Bobby Da Dhaba

The last time Bella, Veronika and I went to the Gurudwara in Bangalore, we suddenly felt all Punjabi. So when we saw this small, paint peeling off, shanty-like structure a few yards right to the Gurudwara, our stomachs grumbled.

What we entered into was a big room divided in the middle. The first half of the room served as the reception. A Sardarji, who I presumed was Bobby, greeted us in no-nonsense Hindi, calling us ‘Maharaj’ and handed us a small paper. (I did hear him break into perfect English with non-Hindi speaking customers. Yeah! Bangalore does that to you.) We were instructed to go through the menu on the wall and write down the order in the paper. The menu, by the way, was a long list of various parathas; muli, alu, gobi, paneer, matar. All priced at Rs. 25.00. Apart from parathas, there were dal makhani, baingan ka bharta, alu gobi etc.

I chose a muli paratha with curd on the side. Bella had an alu paratha, while Veronika had paneer. We had to wait for a few minutes before a table was empty. Finally, we descended two rickety steps to the other half of the room, where we were to lunch. All tables had a bowlful of mixed vegetable pickle along with the standard jug of water.

The parathas were full of spice, setting our tongues on fire, but had us begging for more. However, sadly, our tummies were too full; one paratha was more than enough. Still, we couldn’t say no to a glass of lassi. No meal in a Punjabi dhaba would be complete without that. Besides, we were sure we could have some more. And so came the lassi.

It came, it saw, it conquered. The glasses were a foot tall (no exaggeration, you can verify with Bella and Veronika). And they were generous, so that the froth was hanging over the rim. And it was delicious. It was worth every rupee of the seventeen bucks that it cost us. We couldn’t leave a drop behind. Yeah, it was pure torture. Arrest Bobby!

For desserts, they had kheer. It sounded pretty nice, but none of us had the courage to try it. The bill was something rarely seen in Bangalore, meagre. A smile never left our faces, as we stepped out into the sun. Our stomachs were heavy and our wallets weren’t. What else could a Bangalorean ask for in times of recession?

Location: Near Gurudwara, Kensington Road, Bangalore
Phone: 984416378

-Jo

Street of Eats

I am one of those people who, in South India would be referred to as a thindipoth (someone who has the ability to snack or eat oh so well). So when a couple of friends suggested going out for a night of street food in Bangalore, I was thrilled. We set off to “Eat Street” or “Thindi Street” in V V Puram. Having parked our cars, we decided to walk up the “Thindi Street”, to see (rather smell) what catches our fancy and then get ready to tackle the definitely long food list.

The first thing I notice about this road (after the food of course) are the people stuck around these food stalls like ants! There were cars that would do a quick stop along the side of the roads and spill out entire families waiting to gorge on gastronomical delights. I just couldn’t help feeling a wee bit bad for the drivers who would be waiting for them. One of the cutest sights I saw on this road was a parked Maruti van with three kids sitting in the open dickey, dangling their feet in the air and munching on a masala dosa.

Walking up the road, I saw stalls selling all varieties of dosas, rottis, chaats, bondas, American corn and what not. We started with the cornwallah at one end of the road. Technology has caught up everywhere and this push-cart vendor now has an electric fan that blows air when he is roasting the corn cob on hot charcoal! We had a snack made of roasted corn, raw mangoes and some yummy masala. An interesting appetizer of sorts!

Our next stop was at the crowded and obviously popular gulkhand stall. I’m not a fan of gulkhand (thindipoth or not, I can’t digest the fact that it is made from rose petals!) and so the multiple options of gulkhand with butter and ice cream and all that jazz did not appeal to me. While other friends gladly decided to begin their dinner with dessert, I opted for a masala Pepsi instead. This drink is Pepsi minus the fizz and a whole lot of spices added, so your tongue is busy getting surprised with all the sweet-tangy-spicy-salty taste. Fantastic! I can say from hearsay that the gulkhand was also so del-i-cious.

Next, I had to stop at the bajji-bonda stall where fried bondas cut into half were garnished with finely chopped carrots, onions, capsicum and then served on a piece of plantain leaf resting on the ubiquitous piece of newspaper. Mouth-watering? You bet!

And if you thought I was done, you are soo wrong. I was torn between Mumbai-style vada-pav and my eternal favourite- the masala dosa. Finally and predictably, the crispy crackling sound of the dosa won my heart and tongue and I surrendered yet again. Another friend tried an akki rotti, which I obviously sampled but did not enjoy at all.

Having eaten to our full and noticing the shutting shops, we decided to call it a night. Go and check it out. You just might find me there again, coz I am definitely going back!

Location: Eat Street is located in V V Puram
Timings: 7.00 PM to 11.00 PM

– Veronika

Shopping Treats

I love to shop in the city market area of our city Bangalore – the innumerable shops, crazy by-lanes, fabulous buys and everything else about that area, always makes me wanna go back to that place. Everything except a good place to eat. I always prefer going there when I have a huge list of things to do and buy; so it invariably ends up being a whole day affair. But finding a nice, clean restaurant in that area… is always a challenge.

If there is one restaurant that I like going to, it is the Sukh Sagar Restaurant in the nearby Gandhinagar area. The place is actually a Hotel cum Mall cum Restaurant cum Fast Food Joint. So, whatever you are in a mood for (hmmm…vegetarian), you are sure to find it here.

There are two entrances to the same restaurant, the front hotel entrance and the back mall entrance. You need to pass the fast food section to enter through the mall entrance and its quite fun to see (and eat in) this section… with all the hot jalebis, samosas and chaats being prepared in front of you. If you are in a hurry… this is the place to eat.

The main thing about this place is that you get almost every type of vegetarian dish there is to offer; from pizzas and sandwiches to roti subzi, chaats and idli dosas. I know… you get all this in almost every Sagars and Darshinis in Bangalore… but this place has a tinge of authenticity in its taste. The rotis are real soft, which is always a good thing; the gobi manchurian is usually tasty, which is a great thing for me; the chaats are fresh and yummy and most importantly there is a good variety of desserts! Love the sweet lassi!!

The service is fast and good; the ambience is much better on the first floor A/C section and please avoid using the restrooms on the ground floor… they stink like hell. But overall I like this place… its economical – costing around Rs.500 for a hold no bar, order everything from soups to ice-creams kinda a meal; which is perfect… cause with the savings maybe you can buy an additional dress, maybe. 🙂

Sukh Sagar
#10, 3rd main Road
Gandhi Nagar
Bangalore-560009
Phone:   080-22202255

-Bella

Idli Dosa Just Got La Dee Dah in Bon South

I was starting to get desperate for an elite South Indian restaurant – a place where dosa is presented with class. Don’t get me wrong here. I love the busy Darshinis doling out idli vadas, masala dosa, bhajji and hot coffee. However, I was beginning to think I will never sit in a pretty sari, sipping a cocktail in an air conditioned room, decked with swankily romantic dim lights and have south Indian food. It was then that an enthusiastic Veronika recommended Bon South. And so came an excuse for a party and the three of us, Bella, Veronika and I made a booking. 

The entry is quite formal. The facade is white and minimalistic. Lighting is classy but the furniture could have been more comfortable. The restaurant has a valet parking. Thank God for that, coz finding a good parking there can take some time. 

Service was efficient, but we did sniff loftily when they asked us to move after we had settled down in a corner.  The buffet came highly recommended, but we went a la carte. All the sections on the menu i.e., the soups, starters, main course, side dish and dessert are segregated on basis of the place of their origin.  You can choose from the four South Indian states – Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. 

Veronika and Bella decided to try out the vegetarian side of the menu, while I chose the meaty section. Veronika ordered a vegetable soup cooked in coconut milk, which was oh so soothing. Bella actually started with a dessert – the akki payasa. She had had a busy day, she said. It had just the right amount of sweetness, and the rice was well cooked. I chose a Kiwi ice tea from the elaborate range of beverages. They had an extensive bar section, which we refrained from exploring, but I have it from my partner that an Asahi beer really tingled his brain. 

For starters, I had the Sambar thoppu yerachi – which is a dry mutton dish cooked in sambhar. I loved it. The spice wasn’t too much, retaining the taste of the meat. Bella and Veronika had gobi kempu bezule – cauliflower florets deep fried with a Manglorean masala. We all enjoyed the tricoloured papad with three kinds of chatni that came complimentary. I think I ordered an extra little bowl of tomato chatni. 

For main course, I had Kori Gassi, a Manglorean chicken dish, which was in a lovely thick gravy. Veronika and Bella ordered mummidikayi pappu. We ordered neer dosa, plain and egg appams as accompaniments.  The neer dosa came wrapped in a plantain leaf. I wasn’t very happy with the egg appams. I preferred the plain ones. 

The dessert section was my favourite. I shared a elneeru payasam with Veronika which I regretted dearly because it was phenomenal. Bella ordered a jaggery-based parappu pradhanan. We loved that too. Our bill came up to Rs. 1500.00 for three, the highest I have had to pay for South Indian cuisine. Though the amount served was adequate, it pinched a little. I however, decided to go there again, to explore some more never-heard-of South Indian dishes.

Address: 749, 10th Main, 80 Feet Road, Koramangala 4th Block, Bangalore – 560034
Phone: 080-40543434
Parking: Valet parking 

– Jo

Ugly Duckling..Budding Swan

Who would not want to visit a restaurant with an interesting name like that? Ugly Duckling is named after the story (with the same name) by Hans Christian Andersen.

Tucked away in the middle of a drab office building is this cute restaurant. The first word that came to my head when I entered the restaurant was warm. Cozy and nice looking, this place seemed to draw a family crowd. The walls are covered with pretty pictures and there are metal frogs holding musical instruments! I was expecting ducks, but there aren’t any. They play mainly popular music and try to ensure the decibel levels let you listen to conversation.

They offer European food mainly and I love their “Make your own pasta” concept. Each table has a booklet from which you tear off a page and just select your choice of pasta, sauce and vegetables from the list. I imagine this being a hit with the kiddies.

For starters, our table ordered the Vegetable platter that included bruschetta, crostini, crunchy corn and egg mimosa. The starters were yummy and the most interesting one was the egg mimosa, which is a cold boiled egg with a spruced up yolk mixture. The main course was Stuffed Chicken and Mediterranean Medley. The stuffed chicken was well made and came with an even better dip. The Mediterranean medley was roasted eggplant with pilaf and had a well-rounded taste. The best part about this dish was the thin slice of roasted eggplant buried under the pilaf. We then ordered the chocolate biscuit cake which did not turn out to be very good. I have heard they have this Ferrerocher pastry which is supposed to be fantastic. Must try next time!

The only alcohol they serve is beer, but we didn’t have any, thanks to our table’s attempt at being teetotalers (for as long as possible). The service was prompt and almost bordered on extremely attentive (which means keep looking in your direction. Not something I enjoy, but that’s the usual meaning of attentive in most restaurants). A meal for two (without alcohol) came up to Rs. 750.

The décor, the food and the price make it worth the visit. Go check out Ugly Duckling and let us know about your dining experience.

Address: 5th Floor, Sona Towers, 71 Millers Road, Benson Town, Bangalore
Phone: 080-2375982
Parking: Available (Personal experience indicates after 7 PM only)

-Veronika