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.

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

Hotel Narayana

Narayana ‘Hotel’ is the one of the most famous old-time restaurants in Mangalore. This humble eatery stands tall and brave in the coastal city despite the invasion of fast food joints and multi start hotels. Located in the bustling Bunder area near the fishing dock, Narayana is famous for its seafood. If you are not from Mangalore, you might need to take a little help of the locals to get here.

As seen in the picture below, Narayana does not offer any plush interiors or an enticing ambience. Definitely a place if you want to feast on the freshest of fresh fish and not the place if you are on a date. The place looks more like a house converted into a hotel.

The no-frills Hotel Narayana

We make it a point to squeeze in sometime for a good meal at Narayana each time we are down in Mangalore. Finding a seat for yourself is always a challenge especially during the lunch hours. We prefer the seating on the mezzanine floor. Sharing a table with total strangers is the way to work around this place.

The place offers vegetarian and fish meals, the latter being most popular. The meal comes with rice, fish curry, a vegetable and pickle. But the steal is the platter of fish. The waiters bring along huge trays of fried fish and you can take your pick. From the bhuthai (sardine) and bangda (mackerel) to the Kane (lady fish) and Pomfret, Narayana offers some of the best choices of fresh fish. A visit here is a must to taste what fresh fish tastes like. Quite different from what we get to taste in our cities!

The popular fish meals

Fried fish

The fish is basically fried in a red chilli masala and extra masala is given on request for those who like their tongues on fire. It is a homecoming each time we eat the boiled rice, with the coconut based fish gravy and a slice of fried fish. Wash it down with a buttermilk or a soft drink and your meal is complete.

Adding to the local flavor is the crowd. Businessmen, working professional, masons, local traders, college students - all find their way to Narayana. Overall Narayana never fails to satisfy those looking for great seafood. The place might not score a ten on ten for hygiene but does not let you down either. Mangalore being hot most of the year, it is advisable to sit close to one of the large industrial fans.

Pay by : Cash only

Restroom: Have not tried

Average meal for two : Rs 200 depending on the size of fish.

Mel’s overall rating : 3.5 out of 5

Location: Reach the Taj Manjarun (now known as The Gateway) and ask for directions towards Bunder. The road is called Azizudin road, if you must know. Ph : 0824 2440891.

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