Bangalore Restaurant Guide> Koshy's Bar & Restaurant

Text by: Tanya Munshi

The best mutton curry rice, fish and chips and pork vindaloo rice combination can be found at the all time favourite Koshy's in Bangalore. My Dad still fondly remembers this place when he was posted in Bangalore in the late 1960s where he would visit Koshy's for beer and fish and chips for a Sunday brunch. At that time they had a portico outside, he says, where it was lovely to sit outdoors and watch the world go by; of course all that is gone today with cars buzzing around and with a fight (not literally) for parking.

Even now, whenever we make a trip to Bangalore, we make it a point to visit Koshy's - for the fish and chips, the ambience, the history and the institution of what Koshy's is today.

I know, a lot of my readers will beg to differ that it's not the same anymore or one can get better fish and chips somewhere else, but we are the old school, we like it that way.

No matter what time of the year we have visited Koshy's, it is always bustling with energy and I like the feel of sitting there enjoying a meal and observing the people dining there. The people who visit Koshy's are smart, classy, have style, well spoken. Thankfully, not much of the IT crowd buzzing there, so no cacophony of corporate lunches and loud ringtones. So if you haven't visited Koshy's yet, it's time you paid a visit and go with the flow.

Sit at the bar, enjoy a couple of beers and dig into some fish finger and chicken tikka, catch up with your old school friends from Bangalore - well, this is exactly what we do everytime we visit the 'not anymore' Garden City.

Bangalore has fond memories for my husband, he grew up there and loves Bangalore from his heart. He misses the old Bangalore, which he and his friends say used to be a 'non-fan' station and the weather was always pleasant and cool throughout the year that they never felt the need for fans. There were no traffic, people were polite and friendly and they walked and rode their bicycles to school. A visit to Koshy's resurfaces all these happy memories.


*Pricing:
Sweet Corn Chicken Soup - Rs. 124/-
Fish Finger - Rs. 250/-
Chicken Tikka - Rs. 257/-
Pork Chops - Rs. 273/-
Chicken Florentine - Rs. 273/-
Roast Chicken - Rs. 257/-
Pork Vindaloo - Rs. 265/-
Mutton Curry and Rice - Rs. 265/-

Overall Rating:
Ambience - * * * * *
Service - * * * * *
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Location:
POK Enterprises Jewel Box
Koshy's Bar and Restaurant
Jewel Box
39, St. Marks Road
Bangalore
Phone - 088 -222-13-793

*Please Note - Pricing may change/ vary according to location and time.

Bangalore Restaurant Guide> Ping Restaurant and Dessert Bay

Image: The Ping Restaurant

Image courtesy: Ping Restaurant

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Th  'Ping Restaurant and Dessert Bay' boasts of a large variety of exotic dim sums (or momos that we popularly know as) and of course, how could we forget the dreamy desserts. The ambience is quite exotic and after visiting and tasting food at several restaurants in Bangalore, I have come to a conclusion that, at times, they spend too much attention on the ambience rather than serving good food or the right portion of food. Because, then it appears as though, in order meet the costs of maintaining such a lavish, dainty or exotic ambience they go miserly with portions, so that the customers are compelled to shell out more.

Looking at an average restaurant goer in Bangalore, they don't seem to mind that at all. Maybe people are conscious and think it's lame to tell others, 'The restaurant is expensive for the portions it offers'. It has become more of a status symbol rather than truly going for the love of food and having a good time.

Fortunately, Ping doesn't disappoint you when it comes to the food or the ambience. Ping is a fantastic restaurant that offers a variety of melt-in-the-mouth dim sums. Since all good things come in small packages, so do dim sums. My recommendation is that you order for one Ping Non Veg Dim Sum platter priced at Rs. 375/-, where you get six portions. This is ideal if its the two of you, but in a group, you may need to order two or more. This non-veg platter has two dim sums of chicken, prawns and fish or seafood.

When you taste such fantastic dim sums, your expectations go high when it comes to the main course. Ping doesn't disappoint you in the main course section either, but I think, dim sums are their forte.

The main course had  Burnt Garlic Veg Noodles, Younan Pot Chicken and Phuket Fish that transport you to an Oriental world with the aromas and flavours of the Far East. The portions are just right and you're happy eating at Ping.

It's a crime to not try the desserts at Ping. So, ending your meal with Original Sin, Baked Alaska or Chocolate Flake is a good way to stay in the good books of dessert lovers. The portions are good, and if you're a little romantic, you can easily share one plate of the dessert and melt with the gooey chocolate.

Overall, Ping provides you with a good experience, and is more ideal for a quiet dinner for two to do justice to flavours of the Far East.


Pricing:
Cucumber & Celery Soup - Rs. 105/-
Bean Curd & Spinach Wonton Soup - Rs. 120/-
Hot & Sour Chicken Soup - Rs. 115/-
Pin Non-Veg Dim Sum platter - Rs. 375/-
Veg Dim Sum platter - Rs. 305/-
Younan Pot Chicken - Rs. 235/-
Phuket Fish - Rs. 285/-
Burnt Garlic Veg Noodles - Rs. 165/-
Basil Vegetables - Rs. 185/-
Baked Alaska - Rs. 125/-
Original Sin - Rs. 105/-
Chocolate Flake - Rs. 135/-

Overall Rating:
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Service - * * * * *
Presentation of food & drinks - * * * * *
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Quality of food - * * * * *
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Location:
Ping Restaurant and Dessert Bay
No. 130, 1st Cross, 5th Block
Koramangala
Bangalore - 560095
Telephone No.: 080-41521773
Website: http://www.thepingrestaurant.com

Bangalore Restaurant Guide> Bflat and High Note

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Either you 'Bflat' or you end up with a 'High Note' at 100ft Road, in Bangalore. I quite liked the ambience of Bflat - very spunky, classy, refreshing and thankfully minus all the IT office crowd with folded ties in their pockets and their I-cards proudly flashing like dog tags.

Bflat is a place to be if you want to hang out with like minded friends, listening to good music and good food. But more importantly, it's got to be the love of music. That evening, all the tables were full at Bflat due to a live performance, so we were led to High Note, a fantastic roof top restaurant. If there is one such place I'd like to visit again in my next trip to Bangalore, Bflat and High Note would be it.

The ambience is perfect for a special anniversary dinner or a quiet birthday celebration. I'd like to also add, its a good place to take your would be in-laws for a fantastic meal if you want the answer in affirmative. Yes, I loved the place so much.

The food is exactly what my taste buds had been longing for a while - Mushroom Paprika - light and divine, Crisp Hunan Cauliflower - cauliflower never tasted so good before, Assorted Potato Basket - for the child in you, and Roast Pork Chilly - one of my favourite, so I'll be partial to it.

The portions are good, they treat you, your taste buds and your tummy well. The staff is courteous - so that's an extra feather on the cap for High Note.

For the main course, I stuck to a Mushroom and Spinach Soup - loved it, the husband had a Caesar's Salad - he loved it, the friends had Vegetarian Biryani while Vegetarian Thai Green Curry and they loved it too!

We four unanimously jumped to the idea of a dessert since the food was so good, that we didn't want to go home without it. So we shared Sticky Toffee with Ice Cream and came out high with all the delectable food and ambience combined.


Pricing:
Mushroom Paprika - Rs. 130/-
Crisp Hunan Cauliflower - Rs. 125/-
Roast Pork Chilly - Rs. 175/-
Thai Green Curry (Veg) - Rs. 150/-
Veg Biryani - Rs. 125/-
Mushroom and Spinach Soup - Rs. 100/-
Caesar's Salad (Non-Veg) - Rs. 200/-
Sticky Toffee with Ice Cream - Rs. 100/-
Kingfisher (large) - Rs. 100/-
White & Mackay Special - Rs. 140/- per peg
Lemon Twist - Rs. 125/-
Kingfisher Pint - Rs. 130/-

Overall Rating:
Ambience - * * * * *
Service - * * * * *
Presentation of food & drinks - * * * * *
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Price - * * * * *

Location:
Bflat and High Note
No. 776, 100ft Road
HAL 2nd Stage
Indiranagar
Bangalore - 560 008
Telephone: 080 - 4241400
Email - dejavu.blr@gmail.com

Bangalore Restaurant Guide> Oye Amritsar

Text by: Tanya Munshi

On a cool, chilly Bangalore evening, what would you want to cosy up with; some nice hot kebabs, grilled tikkas, fluffy hot naans and kulchaas and the aromatic daal fry. Smells and feels divine, no? It is the same feeling when you enter an expensive restaurant like Oye Amritsar at Koramangala in Bangalore.

The ambience is quite creative, 'punny', colourful, adequately adorned with old Hindi movie posters, a flamboyant shiny scooter, charpoys and parts of a truck all painted to remind you where ever you look that 'Oye! You're in Amritsar in Bangalore'!

Personally, I don't mind shelling out my hard earned money for some good food, but come on, don't take us for a truck ride (pun intended)! When we ordered for Tawa Prawns (FULL - mind you F-U-L-L) priced at Rs. 435/- and all came four medium to large size prawns. It's a joke right? For a table full of non-vegetarians that's like nibbling on something and still feeling hungry. The food was tasty no doubt, but miserly in proportions.

I enjoyed the Masala Chass (priced at Rs. 75/- per glass) served in large copper patiala style glasses. I had two and my tummy and me went home happy. The Taazi Methi Murg Tikka was hardly two to three pieces, they seem to love these numbers below five.

I have no doubts about their ability to cook up a fantastic North Indian and Punjabi meal but what's disappointing is the quantity of the food that does not do justice to the price and served in small serving bowls fit enough for one person. Pray! Do tell me Oye Amritsar, where do you procure those false bottom bowls in which you serve the ever so delicious yellow daal fry which makes me want to spend more and have more.

There should be an honesty in dealings. Food is cooked for the love of it, food is served for the love of it; of course, monetary gain is and should be the prime goal, but not serving enough food so that your customers are made to shell out more is unfair. Would you like that if you had to visit a popular restaurant in town and eat small portions?

Mostly popular by office crowds (they seem to be spreading everywhere across all restaurants in Bangalore) Oye Amritsar equals good food and small portions. If you have a weight conscious girlfriend, you'll be happy to take her here.

Pricing:
Amirtsari Kulcha - Rs. 50/- each (we had five - ouch!)
Tadka Daal Raiwali - Rs. 145/- (interesting false bottom copper bowls - looks deep, but isn't)
Bhuna Dahi Wada - Rs. 205/-
Jeera Paani - Rs. 75/-
Kharode Da Shorba - Rs. 95/- (passable)
Frozen Kairi - Rs. 255/-
Sukhi Bhindi Jalandhi - Rs. 165/-
Romanov 30ml - Rs. 150/-
Royal peg - Rs. 255/-
Aerated beverage - Rs. 20-

Overall Rating:
Ambience - * * * * *
Service - * * * *
Presentation of food & drinks - * * * *
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Location:
Oye Amritsar
54, Canara Bank Road
6th Block
Koramangala
Phone - 080 - 40994451

Bangalore Restaurant Guide> Barbeque Nation

Image courtesy: Barbeque-Nation

Text by: Tanya Munshi

After all that hype from friends across the country, we decided to pay Barbeque Nation in Bangalore a visit. We had booked our table a day before and since I have heard so much about the food, quantity et al, I decided to prepare my tummy with an antacid so that it could handle all my gluttony for a few hours.

I love Bangalore weather, while other metros dwell in dust and some heat in September, Bangalore was cool with a slight nip in the air. However, the same couldn't be said about the ambience of Barbeque Nation, it was hot, sultry and full of cacophony of large corporate groups stuffing their bellies with all they could on that Sunday afternoon.

To deal with that, I ordered for a Bloody Mary and phew how bloody was that! I have never tasted Bloody Mary as bad as that - come on; just because it's a complimentary drink that comes along with a non-vegetarian special worth Rs. 425/- (plus taxes), you can most certainly offer me one decent glass of Bloody Mary! Nightmare I dare say.

Moving on to the food part - I was thoroughly done with chicken, since I had been traveling for the last few days and tasting food across several restaurants in Bangalore, I opted for the meat, fish and prawns. A Bengali's loyalty to fish and meat will never falter and I being a true blood Bengali did full justice to the fish and prawns that were grilled to perfection.

The main course was disgraceful; it appeared as though some small time caterer was hired to make that oily, greasy food that made me throw up with the very look of it. Adding to the poor ventilation, heat and humidity inside Barbeque Nation, I definitely wanted to stay away from all that preposterous oily disrespect of the desi khaana.

And so, I made a beeline for the desserts, apart from a mockery of what they called the Bebinca - the famous Goan pudding, the caramel custard, cakes and chocolate desserts saved the day.

I have heard from friends that Barbeque Nation in B and C cities of India like Ahmedabad and Lucknow are far better than the metros. I sincerely hope it is so. But I can safely say, that this visit was a thorough wash down and does not match to my experience at Global Fusion, in Bandra, Mumbai that is a total seafood and sushi lovers delight.

Go if you must to Barbeque Nation, but at your own risk. Do keep a digestive syrup and tablet close by for the love of your tummy.

Pricing:
Vegetarian Lunch - Rs. 425/- (plus taxes)
Non-Vegetarian Lunch - Rs. 475/- (plus taxes)
Children's Meal  - Rs. 250- (plus taxes)

Overall Rating:
Ambience - * *
Service - * * *
Presentation of food & drinks - * * *
Quantity of food served - * * * * *
Quality of food - * * * * *
Price - * * *

Location:
Barbeque Nation
Plot-4005, 100 Feet Road
Hall 2nd Stage, Indira Nagar, Banglore
Phone : 080-60600000,080-64506728
Email: bangalore@barbeque-nation.com
Website: www.barbeque-nation.com

Travel> Karnataka> Bandipur

Image: Elephant ride at Bandipur National Park
Image by: Swami Stream's

Text by: Tanya Munshi
Bandipur
Located 215 km away from Bangalore, the Bandipur National Park is nestled between the Western Ghats and the Niligiri mountains. It is spread across 90 sq km.
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"We saw spotted deer and lots of elephants. The guides at the Bandipur National Park took us on an exciting ride through the middle of the jungle. It is great to see wildlife at such close proximity," says Bangalore-based Sumit Ghosh, a software engineer.
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One of the earliest tiger reserves to be established in India, the Bandipur National Park is one of nine tiger reserves in the country. Though it existed even in 1931 under the patronage of the Mysore maharaja, it became a full-fledged tiger reserve in the early 1970s. You might have a chance to spot elephants, gaur, wild boars, sambhars, deer, wild dogs, tiger and leopards.
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How to get there:
By road Bandipur is 215 km from Bangalore and 80 km from Mysore. The nearest railway station is Mysore.
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Where to stay:
Ideally the cheapest way to stay at Bandipur is at one of the forest department guest houses.

~ Forest Rest Houses KSTDC (Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation)

~ Bush Betta Holiday Wildlife (Rs 1,990)Phone: (080) 2243274, 224795

~ Tusker Trails (Rs 1700 to Rs 1,900)Phone: (0821) 636055

~ KSTDC Mayura Prakruti (Single bed: Rs 300, Double Bed: Rs 400)Phone: (08229) 7301

~ Forest Department CottagesPhone: (0821) 636043,025

~ For reservations, contact the Field Director's office: Phone: (0821) 2480901
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Website: http://wildlywise.com/banp_intro.htm

Published in Rediff.com, on January 27, 2007
Link: http://specials.rediff.com/getahead/2007/jan/24slid2.htm

Travel> Karnataka > Coorg

Image: Misty hills of Coorg
Image by: Enchant_Me

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Bangalore is the focus today in our series on weekend getaways. This IT hub is just a short drive away from beautiful plantation country, known for its coffee and spices. Here are nine interesting places to choose from:
1
Coorg/ Madikeri
Steep, winding roads, interesting bazaars and fresh coffee and spices is the flavour of this locale. Coorg is a great place to take long walks. And pig out at local restaurants.

Do not forget to stop on your way to Coorg at Nisargadhama, a serene island accessed by a 90 metre rope bridge, and Verrabhoomi, an artisan village showcasing the fine arts of Karnataka.
If you have the time visit the Tibetan monastery near Nisargadhama on the way from Mysore to Coorg. This is a spectacular stopover where not many go. As too are Madikeri Fort, Iruppu Falls and Abbey Falls.

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How to get there:

The total distance from Bangalore is about 252 km. The best way to reach Coorg is by road on the Bangalore-Mysore highway, which should take you about five to six hours by car. By bus, it is almost seven hours. You can catch a bus from the KSRTC bus depot near the Bangalore railway station. Buses head to Coorg every half an hour or so.

3

Where to stay:

The Capitol Village (Rs 750 to Rs 1,800) in Coorg, a comfortable resort nestled amidst a coffee plantation. The breakfast and the dinner is very good. Alternatively, you can try the Hotel Coorg International.

Capitol Village

Phone: (08272) 225929, 75

Hotel Mayura Valley View

Phone: (08272) 28387

Hotel Coorg International

(Standard Non A/C: Rs 2350 Standard A/C: Rs 2650)

Convent Road, Madigeri

Coorg -- 571 201

Published in Rediff.com, on January 24, 2007
Link: http://specials.rediff.com/getahead/2007/jan/24slid1.htm