calls, we concluded that he was absconding. Turned out his phone was on silent and monsieur was fast asleep and obviously did not enjoy the idea of going pillion. And we thought our sandwiches were a good enough reason! They were.

The 6 30 flag off didn't happen, and it was finally 8 30 when the guys finally managed to gather at our place and we were off!

Again, I thought it to be my duty to show my friends a road that could well have lead to heaven.
The NICE road start from Banerghatta road but the detour is not known and is not identifiable. On top of it, the small section joining the NICE road to the Banerghatta road is what could pass off as a dirt racing track. And so we navigated through the mud ripples and finally found ground. And behold! I think my post is well off track now, but it is still about a biking trip so it does well to write about the NICE road . This road is not yet open for public use.

Anyway, riding on the familiar Mysore road we stopped for tea at a small tea stall opposite Rajarajeshwari Dental College. Then took the right turn adjacent to the college and we off the highway, and more like off decent roads. The roads here are terrible! Oh and we were on a Bajaj Calibre, a HH Splendor and an Activa. Some biking trip?? ya rite!

Asif and me were leading the way, and little did the others know that we actually did not know the road but were just riding along :-). Once the ride turned out more arduous than we imagined, we stopped at a stretch with beautiful trees and and vast fields. Oh by the way, the guys forgot to carry water which was like their sole responsibility. So we only had 1 Tropicana carton to be rationed among 5 thirsty bikers out of which 2 were pretty damn pissed!!

It turned out a long ride solely because the road was terrible! Did i mention that already? And oh, another thought, we did not even know the name of the place, all we know was it was a dam, and that is exactly what we asked any local we met at a diversion. Some planning you say? well that's because we decided to head to this Dam rather than the original place when we were sipping our tea.

Finally we drew closer to the destination, and the road opened up to a sight that made us stop and blink twice! A truly beautiful view.

The fact that it takes you by surprise is what makes it special. We throttled along hoping it only got better. To our dismay, we found the gates to the dam chained. The only other road had a nice board " Beware of dacoits, do not go to isolated areas" welcoming us. After much thought we decided our lives were not that important anyway and we rode down the small road for more than 2 kms and finally settled to the banks of the water body. A military troop had camped there for training and canoed away to glory. No we didn't get a chance to do the same.
The place did not offer many shady places and we settled under what looked like a miniature Stonehenge.We finished our sandwiches and after a short game of football decided to explore the area,with our bikes. Biking over the hill we found refuge under a tree and with music from the SE phones, Braulio and Calvin managed to slip into deep slumber while Asif,Liz and me wondered how they did that.

Some time later, when the need for water seemed more important than a day out in the wilderness (and the Sun was not being too merciful either) we headed back, bikes et all to find the first place that sold something to drink. Thankfully the "dhaba" just across the lake had opened up and we quenched our thirsts.

Heading back, we stopped at the Big Banyan Tree which is roughly 3 kms from the place and we settled on the grass for regular chit chat. The shade was inviting and refreshing.

Back on the road, we kept on the Mysore road to reach Bangalore city traffic by 4pm and finally rested with freshly made lemonade at my place. That was One biking trip!!


PS:Next day, googled up the place we had been to, so now we know.

Shivanasamudra!

Prelude:
Sunday, 8th of July, 2007, 06:30 am; While most of Bangalore was still in deep sleep, 1 dude and 4 dudettes were out enjoying the early morning breeze flow through their hair and greeting the sun which was yet to adore its full glory. The car cruised on the Mysore highway at a gentle speed of 80kmph with 4 excited girls, and the Avenger rode away with the rider enjoying one of his early long rides in Bangalore.

6 30 was a lovely time. The NICE road has been one of my favourite roads in Bangalore and an empty Mysore road did to compliment it. First stop, CCD at Maddur! It was not my first choice as I would like my cuppa to be more than just a tea bad dipped in hot water with milk added to make it full. But am not complaining. Once done with the quick breakfast ,which was very likely to be the only meal of the trip as there are no eating joints near our destination, Liz,Simi Lee, Ni et moi were off again.

Post Maddur the highway breaks into a Y with a Yellow Signboard which does better than it's ancestor to point left towards our destination , Shivanasamudra.

Beware of one of the worst roads I even driven on which is hardly 20 kms long but took us close to 60 mins to cover. Driving off road was better than on road. Bikers can get through faster, just hope you have comfortable seats!

The Place:
Shivanasamudra does well to give stiff competition to its more famous cousin, the Jog Falls.
Close to 110kms from the Silicon Valley of India, the 2 falls, GaganChukki and BharaChukki falls are a must visit. The falls, a product of the Kaveri River splitting into two streams and flowing down steep cliffs only to converge further downstream, are nothing less that magnificent.

GaganChukki is the horse-shoe shaped waterfall and call be seen from a viewing platform close to 300 mts away from it. But its not far enough to stop the mist rising from the deadly force of the falls to refresh you completely. The resounding sound is trance-inducing enough. Well, atleast for a nature lover like me!
Take some time to sit on the bench and take in the splendor of the very high velocity water.

The path leading closer to the falls has been closed due to accidents claiming lives of young tourists. You will find a board of appeal from a few friends who suffered the loss of a colleague.

BharaChukki fall is about a short drive from GaganChukki. Here people get to enjoy the waters in closer proximity. Although not as breath-taking as its brother, it gives one the chance to dip his legs in the cool waters. Be ready for bathing tourists! To get to these falls one needs to climb down a fleet of steep steps etched into the hill. Think of them as you stamina meter :-)

Other things of interest:
The Hydro-Electric Power Plant: Wiki informs me that this is Asia's first hydro electric power plant. I didn't know that when I was driving through it to find the falls. The small churches dotting the place give it a very welcoming feeling.

Talakad:
Talakad is a confluence of 3 rivers (hence the name). It is about a 30 kms detour from the road and yes, the roads are extremely bad.
Its a nice place to kick off your shoes and relax on the sandy shores watching the waters flow by. Be ready for hordes of tourist through, it won't be a quiet place.One can plan to visit it when heading back from Shivanasamudra.

Tips: There are no hotels or other places to eat near the falls. If you plan to spend a day there, make sure you carry food. You will only find a small shop selling beverages and the odd biscuits and chips. We filled our stomachs with salted and spiced up raw mangoes:-)
It is better to reach there early morning ,firstly because you avoid the tourists coming in later and enjoy the waters better and secondly,you could head back earlier.
Post monsoons should be the best time to visit these falls.

Earth Hour!

Sunshine!

I just had to! If this blog was going to be about all things that make me happy, i just had to !

Meet Sunshine! Yeah, laugh all you want , but this car has counted miles you readers would'nt gather in a lifetime! As old as she may be, she's a feisty one! That engine pulls out more power than what the 796cc 3 cylinder 4 stroke should! This car does'nt have a mind of its own, it gives the driver complete control, of course I like that! I understood its true potential only after I drove it through the traffic prone streets of Bangalore. I could maneuver this bubble gum through traffic with utmost ease. It was first to rev off when that darn signal turned green leaving all the power horses behind.

This car thanked me for pushing it to its limits because for eternity it was driven carefully at a modest speed of 60kmph by my dear dad! This car was one of the blessed few which had imported engine that has hardly ever cribbed.

She took her first steps in Goa and happily took us to most of the serene places in the state. But apart from that she did frequent trips to Bombay,Pune and Belgaum and a couple to Mangalore.

There was a brief stay in Pune too but since she was under the guardianship of my dad she hardly got to breathe the polluted air of Pune.

Then in her post golden years, after a 4 year conditioning to speed on the goan highways, she was brought with great interest to Bangalore. And that is when the traffic seemed a less important challenge to me.

Mysore,Sivasamudram-Talakad,Coorg,Nandi Hills are places she accompanied me in my travels. Never once did she whine or shudder. What a brave soul, took on those non-existent roads in her stride. Oh how she reminds me of me!!

But alas, my happy days had to end, and she was driven on possibly her last long journeys back to Goa, where she once playfully drove.

I know she awaits my arrival for, like me, she loves to fly, park at the beach and gaze at the sunset with perhaps a content smile.

Desirous moments!

It used to be just yesterday when I would watch the travel guide on Discovery where Suzanne or whatever her name is would visit the best hotels and indulge in the magic created by the Chefs...

I would watch wistfully, wondering when I would get to delightfully taste Crème brûlée; The anticipation of the first spoonful ,the careful breaking of the mould, and then savouring the taste till it melted in your mouth with tiny crystalline pieces of the torched brown sugar being gently abrasive....


I was lucky enough to eat this wonderful dessert in Grenoble, France in 2006. I could then cross it out from my wish list with great sense of contentment. But not until my dear friend Braulio altered this memory into one full of glee with this comment "you know what...too my highly perverted mind...that sounds like how Sydney Sheldon would portray a hot scene between two lovers"


All those who wandered off, here's how you get back to reality
creme-brulee-wiki

Friends!

This is my first blog. And this I write for my friends. Friends who have for no gain of their own helped me, inspired me influenced me in becoming a good person. Too much?? Of course! I do not have to write words longer than 5 characters to tell you guys that you guys simply rock! Not for inspiring me or teaching me to live and all that blah blah..but for those simple coffee's, those fun movies, the amazing trips, the fun evenings doing nothing but just hanging out, the pep talks and the completely non-sensical ones, the lengthy phone conversations and the even lengthier chats, the stay overs and the luncheons, the this and the thats!

Friends who are true in whatever they do are rare, and to have so many of you feels great! I share fond memories and the not so fond memories with you, but you still make life what it is! and thank God for that!

Listing names here would not be the right thing because I want to cherish the acts some of you have done that has in some way touched my life,now or before of manyber for the years to come; These actions could have been small or ones that took major efforts from you. So spanning a time span of 20 odd yrs, it could be a real long list.

But all those who read this and know I am talking to you, thank you!

I would have put in some heart felt writings here and got all of you misty-eyed but I'd rather wait for an occassion for which I will get paid to do so!

Let the fun continue!