Bob's Dhaba, Jeevan Bhima Nagar, #Bangalore #KickassFood

A colleague happened to stumble upon this tiny hole in one of the by lanes of Jeevan Bhima Nagar in Indiranagar, Bangalore. Address: 494, Star Manor, 8th Cross, Jeevan Bhima Nagar, Bangalore. What a discovery! Bob's dhaba is simple, clean, inexpensive and is thronged by hoardes of office-goers like me during lunch time. So, if you want to cut the queue, you can be as smart as me! I went there at 12.00 noon! The picture of the empty dhaba is a proof of my success story! :) Delicious food, healthy, tasty and home-cooked! Garam garam chapatis served straight from the tava onto your plates! Now that feels like home! I must mention the presence of the transistor that adds to the feel of eating in a dhaba. With old Hindi songs like Raja Hindustani playing in the background, it immediately transforms you to a highway kind of a place where you can eat rajma chawal, roti and onions with green chillies. The wall was even decorated with the Zomato certificate, which happily surprised me! I felt victorious as we paid the bill and walked out, only to see a wave of office-goers on their way to Bob's! My suggestion: A must try for those who love North Indian, home cooked food and want to go easy on the pocket. The only thought that I was left with, was Who is Bob? Yeh Bob kaun hai?

Give me Mo!

I hail from Mumbai, a place that thrives on street food of all kinds - from chaat to pani puri, to Chinese Haaka noodles to pav bhaji to kulfi to the ever popular roadside chutney sandwich.
I can never forget the numerous times we have strolled out at midnight in Mumbai, just to satisfy some kulfi cravings.

Compared to Mumbai, Bangalore doesn't even qualify to contend or even come marginally close when it comes to street food; despite sticking the name 'Bombay' to all their street stall names.

But the one that broke this myth, rather- this reality, is this particular Momo stall in Koramangala. This stall deserves to be blogged about because this is the best place to have Momos in the entire city.

I am not a big 'Momo' eater and usually opt for a sandwich or a roll. But one day, I just decided to give it a go, on impulse. My already big eyes just grew two-fold in size as I bit into the first piece of this paper-thin, piping hot, soft, steamed Momo with cabbage, carrot and onion stuffing that melted immediately in my mouth and even before I could open my mouth to say 'Wowwww', I was hissing because of the sudden taste of the spicy, red chutney that he generously 'dolloped' on my plate.

When I complimented the guy who was selling the Momos, he said that in all of Bangalore, you will never find such thin Momos as they are so difficult to make as they break. And I realized it was true. Most of the Momos I have had in the past have a thick outer wrapping and have very less stuffing. So you end up eating a lof of 'maida'. Its the other way around at 'Darjeeling Stall', as he calls it.

 This stall and a big crowd, both magically appear at 6.00 pm sharp, everyday at Koramangala 4th block, 80 feet road, near Sony World Signal, opposite Hot Chips, and if you're not the first one to order Momos, then you have to wait, which feels like decades, especially if you have to stand and watch them gobble up Momos!

A lot of youngsters, single guys are spotted here, devouring steaming hot Momos, and then getting some more packed for a second helping at home. The Momos are extremely filling and usually I am full with half a plate of veg Momos. But times when I feel 'piggy', I opt for the full plate, after which, I skip dinner.

A full plate of veg Momos cost Rs 40 and the chicken Momos cost Rs. 50.
Address:  Koramangala 4th block, 80 feet road, near Sony World Signal, opposite Hot Chips.
Average Rating:
Food: 5 star

Ice & Spice and everything nice!

If you're young and you're in Bangalore, and you haven't been to Ice & Spice Truffles, then you've definitely missed out a lot in life.  Find me a local teenager who doesn't love Ice & Spice Truffles and I will give up my favourite pair of shoes. Now you  know I'm talking serious!

Nestled away in the by-lanes of Bangalore, is this chain with 3 outlets in various parts of Bangalore- 

One in Sanjay Nagar, the second in Koramangala and the third one on MG Road.

The Sanjay Nagar outlet is like a small rabbit hole with mostly outdoor seating and doodle walls. It feels like the perfect collegian hangout.

Contrastingly, the one in Koramangala looks sophasticated with clean white walls, pink bougainvillaea and blue windows as decor, which is quite a stark deviation from the previous outlet, although it caters to the same kind of audience. 

I am yet to visit the outlet on MG Road. 

Talking about the menu, if you're in the mood for some comfort food, then this is the place for you. Yummy burgers, sub sandwiches, pastas, smoothies, cold frappes, and a never ending list of desserts for you to devour await you at Ice & Spice Truffles. 

The last time I frequented this place, I had a veg club sandwich (see picture), which was a perfect portion, but was slightly sloppy and a tad bit sweet for my liking; but it came with some fresh coleslaw and chips and I wolfed it down in no time. 

But my all time favourite dish is the veg sub with Jalapenos, Feta and Salsa with chips (see picture).  I am a big feta cheese lover and unlike most restaurants, they are quite liberal with the Feta. They definitely have one happy customer!

Coming to their speciality which is desserts, let me tell you that I love their desserts so much, that I can close my eyes; point a finger on any dessert on the menu, and its guaranteed to be a winner! But the one that steals the show is the Blueberry Cheesecake! You can jolly well throw your diet plans out of the window.

I have been to the restaurant for the third time, and I don't remember paying more than 700 Rs for 3 people, so now my wallet is happy too! 

Ice & Spice is perpetually crowded, both inside and outside. But then again, its a sure sign that the food is really worth the wait!

I wouldn't rate this melange of a cafe and a restaurant as outstanding, but its definitely one of the places where I would like to go on a lazy Sunday, that is, if I can beat the queue!

Outlet addresses: 

Koramangala: 28, 4th 'B' Cross, 5th Block, Koramangala, Bangalore. 

Tel: 080 41466565, 080 41536565

Sanjay Nagar, 80 Feet Road, RMV 2nd Stage, Sanjay Nagar, Bangalore.

Tel: 080 23410222, +91 9611198000

MG Road: 22, St. Marks Road, MG Road Area, Bangalore.

Tel: 080 41121160, 080 32507859

Average Rating:

Food:          3 stars

Ambience: 3 stars

Service:      3 stars

100 feet under

We had friends from Mumbai visit us on a weekend and we wanted to take them out to a really nice place for lunch. I had been to the 100 feet restaurant on 100 feet road, Indiranagar before for a client meeting, but did not have anything to eat as the conversation was for precisely 10 minutes, and despite it being lunch time, I had to use common sense not to order. "Never mind. Next time", I said.

 The next time happened this time, when we decided to take our friends there for lunch. I was sure of the ambience. I wasn't sure of the food! Well, you never try, you never know!

 When we reached the restaurant, we ordered a mocktail, and a Gin 'n Tonic to begin with, before ordering the main course. It took them more than 45 minutes to get it!!! Wonder if they sent their staff to the market to buy it! Thankfully, we were not so hungry and we skipped the starters, which would have taken forever to start (pun intended).

They had a Greek Food Festival running there- which wasn't particularly Greeky! Never mind.

 We ordered a Margarita pizza,a Greek Salad, a fish dish and another dish between the four of us. Needless to say, it took them a decade to bring the food from their kitchen to the table. I could have flown to Mumbai in that time! We waited more and ate less, simple because by then our appetite had died and the food wasn't worth the price.

 Oh! Did I mention how unreasonable expensive it was- considering that they even got the CHEESE on the Margarita wrong!!! We paid almost around 500rs for a plain cheese pizza, in which, there were precisely two tiny pieces of tomato!

 I won't complain about the Greek Salad. It was nice, but again, having just a few pieces of veggies and bits of lettuce for around 500 rs, topped with pathetic service doesn't do justice and makes you feel like you've just been robbed.

 We had looked up the menu online, and no prices are mentioned either on Zomato or on their website. For that matter, I feel like throwing a 'tomato' at 'Zomato' for giving it a good review!

 This place needs to dig a pit 100 feet deep and build a restaurant there, as thats where its place is. The phrase, 'Never judge a book by it's cover' holds true for this place.

 Tell you what, the worse part is, I'm not sure if even the Gin was what it should have been, considering that I didn't even feel marginally happy after having it and Jin doesn't like it if the Gin ain't up to its mark :P

Smoked Out BBQ

Last weekend, we walked into the much talked about restaurant called 'Smoked Out BBQ' in Koramangala, Bangalore, which is a stone's throw away from our home. It's a 'kutty' little place with barely four tables, but it does leave a big impression!

What impressed me was the simplicity. Just a few BBQ grills in the kitchen and a one-side page menu card on a writing pad is what they have to make it simple.

I had ordered a veg burger with their special BBQ sauce, which came with one onion, two cucumbers, half a slice of tomato and a few diced veggies in the sauce. I expected a burger, at the least. Big disappointment. Fortunately, I wasn't very hungry, else I would have been very very upset.
But the music was a consolation and made up for it.

Sid, on the other hand, had a non- veggie burger and he was very happy with it. I remember him being absolutely thrilled with the ginger lemonade.

The ambience is very nice. The music is great. Its one of those small restaurants just outside your house, where when you don't feel like cooking, you can just step in for a light, casual meal.

Review of Cafe Boca Grande, Bangalore

At 6.30 am on a beautiful October Sunday morning, when the sky was overcast and the wind was gusty, Sid and I shook off some sleep and hopped on to our cycles for an early morning ride to Cubbon Park. We couldn't have chosen a better day. We returned at about 8ish- finished and famished!

But to expect a nice breakfast place to be open at such wee hours on Sunday is like asking for the moon! Bangalore is lazy on Sundays.

So here's what we did- we actually came home and googled for breakfast places. Had we not found a place, I would have eaten up my precious crockery (joking!).

Enter picture- Cafe Boca Grande.

Google says this place opens at 8.30 am on weekends. So we zipped across to 8th Block, Koramangala, near Bethany High School, all set to devour some English breakfast.

Here are some reactions from me:

First glimpse of the logo- scowl (The designer in me lets out a cry!)

The outside space- "Lucky guy! Sww-eeeeeeetttt" (followed by a whistle).

 As you walk in- Shrug- "It's empty!"

 As I see the posters- "Baaaaddd!! baddddd copywriter. The posters don't make sense!"

 The buffet spread- "Yaa ba da ba dooo! Attttacccckkkkk!!!"

When I actually eat- "Really? Is this the big deal?"

So here's what you get-
The Sunday English breakfast, which is priced at Rs 299, was really averagely, mediocre. I could bet on my beloved macbook that the croissant was definitely 3 days old, as it was this close to going stale. The live omlette counter was a disappointment too-it reminded me of the experience of buying a Subway sandwich in India- where you have to keep asking the staff to 'add more olives, please'. The waffles were offered cold and had to be asked to be heated before being served. The juice was concentrate (Oh! Was it a crime to expect fresh fruit juice?). The only good this was the ready bottled maple syrup. I thought to myself," How wrong can you go with filter coffee?" and lo! The coffee didn't go well with me either and left me with a funny tummy. Luckily, we didn't break our backs, which was quite possible, thanks to the uncomfortable seats.

 To top it all, what added to the disappointment was the sight of the opposite table with plates full of food, wasted. It annoys me to see people waste food, when half our country is starving! And it's a shame that parents do this. I can't expect much from the kids then!

Besides, only Enrique songs gets to be the lucky one a to bug you early in the morning with his songs playing in the background.

We still polished off every speck of food on the plate because we were really famished after the cycle ride, but ask me if I would go there voluntarily, and you will hear me say, "Beda saar!"              

(Credits for pictures: Courtesy- Internet and the Boca website).

Cafe Thulp: Restaurant review

Cafe Thulp is a popular hangout not only for college-going teens, but also for young adults with/ wo kids. The bright red colour signage catches your eye instantly. If you walk in, you will find large, chunky tables around, a book rack hosting some comic books, an Enid Blyton collection, board games, etc. The cafe has a comic- book style look, which is very impressive, unique and fun. Somehow, the weird doodle of a pair of eyes and a big nose painted on the wall, is quite amusing too! (See photograph).

While the menu is interesting and the food is to die for, the names of the dishes are devilishly crafted. The menu card serves is definitely an entertainer.  

The only disappointment is the menu card design, which is so cluttered and busy, that you have to struggle to read the description of the food. I almost asked for a Saridon, since I started to believe that I was getting a headache. Finally, I gave up and ordered for something that was marked 'vegetaraian'. Unfortunately, I cannot remember reading the name, but I devoured the food like I've not eaten in ten days! Absolutely delectable. If I remember right, it was mozzarella cheese/ sour cream with aubergine cooked in red sauce with spagetti served with garlic bread, mashed potato and salad.

Here are some pictures I took of the menu card and the food that I ordered, absolutely delicious, mouthwatering and heavenly. I for sure, am definitely going again!

Here are some more pictures I borrowed from the internet as it was too dark to click a picture when I visited (Credits to photographers, I hope you don't mind).

Here are maps for location details from their jarring red website:

Chai Patty Teafe

Sid and I were in Indiranagar (Bangalore) and were hungry (as usual. Boy! This does make us sound like gluttons right?) We randomly stopped by for some chai only to say," Hey wait! this looks pretty cool!" There were yellow walls (my favourite), cane furniture, low seating, an easel (I'm impressed), and lots of accessories and toys which looked 'very Delhi'. Then we realized that these items were created by a brand called 'The Colour Caravan' and they were on sale. I remember seeing those items at 'Delhi Haat'. Anyway,we got egg omlettes with flax seed wheat bread, chai in a 'kullad'(50 bucks!), and milkshake in a tradition Indian milk bottle. It was so old school :) But the Gujju in me laughed at the sight of 'Chai and Snakes' image that was painted on the wall!

Britannia!

Tucked away in a the lanes of Ballard Estate, this Iranian restaurant is throbbed by loyal customers who relish the signature dish here - the berry pulao!
I had heard a lot about this place, but being a vegetarian, I thought it wasn't for me. But one day, I went there just out of curiosity. Just to see what it was all about! And believe me, while my friends were enjoying their meal, I was more intrigued by the charm of the place than the food and was busy clicking pictures and absorbing the atmosphere. The wooden staircase, the red, checkered table cloth, the typical wooden chairs that one would find in an Iranian cafe, just gave it that homely old-school look that is so different from the cliched modern restaurants which have an urban air around them!
I found the place very local and immediately felt at home, since the owner, Boman Kohinoor, came and spoke to us, wished us a Happy New 2011 and took our order. He is probably the most photographed gentleman around there! I saw him showing postcards and pictures of Queen Elizabeth to some foreigners at the next table. We went there during lunch-time and the place was packed with foreigners and office goers. I ordered an egg berry pulao, some bread and some yummilicious custard. By the end of it, neither of us could get up! :)
My favourite thing about the place was that it seems so non-commercialized. Kecko, the cat, was snoring away at the cash counter after eating a lot of fish and refused to get up. We tried to wake him up, but he was probably blissfully chasing a mouse in his sleep!
Overall, a must visit for all non- vegetarian food lovers!

Hokie - pokie

With so many ice- cream parlours in town, the ice-cream brands really have to work hard with constant innovation and availability of choice.

Gelato was a big hit when it first came- they had some 15 odd flavours, which soon became passe, coz they didn't keep up with it.

Next came Naturals, which was awesome- Natural ice- cream! Wow!! People went mad!

But even after a year (or two) they still have the same ice- creams they had before, without many noticeable additions. I've had most of the ice creams from Natural's- right from tender coconut to the melon to the lemon.

People want something new every time you go to a place! So it was one of those days when I just wanted to have an ice-cream! Must have. None of these places tempted me so I decided to go to Hokey Pokey to have something 'different'. I've been there before, but not enough to have eaten every ice-cream available there...ummm which one should I have? Manic Monkey? Monkey Business? Cookie Dough? I finally settled for the Apple crumble pie ice-cream, coz I thought, Apple pie? In an ice-cream? Strange. Sure enough, they mixed some 'French Vanilla' with roasted almonds, chocolate cookie and some form of apple (that goes into the pie). Was awesome!

What's more, it tasted nicer with a waffle cane with chocolate edges on the inside! I think this might just be my new ice-cream parlour of the month- till I get fed up of it!