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

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

 

Ritz Classic Restaurant and Bar

We had heard about Ritz Classic Restaurant and Bar from afew friends. And since it had to do with Goan cuisine, we had to be there. ThinkGoa, think seafood, think Ritz. Locating the place can be quite a challenge butits popularity helps you find the way.

We did a smart thing by reaching there early promptly to beushered to our seats. We were told that most people have to wait to be seatedduring the lunch hours. The seating is basic and does not promise a fine diningexperience. But the AC provides a respite from the scorching heat outside.

The humble interiors of Ritz

 This restaurant has been around for ages and boasts of avast seafood menu among others. Of course with it, come thousands of loyalcustomers. Hubby and me usually pick chicken or pork over seafood most often. Quitestrange for a Mangalorean but true. But this time it was going to be a good helping of seafood at Ritz.

We started our meal with a plate of Mussels Rawa Fry.  A local favourite here, the bites are crispy and the quantity is good if not great. If you like to pick your fish, the waiters bring a large tray of fresh fish for you to choose from. King fish, shark, snappers, tiger prawns, lobsters, pomfrets, mackerels….there’s lots to offer. We picked a large whitepomfret to be fried in the traditional recheido masala. The fish was at its fresh best and the masala was great. I missed the tanginess that most Goan dishes have but I am sure the taste has been neutralized to suit all tastebuds.

Mussels Rawa Fry

White pomfret in recheido masala

Beer and port wine go without saying. Vinod and me helped ourselves with two rounds each. Ritz is famous for its fish plate meals or ‘thali’.Having seen it on all tables, we could hardly resist it for main course. For a100 bucks, this was a complete steal. The meal came with a prawn curry and rice, shell fish sukka, a large piece of fried king fish, dry prawn chutney, a ‘parra’of sardines and a veggie. Belt on these meals and you wouldn’t needstarters too. Vinod settled for the meal while I had some other choices.

Fish meals

I feasted on a Sea Food Fried Rice. In Goa I prefer theirpulaos but with the spice overdose, I decided to stick to the slightly bland fried rice. Squids, prawns, fish and crab meat found their way into the riceand was yummy to say the least. To go with it, I ordered for my favourite –the Prawn Balchao. The gravy was spicy with large prawns and went well with therice. Having tasted the Balchao at various places, I would well put my money on the one sold at Martin’s Corner. Good try nonetheless if you have not tried the former. Plain rice or bread (pao) too is a great accompaniment for balchao.

Sea Food Fried Rice

Prawn Balchao

Vinod was particularly happy with this meal and I too had myfill of seafood. We are definitely going back there.

Payby : Cash and cards

Restroom: Basic and pray that it doesn’t stink

Averagemeal for two : Rs 1000 (with drinks); ours worked up to Rs 1400. Just keep a watch on the taxes on the bill though.

Mel’soverall rating : 3.5 out of 5

Location:First Flor, Wagle Vision, 18 June Road, Panjim, Goa. Ph : 0832 6644796