Foodie Land Blog | Indian food and restaurant reviews

Persian Pop Up @ SodaBottleOpenerWala | Bangalore

The Persian Pop Up menu in a thali format

So do you guys have a favorite restaurant?

We all have favorites be it one thing or the other. Favorite food is pretty common but how many of you actually love visiting a particular restaurant?

Do let us know in the comments below, but now let us tell you about one of ours!

The best part is we were recently invited for a unique food festival and as expected we had an amazing time.

So many restaurants organizing so many food festivals and yet this one is unique. So, this post is all about one of our favorite restaurants: SodaBottleOpenerWala & the ongoing Persian Food Festival.

The festival goes by the name “Persian Pop-Up” and the festival menu is co-created by Anaida Parvaneh & the chefs of SBOW. Anaida, a famed singer who has her roots in Persia, specially curated this menu to showcase the rich, traditional Persian Cuisine using ingredients from Iran.

There are a lot of items involved and since we visited separately and not in a group, we tried portions of some of these items in the form of a Thali.

People of Persia indulge mostly in non-vegetarian food so, if you are a vegetarian: not many options for you.

Most of the items were lamb preparations and thinking of lamb, people generally get the idea that the food is heavy but in this case even after a full meal we didn’t feel uneasy at all. The preparations are very light, flavorful and gives a sense of satisfaction.

Anaida's Jadooei Soup

In the thali we tried the Bagali Pulao, which is rice cooked with mutton keema, Chicken Jujeh Kebab, Mutton Haleem, Cucumber and Dried Mint Dip, Mutton Fesanjan & a Lamb Shanks prep with chickpeas. We also tried Anaida’s Jadooei Soup.

The soup was heavenly! It had a homely touch to it & had loads of chicken, mushrooms & veggies. The broth tasted so good that we could literally survive on that.

From the thali, we loved almost everything! The aroma & taste boasted of fresh ingredients. The Mutton Fesanjan is a mutton preparation made with pomegranate molasses. It is pungent in nature and sort of an acquired taste. It had a tangy tasty to it and many might not like it the first time. The same goes for the lamb shanks preparation which was sour. It was soupy & flavorful with perfectly cooked meat but the taste was a bit harsh up front.

The only chicken preparation in this meaty arsenal is the Jujeh Kebab. It’s a very simple kebab which brings out the natural flavors of chicken. It was char grilled to perfection. The Haleem is a must try. It is served with a pav and is the best dish of the lot! The richness of the mutton & ghee, the aroma and sweetness of the caramelized onions stood out.

Haleem

Dessert

The cucumber and dried mint dip had the characteristic flavors. The special thing about it was the inclusion of dried rose petals from Iran which gave it a longing aroma. The Bagala Pulao summarized would be: Keema in each bite. The cooked rice retained all the flavors and that’s all we need ;)

Lastly, for dessert we tried the Halwa and Shole Zard. They were rich and delicious but kind of overshadowed by the above!

That’s our short & sweet experience of this delicious festival.

This is on till the 16^th of August, so still some time before you miss out!

We’ll be back soon with great news.

Till then—keep stuffing your faces & be happy because you live only once!

23:33
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FBAI Drinks Pub Crawl | Indiranagar | Bangalore

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Patron XO Cafe

It has been quite a while that we went pub crawling!

A pub crawl if properly executed and managed is a lot of fun and the opposite is disastrous and frustrating. Bangalore has a lot of watering holes and Indiranagar, specifically is a region where pubs & bars are abundant.

So, this is all about our recent pub crawl encompassing 3 drinks & 1 detox drink to help get through the night.

This pub crawl was organized by FBAI and it was their maiden activity in Bangalore and what better way to kick start than a pub crawl.

The pub crawl was short & sweet and other than the focus on drinks, we had loads to eat too.

Veg Pizza

Chicken Skewers

First up, Glocal Junction & the Aperol Spritz. The drink was not too strong and served with sparkling wine, brought out its true colours. The citrusy and fruity notes made this drink very enjoyable. The Aperol Spritz is a sweet drink & even when consumed raw doesn’t do much.

Along with the drink, we were served appetizers: Dynamo Prawns, Chicken Sliders, Chicken Skewers, Veg Pizza, Tokri Chaat. The pizza was decent, but the first two were the favourites. The Prawns were crispy, sweet & went well with the drink. The sliders were bite sized and the chicken was really juicy.

Dynamo Prawns

Aperol Spritz

Chicken Sliders

Next up, Bootlegger & the cocktail using Stolichnaya Vodka. Now this drink was pretty strong. The balancing was great in some but not all. The cocktail probably had orange juice & honey and was mildly sweet. The vodka had a smooth after taste.

We tried 3 items at Bootlegger: An extremely hot & spicy chicken preparation, special gun-powder fries & cheese pops. The fries were delicious! The spice combo went well with the drink. The cheese pops were decent but the chicken was marvellous. It almost made us cry but who cares as long as mouth-watering and eye watering happen side by side.

The last destination was Sly Granny where we had nothing except for one of the best shots we’ve had till date: The Patron XO Café!

A perfect combination of Tequilla & Espresso. The drink was super smooth, mildly sweet and mind blowing. We are actually planning on buying this, so if you have any leads: Let us know!

Stoli Vodka

Chicken appetizer

Cheese Pops

Now, for the detox drink: Morning Fresh has come up with a special drink which prevents handovers if you ensure that that is the last drink of the night (water is not considered). This flushes out harmful toxins from the liver, so no hangovers, no headaches and a fresh morning for sure. These come in 3 flavours: Cola, Strawberry & Mint.

A fun pub crawl is something we always look forward to.

If you find the drinks & visuals interesting, you know where they are available!

We’ll swing by soon with more F&B info.

Till then—drink responsibly & bon apetit!

21:29
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The Cafe Full of Life | Zoey's | Bangalore

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Pesto Chicken Strips

We have been to many cafes in the past and each of them have a different story to tell.

From our experience, we can say that we have come across a variety of establishment in our food blogging journey but very few of them actually have a “life” of itself. They are basically the manifestation of somebody’s concept, but what we are about to talk about here has a life of itself. Yes, it does sound absurd but you need to experience to believe it.

So, here’s to the Café full of life: Zoey’s in Sarjapur, Bangalore!

This is an open air café which caters to a wide variety of audience. They specialize in all day breakfasts and breakfast items and we really liked what we had.

They brew a mean cup of coffee and is perfect after a hard day of work but that’s not all! Coming to the items we tried and what we absolutely recommend:

For drinks we tried the Lemon Grass Cooler & the Date Almond Oatmeal Shake. The former was very refreshing whereas the latter had a thick consistency and was pretty filling. The Oatmeal shake was well balanced in terms of flavour: dates, almonds and a hint of banana as well.

We tried the All Angrezi Breakfast which had baked beans, toast, sunny side up, sautéed mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, salami and sausages & hash browns. They were all at par and the pricing is pretty reasonable.

Their Waffles are brilliant! Not so soft, but taste great. They’re served with a bowl of Nutella and pieces of fresh, sweet Mango.

Next up, we tried the Keema Omlette, Mushroom on Toast, Pesto Chicken Strips & Spicy Keema on a bed of mashed potatoes.

Dates & Almond Oatmeal Shake

All Angrezi Breakfast

Keema Omlette

Mushroom on toast

The Keema omelette had generous quantity of mutton keema. The 2^nd was delightful and creamy. The mushroom & cheese combination is heavenly without any doubt. Another piece of toast would have done justice.

The chicken strips were spicy and well done. A perfect snack and weighs less on the calorie scale. The quantity was more than enough and the best part is that the chicken retained all the flavours. The keema preparation is legendary and really nothing worth mention. Just try it and relax! The spicy keema and creamy mashed potatoes will surely make you feel better.

Now these are all recommended as they are all high on taste and provide great value for money.

Next up, the best item we tried on their menu: The Chicken Stroganoff! The sauce was insanely tasty and creamy. The chicken is in the form of strips inside the sauce and this is served along with an island of herbed rice.

Spaghetti with Meatballs

Spicy Keema with mashed potatoes @ The Cafe Full of Life | Zoey's | Bangalore

Spicy Keema on a bed of mashed potatoes

Waffles

We also tried the Lamb Burger which was not that great especially for the price. The patty was tasty but thin. Another problem is that the patty breaks down with each bite. Unless the patty is thicker, this is definitely going to happen.

We also tried a Spaghetti with Chicken Meatball pasta which was exactly the way it should be, but this is not that recommended.

We were really full by this time and we tried only one: Mango Pudding.

Well presented, this dessert was a little bit too cold for comfort. Taste wise it was decent and with the chocolate crumble at the bottom: nice!

Lamb Burger

Mango Pudding

That’s all we have to tell from our side! They have comfortable seating both inside & outside with a children play area as well. The place is always full with people thanks to the special attention the owner, Farheen gives to each and every customer.

Their portions are pretty decent but if you are a very large eater, it is better to talk to the owner/who is taking your order before-hand.

Their dishes are really good and you can understand the quality up front. We definitely recommend a visit.

They provide great value for money. Do let us know about your experience if you visit.

We’ll be back soon again with tasty news ;)

Till then—keep searching for great places to eat & bon apetit!

23:38
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A Romantic Dining Experience @ Grasshopper | Bangalore

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Orange Panna Cotta with pomegranate

So, what is your idea of a romantic dinner?

Different people have different ways of showing affection and thus the answer to the above question differs in each case. However, the most common answers are: a home cooked meal, candlelight dinner, an especially reserved table in a posh restaurant with loads of flowers and wine and many more.

We had a different kind of experience very recently: a farm house away from the main road, a boutique by day and a romantic restaurant by night (Sounds similar to the batman theory doesn’t it? Billionaire by day, crime fighter by night :P)

Jokes apart, it was one of the most romantic encounters we have had and the homely experience they provide made it even better! The restaurant is in existence for the past 13 years and it is none other than Grasshopper located in Bannerghata, Bangalore.

There is silence all around at Grasshopper with 5 tables beautifully decorated with fresh flowers and a candle. They play instrumental music and combined with the moonlight & candlelight it is definitely something!

Watermelon and lime cooler

This is a reservation only restaurant and we were there by invite. They have a 5 course and 7 course menu and we tried the latter.

The food has restaurant & home-style qualities: fresh ingredients, perfectly balanced but has a comforting touch which makes it a lot better.

So, now moving on to what we tried:

The Grasshopper experience is only 40% food and 60% environment/ambience. Out of the 7 courses, there are 3 appetizers, 1 salad, 2 main courses & a dessert.

We have no complaints with what we had as it was a fully chef curated menu and there were no negatives at all.

The appetizers we tried are: Diced gel & real cucumber with cream cheese & flying fish eggs, Crostini with pine nuts & ricotta & Prawns with ginger, sesame & seaweed.

Prawns with Ginger, Sesame and Seaweed

Crostini with Pine nuts and Ricotta

Diced cucumber with cream cheese and flying fish eggs @ A Romantic Dining Experience @ Grasshopper | Bangalore

Diced gel and real cucumber with cream cheese and flying fish eggs

All 3 were spectacular in terms of flavor and taste and were very simple. We would definitely recommend the first and the third. The cucumber, cream cheese & eggs tasted great together. The prawns were lip smacking. It was super appetizing and the creamy texture along with the seaweed went really well.

We were served freshly baked bread on the table. They were crunchy on the periphery and soft & fluffy on the inside. We had loads of these!

The salad was amazing too: Oven roasted tomatoes with the usual greens, walnuts, pine nuts & feta. It was well balanced with the balsamic dressing but the tomatoes were the star of the salad. Remarkable!

For mains, we tried the Sea Bass with a spicy & tangy pepper sauce. The fish was fresh and perfectly done as expected. The sauce tasted great and truly speaking, we wanted more. We also tried the Braised Lamb Shanks in herbed red wine and shallot sauce. The sauce was delicious and the lamb was cooked to perfection. This was served with herbed potatoes.

Oven roasted tomato salad

Sea Bass

Braised Lamb shanks with herbed red wine and shallot sauce @ A Romantic Dining Experience @ Grasshopper | Bangalore

Braised lamb shanks in herbed red wine and shallot sauce

Freshly made breads

Lastly, time for the desserts: they have quite a few options but we tried the Lemongrass ice cream & the orange panna cotta with pomegranate.

The former had the characteristic flavor but was not overpowering. The sweetness and creaminess of the ice cream was perfect. The latter had the right wobble and mouth feel. The orange flavor was also distinctly identifiable.

We also tried a chocolate preparation with mustard ice cream. The salted chocolate went well with the spicy and bitter mustard flavoured ice cream.

All of this tasted even better because of the calm and mysterious surroundings. This is more of a couple place so couples visit more because of the romantic and peaceful environment. They also have semi-private and private seating arrangements.