GANGOTREE RACE COURSE ROAD

I haven’t done a chaat review for what feels like ages. What with the pandemic and lockdowns etc, things like eating chaat outside took a backseat. I must have passed Gangotree located at Highpoint, in Race course road a million times and yet I never felt like eating chaat there. I did try their outlet in Mantri mall and it dint meet my expectations. Had recently been in the area and though I’d give this a go. The place, though has been around for ages, is tucked away amongst the offices and rather formal surroundings – bare, old, dimly lit, musty look and feel about it but don’t let that put you off. Before I get into what I ordered, I must mention this is not the kind of place where a group of friends can sit around and chat and laugh for hours. More like a “eat and be quick about it” kind of place. There is literally no seating except for a few plastic stools and hardly any space to sit. Don’t let THAT put you off either. I started off with a dahi samosa, I hadn’t had a samosa in ages and let alone one with dahi. It was delicious. Just the right amount of spices, crisply crushed samosa and perfect blend with the curd and masalas. I could easily eat this daily. This was followed by the pani puri which was also good but usual. Topped this with a melt in the mouth sweet gulab jamun which balanced out the spicy fare. I did get ragda pattice as takeway and that was surprisingly filling and very tasty too. I can’t wait to try the rest of the menu!! Especially the bhel. And maybe one day their parathas which they serve with curd and pickle. They do have a collection of sweets but not a huge range and some savories to munch on – mostly a wide range of khakras. Service is fast. Prices are okay. What this place is badly in need of is good seating arrangements and a better view. I can’t say better location being high point IS a great location for eateries but there is something so cold about this chaat place over warm and welcoming food joints. A big minus for using plastic spoons, though the chaat plates, are biodegradable. They could do with switching to wooden spoons. They also do need to make themselves more visible, you know, put themselves out there I feel, to attract more crowd because the food here is worth visiting for at least once . I am definitely going back to try their other items. Overall rating 3/5 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: Gangotree, Highpoint near Chalukya Hotel, Race course road. Open from 9.30 am to 9.30 pm.

THE CAFE AT FOODHALL 1 MG MALL

Aren’t the pics here drool worthy! Bombay toastie from the Café at Foodhall in 1 mg mall. I used to go here often for groceries and usually get a takeaway of the salad which were good. I wasn’t a huge fan of the sandwiches here. Recently when I had been here, I was in a mood for something more filling and craving for a good sandwich. Saw a lot of changes in the menu and decided to order the Bombay toastie – Masala mashed potatoes, Tomatoes, Onions, Cucumber, capsicum, Shredded cheese, mint chutney and jumbo bread! Dream filling actually It was Yumlicious! My Dream filling actually. The bread was toasted just right. Try having it hot you got yourself a winner. It is served with thick potato wedges and ketchup. Each time I go there I think of trying their other food items on the vast menu, but invariably I keep ordering this! They do

have quite a variety – All day breakfast items, sandwiches and burgers, bowls, dim sum, sides, cold pressed juices to name a few. Service is clean and quick. There are small seating arrangement right in front of the open kitchen. These days they are mostly filled. Great to catch up with a friend here or have some quiet time by yourself for quick eats/ takeaway after a bout of shopping at the mall and the Foodhall. It is a bit on the pricey side but oh so worth it! Now I can’t wait to try their other items on the menu. Overall rating 5/5 Only for the Bombay Toastie. A bigger space/Expansion/more chairs maybe?? 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: The café at Foodhall, 1 Mg mall, Swami Vivekananda Road, Next to lido mall, Bengaluru. Opens 11 a.m.

NATRAJ CHOLE BHATURE INDIRANAGAR

This is going to be a rather short review compared to the others because of a busy schedule but I felt the need to squeeze in one before the month ends. I thought I’ll keep it to the point. The place: Natraj Chole Bhature Where: 33, 1st Stage, Opposite Punjab National Bank, Indiranagar, Bangalore. Known for: Chole Bhature of course and their soft melt in the mouth gulab jamun. The samosas and Lassi I haven’t tasted yet. What comes with it: The paneer stuffed puri, the black channa masala, onions, green chutney, and pickle and green chillies to munch on for the brave! Ambience: Stand and eat darshini style! Clean though. Crowded during meal times. Service: Polite and Real quick! Price: Reasonable. Taste: Medium spicy, hot and very, very filling. A full meal in itself. I usually get a parcel from here rather than stand and eat. Overall rating: 3/5 – Personally I have had better and I do like big chickpeas masala in this dish. However, if you are in a mood for Chole Bhature, do give it a try if you are in the area. 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.

BANGALORE THINDIES - INDIRANAGAR

Finally! Finally !! Finally!! After months of eating home food, back to eating out though it wasn’t exactly dine in this time around. I have heard so much about this place and since I live in the area, I decided to give it a goo. Located in the middle of 12th Main road Indiranagar, this place..i wouldn’t really call it a darshini because darshinis are bigger but it is one of those little outlets that you can grab a quick eat at and move on. The menu is short and simple. Pure veg. South Indian breakfast fare. No frills. I did eat something around the time I explored this place so I couldn’t really explore all their items in the menu but I went in for the classic idli/vada/sambar/chutney which to me is the ultimate comfort food. The first thing that hit me was how fresh it was..it dint feel like one of those heat and eat items. Piping hot steamy idlis with fresh chutney and sambar over it, crispy crunchy vadas in disposable cutlery given the current situation. I really enjoyed myself over something I had taken so much for granted before Covid. I did feel stuff and regretfully passed trying out the dosa. I did get pakodas as takeaway and I quite liked them later in the evening as a snack. Prices are reasonable. Service is super fast. My biggest crib was there was no seating arrangement at all. Why do all these nice places end up like this instead of expanding their outlets and having some sort of a seating arrangement?:) I am definitely going back here to try some of their other items mostly as takeaway though. I do hope they maintain the hygiene and cleanliness standards as I saw it last. Overall rating: 4/5 – because of the standing and eating. 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: 5th Cross, 12 Main, HAL 2nd Stage, Indira Nagar, Bangalore Timings: 8 am to 10.30 pm Call: 919886230100

ASAL CHAPATHI - PRODUCT REVIEW

If there is anything more cumbersome than dose that I mentioned in some of my earlier blogs, its Chapathis! They have to be the perfect circle. They have to be thin. They have to be soft. They have to be roasted just right without getting burnt. And there’s the process of getting the dough right – mixing it in the right proportions, kneading and kneading and the rest! I make some really good curries and many a times I have wished that I could eat it with Chapathis but shied away from making any because of the effort involved. Now I have Chapathis every week. Semi cooked Chapathis – ASAL brand. These are six semi cooked Chapathis in neat packing, with a shelf life usually for about 4 days, thin and nearly as good if not just as good as homemade Chapathis. You just need to roast them in a pan with some oil and they are ready to eat with any curry. They puff up beautifully! Tastes awesome with any curry and I can easily finish six at one shot. Reasonable at Rs. 30 per packet, they are an amazing breakfast option and have saved me a lot of labor. They don’t take too long to roast so you may need to keep an eye on this and flip them over real soon and take them out. Yet the task of making 12 to 18 Chapathis (two to three packets) is not daunting at all whereas earlier making 18 or more Chapathis would have including the dough process would have tired me out. This is one of the better discoveries during this lockdown and I am so, so glad. I now make a huge variety of curries to go with them. I enjoy them most with ulli theeyal. In pic are Asal Chapathis with Gobi, peas and cauliflower curry and Chapathis with Ulli theeyal (onion curry). Delish! Available in supermarkets online and off. Overall rating 5/5 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.

CHUTNEY RECIPE - A QUICK REVIEW

This is going to be a quick one since we still under a lockdown! There are days when you wish you could make a real quick chutney to go with Idlis and Dosas and what I am about to share is a life saver. The huge plus about this chutney recipe is the almost zero effort and very, very few ingredients most of which will be available at home. Fry onions and green chillies just a little, add it to the mixer along with a bit of tamarind, roasted gram and a few coriander leaves and salt to taste and that’s it! Season as you wish and We done!! And you’d think without the coconut and a whole lot of ingredients it wont be all that tasty but it is mind blowing with piping hot idlis !! It tastes exactly like hotel style chutney and so quick to make. This has become such a favorite at home that we are no longer making the coconut chutney anymore. Detailed recipe below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c7Bdnsjsbc Overall rating 5/5 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.

ADUKALE INSTANT ADAI DOSE MIX - PRODUCT REVIEW

I Love Dose! And all its variants…. Neer dose, plain, masala, adais etc. but I always found the process of making it so cumbersome. What with soaking all the ingredients in the right proportions, the time gap, proper fermenting, grinding, pouring it out evenly so it comes out well and then all the washing up of the grinder (this is the worst part!), by the time I actually get to eating the dose, I am exhausted by the process. Most times, I used to resort to eating it outside whenever the craving hit me. I have tried many instant dosa mixes and ready made batters but nothing has been even remotely satisfying. Then I happened to try Adukale’s Instant Adai Dose mix. I must say this is really god sent during the lockdown. It already has all the lenthils and spices in powder form. All you need to do is add water, rest it a bit and pour out doses to your liking. The result? Perfect Adai in minutes! Just two or three of this keeps you full for a long time – half a day or through the night. I usually have this with tomato thokku which I make, which is a heavenly combination (see pic). The pluses 1. It doesn’t stick to the pan. 2. You can make it as thick or thin as you like. I like it real thin and crispy so I add more water. 3. Easiest process ever. 4. Packet lasts quite long as I do add a lot of water to make it thin and crispy each time. 5. Tasty, filling and nutritious. 6. Great for planned breakfast or dinner options or for emergencies too. The minuses : None! Both my mom and I love this product and needless to say, stocked up on it the most compared to other products. It is available at supermarkets but it’s easier during these times to buy it directly from their website. No complaints with delivery at all. I even got it within four hours after ordering online recently I like a lot of Adukale’s products – menthiya kharabath, lemon poha, rava pongal etc but this one tops it all!! Do give this a try. I’m sure you are going to stock up on this like me:) Overall rating 5/5 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. Visit www.adukale.com

RICHIE RICH - NEAR SIVANANDA CIRCLE

I visited Richie Rich twice in the last two months - been on my go to list for a while. The first time was with friends who enjoyed the place and food. The second time was to cram an outing before there are any curbs and restrictions given the rona situation. The ice creams here are rich and creamy and chocolatey – Cake Mocha fudge and Ferrero Rocher mini but what really appealed to me was the Pav bhaji. The Bhaji was mild and did not have the usual strong cinnamon/nutmeg kind of smell that is so common. This was delish! A full meal in itself. Highly recommend. Sandwiches were super too, as was the fries and sev puri. Mini pizza which I had as takeaway was okayish. The place has a warm, cozy feel to it and when there aren’t many people, it is great for a heart to heart with a friend over snacks and ice creams. Prices are a bit on the higher side so be prepared to go with a full wallet. Service is prompt and friendly. My only regret is I wish I had explored this place earlier, given that I am around the area quite often, but better late than never. I can’t wait to try their milkshakes and the famous tawa pulao that everyone is raving about. Now for normalcy to be restored… hopefully soon. Fingers and toes crossed. Overall rating 4.5/5 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: Richie Rich, Race course road, Kumara park near Sivananda Circle, Bengaluru

Cafe Noir, UB City.

What can I say! Words cannot describe how good it is to go eat out and get ready for reviewing restaurants again, something I sorely missed the past year. My bestie and I met here, at Café Noir in UB city after nearly a year! It is a warm, outdoorsy, safe place with black stone tables (this was so hot to touch and the service person had to keep wiping the surface with a cool cloth), and sun umbrellas. For starters we had the basket fries which is a mix of potato wedges and French fries. This went down real fast as they were fresh and crispy and tasted great with the tomato salsa. This was followed by pasta Arrabiata which was penne pasta in spicy tomato and basil sauce, cheese, grilled vegetables and basil leaves. My friend chose to have the chicken Lasagna. This was quite a meal. Fresh and delicious though it was, we had to stop halfway and had to take away the rest. I actually felt strange eating a meal like this after ages! Ended the meal with watermelon juice for my friend and I ordered a frappe for myself simply because I hadn’t had one in, like, forever! Both were cool and refreshing. The pandemic sure makes one count their blessings. Prices are slightly on the higher side but it was a thoroughly enjoyable, satisfying meal. I would love to go back there when the weather is cooler and definitely want to try their other dishes, and especially to try their range of desserts.. Service was quick and efficient. Spoons and forks come wrapped in paper. All in all, hygienic and safe to visit during these times. Would I recommend a visit to others? Yes! Would I go there again? Most definitely. Overall rating 4.5/5 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: Café Noir, UB City, Vittal Mallya Road, Bengaluru.

ADUGGEMANE

This month, I thought I’d review something different – different because I have never got food catered home from a catering outlet. Aduggemane does just that. For a very reasonable price plus delivery charges, they cater breakfast, lunch and dinner at your doorstep. First things first. Much as I love to cook, I felt I truly needed a break from it all. Sometimes people have asked me if I need a holiday and I realized yep, not the kind where I travel to exotic locations, I need a holiday right at home! On an impulse, when this advert popped up in my food group, I decided to take it up. And so began a whole two weeks of Brahmin style food delivered right to my house in the mornings- all three meals. I got to taste a variety of breakfasts ranging from idlis, dosas, akku roti, rava vangibath, and shavige bath. Lunch usually consisted of rice, sambar, rasam and curry and dinner was chapathis and curry. You can customize it however you wish so I substituted rice with extra Chapathis because I preferred the rice we cook at home. Two people could easily share a meal. Two weeks of totally chilling knowing it’s all taken care of. The food is a bit bland and not everyone’s cup of tea. Most of the food is not fried or oily – mostly steamed, just simple and nutritious. I like it that way though. Highlights through the two weeks were the variety of breakfast – EXCEPT idlis and rava idli which seemed undercooked, Chapathis were really good, soft and fresh, rava vangibath and typical iyengar style puliyogare. There were a few minus points: Some items were okayish in taste and that I could tolerate. Sometimes they used to miss packing one or two items and I could tolerate that too. The biggest thumbs down was the timing. They are in one end of the city (near sita circle) and I am in the other so the food delivery used to be really late most mornings. I mean, I finish all cooking for the day way before 9 a.m. Despite the promise of delivering by 9.30 a.m., I have received the food by 10 and even 11 a.m.at times (like who has breakfast when it’s almost lunch time!!!) which is a huge no no because of having medicines and morning breakfast. Overall however, it suited me! It was just right, everything was freshly made that morning and sent and I had no bouts of throwing up or anything. I am mighty glad to have taken the much needed break and knowing that there is someone at hand ready to provide the kind of food we are accustomed to. I do plan to order on and off from them. In pic: Shavige uppitu, Bendekaayi palya, chapathi and tomato pickle (I made) Overall rating 3/5 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. Contact:7892403742/9916435389

BRIK OVEN - PRESTIGE TRADE TOWERS

What a relief! What An immense relief that things are near normal. After what seems like ages, this is my first proper restaurant outing ever since the pandemic. A group of us, girls gang who were all colleagues at my previous workplace, decided to catch up for lunch after nearly two decades!! Brik Oven was the place of choice in Prestige Towers and it was great fun to catch up and recall all the fun times we had in the work world. The place mostly serves Pizzas, Salads, Starters and desserts. It is famous for its pizzas so I heard. Prestige towers – there are a whole lot of restaurants to greet you as soon as you walk through the door. Like a huge spacious hall with the most aesthetic clouds on ceiling décor and soft lights. Very pleasing to the eyes. Some of my friends had already arrived and I must say right off, we did more chatting than eating throughout the time spent but nevertheless, will try to write about the stuff we ate. This review is only for the vegetarian part of the lunch – We started off with garlic bread with cheese which was tasty but seemed very chewy, then a Caesar salad where the lettuce were fresh and crunchy (not much goes into a Caesar salad usually) , followed by Anna – the pizza with the toppings of onions, red pepper, jalapeño, garlic, feta and sun dried tomatoes. It was quite filling despite being shared amongst three of us. For dessert we had wood fired brownie and ice cream and Tiramisu. The menu is simple. Service is quick. Ambience was just right especially during these rules of social distancing etc. Food wasn’t extraordinary in my opinion. Honestly however, anything was welcome since it has been so long! – both the outing and the meeting of friends. It was just the right place to simply chat for hours without being disturbed. The place is very well maintained and the standard hygiene procedures were followed. Would I go again? Yes if I am in the area though I am also curious to explore the other food places there. Would I recommend to others? Yes give it a try. Overall rating: 3/5 – taking the mid path here because so far it’s neither too good or too bad. I may need to revisit though. 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: Prestige Trade Tower, 46 Palace Road, Race Course Road, Bangalore, Next to Sophia School. Timings: 11 am to 11 pm Call: +918884700088