All about my recent visit to Foxtrot Gastropub, Bengaluru!

“You can check-out any time you like

But you can never leave! – Lyrics from ‘Hotel California’ by Eagles”

This song comes to my mind when I really like any place and literally get attached to the same. When there are lovely places to chill near home, who would like to stay back at home? Foxtrot Gastropub opened earlier this year and this happening place is the answer for those who think Eastern Suburbans don’t know how to party :P My review is based on two visits and on both visits I totally had a different experience. My first visit was on a Saturday evening and this place was packed as hell. Foxtrot is famous for its rocking parties, live band performances, great ambiance, amazing drinks and lip-smacking food. Weekends are the best time to spend here if you want to dance with your buddies and party hard. Here the DJ knows the pulse of their guests and you will see almost everyone on the dance floor.

Once you enter this chic friendly pub, every nook and corner is different with funky and vibrant décor. Every corner has a story to tell and you would love to spend time here especially in the daytime which I discovered on my recent visit. They have kept books on different tables, so if you are not in a mood just go there, grab a drink and enjoy reading your favorite book.

The talented young Chef here, Mr. Alok knows his game well. His style is totally different and that what makes Foxtrot different from other Pubs in this area. Till date, I haven’t heard a single bad review about this place from my foodie pals. Their menu is simple yet could have been an elaborate one with more ‘quick bites’. From a selection of Cocktails I love the 'Forest Fog' with some smokey drama (Smoked Whiskey cocktail with hickory wood, bitters, and citrus juice), ‘What a Match(a)’ made of Matcha tea, Whiskey, ginger syrup and citrus juice, and ‘Urban Decay’ – a Bacardi drink with Pineapple, star anise, bitters and citrus juice. I’m not a LIIT (Long Island Iced Tea) person and love to have Vodka/ Whiskey in my cocktail along with spices. These three drinks were brilliant and I would highly recommend it.

Lol! I wish I had a ‘mirror, mirror on the wall’ like the one which evil queen from Snow White had, but a customized one to check which are the must-try dishes in Bangalore food scene :P Their menu consists of an array of selected interesting dishes like Black Pepper Chicken Tikka, Curry leaf Prawns, Jerk spiced Cottage Cheese with Coriander Pesto, and Tomato and Cherry Mozzarella Bruschetta,  Waffle Chicken Sandwich with Chimichurri Salsa and Masala fries, and thin crust Pizza Margherita. If I had a choice I can live the rest of my life with these addictive creamy Curry leaf Prawns and Jerk Spiced Cottage Cheese.

My second visit was on a weekday afternoon and this Pub can be turned to your workplace. If you have a laptop and a dongle, just pick a peaceful corner and you are sorted for the day. Overall I enjoyed my experience at Foxtrot Gastropub and would love to visit again. A meal for two would be ₹1000/- (approximately). Table reservation is recommended as this place offer wonderful buffet deals and weekend parties.

Address:
Foxtrot Gastropub
#89/1, Level 4
NTR Royal Plaza, Monnekollal Village
Outer Ring Road, Marathahalli
Bengaluru
For reservations, contact - +91 9108136001

Follow me on Facebook - You gotta try it

Zomato- Yougottatryit
Twitter- Soumya_Gopi
Instagram- soumyagopi 

For any queries or feedback, call +91-9886771173 or send a mail to afoodiestrail@gmail.com

It's 'Halftime' at Monkey Bar, this World Cup Season from June 14th - July 15th, 2018!

PC: Sanjay Ramchandran

 

The FIFA World Cup 2018 officially started with Russia Vs Saudi Arabia match at Luzhniki Stadium on 14^th of this month. From the Facebook feed and Instagram stories, I know there is a good number of people who love Football and prefer this game over Cricket. Is there any comparison needed? No right..! In India, there are two types of people, either Argentina fans or Brazil fans. So which team are you cheering for?  If you are exploring places to watch your favorite teams match then check out Monkey Bar in Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata. They have come up with a brilliant Half-time menu for celebrating this FIFA World Cup season along with live screenings, great deals on drinks, and much more to keep your spirits high.

PC: Sanjay Ramchandran

Whenever I walk into Chef Manu Chandra’s territory- the funky beautiful Monkey Bar; I am sure that I will have a great day. The positive vibe of this place is impeccably high. From the ambiance to music; polite staffs to amazing food and beverages, this place never fail to impress me. The FIFA World Cup menu is carefully crafted with food from around the world. The British’s favorite ‘the classic English batter fried Fish and Chips’ or the Mexican favorite Tortilla with Honey and Chipotle Chicken served with pico de gallo, Cheddar Cheese and sour cream, or the South African inspired snack- the 'Mini Bunny Chow' made of bread bowl with curried chicken topped with cheese and German special 'Kahn’s Hot Dog' made of Chicken/pork sausages in a hot dog bun topped with mustard, ketchup, sauerkraut, charred pepper sauce, sweet pickle relish and more. The 'Frickles' will get you going with the portion of deep fried pickled cucumber, carrot and daikon radish with mint cream.

PC: Sanjay Ramchandran

PC: Sanjay Ramchandran

If you like Pork Belly then don’t miss the ‘No:10’ from the menu – Chilly Pork belly tossed in roasted garlic, Chilli, and Shallots. For that crunch factor, they have added sprouts and crushed peanuts. The 'Football Farsan' is a must try dish from their menu which is a trio of ‘Curry and Parmesan Popcorn’, ‘Honey coated Fox nuts’, ‘Chilli and Rosemary coated peanuts’ and Togarashi. If you ask me which one was my favorite, you will probably put me in a dilemma because the menu has got all my favorite elements.

For drinks, the majority of us opted for ‘Maanga Pitcher’ made of Vodka and Raw Mango. Other than Monkey Bar special pitchers, the Half-time menu has some special offers on beers as well.

The real fun is that you can also be a part of the football mania by playing some fun games at Monkey Bar. They have indoor games like Flip cup, Foosball and Beer Relay to enjoy with your friends. The Football fever is on and do visit Monkey Bar and join the madness. The Half-time menu price starts from ₹220 onwards and it is available till July 15^th.

Address:

Monkey Bar

#610, 12th Main, Indiranagar

Bangalore -560038

For table reservation, contact -  080 44114455

Follow me on Facebook - You gotta try it

Zomato- Yougottatryit
Twitter- Soumya_Gopi
Instagram- soumyagopi 

For any queries or feedback, call +91-9886771173 or send a mail to afoodiestrail@gmail.com

Lights! Camera! Action! - Barbeque Nation presents 'Filmi Retro Fest' from 31st May - 16th June, 2018!

Barbeque Nation presents ‘Filmi Retro Fest’ - a food festival for retro movie buffs. It is an attempt to take the diners through a nostalgic ride of film and food, reminiscing the bygone silver screen era. From scrumptious starters to toothsome desserts, the festival brings to your table, the finest delicacies to relish, at all Barbeque Nation outlets in Bangalore. Apart from the food, the retro theme is integrated into the ambiance and the décor of the outlets to sync with the flamboyant filmi retro festival and create the perfect atmosphere for diners. The décor is embellished with filmi danglers, coaster and table mats, and old-school themed photo booths and frames with props like the Polka dot apparels of the 60’s.

The highlights of the festival are the live-counters and Starters, where dishes like Rangrez Tangdi, Mission Kashmir-E-Seekh, Tain- Tain Fish, Chak-De Paneer and more are served in traditional style. Customers can bask in the aroma of marinated, skewered meat sizzling over hot grills and tawas. They can also try Hazelnut chocolate mousse & Peach Panna Cotta another traditional sweet from the 80’s.

From decor to staffs, music to food; everything goes well with the retro theme. I enjoyed Pappad ke Shammi Kebab, fiery Ghee roasted Prawns, Lemongrass Fish Tikka, Methi Murgh Malai tikka, Mughlai Azam Seekh Kebab and few more interesting starters by enjoying ‘dum maaro dum’, ‘meri awaaz ki pehchan hei’, ‘Piya tu’ and other retro favorites playing in the background and I just loved it, like never before.

I always used to ignore the main course when at BN or rather it will be light as a feather after gorging on the array of their grilled starters. This time I couldn’t stop myself as there were interesting gravies like Laal Maas, Meen moilee, Chettinad Egg masala, Dal Makhani, Salmon Biryani, Bollywood style Kadai Chicken and vegetarian dishes like Bagara Baigan, Sabnam ke Palak, Lucknowi Veg Biryani etc. When most of the restaurants screw up our simple fish molly/moilee, surprisingly they got this right for buffet lunch. I enjoyed my lunch to the core.

For desserts, I picked Saffron Phirni with Mango pieces, hot hot mini Gulab jamuns, Mango falooda and an addictive Soan Papdi (Grandma's hair :P) like we used to get in our childhood. It was so damn good. Mango Falooda lacked flavor and toppings.

Yesterday while dining at BN’s Soul Space Arena Mall outlet I witnessed different crowds; from families to 30-40 members of the corporate team. No kit-kit and no drama; seems like everyone had their own fun time. From my early Bangalore days to till date, this is one favorite restaurant of mine, which beliefs on quality as well as quantity and that’s the reason anytime or any day I’m game for Barbeque Nation. Thanks to the Times Food Award-winning Chef Nagaraj for creating this awesome retro Bollywood experience for me. Do visit any of the Barbeque Nation outlets for Filmi Retro Fest which is on till 16^th June, 2018.

Follow me on Facebook - You gotta try it

Zomato- Yougottatryit
Twitter- Soumya_Gopi
Instagram- soumyagopi 

For any queries or feedback, call +91-9886771173 or send a mail to afoodiestrail@gmail.com