SMOOR INDIRANAGAR

It was one of those days when cravings for Chinese food hit me. I was headed to a Chinese place in my area but took a detour when I saw SMOOR from the traffic junction and decided to lunch here instead...mainly because I have had desserts as takeaway and they are mind blowing. I hadn’t actually dined in here. In continuing with the Chinese cravings I ordered these Chilli garlic noodles....nothing chilli or garlic in it....it tasted like any regular noodles not spicy but ok taste wise. Stir fried veggies in gravy....I don't know if this is a trend, but the broccoli wasn't cooked at all. It was all raw and chewy like one other joint I visited recently. Sauce was good. Fresh lime water....nobody gets this right it's either too sweet or too salty or too much lime or too generally too!!!. I wasn't disappointed here either (insert eye roll). In the first place, the order was forgotten and came after the mains were served and after confirming again about sweet and salt preference. The person who took my order disappeared somewhere. Secondly, it was assumed I wanted ice and I don't like ice but my opinion wasn't taken and it came loaded with ice. I had already eaten and nearly winding up and wasn’t in a mood for a replacement. Desserts: coffee mascarpone and chocolate slice as take away were awesome as usual. Caesar salad...again the lettuce wasn't ice berg and it tasted bitter. I thought one couldn't go wrong with this but it looks like you can. Not the best I’ve had. The bread was all soft and soggy. They should pack it separately in little pieces like some restaurants do so that moisture doesn’t get in. Service was polite and prompt but I can’t say it was top notch. Prices are well...pricey. Portions sizes were right for me but I’m not too sure for the big eaters. The ambience was good and I got some time to sit in peace and think through things. This was huge plus point because I dint have anyone breathing down my neck or watching me chew everything like in some places. Would I go again? Purely for desserts as takeaway or maybe have a hot chocolate and small bites not for a proper lunch. They do have the most amazing desserts. I learnt an important lesson....when cravings for Chinese food hit best to head to a Chinese joint. Overall rating 3/5 Overall 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: 1131, 100 Feet Rd, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560038 from 8 am to 1 am.

VENEZIA JAYANAGAR

VENEZIA - JAYANAGAR Venezia - an all Vegetarian Italian restaurant for a variety of Italian dishes. This one is right up my alley. This was exactly what I was looking for and they have it all...appetizers, soups, salads, pizza, pasta and desserts along with beverages. This was quite a journey from where I stay but it felt good to try something different. Being a big fan of appetizers I first started with Bruschetta...my all time favourite and this one dint disappoint. 5/5 Cheese burst garlic bread...nothing unusual like your regular garlic bread with cheese and chilli flakes 3/5 Fresh lime water mix of sweet and salt for the first time someone got it right else it’s either too sweet or too salty...this one was perfect 5/5 Greek salad too much salt in the cheese 3/5 Choco lava eruption for dessert which was ice cream surrounded by gooey chocolate sauce....very messy and boring 3/5 I was quite full with just this. Pizzas are huge and I thought it would be too much and getting it as takeaway wasn’t feasible so I opted out of trying them. However, I did get Caesar salad as takeaway and this was really good… fresh lettuce and croutons and olives good packing with extra croutons so they stay crisp. I had it for dinner and it was fresh as ever! 5/5. Ambience was simple and spacey. Service is prompt. Peaceful on a Monday noon. Place is pricey so go with your wallet full. Would I go again? Maybe to try the pizza Would I recommend to others? Yes, Worth a visit once especially if you craving Italian food and going with a large group. Overall 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: Venezia, #12, 32nd Cross Rd, 7th Block, Jayanagar Bengaluru, Karnataka 560070 from 11.30 am to 11 pm.

THE RICE BOWL LAVELLE ROAD

I am currently on the lookout for a Chinese place that is not too far off from where I stay, great clean food, and to be able to visit whenever the cravings hit (which is verrry often) sort of like a Chinese adda. Decades ago, I used to visit Rice Bowl on Lavelle road with friends and had some awesome food and good memories associated with this place. Nostalgic to relive those days, I headed over to this place. While the menu still offers a lot of variety, just the kind I like, the experience was nothing to write home about. Ambience was 5/5 with its plush red chairs and soft lighting. There’s ample seating space and it was a Monday so I could eat quietly in peace. Started with the Kimchi – fried cabbage in sauce usually a favorite of mine but this, this was so dry and stale! The sauce was spicy. I had asked for bottled water which took ages and involved a lot of scrambling about to get. Then I ordered my usual favorite for the main course – Chilli garlic noodles and vegetables in Manchurian gravy with addition of Broccoli. The noodles were the best, the gravy was tasty but the broccoli was not cooked and really chewy! After I tucked in the main course, I ordered dessert and this is where things went downhill even more. The menu mentioned Banoffee Pie and I get this colorful ice creams while announcing that it is Banoffee pie. I asked them where the crust part of the pie was. Turns out they dint have the dessert so they gave me a Banana split instead. They dint even inform me about it. I still wouldn’t have felt that bad if the split was good but no, it was three scoops of bland, boring flavors – I’ve never tasted ice cream that was so…well..tasteless! I look forward to desserts after every meal when I eat out so this totally ruined it for me. I did get an apology from the manager, which was nice but all in all, not a good experience from someone who once loved the place! Service is truly pathetic. Everyone’s polite but it is like they have the attitude of they’d rather be working elsewhere or doing something else. Nothing smart and spruced up about them. The girl who served me dint come anywhere near me post the dessert goof up. Would I go again? Quite unlikely, unless I crave the chilli garlic noodles again. And so the hunt for the perfect Chinese adda goes on…. Overall rating: 3/5…generous with the rating only because the noodles and spring rolls (takeaway) was good. 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: 40/2, Lavelle Road, Bangalore. 12–3:30 pm, 7–11 pm

BY 2 COFFEE BASAVANAGUDI

BY 2 COFFEE - BASAVANAGUDI I am always on the lookout for soft, fluffy, piping hot, melt in the mouth idlis with runny (neer) chutney. I have explored quite a few places and some have really good idlis but there’s always a vague sense that something is missing, though I have shortlisted one or two favorites. After eating here in By 2 coffee, this place is easily made it to my favorites list. The very picture of soft idlis drenched in chutney and crisp vada is mouthwatering. I could have this for breakfast everyday. The vada is perfectly browned, crisp and hot….it’s amazing how just this is satisfying enough without sambar and still sells ..not complaining though. I also got kharabath as takeaway and that was good too. The smell of coffee was heavenly. Though I am not a coffee/tea drinker, I was enticed to have it. I visit this area often and decided to make this my go to place for idlis. Prices are reasonable. There is not much on offer on the menu apart from idli, vada, dosa, kharabath, kesaribath and chow chow bath along with coffee and tea. They do sell savories and their own idly/dosa batter which I definitely plan to buy next time around. There is no seating and one has to stand and eat which makes it really uncomfortable but this is a darshini style, no frills place. I really wish they had an outlet here in my area. Try By 2 coffee if you are around the area especially around breakfast time for a quick and filling breakfast. Verdict: Highly recommend and would definitely visit more than once. 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: 7 am–12:30 pm, 4–9:30 pm, 22/1,Police Station Rd, Basavanagudi, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560004

SATTVAM - SADASHIVNAGAR I have heard so much about this place among my food group circles and the idea of an all vegetarian sattvic buffet was highly appealing to start my new year with so I decided to pay a visit to this place. Where does one even to talk about this vast array of dishes? The names d to describe each item would run into pages so I will keep this content crisp and short. A review of this buffet should be done in parts!! Suffice to say, the buffet had it all – soups, starters, chaats, salads, rice varieties, curries, south Indian, north Indian, Chinese, pizza, breads, Indian sweets, cakes, beverages and paan to end it all with. I don’t think I have covered it all yet. I could hardly plough through them all and this time I skipped the curries and pulao and stuck to Chinese, snacks and starters and desserts. What stood out for me: Soup, starters, salads (with special reference to honey chilli pasta salad), chaat which I could just feast on this alone, puliyogare and lemon rice served in the cutest lil pressure cookers, and the sweets. What could do with improvement: The noodles. Was cold and bland though the accompaniment Vegetables in spicy sauce made up for it. Despite the crowd on a Monday noon, the service was smooth and attentive. Cutlery was replaced without asking. All you needed to do was to take a hearty appetite with you when you visit this place. If you long for vegetarian food varieties and can pack away a lot to eat, this is the place for you. The price is really reasonable for the quality and quantity. Display of the dishes was simply mind blowing and one of my friends commented that it looked like a cake shop when I sent pictures. Ambience is comfortable without being OTT. This is also a perfect place for celebrations with friends and family though not if you want to have some quiet time for yourself. I wanted to give a rating of 4 stars just for the noodles but since it was the only item I dint like and everything else was flawless, I’ll give a total 5 stars. Verdict: Highly recommend and would definitely visit more than once. 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. Details: 12–3:30 pm, 7–11 pm 35, Sankey Rd, opposite Shell Petrol Bunk, Sadashiva Nagar, Armane Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560080

KONARK KANTEERAVA

KONARK KANTEERAVA What does one do when no main food seems appealing? I did not want rice, south Indian meals or tiffin, north Indian food, no pizzas, salads, sandwiches, dint want to visit a Chinese restaurant – nothing was enticing. I decided to go on a snacks only binge. Headed to Konark Kanteerava located in Kanteerava Stadium. I used to haunt their commercial street outlet, which is closed now. I like the atmosphere here better – surrounded by trees in the stadium. It is more airy and welcoming. And then I began the snack fest! Started with masala papad – which looked and tasted good. I could have had two or three of these alone, followed by dragon rolls – spicier version of spring rolls with garlic sauce, followed by golden fried baby corn (which is a lot like baby corn bajjis), followed by cutlet (which is easily the best I have tasted in ages, followed by hot badam milk with cardamom powder in it – I just indulged and ate and ate and ate….:) We all need these days once in a while I suppose. To assuage any feelings of guilt, I ordered boiled vegetables as takeaway for dinner. I don’t know how they make this, it looks just ordinary boiled vegetables but it is truly delicious and healthy. Service is quick though I had to wait for the cutlets for quite a while. Prices are in the medium range though depends on what you order. Quite an easy ambience with no one to disturb you or breathe down your neck. A lot of what I ate is available only after 12 PM so one needs to time the visit here well, though their south Indian fare may be available earlier. It did start getting crowded after 1 p.m. What I loved most about everything is that after eating in the commercial street outlet (now closed), residency road and now the kanteerava stadium Konark –the food tastes exactly the same – all delicious. This is easily one of the best places for vegetarian snacks both in terms of variety and taste. I had the most satisfying snack binge after a long time and curbed the restless feeling for food that was present that morning. Waiting to try more of their dishes. Verdict: Highly recommend and would definitely revisit. Overall rating: 4/5 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: 8 am to 10 pm - Sree kanteerava outdoor stadium, Next to main gate, Kasturba Rd Nunegundlapalli, Ambedkar Veedhi, Sampangi Rama Nagara, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560001

THE SRIRANGAM CAFE - INDIRANAGAR

This is a rather short review of the newly opened Srirangam Café Located near Double Road signal or paramahamsa yoga nanda road as it is now called in Indiranagar, that serves South Indian fare. This is more of a stand and eat, quick bites or takeaway kind of place rather than a place where one can lounge around. I have always wanted something like this close to home. Menu is the usual fare that is available in most darshinis with Idli, vada, pongal khara bath, varieties of dosas with the pudi trend that seems to be happening here in the city, flavored rice baths from Chitranna, tomato rice, gongura rice etc. I got the following items as takeaway Ghee button idlis – I do love this mini version of idlis dunked in sambar with the distinct flavor of ghee. Ven pongal or khara pongal – yet to find Pongal that will make me go back and eat it again and again but this one was tasty. Piping hot with chutney. Khara bath – I quite liked this and finished this real fast. Tomato rice with raitha – I had this for dinner. This was good too and remained fresh. Of all the dishes, I would go back and eat the button idlis again and again. The sambar was awesome and so was the chutney. I could actually eat this everyday for breakfast!! Despite its size, it made for quite a filling meal. It wouldn’t be fair to rate them on just one visit since I haven’t had other items like dosas and rice items on the menu plus they are relatively new but from the little that I had, I found it satisfying. I would review this place again down the line. Prices are pocket friendly. Place is clean. Service is quick. A minus was that they forgot to pack the vada which I had paid for, so things like this needs to be sorted out going forward. For me, the benchmark of any eatery is based on two things Would I go again : yes and often because the food was really wholesome, close to home and want to try other items on their menu. Needless to say they should keep the quality going. They open real early too Would I recommend this place to others: Yes – anyone in the area craving south Indian food, especially breakfast meets this would be a great place to try out. Things they can improve on: Introduce combos. Mini versions of their items on the menu , and rice combos. I am sure it would get a lot of takers. Rice and rasam and rice and sambar can be added to the menu. Eco friendly takeaway containers. Overall rating: 4/5 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. Address: 32, Paramahansa Yogananda Rd, Indira Nagar II Stage, Hoysala Nagar, Indiranagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560038 from 6.30 am