A Stay To Remember | Grand Mercure Hotel | La Uppu | Mysuru

FAM

In our blogging journey so far we have been to numerous events, launches, previews and to restaurants for reviewing. We end up having loads of fun and meeting new people every time! This time however it was an experience unlike any other and it not only impressed us and was worth remembering but it also touched our hearts!

We went on our first FAM trip with a few fellow bloggers to the heritage city of Mysore (Presently known as Mysuru). There were two parts to this: the road trip part which included travelling from Bangalore to Mysore and the staying part. We stayed at the Grand Mercure Hotel, Mysuru and it was inspiring how the culture of Mysore was ingrained in the ambiance, decor and even the service of the hotel!

The road trip was fun with a variety of conversations and breakfast on the way. However, it was only after reaching Grand Mercure that the real deal started. We were welcomed with garlands and a welcome drink. The welcome drink was superb and marked the perfect beginning to our stay. This entire visit was due to the special occasion of Ramadan and the chefs crafted a special menu for the same.



Experience Authentic North Indian Cuisine @ Kopper Kadai | Koramangala | Bangalore

bangalore
Hathori Parchay
Mutton Hathori Parchay

North Indian Cuisine in general is very close to most non veg lovers because of the rich and spicy meat preparations. Nowadays, wherever we go we see north Indian restaurants and “food corners” but they rarely serve authentic North Indian food. Instead they serve a spicy adaptation which is also tasty and thus widely accepted. Authentic preparations are quite hard to find as most places proclaim that they provide it but they don’t!

We recently visited a restaurant in Koramangala, 5th block, Bangalore which opened a month back and they already got listed as the best restaurant in Bangalore on Zomato! Plus, in the recent World On A Plate event involving the judges of Master Chef Australia they won 3rd place in such a short span of time. The restaurant we are talking about is Kopper Kadai and the entire restaurant is based on the theme “copper”.

They have different types of seating arrangements with a “royal” ambiance! Their speciality is their food presentation which is by far the best and most unique we have seen. But that is not all: Their preparations are equally good. Apart from this, they provide swift service and also have courteous staff.


Number of ladles = number of spices used 


Menu Card


The utensils used are mostly made of copper and they don’t spare any cost to bring excellence at a customer’s table. Another fact before we move on to the food of course: If you do visit here do take a look at the chairs. They use chairs which can be quoted as ancient particularly because of the design and they are very comfortable.

For starters we tried many varieties of non veg kebabs and a couple of veg kebabs. Presentation wise and taste wise their preparations are simple outstanding. There is practically no point in giving an explanation as the best explanation from our side would be: go there and have it!

Their signature dish, the ganna chicken was amazing! From what appears to be chicken sheekhs on wooden sticks, it is actually a chicken sheekh but on a thin strip of sugarcane. Quantity is sufficient and the taste was simply mind blowing. The chicken was perfectly cooked, not oily at all, had an amazing aroma of the herbs and was smoky and spicy. We would like to call it excellent at our plate!

Next up: The Hathodi Parchey. This was a mutton preparation and was served on a hammer. The mutton was very soft and tender and had a faint flavour of mustard. This also had a smoky flavour to add to the delight.

The sarson ki champey preparation was of tandoori soya chops with mustard again. It was impressive how they recreated soya in such large chunks but the problem was that the preparation was slightly bitter. Moreover, the inside did not have much flavour so there is some room for improvement.

The Murgh Chapli preparation was remarkable. They look like cakes with minced chicken, vegetables and spices. They were so juicy that it will make any individual curious!

There was one veg starter, most probably the paneer tikka which was amazingly delicious and heavy. They looked like veg drumsticks because of the break stick tails. The stuffing was of spicy paneer bhurji and it tasted fantastic. From the outside, these drumsticks were covered with fried rice vermicelli (most probably).

Murgh Chapli
Murgh Chapli

Ganna Chicken
Ganna Chicken

Paneer Tikka
Paneer Tikka

Sarson ki champey
Sarson ki champey

Experience Authentic North Indian Cuisine @ Kopper Kadai | Koramangala | Bangalore
A Chicken Kebab preparation: smoked using burnt butter

There were a few more starters but these were the highlights!

Along with the starters we tried the Murgh Raab Shorba and a couple of mocktails. The Shorba was very aromatic, thick and tasty. It was quite appetizing to say the least.
Moreover, this is served separately: the bowls come with the contents and the liquid component is served in bottles which can be poured later.

Their mocktails are a must try as well. We tried the Kiwi Panna and the Masakali and both were refreshing and the masala used in them made them tasty.

Kiwi Panna
Front: Kiwi Panna, Back: Masakali

Murgh Raab Shorba
Murgh Raab Shorba


For the main course there were some equally amazing and delicious preparations:

The Warqi Dal was way beyond our wildest expectation. The simple preparations show the credibility of the chef and the dal was thick, creamy and lip smacking!

There was a mutton halim preparation which they called Mastawa and it was brilliant. It was a rich mixture of clarified butter, loads of mutton, caramelized onions and milk. It was very heavy and very delicious and aromatic.

The cooker Kukkad was a home style chicken preparation traditionally served in a pressure cooker. It was tasty, flavoursome and gives the impression of dining with family. There was only a small problem: the chicken was partially overcooked.

The Minari mutton biriyani was also impressive. The rice was fragrant with good quantity of mutton. It had a taste of garam masala and it was well balanced throughout.

Minari Mutton Biriyani
Minari Mutton Biriyani

Mastawa
Mastawa

Warqi Dal
Warqi Dal
The breads were the usual, at par.

Now after such a relishing experience we had to end it with something sweet ;)

We tried the fruit cream and the dodhalava. The fruit cream had an assortment of fresh fruits along with flavoured cream. Quite a sinful end to a meal! The dodhalava had liquid nutella inside and baked burfi outside. Both the desserts were good and gave the perfect ending to our hearty meal.

After trying these guys we can understand their quality and how much they deserve praise.

Fruit Cream
Fruit Cream

Nutella Dodhalava
Nutella Dodhalava

There is still room for improvement and if they keep performing the way they are, there is much more glory ahead!

Overall, it was honestly a remarkable experience not only because of the food and the presentation, but also because of the friendly atmosphere they create for their guests.

So, if you are in the mood for some Authentic North Indian food with simply awesome presentation, do try out these guys. [And do let us know how you felt ;)]

We will definitely revisit and post about it!

Till then—bon appétit!

Kopper Kadai Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

A Mughlai Affair @ Paradise | Electronic city | Bangalore

bangalore

We recently visited a legendary restaurant which originates from our very own land of the Nizam’s: Hyderabad!


This was an FBAB meet up and it was beautiful how there was one long table full of passionate food lovers who clicked pictures more than they ate.

The restaurant we are talking about (as you might have guess by now) is none other than Paradise. They have opened their new outlet in Electronic city in Velankani drive and foodies from all over Bangalore came to dig in!


They are currently operating on two floors with a parking section in the basement. Their ambiance is almost the same in all their outlets so nothing special to mention there, but it sure gives a royal effect to ones meal ;).

Coming down to the food: we tried a variety of starters, biriyani for the main course and for desserts: shahi tukra, gajar ka halwa and one more.

The Full American Experience @ Mr. Bojangles | Koramangala | Bangalore

american cuisine
Basked Alaska Dessert
Baked Alaska

It has been quite a while since we had visited a restaurant serving only American Cuisine. Normally, most of the pubs in Bangalore serve continental, Italian and American but only American? Now that’s quite rare right?

We recently had the privilege of visiting a restaurant which solely focuses on American Cuisine and their ambiance is pretty retro and impressive. The restaurant we are talking about is situated in Koramangala 5th block, near to JNC road and goes by the name Mr. Bojangles. The locality has more than 50 restaurants so automatically a lot of competition comes into the picture.

American cuisine, in general is a lot about fried food and juiciness. Mr. Bojangles has a catchy entrance with open air dining and a bright yellow sign board. The interiors have a lot of stickers dating back to the 1800’s and all about American culture—music, cars, food, beer etc.





Coming down to the food, we tried many items but since most of the items were fried they take a toll on your tummy!

The Irish Are Here ! | The Irish House opens in Bangalore

bangalore

The Irish are here! Oh no, this is not a stress signal (LOL), we are excited!  The Irish House has opened its doors here in Bangalore! And we were lucky enough to get a preview of “The Irish House”! Let us tell you a little about that… 

 This gastro Pub is located in VR Bengaluru Mall’s top floor. We loved the decorations outside and when you push through those heavy wooden doors and make way inside, you will feel like you are entering a pub in Ireland! 




We loved the witty lines here and there which were part of the eclectic, woody and green décor. The high chairs and bar is what sets this place apart from others in Bangalore. The open seating area is a wonderful place to be in this breezy Bangalore climate.  

 When we reached there, we were greeted by the warm and friendly staff and the Managers. We also had the pleasure of meeting the folks from The Irish House’s marketing team! 

The Dragon Boat Festival @ Memories of China | Vivanta by Taj | Bangalore

bangalore

We have been visiting many starred hotels lately for food festivals, launches and of course events. Most of them have amazing grandeur and their decor is a level above. But very few of them actually serve good food! Most of the times their grandeur, decor and service fetches them good ratings but in reality they do not deserve it food and taste wise!

On the same page, we recently visited Memories of China @ Vivanta by Taj located in M.G Road, Bangalore for trying out their special Dragon Boat Festival Menu. We visited this restaurant for the first time and we believe it should be judged only after having a complete meal.



From the outside, it might not seem impressive but if a step is taken forward, the vision changes. It has authentic Chinese decor and it also serves authentic Chinese cuisine! An attractive feature is the presence of rotating tables.

Now coming to the special menu, it is a complete menu with a huge variety of items so we could not try everything. This menu has been created or better to say crafted by their Chinese master chef Lai Hin Tong William who has over 43 years of culinary experience. We had the pleasure of meeting him as well and he was a charming personality.

A Smaaashing Experience @ Mighty Small | Bangalore

bangalore

The uniqueness of a restaurant goes a long way in its recognition and public demand. We recently visited a restaurant which is the first carnival themed restaurant of our country and guess the brand ambassador: Our very own master blaster!

It was originally a gaming zone but gradually they started offering food as well. Now they are not a 5 star restaurant but their food is mighty amazing!


So, the gaming area which is very popular goes by the name Smaaash and the restaurant which is located inside it has a pretty catchy and meaningful name: Mighty Small!

They have created the place in such a way that people of all ages would just fall in love with it. The array of games @ Smaaash and the delicious food offerings at Mighty Small are the perfect crowd puller. Let your kids enjoy (or play yourself too!), lay back, grab a drink and eat the splendid preparations.

The bar at Mighty Small

The speciality of Mighty Small is basically “great things in small packages”. The quantity which they serve at the price they charge is quite astonishing and remarkable.
Now coming down to the food and the games:

We tried the wonton noodles, BBQ chicken and cheese quesadillas, spicy grilled prawns, keema ghotala fondue, stuffed lamb burger and lasooni saag chicken + tandoori roti for starters and main course. For drinks, we tried bluegrass, coffee iced tea and jalapeno and olive sangria.


Due to the craze among children and adults, it is difficult to try all the games! Smaaash is pretty famous for its virtual roller coaster and cricket games. We unfortunately could not try those but we tried: bowling, air hockey, beer pong, speed of light and the hammer strike.

Their ambiance is simply electrifying and the bowling arena had UV lights. We had a gala time playing all of them and the games were flawless.

The Gaming Arena

The food added to the experience without a doubt! The quesadillas were magnificent. The chicken chunks were juicy with a sweetish tinge due to the BBQ sauce. There was ample amount of cheese as well and when bitten into while hot, it tasted wow!

Their presentation is also something we admired. The spicy grilled prawns had three sauce variants and we chose the chimichurri. The prawns were well grilled, smoky and a bit tangy to taste.

The keema ghotala fondue was amazing! It is basically spicy mutton keema served with an egg on top and served with buns. The keema was typically spicy and that same great aroma of mutton. The quantity was literally a lot!

Spicy grilled prawns (Chimichurri)

Keema ghotala fondue

BBQ chicken and cheese quesadillas

The wonton noodle soup was also very well done. The wonton filling was cheese and in the hot broth the cheese was in a molten state. With each bite you are guaranteed to get oozing cheese!!- That’s all it takes to win a thumbs up from our side. Apart from this it was quite flavoursome with a lot of ginger and appetizing.

A few words about their drinks: They give more alcohol than one would expect, so please choose wisely!—Hence Mighty!

Bluegrass long island iced tea

The bluegrass had bourbon whisky in it, which dominated the taste (which was no problem at all). The flavour of coke was also present but not too strong. There was a lot of alcohol in it and one drink would take its toll. The same goes for the coffee iced tea too. The aroma and taste of coffee liquor was quite refreshing. Except for this, it was pretty strong too!

Coffee long island iced tea

The jalapeno and olive sangria was simple but all the flavours were distinctly present in the drink. This drink had certain tartness to it.

Minced lamb burger

The minced lamb burger was heavy! The patty was thicker than one would expect and the minced lamb inside was juicy, spicy and spectacular. There were traces of cheese in it as well which made it even tastier. It came with a whole bunch of fries. Overall, this burger is a must try for someone who loves lamb.

 The lasooni saag chicken was very different. It was creamy, had the aroma of taste of spinach but everything was so well balanced that even people who don’t like spinach would love it! Moreover, the chicken was melt in the mouth soft and we absolutely loved it.

Lasooni saag chicken

Lastly, the desserts: Bounty milk shake and nutella ferrero rocher cake.





Both these desserts were so huge and heavy that it is almost impossible to have these after a proper meal! The cake was sort of like a DBC. The presence of nutella was not strong enough but ferrero: definitely. It was not too sweet but was sinfully chocolaty.

The bounty shake had whipped cream which looked like a mountain and studded with cut bounty bars.  The milk shake had coconut and chocolate as expected. It tasted great but it is safer not to have this individually.

So, our experience was fantastic and fun and we hope we were able to make you feel how awesome it is. This place is very pocket friendly and suitable for people of all ages.

We will definitely be revisiting as there are very few places nowadays that offer value for money.

If you do visit this place, appreciate its awesomeness and don’t forget to let us know too!

Till then—bon appétit!

Mighty Small Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Priyanjana On Zomato

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