The Tao Terraces

A perfect date it was! Asian food, romantic restaurant and my 4-month old fast asleep. 

Tao Terraces would not have happened, had it not been for a meal voucher we got for that place. Considering my little one can’t be out all day, we do not travel far when we want to have a good meal.

The craving for Asian food had been there for very long but I had to avoid it to stay healthy for the baby. This was like a major indulgence in many ways for me.

Tao Terraces is a great place for a fine dining experience. With a water body right in the middle and several Buddha statues adorning the walls, the place warms the heart. Their menu spans across Chinese, Japanese and Thai cuisines. The place also offers a buffet which we chose in order to make sure we tried a whole lot of stuff.

The buffet per say is not a spread. Each dish is brought to you when you pick it from the menu. I missed peeping through multiple dishes. With the little one sleeping on the couch until mid-way through our main course, Vinod and I did manage to enjoy our food and our time together.

So here’s what we sampled through the afternoon. And yes the pics are bad! With diapers, water bottle, rattle, change clothes, umbrella, hand towels, wallet and wet wipes, I totally forgot to carry a camera. So we had to make do with a mobile camera in low light.

Soups : We tried both the Veg Tom Yum and the Chicken Hot and Sour Soup. Both had sharp tastes but nothing out of the ordinary. Vinod said they were both great for his stuffy nose on a rainy afternoon.

Veg Tom Yum Soup

Chicken Hot & Sour Soup

 Starters : On offer were three veg and three non veg starters.

Chicken Dimsums which were like comfort food for us were great with the honey chilli sauce. The diced chicken with ginger and red chilli was superb with tender pieces of chicken well marinated and cooked. 

Chicken Dimsums

Diced chicken with ginger and red chilli (fish in the background)

The wok tossed fish in fermented black bean and peanut sauce was good but not better than the chicken.

And then we decided we wanted to taste the veg spring rolls. I wonder why I did that. The after taste of flour in the rolls remained until main course arrived.

For main course, there was the quintessential Thai Red Curry and Green Curry. My meal was done with this. I cleared went in for the buffet for these two items and I made sure I had my fill. 

Thai Green Curry

Thai Red Curry

The green curry is usually my favourite but somehow there the red curry took over. It was creamier and perfectly spiced. My mouth is still watering as I write about it. Loved it! I missed the plain rice here. We were served Szechwan fried rice and Hakka noodles, both of which were good.

Szechwan fried rice

Vegetable Hakka Noodles

Somewhere in between we had a mixed vegetable and tofu with bamboo shoots in a black bean sauce. Decent, but again not out of this world. Another dish worthy of mention is the Wok tossed fish in a Chinese Parsley sauce. This was mildly spiced and went well with both the rice and the noodles.
 

Mixed vegetables in black bean sauce

Fish in Chinese Parsley Sauce

 The buffet also came with a drink. I picked a Fresh Lime soda and Vinod picked a pint of beer.

Fresh Lime Soda

For the dessert, we were served a platter of fresh fruit, banana toffee, Darsan with vanilla ice cream. The Darsan was good but the ice cream was sadly below average. 

The desserts

While this meal was not very different from any of the regular Asian food joints, the ambience gives it those extra points and for me it was clearly the red curry.

Will I go back there? May be, if someone treats me again J

Pay by : Cash and cards

Average meal for two : Rs 1500

Mel’s overall rating : 2.5 out of 5

Location: 5th Floor, 1 MG Mall, Mahatma Gandhi Rd, Halasuru, Bangalore, Karnataka 560008. Phone: 098 86 640445

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

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

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

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