After a pretty long time we are super excited after visiting a restaurant and it is justified as we believe it is one of the best in town!

Food has a lot of craftsmanship involved and nowadays there is a lot of controversy between presentation & taste. In some cases the dishes are presented very well but don’t taste as good and sometimes vice versa. Thanks to Instagram, many good eateries are facing the heat because their presentation is not “Instagram” friendly, leaving aside the fact that they might taste amazing.

This post is dedicated to a relatively new restaurant in M.G Road, Bangalore named The White Plate by Chef Jason which serves food which is not only a masterpiece in terms of presentation but also the taste! They use molecular gastronomy but it is nothing like the other encounters we have had.

The environment they provide is relaxing, romantic & airy (except for the occasional heat spell where you start to feel the heat). Since it is an open air restaurant, it does tend to get a bit hot when it’s not breezy. They have an open kitchen where Chef Jason and his team create plate licking wonders.

Now coming down to what we tried:

Appetizers: Celebrity Shrooms, Chilli Crunch Chicken Squares, Jalapeno Motichur Salmon Compound, English Bacon Wrapped King Shrimps & Jamaican Rhum & Demerara Chilli pulled Pork Belly.

Quite a long list isn’t it? The best part about all of them is that all the flavors are distinctly identifiable. The meat has a delicate pink colour in all cases because they are cooked to perfection and Chef Jason makes sure that the experience he provides will make people come back!

We’ll touch the highlights only: The shrooms were crispy with a rich peanut butter & chilli flavour. The Chicken squares had an amazing chilli flavour and the meat was pink in colour. The crispiness was unforgettable! The Motichur salmon compound is something you need to try to believe. The salmon compound by itself had a distinct taste but slightly bitter. When all the components in the plate are tried together, they create symphony in your mouth and: perfect balance!

The bacon wrapped shrimps had a twist: they were served with mustard caviar and curry leaf foam. For a change these actually added flavour and the meats were perfectly done as expected. As for the chilli pulled pork belly: It was one of the best pork preparations we have had till date. It was spicy & the texture was perfect.

Drinks: Smoked Tennessee, Caribbean Sin, Blushing Sunset and White Plate’s new Pickle Back Tini.

The first had a delicate smokiness along with the good old taste of Tennessee whiskey. All the others had fruity foams in them. The second had pineapple foam which just added a touch. The third one was a white rum based cocktail with orange, pomegranate and cranberry foam. The last one had suspended mint caviar which was the highlight. Their drinks are all well balanced and serve as perfect accompaniments with the food served.

Now for mains: Pan Seared Breast of Chicken, Honeysuckle Smoked Duck Breast & Fruits of The Sea.

The duck was marvellous! It has a luxurious pink colour and we could never imagine that duck breasts could be this soft. Along with the poached pear, quinoa and the smokiness of the meat it was too good to be true. The Chicken preparation had a lot of items but undoubtedly the mass of chicken stole all the attention. The stuffing in the chicken was absolutely mouth-watering and it tasted heavenly.

Lastly, the fruits of the sea had a different charm altogether. The preparation has a pair of scallops & prawns and a fillet of sea bass on coconut Arborio along with two water cakes filled with salt water and capers. The idea is to burst these and have the dish to experience seafood beside the sea! The sea bass was not as juicy as expected, but the coconut Arborio was delicious. The scallops and prawns were fresh but the spice covering was a tad bit overpowering.

Lastly, for dessert we had the Chefs special: Re-constructed Black Forest Raspberry.

Chef Jason made this in front of us and we could see his excellent plating skills and vision. This was created from scratch and it looked and tasted fab! The highlights were the raspberry dollop and the Malibu coconut ice cream. This had honey and watermelon caviar which gave a further boost.

This marked the end to a nothing less than excellent meal. It was indeed one of the best experienced we have had till date.

The concept & idea of opening White Plate is of Mr. HRG Swaminath from Les Roches hospitality who also owns the restaurant.

So, the next time you feel like you want to blow your mind: this is your ticket.

Do let us know about your experience if you visit.

We hope to visit soon and we’ll of course let you know.

Till then—hold on to your horses and bon apetit!

Well, it is not every day that we get to indulge in royalty right?

India was a land of many kingdoms at one point and one of the most powerful and flourishing of them was Vijayanagara, the cuisine of which we’ll be talking about in this post.

This post is all about the Cuisines of Vijayanagara food festival at the Cubbon Pavilion, ITC Gardenia which is on till the 4^th of June.

This comes under the Royal Repasts aegis of Kitchens of India by ITC.

The food was exquisite, rich & spicy but was like comfort food at the same time. This region was known to use a lot of spice, especially chilli in their food & care was also taken so that it does not overpower the natural flavours and that is what we experienced.

This cuisine is also considered as Hampi cuisine which is also long gone, but the master chefs from ITC took it to task to recreate this in as authentic a way as possible keeping modern dining in mind.

Now, moving on to what this festival has to offer:

More or less equal options for vegetarians & non vegetarians. We won’t be stressing too much on the details and we’ll mention the must tries. There was nothing disappointing about the food we were served, but some were exceptional whereas some were decent.

From the starters: All the 3 are highly recommended! From the raw banana dumplings to the spicy dry chicken preparation and the lamb & coriander dumplings, simplistic brilliance we would like to call it.

The raw banana was shallow fried and it had a homely touch to it. The chicken was very spicy, well-cooked and not overpowering. The lamb balls were amazing. They are pretty small in size but big on impact! The freshness of the coriander & the flavour of lamb are an impeccable combination.

From the mains: The Ivy Gourd preparation, The Lamb Chops, Prawns with Black Pepper are a must! The accompaniments were equally amazing.

Urida Mamsa (Lamb chops)

The Ivy Gourd had a rich coconut flavour and was cut into very thin slices which gave a delicate crunch to each bite. The Lamb chops were heavenly. The best part about them was that the flavour of lamb was present because they were not smoked. The masala used really boosted the taste & that’s the drawing line for a non-vegetarian!

The Prawn preparation was very simple. The prawns were fresh & sweet and the black pepper gave the contrast in flavour.

The other preparations include: Chicken in Coriander & Coconut gravy, a lentil preparation, a Brinjal preparation & a Sear fish preparation cooked in tomatoes & tamarind.

All of them were palatable. The fish had a unique tangy taste. The Brinjal preparation had a few shortcomings in terms of balance. The chicken had the characteristic flavours.

The accompaniments like Raw Mango Rice, The Koli Pulao (Chicken cooked with rice & spices) & the Akki Roti deserve a special mention. The first had an amazing aroma & was lip smacking. The Koli Pulao was mouth-watering! It was very light on the stomach, lightly spiced & the meat retained the flavours.

For dessert, we tried the Akki Payasa which was very comforting. It was dilute but gave a sweet finish as always. We felt it was a tad bit over sweet.

That’s all from our side!

The festival is on till for another week so quite some time left to gear up.

Such opportunities are hard to come by and we definitely recommend a visit.

Do try out what we mentioned and other things as well and let us know about your experience if you visit. This is available only for dinner (07:30 PM - 11:30 PM) and priced at 1950 ++.

This festival might not have much for dessert, but the other things are sure to satisfy you.

 We’ll be back soon with a bang ;)

Till then—stay tuned & bon apetit!

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.

Makhmali Tandoori Guchhi

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!

Gulab Jamun

Malai Cham Cham

That’s all from our side. Paranda changed their menu after many years and they did it with a bang.

Undoubtedly one of the best new menus we have experienced.

No time limits on this one and we highly recommend a visit. They have special veg & non veg set menus @1399 ++ & 1499++ respectively.

Do let us know about your experience if you visit.

We’ll be back with more soon!

Till then—keep reading our posts and bon apetit!

Cheung Fun anyone?

Well it’s time for something new again and this time we bring to you a Cheung Fun festival. We have tried Cheung Fun before, but this is the first time we have been to a festival dedicated to them!

So, this time we were invited to Zen, The Leela Palace Bangalore for experiencing this festival. Even before we get to the food, the grandeur & simplicity of Zen is enough to transform any experience. Such an ambience always has an effect on dining because it is the entire package which matters.

Not only did we indulge in a luxurious dining experience, but also most of the items deserve praise.

Moving on to what we tried:

7 varieties of Cheung Fun were on the tasting menu out of which 4 were non-veg and 3 were veg.

In non-veg, there was Chicken, Prawn, Angus (Beef) & Pork whereas for veg: Asparagus, Crispy Vegetable & 3-way Mushroom.

So, we’ll take you through the highlights of this tasting menu.

The must tries from the non-veg Cheung Fun are:

The Steam Chicken & Black Pepper Cheung Fun & the Steam Angus with Spicy Hoisin Cheung Fun. In both the cases the meat was tender & retained all the flavors of the sauce. Black pepper is a magic ingredient and although it might sound surprising: The chicken was the best of the lot! The flavors & the taste complemented perfectly. The beef was cooked exceptionally well as it is rare that it melts in the mouth. The Hoisin sauce goes well with beef preparations & the sweet and sour taste worked wonders.

The Crispy Prawn Cheung Fun was presented well & tasted great. The flying fish eggs on top gave a burst of flavor. The sauce and the Cheung Fun did not quite blend well, we believe and did not quite cut it.

The BBQ pork Cheung Fun had the best sauce out of them all, but the meat did not quite retain the flavors as expected.

We tried only two of the veg: Mushroom & the Crispy Veg.

The latter had quite a variety of vegetables in the roll & everything was well balanced and slightly crunchy. The former was mind blowing! There were 3 varieties of mushrooms in the Cheung Fun and all of them could be identified distinctly. An amazing preparation! The sauce, the truffle essence & decent sized mushroom chunks were the secret to its success.

That’s all from the festival menu.

A special mention to the litchi sorbet & the Wasabi cheesecake which were both outstanding! The sorbet was so good & fresh that it felt like we were having fresh litchis. The cheesecake was made with fresh ingredients and one can make that out with one bite. The layering & the sweetness was perfect.

Hope you had a great time reading, because we sure enjoyed eating ;)

This festival is on till the 15^th so, quite some time left. If you have Cheung Fun/Chinese on your mind: say Thank you!

We’ll be back soon with something tasty soon.

Till then— chillax & bon apetit!

*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:

Sushi

As we have mentioned before, our love for food has no bounds. From A to Z we are always willing to try everything but there are certain cuisines which are not easily available and are extremely difficult to pull off.

One of these cuisines is Japanese and our recent experience at Edo, the in house award winning Japanese Resto-Bar in ITC Gardenia, Bangalore was nothing short of brilliant. One of the finest places for food & luxury, ITC Gardenia does not need an introduction.

So, normally these luxury dining restaurants are open only for dinner but now Edo is open for luncheons as well. We tried out their authentic Japanese Obento concept.

This format is perfect for business gatherings as the entire meal comes in one go, so no waiting for each item to come. The dessert is served separately though.

We tried the Non veg Obento at Edo and it is undoubtedly the best Japanese food experience we have had till date!

There were specially handcrafted menus for everyone and they contained all the information about the items present in the Obento.

All the preparations were fresh and crafted to perfection. The colour, the presentation, the taste and the ambience is guaranteed to elevate you to a different level!