Foodie Land Blog | Indian food and restaurant reviews

The New Menu @ Kopper Kadai | Koramangala | Bangalore

Taka Tak Paneer Tikka

So, before we begin we wish you a very Happy New Year and hope you have a rocking year ahead! (better late than never!)

The New Year brings about a lot of “new” things, be it resolutions, schedules etc. but it is normally not expected that with a new year a new menu comes into the picture.

One of Bangalore’s favourite north Indian (actually they serve North West Frontier Cuisine) Restaurants: Kopper Kadai launched its new menu this week and they start off 2017 with a new menu and resolve.

This was not our first visit and the last time as well, the food was exquisite. They have kept a fifth of the old menu and replaced the rest with new and innovative items to maintain their position as one of the best.

The best part was that we had a live interaction with celebrity Chef Akshay Nayyar who gave us a walkthrough of the new menu.

So, starting off the New Year with some spicy, rich and crafted food:

There were a large number of items served and we did not try all of them but we would definitely stress on the ones we recommend this time.

Limca Bhel

Kashmiri Kiss

Chiller Chai

Tandoori Broccoli preparation

Jwalamukhi

For starters we had the Ande Ka Funda, Nadru Ki Chaat, Pesto Soya Champey, Jwalamukhi, Taka Tak Paneer Tikka, Murgh Korma Kebab, Hariyali Machhi Tikka and a few more.

If you are an egg lover, do not forget to try the Ande ka Funda as it has a stuffing of spinach & cheese. You’ll not be disappointed for sure!

Anda Ka Funda

The Nadru ki Chaat was a crispy lotus steam preparation and was mildly sweet. Worth a try but won’t be any harm if you don’t.

The Pesto Soya Champey was excellent. The characteristic flavours went through and the rich and creamy feel was delightful. The best part was the consistency of the soya: smooth as silk!

The Jwalamukhi or Volcano was a spinach and cheese preparation and the heart of it was molten cheese. Taste wise not so special if you ignore the cheese.

The Taka Tak Paneer Tikka was spicy with a tangy after taste with huge chunks of Paneer. The paneer was well done and deserves a bite.

The Hariyali Machhi Tikka was standard. It will not disappoint you and at the same time, won’t excite you either. The fish was perfectly done, the flavours went through and the juiciness intact.

The Murgh Korma Kebab deserves the mouth-watering label. One can feel the richness in each bite. Cooked with loads of milk, it gives a mild sweet sensation along with the fusion of herbs and spices. Amazing!

The drinks we tried: Chiller Chai, Jugal Bandi and the Kashmiri Kiss.

The Chiller Chai was unique. There was a mixture of citrusy flavours and the good old notes of tea which ended up as a great appetizer.

The Kashmiri Kiss looked great but was dominated with the flavour of honey. Healthy no doubt, but definitely needs some tinkering. It is served with a burning piece of cinnamon which gives off an inviting aroma.

Now finally for the main course:

We heard that the Gobi Chicken was worth a try but since we didn’t we won’t comment further.

Hariyali Machhi Tikka

Pesto Soya Champey

Pashmeena Nalli Gosht

Murgh Korma Kebab

Chowdhary Chooza

Kopper Kadai Biriyani

The Chowdhary Chooza was a chicken preparation with yet again, great presentation. The gravy was semi thick and not worth wasting. The boneless chicken was accompanied with chicken keema in the gravy. It was spicy and lip smacking. Tasted excellent with the breads!

The Kopper Kadai Biriyani was a chicken meatball biriyani and the rice was aromatic, fine and delicious. The meatballs were perfectly done. After this we want to talk about two mutton preparations: The Pashmeena Nalli Gosht and the Laal Maas.

Both are a must try, depending on whether you like meat on or off the bone. The former had the all-powerful flavours of Garam Masala and it always comes through. Insanely tasty!

We expected the latter to be fiery and fierce but it was not quite so. It was balanced for normal human consumption and in fact was mildly sweet. This was not desirable but the meat was well done and preparation was spicy and magnificent.

For dessert, we recommend the Nutella Dodha Lava from the old menu. It is a milk based sweet with stuffed Nutella so don’t stop yourselves!

From the new menu, do try out the special Gajar Ka Halwa called Gajrela! We won’t talk about it as after trying you will ;).

That’s all from our side on the new menu @ Kopper Kadai.

It is one of our favourite restaurants, so instead of a biased opinion we would recommend you to try them out.

Do let us know in case you do.

We will be back soon.

Till then—keep rocking, stay tuned and bon apetit!

*We intentionally left out some items as we do not comment/write about items we don’t try!*

21:33
3 Comments

Sunbean Gourmet Coffee Launch | ITC Gardenia | Bangalore

bangalore

Two variants of Sunbean Gourmet Coffee

Coffee is that one ingredient which since its inception has been a favorite around the world and has been prepared in number of ways. But, most commonly coffee is always seen as a beverage. Cappuccino, espresso, filter kaapi are all just various examples of what you can make with coffee as the base. Like grapes for wines, coffee beans also have a distinct character when grown in different regions and climates.

We learnt that a lot of factors contribute to the final taste of the coffee in your cup, at the Launch of the Sunbean Gourmet Coffee by ITC. The taste even is effected by the fineness or coarseness of the ground beans. The event introduced us to the two varieties of Sunbean coffee and Bangalore seemed like the perfect place to launch a coffee brand in India.

The event started with the introduction of the two variants by Mr. Abhijit Chakravorty, who manages the marketing of the same. He described how they picked the 2 different regions for each blend. I variety of coffee in each blend comes from an Indian region and the other comes from a famous coffee region around the world.

The two variants are Nicamali and Panagiri. Nicamalai is a fruity- sweet aromatic blend of carefully selected beans from Nicaragua and Anamalai hills and Panagiri is a fragrant coffee with strong aroma, blended with mildly sweet Panamanian beans along with the intensely sweet flavored Arabicas from Baba Budangiri hills. Baba Budangiri hills are considered to be the birthplace of coffee in India where Baba Budan, a legendary saint planted the first coffee seeds that he brought.

Our personal favorite is the Panagiri blend. Each coffee’s logo is also carefully thought out keeping in mind the culture of each place.

After the introductions, we had two sessions. A coffee making and brewing session and a Coffee painting session. The art of brewing session with Mr. Vikram Khanna was very informative on how to grind, how to extract the flavors properly, how to blend, etc. We tried different forms of coffee with these two blend like cinnamon honey coffee, cappuccino, etc and all of these were beautiful to taste! We also tasted the shots of Panagiri and Nicamali individually and both have a very distinct and strong flavor.

A refreshing coffee drink with cinnamon & honey

A proper Cappuccino using Sunbean

Frappe created by Mr. Vikram Khanna

Coffee Painting Canvas

The coffee painting session was a creative one and each and every person enjoyed it!

It was wonderful experience at the event and we would recommend you to try out these coffee blends if you have a weakness for coffee because these are wonderful indeed. The coffee variants at the moment are available at all ITC hotels, where you can go and taste and select which coffee you would like and you can also customize the grind size as well. The expert baristas will help you choose the perfect blend for your taste.

We will definitely keep you posted with the different ways we try to make these.

So this was all about coffee!

We'll be back soon so stay tuned and bon apetit!

13:56
4 Comments

The Biergarten Review | Whitefield | Bangalore

bangalore

Raspberry Cheese Cake

Bangalore is the land of craft beers and one might end up spotting more microbreweries and pubs than grocery stores here(Just kidding, or are we?)

We have visited many such pubs and breweries and while some of them catch the eye and leave behind a long lasting image, the others are better off doing something else! This time we bring to you our experience of a relatively new pub & microbrewery called Biergarten in Whitefield, Bangalore.

This definitely falls into the first category as this is probably the only fully open air arrangement in Bangalore. From the outside it appeared more like a factory, but upon entry one can admire its true beauty. They have a lower and upper level, all open embracing nature with good music and a little bit of sweat to taste! The upper level has a lot of space and the seating is scattered to ensure privacy and a cool surrounding.

We had a near perfect experience if it was not for the afternoon heat for which they need to install a few more fans. They do have a lot of greenery around so we really admire and appreciate their vision.

Coming down to the food & beers:

We tried 4 variants of beer: Wheat beer and the 3 Lagers: Light Lager, Strong Lager & Dark Lager.

They had a decent head and body although the fizz ran out after a while. They were light and did not have a strong kick. The wheat beer was amazing and went well with their chicken wings preparation.

The 3 Lagers deserve praise too but the Dark Lager is a must try. Their beers tasted different to other beers we have tasted before.

Fresh Brewed Beers @ Biergarten| Whitefield | Bangalore

Varieties of fresh brewed beer

For starters we tried The Biergarten Chicken Wings, Firecracker Prawns, Lemon Spiked Chicken Tikka, Spinach and Cheese Filo Parcel, Mushroom & Lamb Galouti and the Mushroom & Tofu Skewers. From Dim Sum: The Crystal Dumplings and the Pork Char Siu Bao.

We were thoroughly impressed with the suggestions of their staff who were very courteous and provided speedy service. Moreover, at their pricing their quality and quantity were quite astonishing! (In a positive way)

The meats in all the cases were tender, juicy and well-cooked. The flavours went in and the chef deserves a thumbs up for a job well done.

The Wings were spicy, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The Prawns were covered with crispy ribbons but this actually tasted good as the ribbons had a tinge of mustard which gave it some flavour. Apart from this, the prawns were well done and of decent size. The presentation of the Lemon Spiked Chicken Tikka was lovely. One can taste the “Spike” with the first bite itself.

The Spinach and Cheese Filo Parcel was unique and tasted different. The raw flavours of spinach was subdued and the combination of spinach and cheese is tried and tested. However, a little bit more cheese would have done wonders.

Firecracker Prawns

Spinach & Cheese Filo Parcel

Pork Char Siu Bao

Lemon Spiked Chicken Tikka

Tofu & Mushroom Skewers

The Galouti Kebabs were excellent and served traditionally with the tawa paratha. The mincing was perfect and the flavours were mouth-watering. The Mushroom Galouti was a tad bit saltier than expected. The Mushroom & Tofu skewers are a must try if you love mushrooms. Soya sauce dominated the scene but the entire package was skewer licking good!

About the dim sums: The Crystal Dumplings can be missed but don’t miss out the Char Siu Bao. The formers covering was hard and that is not expected in dim sums. The Bao was a covered bao with a spicy pork filling which was delicious.

We were quite stuffed by this time and we did not try much from the main course. Meanwhile, we tried a mocktail called In the Summer Time which was very refreshing and acted as a palate cleanser. The flavours of Mango & Coconut with a creamy finish is something we can’t say no to ;)

Mushroom Galouti

Lamb Galouti

Pulled Pork Burger

Lastly, we tried their Pulled Pork Burger which was big, heavy and brilliantly done. Except for the cabbage and onions which were too long, the shredded pork tasted amazing with the cheddar.

We tried the Raspberry Cheese cake for dessert which had a twist. It was a normal cheese cake with Raspberry flavour but the bottom layer was made of coconut. We tried this combo for the first time and it certainly won’t be the last!

Now that’s our Biergarten experience for you.

Their brews are good but their starters are better! Do keep in mind that their quantity is a lot.

These guys are definitely worth visiting because of their unique concept and ultimately because of the quality food they serve.

Do let us know about your experience if you visit.

We’ll be back soon with something exciting ;)

Till then—stay tuned and bon apetit!

20:34
2 Comments

The Experience @ Salt-Indian Restaurant Bar & Grill | Koramangala| Bangalore

bangalore

Salt Rasmalai

We have come across some serious restaurant nomenclatures in our span of food & travel blogging and this time we will talk about a restaurant whose name is an ingredient which is fundamental to all food items.

Before that, let’s talk about the serious nomenclatures: some are ‘serious’ly funny whereas some are ‘serious’ly impressive & or amazing, while some are quite common and now comes the most important category: are you ‘serious’ly kidding me? We did not mention any examples specifically not to insult/praise the choices of the people behind. Do think about the names you know of and ponder/laugh out loud!

Now, enough with the fun and continuing from where we left off in the beginning: so the fundamental element in food is salt and the restaurant we were recently invited to is none other than Salt-Indian Restaurant Bar & Grill.

For people residing in Bangalore, everyone knows Forum mall and this is located inside it on the second level and overlooks the busy roads. Although it is located in a mall, it is very spacious with comfortable seating arrangements and serves rich, flavourful and sensational Indian food.

We received a warm welcome from Chef Bala who runs the show at Salt and after running similar shows in Taj Coromandel before and many other establishments all over the globe he decided to start one of his own. So, Salt is his brainchild and he sure takes care of it!

We did not try a lot of items here as all the items were heavy, well presented and absolutely mouth-watering. It’s high time we proceed with the food:

For drinks we tried the Bellini and a Salt Signature Cocktail called the Dilkush. The Bellini was standard with a hint of strawberry syrup but the Dilkush was something special. It is a Kulfi based vodka drink with Baileys Irish Cream and vanilla ice cream and it was a sweet and strong symphony. The creaminess, the sweetness and the kick of the vodka were all in sync and beautifully balanced. The Kulfi was the captain of the cocktail.

For the food, we started off with an Amuse Bouche which paved the way for spicier preparations.

Letting the starters loose: The Paneer 3 ways, Saffron Chicken Tikka, Pardha Jhinga Kebab, Galouti Kebab and a special Punjabi Chicken Tangri Kebab.

To be honest, one needs to try them to experience what they offer as there were no negatives in these. The Paneer 3 ways consisted of huge chunks of paneer marinated and prepared in 3 different ways on a tandoor of course. The 3 variants were the BBQ paneer, cilantro paneer and the Figs Stuffed Paneer Tikka. They have different spice levels and the flavours complemented well. The BBQ paneer had a tangy & spicy combination whereas the cilantro was all green with the freshness of coriander and herbs. The Fig Stuffed preparation was slightly on the sweeter and it was a balanced extravaganza!

The Saffron Chicken Tikka was super rich with huge chunks of boneless chicken. The chicken was very soft and juicy with a rich yellow colour. This has a lot of calories as the chicken is marinated with loads of cheese, spices, herbs and saffron. The taste is unparalleled.

Dilkush

Amuse Bouche@ Salt-Indian Restaurant Bar & Grill | Koramangala| Bangalore

Amuse Bouche: Olive spiced Paniyaram & Sabz Kurkure

Paneer 3 way

Saffron Chicken Tikka

The Pardha Jhinga Kebab was all about big prawns wrapped around a roomali and roasted to perfection. The sweetness of the prawns complemented well with the mustard present along the lining of the roomali.

The Galouti Kebab was worth the wait: The smoky & minced cakes of lamb were just heavenly and were presented in the traditional way on a saffron tawa paratha. It is definitely one of the best Galouti Kebabs in town.

The special Chicken Tangri was a chef recommendation from their special weekend Punjabi menu and was very different. The chicken legs were grilled to perfection like it should be but that was not all: it was stuffed with a mixture of ginger, minced chicken and nuts which added to the experience.

Now that’s all from the starters which receive a big thumbs up from our side: outstanding stuff!

We were quite full after this so we did not try much of the main course, so the Saffron Nuttie Pulao along with the Alleppey Scallops and the Prawn Curry was all that we had.

The Pulao had good colour, with caramelized onions and roasted nuts which added a good crunch to it. The Alleppey Scallops and the Prawns had the same method of preparation.

Pardha Jhinga Kebab

Galouti Kebab

Tangri Kebab

Saffron Nuttie Pulao

The essence of raw mango and curry leaves were predominant in both and the scallops and prawns were well done. The characteristic flavours of the two brought in minor differences in the dish but both were homely, flavourful and delicious! We also tried a Grilled Pomfret preparation which was as per expectations.

Their dessert items are also unique and we tried a few fusion concepts. We tried the Salt special Rasmalai, Jamoon Tiramisu and Salt’s Éclair and Chefs special Elaneer Payasam.

The Rasmalai had an amazing presentation. A scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of a submerged layer of Rasmalai was certainly unexpected. The Rasmalai was soft, spongy and the entire combination was spot on.

The Jamun Tiramisu was a fusion from Salt and was better than most we have come across. The Jamuns were soft and the consistency of the Tiramisu was perfect. Normally Tiramisus give off a feeling that they have been refrigerated, but not this one.

The éclairs were also delightful. They were soft with creamy cashew praline and again with a very appetizing presentation. The Elaneer Payasam was the lightest & simplest of them all apart from being delightful. It was a little sweeter than what we like but little can be managed!