MON CHERI - INDIRANAGAR

There are advantages of being part of various food groups in the city on social media. That's how I heard about this place Mon Cheri in Indiranagar. Located just five minutes away from where I live. I was surprised I dint know about this place till I saw a post on FB. It's on CMH road and a quiet cozy cafe. Once inside it is quite easy to shut out the noise from the main road. Lovely interiorswith soft lights and comfy seats. I visited this place twice and got takeaways so this review is for all of them. This review is only for the vegetarian section of the menu. What I had: Mocktail: Shirley temple...strawberry, orange and lime soda - ice cold and much needed to beat the heat. Avocado salad very light and fresh with greens and veggies. I found it a tad salty but enjoyed it. Veg croquettes crispy hot finger food..6 pieces with mayonnaise on the side. Very tasty Being summer I found this quite filling by itself. I got ravioli and a cheesecake for dinner. Ravioli is a must try here. Drool worthy, creamy and herby dough pockets. I'll definitely go back for this. Cheesecake was good too. For my second visit I had vegetable croquettes again and garlic flat bread which was okayish. I've had better. Blue pacific drink consisting of citrus pineapple and blue curaçao was delicious. I do have a thing for ice cold blue drinks. Vegetable burger as takeaway. This was quite a letdown. Burger felt hard and dry. I wish they did include Fries and gherkins as mentioned in their menu in the parcel but overall not that great. Millionaire's tart (what a name!)for a chocolatey dinner dessert..This was good. I personally found the menu limited for vegetarians especially those who don’t even eat mushrooms. Another two or three visits and I'd probably finish tasting everything there on the menu...then what?? Service is prompt and friendly. Prices are reasonable. Good for groups and good if you want to catch up for a long chat with a friend. There's nobody breathing down your neck here which greatly appealed to me. Would I recommend to others: Definitely. Do give this place a try. Would I go again? Yes, to have more of the mocktails, ravioli and try a few other items. Overall rating 4/5 1-No! No! No! 2-Just about average 3- Good. Can give it a try 4-Great!! 5-Yes! Yes! Yes! And I’ll tell all about it. Details: 545, Chinmaya Mission Hospital Rd, opposite Bank of Baroda, Stage 1, Indiranagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560038. 12 pm to 3 pm and 6 to 10.30 pm

PHURR INDIRANAGAR

. PHURR INDIRANAGAR Having heard so much about Phurr in Jayanagar, I was thrilled when an outlet was opened in my area in Indiranagar. Headed here for lunch one sunny noon. I was given a palate cleanser/ welcome drink once seated that looked like a broken egg in a messy nest. I gave it a miss simply because it wasn’t visually appealing. Something about birds and nests etc as food themes don't appeal to me at all though I do love birds. The cuisine is all vegetarian fusion food. Here is what I had: Lemonade Park: Lemonade with grapefruit, orange juice and lemon juice. Very refreshing especially sips in between the food. Roasted podi masala papad: This was good though everything is given separately unlike other places where it comes already with masala and sev and lemon on the papad itself. You get 3 papads per order. I ate two. I got one takeaway to eat at home as snack. Tender coconut fritters: Simply delicious...different, crispy hot fritters with sauces and fruit salsa...a must try Palak patta chaat: I think so far it's the best I've ever tasted..Extremely crunchy palak pakodas with all the works, chutneys and dahi everything just right. Usually what I have eaten is sickeningly sweet in spite of asking for spicy version but here it was just perfect. Another must try. Desserts phurr: That is the name of the dessert. Phurr. This was supposed to be their best seller and ordered on recommendation...a total let down. This is supposed to be some Lucknow specialty and shaken for 30 minutes etc etc but to me it tasted like one giant whipped cream with color. That's it. Zero appeal. I'd run far from it. Luckily it was light so could finish it but really wish I had ordered something else. Raw mango avocado salad as takeaway for dinner. : This deserves a special mention. Despite packing at noon and having it at night..It was so fresh and flavorful and the avocado added a nice touch to it. Excellent presentation of everything, the food, the bill comes tucked in a weaver bird’s nest, bird shaped décor as mouth fresheners…really pleasing to the eye with the exception of the welcome drink (personal opinion). Packaging: Everything was very well packed in eco friendly boxes. Though when I got masala papad packed they forgot the masala completely so I had to just eat the papad. Prices: On the higher side. Especially the mocktails. Go loaded. Ambience: Good but not great. Seating set too closely to each other. It gets crowded real fast. Nice bird themes all over. Very clean. Service: Top notch. Very attentive and prompt. I would like person serving to ask customers for their preferences though...juice with or without ice..chaat spicy or medium etc. They just assume. Overall I had a good experience Would I go again? Yes for the mango salad again and to try their other salads. Would I recommend to others? Yes definitely give it a try. Great to go in groups and for any get together especially. Book in advance. Overall rating 4/5...little things still needs improvement. My Ratings for reviews: 1-No! No! No! 2-Just about average 3- Good. Can give it a try 4-Great!! 5-Yes! Yes! Yes! And I’ll tell all about it. Details: 614-615, 12th Main Rd, 7th Cross, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560008. 12 to 4 pm and 7 to 11 pm.

WHATEVER BREWS KORAMANGALA

Tucked away in one of the peaceful by lanes of Koramangala is this unusually named cafe Whatever Brews. I got an opportunity to visit with a food group first and then made an individual visit. This review is for both the visits and ratings for the food. What I had on my first visit 1. Korean Bun: This is my new addiction and it was cheesy, garlicky, and tasty as ever. 2. Fries: The usual. Crisp and standard. 3. Paneer Ghee roast..Awesome soft and crispy. I wish they had neer dosa to go with it. This combo would become a real hit here if they introduce it. 4. Chocolate cake..very small but melting gooey chocolate inside. Delicious! 5. Hot chocolate was delicious though tough to hold the cup because the cup did not have handles..it is something you cradle with both hands!! What I had when I went by myself: 1. Tiramisu latte: I LOVED this. Unique flavor, cool and comes with a biscuit that pairs well with the drink. Kind of similar to the frappe I used to drink at other coffee outlets but way better. 2. Dragon babycorn: Very spicy bites of baby corn, piping hot. I got some as takeaway and it was just as good at night as it was at noon time. 3. Gongura paneer: Another really unique dish…paneer flavored with gongura chutney, something you don’t come across often in menus. Good stuff. You have to ask for sauce most times here. This place is more like a snacks and coffee kind of place than catering to a full meal. Good for catch ups and quick bites. They do have pasta which I did not try. The seating is the biggest minus. The whole outdoorsy area is filled with baby jelly/little pebbles making it tough to walk especially with heels. It has a long stone bench and while it does have comfy cushions, it is very painful to sit for too long. Also, the chairs are wobbly because of the pebbles. Tables are tinyyyyy!. It doesn’t hold many dishes at a time and I have had to move a plate or two out before keeping anything else on it. They really need to do something about this methinks. Service is prompt and friendly. Place is clean. There is no faulting the food. All what I ordered were satisfactory. Prices like any other cafe. I do wish they would expand the menu because I would like to “pair” some of the snacks with something else – like neer dosa, rice, noodles etc. Would I go again: Yes, on a weekday for some quiet space and also to try out their long list of beverages . Would I recommend to others: Definitely. Head over there if you are in the area. Overall 4.5/5 Rating for Reviews 1-No! No! No! 2-Just about average 3- Good. Can give it a try 4-Great!! 5-Yes! Yes! Yes! And I’ll tell all about it. Details: 596 , 4th Block Koramangala, Ejipura, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560034. 9.30 am onwards.

KAILASH PARBAT - INDIRANAGAR

Located on 80 feet road Indiranagar Kailash Parbat pure vegetarian restaurant has gained a reputation for chaats and North Indian cuisine more so among my friend circles and from some of my food groups. So one noon, while craving for chaat and snacks I decided to have lunch here. Initial impression: Neat, nice place, good ambience. Ample seating space. Here is a quick review of the things I had: Masala Papad: This is my all time favorite everywhere so I am a bit partial here. There are two papads per plate and it was crunchy and tasty as is usually the case elsewhere. Guava Chilli juice...it was awesome...glass rimmed with chilli powder and a mix of sweet and spicy flavorful guava juice to start with. Enjoyed this a lot. The KP chaat platter which had a dahi vada, sev puri, corn baskets and bhel The Dahi Vada...good. Soft and flavorful with the chutneys and creamy curd mixed in. Sev and Corn baskets were really good...crunchy and delicious  Bhel puri: Huge let down and even more so because this made up a bigger portion of the chaat platter...puffed rice was soft.. as in stale soft and the little puris in it was hard and stale and zero flavor overall. Had a tough time to finish it. The chaat platter overall is very filling.like a meal in itself. Presentation of food is really appealing. Ragda Pattice Takeaway which I had heated for dinner...Eating it so late did not take away the flavors. It was good and filling but not wow. Same goes for Dabeli which I again got as takeaway. Just that I have had better. Service was ok. I had to try hard to get the staff's attention initially but improved as time went by. Prices are expensive for the chaat you get. This is a good place to go by yourself or meet up with friends. Would I recommend to others? Yes if you are in the area and need good quality vegetarian food. Would I go again? Yes to try their other dishes and desserts. Overall 3/5 Rating for Reviews 1-No! No! No! 2-Just about average 3- Good. Can give it a try 4-Great!! 5-Yes! Yes! Yes! And I’ll tell all about it. Details: 30, 80 Feet Rd, Hal, HAL 3rd Stage, Indiranagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560075 11 AM Onwards