Take 5, Bangalore - Review

Take 5
Phone: 65300645, 25217191
Address:  54, MSK Plaza, 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar , Bangalore
Landmark:  Above Coffee Day

A slight hint of New Orleans in Bangalore? Believe it or not but it's true at Take 5, located on 100ft road in Indira Nagar. It is tucked away behind a few trees on the second floor of MSK shopping plaza which also houses Cafe Coffee Day. If you are driving on 100ft road, make sure you don't blink because you will definitely miss it and that is something you don't want to do.

Take 5 had a few things going on that impressed me right off the bat. When you get off the elevator, you are greeted by a huge mural of a saxophone player. When you first look at that image, a specific type of music comes to mind, Jazz and where there is Jazz, I'm usually not that far behind. When you enter Take 5, the entire Jazz theme kicks  it up a notch with a huge image of my idol Miles Davis. This is the kind of lounge that you will find in New Orleans where you can chill out during Jazz Fest with a few drinks and awesome Cajun and creole cuisine. Unfortunately, Take 5 does not provide that kind of a cuisine but what it does provide is the same calm and soothing Jazz vibe. 

One thing I do want to make quite clear is that this is not a pub. This is not a place where you can chug a fountain of beer and holler away with the music. The ambiance is not like that nor are the people who visited the place when we went there. This is a classy, elegant and upscale lounge where you can relax to a few classic jazz hits along with some alcohol and a nice conversation or two. It's a perfect "first date" place because you can actually hear what the other person is saying. Ladies will also feel much more comfortable here unlike other pubs and supposed lounges.

There are two sections that you can choose from depending on your preference. The bar, where you can chill out with a beer on a bunch of bar stools or the actual lounge area if you are in the mood for some food to go with your choice of alcohol. We chose the latter and were directed towards what I believe to be the world's most comfiest sofas. If they had let us, we would have purchased these things for our home. It was that comfortable. The ambiance was the best I've seen among all places I've visited in Bangalore so far. Softly lit area enhanced by personal candles on each table. If you prefer some privacy, there are a few tables closer to the huge window overlooking 100ft road, which was more dimly lit than the area we were sitting at, closer to the bar. 

The alcohol selection at Take 5 is the best I've seen yet, especially the beer section. They have a vast selection of Belgian beers along with Becks, Corona and various other imported beer. They have your usuals as well but we decided to switch it up a bit and went with Becks. The imported beer is slightly expensive with Becks going for about 300 bucks a pint. The alcohol menu is pretty daunting to choose from with every possible drink your heart desires, from wine, whiskey, vodka and cocktails based on those two but if you are a self proclaimed beer  connoisseur like I am, you will be quite thrilled with their selection of imported beer. For all you non-alcoholics there is also a mocktails section with about 7-8 different mocktails. We chose one called Mango Bloom just to try it out and  it was amazing, to say the least. 

The food was simply divine. I had no idea that a dish called apple chicken existed but it does and if you don't order that as part of your appetizer when you come here, you would be making a terrible mistake. Sweet, tangy and juicy chicken drumsticks, the perfect accompaniment to an ice cold beer. We also ordered bacon wrapped prawns which came with chilli sauce and was out of this world as well. The food selection is pretty good, with your starters, steak, pasta, salad and the like. In a drunken stupor we ordered a Cobb salad thinking that we would be eating something healthy but that wasn't the case. The salad came in a big bowl of chicken, bacon bits, slight hint of veggies and one hard boiled egg cut into slices. It is highly recommended, at least for me. We finished it off with Mississippi Mud Pie, part of a 5 items dessert menu. It was heavenly. We were happy with every single dish we ordered and that usually doesn't happen for a picky eater like me. 

The service was quite good. The person serving us was amazingly pleasant with always a smile on his face. The food was well presented with beautifully carved vegetables to highlight the plate. It took a little longer than normal to arrive but didn't feel like it because of the awesome ambiance. 

Even though it is on the expensive side, you come to Take 5 for the awesome Jazz music and stay for the ambiance and that apple chicken. This is the best place I've visited in Bangalore, so far, and it will be quite difficult to overtake it. A perfect combination of three things I simply love, Jazz, Beer and Food.

Items ordered -

Drinks - Becks (4 pints) & Mango Bloom Mocktail
Starters - Apple Chicken & Bacon Wrapped Prawns
Main Course - Cobb Salad
Dessert - Mississippi Mud Pie

Total Cost - 2300

Restaurant Review: Laajawaab, Indira Nagar, Bangalore

Laajawaab
Krishvi Aspire, No 516, 1st Floor, C M H Road, Indiranagar, Opposite To ICICI Bank, Bangalore, 560038
Phone:
+91-80-42173232, +91-80-42183232

We decided to check out  Laajawaab because we were yearning for some good butter chicken and an assortment of indian breads. Burgers, pastas and sandwiches are all well and good but nothing beats a hot roomali roti and chicken cooked in Indian spices and curries. Thanks to Zomato's gift vouchers for the write for a bite contest, we finally got the opportunity to satisfy our need for some good Indian food.

Laajawaab is a fine dining restaurant. You will figure that out pretty much as soon as you step foot inside. I felt a little under-dressed when I entered and noticed the seating and  decor. We went there for a Sunday lunch and the restaurant was bright and full of life with people munching away while conversing and  couple of cute kids running around. The interiors were tastefully furnished with comfortable sofas and glass tables with beautiful curtains adorning the window overlooking the main road. The ambiance is exactly what you expect from a fine dining restaurant, classy with a touch of elegance thrown in.

The design of the menu was more interesting than the food offered at Laajawaab, but that is to be expected. It offers all your typical veg and non-veg main course and curries that a usual restaurant with an Indian cuisine offers. To somewhat deviate from the norm, we started off with the a couple of salads off the menu, spicy murgh chaat and spicy aloo chaat. I don't know if our appetite was affected by the lack of spicy Indian food, but we found both salads to be way too salty and spicy. I guess we should have taken the name quite literally. Unless you are having this with a cold beer off an extensive alcohol menu that Laajawaab offers, I wouldn't recommend either of these dishes. We had to cool down our senses a bit. So we opted for the piña colada from the mocktail menu, which was perfect for our stomachs at that moment. Beautifully put together with the most important fact being that it was cold.

Spicy Aloo Chaat
For the main course, we ordered the Murgh Lababdar along with an order of butter naan and two orders of roomali roti. The butter naan was crisp and buttery while the roomali roti was soft and flakey. One order of butter naan comes with 3 pieces of naan and one order of roomali roti has 2 pieces of roti. The roti was too good for me to just stop with one order, especially with the beautiful and creamy tomato gravy on the side.  So I had to go for seconds. The chicken, as I mentioned, was very good and was a perfect accompaniment to the rotis. For dessert, I really wanted to try the famous paan flavored ice-cream but, unfortunately, they were out of it. So we opted for the typical Indian dessert, the rasamalai. It was a good finisher for our meal, although a bit on the sweeter side.

We didn't find the portions to be less than what we usually get at places like this. The salads and the chicken dish was perfect for two people. In fact we were unable to finish the chicken because it was rich and filling. The price was average and what you can expect at fine dining restaurants like Laajawaab, not too expensive or cheap.

The service was pretty good. Very pleasant wait staff and they recommended a few dishes for us to try as well. The one thing we could do without is the constant serving of the food. I understand that usually happens in restaurants like this but I can move my hand a couple of inches for the second serving of the chicken. At one point, I actually thought they were going to physically feed us. It interrupted the flow of our conversation and was slightly annoying.

Overall, Laajawaab is a solid fine dining establishment. Although nothing really stood out for us and the food was average, it is a decent option if you are entertaining a few guests or for that lazy Sunday afternoon lunch where you just don't feel like cooking at home.

Items ordered -

Salads - Spicy Aloo Chaat and Spicy Murgh Chaat
Mocktail - Piña Colada
Main Course - Murgh Lababdar, 1 order of Butter Naan and 2 orders of Roomali Roti
Dessert - Rasamalai

Total cost - 930

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy!"

Let's talk about beer, shall we? Why? Because they are so damn good, that's why! Unfortunately, living in India does not give us access to the wide range and varieties of beers available to people living in other parts of the world, such as the US and Europe. But, we have to make do with what we have and we do it quite well. A day will come when regional microbreweries become the norm in India and we will all be quite thankful for that. Let's move on to dissecting this wondrous sweet nectar known as beer.

What is beer and how is it made and how do I get into my tummy?

Whoa! Easy there kiddies. Let's tackle the beer making process first, before anything else. Beer is made of 4 main ingredients, water, hops and malted barley with yeast used for fermentation. That's it, only four. Can you believe it? Only 4! In Germany, the law requires that only these 4 ingredients should be used in the process of making beer. I love Germany. There are substitutes for barley, such as rice or corn that is used in the US, but for the most part barley is the main ingredient. Alright, on to the beer-making process!

The intitial process is called malting. The barley is harvested and converted into malt by steeping the dry grain in cool water for five to nine days. This process tricks the seeds into germinating and produces the sugar-producing enzymes required for the fermentation process. Once the barley is reached the desired sugar levels, it is then dried out. During the malting period, the beer gets it's color, flavor and it's body. Hence, this is an important step in the entire process.

The next step is the "mashing". The ground barley malt is soaked in hot water, which produces a liquid called wort. The hops* are then added to the liquid which provides the bitterness and the aroma from their natural oils to the liquid. This mixture is boiled for 1-2 hours, which allows the hops to flavor the brew. The adding of hops occurs at various intervals. Adding hops early in the boiling process gives the beer it's bitterness, while adding them late gives it the flavor and aroma.

ADD Special: Hops - Cone-shaped female flowers of the vine Humulus lupulus.

Image courtesy of whatnomints.wordpress.com
The fermentation process comes next. This is when the actual alcohol is produced. The cooled down wort is transferred into a fermentation vessel. This vessel is specifically designed to let the air out of the vessel without letting any air inside. Yeast is added to the liquid, which soaks in the sugar and in turn producing alcohol and carbon dioxide. This process can vary depending on which kind of beer you are trying to produce. In the case of ales, it lasts for a few days, whereas in the case of lagers, it takes upto several weeks. The beer is then transferred into storage vats for conditioning, which removes unwanted flavor and develops natural carbonation.

There are various steps along the way that is added or subtracted producing varieties of beer but this is the absolute, basic method for beer-making. As it is beer day here at FWTSC, there will be a second part to this post which will include the classifications of beer and recipes for some awesome dishes which include beer! Stay tuned for that.

Image courtesy of abcnews.com

AtoZ of Cooking: Part 3

Apologies for not posting the third and final part of the series. Long holiday weekend in India and I lost track of time.

Alright, here we go...

Image courtesy of stock.xchng

Unsaturated fats - A categorization of fats which are normally liquid at room temperature. There are two classifications of unsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats is derived from plants and can be found in olives, avocados and cooking oils such as olive oil, peanut oil and canola oil. The other is polyunsaturated fats, which can be found in grains and seeds such as corn, soybeans, safflower and as well as from fish. Unsaturated fats as a whole helps in reducing the levels of LDL cholesterol and maintain HDL cholesterol(the good cholesterol), although too much consumption of polyunsaturated fats may reduce levels of HDL cholesterol.

Viticulture - The art and science of growing grapes used to make wines. Among the factors considered as part of viticulture include soil, topography(sunlight and drainage) and microclimate (temperature and rainfall).

Whetstone - A flat brick of synthetic abrasives that is used to sharpen and hone a dull blade.

X - I don't know many culinary terms which starts with an X. If you do, please let me know!

Yeast - Microscopic fungi whose metabolic process are responsible for fermentation. They are used for leavening bread and in cheese, beer and wine making.

Zest - The colored outer portion of a citrus fruit, the skin, which is usually very lightly grated and used to provide flavor and aroma to dishes.

Image courtesy of stock.xchng

As I mentioned on twitter (@Nasher15), busy day today at FWTSC. I have a post coming up in the afternoon about everyone's favorite beverage, beer! Also a few more things planned, so stay tuned!

AtoZ of Cooking: Part 2

Image coursey of stock.xchng

Here it is! The most anticipated second part of the popular cooking series, AtoZ of Cooking! On second thought, maybe not.

And, by the way, Happy Friday everyone! The best day of the week, by far! It is certainly my most anticipated day of the week.

Alright, without further ado, here is the second part!

Kneading - Kneading is a process of working the dough to mix the ingredients, especially if you are using any sort of a liquid, and to develop the gluten in the flour. It expands the gliadin and glutenin proteins in the flour to form gluten, which gives all baked products it's texture.

Leavener - Leavener is an ingredient or process that produces or incorporates gases in a baked product in order to increase the volume, provide structure and give it texture. There are two types of leaveners, chemical and natural. Chemical leaveners include yeast, baking powder, baking soda and baking ammonia. Natural leaveners are steam and air.

Mirepoix - One of the common used terms by chefs, it is a mixture of chopped onions, carrots and celery to flavor various food items such as stocks, stews and liquid base for a sauce. The general mixture of mirepoix consists of 50% onions, 25% carrots, and 25% celery. It is pronounced meer-pwa.

Nappe - The consistency of a liquid, usually a sauce, that coats the back of the spoon.

Image courtesy of finecooking.com

Oignon piqué - A French term for "pricked onion". A bayleaf and clove punctured into a peeled onion and dropped into a liquid base. It is used to flavor the liquid for sauces and soups.

Parchment paper - It is a heat-resistant paper used throughout the kitchen for tasks such as lining baking pans. It is mainly used as a disposable non-stick surface.

Quality grades - A guide to the eating qualities of meat such as tenderness, juiciness and flavor based on an animal's age and the meat's color and texture.

Reduction - The process of cooking a liquid until the quantity decreases and forms a saucy consistency. Reducing a liquid by one-half means that one-half of the liquid still remains. To reduce by three-fourths means that only one-fourth of the original amount remains. Reducing by au sec means the liquid is cooked until nearly dry.

Sear - Searing is the cooking method to brown food quickly over very high heat. Searing is usually done to caramelize the meat, and to give it a nice brown crust which acts as a great contrast between the exterior and the soft interior of a meat.

Tempering - A process for melting chocolate during which the temperature of the cocoa butter is carefully stabilized. This gives the chocolate a smooth and glossy look.

Image courtesy of rebeccashapiroart.com

There you have it. The second part of the AtoZ of Cooking series. Hopefully you learned some cool terms to help you around the kitchen. The final part of this series will be posted tomorrow. It's Friday! So, go out and have a ball!