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

GERMAN BREZELHAUS BAKERY AND BISTRO - INDIRANAGAR

This place is five minutes away from where I stay and I have passed it many times with the intention of visiting but never got around to it. I don’t know anything about German cuisine so when an opportunity came up where a group of foodies decided to explore the place I jumped at it. This review is split into two visits and only for vegetarian food. I'll list which ones are a hit and which ones were a miss for me because there were a lot of dishes! FIRST VISIT: In an upstairs area booked exclusively for our group because we were a lot of us. Lots of flies greeted us though which was managed by incense. What all we had and my views Chocolate tart - hit Lemon cake – miss ..too hard Pretzel – Miss. Tough and tasteless Veg breakfast platter with cutlets, paneer fried cubes, sauce and cut fruits - Hit. It was more Indian than German, but quite filling. Pretzel with cheese and caramelized onions - hit German black forest cake - hit (except for the base of the cake which was quite hard) Avocado toasties - Miss Classic French fries . ..this is usually a hit anywhere. SECOND VISIT (by myself) Hot chocolate - Hit, but I've tasted better Lemon Berliner – Hit Herbed garlic bread – hard, and insipid. Lacks flavor or scent of herbs. Some of the garlic breads I’ve had in other places have been awesome! Service is prompt. The guy at the counter needs to smile more. Every bread based dish..the bread was very hard. Not sure if that's how it's meant to be but definitely not my thing. I wish they added some extra touches for takeaways – like the butter in a small container for pretzel or anything to go with the herbed garlic bread…little things count. I had to use my own sauce, butter at home. The place is usually occupied. Nice for friends get together Would I recommend this place? If you are close by in the area and need to grab something quick. Also maybe non vegetarian eaters may enjoy the cuisine more. They have quite a variety on the menu. Would I go again? Only for the Berliners and maybe other desserts. Overall rating 3/5 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: Site No. 626, Binnamangala, Stage 1, Indiranagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560038. 9 am onwards.

PANETTERIA - INDIRANAGAR

Several conversations in my friends circle and reels popped up about lasagna and italian food in general that set off my cravings for some piping hot lasagna in a nice place. This italian cafe, Panetteria is five minutes from my house and I decided to have lunch here. It's a small cozy place, neat and well maintained and serves authentic Italian food. Mostly vegetarian and egg. It was very quiet when I went which was on a weekday. Some items weren’t available that I had asked for and they also did not have pasta. Here's what I had: Zucchini lasagna: This was quite different from the usual “full of tomato” based ones...ultra thin layers of Zucchini in it. It was piping hot and delicious! Mini pizza...I had a slice there and got the rest as takeaway. Looks wise, it's not appealing like the usual advertised ones from popular pizza joints in the city, but the taste was awesome..the crust is so crisp and quite different from the usual doughy ones. I had pesto pizza that came with basil pesto, marinara sauce, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms and buffalo mozzarella. Hot chocolate: My all time favorite beverage.. thick and chocolatey with nuts on the rim. Loved every sip of it! I also had a sandwich as takeaway for dinner with tomato and mozzarella . I discovered that it is nice to eat it on the spot than get takeaways from this place. Tastes different and more tough and chewy when it gets cold. Prices are high for the portions they give. Because I went alone it was perfect for me. This is not a place for large groups and families but perfect for a lazy catch up with a friend or two. Seating is the biggest minus here. The chairs are wrought iron and hard and uncomfortable. I can't imagine sitting on them for long. No sauces are given. Not actually part of culture...not authentic i was told. I know sauces mask the actual taste of the dish but I'm so used to smothering everything with tomato sauce or ketchup. Service is great and they know their food. Would i recommend to others? Yes if you like Italian fare and are in the area. Would i go again? Yes to try few other dishes and the awesome desserts in their list. Do visit if you get a chance. Overall rating 4/5 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: Ground Floor, JSA Towers, 205, Paramahansa Yogananda Rd, Stage 2, Hoysala Nagar, Indiranagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560038 12 pm onwards.

FOO BRIGADE ROAD

After hearing some great reviews online and off about Foo on Brigade Road and also, in desperate need for treating myself to a good meal, I headed to Foo for lunch earlier this month. The place wore a festive look with string lights in the outdoor seating area. The atmosphere inside was pristine and comfortable. Really warm ambiance. Here's what I had and my views on them STARTER: Foo Crispy wantons...Truffle and Edamame..very nice crispy, crunchy stuffed wantons. I loved this. Three pieces only. Quite pricey for the portions and once in a while indulgence. MAINS: The much talked about blue butter rice. I liked this...bland but good but give me spicy good old fashioned fried rice from the desi Chinese outlets any day. DESSERT: For once, I moved away from my regular choice of chocolate desserts and ordered mango pudding. Plating was very fancy with dry ice and ice cream on the pudding. Taste was good but I've had better. SPECIAL MENTION: The accompanying sauces. Different types which included Fiery Jalapeño, Chilli oil, Imperial sauce and Sichaun Peppercorn Sauce. Each fresh and flavorful so I dint really need a gravy dish for the rice. Service was prompt. My table was wobbly but I had already started eating so did not want anyone hovering around for it to be fixed. Prices are on the higher side. Portions suited me for I went alone, but not sure how it works for big groups and people with a large appetite. Great place for catch ups especially if you go just when they open. It did get full quite fast. Would I recommend to others? Yes, give it a try if in the vicinity. Would I go again? Yes, curious to try their other dishes. Overall rating 4/5 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: Foo, Ground Floor, Forum Rex Walk, Brigade Rd, Shanthala Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560001 12 pm onwards.

ONAM SADHYA AT KALPANEY JP NAGAR

Every year I try a different place to experience Sadhya during Onam festival. It's an annual ritual I try not to miss. This year too I had shortlisted a few places and zeroed in on Kalpaney in JP Nagar. I heard such great things about this place. I went by myself. It's tough to review leaf meals/baale yele oota so I'll list what worked and what dint. The Pluses Great ambiance with flower and peppy malayalam music Calm, courteous staff MUCH NEEDED ON THAT DAY! Most items served were tasty and fresh. Reasonably priced The Minuses Extremely disorganized. It took AGES to serve one item to another and we had to ask for some multiple times. Food also turned real cold fast because of AC. It was awful to sit there with rice and wait ages for Sambar or Rasam or Papads. Sweets ...I did not know what's coming next ..no information nothing and because everything was taking time, I thought we were done with the meal after rice was served...but heard there was payasam. I got this AFTER paying up. I had to share a table which I felt uncomfortable initially but I had the good fortune of having two couples who were very friendly and chatty so that worked out well. Some items just did not belong as Sadhya like poori but it was tasty with the curries so I can’t complain. All curries were good but not great. Rice and Sambar was good. Sweet was good. Pineapple pachadi was awful. Raw- ish weird taste. Place was jam packed and I don't think they could really handle it. Someone suggested that it should have been like wedding style seating and serving like one long table with well spaced out seats in 3 rows and slots....then food served in an order ...that would cut down the waiting time and frustration. Overall experience was good but not outstanding. I've had better. Would I go again? Maybe to try their regular fare and review it but NOT for festive meals or melas, if any. Overall rating 3/5 only for Sadhya. I don't know how their regular menu is. Others having the Sadhya alongside agreed with the rating. Overall rating 3/5 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: Outer Ring Road, 100 Feet Ring Rd, J P Nagar Phase 5, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560078

TIRUPATHI BHIMAS YELAHANKA

There was so much talk about this all vegetarian Andhra cuisine restaurant in the food circles, a concept I love (all veg Andhra meals fine dine restaurant) and felt this should be there all over city. Despite staying really, really far away from this place, I decided to take a day off to lunch here. It felt like going on a long picnic because I stay roughly about 21 kms away! But I badly needed time out and retail therapy in the malls close by in the area so it worked for me. For a change, I'd like to start with the minuses whereas I usually start with the pluses when I write a review. There wasn't anything authentically Andhra about this menu at all!! Imagine poori and lobia beans curry and vegetable pulao and raitha in Andhra meals. ..something that's never featured in hard-core Andhra restaurants. The spicy chutneys, majjiga pulusu which are a must with every meal was also missing. Fryums were served over the rice papad too. Staff couldn't really understand or pronounce the dish names properly either. Thankfully the famous Andhra pappu was served…This is my all time favorite everywhere and it tasted great here too. BUT and here are the pluses...the service was great, prompt and attentive, the dishes were all extremely tasty even if it felt some dint belong, which made it worth the travel. I summed it up to a friend of mine – Chaala baagundhi but weird menu. The restaurant is clean and well maintained. Prices reasonable. There are other options too breakfast and other dishes but I dint explore them because my aim was to try only the Andhra meals. If one can put the authentic Andhra part side and go without expectations of eating the same Andhra meals made popular by branded restaurants in the city, this meal is definitely enjoyable. Would I go again? Not my way out, but if in the area, yes. Would I recommend to others? Give it a try only if close by. Overall rating 3/5 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: 280, 15th A Cross Rd, Sector A, Yelahanka Satellite Town, Yelahanka New Town, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560064