New watering hole in town - Biergarten, Whitefield

Whitefield has more reasons to welcome people from the other part of town. I'm not referring to VR Bengaluru this time :P It's about the new watering hole in namma ooru - Biergarten, Whitefield. I got an invite for the launch a month ago and had a relaxing time at this new place with other foodies, socialites, and blogger friends. So what's special about this place? I must say that they've got a vibrant and wonderful ambiance with open air as well as indoor seating, innovative cocktails, four varieties of tap beer, great food, and a friendly service.

Except for shopping I always skip traveling to that part of town. A normal human being can't imagine traveling that side on a working day. But now that Biergarten has opened its door to the public, people won't mind traveling to Whitefield no matter whether it's a working day or not.

I started my evening with some interesting cocktails. It was fun to watch the bartender making cocktails and mocktails with a little bit of molecular technique. Soon after my friends came we settled for a chitchat session, and ordered some appetizers, main course and desserts. I just felt like there was 'food flood' on our table. Service was so quick and food served was amazing. From finger food to Continental, Chinese and European cuisines, Biergarten's food menu is enough to spoil you with choices.

Some of the must-try dishes from their menu are Tellicherry Pepper Prawns, Lemon spiked Chicken Tikka, Mediterranean Veg Lasagna, and Kai Pad Krapow with Steamed Jasmine Rice. Few dishes like Pork spare ribs, Biergarten Chicken wings and nachos were only for the pics. It just vanished soon after the dishes were kept in front of foodies. But there is always a next time and I am sure when I go to Biergarten next time I will not miss those yummy appetizers. We also ordered a Corn and Spinach Dim sum for the poor veg soul. Dim sum was served with two sauces and it was good.

For the main course, I ordered Kai Pad Krapow with Steamed Jasmine Rice which was the best decision of that evening. Minced chicken in flavorful Thai sauce served with steamed Jasmine Rice. I just know that in few minutes my plate was clean. I will never say no to this dish. It was such a damn good dish. I also had a bite of tasty Lasagna from my partner in crime but sadly Lasagna was veg. I am definitely going back there to try the Chicken Lasagna. I don't like having desserts with drinks especially when I am at any event. So I nicely skipped the dessert part but when a yummy plate of deconstructed black forest was kept in front of me I couldn't resist and tried it. Vanilla ice cream on top of deconstructed cake and chocolate shaving is definitely worth trying. Red velvet coconut cheesecake was also good.

They have a microbrewery but this time Beer on tap was not that interesting as they had only three beers out of four varieties. Corona, Budweiser, Heineken and few major brands were available. I started with a glass of 'Essential for moods' which was a white rum based cocktail with ylang ylang, jasmine, geranium, lime and cranberry juice. Though drink was good it was not my kinda drink, so I changed the drink with a refreshing Smoke Orange Caipiroska. The Orange bitters mixed with vodka tasted amazing. This is a perfect drink for summer. Smokey flavor from the drink was just awesome. Do you know the size and shape of beer glass matters when enjoying your favorite beer? I opted for a glass of dark lager and it was satisfying and quenched my beer thirst. I wish they had seasonal flavor beer as well. They will have in future, it's just that I was not lucky this time. Food and drinks are reasonably priced. It won't burn your pocket.

This is the place you would love to spend time, click, tweet and post pics on Instagram. The launch was well-organized and I was lucky to meet the owner Kapil Dua who has got ample experience in F&B industry. Thanks to Manju and Rahul Nanda for inviting me for Biergarten launch. I had a great time.

A meal for two would be ₹1500/- (approximately) with alcohol. They also have valet parking. Do check out their FB page (click here) for more information and updates on interesting live-events.

Address:
Biergarten
#188, Doddenekundi Industrial area,
Graphite India Main Road,
Whitefield, Bangalore
For reservations, contact 080 49652776

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Few reasons why Shao's new menu is interesting! - Shao, Park Plaza, Bengaluru

This was my 3rd visit to the Hotel Park Plaza, Bengaluru and this time I was there to try some of the new foodgasmic culinary treats at Shao which is known for their Pan Asian food. Shao has come up with a new menu which is very much interesting for a person like me who love Pan Asian food.

Located at Outer Ring Road, Marathahalli, this place is very close to where I live. It's very difficult to beat the traffic and reach there on a working day. But once you enter Hotel Park Plaza, you will forget about the traffic block or the noisy locale. Shao's contemporary interiors and serene atmosphere are created in such a way that diners won't feel like leaving the place.

Park Plaza, Bengaluru is part of one of the largest group of hotels in the world; Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. Park Plaza's Executive Chef, Narender Singh is experienced, very enthusiastic and a prestigious member of Chaine Des Rotisseurs; an International Association for Gastronomy. His passion for creating amazing dishes is remarkable. Shao's new menu is carefully curated by Chef Narender Singh. From starters to dim sums, vegetarian main course to non vegetarian extravagances and nouveau desserts; you will see a wide range of dishes.

Shao is the only restaurant in Bangalore where you will see women staffs inside the restaurant. Another plus point about this place is the live kitchen counter. Shao has got a very good ambience just like a mansion hall.

Soup

After settling down, we started our meal with a hot bowl of Tom yum goong soup which was spicy Prawns soup flavored with Galangal and Kaffir lime. The strong flavor from the soup was so refreshing. To settle down the spice, they served rice crackers along with the soup.

After finishing the soup, we tried some of the classic cocktails from their menu.

Dim sum

Meanwhile we got our hot-hot dim sum which was Prawns potstickers (steamed). They have a pan fried version too. By now I was impressed with their Seafood serving which was so tasty and fresh.

Starters

Wok fried Sichuan Mushroom - A spicy preparation of crispy Mushroom with Soya and Pepper sauces.

Banana wrapped Chicken - A classic Thai chicken dish made using wrapped banana leaves and served with peanut sauce.

Mongolian grilled Prawns - A lightly spicy preparation of Grilled Tigers Prawns which is marinated with Mongolian spices

Honey Chilli crispy Lotus and Potato - Another favorite of mine. Wok tossed crispy thin slices of Lotus stem and Himalayan Potato, tossed with sesame seeds. Honey and Chilli combo makes a perfect sweet and spicy starter.

Vegetarian Sushi - A Japanese Maki and Californian rolls which is prepared using rolled vinegared rice with vegetable fillings and served with Soya sauce.

King Prawns Yakitori - King Prawns cooked in Shichimi Togarashi, a Japanese spice mix. Being a die-hard Prawns lover, this starter was ecstatic. Perhaps all the starters served were good, in terms of delectable taste, quality and quantity.

Our tiny glass of hot Jasmine tea was kept on refilling when we were busy chit-chatting along with enjoying our meal. Next part was interesting as well as confusing for what to order for the main course. Be ready for spoilt for choice as they have an array of delectable Pan Asian dishes from Thailand, Indonesia, Korea, Japan, China, and Vietnam.

Main course

Pomfret Bok Choy in Sichuan Sauce, Thai Angus Beef with Chestnuts and Coriander, Thai Yellow curry, Shredded Chicken, and a bowl of Jasmine rice.

As there were no Beef takers in my table, I quietly enjoyed the Thai Angus Beef with slices of Chestnuts and Coriander along with Thai Yellow curry, shredded Chicken and Jasmine rice. Jasmine rice was bit disappointing as it lacked the Jasmine flavor. Rest all the dishes were scrumptious and filling. Pomfret bok choy in Sichuan Sauce was slightly spicy but tasted awesome.

Desserts

The beautiful staff who got featured in NDTV ad

There was no confusion on the desserts. We ordered one of their Signature desserts - Date pancake with Ice cream. I liked the crunchy and gooey Date Pancake tossed with Sesame seeds served with a scoop of Ice cream.

Good friends are the biggest fortune :P

After long time I enjoyed some really nice Pan Asian food at this part of town. Thanks to the team from Hotel Park Plaza for inviting me to try the new menu. A meal for two would be ₹1800++ (taxes extra). Timings: 12.30 PM - 3.00 PM (Lunch) and 6.30 PM - 11.00 PM (Dinner).

Address:
Shao, Hotel Park Plaza
#90/4, Outer Ring Road
Marathahalli
Bengaluru

For reservations, contact +91 8884400139/ +91 8884400175 or afbm@pkbengaluru.com


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A quintessential Dim sum experience at Yauatcha, Bangalore

I am a foodie and according to me, for a grand weekend Friday night's dinner should be a splendid one. So when I got the invite for a food tasting session at Yauatcha, for the 21st Food Bloggers Association, Bangalore (FBAB) meetup , I didn't have to think twice as Yauatcha was always there in my wishlist. FBAB meetups are always interesting with fun, food and fellow foodies. Yauatcha is celebrating the Chinese New year with an interesting limited edition menu till 23rd Feb 2016.  Yauatcha, London has been awarded a Michelin star for 10 consecutive years. Isn't it interesting?  This is one place, which should not be missed, when it comes to fine dining.

Situated in 5th floor of 1 MG Mall, Yauatcha has got very good ambience with urban,classy and minimalistic decor . Yauatcha is the modern portrayal for a traditional Chinese tea-house. When you enter restaurant you will spot an Origami monkey. According to Chinese Zodiac, 2016 is the year of Monkey; the 9th animal out of 12 in the Chinese Zodiac cycle. Monkey signifies confidence, innovation and enthusiasm. As Chinese New Year celebration is very popular, Yauatcha's limited edition menu offers amazing dim sums, main course, dessert and cocktail.

After taking couple of pictures, I was eagerly waiting to try out the new dishes from their menu. I opted for a drink to start with and within no time I got a wonderful cocktail from their specially crafted menu - Cherry Chaser which was Gin based cocktail with Mandarin and Cointreau. Cocktail was very refreshing one. 

Dumplings from the new menu:

Dim sum is one of my favorite food which I love to have anytime in a day. Whether its steamed dumpling or pan fried one, I never get bored with this. If it is steamed dumpling, usually it is served in piping hot bamboo basket. Dumplings can be made in different shapes and sizes as well. Some of the dumplings we tasted at Yauatcha were:

Truffle and English Carrot dumpling:

This pretty dumpling was soft and succulent with its smooth paste of carrot and truffle filling like a custard. This one tasted very unique and with the accompaniments it was delicious to the core.

Kiwi and Black Olive dumpling:

I couldn't try this dumpling as it just vanished soon after we clicked it. All were curious about the kiwi and black olives combination in a dumpling. My fellow foodie friends who tasted it were so happy with this dumpling. They said perfect dumpling to start a meal.

Corn, Carrot and Curry dumpling:

Pic courtesy: Madraasi Deepa

 
Next in front of us was the thin transparent crystal dumpling with colorful carrots,corn and curry filling. Corn, carrot and curry dumpling was enjoyed by both vegetarians and non vegetarians.

Seafood Shui Mai:

Dim sum which took me to heaven for a while. This cute juicy dim sum was rich in seafood taste with shrimp, crab meat, squid and sea bass filling. Perfect dim sum for the seafood lovers.

Lobster ho fun roll with black pepper sauce:

Fresh taste of rolled lobster dim sum in a sweet, tangy and a bit spicy black bean sauce was yet another favorite which tickled my taste buds. 

Chicken and Coriander dumpling:

As a die-hard chicken lover, this dumpling was one of my favorite.  Small pieces of colorful dumplings with chicken and coriander filling and pleated one sided, will surely make you happy and go ga ga. By the end of the starters most of us mastered in using the chopstick. It was so much fun to use a chopstick.

Main course: 

For the main course we had Mahlak Udon noodles, Stir fried mock chicken in Hunan style spicy sauce, Taban fried rice,

Wok fried lobster in Hunan style spicy sauce, and Braised pork belly in spicy yellow bean sauce with cigar mantou roll. Every dish from the main course was absolutely scrumptious.

Mahlak Udon Noodles:

Udon noodles covered with vegetables prepared in Mahlak sauce which was prepared with Szechuan pepper and dry red chilies.

Stir fried mock Chicken in Hunan style spicy sauce

Mock chicken? Are you serious? This was the first thing came to my mind. But true to its name it was purely a pleasure indulgence for the vegetarians and non vegetarians, both. Chunks of spicy stir fried soya along with vegetables prepared in Hunan sauce. Perfect dish to have with fried rice.

Taban fried rice

Taban rice was flavorful fried rice with cubes of carrots and corn which was perfect fried rice for me. A mild spicy rice with crunchy vegetables and to give an extra dose I tried it with wok fried lobster dish wish. Just loved it :)

Wok fried Lobster in Hunan style spicy sauce 

Wok fried succulent pieces of lobster in Hunan style spicy sauce is definitely a must try dish along with other main dishes. 

Braised Pork belly in spicy yellow bean sauce with cigar mantou roll

Even a non pork eater like me could not resist by seeing the gorgeous looking stacked pieces of braised pork belly. I tried this and it gave me an immense pleasure of having pork belly for the first time, which was a super dooper hit.

Dessert

Crunchy Caramel with Honeycomb ice cream

From the pic itself one can make out how divine this dessert was :) According to me the show-stopper. Crunchy sticky Caramel with a scoop of honeycomb ice cream. OMG! this was sinfully delicious. We congratulated the Chef who created this marvelous dessert and was stunned to hear that he took 5 hours to create this beauty. Must try dessert for sure.

Bar counter at Yauatcha

Yauatcha has an amazing bar counter which is simply  loaded with premium liqueurs and pretty glasswares. Though there were enough mocktails and cocktails to spoil us, we opted for Passion fruit mocktail and the limited edition cocktail, Cherry Chaser. Both were made of fresh ingredients and tasted so good. Overall my experience at Yauatcha is not going to be a one time experience. Next time when I crave for dim sum I know which place to hit first.

Yauatacha's a la carte menu price is bit pricey  and make a hole in your pocket. But who cares when you get a wonderful Cantonese treat in the form of dim sums and desserts. Chinese New Year celebrations at Yauatcha will continue till 23rd Feb, 2016. So book your seats and join for their Chinese New year celebrations at Yauatcha.

Address:
Level 5, 1 MG Mall
MG Road
Bangalore

Phone no:  +91 9222222800 

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