Well it’s time for another festival!

We (Indians) mention this restaurant whenever we are questioned about a buffet. Any guesses?

It’s none other than Barbeque Nation and this post is all about their new ongoing Mexican Food Festival. The natural expectation is that there is a lot of spiciness involved especially on the grill.

Without further ado, let’s walk you through what this festival has to offer. This is Barbeque Nation we are talking about so quality and quantity both remain un-compromised.

Their setup is classic and everyone around will be in Mexican attire to give you that authentic feel. About the food, initially they give less spicy kebabs on the grill as they don’t want to kill you but the real deal starts when you request for spicy stuff.

*New Cuisine Alert*

If you are a regular reader of the blog: Firstly, Thank you for your support. It is because of you, that we get the motivation to write on.

Secondly, you must be aware that we love to try out new kinds of food and write about them!

So, this post is all about the ongoing Rajasthani Food Festival at M Café, Marriott Whitefield, Bangalore. Although we have tried Rajasthani food before, we have never a part of a complete experience.

We have been to M Café before for other festivals but this festival is different from the others: the food is actually authentic & one of the best food festivals we have experienced.

For those who are well versed with this type of cuisine, we recommend visiting by the 6^th of April as the festival ends on this day. Whereas for people like us who do not have much of a clue but are willing to experience: this is a golden opportunity!

We had the pleasure of interacting with Maharaj Bhik Singh, a special chef from Marriot Jaipur who gave us a walkthrough of all the items. We’ll be talking about the highlights only. There was nothing worth complaining about as everything was perfectly executed. The only thing one needs to be careful about is that there are certain items which are an acquired taste & the first hit on the palate might not be a pleasing one!

So, now about the food:

Pan fried noodles with krapao, fried egg and nori leaves

There are a few types of cuisine which are so vast that the possibilities are endless.

So, this time we are going to talk about an ongoing Pan Asian Food Festival with such endless possibilities at Nook, The Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park. This was our first time at Aloft and the experience is definitely worth talking about.

Since Pan Asian has massive variety, the Exec Chef Sandeep Kumar has tried various combinations so in all probability if we try out the same festival any other day all the dishes won’t be the same.

Assortment of Sushi's

The festival runs till the 24^th so since there is not much time left, we won’t talk about the food in detail but just a short overview of what one should look out for.

There were a number of items which were served only to us, apart from the buffet.

From the starters section:

Goa!

Now that’s a word that is guaranteed to grab the attention of any individual in our country, irrespective of age. Goa is known not only as a great vacation spot with family and for hanging out with friends but also for Goan cuisine which includes unique and different food preparations. (And also for their beaches and cheap alcohol!)

There are other noteworthy facts about Goa but since we will concentrate on Goan food specifically, let’s keep it to that. We have recently been to the Goan Food Festival Preview at the JW Marriott Hotel, Bangalore and we got a taste of what Goan home cooking tastes like.

As it was a preview, not all the dishes were served and the actual buffet would contain many more preparations. The JW Marriott is trying to give a twist to the way things are normally done by allowing a renowned home chef from Goa, Chef Sinnatra to take over the reputed JW Kitchen and give all their customers a true taste of Goan food.

So, coming down to what we tried:

Prawn cocktail shot

It was quite a long time ago that I (Rudra) was fascinated with the concept of desserts, ice creams and the sort made with liquid nitrogen. Since liquid nitrogen is not readily available and needs to be handled with caution, it requires a certain degree of workmanship which is expensive and thus, most restaurants opt out!

We visited a restaurant very recently and we were amazed to discover that it took the risk and it sure paid off! The restaurant we are talking about is Flechazo and it newly set its roots in Bangalore. It is located in Doddenakundi, Bangalore and it is hard to miss for travelling people.

This restaurant specializes in a few offerings which make it quite unique and not only that, but their pricing is also affordable. To make it more family friendly, the place is alcohol free!

Now coming down to the food and the specialties which we came across:

We love to eat at all you can eat buffets! We are sure you know that by now, given the number of times we have written about buffets. Recently we wrote about the Dilli walli Khau Gali festival going on in Barbeque Nation. Its time to write about them again!

But this time, we will be telling you about a new outlet of Barbeque nation that opened up with a new vision and concept at The Arena Mall, Mahadevpura, Bangalore. The first thing we noticed was that they had changed their decor, logo etc.

They have maintained the essence of barbeque nation but have added a few more things. You will be provided with the hot barbeque station at your table, you will be given delicious skewers to barbeque, and you will have the flag. And with this you will have a variety of live stations to get your food made according to your choice! Now doesn’t that sound good!?

They have a live Dal station which intrigued us, because you don’t get to see this usually. They have a live stir fry counter for both veg and non veg where one can choose from a variety of meats and veggies and take back a stir fried delight! They have a couple of varieties of sauces too! These are made to order in front of you and according to your taste! They have a variety of meat for non vegetarians, which include rabbit, quail, etc.

Along with this they had a live counter for soups as well, where they served clear soup and added the ingredients according to your choice. We got a clear soup made in a vegetable broth with corn, carrots, mushrooms and prawns. Finished with just a bit of spring onions! Delicious and to our taste!

The starters were up to the mark, like at every Barbeque nation and the service here was also up to the mark! The only disappointment was the live roll counter. We are Bengalis who belong from Kolkata and rolls have a soft corner in our hearts and when it is not done right, we sure get disappointed.

They have a Kati roll and shwarma counter as well, where it’s again made to order. The roll was, like we said, not that good; slightly soggy and chewy, not crisp and delicious. But the shawarma counter made up for it.

We moved on to the main course after trying all the live counters. The mocktails which accompanied us till here were Gleeche (a litchi and rose drink, absolutely refreshing and fruity) and Strawberry and basil mojito (a mild fruity concoction, perfect to accompany the starters).

They had two types of non vegetarian biriyani, Lucknowi Mutton Biriyani and Hyderabadi chicken biriyani. We obviously went in with the Lucknowi Mutton biriyani and were very happy about it! Lightly flavoured rice and perfectly done meat.

There were also a chicken and a mutton gravy preparation and both were remarkable. One was rich and creamy and the other spicy: common factor being the well cooked meat of course!

Now coming down to the desserts, they had the barbeque nation special Kulfi counter here. I (Priyanjana) usually look forward to the Kulfi here, every time. Loved the kulfi this time as well!

The other desserts were assorted pastries, fresh cut fruits, gulab jamun, different flavours of ice cream and phirni. All of these were up to the mark.

All in all we really enjoyed the new concept and the live stations. Thumbs up from both of us!

So, if you really love dining in Barbeque Nation and other buffet restaurants in general do give this a try!

In all probability, you’ll love it!

In case you visit, do let us know about your experience.

Till then—bon appétit!

Buffets are not everyone’s preference. Different people have different likes and dislikes when it comes to food and the restaurant they are visiting. While most people prefer fine dining restaurants, set menus and a la carte in general, there are people like us who have a voracious appetite which can be satiated only by a buffet! [Otherwise we’ll get broke!]

As a tribute to buffets, we bring to you two back to back experiences with Barbeque Nation. The first one being their festival which lasts till 07^th August: Dilli Wali Khau Gali” which features Delhi on a platter. The second one involves the launch of a new outlet in Bangalore which is different than the other normal outlets.

Barbeque Nation has redefined the meaning of a Buffet and so they are sort of like pioneers in the buffet sector in F&B. Their customer focus and adaptation to customer’s needs is what made them what they are and now, a buffet lunch and dinner is synonymous with Barbeque Nation!

Now, let’s talk about their festival:

Restaurants often organize a variety of festivals which have exquisite food offerings which are not normally available. As always it is the name which strikes curiosity first and very recently we have been to The Marriott, Whitefield for digging into their “Superhero Sunday Brunch”. Now that’s a name which will bring out the inner child in you!

The brunch has an elaborate buffet spread and is hosted in their in house restaurant M Cafe. This is one of Marriott’s signature properties in Bangalore and its grandeur and elegance demands attention. For the Superhero Sunday Brunch, they have indoor as well as outdoor seating. Every week the superhero in the theme changes and we witnessed a Thor themed brunch.

They had two mocktails in their drinks menu named Asgard Fizz and the Thor’s Hammer and the names induced excitement! We tried the former and it was a refreshing green apple drink which acted as a good appetizer.

About their buffet: If you really want to try out everything, it is going to take you a minimum of two Sundays ;).

Some restaurants have people behind them who have a vision and this is what sets them apart from other establishments.

On the same page, the uniqueness of their vision and their willingness to adapt to the customer’s needs are also equally important. Our most recent visit was to a restaurant with a very unique vision and yes their flexibility is something they are known for!

Their specialty: Creating delicious marvels with a twist. The twist being that the food is adapted to south Indian cuisine and hence tinkered with a little. Some might get the wrong impression that they only focus on south Indian preparations, but that is not the case. They emphasize on serving a wide variety of preparations, both veg and non veg but in the south Indian way. The condiments they use, their preparation style, the way they marinate and finally the way they serve is what that differentiates these guys!

Their vision is to uphold the south Indian style of cooking and making it popular among people from other parts of the country.

Without further ado, let’s mention the name of the restaurant: Bon South! ;)

Quite a catchy name isn’t it? It is situated in Koramangala 5^th block around the JNC road in Bangalore and it is quite a buzzing locality.

The restaurant has been carved out of an old bungalow and the decor is rustic and rather unique with a modern touch. They have both outdoor and indoor seating arrangements and their seating is quite comfortable. They also have an open kitchen in the middle where the chefs prepare the delicacies which we are about to mention.

Currently these guys are having a seafood festival which runs till the 22^nd of this month.

Their seafood preparations are absolutely delightful in the sense that they are refreshingly different!

They have a wide variety of starters and main course and we tried to cover as much as possible!

It is quite rare that the veg starters outnumber the non veg ones, but in bonsouth that is the case so they are veggie friendly as well.

Coming down to the food:

We have been to several places to dine in the past, but very few of them actually give their guests a royal feeling. There is big difference in behaving courteously and literally royal treatment!  There are places which make you feel comfortable, some make you feel like you are in a homely environment and there are places like the Shang Palace situated in the 3^rd floor on the Shangri-La hotel in Bangalore!

As soon as one enters, a big gong is struck repeatedly to announce the entry of a guest and combined with the luxurious setup it is guaranteed to make anybody feel special!

People call a special setup as red carpet treatment, so let us tell you that the entire restaurant floor is carpeted maybe because of the same reason.

Overall, the hotel as well as the restaurant setup is luxurious and grand and if you are visiting for the first time like we visited, you are bound to be impressed.

We were invited to try out the new launch of dim sum and BBQ at the Shang Palace and it was sure a grand devouring session!

They are also introducing their executive chef, Chef Lin from Beijing who specializes in Chinese cuisine.

There is one thing which deserves mention: the tables were decorated so beautifully that will help one gear up for a hearty meal!

There were so many varieties in the dim sums that we lost track of them! On the same page, the barbeque items were also of large variety.

We were served some iced tea followed by red/white wine to drink and the feast started.

First let us talk about the dim sums: They were delicate, piping hot when served and very impressive taste wise. We found the prawn hargau to be the best dim sum. It had a whole prawn as its stuffing, which was perfectly cooked and soft. The sweetness of the prawns really heightened the experience.

The mushroom bao had a thick and soft outer covering with cooked mushrooms inside. It was similar to the char sui bun and this was also slightly sweet. The mushroom stuffing was well cooked, slightly spicy and very tasty.

The radish buns were unique and pretty amazing. Highly recommended for vegetarians as it was well cooked, had equal consistency and the bun was well baked.

The veg and corn dumpling was very well crafted to say the least. It had a transparent coating which was negligibly thin and the stuffing was well balanced. This was very light on the stomach as well.

The lamb pancake was decent, but could have been a lot better. The lamb stuffing was tasty and was minced properly but the cakes were perhaps over fried and the essence of lamb was killed.

We were also served a chicken bao preparation. The chicken stuffing was ample and this was also good to have, although some of the other preparations were better.

There were some more varieties as well but these were the highlights and must haves!

Moving on from the dim sums to the BBQ preps and snacks:

There were a couple of varieties of snacks which were served out of which the Chongqing chilli chicken stood out. This was an authentic style chilli chicken without the usage of much sauce which is normally available in restaurants. The preparation had a fresh fragrance of coriander and the chicken pieces were bite sized. This was really something different from what is normally available so a must try!

Apart from this, the grilled items were on skewers and there was a pure bhetki grilled fish preparation which was wonderful! There were also some other varieties and they were pretty good too!

The best of the lot were the lamb skewers! They were juicy, had the same great essence of lamb and there were traces of fat which after grilling made it even tastier. This was truly delightful. The chicken one on the other hand was not so special. The chicken was soft and well cooked but the taste could have been better. The fish was brilliant. The skin was intact and probably the fish was grilled on the skin which imparted a slightly burnt flavour which was excellent. Most importantly the fish was fresh, juicy and grilled perfectly. Normally bhetki does not have great taste by itself but this prep was great! Moreover, this is a big attraction for Bengali’s since Bhetki is loved by almost all Bengali’s.

On the vegetarian side: the silken tofu skewer was definitely something! It was chewy with mild sweetness and the smoky flavor. Even a non vegetarian would love this. The oyster mushrooms were great too. They were so juicy that it proves the person grilling them had a different level of expertise!

A special mention would be the chicken wings served which were delicious indeed. Slightly smoky and spiced and mouth watering! These were one of the highlights of the BBQ menu.

There were also veg fried rice and veg noodles which were normal as they were served as accompaniments. The noodles were quite tasty nonetheless. The rice used was sticky rice and it was very mildly flavored and a treat for your palette. 

Lastly, this memorable feast ended with a unique and mildly sweet marvel. The honey comb cake turned out to be something unexpected. It was served steaming hot and the porous cakes had a beautiful glaze to them. The pores were similar to a honeycomb and hence the name. It had great consistency and sort of a muffin like texture.

Overall, this experience was nothing short of awesome!

We would definitely recommend this to both non vegetarians and vegetarians as they have almost equal varieties for veg and non veg, which is pretty rare as normally non veg dominates the scene!

The ambiance, soothing tunes, royal treatment and the food of course contribute to making ones dining experience special!

We will be posting about our other similar experiences as well so stay tuned ;)

And do try and visit this place and let us know how you feel!

Till next time—bon appétit!