Fort Cochin

If Kerala is God’s own country, then their cuisine should definitely be heavenly. I couldn’t agree more after I visited The Fort Kochi Connection (FKC) a great addition to restaurants in Koramangala. Situated on the Jyoti Nivas College Road, a basement provides ample parking for two and four wheelers.

I had heard great reviews of the food here especially the buffet. While we could not make it for the lunch buffet, we decided try the place for dinner. A group of friends meeting after long and FKC seemed like the perfect place.

With Mals and half-mals in the group….there was no reason to complain of the choice of cuisine. The ambience is mixed. One section had red lighting making it look like a lounge bar. We skipped that owing to a birthday party that was happening there. We chose the normal seating area. Bright yellow walls and photoframes of the typical Kerala landscape made a decent ambience.

The menu was vast with several cuisine options spanning across food from Kochi, Syrian Christian, Malabar, Chinese, British, Portuguese and Dutch. I am yet to decide if that was a good idea but yes, if you had an idea of the history or Kerala and the influence of various cultures, this would probably make sense. I was there for the food so totally counted on the waiter to recommend the different courses of our meal. 

We had a vegetarian among us who chose the must-try kappa (steamed tapioca) with kadala curry (a traditional favourite made of black chickpeas and served with a red chutney. All three were very good. I made sure I had a bite of each before I lost myself to the meat.

Kappa

Kadala Curry

This place serves great seafood, chicken and beef. I will be telling you what we ordered through the evening. Get ready for a crash course in Malayalam. Our first choice for starter was Achayan Pothularth which were beef cubes sautéed in spices. Reminds one of the typical Kerala beef fry and make sure you don’t miss this if beef is your thing.

Achayan Pothularth

On the recommendation of the waiter, next on our plates was the Chemmeen Ularthu – a delectable dish of fresh prawn in a semi-spicy mix. The non-Keralites and non-beef eaters seemed to like this one. For me it didn’t score that well, as it was close to what we made at home. To keep the egg lovers happy, we picked the Mutta Chikkiyathu – a variation of egg burji with coconut and mild spices. What I likes about this one was that there were onions or tomatoes to adulterate the taste of eggs and the coconut added a special flavoring.

Chemmeen Ularthu

Mutta Chikkiyathu

So many starters and no chicken. That’s not possible. Again on the waiter’s recommendation, we went for the Dak Bungalow Chicken Fry. The name had a history to it. The taste was good with boneless chicken cooked to perfection in homemade spices. This one was a good choice again though the beef still is my favourite.

Dak Bungalow Chicken Fry

When you have many girls at the table, you end up being full mid-way through the starters. Well, counting on the two boys who were with us, I went ahead and ordered an elaborate main course. We ordered many gravies and to go with it the Kerala staples of appam and iddiyappam (string hoppers). 

Appam

Iddiyappam

The Pachakkari Istew (veg stew) for the vegetarian was a good one with rich coconut milk added to it. To ensure we tried more seafood, we opted for the Neimeen Moilee, seer fish cooked in a coconut based gravy. I liked this one. A little extra tanginess and this would have scored a 10 on 10. The gravy was little on the salty side as well but that could be ignored.

Pachakkari Istew

Neimeen Moilee

We even tried the Syrian Christian Prawn Curry. This was a good choice as well. All the gravies went very well with the appam and idiyappams and a safe bet considering the spice levels are suitable for all palettes.

Syrian Christian Prawn Curry

One of the other must-try items here is the Kappa Biryani which was a great mix of mashed tapioca and spiced beef. This was a first time for me and I loved every bit of it. I wonder why I hadn’t tried this earlier.

Kappa Biryani

The place offers some mocktails as well, but I really missed out on taking down names. So here is one of the pictures. 

Overall, I think the Fort Kochi Connection has done a fabulous job with their food. All that we had had authentic flavours and a home made comforting taste. We decided to give one dessert a try at the end of a sumptuous meal and picked the Vattelappam. This pudding of coconut and jagggery was so good, that I will start my course with it the next time around. A dessert to die for.

Vattelappam

Pay by : Cash and cards

Average meal for two : Rs 1000 (including mocktails). For 5 of us, it worked up to close to Rs 3000

Mel’s overall rating : 4 out of 5

Location: Ground Floor, 77/A, Cygnus Chambers, Jyothi Nivas College Road, Koramangala, Bangalore

Ph:  080 67947389 ext:253

Grill House

We’ve been frequenting the Ulsoor Lake – Frazer town area for our dance lessons (Yes, the calories do bother us! ) and so we decided to try more eating joints around these places. So this weekend, Grill House it was.  For the shopaholics, Grill House is a little further down 1 MG Road, the latest mall in the vicinity. For the old timers, this place is just a few buildings away from The Park hotel. For lunch, parking didn’t seem an issue however in the evenings, it could be a slight concern.

The ambience is ranch-like and carries  a western steak-house feel to it. Heavy wooden furniture add to the rugged look. The menu here has a wide range of veg and non-veg starters, sizzers and steaks, salads and dessert.  A full-fledged bar menu also ensures the thirst is quenched. There are a few things I have to order when I see them in a  menu. For eg, The Buffallo wings and Bloody/Virgin Mary. Vinod has almost begun to taunt me for my obsession.



Buffallo Wings



The Buffalo Wings were tossed in a sauce that was quite different from the ones we had tried elsewhere. The waiter  asked us to  choose from mild, medium or hot sauce and we bravely picked the hot one. But it was not so bad when it arrived. I was imagining tears and a running nose but this was very much manageable. Pepper was used in abundance but the sweetness of the sauce overpowered it. I would have preferred the wings a little less sweeter but Vinod seems to like them this way. 

Virgin Mary

Sunset Cooler

Of course, the Virgin Mary was close to perfect. Had to skip the alcohol in this one owing to dance class. Having tasted BM in SEVERAL places, I can clearly tell the superiority of one drink from the other and even the difference in ingredients. This one was fabulous. Perfectly spiced. Hubby chose a Sunset Cooler – a mix of cranberry juice, orange juice, lemon juice and Sugar syrup. Quite light and refreshing.

We did not over order this time. One starter and we were up for main course. I picked the Moroccan Lamb Sausages - Grill House Special of lamb sausages grilled, served with pepper sauce, rice and mash on a  plate instead of a sizzler. The presentation didn’t appeal to me much. With my first bite into the sausages I realized that I was not too fond of lamb sausages. but overall it was not a bad buy. The portion too was good. I was glad I didn’t opt for the sizzler. 

Moroccan Lamb Sausages

Twice Marinated Steak

Vinod ordered for the Twice Marinated Steak - the chef's special steak, marinated twice, served with two pepper sauce. This was a great choice. We asked for the steak to be well done on a sizzler plate and Grill House is right about the ‘Marinated Twice’ bit. The juicy meat proved that in every bite.  Somehow since both our dishes has a pepper sauce, we almost felt we ate the same stuff.

As we were finishing our main course, a polite waiter arrived with a tray of sinful cheese cakes. We had to decline the offer twice as politely. With a full tummy and a dance workout on the way, this was the best decision. I wouldn’t say Grill House is one of the best places in town for steak but it is definitely worth a try if you are on this side of town.

Pay by : Cash and cards

Restroom : Very clean with neat interiors

Average meal for two : Rs 1400 (with mocktails)

Mel’s overall rating : 2.5 out of 5

Location: #8/6, Ulsoor Road, Bangalore- 560 008. Ph No. 080 4097 7011 or  81478 62595

Rogue Elephant

Great ambience with great food is what sums up Rogue Elephant in one sentence. But then what the objective of this blog, if all ends there?

So we decided to stop by at Rogue Elephant on a Saturday afternoon. Situated in a not-so-crowded area in Koramangala, RE offers some space to breathe with soothing close-to-nature ambience and semi outdoor seating.

The menu here has a wide choice for non vegetarians and a little vegetarian here and there. With no delay, for starters we asked for a non-veg platter which was not on the menu. Good choice for four. There were sheek kebabs, malai kebabs, tikkas and some fish too. I would not say that the quantity was great for the price because with a large appetite like ours, this could be finished by two. But on serious note, the meat was juicy and there was variety.

Non-Veg Platter

For drinks we ordered a non-alcoholic mojito, Caribbean fruit punch and some Chilean red wine.  

Carribean Fruit Punch

Mojito

Red wine

For a second starter, we picked the Paneer kebab. Juicy paneer is a spicy tangy marinade tickled the taste buds thoroughly. The flavor somehow reminded me about the Goan Rechaedo masala. I could go back for that flavor.

Paneer Kabab

With one round of Hummus and Pita bread, we moved on for main course. Sorry guys, but after tasting the Hummus and Pita at Pepper café, nothing matches to that superior taste.

Hummus and Pita Bread

For main course, I ordered for a Chicken Escalope Milanese. Robin called it a chicken roti and the dish lived up to it. The texture, the hardness and even the flavor to some extent made it like a roti. It required a lot of effort and half way through the dish, I was waiting to finish it. The taste was just OK.

Chicken Escalope Milanese

Herb Roast Chicken

 Robin picked a Herb Roast Chicken which came with veggies and mash. The sauce was similar to the usual brown sauce but tasty nonetheless.

Chicken Quiche

Neha ordered for a Chicken Quiche which came with a potato salad. The quiche was good with generous amounts of chicken but I felt the quantity was poor for the price.

The best choice of the day was the Baked Fish Mornay taken by Saritha. Cheese lovers, look no further! Firm pieces of fish delicately baked and placed on a bed of mash potatoes drowned in a cheesy white sauce…how does that sound? When this dish arrived, we had kept aside our dishes and polished this plate clean. Awesomeness! Again another dish to swear by!

Baked Fish Mornay

Since the kitchen had closed, we missed dessert L. I would surely recommend this place if you want to go out with your special someone or a friend you really need to catch up with. However you might want to reach there early as their kitchen closes at 2.30pm and you’ll end up hurrying with your food.

Pay by : Cash and cards

Restroom : Clean

Average meal for two Rs 1500 (for 4of us, it worked up Rs 4000 including the wine)

Mel’s overall rating : 3.5 out of 5

Location: No 444, 18^th main, 6^th Block, Koramangala, Bangalore 560095. Ph : 080-40922037.

Yana - Sizzlers & More!

It was a special day and after a boring movie and some delayed shopping, we decided to settle with some place closer to home. That’s when we decided we’d stop by at Yana Sizzlers N More.

Colourful interiors with soft lighting created a cozy yet not so mushy ambience for our special dinner.

As the name suggests Yana is all about sizzlers – veg, chicken, lamb and seafood. The menu offers a wide choice along with some sides too.

Each time we head to a sizzler joint we tend to overestimate our capacity and order more than what we can down. To start with we picked a simple Chicken Chilly. The meat was tender and had very little coating over it making it a good start. The taste was good if not extraordinary. The quantity too was good for two to share.



Chicken Chilli



Yana serves a variety of non-alcoholic beverages and mocktails. I picked the Boo Boo Special which was a thick blend of orange juice, pineapple juice, litchi and fresh cream. Vinod’s choice was ‘Mad About Town’ – orange juice, pineapple juice, grenadine and soda. Both were great to taste. Mine was heavy and lasted till the end of my meal.

Boo Boo Special

Mad About Town

To order our main course we were spoilt for choice and the lack of detail in the menu made it harder for us to decide. Finally after a lot of deliberation, Vinod settled for a Chicken Sausage sizzler while I opted for a Chicken Special.

Chichken Sausage Sizzler

Chicken Special Sizzler

Four sausages in barbeque sauce on a bed of rice with buttered veggies with corn and peas salad and mashed potato made for a content dinner for the man. I slowly nibbled at my sizzler which had a soft roasted chicken breast with almost the same accompaniments and added fries and grated cheese.

Needless to say I could not finish my share and had to skip dessert too. Overall Yana was a good choice and we’ll surely go back there to try more sizzlers.

Pay by : Cash or Credit Card

Restroom : Unisex and clean

Average meal for two : Rs 1200

Mel’s overall rating : 3 out of 5

Location: Near Anand Sweets, Koramangala, Bangalore 560095

Pepper Cafe

As a group, this place forever has been on our list but somehow it never happened. And finally on Saturday, we made it to Pepper Café. I had heard a lot of good things about this place from various sources, making it all the more important for us to visit.

Pepper Café is situated on St John’s road and is easy to locate and with a little eyebrow twitching on the parking front, we were all set to indulge in some good Euro food. The restaurant has two levels of seating and is well lit giving it a bright ambience. We settled on the first floor and soon were engrossed reading the menu and their detailed fancy descriptions. Soups, salads, steaks, risottos and pizzas…there’s lots to pick from.

We chose to begin with soups. We were 6 of us and decided to share. Robin and Neha ordered the Chicken Corn and Chilly Soup. A variation of the usual sweet corn, except that it had more pepper and spices. The minced chicken in the thick soup tasted great as the warmth travelled down the throat.

Chicken Corn and Chilly Soup

Saritha and me picked the Rock Crab Soup which is a Pepper Café special. It tasted very similar to the chicken soup but yes, it was substituted by crab.

Rock Crab Soup

Lakshmi and Vinod ordered a great sounding sun kissed plum tomato, parmesan and basil soup. It was served with garlic croutons. The closest cousin to this dish would be a homemade tomato soup. Not too tangy and mildly spiced. The portions were just right considering you need place to try starters, main course and dessert.



Sun kissed plum tomato, parmesan and basil soup



For starters, we had Italian Chicken Bites with Vatican Salad and a Thousand Island Dip. Small tikkis of minced chicken were delicately spiced and very well presented. I had heard of Vatican salad for the first time, it predominantly had juliennes of radish in it.

Italian Chicken Bites

We also ordered Thai Fish Cakes which came along with a chick pea salad and some sweet chilli friache. While we were expecting the aroma of the famous Thai fish sauce, this dish fortunately didn’t have any. But overall, it resembled the chicken bites. Both disappeared as soon as they appeared. A sign of good food, I must say!

Thai Fish Cakes

As a veggie starter, we picked the Pizza Florence. This thin crust pizza was richly decorated with roast garlic, egg plant, buffalo mozzarella, tomato and fresh basil. Absolutely didn’t miss the meat in this one!

Pizza Florence

For main course, I had Grilled Lamb Chops with red wine pepper mushroom sauce. I usually never pick lamb, but this time I did. I didn’t regret the taste but wished the meat was cubed. Easier to eat! The chops came with assorted veggies and cheese mash. It’s just like what you are imagining right now- mashed potato with a hint of cheese.

Grilled Lamb Chops

Neha ordered a colourful Dual Pepper and Chicken Pizza which had a delightful mix of chicken and bell peppers, olives, basil and sundried tomatoes all resting on a  thin crust. The base was crispy and tasted absolutely fantastic. I would not be able to single out the different tastes of the pizza but it didn’t have the Indian flavors that most pizzas boast of elsewhere.  

Dual Pepper and Chicken Pizza

Grilled Vietnamese Chicken

Saritha helped herself with Grilled Vietnamese Chicken which was served with a generous portion of Asian sauce and a peanut noodle salad. The chicken was spiced with herbs and was cooked well. The sauce on the other hand was tangy but the glass noodles blended well with the dish and evened out the flavours.

Vinod enjoyed his main course which was Thyme scented Grilled Chicken Breast with a wild mushroom sauce accompanied with a cheese mash. The sauce was creamy and suits all taste buds.

Thyme scented Grilled Chicken

Lakshmi opted for a Pumpkin, Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni. There is something about pumpkin and spinach together. It made for an amazing soft filling in the cannelloni. What’s more? The cannelloni was almost drowned in a mature cheddar sauce. 

Pumpkin, Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni

Robin always gets to order the best. He picked Shepherds’ Delight from the pizza section and a Dual Flavored Hummus with Paper Pizza Bread. The pizza, again a thin crust had a generous spread of lamb pepperoni and veggies with cheese of course. The flavours just came alive with every bite. He asked for the beetroot flavour in the Hummus and it was heavenly to say the least. The paper bread also was a great break from the usual pita. 

Shepherds’ Delight

Dual Flavored Hummus with Paper Pizza Bread

Apart from all the food, we also helped ourselves to iced teas, lemonades and other drinks. My inputs on all of them:

Peach iced tea – Fantastic

Fresh lime soda – Great if not the ‘bestest’

Lemon iced tea – Lemon was missing. It was just iced mild tea

Greenapple lemonade – Good if you like the flavor of the fruit

Watermelon lemonade – Stay away!

Lemonades

Iced Teas

As much as we wanted to bite into dessert, we had to skip it as we had a movie waiting for us. But the Oreo Cheese cake on the menu surely sounded inviting. May be next time! Pepper Café was a great experience. It was a treat to some great food after a very long time. This place is good for everyone- be it family, friends, colleagues. However the portions are best to be shared by couples. At Pepper café, it is clear that food is an art. It shows in the ambience, menu, taste and presentation carefully put together by the owners Rohan D’Souza, Ritesh Khandelwal and Atul Khandelwal. And yes, art does not come cheap!

Pay by : Cash and cards

Restroom : Average meal for two Rs 1000 (for 6 of us, it was about Rs 3700)

Mel’s overall rating : 4 out of 5

Location: Near Lavanya Theatre, St John’s Road, Ulsoor, Bangalore

Pizzeria Romano

When we intended to go out on dinner that weekend, we had a place serving coastal food in mind. As we were travelling, all of a sudden we decided to try a different place. We had seen Pizzeria Romano many times before but never really ventured inside. Vinod and me had lots to “discuss” and decided we could give ourselves a luxury meal that evening.

The restaurant is situated amongst many other restaurants in Koramangala 6th block. As we entered the gate, a waitress ushered us to the first floor. Posters covering every inch of the wall is what welcomes you as you take the flight of stairs. As you enter the restaurant, the décor screams out the theme of music and movies. Every rock star you can think of has found a place on the wall here. We took a while just to look around. Though at first everything looked crowded and cluttered, it didn’t take time for us to slip into nostalgia. The place sure reminds you of your favourite singers and movies through your growing years.

The contemporary, plush interiors offer different sections of seating depending on the kind of privacy you expect. The lighting of the place gives it a very warm look. We forgot we had to “discuss” something and took the seats right opposite the band. Yes, there was a band playing that night. The three member band sang some fabulous cover versions.  A perfect way to start the evening I must say.

Now the objective of this review- the food! Pizzeria Romano believes in serving superb Italian and continental food. The menu runs into pages and offers a wide variety of pizzas and a vast choice of pastas, risottos, chargrilled, meats, exotic salads and desserts. This is no average priced place. Be ready to cough up a good amount if you want to enjoy a meal.

For starters, we ordered a Tex Max Buffalo Wings. This was the first time I actually ordered wings at a restaurant other than KFC. The dish was fiery red and rested on white plate. The sharp tangy and spicy smell of it had my mouth watering. With no delay, I dug my knife and fork into grilled chicken wings marinated in Indian spices served with sun dried tomato chilly pesto. The so called marinade looks like the Indian masala and tastes fantastic. The hot spice of the chilli as against the tangy taste of the sundried tomatoes created a superb blend of flavours. The wings though grilled were easy to bite into. The meat was absolutely tender and delectable.

Tex Max Buffalo Wings

To beat the heat, we ordered some mocktails. We decided to skip alcohol this time. I was brave to try a mocktail called Crazy Knockers. I specifically asked for a spicy drink. This one had a spicy syrup mixed with a ginger syrup and topped with soda and Sprite. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? It tasted crazy too, but in the good sense. It shook my senses thoroughly. Don’t try this if you are not in for some adventure.

Crazy Knockers

Vinod orders safe and chose a Virgin Pina Colada. The usual concoction of pineapple juice staright out of the can, thick coconut milk, cream and sugar to sweeten it. It was filling to say the least considering the tall glass it was served in.

Virgin Pina Colada

At Pizzeria Romano don’t skip the pizzas. There are a zillion options to choose from. Ask the staff there to help you choose. I am meat lover. The more I can get my hands on, the happier I am. After giving a lot of thought I opted for a Joyride pizza. Perfectly baked pepperoni, hot Italian sausage, pepper bacon made sure the meats absolutely pleased the senses. Not just this, the pizza was also topped with caramelized onions, garlic, oregano and hot chilli peppers all laid on a thin crust. I am fan of the deep dish crust at Dominos and usually avoid thin crusts but given the toppings of this one, the crust didn’t matter at all.  Spicy is an understatement for this pizza.

Joyride

I went a step ahead and ate it with some red chilli pepper saucy. Super hot! The waitress suggested we try a wood fired pizza. The cooking surface of these ovens is apparently between 500-600 degrees, the upper chamber of the oven can reach over 900 degrees. The heat produced is very dry, which is perfect for quickly sealing in flavors. We’ll buy that explanation anyways since the pizza was like a mouthful of heaven in every bite.

Vinod wanted something from the steak section and chose a Chicken Pepperonata. Exotic as the name sounds, this dish came like a mountain on a plate as against a steak in a sauce that we were expecting. The long pieces of chicken were very visible amongst the bell peppers and was a delight to the eyes. The meat was exceptionally tender and was marinated with mild spices and herbs. The bell peppers were of all colours the market had to offer. After two pieces of chicken, we were left with a heap of peppers. The tomato sauce in it made it palatable but it was definitely a rip off. For the rest of the meal, Vinod and me kept finishing the peppers.

Chicken Pepperonata

Pizzeria Romano is great place to take your special someone on a nice dinner or lunch. A little overpriced, I cannot really say that it is value for money. The prices on the menu are without taxes and amount to a good sum on the bill. The cocktails are priced way too high to leave your throat dry. Will I go there again? Sure I will! But only when I feel rich.

Pay by : Cash and cards

Restroom : Did not explore

Average meal for two : approx Rs 1500 (including mocktails)

Mel’s overall rating : 3.5 out of 5

Location: 55, 5th Cross, 6th Block, Koramangala, Bangalore. Ph: 080 40953751 / 52,