Foodie Land Blog | Indian food and restaurant reviews

An Evening Affair with Comedy and Gastronomy @ Vivanta by Taj - Yeshwantpur | Bangalore

Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks

Because of rat races all around, people work exceptionally hard to earn their daily bread (or at least most of us). Sometimes, it is best to let go, relax & unwind for better mental & psychological health. This time we experienced something very unique at one of our favourite go-to places in Bangalore: A Night of Comedy & Gastronomy!

Yes, you heard that right! The word comedy is loved by most as it is a light hearted mode of entertainment (with spare usage of abusive language) & laughter is good for the heart. This time around we were invited to Vivanta by Taj- Yeshwantpur to experience this one of a kind event.

Two well-known comedy veterans from Bangalore: Ahmed Shariff & Shadab Aziz tickled our funny bones till we were famished.

This was a complete package: the comedy show along with an exclusive Italian set menu dinner at Azure, curated by Exec Chef Agnimitra Sharma.

Without further ado, we’ll take you through the items we tried:

Pan Seared Scallops

Pan Seared Scallops, Chicken Consommé, Grilled Indian Sea Bass, Roasted Tenderloin Rib Eye, Slow Cooked Lamb Shank for appetiser, soup & mains.

For dessert we tried Panna Cotta & the classic Tiramisu.

Each individual can pick any one out of the list & leave the rest to the chefs to please their palate.

The scallops were fresh & perfectly done. Generally they bear a typical seafood smell but in this case, nothing! The presentation was amazing. They were served on shells with ratatouille vegetables. It also had a sweet after taste.

The consommé was very appetising. This lukewarm soup did not have a thick consistency but was high on flavour. It had chicken tortellini in it with finely minced chicken. Tasted delightful!

Saffron Grilled Pear

Now for the mains:

The Indian sea bass or Tilapia was fresh & juicy. Generous amount of fish was served in this & the dish was well balanced. It had sautéed spinach, raisins & olives. Lastly, a bit of pine nuts for the extra crunch in each bite. The overall combination was smooth, well thought through & praise worthy.

The tenderloin chunk was massive in size. This preparation had cauliflower puree, spinach & braised potatoes. Yet another killer combination which tasted marvellous. Especially the cauliflower puree was lip smacking. The sauce had a homely feel to it. The only disappointment was that the medium rare tenderloin was over cooked.

Grilled Indian Sea Bass

Roasted Tenderloin Rib Eye

Gnocchi

Lastly, the lamb shanks were too good to be true. The meat was tender & perfectly cooked. Moreover, the sauce was to die for. The sauce was so good that it was very hard for us to keep our hands away & lick the plate clean. It was served with mashed potatoes.

We also had the chance to taste the Gnocchi. It had loads of Mozzarella & Parmesan. They were smooth & the taste was as expected. This was pretty heavy on the stomach compared to the above.

Dessert time:

The Tiramisu must be tried. The consistency was equal throughout & it had the right amount of sweetness. Moreover, judging from the taste of the mascarpone cheese, it was made fresh. The rich aroma & flavours of coffee & cacao were evident.

Panna Cotta

Tiramisu

The panna cotta came last. It had the right wobble & it came with berry compote. This was served with thinly sliced fruits as well. Very light on the stomach, very smooth mouth feel & the perfect ending to a fab evening.

We had the perfect evening comprising of a heavy dose of laughter & a satisfying meal. Kudos to the Azure team for arranging such a unique event.

The AI price for the set dinner is 2000 INR. Similar events are soon to follow & these are open to the public, so what are you waiting for?

We recommend visiting for both the comedy & the food, because they were equally good.

If you want more info, do ask us directly/via comments.

We’ll be back soon with something interesting.

Till then—LOL & bon apetit!

11:58
6 Comments

The New Menu @ Paranda | Vivanta By Taj - Yeshwantpur | Bangalore

bangalore

Lagan Ki Chap

It is a known fact that not all good restaurants get recognition because of a variety of reasons.

We have been to a certain Indian restaurant before for a separate tasting and did not quite realize that they are one of the best in the city of Bangalore!

Yes! The quality of ingredients, the taste & the presentation together are just too good to be true.

The restaurant we are talking about is none other than Paranda, Vivanta by Taj – Yeshwantpur and the last time we’ve been there, it was for their Valentine’s Day special menu.

From the cut of the lamb chops to the exotic mushrooms from Kashmir – they sure know how to please a palate!

Exec Chef Agnimitra Sharma along with his team has introduced an elaborate new menu after 6 long years and that’s not all. This time they have emphasized on vegetarian preparations as their non-vegetarian preparations are already a class apart.

So, moving on to what we tried and indirectly torturing ourselves (It happens when you can’t eat the mind blowing food you are writing about!):

From the starters: We tried the mini veg and mini non veg kebab platters, Tandoori Guchhi and a Monster Lobster.

Palak Patta Chat

Karare Khumb

Non-veg kebab platter

Bhatti Da Lobster

The mini veg platter consists of Corn, Aloo, Paneer & Hara Bhara Kebab whereas the non-veg platter consists of a Chicken Zafrani Tikka , Lamb Chops, Lahsuni Prawns & Mutton Seekh Kebabs.

We were served a refreshing traditional Shikanjvi before the starters.

So, the scales are balanced this time! Both the platter contents are worth retrying. From the veg side: The Hare Pyaz ka Bharwan Paneer Tikka was heavenly. It was very large in size but equally cooked throughout and the taste: Try it to believe it! The Potato/Aloo was also a stuffed preparation but the amazing part was that the entire thing wouldn’t break apart if sliced! This had a tangy taste and the freshness of coriander added to the experience.

The other two were equally good. The corn preparation was crispy and had a good mouth feel. The outer covering had spinach in it and the taste was very well balanced. The Hara Bhara Kebab was a little too dry for our palate. Taste and presentation wise it was at par with the others.

For the non-veg platter: close your eyes and let it take you to paradise!

The Chicken kebab was a powerhouse of saffron and garlic and coupled with the tender meat it was mind blowing. The Lamb Chop was even better! The cut of the meat was super and it can always be had without using hands. The smokiness & the spicy touch made it more irresistible.

The Prawns were humungous in size and had the characteristic flavours. They were fresh & sweet but the bigger the prawns, the flesh tends to get slightly chewy. The Mutton Seekh was delightful. The minced meat & the spices were perfectly balanced and it was not dry at all.

Tandoori Guchhi @ The New Menu @ Paranda | Vivanta By Taj - Yeshwantpur | Bangalore

Makhmali Tandoori Guchhi

non veg kebab platter @ The New Menu @ Paranda | Vivanta By Taj - Yeshwantpur | Bangalore

non veg kebab platter part 2

veg kebab platter

The Tandoori Guchhi is a rare item and unbelievably tasty. This was char grilled and had a stuffing of malai. For those who are not aware: This variety of mushroom is on super high demand on a global level and is ultra-expensive! You pay the price and get ultimate satisfaction on your plate.

The Lobster was huge, fresh & sweet. The preparation was spicy and the meat was perfectly done.

These are the majority. We were also served a couple of Chaats: Palak Patta Chaat & Karare Khumb (mushrooms). Both were well balanced and appetizing.

These are the highlights. There were other preparations which were decent but did not make it to the above list.

From the mains, we won’t elaborate and simply mention the must tries:

Guchhi Pulao, Veg Biryani, Rogani Nalli, Khumb Kali Mirch Hara Pyaz & Paneer Launglatta

The rice in the pulao retained the flavours of the Guchhi and the rest you can imagine.

The lamb shanks were perfectly done. The consistency of the gravy was perfect and the preparation was not too spicy & mildly sweet. It tasted magnificent.

The Khumb or mushroom preparation was spicy & had a crunch to it thanks to the onions.

The Paneer preparation was very different. It was stuffed with spinach & cheese and it ensured delight in every bite. The gravy was lip smacking.

Rogan Nalli

Paneer Launglatta

The other accompaniments were Indian breads like Naan, Kulcha etc.

Lastly, the desserts:

Cham Cham, Rajbhog, Mango Kulfi & Jumbo Gulab Jamuns.

All of them contributed to the sweet ending to our excellent meal! The Cham Cham was soft & spongy with the right amount of sweetness. The Rajbhog had the same attributes apart from being in the sugar syrup.

The Gulab Jamuns had stuffed Pista in them and they were delectable. The Mango Kulfi gave us a brain freeze. It was creamy, had chunks of mango and was lip smacking.

If you love a sweet ending, try all 4 of them and you won’t regret it!