Hallo-Wine Festival at Phoenix Market City, Bangalore!

event



It has been quite some time since we wrote about an event on the blog! With Rudra Moving to Chennai, I will be writing most of the blog, about events, tastings in Bangalore. So, here goes the first event blog in a long while.
On a Breezy Saturday afternoon, I reached Phoenix Market City. Just a day prior to Halloween, and saw their courtyard dotted with various stalls! They had a Festival going on, a three day long festival, called Halo-wine. Though I love wine, I had decided not to drink during the day time, so I didn’t really indulge myself with copious amount of fabulous wines which were available. 






I did that with food, anyway! The event was organized by Phoenix Market city in association with the Karnataka Wine Board and a lot of Karnataka based wine brands participated in the event.
Some of my Favorite wine brands were present too. Like, Big Banyan and Sula. And, everyone had the opportunity to sample all the wines for just a nominal amount of money.
But, the food was wonderful! They had multiple food trucks and stalls from Bar Bar and Café Noir. I tried some delish food from Bar Bar and the food trucks. 


Mushroom satay

Paneer Roll

Chicken Shami kabab

I tried almost everything from Bar Bar and some things from the food trucks, while enjoying the live music! There was an option of grape stomping as well! I didn’t participate, but a lot of people did and it looked like fun! 

I hope I visit a lot of festivals such as this, because good food, good wine and lovely music makes anyone’s day brighter, and certainly mine too! 

Till next time,
Bon Appetite!


The Risotto Fare @ Ottimo | ITC Gardenia | Bangalore

bangalore
The Risotto Fare @ Ottimo | ITC Gardenia | Bangalore

Which cuisine comes to your mind when you think of romance?

For us, like most people we associate Italian Cuisine with romance and during this time of the year i.e. around mid Feb when love is in the air, we were invited to the Risotto Festival of Ottimo, ITC Gardenia called the Risotto Fare.

This post will be all about Risottos and how beautifully they were made. Before that, the setting of Ottimo is truly unforgettable. The open kitchen, the theme of the restaurant, the service, the food & wine and the tunes are bound to make your dining experience unlike any other.



Sattvik Bhojan at Masala Klub | Taj West End | Bangalore

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Pure Vegetarian Sattvik Thali at Masala Klub, Taj West End Bangalore
Being Non Vegetarians we hardly have food that has no meat in one meal, let alone a pure vegetarian meal. So, when we were invited to taste the food at the Sattvik food festival going on at Masala Klub located in Taj West End, we were happy to give it a shot. Sattvik Food is often called as the cuisine of Gods. Originated from the Holy Land of Varanasi, this cuisine is made with great care for the Kashi Naresh till date. The Royal chefs have to perform a series of rituals even before beginning with the preparation for the food. 

Sattvik Bhojan is not only pure vegetarian food, but is also calming for your body. So, let us take you through what the menu at Masala Klub has to offer from this cuisine. 

The Mangalorean Food Festival | Jamavar- The Leela Palace | Bangalore

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Luxury dining is something which we would like to call an acquired taste. In the recent past, we have had our share of luxury and fine dining and at first it did not seem so special. However, with repeated encounters one can realize the true beauty of the experience. Although luxury comes at a price, it is something to indulge in because we do need to pamper ourselves after the hard work we do!

On the same page, we recently visited The Leela Palace, Bangalore situated in Old Airport road for their Mangalore Food Festival and the property is majestic. It is not surprising if someone is awestruck by the grandeur of the interiors and especially in and around their Indian specialty restaurant, Jamavar. This festival is running at Jamavar from the 12th of September to the 21st.

They have miniature rocky waterfalls with greenery everywhere. Jamavar has indoor as well as outdoor seating. The indoors give you a regal feeling whereas the outdoors are breezy with picturesque surroundings.


Now coming down to the food:

The August Moon Festival | Memories of China | Vivanta by Taj-M.G Road | Bangalore

august moon festival

Have you guys ever heard of something called the August Moon Festival?

Whatever your answer is, do read on as we got to know about it recently and celebrated this auspicious event at none other than Memories of China, Vivanta by Taj—M.G Road, Bangalore. This festival is regarded as the second grandest festival in China and is also known as the mid-autumn festival.

It is called the August Moon Festival because at this time of the year the moon is at its brightest and roundest. The festival is associated with family engagement, traditional Chinese food and moon cakes.

They have a special menu for this festival and it kicked off from the 1st of September. The menu has a great balance between Vegetarian and Non Vegetarian items but does not have any desserts. So, if you have a dessert craving then the main menu will come to your rescue.

We tried almost the entire menu, but we will be talking about the highlights only. As the preparations are Authentic Chinese, there are chances that some might not be palate friendly.


Stir fried water chestnut, lotus stem and potatoes in chef special sauce

Steamed eggplant in spicy peanut sauce

cauliflower in a creamy sauce with preserved chilli

 We normally try non veg more, but this time we will be talking about veg too!

The Afghani Food Festival | The Vivanta by Taj - Whitefield | Bangalore

Afghani cuisine
Veg Kofta Preparation

Pretty recently we had a taste of true Middle Eastern food about which we had posted too. The Middle East encompasses a huge land mass consisting of many countries and cultures. This time we bring to you our experience of the Afghan Food Festival at The Vivanta by Taj—Whitefield, Bangalore.

The last time we mentioned that the taste was surreal and mostly the kebabs and preparations had Turkish and Moroccan spices. This time, not only were the dishes different but also all of them had an Afghan touch to it. One can understand this, mainly due to the richness of the preparations.

This is an ongoing festival at the legendary restaurant Terracotta which runs till the end of this month. (Unfortunately, we are a bit late to announce it this time!) The ambiance is very rustic and there is a lot of ambient light in the restaurant.




So, whatever you read and see—if you like it: hurry!

Just joking, you still have some time as some of the dishes in the menu are going to be incorporated in the original menu based on customer response. Now how cool is that?

Now, coming down to this feast of flavours:

The Middle Eastern Food Festival @ Mynt | The Taj West End | Bangalore

bangalore
Mahalabia
We have visited many Taj properties in the past, both in Bangalore and in our home town Kolkata. Each hotel has its own unique significance and a story behind their existence. Each hotel has a different charm, beauty and set of specialized chefs.

Very recently we have been to the oldest Taj property, not only in Bangalore but also in the entire country—The Taj West End. It is located at the heart of the city in Race Course Road and its grandeur is simply astounding! The lobby was exceptional with medium sized trees and dim lighting. The property was earlier meant to be used by British soldiers when India was not independent. Afterwards, it was taken over by many a group and currently it lies in the hands of the Tata group which cares about this property and beautified it beyond brilliance.

Now moving on to our objective: We were privileged to be a part of an exclusive dinner preview of the upcoming Middle Eastern food festival at Mynt which kicks off from the 17th of August and runs till the 27th.

The adept chefs at Mynt with their executive chef Sandeep Narang crafted this special menu which aims to bring certain Middle Eastern delicacies to the table of all customers of Mynt. 

The menu we tried was elaborate but during the festival the entire menu will not be served to the customers but it will be on a rotational basis.

Now, coming down to the food:

Ayubowan | The Sri Lankan Food Festival @ Vivanta By Taj - MG Road | Bangalore

bangalore
Lunumiris and egg salad

In the past few months, we have visited a lot of luxurious dining spots mostly covering different festivals from across the world. Some of them were the dragon boat festival, Chinese New Year, generic impromptu festivals and much more. This time we bring to you our experience of a festival we have very recently been to at The Vivanta by Taj- MG Road, Bangalore. This ongoing festival goes by the name: Ayubowan which is the Sri Lankan food festival and it is sure to take your taste buds to a ride further down south!

Geographically as well as on cultural grounds India and Sri Lanka share many similarities and after trying out the food in this festival one can understand the deep connection between these two glorious countries both in terms of rich culture and food!

This festival is running at Cafe Mozaic which is run by their multi award winning Executive Chef Ramasamy Selvaraju. We are not sure whether we will visit Sri Lanka in the near future, but thanks to this festival we sure went on a fabulous culinary trip. 

Cafe Mozaic has indoor and outdoor seating. Indoor seating is for people who prefer privacy and a certain degree of sophistication whereas the outdoors is pool side and has a different charm to it. Except for the food factor, this festival also includes Sri Lankan folk dance performances by the renowned Budawatta dance troupe. We really enjoyed the food and the performances just made the experience a whole lot better!

Now, coming down to the food:

The Dilli Wali Khau Gali Festival @ Barbeque Nation

bangalore
Malai Kulfi with Faluda and chocolate vermicelli

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 07th 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:

The Dragon Boat Festival @ Yauatcha | Bangalore

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By now you would have known that Yauatacha is one of our most favourite places to visit! This time we had the privilege of tasting the festival menu, of the Dragon Boat festival.
Dragon Boat festival is traditionally a time to eat Zongzi, drink rice wine and race dragon boats and indulge in celebrations with family and friends. This festival dates back 2000 year!



The zongzi , pyramid shaped sticky rice dumplings, being the speciality of this festival made up 90 percent of the menu. This festival menu is a side menu and not complete by itself.

All of the sticky rice dumplings are steamed with lotus leaf wrapped around the pyramid/ squares of rice. The lotus leaf lends a beautiful aroma and subtle taste to the dumplings.

The Seafood Mela @ Bonsouth | Koramangala | Bangalore

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Grilled prawns

 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 5th 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 22nd 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:

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