The all new Irish Menu Madness is live at The Irish House

If you are around VR Bengaluru then you have to make a pit stop at The Irish House. It is not a typical pub or bar, but it motivates people to come in groups and spend time, more like community building. And if the food is good then why wouldn't anyone want to stop by.

Situated at Level 3 of VR Mall, it has a Full Bar Available along with Outdoor Seating, Wifi, Live Sports Screening & Smoking Area too (though I would recommend you to quit smoking now). The interiors were done well and its catchy, I personally loved the interiors.

They have changed their menu for some freshness and introduced many new dishes so I took this opportunity to try it out. Get ready for some Irish Menu Madness.

 I am in love with spicy mocktails so at a glance of Spiced Guava Mary, I ordered it. It had pepper instead of chillies which did not suit to my taste of a spicy mocktail where as Tangerine Mojito was refreshing from the afternoon heat.

For appetisers, Belfast glazed chicken wings was served where you can opt for the glaze of your choice out of honey chili, honey bbq and hickory bbq. I relished these good chicken wings with honey chilli sauce :) The next starter was brilliant. Smoked Duck Pita Pockets were very tasty and messy to eat which had spinach pita pockets filled with orange glazed smoked duck, creamy ranch, tasted peanuts topped with shredded carrots.

Next came The Sourdough Fondue Bowl whcih looked very appetising. Spicy grilled chicken bites, smoked chicken sausages, chargrilled broccoli and roasted sweet potatoes were served in a platter with sourdough bread bowl filled with cheese sauce.

 For main course, I opted for Tenderloin bowl which had tenderloin served with cracked wheat and honey glazed carrots. The meat was very tender and juicy and the combination of tenderloin with cracked wheat was the highlight of the meal. This was my favorite dish from my meal. Next. I was in a mood to have some pizza's so I went for Sriracha Chicken Pizza which had Chicken Bolognese with sriracha drizzle.

While munching of main course, I opted for Green Appletini and Peach iced-tea. Green appletini was my favorite mocktail which had green apple extract, orange juice, pineapple juice along with fresh lime served in a martini glass.

 No meal is complete without a dessert so I chose Nutty Caramel Pie. Gooey caramel and peanut butter pie layered with rich chocolate ganache is delicious and when served with warm caramel sauce, it can take you to another planet. Beware, it is a very filling dessert. I am not much of a peanut butter fan but I liked this dessert. For my next visit, I have Dual Chocolate Torte in my mind for a chocolate fan like me :)

So when you are around Mahadevpura, head to VR Mall and go straight to Level 3 to enjoy this menu madness.

New entrants to the menu of SodaBottleOpenerWala

I have always expressed fondness for parsi cuisine and SodaBottleOpenerWala has been my favorite place which doesn't make me miss Bombay Irani Cafe's in Bengaluru. A lot has been written on them and so have I too, you can read my earlier review here .

SodaBottleOpenerWala have added some new additions to their menu and Bengaluru is the first city to incorporate it. They made some changes in preparation in some of their items too. Mohit Balachandran took us through the menu and every dish served for the meal. Read on to know more.

As we started our lunch, classic Bollywood and International pop music was played in the background. While my friend's enjoyed their cocktails, I preferred to go with Shakes this time, I tried the Mawa shake and Date & Saffron shake, while my friends enjoyed Raspberry Soda which is more pulpy than before, Sekanje Bin, Mumma Nu Double Dose, a cocktail made of whiskey, rum, saffron, dates flavor, and beaten eggs. Bombay Julep, A cocktail made of Bacardi rum, mint, Apricot, honey, and lime juice which is served in a cute Julep glass garnished with flowers. The Bumsuckerwala, A cocktail made of frozen Raspberry, thyme, and Vodka. Oh there is a story behind this name of the drink, do read that :)

Then the starters were served, a mix of old and new menu but none of these were tried by me earlier so I was excited.

Crispy Corn and Bhel came in first and as we amunched on this classic Bombay bhel with crispy corn tossed with tangy chutney, Next was Chicken Chilli cheese pav, a fluffly pav with lagan nu achar, chillies and chicken topping.

 

Raasta Sandwich for the veggies which was made of multigrain bread, veggies, and cheese; served with spicy French fries. ‘Boil’ Egg Sandwich which was my favorite, had fillings of boiled eggs, green chili, and cheese; served with spicy French fries. It was just the way my Mom makes.

Bacon Vada Pav but those who tried found bacon to be missing.

Cafreal Chicken Salad made of Cafreal masala, lettuce, and pickled beet. I was wondering how did this dish find a place in a parsi menu?

Then main course was served, though I was craving for dhansak, I made sure I look beyond it and try the other dishes :)

First came Saturday Jardaloo Ma Gosh which is Parsi families Saturday special mutton dish in a thick gravy with apricots hence you would find this sweet. From the combo menu, we tried the 'Paneer Sanju Baba' and 'Khattu Meethu Pumpkin', which had a mix of sweet & sour taste. Some may know that a dish is served in Noor Mohammadi Restaurant in Mumbai which claims that Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt has given them the recipe so SBOW had a veg version to it.

Without edu, a parsi dish or meal can never be complete so as the menu states 'When in doubt, break an edu (egg) on it', we tried 2 interesting dishes - 'Friday Sausage Par Eeda' and 'Guava Jelly and Onion Par Eedu'. Friday Sausage Par Eeda had bacon in it so I did not try it while Guava Jelly and Onion Par Eedu did not interest my palatte much. These sunny's side up dishes can be enjoyed with pav. We also had Jaloo's famous Malai na paratha which was very tasty but it could be very filling too.

From their 'Bar Snacks' menu came Parsi style Jumbo Prawns served with coconut milk gravy and steamed rice which can be enjoyed as bar snack or as a main course. 'Brinjal and Drumstick Kari' served with steamed rice and Kachumbar was a veg option which came along.

I have never tried their Berry Pulav so this was my day. The berries and fried cashews on a mildly spiced pulav was a favorite on the table. We also tried the Bambaiyya Chicken Biryani which is the classic Bombay style biryani. I skipped Paatra ni Machhi and tried Tarela Rainbow Trout which is baked with traditional parsi spices, this became an instant favorite on the table.

With a mix of veg and non veg options for food, we ended our meal with their tempting desserts. Mawa cake will always be my favorite. Chocolate peanut butter cheesecake was loved by all but I am not a fan of peanut butter so I enjoyed it the least. Irani Falooda had high expectations from me but I did not enjoy it much as I have had better falooda at other places. Mixed berry truffle and White chocolate hazelnut orange brownie was also enjoyed. However, everyone loved Matunga Coffee Cake the most which was served in a filter coffee vessel is a must try for the coffee lovers but I gave it a miss as it had liquor. Lagan Nu Custer is a famous parsi wedding custard which was relished by all.

The menu now has a variety of options for veg and non veg which makes this place a must visit for everyone who would love to have good parsi meal coupled with great music giving it Bombay irani cafe feel.