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
Showing posts with label Restaurant Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Restaurant Reviews. Show all posts
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
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
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.
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
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Zomato's Write for a Bite Contest
I've apparently won this week's contest for my review of Purple Haze in Koramangala, which you can find in it's entirety down below.
Zomato is an awesome restaurant discovery service based in India. The greatest thing about Zomato, for me, is the fact that they have menus of a ton of restaurants located in the metros. It is really helpful if you are looking for the price or the type of cuisine a restaurant offers. They also have an iPhone app(Blackberry and Android as well) which has come in handy numerous times for me when I'm figuring out what kind of a cuisine I'm in the mood for and looking for restaurants around my neighborhood. They are also on twitter @Zomato.
Obviously they also have reviews from users like myself and they have this contest every week in which they select the best reviews of the previous week and award them with gift vouchers to various restaurants.
Check them out and write reviews of restaurants you've visited. Maybe you'll even win a gift voucher like I did. Free food never hurts!
Zomato is an awesome restaurant discovery service based in India. The greatest thing about Zomato, for me, is the fact that they have menus of a ton of restaurants located in the metros. It is really helpful if you are looking for the price or the type of cuisine a restaurant offers. They also have an iPhone app(Blackberry and Android as well) which has come in handy numerous times for me when I'm figuring out what kind of a cuisine I'm in the mood for and looking for restaurants around my neighborhood. They are also on twitter @Zomato.
Obviously they also have reviews from users like myself and they have this contest every week in which they select the best reviews of the previous week and award them with gift vouchers to various restaurants.
Check them out and write reviews of restaurants you've visited. Maybe you'll even win a gift voucher like I did. Free food never hurts!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Review: Purple Haze, Koramangala, Bangalore
Purple Haze
No.65, Jyothi Nivas College Rd, 5th Blk, Koramangala , Bangalore
Landmark: Opposite Udupi Krishna Bhavan
Phone: 41104747
How do you celebrate international beer day? By getting sloshed on beer at purple haze, of course. We decided to celebrate this wonderful occasion by checking out a place we've heard a lot about. We had an unusually difficult time locating this place and were driving around for a good 15 minutes while circling the same roads twice. Patience is definitely not our virtue, especially when it comes to beer. Beer, NOW! We finally located purple haze in what looked liked a narrow alleyway and once that was done, good times were had by all.
I wouldn't recommend driving to this place in a car because there is no possible way of parking in a narrow street. We had a difficult time parking our bike as it is. From the outside, purple haze looked like a trendier version of your local watering hole with it's lighting and the host standing outside welcoming people. It had a much better opening act than my other favorite pub, Jimi's. Once you enter inside, the trendiness kicks it up a notch. We entered the non smoking section on the ground floor accidentally and sat there for about 5 minutes before we realized that the smoking section is on the first floor of the pub. The signs clearly state that on the outside but as I said, no patience until we get that first pint of beer.
The smoking section was humongous, compared to the smoking section of Jimis but be forewarned, the place fills up quickly. We went there around 7 and only couple of tables were taken but within half hour, the place was full capacity. So if you are planning to come here after 7, be prepared to wait it out. The seating was quite intimate, to say the least. If you turn the wrong way, you'll probably hit someone in the face and that's not a good thing when dealing with drunks. The seats were kinda hard and after an hour or so, it can get quite uncomfortable. I recommend moving to a table for 4 where you can enjoy comfy couches instead of the wooden chairs.
The ambiance was terrific. This is a hard rock/heavy metal pub at it's core and the decor further proves it with posters of Hendrix, Nirvana, Floyd and Morrison adorning the place. The music progressively got louder through out the night with Lamb of God playing at full volume at it's peak. You think you know loud music but you actually don't until you hear Lamb of God and SOAD at full volume with people head banging away and creating a ruckus. It was an amazing experience punctuated by the entire bar singing Metallica's enter sandman in its entirety. I'm usually pretty laid back and chilled out but even I had to join in during chorus. You'll definitely enjoy the people and the ambiance of this place if you enjoy hard rock and metal.
The food. You don't come here for food, period, at least not for the main coursey type. You have a variety of starters from chicken tikka to hariyali kebabs and chilli fish along with sandwiches and burgers. We opted for those three starters along with peanut masala as our starters. The food was unusually good. I was expecting typical pub food but it felt like we were having food from a good restaurant. The quantity was decent, one starter can be shared by two, but the price was a tad on the expensive side. The quantity and quality was top notch so you can look past the cost of it all.
Purple haze also has a vast alcohol selection. Whatever you want, it's here, from Jack Daniels to an assortment of wine. They have a pretty good selection of beer as well; your usuals Kingfisher, Fosters to Heineken and Corona. That was a major positive for me. When I saw Heineken, I practically shrieked like a little girl. Major kudos on the selection of alcohol. Happy hours are on Monday through Thursday from 12:30 to 7:30. You get 25% off on all alcoholic drinks. Unfortunately we came here on a Friday which put a damper on things.
The service was amazing. A very pleasant, courteous and quick staff. Even with drunks like us hooting and hollering away, they were patient while taking orders and made sure to check up on us at frequent intervals. One quick note on service. It was pouring outside, a torrential downpour and we were pretty drenched before we entered the bar. Once we started hitting the beers, we didn't notice a small pool of water surrounding our table. The staff noticed it, even with the dimly lit room and cleaned it up immediately. Little things like this matter and that's why they get high marks in this category.
Purple haze is a safe haven for alcoholics. From great ambiance, awesome staff, amazing starters and a ridiculously vast alcohol selection. I don't usually give out 5 stars to any place unless it impresses our socks off and purple haze deserves that more than any other place we've visited. I think purple haze has become our new favorite watering hole.
Items ordered :
Alcohol - 2 pitchers of beer and 3 large shots of royal stag whiskey with sprite
Starters - Chicken Tikka, Chilli Fish and Peanut Masala
Total cost - 2150
No.65, Jyothi Nivas College Rd, 5th Blk, Koramangala , Bangalore
Landmark: Opposite Udupi Krishna Bhavan
Phone: 41104747
How do you celebrate international beer day? By getting sloshed on beer at purple haze, of course. We decided to celebrate this wonderful occasion by checking out a place we've heard a lot about. We had an unusually difficult time locating this place and were driving around for a good 15 minutes while circling the same roads twice. Patience is definitely not our virtue, especially when it comes to beer. Beer, NOW! We finally located purple haze in what looked liked a narrow alleyway and once that was done, good times were had by all.
I wouldn't recommend driving to this place in a car because there is no possible way of parking in a narrow street. We had a difficult time parking our bike as it is. From the outside, purple haze looked like a trendier version of your local watering hole with it's lighting and the host standing outside welcoming people. It had a much better opening act than my other favorite pub, Jimi's. Once you enter inside, the trendiness kicks it up a notch. We entered the non smoking section on the ground floor accidentally and sat there for about 5 minutes before we realized that the smoking section is on the first floor of the pub. The signs clearly state that on the outside but as I said, no patience until we get that first pint of beer.
The smoking section was humongous, compared to the smoking section of Jimis but be forewarned, the place fills up quickly. We went there around 7 and only couple of tables were taken but within half hour, the place was full capacity. So if you are planning to come here after 7, be prepared to wait it out. The seating was quite intimate, to say the least. If you turn the wrong way, you'll probably hit someone in the face and that's not a good thing when dealing with drunks. The seats were kinda hard and after an hour or so, it can get quite uncomfortable. I recommend moving to a table for 4 where you can enjoy comfy couches instead of the wooden chairs.
The ambiance was terrific. This is a hard rock/heavy metal pub at it's core and the decor further proves it with posters of Hendrix, Nirvana, Floyd and Morrison adorning the place. The music progressively got louder through out the night with Lamb of God playing at full volume at it's peak. You think you know loud music but you actually don't until you hear Lamb of God and SOAD at full volume with people head banging away and creating a ruckus. It was an amazing experience punctuated by the entire bar singing Metallica's enter sandman in its entirety. I'm usually pretty laid back and chilled out but even I had to join in during chorus. You'll definitely enjoy the people and the ambiance of this place if you enjoy hard rock and metal.
The food. You don't come here for food, period, at least not for the main coursey type. You have a variety of starters from chicken tikka to hariyali kebabs and chilli fish along with sandwiches and burgers. We opted for those three starters along with peanut masala as our starters. The food was unusually good. I was expecting typical pub food but it felt like we were having food from a good restaurant. The quantity was decent, one starter can be shared by two, but the price was a tad on the expensive side. The quantity and quality was top notch so you can look past the cost of it all.
Purple haze also has a vast alcohol selection. Whatever you want, it's here, from Jack Daniels to an assortment of wine. They have a pretty good selection of beer as well; your usuals Kingfisher, Fosters to Heineken and Corona. That was a major positive for me. When I saw Heineken, I practically shrieked like a little girl. Major kudos on the selection of alcohol. Happy hours are on Monday through Thursday from 12:30 to 7:30. You get 25% off on all alcoholic drinks. Unfortunately we came here on a Friday which put a damper on things.
The service was amazing. A very pleasant, courteous and quick staff. Even with drunks like us hooting and hollering away, they were patient while taking orders and made sure to check up on us at frequent intervals. One quick note on service. It was pouring outside, a torrential downpour and we were pretty drenched before we entered the bar. Once we started hitting the beers, we didn't notice a small pool of water surrounding our table. The staff noticed it, even with the dimly lit room and cleaned it up immediately. Little things like this matter and that's why they get high marks in this category.
Purple haze is a safe haven for alcoholics. From great ambiance, awesome staff, amazing starters and a ridiculously vast alcohol selection. I don't usually give out 5 stars to any place unless it impresses our socks off and purple haze deserves that more than any other place we've visited. I think purple haze has become our new favorite watering hole.
Items ordered :
Alcohol - 2 pitchers of beer and 3 large shots of royal stag whiskey with sprite
Starters - Chicken Tikka, Chilli Fish and Peanut Masala
Total cost - 2150
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Review: Jimi's Beer Cafe, Koramangala, Bangalore
Jimi's Beer Cafe
Qwiky's Coffee Building, #467, 80ft road, 6th block, Koramangala , Bangalore
Landmark: Near BMTC Bus Depot
Phone: 41217849
Where is the bloody entrance? Why can't I enjoy what looks like a great place to just chill out to some rock music with a pitcher of beer? Don't worry kiddies. You just have to enter this local watering hole through a coffee shop. They share the same entrance. Once you figure that out, you are in for a good time.
Jimis is one of the places I wanted to check out when I first came to Bangalore. It had several things going on. It is a stones throw away from where I live and the place is named after my favorite guitarist of all time, Jimi Hendrix. And did I mention it's a BEER cafe? Sign me up!
The term beer cafe is slightly misleading. When you mention those words, I'm expecting a place where you can get beer from across the world, especially my favorite, the Guinness extra stout. I haven't had Guinness since I came to India and I'm missing it quite terribly. But at Jimis, they only serve Fosters or Kingfisher aka piss water, which was quite disappointing when we first looked at the menu.
The ambiance. Jimis is basically a glorified version of a local watering hole. It has a smoking and a non smoking section. The smoking section is much smaller and can get quite stuffy but once the beer starts going down by the pitcher, it doesn't really matter. The seating in the smoking section is designed for midgets. We were barely able to squeeze into a table for two. So we switched to the couch that's seats 4 and is infinitely more comfortable. The song selection is decent. I was expecting, you know, Jimi Hendrix but I heard only a couple of songs of his both times we went there. There was some Metallica, Floyd, Aerosmith, Nirvana; basically a lot of classics. The selection was quite good overall.
The food selection. We opted for the vegetarian items during our first visit. We ordered the pasta, which was above average and a veggie sub, which can be described as mammoth. It was just something to munch on while we washed it down with some beer. For our second visit, we decided to try the non vegetarian items on the menu. We ordered the chilli pork, which was fantastic albeit a little cold. We ordered a chicken burger to go along with it. The only problem with the burger was that the bun was too hard. When I order a burger, I'm expecting a soft exterior to enhance the crispiness of the chicken, but that was not the case here. Overall the food was pretty good for a pub.
There are various options when it comes to the serving size of the beer. You can get the pint, pitcher or the alcoholic's dream, the fountain. The prices are pretty cheap. We ordered a pitcher during the first visit and got Fosters, which was great. The second visit, we ordered the pitcher again and we got the glorified piss water, I mean Kingfisher. That completely ruined our experience. I don't know if we have to request for Fosters specifically when ordering a pitcher. Next time, we are definitely doing that.
Overall, Jimis is pretty solid to get an after work beer or a before work beer if you want to live dangerously. Cheap beer and something to munch on during the inhalation of the said beer are the major plus points here. The ambiance is quite good and the service is slightly slower than your average pub but the chill factor overrides that.
This has been our default place to get beer and to relax after a stressful week of work and it gets the job done quite well. I'm quite happy to call Jimis my local watering hole and it'll remain the same until I leave Bangalore.
Items ordered -
First visit:
Death wish beer cocktail and a pitcher of beer
Club sandwich
Pasta
Total cost: 800
Second visit:
Pitcher of beer
Chilli pork
Chicken burger
Total cost - 880
Qwiky's Coffee Building, #467, 80ft road, 6th block, Koramangala , Bangalore
Landmark: Near BMTC Bus Depot
Phone: 41217849
Where is the bloody entrance? Why can't I enjoy what looks like a great place to just chill out to some rock music with a pitcher of beer? Don't worry kiddies. You just have to enter this local watering hole through a coffee shop. They share the same entrance. Once you figure that out, you are in for a good time.
Jimis is one of the places I wanted to check out when I first came to Bangalore. It had several things going on. It is a stones throw away from where I live and the place is named after my favorite guitarist of all time, Jimi Hendrix. And did I mention it's a BEER cafe? Sign me up!
The term beer cafe is slightly misleading. When you mention those words, I'm expecting a place where you can get beer from across the world, especially my favorite, the Guinness extra stout. I haven't had Guinness since I came to India and I'm missing it quite terribly. But at Jimis, they only serve Fosters or Kingfisher aka piss water, which was quite disappointing when we first looked at the menu.
The ambiance. Jimis is basically a glorified version of a local watering hole. It has a smoking and a non smoking section. The smoking section is much smaller and can get quite stuffy but once the beer starts going down by the pitcher, it doesn't really matter. The seating in the smoking section is designed for midgets. We were barely able to squeeze into a table for two. So we switched to the couch that's seats 4 and is infinitely more comfortable. The song selection is decent. I was expecting, you know, Jimi Hendrix but I heard only a couple of songs of his both times we went there. There was some Metallica, Floyd, Aerosmith, Nirvana; basically a lot of classics. The selection was quite good overall.
The food selection. We opted for the vegetarian items during our first visit. We ordered the pasta, which was above average and a veggie sub, which can be described as mammoth. It was just something to munch on while we washed it down with some beer. For our second visit, we decided to try the non vegetarian items on the menu. We ordered the chilli pork, which was fantastic albeit a little cold. We ordered a chicken burger to go along with it. The only problem with the burger was that the bun was too hard. When I order a burger, I'm expecting a soft exterior to enhance the crispiness of the chicken, but that was not the case here. Overall the food was pretty good for a pub.
There are various options when it comes to the serving size of the beer. You can get the pint, pitcher or the alcoholic's dream, the fountain. The prices are pretty cheap. We ordered a pitcher during the first visit and got Fosters, which was great. The second visit, we ordered the pitcher again and we got the glorified piss water, I mean Kingfisher. That completely ruined our experience. I don't know if we have to request for Fosters specifically when ordering a pitcher. Next time, we are definitely doing that.
Overall, Jimis is pretty solid to get an after work beer or a before work beer if you want to live dangerously. Cheap beer and something to munch on during the inhalation of the said beer are the major plus points here. The ambiance is quite good and the service is slightly slower than your average pub but the chill factor overrides that.
This has been our default place to get beer and to relax after a stressful week of work and it gets the job done quite well. I'm quite happy to call Jimis my local watering hole and it'll remain the same until I leave Bangalore.
Items ordered -
First visit:
Death wish beer cocktail and a pitcher of beer
Club sandwich
Pasta
Total cost: 800
Second visit:
Pitcher of beer
Chilli pork
Chicken burger
Total cost - 880
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Review: Mocha, Koramangala
Mocha
577, Kalyana Mantapa Road, 80ft Road, 8th Block, Opposite to Bethany High School, Koramangla Main Road, Koramangala , Bangalore
Landmark: Near Koramangla Police Station
Phone: 30224711
I'm not sure why we chose Mocha to satisfy our sheesha needs, but we did. I don't want to call my Mocha experience a complete disappointment because I was really digging the decor of it all but nothing really stood out for me. I guess it's the "chain" hookah place of India because I noticed that Chennai has a couple of branches as well. And it really did have the "chain" feeling to it. It's like having a burger at McDonalds. It's good but it's not personalized and doesn't have that extra touch.
From the outside, Mocha looked like the typical cafe/hookah joint. There are two floors, and the smoking section was on the top floor. The staircase to the smoking section is on the right when you first enter Mocha. The pathway to get to the staircase was interesting to say the least. We had to cross a small bridge like structure and fight off plants and I was afraid I was going to have to wrestle with some snakes to get there. I love me some hookah but I'm not that desperate guys. It was nicely done, actually and that deserves some major kudos.
I guess the decor and the ambiance is the only reason to visit Mocha. The seating arrangement was interesting. We went there on a Saturday evening and the place was quite crowded. We were directed towards a couple of swingsets but we decided to switch because it was rather uncomfortable. Uncomfortable is definitely not what you want when you are relaxing with some good hookah. The decor was excellent and it had a real Mediterranean feel to it from the couches and the sofas to the general vibe.
We obviously started off with some hookah. We ordered the Maarakesh flavor. It was a milk based rose flavor and I felt like I was drinking a glass of ice cold rose milk that mom used to make. It was definitely a interesting choice but not something we would choose again. The service was very good as we had to keep bugging the waiting staff to refill our coal and they did it without rolling their eyes at us at any point. The hookah experience was decent and it was further improved by the always beautiful rainy Bangalore weather.
The food. We started off with a black forest shake and a coffee float of some kind. It was basically a scoop of vanilla ice-cream in a cup of coffee. The cup they served it in was more interesting than the drink. The black forest shake was pretty good and the serving size is huge as you can imagine. It came with a layer of whip cream and I felt like I had to drop down and do some pushups just to get rid of the guilt factor. It was insanely huge.
We didn't order much off the actual food menu since we went there basically for the hookah. We ordered the chilli bean nachos as the starter and the cream cheese panini. I liked the former but could do without the latter. The panini was quite soggy and it was almost falling apart. I was expecting a lightly toasted and firm sandwich but got a mushy mess. The taste was good but it didn't really improve the dish.
The service was average. The refilling of the coal was a plus but the service was quite slow. I guess the crowd could be used as a reason for that but I really didn't want to wait half hour to get my panini. The waiting staff were friendly and courteous and that was a huge plus for me.
It was an average experience, overall. If you want pretty good ambiance and a place to just lounge about with some good hookah, Mocha is a decent enough option. But don't expect anything out of the ordinary.
Items ordered:
Hookah - Marrakesh
Drinks - Black forest shake and coffee float
Starters - Chilli Bean Nachos and Cream Cheese Panini
Total cost - 900
577, Kalyana Mantapa Road, 80ft Road, 8th Block, Opposite to Bethany High School, Koramangla Main Road, Koramangala , Bangalore
Landmark: Near Koramangla Police Station
Phone: 30224711
I'm not sure why we chose Mocha to satisfy our sheesha needs, but we did. I don't want to call my Mocha experience a complete disappointment because I was really digging the decor of it all but nothing really stood out for me. I guess it's the "chain" hookah place of India because I noticed that Chennai has a couple of branches as well. And it really did have the "chain" feeling to it. It's like having a burger at McDonalds. It's good but it's not personalized and doesn't have that extra touch.
From the outside, Mocha looked like the typical cafe/hookah joint. There are two floors, and the smoking section was on the top floor. The staircase to the smoking section is on the right when you first enter Mocha. The pathway to get to the staircase was interesting to say the least. We had to cross a small bridge like structure and fight off plants and I was afraid I was going to have to wrestle with some snakes to get there. I love me some hookah but I'm not that desperate guys. It was nicely done, actually and that deserves some major kudos.
I guess the decor and the ambiance is the only reason to visit Mocha. The seating arrangement was interesting. We went there on a Saturday evening and the place was quite crowded. We were directed towards a couple of swingsets but we decided to switch because it was rather uncomfortable. Uncomfortable is definitely not what you want when you are relaxing with some good hookah. The decor was excellent and it had a real Mediterranean feel to it from the couches and the sofas to the general vibe.
We obviously started off with some hookah. We ordered the Maarakesh flavor. It was a milk based rose flavor and I felt like I was drinking a glass of ice cold rose milk that mom used to make. It was definitely a interesting choice but not something we would choose again. The service was very good as we had to keep bugging the waiting staff to refill our coal and they did it without rolling their eyes at us at any point. The hookah experience was decent and it was further improved by the always beautiful rainy Bangalore weather.
The food. We started off with a black forest shake and a coffee float of some kind. It was basically a scoop of vanilla ice-cream in a cup of coffee. The cup they served it in was more interesting than the drink. The black forest shake was pretty good and the serving size is huge as you can imagine. It came with a layer of whip cream and I felt like I had to drop down and do some pushups just to get rid of the guilt factor. It was insanely huge.
We didn't order much off the actual food menu since we went there basically for the hookah. We ordered the chilli bean nachos as the starter and the cream cheese panini. I liked the former but could do without the latter. The panini was quite soggy and it was almost falling apart. I was expecting a lightly toasted and firm sandwich but got a mushy mess. The taste was good but it didn't really improve the dish.
The service was average. The refilling of the coal was a plus but the service was quite slow. I guess the crowd could be used as a reason for that but I really didn't want to wait half hour to get my panini. The waiting staff were friendly and courteous and that was a huge plus for me.
It was an average experience, overall. If you want pretty good ambiance and a place to just lounge about with some good hookah, Mocha is a decent enough option. But don't expect anything out of the ordinary.
Items ordered:
Hookah - Marrakesh
Drinks - Black forest shake and coffee float
Starters - Chilli Bean Nachos and Cream Cheese Panini
Total cost - 900
Friday, August 5, 2011
Review: 898 Steaks & Grill, Koramangala, Bangalore
898 Steaks & Grill
898/3, 80 Feet Road, 6th Block, Koramangala, Bangalore
Landmark: Opposite IBP Petrol Bunk
Phone: 41435973
If you are looking for a rooftop restaurant with a great view, decent food and quick service, 898 is the place for you. It is located on 80ft road, third floor on top of the 13 spices restaurant. It's kinda snuck away in a corner and is difficult to notice when you are coming from Sony World Circle, but that is one of the reasons the ambiance of this place is difficult to compete with. We went there on a Sunday afternoon, mainly looking for some decent steak options and we found plenty.
First, the ambiance. It is a rooftop restaurant and is almost covered by greenery on all sides. It feels like you are sitting in a garden somewhere and enjoying a nice steak fresh off the grill. That is difficult to construct for a rooftop restaurant and 898 pulls it off quite well. The seating is almost too cozy. There are various options, from regular seating to swingsets and beanbags. I'm not sure whether it's the timing or something else but we were the only ones there. So we had the entire restaurant to ourselves, which could make me slightly biased. Nonetheless the ambiance was excellent.
This a steak joint. Period. If you are looking to bite into a juicy steak, 898 will satisfy your needs quite well.
We started off with a mocktail called Capiroska. It was a weird concotion of Kiwi, strawberries and lime. It was not what we expected and texture of it was quite off. We were put off by the taste of it as well. It's not something we would order again.
For starters we ordered the honey chilli potatoes. It was a typical potato starter that didn't really stand out from other offerings. It was a default dish that could be made at home but the flavor was decent.
For the main course we ordered the 898 marinated steak. This is where 898 really stood out in our opinion. We ordered the sizzler platter and the presentation was very creatively done. It came with the usual sides, mashed potatoes, veggies(carrots and beans), and garlic bread. The steak was quite big and could be shared by two people. I requested it to be medium rare, which is usually the way I want my steaks cooked, and it was done to perfection. The pepper sauce was slightly overwhelming but it was a terrific combination for the juicy steak. Perfect steak and perfect serving size. Can't really complain about that.
We underestimated the size of the steak and ordered the grilled chicken sandwich. The sandwich size was above average but the honey mustard sauce put it over the top. It was a perfect combination of mildly spicy chicken and the sweetness of the sauce. The steak was quite heavy and we had to pack half of the sandwich but it was quite good.
The service was excellent. The waiters were friendly and courteous and checked on us frequently. That may have something to do with the fact that we were the only ones there but the overall the service was very good. I can't stress enough how fast the service was. We received the mocktails and the starters within minutes of ordering. That is something anyone could appreciate.
Overall, 898 is a pretty good restaurant with great ambiance, enjoyable food and absolutely lightning quick service. The price is a little bit on the expensive side but it can be overlooked because of the overall package. It's definitely a multiple visit restaurant or a once in couple of months type restaurant. If you are looking for a decent steak joint, this is a place that could interest you.
Items ordered:
Mocktail - Capiroska
Starter - Honey Chilli Potatoes
Main Course - 898 marinated steaks and grilled chicken sandwich
Total cost - 800
898/3, 80 Feet Road, 6th Block, Koramangala, Bangalore
Landmark: Opposite IBP Petrol Bunk
Phone: 41435973
If you are looking for a rooftop restaurant with a great view, decent food and quick service, 898 is the place for you. It is located on 80ft road, third floor on top of the 13 spices restaurant. It's kinda snuck away in a corner and is difficult to notice when you are coming from Sony World Circle, but that is one of the reasons the ambiance of this place is difficult to compete with. We went there on a Sunday afternoon, mainly looking for some decent steak options and we found plenty.
First, the ambiance. It is a rooftop restaurant and is almost covered by greenery on all sides. It feels like you are sitting in a garden somewhere and enjoying a nice steak fresh off the grill. That is difficult to construct for a rooftop restaurant and 898 pulls it off quite well. The seating is almost too cozy. There are various options, from regular seating to swingsets and beanbags. I'm not sure whether it's the timing or something else but we were the only ones there. So we had the entire restaurant to ourselves, which could make me slightly biased. Nonetheless the ambiance was excellent.
This a steak joint. Period. If you are looking to bite into a juicy steak, 898 will satisfy your needs quite well.
We started off with a mocktail called Capiroska. It was a weird concotion of Kiwi, strawberries and lime. It was not what we expected and texture of it was quite off. We were put off by the taste of it as well. It's not something we would order again.
For starters we ordered the honey chilli potatoes. It was a typical potato starter that didn't really stand out from other offerings. It was a default dish that could be made at home but the flavor was decent.
For the main course we ordered the 898 marinated steak. This is where 898 really stood out in our opinion. We ordered the sizzler platter and the presentation was very creatively done. It came with the usual sides, mashed potatoes, veggies(carrots and beans), and garlic bread. The steak was quite big and could be shared by two people. I requested it to be medium rare, which is usually the way I want my steaks cooked, and it was done to perfection. The pepper sauce was slightly overwhelming but it was a terrific combination for the juicy steak. Perfect steak and perfect serving size. Can't really complain about that.
We underestimated the size of the steak and ordered the grilled chicken sandwich. The sandwich size was above average but the honey mustard sauce put it over the top. It was a perfect combination of mildly spicy chicken and the sweetness of the sauce. The steak was quite heavy and we had to pack half of the sandwich but it was quite good.
The service was excellent. The waiters were friendly and courteous and checked on us frequently. That may have something to do with the fact that we were the only ones there but the overall the service was very good. I can't stress enough how fast the service was. We received the mocktails and the starters within minutes of ordering. That is something anyone could appreciate.
Overall, 898 is a pretty good restaurant with great ambiance, enjoyable food and absolutely lightning quick service. The price is a little bit on the expensive side but it can be overlooked because of the overall package. It's definitely a multiple visit restaurant or a once in couple of months type restaurant. If you are looking for a decent steak joint, this is a place that could interest you.
Items ordered:
Mocktail - Capiroska
Starter - Honey Chilli Potatoes
Main Course - 898 marinated steaks and grilled chicken sandwich
Total cost - 800
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Review: Mr. Beans, Koramangala, Bangalore
Mr. Beans
100 Feet Road, Near Koramangala Water Tank, Next to Karnataka Bank, Koramangala, Bangalore
Landmark: Near BDA complex,
Phone: 41115717
A perfect place to hangout and watch the world go by. We decided to check out Mr. Beans on a Sunday afternoon as we were in the mood for something hot (drink) and light (food). It was amazingly cozy and the cafe is designed in a way (divided into sections) that you get privacy without feeling left out. It is very difficult to pull that off and Mr. Beans scored high marks in that category. The ambiance was terrific and it is definitely a place to laze around and enjoy the beautiful Bangalore weather.
The food was quite good. There is a variety of things you can choose from, from pastas, burgers, subs and sandwiches. We started off with a chicken hot dog and honey cappachino. The hot dog was HUGE and a perfect starter for two people. I didn't expect it to be that big. It was basically a small loaf of bread with veggie fillings and a chicken sausage on top. It was even pretty to look at. The cappachino was perfect for the cloudy weather. We then ordered a chicken club sandwich, which was also quite big compared to typical sandwiches you get anywhere else. It was slightly cold and my preference is usually a warm sandwich but it was not unedible. The sauce was extremely good as it had a smoky flavor to it.
For dessert, we ordered a slice of black forest cake as we were already quite full. It was not a typical black forest cake in that it felt more like regular chocolate cake but it was a good finisher.
Mr. Beans also offers hookah, which was slightly more expensive compared to places like Mocha. We didn't try it out as we decided to keep it for another time.
Mr. Beans is a place where you can just chill out while getting the privacy that other "lounges" don't usually offer. We found that as the biggest plus. The portions of the food is quite large compared to the price and it is a great bargain. They also accept sudoxo coupons, which we used.
We thoroughly enjoyed spending time here and we intend to make this place our regular hangout.
Items ordered:
Chicken hot dog
Honey cappachino
Chicken club sandwich
Black forest cake
Takeaway:
Chicken Mushroom Roll
Chicken Burger
Total cost: 560
100 Feet Road, Near Koramangala Water Tank, Next to Karnataka Bank, Koramangala, Bangalore
Landmark: Near BDA complex,
Phone: 41115717
A perfect place to hangout and watch the world go by. We decided to check out Mr. Beans on a Sunday afternoon as we were in the mood for something hot (drink) and light (food). It was amazingly cozy and the cafe is designed in a way (divided into sections) that you get privacy without feeling left out. It is very difficult to pull that off and Mr. Beans scored high marks in that category. The ambiance was terrific and it is definitely a place to laze around and enjoy the beautiful Bangalore weather.
The food was quite good. There is a variety of things you can choose from, from pastas, burgers, subs and sandwiches. We started off with a chicken hot dog and honey cappachino. The hot dog was HUGE and a perfect starter for two people. I didn't expect it to be that big. It was basically a small loaf of bread with veggie fillings and a chicken sausage on top. It was even pretty to look at. The cappachino was perfect for the cloudy weather. We then ordered a chicken club sandwich, which was also quite big compared to typical sandwiches you get anywhere else. It was slightly cold and my preference is usually a warm sandwich but it was not unedible. The sauce was extremely good as it had a smoky flavor to it.
For dessert, we ordered a slice of black forest cake as we were already quite full. It was not a typical black forest cake in that it felt more like regular chocolate cake but it was a good finisher.
Mr. Beans also offers hookah, which was slightly more expensive compared to places like Mocha. We didn't try it out as we decided to keep it for another time.
Mr. Beans is a place where you can just chill out while getting the privacy that other "lounges" don't usually offer. We found that as the biggest plus. The portions of the food is quite large compared to the price and it is a great bargain. They also accept sudoxo coupons, which we used.
We thoroughly enjoyed spending time here and we intend to make this place our regular hangout.
Items ordered:
Chicken hot dog
Honey cappachino
Chicken club sandwich
Black forest cake
Takeaway:
Chicken Mushroom Roll
Chicken Burger
Total cost: 560
Review: Banana Beach Bar, Koramangala, Bangalore
Banana Beach Bar
54, Canara Bank Road, 6th Block, Koramangala , Bangalore
Landmark: Near Vijaya Bank
Phone: 41303452, 9900088511
We decided to check out Banana Beach Bar for my birthday this past weekend since it looked interesting from the outside when we frequently walk past it. You can get a general idea of the decor and the vibe of this bar without even visiting the place since its quite clearly specified in the name itself, Banana BEACH Bar. The place has an interesting look what with it's beach chairs, cabanas and boat-like structures. It has a pretty chilled out atmosphere provided you come in and leave before 8, which we did. It gets quite crowded after 8 and there were droves of people coming in when we were leaving. Another perk of visiting this bar before 7 is the happy hour. 1+1 on beers and I would imagine other drinks as well since we only opted for beers during our visit.
The alcohol selection is quite large. They even had a pretty snazzy looking mocktail menu. We decided to order a couple of mocktails along with the beer just because of the interesting names. The toffee based mocktail was a pretty big hit on our table. It had an unusual taste of coconut and toffee with other exotic flavors that we couldn't really figure out. It was interesting and highly recommended.
We didn't order much food as we opted for the starters alone to go with the beers and mocktails. We ordered dim sum, which I'm having for the first time in India and a variation of cheese balls. Both were solid starters but the quantity compared to the price was pretty low. You get six pieces of each and they were rather small. You have to order at least a couple more starters if you intend to stay for more than an hour. The starters just vanished within seconds. There are also combination platters which you can order as the main course; Indian, Chinese and both come with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. We opted for the Chinese vegetarian platter which came with noodles(also have an option for rice), chilli paneer gravy, and fried crackers. It was your typical Chinese main course and it was pretty filling for two people.
The service was excellent. We were constantly checked on and the person serving us was very pleasant and helped us with our ordering. It was also very quick and the presentation of the dishes was excellent as well. High marks for the service category.
We went to BBB mainly for the decor and ambiance and it scored highly in that category. It is definitely on the expensive side but you can look past it based on the awesome experience you'll have at BBB. Overall, it's a very good place to chill out and relax while getting the feeling that you are hanging out at a beach somewhere.
Items ordered:
Beer - 2 pints + 1 free
Mocktails - Toffee something and something with fairy in its name - Forget the names
Starters - Dimsum and cheese balls
Main course - Chinese vegetarian platter
Total cost - 1500
54, Canara Bank Road, 6th Block, Koramangala , Bangalore
Landmark: Near Vijaya Bank
Phone: 41303452, 9900088511
We decided to check out Banana Beach Bar for my birthday this past weekend since it looked interesting from the outside when we frequently walk past it. You can get a general idea of the decor and the vibe of this bar without even visiting the place since its quite clearly specified in the name itself, Banana BEACH Bar. The place has an interesting look what with it's beach chairs, cabanas and boat-like structures. It has a pretty chilled out atmosphere provided you come in and leave before 8, which we did. It gets quite crowded after 8 and there were droves of people coming in when we were leaving. Another perk of visiting this bar before 7 is the happy hour. 1+1 on beers and I would imagine other drinks as well since we only opted for beers during our visit.
The alcohol selection is quite large. They even had a pretty snazzy looking mocktail menu. We decided to order a couple of mocktails along with the beer just because of the interesting names. The toffee based mocktail was a pretty big hit on our table. It had an unusual taste of coconut and toffee with other exotic flavors that we couldn't really figure out. It was interesting and highly recommended.
We didn't order much food as we opted for the starters alone to go with the beers and mocktails. We ordered dim sum, which I'm having for the first time in India and a variation of cheese balls. Both were solid starters but the quantity compared to the price was pretty low. You get six pieces of each and they were rather small. You have to order at least a couple more starters if you intend to stay for more than an hour. The starters just vanished within seconds. There are also combination platters which you can order as the main course; Indian, Chinese and both come with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. We opted for the Chinese vegetarian platter which came with noodles(also have an option for rice), chilli paneer gravy, and fried crackers. It was your typical Chinese main course and it was pretty filling for two people.
The service was excellent. We were constantly checked on and the person serving us was very pleasant and helped us with our ordering. It was also very quick and the presentation of the dishes was excellent as well. High marks for the service category.
We went to BBB mainly for the decor and ambiance and it scored highly in that category. It is definitely on the expensive side but you can look past it based on the awesome experience you'll have at BBB. Overall, it's a very good place to chill out and relax while getting the feeling that you are hanging out at a beach somewhere.
Items ordered:
Beer - 2 pints + 1 free
Mocktails - Toffee something and something with fairy in its name - Forget the names
Starters - Dimsum and cheese balls
Main course - Chinese vegetarian platter
Total cost - 1500
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