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

Cupcake Noggins

Cakes have always been my favourite but now that I am trying my hand at baking, it makes it all the more important for me to taste different kinds of cake. This time it was cupcakes. Everything is good about them. Those little servings of heaven topped with icing make such a treat.

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to taste the wonderful cuppies made by Cupcake Noggins at an event I was part of. Wow is the word. Not only did they look out of this world, each cupcake lived up to my expectation and some exceeded. The sheer variety got me drooling. I didn’t eat much, just about 15 of them. 

I could not keep myself away from the stalls and made my friends get some for me. All the ‘I am watching what I eat’ funda went flying out of the window at the sight of the little cupcakes.

Cupcake Noggins has three branches in Bangalore, the main ones being at Sarjapur Road and Koramangala and have a lot of other delicacies. 

At the stall, I indulged in quite a few flavours.

Oreo – A cupcake that didn’t give away the oreo straight away but yet subtle teased the taste buds. Dark brown inside and a pale green frosting on the outside.

Carrot – What lied underneath the orange cream cheese or butter cream  frosting was a soft yet firm carrot cupcake. Though carrot cakes are not my favourite this one was an exception.

Chocolate & Chocolate – for those who love everything chocolaty, this was a good one too.

The bestest however was the Red Velvet Cupcake –ever since I tasted Red Velvet cake  a year ago at a party, I order for it anywhere I find it. And at Cupcake noggins out of the 15 that I ate, 4 or 5 must have been red velvets. Need I say more! Better than most places in Bangalore I know of. Loved it, loved it, loved it!.

Marble Madness – though I did try marble cake at home, this was way out of the world. It’s been over two weeks now since I sinfully indulged in cupcakes so I don’t really remember the names, but each one was better than the other. Reasonably priced, it does not hurt to try a few at one go. A must try for anyone on this side of town. No, the cupcake guys have not paid me to write this but I thought they truly deserved this.

Average pricing: Rs 35-40 each

Mel’s overall rating : 4 out of 5

Location  : 27a, 2nd Gate, opposite Fishermens wharf, Shubh Enclave, Harlur Rd, Off Sarjapur Rd,
Bangalore – 560102. Ph: 9986761619

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