Thursday, August 30, 2018

All about my late afternoon lunch at XOOX Brewmill, Koramangala!




Bengaluru is blessed with many good watering holes (Yeah.. we love to party a lot). The latest addition to this list is XOOX Brewmill at Koramangala. You can hardly miss this old mill turned Pub standing proudly in the bustling road towards Raheja Arcade- Forum Mall signal. I had been there before and this time I went for a late lunch. This pub has got amazing vibes and beautiful interiors. You will find those #Instafriendly picture perfect spots for food pictures and selfies. Often when I hear so and so place serves fusion food, I will just go with the flow as very rarely I will have that ‘WOW’ moment. Here at XOOX, Chef Sahil and Chef Nitin know their game. Chef Sahil just recently moved to Bengaluru after working with a well-known brand - PaPaYa by Massive Restaurants.





A lovely afternoon weather called for some good food and drinks. I started with a mocktail – ‘Floral Fizz’ and it was more like ‘garden fresh’ mocktail with Cucumber, rose syrup and fresh coriander. An experienced person (me :P) once said, if you are hungry to the core, start with this drink which can keep your hunger pangs at bay.


For food order, without thinking much we went with Chef’s suggestion. We started with the popular ‘Dehydrated Dosa’ which was Kori roti and thin beetroot dosa crisps served with finger-licking Tomato- coconut chutney. Unless and until you ask them to clear the plate, you will get hooked to this dish.
<3 <3 <3

My favorite dish was this Cheesy Golgappa Pakora – perfect Golgappas with potato stuffing and served with red (Chilli garlic) and green chutneys. The thin juliennes of capsicum and pomegranate arils gave that extra crunch factor. This is easily the best chaat I had in my life.



Beetroot & Sev Tikki – The deep fried beetroot patties with Sev coating was just too good. They have used cheese filling as well. When Chef took the feedback from us, the only suggestion we had was to make this dish to a healthy version.


Cantonese Chicken – When it comes to Chinese dishes, people mess it up by adding artificial colors and Indian flavors. At XOOX the Cantonese Chicken was very special as they use imported Chillies. A must try dish when you are XOOX. They use microgreens for garnishing few dishes which is very impressive.

I have tried their Wasabi Prawns before and if you love prawns, then must try this dish. Sadly I don’t have a pic of this dish.

Hand Model: Kelipaan
By now I was ready for my second drink and ordered Thai Sublime which was a concoction of Lemongrass infused Vodka, lime juice, and Peach syrup. They serve this drink in Goli Soda bottle. Mr. Mukundan was so helpful in explaining the ingredients.


For the main course, we tried the Yi Mein Noodles and some bread from the Grill menu. Try this and you will slurp on these twice-fried Noodles with Mushrooms and other veggies.


It’s hard to ignore the bread menu as they have amazing Pide and garlic bread. The Turkish beauty, Pide topped with Truffle oil was simply a burst of flavors. The star ingredient was mushrooms and only mushrooms. Don’t go by the size as this bread is so filling.


The thin crust Georgian Classic Cheese Bread was a bit too oily, but who cares when it is loaded with Cheese. The garlic aioli paired well with this bread.



For desserts, we ordered the ‘Buttermilk Panna Cotta’ and ‘Peanut Brownie with Roasted Almond Ice cream’. The Panna Cotta was heavenly with Raspberry compote infused with Rosemary. This dessert passed our wobble test and Chef Sahil beautifully explained the ingredients while we polished off the Panna Cotta in seconds.


The second dessert was okayish for my palate. The caramelized Hazelnut and Spinach Macaroon surely caught my attention.

Chef Sahil
Overall I had a great time with my girl pals and surely visit again for more fun. Early next month onwards they will have beer on tap and as a beer lover, I am eagerly waiting for it. A meal for two would be ₹2000 (approximately - including alcohol). Thanks to team XOOX and BrandiT Communications for having me over.
Address:
XOOX Brewmill
#8, 20th Main Road
Next to HDFC Bank
Koramangala
For table bookings, contact - 08296008571

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Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Thai Street Food Experience by Chef Rungtiwa in association with Thailand Tourism at Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel!





On a fine evening when I walked into InAzia, the Pan-Asian restaurant at Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel, I didn’t know a traditional Thai experience was waiting for me. The ongoing Thai Food Festival at InAzia is on until 29th Aug, 2018 and it’s by Chef Rungtiwa Sorlae in association with Thailand Tourism. Chef Rungtiwa created a storm for us foodies with her 14+ years of experience and not to forget the fact that she is from Bangkok and she literally transported us to the streets of Bangkok. The staffs were dressed in traditional Thai attire and the entire set up was going well with the theme. The traditional Thai music played by two beautiful Thai women was a treat. They used the traditional stringed musical instruments like Khim (dulcimer) and Chakhe. The music was very soothing and it set the perfect mood for our dinner. For FB live video, click here



That evening we just went with Chef’s choices. Thai cuisine is famous for its robust flavors and here are some of the dishes we tasted as part of the Thai food festival.



We started with the Som Tam Salad (raw Papaya Salad). There was a live counter for the same and a lady in traditional attire was preparing the salad. The salad was good but would have been better with dried shrimp crumbs.


Larb Gai Salad – Spicy minced chicken salad with distinct flavors from bird’s eye chilies, mint leaves, and lemon.


Tom Yam Soup (Chicken) – This was very different from whatever Tom yam soup I have tried so far. The soup was very light, spicy and a good choice for the cold weather.




Thai style Omelette with Crab meat filling - I just loved this thick and fluffy Thai Omelette which is a very popular street food from Thailand.


Thai style Grilled chicken – This dish looked very dry but each slice was so tender and it went well with the peanut sauce. The combo was so so delicious.


The flavorsome Phad Thai Noodles had tofu and other oriental vegetables. We non-vegetarians waited for the Chicken/Prawns version of Phad Thai noodles which never came to our table.


They also served us some Jasmine rice with Thai Green curry (Tofu and Prawns). While serving this I almost lost my patience as it took ages for the staff to serve us some Thai Green curry. Despite asking repeatedly all I could see was the irritated face of staff which I won’t appreciate in a fine-dining restaurant. This might be the result of hosting a large group that night. The staffs were bit confused and not clear with the dish names or cocktails they served us. Hopefully, they will improve on this part in future. Thanks to Chef Rungtiwa, who made sure that we left the restaurant with a smile.



At the Sheraton Grand Hotel, you can blindly select your cocktail and they always make sure the cocktail is perfect for your palate. This time I had a Singapore sling and Pikachu. The latter one was very potent.




For desserts, we tried the Tab Tim Krob and Baked Pumpkin with Egg Custard. I liked the Egg custard which was creamy and perfectly done.




Except for the slow service, I enjoyed my experience at this Pan-Asian restaurant. InAzia has two separate private dining areas with 8 seaters. I loved their ambiance, staff’s Thai attire, traditional music and an array of a lovely Thai meal. I hope they add some of the interesting dishes to their regular menu. I would definitely visit again for another foodgasmic experience.

Address:
InAzia at Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel & Convention Centre
Prestige Shantiniketan,
Hoodi, Whitefield
Bengaluru
For table bookings, contact - 08071008223
 
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Saturday, August 11, 2018

Celebrate the month of August with The Travelling Stars Festival at Shizusan Shophouse & Bar, Phoenix Market City, Whitefield!


When people ask me suggestions for good Pan Asian restaurants in the city, there will be always one name in my list for sure i.e, Shizusan Shophouse & Bar at Phoenix Market City, Whitefield. I frequently visit Phoenix for shopping and after hours of walking in the mall, I will forget all the tiredness when I sip a glass of Mogo Mogo tea. The aroma of tea works wonders. Once you enter this restaurant, the vibrant Shophouse atmosphere and hues of blues and greys will surely set you in a relaxed mood. Shizusan always surprises their guests with Travel inspired food festivals to celebrate food from around the world. Previously I have enjoyed their Travelling Dim sum and Satay festivals. This time they have come up with a festival on popular demand – The Travelling Stars in which some of the star (best) dishes from the previous travelling menu will be available till Aug 26th 2018.




If you are on a carnivorous diet like me, then you should check out the Udang Bulgogi Satay (Shrimp in Korean sauce with lemongrass skewers), Norwegian Salmon Maki, Korean sweet Chili Chicken Bao, Activated Charcoal & Crab Xiao Long Bao, Sri Lankan Roll Sushi with spicy Crab meat, sambal, coconut cream, beetroot infused rice and yam crisps, Poached Sea Bass Dim sums, and Teriyaki glazed Tenderloin. I lost all the photos I clicked at Shizusan, so can’t show you guys how good all these dishes were. The pics I am using are specially sourced.



Shizusan is the perfect place for vegetarians as well. Some of their satays like Tofu Kaprow and Kushikatsu Lotus Root skewers are so brilliantly made. They also have the vegetarian version of sushi, dim sums, and boas with the best ingredients that you will fall in love with.

For desserts, I tried the Green Apple Pie Money Bag and Vietnamese Iced Coffee Sundae with Honey Loops. The Green Apple Money bag was not that great last time. This time it was perfect and I loved it. The Vietnamese Iced Coffee Sundae too was different and good.

They have a special menu of Asian cocktails to pair with the festival special dishes. I tried a glass of ‘Som Tum Sling’ which is inspired by the classic Thai salad and contained Gin, Thai Chilli, green papaya and lime. Sadly I lost the pic of this drink. It looked and tasted amazing.
Pic from the Travelling Satay festival :)

The staffs are very polite and attentive. Overall I had a great time at this festival preview and highly recommend this restaurant to people who love the Pan Asian cuisine. So what are you waiting for? Do check out ‘The Travelling Stars’ festival before Aug 26th, 2018.
Address:
Shizusan Shophouse & Bar,
Level 2, Phoenix Market City
Mahadevpura, Bengaluru
For more information, contact - 080 67266655

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