Bengaluru welcomes Made In Punjab

After Farzi Cafe, Massive Restaurants bought Made in Punjab to Bengaluru, a smart-casual dining brand having a menu covering the rich agricultural regions surrounding the rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. I really enjoy relishing North Indian food once a while, may be because my roots are from north. I haven't had good North Indian food in Bangalore much apart from countable restaurants which serve them. After a grand launch of Made In Punjab, located at Level 2 of UB City, next to Farzi Cafe, I had to visit the place to try their menu.

I was very well aware that the full will be rich and filling so I made sure that full portions were not served and I get to taste as many dishes as possible. With some conversations poured in the mocktails and cocktails for the lunch. I tried Khatta Meetha which was little more meetha, may be because of my sweetness ;) and Minty Apple which is a refreshing mocktail and my friend enjoyed his cocktails, Cucumber based Vodka drink Cu Cu Fizz.

Then came the starters, Tokri Chaat was delectable with mini potato baskets with green peas, crispy colocassia and chutneys. Legacy Tandoori Champ was my favorite which had lamb ribs which were spice, meaty and juicy.

Next, Gabbar prawns was served where the prawns were marinated with chili yogurt and roasted in tandoor was lightly flavored. Dahee Pataka was spiced yogurt croquettes served with mint chutney which really stood out. And LOL Tikki was my most favorite, leg of lamb patty infused with bone marrow which is slow cooked for 6 hours served with mint and tomato chutney was delish, it was melt in the mouth dish.

Then came Karara Bhatti Paneer Tikka, soft paneer marinated with bhatti spice with roasted papad coating and it is tandoor roasted. I do not enjoy eating Broccoli much but Broccoli Badam which had broccoli marinated with chili garlic almond, tandoor roasted and fried broccoli becomes a very filling yet delicious dish.

Make sure you do not fill your stomach with starters else you will never enjoy their main course which shouldn't be missed otherwise. Luxury B.C. (I mean Butter Chicken) is a must try as they present to you their version of sinful butter chicken using the best goan cashews, firangi tomatoes, fresh white butter and Punjab dairy cream. The dish is coated with silver varq adding to the luxury of the dish.

Agar tussi veg ho then try the Lahsooni Palak Chenna which has shredded spinach, chenna along with onion tomato masala, another rich gravy from the lavish menu.

Don't miss Mummy da pyaar anymore as you relish Maa ki Daal which is a classic dal makhani, every morsel is worth it.

All these mains, you could enjoy with roti, naan's or paratha. I can't wait to head here again to try Nalli Hard kaur which is much appreciated by their other guest. Their menu has equal importance give to veg and non veg items so no one is going hungry from here :)

If you still have some space for dessert, which you should save some like I tried the Ras 'Dates' Malai which is a classic rasmalai with dates rabri. And next was Gaushalla Di Kulfi, condensed milk ice cream dipped in berry cream and khus falooda.

I wanted get a taste of their lassi so I requested for tasting portion only of their Kesar lassi. Only wish I had another stomach to relish more of their dishes but I guess I have to save some for my following visits.

The happiness on my face clearly tells the good meal I had with the staff being very courteous. I have visited MIP twice till now and my visit has given me a happy tummy and a tongue longing for more food :) As the pricing of the dishes is reasonable, do not wait for any occasion and head to this award winning restaurant soon.

Curry & Kebabs menu launch at Saffron, Park Plaza

Saffron, North West Frontier cuisine, fine dine restaurant at Park Plaza Bengaluru launches the new Curry & Kebabs menu today and I was invited to enjoy their delectable selection of curry and kebab. Executive chef Ishtiyak took us through the menu along with Director of Culinary, Park Plaza, Narender Singh who spoke in length about the different menu available and the ancient recipe picked for the same. The cuisine is inspired from the delicacies of an ancient route which ran between Old Delhi and Lahore. Roasted in tandoor or on sighri, shallow-fried in a tava, deep-fried in a kadhai, even steamed on pots, the menu looks like a memorable gastronomical experience.

They have 3 different types of menu - Maharaja, Sultan and Nawab's priced at Rs. 2200+, Rs.1700+ and Rs. 1400+ respectively. I chose to enjoy the non veg Sultan menu. Started the meal with Kharoday - Paya ras which had lamb trotters simmered in aromatic broth. I am not a paya fan, in fact I avoid it the most but the aroma of the soup made sure that I slurpped.

Then came the kebab's. 5 kebab's were on offer. Jhinga kali mirch ka sarson, which had tiger prawns marinated with yogurt, crushed peppercorn and homemade Indian spices cooked in clay oven. Shami kebab, pan-fried shoulder meat of kid lamb, simmered with lentils and whole spices, stuffed with pomegranate and hung curd. 3 different types of chicken kebab's were there - Sufiyana murgh tikka, char grilled succulent chicken pieces marinated with fresh fennel leaves, cooked in clay pot. Murgh angar bedgi, boneless chicken legs marinated with fresh ground masala and broiled in tandoor. Murgh moongfali ka tikka, Chicken pieces marinated with cream, cheese, peanut and ground spices which is cooked in clay pot and topped with cracked mustard seed and curry leaves.

The kebab's were cooked extremely well. Murgh moongfali ka tikka was my favorite from chicken apart from jhinga kali mirch ka sarson. The kebab's were served with Missi roti, but I would have preferred rumali roti or nothing with kebab's. Nevertheless, I hardly ate 1 roti as I was busy relishing the kebab's.

Next course was Tariyan Te Sukhe Vyanjan. 4 curries, 1 dal and 1 Biryani was served along with Kulcha/roti or naan. I had my tummy partially full with kebab's so it was time to fill my appetite with the curries. Bhatti chowk da nalli ghost, lamb shanks cooked in onion and yogurt gravy flavored with saffron and mint. lamb shanks have always been my favorite and this was delish which was stright from the streets of Lahore. Anarkali bazaar de bater which are quails cooked in punjabi style. I did not enjoy this much. Safed Makhan ka chooza makhani, chicken cooked in homemade white butter with satin smooth tomato gravy, this was delectable with naan and kulcha.

Sarson da saag has always been my winter favorite, signature dish from the state of Punjab, mustard leaves and spices topped with generous amount of white butter. Maah ki dal or Dal Makhani as some name it, it is a delicacy of whole urad dal, tomato puree and garlic simmered overnight on tandoor, enriched with cream and served with dollop of butter. Dal Makhani has been my favorite and having the dal alone is what I always prefer. Lastly, Saffron Murgh Biryani was served which had long grain basmati rice cooked in dum with marinated chicken and flavored with saffron.

The variety for curries was good with lamb, chicken, Quail, Veg, Dal and Biryani. Biryani has a strong flavor of saffron which is evident in every morsel. I mixed with lam curry and chicken curry with biryani for an added taste.

I also enjoyed 2 mocktails which is not part of the menu during my meal.

After a filling main course, it was time for the dessert platter which had Kulfi Falooda, Kesar rasmalai and Gajar ka halwa with ice-cream. The gajar ka halwa was very tasty, similar to what my Mom makes but ice-cream was missing with it, but I did not mind as the halwa was good. Rasmalai has been my favorite dessert, these were small rasmalai dumplings but it lacked enough saffron. Kulfi falooda, pistachio-almond flavor was a highlight. To end the night, I tried the paan shot which was made from water and sweet paan.

Overall, the dinner was fabulous and rich. As the hotel is placed on the outer ring road, which has many offices and apartments around, one can savor the menu over family lunches or dinner or even team outings. The Maharaja menu has little more variety on the menu while the Nawab menu has a little less. The seating is neatly arranged using the entire space and giving privacy to every table. The yellow lighting in the restaurant is nice but not good at all for picture so bear the poor quality pics on the blog. This was my first visit to Saffron and I had a good meal which will bring me here again for the kebab's and curries

New menu at Alto Vino, Marriott Whitefield

Alto Vino is the Italian restaurant at Marriott, Whitefield. I have visited the restaurant's kitchen earlier but it was for Indian Culinary Route. This time I got a chance to taste all the new menu crafter by Chef Marou. He has joined as the new Italian chef at Alto Vino.

There are new additions to the menu by Chef Marou which will be added to the existing menu. I was part of the Chef's table which unveiled the new additions and I got to taste some of them.

For Antipasti, we had Bocconcini di Buffalo (Caprese salad with Mozzarella Bocconcini in sweet pesto sauce), Strudeli di Melazane (Strudell of Eggplant Parmigiana with light spicy tomato sauce), Bruschette Miste (Toasted Focaccia bread, fresh tomato, zucchini and mushrooms), Fegatini all Sciciiana (Chicken liver, Lemon confit with potato and onion stew), Polipetti alla Mediteranea (Braised octopus, chickpea puree, fresh tomato salad). All he antipasti were cooked well and I enjoyed caprese salad, bruschetta and eggplant parmigiana. I tried braised octopus for the first time and I liked it. I am not a liver fan so did not enjoy the chicken liver.

Next was Zuppa di faro (a vegetarian Italian spelt soup from Tuscany). I have always been a fan of a good zuppa so I relished every spoon.

For Secondi, Ravioli di Asparagi (Asparagus and ricotta ravioli in sage butter roasted pumpkins puree), Risotto al Gorgonzola (Risotto with Gorgonzola cheese and caramelised grapes), Scottata di Branzino (Pan seared sea bass, zucchini salad, shallot compote in terragon sauce) and the last one being Chef's signature dish Stnco D’agnello (slow cooked marinated lamb shang stew with red wine saffron risotto & winter vegetable). The ravioli was very tasty and the roasted pumpkin puree added the twist to it. In Risotto, gorgonzola cheese was very strong in taste and those who do have a taste to it will not enjoy this dish, I did not enjoy it. The sea bass was perfectly cooked and being a sea food person, I enjoyed it. Chef Marou's signature dish was a hit on the table, everyone loved the lamb shanks.

Lastly, for Dolci, Classic tiramisu and Gratineted zabaglione with Fresh strawberry. Both the desserts were delish, Tiramisu being my all time favorite Italian dessert and Gratineted zabaglione which is Italian dessert similar to egg custard with Fresh strawberry.

Overall the new additions to the menu is interesting and if you are around Whitefield and craving for some good Italian food then give Alto Vino a try. Do make prior reservations and make it a poiint to meet Chef Marou during your visit :) Happy eating!

As I was relishing every dish, I missed taking any pic so pic credits goes to @BLRMarriott Twitter

All day dining at b Cafe, Shangri-La, Bengaluru

Shangri-La doesn't need any introduction but if you are not aware then they have opened their second property in India and the lucky city is our Namma Bangaluru. One of the finest hotels present in India, I was delighted to be part of their soft launch and the launch party. This time, I went for a review at their all day dining restaurant, b Cafe.

Located in the heart of the city, Palace road, Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru offer diners an array of authentic cuisines in some of the most spectacular settings in town. B-café is an all day dining restaurant at the lobby level featuring individual ‘open-theatre’ cooking stations and à la carte menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner in a lively, fun atmosphere. People can enjoy fresh, inventive dishes prepared à la minute by a team of international chefs from Italy, Japan, China and India, so basically you dine with the chef's :)

The staff is ever smiling, making your stay at the hotel or dine at the restaurant very pleasurable. The variety of food offered at b cafe is amazing, something which I haven't seen much in Bangalore. Chef Antonio Tardi, Executive chef says you can name any dish and you will be served. Chef Tardi along with Chef Rounak was all set to present us with their selection of lip-smacking food. While we waited for the food to arrive, we were munching on Mezze platter, where hummus, labneh, mohummara, taboulleh was served with assorted pita bread

I refreshed myself with 2 mocktails during my entire dining experience.

First came ‘Yonaha’s Sushi creations’ and the presentation with spectacular - Prawn Tempura sushi, cucumber and cream cheese sushi, carrot nigiri and Asparagus maki roll were neatly placed in a small bamboo casket, served with soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi. All were cooked well and it had the right moisture.

Next was ‘Winter greens chef creation’. It had a baby beet, orange segments, goat cheese and arugula salad tossed fresh with olive oil dressing and shaved parmesan. As Chef Rounak mentioned, arugula tossed well and mixed with right ingredients can be enjoyed as a meal. yes, the baby beet and orange with parmesan did not make the leaves taste bitter, in fact it enhanced the taste of the salad.

Next came 'Dim sums', chicken and pumpkin in non veg, shitake mushrooms in veg, both were served with soy chilli and dragon chilli sauce. Nothing fancy but aren't these supposed to be enjoyed when stuck to simple creation?

I skipped the Orange and Campari Sorbet as it had liquor but for those who had, they enjoyed it while it cleansed their palate.

Well cooked lamb is always my weakness so when Roasted Slow cooked lamb leg, stuffed with spinach and cheese came, I had my expectations built up, especially after having such good food already. The lamb was marinated with house spice mix of herbs served with baby vegetables and rosemary jus. The meat was tender, the spices were just right which gave me my star dish of the night. I could another helping of it, if I did not have to eat anything else. Chef Rounak, job well done.

I did try a taste of Baked homemade potato gnocchi, with cherry tomato and buffalo mozzarella. It was good but I was happy my lamb :) In between, I also had a tasting of pani puri which was served at the chaats counter, how could I miss it?

The last dish which came was Zaffrani murgh dum biryani which was served with mirchi salan and raita, homemade garlic pickle, cabbage pickle, lotus stem pickle and mango pickle. First about the pickle, I liked the collection, lotus stem pickle was my favorite followed by garlic pickle. The biryani was cooked well, the rice was moist, the chicken had the spices on it, none of the spices over powered the other, the spices were evenly spread across the entire biryani and lastly the aroma was tempting enough to clean the bowl of this delish main course. I can return to b Cafe for this biryani.

How can you finish a meal without a dessert? So Dark Chocolate fondant served with Blue cheese and pear ice cream. Delicious and extremely filling dessert which looked tempting enough too. Right balance of taste and looks, must-must try it.

The variety to offer is more and by the look of it, I couldn't think I would ever cover the entire spread. For the kid in me, I did have cotton candy before I left with a smile on my face and tummy being full. This was my second visit to b Cafe, but first time I actually tried the spread which is offered. My fist visit was a brief visit and I had chosen a la carte.

The various live counters at b Cafe can be seen below.

If you are looking for a restaurant to satisfy your taste buds for cuisines like chinese, asian, indian, japanese, salads, chaats, desserts, etc then b Cafe is your destination. They are aptly priced throught the 7 days of the week but the spread increases on a Sunday so I'm waiting to head to b Cafe on a Sunday to try their other offerings. By now if you are hungry, then head to b cafe :)