Jamie's Place

A fine dining experience for a birthday dinner in Goa. That’s what we were hunting for when we stumbled upon Jamie’s Place. Rated as No 1 on Trip Advisor, I was sure this place would not disappoint. I would not think twice to say that this restaurant now tops my list of favourite places to eat.

Located on the bustling Baga-Calangute road, it is easy to give it a miss especially when all the restaurants on the road flash their neon lights. Not wanting to take a chance, we reserved a table. A cozy looking, softly lit garden restaurant beckons us as we entered the gate. Romantic was the word that came to mind. We were politely ushered to our table by the courteous hotel staff to indulge in birthday dinner I would remember for long.

Jamie’s place is known for its out-of-the-ordinary continental menu with a slight mention of Indian food as well.

 

Until we decided what we wanted to have for starters, I ordered for Parma Ham and Melon. This classic combo never fails but at the same time ham is an acquired taste, especially if you are used to eating the Indian ham.

Parma  Ham and Melon

 

Complimentary Indian Bread with Yogurt/Sour Cream

 

So for the actual ‘starter starter’ we picked Chargrilled Beef Slices which were thin slices of soft beef accompanied with an oriental finish of dark soy and wasabi. The meat though it looked tough on the plate was extremely soft as we dug our forks into it. The light spice and the tangy touches absolutely tickles the senses. The food being fashionable is less in quantity and might not be fair on the Indian tummy. But since Jamie’s place is not too expensive, a second helping does not burn the pocket.

Chargrilled Beef Slices

Our waiter recommended we try the Chicken 65 for our next dish. Good choice I must say. Looked more like an Andhra Dish from Nandini but was fantastic nonetheless. It’s one of Jamie’s popular chicken fires topped generously with curry leaves and crispy onions. A tangy dip again brought out zesty flavours that tickled the senses.

Chicken 65

I almost forgot to mention the free Indian bread with sour cream that was served to us as soon as we arrived. We love anything free, don’t we?

For the first round of drink, I picked a Passion fruit Daiquiri while Vinod opted for a Tropical Sunshine, a tropical drink with sweet mango juice, coconut rum and lime. Both were very good and we had to struggle to keep the drink going for some time.

Passionfruit Daiquiri

 



Tropical Sunshine

The main course was the best. We went by the waiter’s choice (I guess his name was Sunil) who selected Jamie’s Special Individual Meat Loaf for Vinod and a Marinated leg of lamb for me.

Aah! The lamb was slowed roasted to extreme tenderness, thinly sliced and spiced with crushed rosemary, wild garlic and lemon. The dish was topped with the juices of the meat and some baked potato. With every bite, the food just melts in the mouth.

Marinated leg of lamb

Individual Meat Loaf

If that was good, the Individual Meat Loaf was out of this world. A thick swollen meatloaf stuffed with smoked sausage and cheese resting itself on a bed of creamy mushroom sauce. This delicacy tasted far better than I can explain it. Each layer of the meat loaf had different flavours wrapped in it making it one of the best dishes I had tasted. With a good dash of pepper in the meat loaf, it almost reminded me of the pork sausages you get in Bangalore.

For a second dose of liquid bliss, we picked a Berry Blast and a Classic Cuban Mojito. The Berry Blast consisted of a lot of berries –blue, black, red muddled with lemon and rum topped with crushed ice and soda. The Cuban Mojito along with the basics had lemongrass too. Both the drinks were great on taste.

Cuban Mojito

 

Berry Blast

We finished our dinner with this blissful Espresso Crème Brulee. With glazed sugar on top, the crème was delectable and had a tinge of coffee which came though beautifully through this dessert. Loved this one thoroughly.

Espresso Creme Brulee

Jamie’s Place now stands as my best place to dine and not just in Goa. I am definitely going back them. And all along I’ve propagated enough to deserve a free meal there.

 

Pay by : Cash or Credit Card

Restroom : Unisex and clean

Average meal for two : 2000

Mel’s overall rating : 4.5 out of 5

Location: No 7/188, Saunta Vaddo, Baga Main Road, Near Brittos, Goa 403516. Ph: 9764362379, 9764364377

 

Smoked Out Barbecue

So it was 6pm on a weekday, Vinod and me were still in office barely done with our day’s work. With a lot of work done that day, we thought we deserved a good meal rather than cook it ourselves. With this thought we were deciding on which place to try out. That’s when we came across ‘Smoked Out Barbecue’. I had read about this place a while ago and the location and the type of food seemed perfect for us.

We called the restaurant for directions. It was not difficult to find at all. What welcomed us was this little place adjacent to a service apartment. With a basic seating that can accommodate a maximum of 30 people, this place is neatly done up. No plush interiors here, it’s a semi outdoor seating.

The menu is not vast but boasts of their signature dishes. With a home style grill, this place promises a good American home BBQ experience. Once the meat is on the grill, the place is actually smoked out. For starters, everything on the menu looked inviting and so we asked for a Barbeque Platter. A dish that took about 30 mins or more to arrive but was totally worth the wait. Four very large wings, two drumsticks and a really large chicken thigh. I am so glad we were just the two of us. While the quantity was great, the taste was too good to share. The marinade was a predominantly ready to use bbq sauce with added spices. With a sweetish tinge, that how I like my sauce. This one was perfect.



BBQ Platter

The accompaniments

Tendeloin Steak

At the end of the platter we had little space left for main course and so opted to share a Tendeloin steak. We asked for it to be very well done. This one was extremely juicy and a little tangy too making it a great meal. The meal was not tough and hence we didn’t have to fight with the cutlery.

With, no space for desserts, we decided to call it a day. And we’re definitely going back there again!

Pay by : Cash or Credit Card

Restroom : Decent and manageable

Average meal for two : Rs 750

Mel’s overall rating : 3.5 out of 5

Location  : No. 426, 8th Main Road, 4th Block, Koramangala, Bangalore 560095. Ph : 080 40921023

Bhojohori Manna

What I enjoy most about these food blogs is that they encourage me to try new places and cuisines. Going with that approach, we ventured out to try the much talked about Bengali Joint – Bhojohori Manna.

When we walked in for lunch on a Saturday, the place had a lot of vacant seats and we chose to sit on the first floor. The interiors are simple and nothing Bengali about them. The AC was not working due to a power cut and we seated ourselves next to an open window. I needed to make myself familiar with the Bengali menu. Though in English, it was hard to comprehend. I was smart I had taken a Bengali translator friend along to help me.

So until she explained the menu and the specialties of ‘Bong’ cuisine, I ordered the only thing I knew – Misti Doi. Mildly chilled sweetened yogurt filled all my senses as I too a spoonful. This was absolutely fantastic. This was followed by a second, third and fourth helping.

Today we were all set to eat what Neha (my friend) chose to order for us. First on it was Luchi-Alur Dom – a home favourite in the Bengal region. This can apparently be eaten at any time of the day and why not. Luchi is similar to poori and the other is ofcourse Aloo dum. Potatoes looked in delicate spices with peas had a sweetish tinge to it while the luchi was soft and fresh.



Luchi Alur Dum


Mishti Doi

The Bengalis love their fish and this forms an integral part of the Bengali meal. At Bhojohori, we ordered for the famous fried Hilsa (also known as Ilish). What I realized is that each dish serves only one. So be it a fry or gravy, the menu indicates one piece, so if you are two of you, you would have to ask for a second piece. The price doubles ofcourse. On the recommendation of my friend and the waiter, I ordered for a Mini Jumbo Ilish fried fish. There was no masala but plain salted fish. The size of the piece was extremely disappointing for the price and to my bad luck, my piece was not well fried.

Fried Hilsa

Parathas

We met more challenges along the meal. We had to restrict our orders as the hotel ran out of LPG. Never heard of that before! I understand power cuts, but LPG??? And that too at opening time on Saturday afternoon!

So for mains we chose steamed rice and parathas along with Parshe Shorshe, a thin gravy with generous turmeric and mustard. The fish was better than the Ilish and as again a native fish of the Bengalis. The gravy again was juSst enough to finish the rice.

Parshe Shorshe

Mutton Dakbangla

Just to put aside the taste of fish, we ordered for a Mutton Dakbangla which was a thick gravy, well spiced and cooked to perfection. This dish and the Mishti Doi saved the afternoon for us. We could not order any desserts as they apparently had no stock of any, though the menu had an entire write up on Bengali sweets. We ordered the last of the Mishti Doi that was there.

Truly expected better out of this place, but I have my hopes still high on Bengali Cuisine. I hope to have better luck next time.

Pay by                                  : Cash or Credit Card

Restroom                             : Decent and manageable

Average meal for two          : Rs 850

Mel’s overall rating             : 1.5 out of 5

Location                               : No 668/b, 6^th block, Koramangala Club Road, Bangalore 560095. Ph : 080 25503666

The Only Place

A few years ago, when there weren’t as many restaurants, this place was a favourite for all special occasions. It was THE ONLY PLACE. There’s something about the place that draws you time and again. Be it the food that tastes like home or the warm interiors.

We made our way to OP this weekend and made it right on time for the last free table. There was a sense of quietness despite the crowd. The ambience reminds me of Goa with the tiled roof, a centre sun-lit area and homely lampshades. The sunlight through the Bamboo and over the pebbles, take you to a different time and place altogether. OK, I might be exaggerating a bit!

The food is European and OP luckily has not succumbed to Indo-European additions like most other places. No Chettinad Chicken steak here! So here is this menu where everything sounds good. I went there to relish the steak but I think I ordered everything but the steak.

First on order was the Chilly Beef. Tender meat, tossed with loads of green and ground pepper. This tasted just like the authentic Beef Chilli in a good Kerala restaurant or like the one that the neighboring Ammachi prepares. This one was ‘unputdownable’ until the last bite. I didn’t spare even the leftover-almost-nonexistent gravy.

Chilli Beef

 For a change we went for a soup. With a rigorous dance workout that was to follow, the hungry instincts suggested a Chicken Chowder Soup. Very few restaurants still have this on their menu. A thick broth of cornstarch and shredded chicken tasted so homemade that I wanted to call mom.

Chicken Chowder Soup

We had to eat ‘light’ and for main course ordered a Chicken Tetrazini out of the steaks and a OP Special Sheperd’s pie. The Chicken Tetrazini featured in both the bakes’ and the steak sections. Though we asked for a steak, I am sure we were served a bake. But there was so much cheese on it that we loved this happy mistake. Though this was Vinod’s lunch, I managed to dig in until the cheese was gone.

OP Special Shepherd's Pie

Chicken Tetrazini

The Sheperd’s pie in front of me was above average. The minced meat with spiced baked in a loaf and hiding under creamed potatoes was very filling. For Bangaloreans who have tried the spice sausages from The Ham Shop, this was like a loaf made of the sausage filling. Why wouldn’t I like it?

To wrap up our ‘light’ lunch we ordered for an Apple Pie that many people recommend at OP. Of course with a heavy heart I had to say no to the other interesting cheesecakes, mousse cakes and pies. Chunks of crunchy apples in a gooey sweet mix resting on a pastry bed made a good ending. Be warned that this dish is extremely sweet and might be an overdose sometimes.

Apple Pie

 I would not bet my money on the food here because there are a lot of great choices in the city. But The Only Place never disappoints if you are looking for a quaint restaurant for a small birthday treat or a date. What also struck me was that they never played any music as long as we were there giving us more time to talk to each other.

Pay by : Cash or Credit Card

Restroom : Outside the restaurant but decent.

Average meal for two : Rs 1200

Mel’s overall rating :3.5 out of 5

Location: No 13, Museum Road, Bangalore 560001. Ph : 080 32718989

Gullu's Chaat

It’s not often that we find ourselves in a  chaat house. Especially when grab a bite means the nearest KFC. There is no time or day in the week when we are not hungry and recently while we were at Sheshadripuram, we decided to head towards the famous Gullu’s Chaat for a chatpata feast.

We had to ask for directions to reach the place which is tucked away near Kumara park. As expected the place was crowded. There were people all around eating a variety of chaat. We headed right inside for the ‘service’ section. Nothing to mention of the interiors because there aren’t any.  The seating area is run down and functions as wash room, part kitchen and store room. However that did not hamper the good reviews we had heard of the place.

The menu like most snack houses offers chaat, pizzas, sandwiches and juices. I have loved Masala Puri since time immemorial especially at those roadside eateries. The smell of simmering gravy over the kerosene stove still makes my  mouth water. Anyways, so with this masala filled thought, I had to order for a Special Masala Puri. It was good, though not out of this world. When asked what at the must-haves at Gullu’s, the waiter recommended the Dahi Puri. Again not the best in town. We enjoyed both nonetheless, but I definitely would not travel even one extra mile to taste this.

Special Masala Puri

Dahi Puri

For the second round we picked a Pav Bhaji and a Samosa Bhel. The Pav Bhaji was slightly tangy but was fairly high on taste. It reminded me of the Pav Bhaji you get at the Jayanagar 4th Block Shopping complex. The samosa bhel was better than the rest. With crumbled samosa tossed in the usual bhel, this one went down pretty well and fast too.

Pav Bhaji

Samosa Bhel

 And finally to complete the chaat meal, we ordered for Pani Puri. Having had the usual potato and onion filling for the last few years, the peas and curry filling was a good change. Gullu’s Chaat definitely sells good chaat, but with so many chaat counters in the city…there is nothing much to travel here for.

Stepping out of this place, I noticed that the shop next door was jam packed and sold ‘Indian Burger’ and ‘Masala Cola’. I wouldn’t mind giving that a try.

Pay by : Cash

Restroom : Didn’t risk it. No second thoughts, I didn’t come across one.

Average meal for two : Rs 100

Mel’s overall rating : 1.5 out of 5

Location: No 2/1, Serpentine Road, Kumara Park West, Bangalore 560020. Ph: 080 2356 0164

Zaika

The craving to have biryani is always there. But that special ‘Muslim’ biryani is just irresistible. So over the weekend, we were heading for late lunch and picked Zaika on MM Road for our fill of biryani.

The shirt stairs led to a spacious hall with basic seating. Fancy wall posters of biryani coupled with the enticing aroma make you order almost immediately. Though I gave a customary look at the menu, I anyway knew what I wanted.

A chicken biryani for me and a mutton biryani for Vinod. Aaaahhhh! Awesomeness. The gentle spices, the fragrant rice, the soft meat all cooked under ‘dum’ to create the perfect biryani. I loved this and I am definitely going back to this place. The masalas in both biryanis were the same. Sometimes chicken in the rice tends to be tough but the softness of this one completely surprised us. The mutton was tender as always.

Chicken Biryani

 I could have ordered another plate had it not been for this whole ‘watch your weight’ thingy. What’s more the biryani came with the famous tomato-brinjal gravy that is to die-for and the yummy phirni. Vinod stays away from the brinjal gravy making me a twice-as-happy person so I can have the share of two.

Raitha

Tomato and Brinjal Gravy

Phirni

Malai Kabab was our choice to accompany the heavenly biryani. Though it reached us after we had finished our rice, this was a good after snack. The chicken again was marinated in cream and light spices and was cooked to perfection in the tandoor.

Malai Kebab

This meal was one of the most satisfying meals of recent times. For those of you who wish to try other items, there are various options of tandoor and Chinese.

Pay by : Cash or Credit Cards

Average meal for two : Rs 450

Mel’s overall rating : 4 out of 5

Location: MM Road, Mosque Road, Frazer Town, Bangalore 560005. 

Anjappar

Family lunches at restaurants are a great idea. Not only do you get some exclusive bonding time, but you get a chance to order a lot of food. With my new found interest to try cuisines I was not familiar with, we zeroed in on Anjappar. Of course this reputed Chettinad restaurant is there around the world but we chose the outlet in Koramangala.

The first thing that strikes you is the capacity of the place. Two large halls on two floors can accommodate a whole wedding party if needed. With no reservation 6 of us found our way to our seats. My knowledge of Chettinad chicken was limited only to a chicken dish I make and so I was super-duper kicked about belting on the non-vegetarian delicacies that Chettinad cuisine boats of.

The menu has a lot of regional favourites including quail and rabbit. There is a good balance of veg and non veg food here with a choice of Chinese food as well. The food here is served on plaintain leaves.

First up was the Anjappar Fried Chicken. We asked for a full portion which had medium sized pieces of chicken marinated in spices and deep fried till golden brown. The meat was tough and was extremely dry giving little chance to enjoy the taste.

Anjappar Fried Chicken

 Next in line was the Rabbit Roast. I had tasted rabbit meat before and this was as expected, soft and was cooked with pepper and a lot of strong spices. This one was good but the quantity was too little to satisfy.

Rabbit Roast

We went on to order Chilli fish from the Chinese section since one of my cousins loves fish and is comfortable with ‘more-familiar’ food. This one had  pieces of seer fish sautéed with diced onions and capsicum and tossed well in various sauces. I must admit that this was amazing and a great Chinese dish at a  Chettinad outlet.

Chilli Fish

For the main course we ordered for Chicken and Mutton Biryanis. Cooked with basmati, the aromatic biryani with tender meat went down really well. The taste was superior though not extraordinary. For Grand mum, we ordered the Anjappar Regular Meal. As much as she insisted on eating only rice and curry, her meal was more than what she could handle. Rice which came with fish, chicken and mutton gravy, rasam, sambar, kootu, poriyal, keerai and curd.

Biryani

The meals

To go with it, we asked for the day’s special which was Tuticorin Chicken – a spicy and thick masala with chunks of chicken which was high on the spice meter. This was surely one dish which had all the spices in a  kitchen. A dash of lime and this gravy is finger licking good. 

We washed down our meals with lime sodas (though we ordered for lime juice). The bill was not heavy compared to the quantity we devoured. With a bill that came up to Rs 1500, this is a great family lunch option.

Pay by : Cash and cards

Restroom : Clean

Average meal for two : Rs 600 (ours worked up to Rs 1500 for 6)

Mel’s overall rating : 3.5 out of 5

Location: No 4, 4th B Block, 17th Main, 100 Ft Road, Near BDA Complex, Koramangala, Bangalore 560034.