Carnival de Goa

Carnival de Goa has been on the list for so long now. Either it was the distance or the timing, we never made it here earlier. But this time, when hubby and I had to meet a friend for lunch, we decided that Carnival de Goa it was going to be. With mommy time around the corner, I was not sure when I would find the next opportunity to travel for a nice meal considering I don’t stay anywhere close to the city.

At the entrance - the welcoming Goan tiles

 
Goan food has been a favourite for several years now, but I had not really found that one place that sold that authentic taste one finds in Goa. My search ended here. Carnival de Goa brought that exact Goan taste to Bangalore. To say that I loved the place is an understatement.

Situated close to the Gurudwara near Ulsoor lake and above Grill House, parking is not a hassle. Entering the place on the second floor, a tiled board welcomes you reminding you of old Goan homes. There is a choice of indoor or outdoor seating. Considering the busy street downstairs, we picked the indoor seating. A good choice considering there was a ‘one-man band’ singing there. With all the old English folk and country songs, the experience was definitely Goan. The ambience is good and the famous Mario Miranda- like caricature art work adorns one large wall.

Margarita

 

Ginger Fizz

I liked the menu. It wasn’t cluttered with non-Goan options. Clearly this place means serious business. The bar menu had a good choice of mocktails and cocktails. It was a day of ordering all the old favourites. We went in for a Virgin Mary, Ginger Fizz from the mocktails and a Margarita for a cocktail. The mocktails were great. You can judge a good bartender by the Virgin/Bloody Mary he makes and this one was definitely very good. If not for the pregnancy I would have gone for a second and third helping.

Virgin Mary

The Ginger Fizz had a good pungent punch to it with mint and lime, a good one if you like the flavor of ginger. The Margarita was a good and lemony mix of tequila and some fruit flavours.



The Goan Sausage Chilli Fry

I dived in for starters. The first one to go was The Goan Sausage Chilli Fry. Perfect in every way…I could cry thinking of Goa. Spicy, tangy, meaty……a total gastronomical seduction if you know what I mean. Beef Rissoles were next in line. Goans are good at cutlets and this was one of them. Though made of beef, this one had a strong smell and taste of mutton. The taste was good and can be ordered as a checklist item.

 



Beef Rissoles



When it comes to Goan food, I am not a sucker for seafood. But at a place like Carnival de Goa, it would be unfair to leave this out. So next in line, Squid fry it was. A plateful of rava fried squids arrived. The quantity was good but what stood out was the quality. 9 out of 10 times, you get rubbery squids that you have to chew on for long. These were so fresh and absolutely soft yet crispy. Could go in for second round of this but had to hold on for the main course.



Pork Vidaloo



Sannas

My friends let me choose the main course, so I was a little selfish and ordered all my favourites. We treated ourselves to much more food than we could handle.  Pork Vidaloo with sannas (puffy idlis famous in the west coast) was first to arrive. The sannas were soft, but being a Mangalorean, I think we score higher on this. The vindaloo was extremely high on flavor and spice. With generous quantities of gravy, this dish could burn your guts if you didn’t have it with loads of sannas on rice to combat the red chilli. Two favourites in succession – Prawn Pulao and Goan Saugage Pulao. Both were great in taste and fairly good in quantity.

Prawn Pulao

 

Sausage Pulao

The only dish I had not tried that day was the Chicken Cafreal. Another dish I could travel to Goa for. Carnival de Goa had Cafreal Wings and I had to try them. An easy dish that never goes wrong. But for some reason, this was a big let down at CdG. I really wish I hadn’t ordered for it.

Cafreal Wings

With a  couple of lime sodas to wash down the food and fight the spice, we were through with our Goan lunch party.

Fresh Lime Soda

The bill worked up to a little over Rs 2000 making it completely worth it. A mention of the restrooms here. The ladies restroom had two frames photos of men in their underwear. Wonder what that was supposed to mean. But yes, the loo was clean.

Pay by : Cash and cards

Average meal for two : Rs 1000-1500 (including drinks)

Mel’s overall rating : 4.5 out of 5

Location: 8/6, II floor, Kensington Point, Ulsoor Road, Ulsoor, Bangalore

Ph:  +91 7676767620

 

 

 

 

 

Kanua

Aaah finally I get to revisit my blog after months or should I say years. Well, its not that I didn’t try places or eat during this period but yes, there were some reasons. Firstly I knew I had to watch my pocket and then my growing waistline…this automatically meant slowing down on hopping to every new joint in town.

Secondly (somehow this seems more important) I was preparing to be a mommy. The first few months were tough considering I could not even stand the smell of food and as the days went by…I could not travel much. So that pretty much sums up my bag of excuses.

I feel guilty for those few places I visited and never wrote about but I knew I had to start somewhere all over again. So here goes!

With pregnancy, along with the doc’s list you have to listen to mum, aunt, grandma, cousin, neighbor and everybody else who seems to be interested in what and where you eat.

I was in two minds deciding between a Kerala joint and a Mangy place. The seafood won over the pepper beef fry and we headed to Kanua for dinner on Saturday night.

It was an occasion where hubby and me managed to sneak out some time for a quiet dinner….candle, romance, open seating et al. Much needed at this time when the romance quotient is rather low. I confess, we did only baby talk at the table.

Coming back…We called in for directions and found the restaurant with ease though it was tucked away in a quiet bylane off Sarjapur Road. Having explored this locality after long, I must say there are quite a few places to try.

Parking is right on the street, no hassles there! Now the tough part, you have to climb two floors to reach the restaurant. For someone like me struggling to walk, this was quite an effort. But as we reached the place, the interiors were welcoming.  The ambience is warm, romantic and reminds you of old homes in Mangalore. A lot of detailing has got into making this place special. The display of utensils, old doors, tools and a tiled roof transport you straight to a bygone era.

The warm interiors

The vegetable corner

Part of the interiors

A large collection of old bottles

The main seating area

A look at the menu and you know that they have charged you for the interiors as well. The menu is not very vast but has everything to give you a perfect Mangalorean culinary experience. Mangalorean food again has delicacies from the Hindu and Catholic communities and Kanua focusses on the former. This was a welcome change for us as we have almost taken Catholic cuisine for granted at home.

Pondering over Chicken and seafood, we picked Chicken ghee roast for starters. A great one here! I didn’t want to risk the portion of fish and opted for this one.  Rich, full of spices and ghee...this one was great. But with 6 pieces for 415 bucks, it was almost like a rip off considering other Mangalorean joints serve the same stuff (very similar in taste) for less than half the price.

Chicken Ghee Roast

Poddhale Podhis

I never pick veggies but this time I did. We chose the Poddhale Podhis. These were roundels of snake gourd stuffed with very mildly spiced mashed potato and deep fried. Quite a surprising dish and the taste was unique and simple. This dish came with a tamarind and onion dip which was good if not great.

Yetti Randhei

Shevai

For main course, I decided to dive into the sea food. Yetti Randhei (prawn curry). This was the highlight of the evening. A thick coconut based gravy, perfectly spiced and extremely tasty. To accompany it we asked for Shevai (vermicelli) and boiled rice. Little did the waiter warn us that the gravy is sufficient only for one. Again for Rs 495, the gravy was too little and the quantity of prawns just ok. We had to pick another gravy.

Motte Saar

Vinod loves eggs so for the first time ever, we ordered for egg curry (Motte Saar) in a restaurant. The gravy again was coconut based with red masala. The gravy was not as special and was more like the one we made at home, may be a little thicker. Again at 295 bucks, definitely not VFM.

The restaurant also has a bar menu but we chose to ignore it. Vinod tried the fresh Lime Soda which was perfect to say the least.

Fresh Lime Soda

We didn’t pick desserts as I am off sugar for a while. The food was very good but I felt it was way over priced. This also could be because I am Mangalorean and cant imagine paying too much for home food.

But yes, for someone who has never tasted coastal cuisine, this could be worth it. I would pay that extra bit for the ambience and the memories it brought.

Note: The pics are not clear, thanks to the dim lighting.

Pay by : Cash and cards

Average meal for two : Rs 2000

Mel’s overall rating : 3.5 out of 5

Location: 6/2, Kaikondrahalli, Near Wipro Headquaters, Sarjapur Road, Bangalore.

Ph:  080 65374471

 

Urban Solace

I dont know why I hadn’t visited this place for so long. Located opposite the Ulsoor Lake, Urban Solace provides a great view with some good food. We landed there on a day when Vinod and me were so hungry that we could eat a horse.

We found our seats near the terrace area overlooking the lake which was perfect. Vinod could directly look into the next apartment and follow what was happening on their TV but then that’s a different discussion altogether.

Wasting no time, we dived straight into the menu and ordered for a chicken platter. The quantity was pleasing for the price. And for carnivores like us, this is a good meal in itself too. And somehow when you are extremely hungry, it’s surprising that you can’t eat much. How unfair! The platter had wings, crumb fried chicken breasts, chicken steak in brown sauce and sautéed chicken. Fantastic is the word.

Chicken Platter

Tom Yum Soup

The craving was for oriental food that day. Tom Yum soup was next on the menu. I loved this version of the soup. It was not clear like in most places but had that tinge of the Thai green curry and I totally welcomed it. Spicy and piping hot – this made my day.

Call me less adventurous, the Thai flavor won me over and Thai Green Curry rice was my choice for main course. A repeat of awesomeness with the coconut milk and the distinct fragrances that are distinct to Thai food. I wiped this dish clean and drank up the remaining gravy. I have not been to Benjaron or High on Thai but this was very close to what I had in Thailand, so I’d vouch for it.

Thai Green Curry Rice

Vinod had a beef stroganoff. This dish too was great with its creamy sauce, just right on spice and scored high on our list as well.

Beef Stronganoff

For dessert it was Choco Fudge. Gooey, soft, warm, very chocolately…if you are a chocolate lover, you’re going to order a second one of these and if you bake, you’re going to hold the chef at knife point for the recipe.

Choco Fudge

This meal, though after a tiring day made our evening. The open air seating and the great food would definitely call us back. And the best part, this place is very affordable (as compared to a lot of places that serve similar food).

Pay by : Cash and cards

Average meal for two : Rs 800

Mel’s overall rating : 3.5 out of 5

Location: 32, Annaswamy Mudaliar Road, Next to Tamil Sangam, Ulsoor Lake, Bangalore 560042. Ph: 080 25553656, 25553657, 9845013055.

 

 

Via Milano

It was our second anniversary and despite all the elaborate plans of how we wanted to spend the day, we ended up working. We knew we’d lose the day if we did not move out before lunch. It was past 2 PM, giving us lesser options of good places to dine. We chose Via Milano, guaranteed of good food and an extra half hour as they close by 4pm.

Being a weekend, finding a place of our choice to sit was not difficult. The ambience is sober yet very classy with a lot of greys, blacks and whites. Large pillars across the place give you enough privacy if you’re on a date or just struggling with the variety of oils kept at the table, not knowing which ones to use.

The menu offers a variety of Italian must-haves and can also give you a  crash course in Italian if you have the time. With little time on our hands we did not take time to decide on what we wanted to have. And while we waited for our food, we played around with the DIY bruschetta kit that was on our table. We tried various combinations and realized we ate too much of it even before our actual food arrived. Fun, nonetheless!

First on order were Grilled Shrimp and Zucchini with mustard dressing. Crispy, mild spiced and grilled whole, the shrimps were a good break from the regular chicken starters we can’t resist. The quantity, given the place was not bad either. The mustard dressing though was not dominant on the shrimps or the zucchini but on the salad that rested alongside.

Grilled Shrimp and Zucchini

 

Do-it-yourself bruschetta

 

The salads on the menu looked inviting and we picked the Chicken and Crispy Pork Bacon salad that was topped with poached egg and garlic croutons. The chicken was smoked but the bacon was too little to enjoy. Though high on taste, more bacon would have made me a happier person.

 

Chicken and Crispy Pork Bacon salad
 

The celebration called for some cocktails. We shared a Rude Cosmopolitan  (Tequila Gold, Cointreau, cranberry and lemon juice) and an Apple Raisin Mojito (white rum, triple sec, fresh apple, raisin, fresh mint and soda). Absolutely loved the mojito! One of the best cocktails I have tasted.

Rude Cosmopolitan

Rude Cosmopolitan

Apple Raisin Mojito

For main course, my choice was a Filler of red snapper in potato crust in a lime and ginger sauce with vegetables. This dish looked awesome and tasted even better. I usually avoid ordering fish but this time I was so glad I did. The quantity was good and the sauce did all the magic. The dish was crispy, soft, tangy..all at the same time.

Filler of red snapper

Roast Chicken with musroom and thyme sauce

Vinod did not want to miss chicken over main course and ordered a Roast Chicken with musroom and thyme sauce which came with veggies and mashed potatoes. This dish was good though quite ordinary like the ones served in other restaurants. And when I asked Vinod, if there was any particular reason he picked this, the child in him said, it was not the chicken but the mash. So, Fair enough!

 

It was dessert time, and a Chocolate Lasagne it was. Chocolate Mousse resting on Vanilla Mousse/ icecream, this one tasted as good as it looked.

 

Chocolate Lasagne

This was one lovely anniversary meal – something I would remember for a long time. I would definitely recommend this place whenever you are out to have a quiet dinner with your special someone. Keep your fingers crossed about people throwing their project parties. We were lucky that one big group stepped out while we entered the place. The place though on a slightly higher side, is worth it.

Pay by : Cash and cards

Restroom : Very clean

Average meal for two : Rs 2300 (with cocktails)

Mel’s overall rating : 4 out of 5

Location: # 612, 3^rd Floor, 80 Feet Peripheral Road, 4^th Block, Koramangala, Bangalore- 560 034. Ph No. 080 41309997/4

 

 

 

Istanbul Doner & Turkish Grill

We read about it on the net and the very next day we made it to the place. This definitely does not happen to us often. But lucky this time, I guess. Istanbul Doner Turkish Grill is the latest addition to the restaurants dishing out Turkish delicacies (or so they claim).

 

The restaurant is tucked away in a bylane near the Indiranagar BDA complex. Calling the restaurant can get you there faster if you are not familiar with the place. The place is small and can accommodate about 20 people to the max and its bright red interiors are pleasing but far from Turkish.

 

A woman welcomed us and politely ushered us to a table. We later realized she was the owner of the place. Through the meal we caught up with her and this was her story. Jolly is a Keralite, settled in Kuwait. She has two sons who were in the UK and loved Turkish food. So they got a Turkish chef to train them with doners. A tour around the world, and this restaurant found its place in Bangalore. Leave your judgement aside!

 

The menu is not too vast but has a decent selection of doners and other sides. For starters we ordered the Istanbul Special Salad and Chicken Shish Tawook. A good start to a meal. Chunks of meat on satay sticks. The spices and the ginger and garlic paste were evident but yet did not mar the taste. The salad had the usual green veggies but the mayo and sour cream really took it to a different level. I was almost going to ask for a second helping but decided to try something else instead.

 

Chicken Shish Tawook

Istanbul Special salad

We then tried the Lamb Kebabs. What came was lamb sheikh, very good nonetheless. The spices were very Indian and went well on the palate. This one surely had its share of mint and coriander in it.

Lamb Kebabs

The menu had a few beverages as well and we picked the Sparkling Cranberry Berry and the Ayran ( a thick buttermilk claimed as a Turkish original).

For main course, Vinod opted for a mixed doner and I ordered a Chicken Doner with French Fries & Hummus. A doner is basically a taco or a thick roti  filled with meat. It’s similar to a shawarma. The meat is marinated and cooked on a  large sweker. The mixed doner had lamb and chicken with a few veggies tucked in. The taste of smoked meat is hard to resist. I was expecting my doner to arrive with French fries and hummus but interestingly these were fillings. With every bite, I got crunchy fries and chilled hummus. This one was good too. The portions look small but we felt full quite soon.

Chicken Doner with French Fries and Hummus

Mixed Doner

Istanbul Doner was a good experience and is a great option for a quick snack or lunch on a  working day. A little more Turkish influence on the food and interiors would definitely make this place a great hit. The food overall is good and not heavy on spice as well. Vinod rarely rates a restaurant and he liked this one. So that’s make a reason enough for us to go back there.        

Pay by : Cash and cards (though the machine did not work while we were there)

Restroom : Basic

Average meal for two : Rs 600

Mel’s overall rating : 2.5 out of 5

Location: #27, 7th Cross (Behind the Airtel Office), HAL 1st Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore - 560038. Ph No. 080 080 40932542

Bistro Claytopia

There’s no dearth of good places to eat in Bangalore. Bistro Claytopia is my new favourite. With their successful hangout at Indiranagar, they have now started a place closer home in Koramangala. And for long we were looking for a place where we could sit for hours and not be disturbed and Claytopia seemed like the answer.

We headed there for a weekend dinner. The place was not crowded considering it had opened about 10 days ago. As I entered the place, everything reminded me of Goa. They have a part indoor and part outdoor seating. Set in the front yard of a house, this place looks like any Goan restaurant with trees lit up and bences to sit on. What’s more they even played Goan Konkani music for a while.

The name Claytopia comes from the fact that guests here can paint items made of clay. You can pick (read buy) the item of your choice and paint it, the team will then process this and call you when its ready to be picked up, which generally is about 7 days.

We were meeting our friends Neha and Abhi after long and chose not to ‘clay’ around. We went straight for the food. The menu is that of a coffee shop with no specific dinner options. But if you’re not fussy about what to eat for lunch or dinner, this is just the place. Mark, one of the persons incharge here was sweet and very considerate about our needs.

The milkshakes looked extremely tempting and we had to order them that very minute. So the Creamy Oreo shake and Brownie shake it was! Both of them were extremely thick and were generous on the oreo and brownie. Guys, good job done…but I hope you retain the same quality each time unlike other places that are inconsistent. We even ordered  another Crazy Nutty Hazelnut which was espresso with cream, double scoop ice cream, torani hazel nut topped with whipped cream and nuts. Sounds exciting na? Well they forgot to serve us this and we too forgot about it until I returned home and checked the bill where we were charged for a coffee we never had. Well, we should have been more careful.

The Creamy Oreo Milkshake

Brownie shake

Irish Coffee

 First on order were the Barbecues Chicken wings followed by Spicy Chicken Strips and Cheesy Jalapeno Poppers. The wings were soft with the bbq sauce while the strips were tangy and flavourful. The cheesy poppers are anyway an all-time favourite and had to be good. For more reasons that one this place reminded me Jamie’s Place in Goa which is still my ‘favouritest’ restaurant in the ‘world’. Phew! That reminds me of school!

Chicken Wings

Spicy Chicken Strips

For the main course, all of us picked burgers with no prior planning. Neha enjoyed her Double Delight Chicken Burger combo which was a delicious combo of crispy chicken, minced chicken and chicken salami with egg, mushhrooms and cheese. Vinod went in for The Ultimate Sausage which was a chicken mortadella (cold cut sausage)  and a chicken patty with cheese, mushrooms, egg and gherkins. Both these were combos and were to come with fries and coke. Well, they forgot the coke. I remembered it while I was writing this review. We were too busy chit chatting that day. Well, a sure shot lesson learnt now.

Cheesy Jalapeno Poppers

Double Delight Chicken Burger

Bbq Chicken Burger

The Ultimate Sausage

Abhi chose a simple Barbecued chicken burger while I took a Street Side Cheesy Double Dog. The menu read that this dish had sausage with minced chicken, jalapeno, olive and cheese. But mine had barbecues chicken cocktail sausage with grilled onions, olive and cheese, which means they swapped my order with another.  Claytopia has another dish called The Lick-a-licious Dog which has the same ingredients. And how did I know this? I brought home a take-away menu and read through the descriptions.

Supposedly The Street Side Cheesy Double Dog

Double Chocolate Mousse

All the burgers were good, though I would not say they were extraordinary. For dessert we coaxed ourselves to a Double chocolate mousse (I hope I got the name right) which was very good and didn’t seem less though shared by four.

Despite all the goof-ups I think the ambience and company did it for me. I still would go back there, only to be careful the next time around.

Pay by : Cash and cards (the line will be up shortly)

Restroom : Very neat with potted plants

Average meal for two : Rs 800

Mel's overal rating : 3 out of 5 (I could have rated this place better had i not realized the numerous goof-ups)

Location : Next to SBI, Diagonally opposite to Koramangala Wipro Park, Koramangala I Block, Bangalore 560095. Phone No. 080 64350526