Bangalore restaurants- Food and Travel: European

Krazzy Folds

Wednesday, May 20, 2015Me! In words

Its perhaps one of the most happening places in Jayanagar right now. A place that offers some great food, at down-to-earth-prices with efficient service. Little wonder then that most times we have been here, the place is packed. Krazzy Folds - inspired as their site says "by the different folds and forms of food" has a very interesting menu which includes tacos, Okonomiyakis and pastas. Its in the neighborhood, saves us the hassle of Bangalore traffic and therefore we don't need a better reason for heading here repeatedly.

Krazzy Folds has now become a go-to place - whether its no-cooking day at home, let's catch up with friends, daddy/mummy-baby day out or just about anything. There is a lot of interesting stuff we have eaten here up until now. Take a look

Nice kitschy decor with murals, and some crazy mirrors too, the kind you see at those family expos and exhibitions

The knick-knack wall that keeps Anoushka busy most times trying to find and identify different things.

Shrimp on Potato Crisps - Grilled Shrimp, Guacamole, Jalapeno and Spicy Mayo. What I so love about this place is the attention to plating. While the dishes are deliciously created, it is the plating the takes it to the next level. This was a nicely put together starter of all the things mentioned in the description. No scrimping on ingredients and a mouthful of crispy, spicy, tangy and moist that make it a winner.

Mushroom and Corn Bake - Mushroom, corn, creamy garlic sauce on garlic bread and cheese bake. Though this is in the starter list, Anoushka has made a meal of it quite often. Crispy baguette with gooey cheese, corn and mushroom sauce with little micro-greens to top it off. Very filling for a child and definitely a good choice if you are looking for a nice way to start a long meal.

Kokum Juice - Coming from Mangalore, I love Kokum juice, but many places here in Bangalore tend to get the proportions all wrong and you end up with the tartness coating your teeth and sending your mouth into a tizzy. Krazzy Folds has got it deliciously right every single time.

Mexican Spiced Chicken tacos - Hard shell (Above) and soft shell (below). Tacos at Krazzy Folds is served in twos - you may choose to go with hard shell ones or soft shell, both of which come beautifully set up for you each time. On one of our earlier visits Sudhakar was eager to try out both versions but couldn't possibly have finished 4 tacos and so asked if he could be served one each of the hard and soft shell. Our request was taken and we were actually served it this way. Its always nice when such requests are entertained.

Mexican Spiced Chicken tacos

I have often have these cravings for a "hot, gooey, something to eat". Almost always I am never able to decide what it is that I am looking for. This particular afternoon was no different. Sudhakar chose the Spinach, Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms, Cherry Tomatoes, Cajun Spiced Rose Sauce with Pineapple salsa pasta for me. Yes, it has a pretty long list in terms of ingredients, but the unorthodox mix of red and white sauces and this really nice pineapple salsa that adorned the top of spaghetti pile made for a interesting twang in every mouthful.

On another visit with girlfriends, we started out with the Pan-seared dumplings stuffed with potato, jalapenos and cheese. The little sour cream drops and the crunch of sprouts made these little non-greasy potato parcels yummy!

Chicken Wings - Be warned - this starter dish should be placed in the main course category - they are delicious - spicy and crunchy and you seriously can't stop at just one and they can really fill you. The chicken is juicy - has a nice crunch to it when you bite into the and the sauce and garnishes make you wish you had a cold one nestled in you palm.

There is a small Japanese touch to the menu and we tried the Okonomiyaki, a Japanese pancake with potato, jalapenos and cheese blend. Its a thick pancake, with a heavy potato base and a interesting mix of cheese, peppers and jalapenos on top. Its a nice game trying to get a bit of everything on your fork. I did the smart thing and went with a spoon.

Grilled Chicken Sausage in creamy mustard sauce Its all in the sauce with this one. For the hot, gooey food loving person I am, this one dish nails it every single time. The touch of mustard is strong, without being overpowering. The little bits of crunch you get from a range of little things that go into the sauce make this the lift-plate-and-lick-clean types.

A friend had this sandwich which was a Pesto Vegetable one with avocado, onion and tomato, basil pesto and mayo cheese all piled up on Ciabatta bread. Freshness is what you will see in every bite and the pesto was one to remember.

Desserts here are limited in terms of options but are all nice. We had the berry cheesecake once and that was great. I am always one for a thicker base - the butter and crumbs mix always being a favourite.

We also had the Churros once which I personally did not like to much - I found them a bit greasy and the cinnamon slightly more than it should have been. But it may have been an off day.

Krazzy Folds is a place that Jayanagar really needed. Its food is lovely, the prices are very reasonable and a very pleasant and efficient service is what you can always look forward to. Meals for two here approximately Rs 1000 to Rs 1200. The restroom is clean.

Address: #12, 10th B Main road, 31st Cross Road, Near Kalamandir, Jayanagar 4th Block, Bangalore

Parking: Street parking

Phone: 26533777/78

Cuisine: European, Continental, a touch of Japanese

Cards Accepted: Yes

Google Maps link to Location: Krazzy Folds

Bangalore restaurant reviews Cafe/Coffee Shop European

Cafe Max

Tuesday, May 20, 2014Me! In words

Recently my mum headed off to Delhi for an award ceremony. She is a representative of Avon and has entered their haloed Silver Club, which is one stop away from the Gold Club and the topmost honors for single person sales. She spent 5 glorious days with the ladies at the Kempinski Ambience, Delhi. So while she partied up there, I had my two men - father and husband and my little munchkin to entertain. Of course, all of us love eating out and so there was a lot of that on the agenda.

Sudhakar had some work at the Max Mueller Bhavan and we decided to club work and lunch together. Cafe Max on the terrace it was decided. The cafe is pleasant - with a semi open kitchen, blackboards announcing specials, quite a bit of noise from being almost full to capacity and a bit hot considering the roof and bamboo curtains were the only saving grace from the heat.

Mint water and pretty little flower setting on the table

With mom celebrating in Delhi, we decided to toast to her success down here
with a Big Banyan Shiraz

Anoushka was recently introduced to Gnocchi at Alba at the JW Marriott and has been hankering after it since then. The staff thoughtfully asked if the meal for the child was to be brought sooner. I nodded in affirmative and in less than 10 minutes Anoushka had a her meal. Its not always you see such small but meaningful courtesies extended in casual dining places. The gnocchi was brilliant I must add. Fluffy little pillows with a chunky tomato-garlic sauce and shavings of parmesan. A green salad with a light dressing accompanied it. She took a while to get through, but she did a brilliant job. That itself says a lot for the dish.

Sudhakar had the Beef Filet Roulade which was stuffed with bell peppers and bacon and served with two sides of Lyonnaise potatoes and broccoli. Moist beef, quality bacon, good starchy soft potatoes and crunchy broccoli. With the Shiraz accompanying it, he couldn't have asked for more.

Dad had the Zarragozza Sizzler which was beef strips in pepper sauce (if I remember right), bell peppers and hand cut chips. Good stuff here too.

I had the Beef filet (yes we love our Beef) with French Mustard dressing, served with mashed potatoes, haricot beans and mushrooms. I asked for the beef to be done medium - it crossed slightly into the well done region. Nevertheless it still made for a great meal and the wine did a brilliant job complimenting it.

Sudhakar ended the meal with an Espresso Roma - which comes with a delightful chocolate spoon and a butter cookie. For a man who loves his coffee, the blissful (tip of tongue sticking out of side of mouth style) look was enough to say it all

For a rooftop cafe, this place has some brilliant offerings on the menu. The blackboard too seemed to have some interesting, though it was put up after we had placed our orders. The service is quick and pleasant. This meal came to around Rs 3400, but worth it. The ladies restroom is decently clean.

Address: Goethe Institute, Max Mueller Bhavan, 716 CMH Road, Indiranagar, Bangalore

Phone: 41200469

Cuisine: German

Cards Accepted: Yes
Parking: Street parking, can be difficult

European Food events Foodie events

Le Jardin - A Preview of the Food Lover's Gourmet City Menu

Friday, March 14, 2014Me! In words

Once a year, we have some great restaurant showcases that take place in the city. In the short time that it has been around, The Food Lover's Gourmet City is one that is keenly awaited. This year, like before, it brings together 20 of the best restaurants in the city from March 13th - March 31st. The menu in every restaurant is designed to showcase the chef's signature dishes and let you partake of them at a price normally not possible. What is even better is that every restaurant has a vegetarian and a non-vegetarian menu, ensuring that no one feels left out.

Take your pick for Indian, Italian, Mediterranean, Pan-Asian and more. Choose to go for lunch or dinner. Opt for a 2 course or 3 course meal. Such is the range of choice - a variety that is not mind-boggling, but is comprehensive. All of the 20 restaurants have their special menus served on prior reservation.

To kick off Food Lover's Gourmet City Week, we had a bloggers preview meal at Le Jardin, at the Oberoi. The brand is a stalwart in the hospitality industry and one whose service has remained a class above no matter which other entity has set foot into the fray. The old world charm of the restaurant, the green blanket you look on to as you dine, the subtle yet efficient service all come together to make dining here an experience.

Since this was a preview meal, some servings were in taster portions - such as the starters. It helped us sample more than a few dishes off the menu.

Home-made ginger ale at the back and orange juice up front

A little bread basket while we chatted

From the European starters, we had the beetroot carpaccio. Highlights of this appetizer was the candied walnuts - a bite into the sweet crunchiness of sugar and walnut, with a slice of beetroot and a hint of orange is brilliant. Or perhaps another combination of the edible flower, the goat cheese and the beetroot. Many ways to sample a single dish.

Beetroot carpaccio

A non-vegetarian version was the beef carpaccio - so many tiny elements elegantly come together on this plate - the beef, horseradish, capers and mayo and the argula. After caressing your visual senses this is a dish that will prepare your taste buds for whole new level of pampering.

Beef carpaccio

Though meant to be a strictly non-alcoholic afternoon, considering we were all headed back to work, two cocktails did find their way to the table. The Genie in Bottle was jar was filled with a heady concoction based in kaffir lime, galangal, spices and a touch of lemon with vodka, while the other had an infusion of Earl Grey tea with an orange base and gin. Kaffir lime flies right of the charts in terms of brilliance, and only for me, was the tea infusion one just as good.

A sampler of the vegetarian Indian starters - The Lacchedar Malai Tikka gently layered with sweet tamarind and mint chutney and the Bharwan Tandoori Aloo with a stuffing of paneer and dry fruits. The clay oven it was placed in, gave it this rustic look and taste too am guessing.

The sampler for the non-vegetarians had the Kasundi (mustard) and coriander marinated chicken, a prawn that had a touch of orange to it (which we hear is among Chef Amit's favorite ingredients) and a Kerala style beef pepper fry served on mini uttappams. The beef totally stands out for its peppery touch and is something you must have if beef is your thing.

Though this picture does absolutely no justice to the brilliance of the clear amber, this chicken consomme is the reassuring hug you need at the end of really long days. The flavor of the broth remains with you for the duration of the meal

The Chilled Gazpacho, completely encircled with ice and served with a pesto bread.

Your choice of main course will be accompanied with the appropriate Indian breads and rice. A blogger friend opted for the prawn balchao which truly tasted like a dish airlifted from the homes of a Goan family residing by the beach for generations. The Goan vinegar used was spot on - the levels of tangy and spicy perfectly balanced and the sannas, just like my mom makes.

Two others asked for the Barbary Duck Confit - served with puy lentils, sauteed potatoes and a berry jus. They honestly expressed more with their faces and gestures than their words each time they took a bite. What I got from all the gestures and faces were - "soft", "tender", "brilliant lentils" "purrrrrr"

This is the vegetarian platter of one of the dishes - right now I am leaning towards it being the Mangalore vegetable gassi. The other option was the Bharwan Gucchi

I had the Pan-seared tenderloin done medium. This was served on creamed polenta, a red wine jus and roasted vegetables. I was too busy enjoying my meal to take a photo to show you the perfect pink of the meat on the inside. When you have a meat longing as big as the one I had when I head to the Oberoi, this is the perfect dish.

The Mushroom risotto was something I wanted to try and so a very very small bowl was asked for. I could count on the fingers of one hand, the number of restaurants that can get a risotto so flavorful and so "non-boring" for want a of better word. I could happily sit down with a glass of wine and a pan of this risotto and be a happy kitten.

Dessert was food art to say the least. A celebration of berries, this is titled Textures of Berries and had a Raspberry and chilli sorbet, macaron, strawberries on a chocolate bed, chocolate and berry mousse. We spent more time gazing at the plate than we took to polish it off. A doff of the hat to the chef behind it.

As mentioned above, Le Jardin is one of the 20 restaurants participating in Food Lover's Gourmet City on from March 13th-31st. All meals are against reservations only. The Gourmet City Week culminates into the Chef's for Charity event.

Bangalore restaurant reviews Deli European

The Glass House

Tuesday, February 18, 2014Me! In words

Its been a while since we treated ourselves out as a family. So one weekend, the three of us decided to head out to "nice" place. Sudhakar suggested Glass House and a quick online peruse seemed positive and so we headed off. This restaurant is on Lavelle Road and having valet parking here is a massive plus point.

Once we stepped in, its pretty obvious why the space has its name - the decor is predominantly glass and looked lovely in the afternoon Sun. Am sure that night ambiance is much more romantic and pleasing to the senses. There is indoor seating, semi-outdoors, mezzanine that looks out through the glass to the nice looking bar area and the main road, am guessing since we didn't go all the way up there. We chose the al-fresco seating because honestly, it does a world of goodness to my photos.

Am not really an afternoon drinking person unless its some major cause to celebrate and so stuck to a mocktail. Not being able to make a choice, I was asked what my preferences were. So I said "fruit-based, not lychee", "berries", "fizzy" and I was brought a lightly fizzy Berry Delight - strawberry pulp at the bottom, not sure of the other berries used if any, but it was not sour, just the right level of sweet, a hint of lime somewhere and not overloaded with ice to dilute.... long story short - I liked my drink.

Sudhakar decided to experiment and had the Asahi beer, which I was skeptical about since it was Rs 400 a pop and you want something like that to be good. Turns out it was good for a one time indulgence - not overly strong - two-steps better that KF Ultra.

Berry Delight and Asahi Beer

We were going the whole way today and decided on two appetizers and two main courses. I was a bit confused on what to order for Anoushka and sensing my confusion our waiter offered to bring in the deli menu for me to choose sandwiches for her. This worked out good for me because I asked for a honey glazed ham and gouda cheese sandwich. It was then further customized for me with plain bread and no grilling simply because my daughter actually doesn't like any frills. But the fact that the restaurant did not hesitate it doing this gave it a few additional points for me.

While we were waiting for our food to arrive, which did take a while in the coming, we were served some bread with olive oil and dukkah. The bread was not warm but tasted good - especially the soft olive dusted bread. The dukkah was fresh and crunchy and it made for a good plate of munchies till the food arrived.

What really made me happy as a mommy was that a fish bowl with a fighter fish in it was brought and placed on the table to entertain Anoushka - a novel way to keep kids entertained and at the table. I saw it at a few other tables and it did seem to have everyone in place. The Glass House went up a few more notches on my charts.

Anoushka's sandwich was the first to arrive and the generous helping of chips on the side made it all the more interesting for her. The sandwich was good in the sense that it was generous with both the ham and the cheese. Though am guessing asking for it to be grilled would have made it a bit less dry. Nevertheless, she finished one sandwich and the chips and we had ourselves an early evening snack.

Honey glazed ham and Gouda cheese sandwich

We ordered two appetizers and the Cocktail Jacket potatoes with scallion cream and an addition of bacon bits was the first. Don't be taken in by the picture, the bowl is actually a small square lunchbox size and the potatoes were actual cocktail, pop-in-your-mouth-at-one-go size. But they were done beautifully. Not so hot that you will be yelping with the first bite (trust me jacket potatoes have got the better of me enough number of times). The scallion cream and good sized bits of salty bacon rounded this dish off very well.

The other appetizer that caught our eye was the Seared potato gnocchi with wasabi pea puree.... the gnocchi was soft as a spoonful of whipped cream with the slight sear giving it that delicate texture. The burnt garlic bits sprinkled on top and the wasabi pea puree were perfect accompaniments. The wasabi peas puree though did not carry even a hint of wasabi, which was slightly disappointing because we ordered this dish solely based on that word. But again, for the gnocchi, it was brilliant.

These two appetizers were brilliant and we should have stuck to a single main course, but we were being indulgent. The appetizer portion may seem small to you by normal standards, as it did to me, but in hindsight I do feel these were portioned to be starters and not anything more. So if you would rather just go for a hearty meal, I would suggest sticking to one appetizer, or simply going straight to the main course.

I am a sucker for risotto and always need to check it out in every restaurant that offers it. So when I saw the crab and rocket pesto risotto, I had to have it. And a pretty good choice it turned out to be. The risotto was laden with hand stripped crab and the rice had a good bite to it. The crab fritters placed in the middle rounded the meal up well. Since I was half packed with the appetizers, our doggy bag had a little addition to it.

Sudhakar went for the Togarashi Marinated Salmon, creamy spinach and potato wedges with citrus sauce. A great choice it turned to be - a thick filet of salmon with a nice pan-seared crust to it. The only disappointment was the creamy spinach which was more watery than creamy. Though it tasted good, the texture did not allow it to be a great accompaniment.

There was no way we could do desserts after this and decided to do that another time. When we found that the starters were taking their time to arrive at the time, we informed told the staff that we were on a tight time schedule as we were headed for a movie and wanted to wrap up the meal by 2.15 that day. We were paying our bill at 2.05PM. So service-wise I give them a thumbs up and the same goes with child-friendliness. This meal was expensive to say the least and was close to the Rs 3500 mark. Anoushka is growing up and so I did not get a look at the loo like I normally would.

Address: 25/2 Lavelle Road, After Java City

Phone: 67947389

Cards Accepted: Yes
Parking: Valet

Bangalore restaurant reviews Cunningham Road European

Bangalore Bistro - Cunningham Road

Monday, December 03, 2012Me! In words

I have said it over and over again, on my FB page and on the blog, that Bangalore Bistro is an all-time favorite. They have done changed locations often enough from Cunningham Road to Brigade and now back to Cunningham road now. We were introduced to the place on Brigade Road by a friend when we had a mini-class reunion a while ago and we have been there numerous times after.

Its been close to a year since we visited and wanted to make the visit when their Cunningham road venue opened up (this is not the same as their original location, and is in the same building that houses Xtreme Sports). It still maintains that blue and white facade - has an outdoor and in-door seating. They have a mix of cushioned and tessarae seating giving you a choice in that as well.

The interiors from where we were sitting

One look at the menu told us that there were a few additions to it. We tried to order all that was new to see how each dish would fare. We started with the squid rings for Anoushka, since her obsession with it continues. For us, we ordered the Balls of Delight. These were minced meat balls, in a slightly oriental sauce, but not something that would make you classify it as being a chinese dish. I started off feeling that the dish was spicy and Sudhakar totally disagreed with me. And came to see a few bites later that he was right. I guess, my drink, which was a sweet mocktail did that to me.

Balls of Delight

The squid rings were finely sliced and the batter thin and crisp. The aioli served with it was creamy. Anoushka made her whole meal of this. I know I would have.

Squid rings

For our drinks, Sudhakar had a beer and I had a Pink Passion - strawberry and orange based. Can't complain about the beer, you know what you are getting there and the mocktail was nice.

Beer and Pink Passion

For main course, I was in "meat" mode and went in for the Smoked Steak. Three neat roundels of beef and yes I was asked how I would like my steak done and I got it a great medium rare. But what I particularly loved was that the staff actually remembered that I don't liked too much of freshly ground pepper on my food and came back to confirm that they should stick to that for the accompanying mushroom sauce. Now this after not visiting for more than a year. That is called service I say!

Smoked Steak

Sudhakar had the roasted chicken pasta - it was a chunky sauce that covered the pasta. Light and spot on in taste.

Roasted chicken pasta

There were new desserts apart from their heavenly cheesecakes which we normally order. This time we had the tiramisu cake and the chocolate cake, both served with ice-cream. Sudhakar was in raptures when he was having the tiramisu and Anoushka kept coming back for more with the chocolate cake. That is testimony enough. The chocolate cake which looked absolutely sinful, tasted light on the chocolate and you do not end up with that cloying chocolaty feeling all over. It was yumm...

Tiramisu as a cake

Chocolate cake

Am glad we decided to go back to our favorite place and they gave us no reason to oust them from that position. New place, new additions to the menu, all done brilliantly and with valet parking to boot will make this place a hit naturally. They also have a bar menu now, so yipppee on that. This meal came to around
Rs 2500. Did not get a chance to check out the loo, but it has always been spotless so do not doubt that here.

Address: 37/2, Opposite Sigma Mall, Cunningham Road, Bangalore.

Phone: 22201616

Cuisine: Meditereanean, European
Wallet factor: Rs 2000 for two

Accepts Cards: Yes

Parking: Valet

Krazzy Folds

Cafe Max

Le Jardin - A Preview of the Food Lover's Gourmet City Menu

The Glass House

Bangalore Bistro - Cunningham Road

Find by Location

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Bangalore restaurants- Food and Travel

Krazzy Folds

Cafe Max

Le Jardin - A Preview of the Food Lover's Gourmet City Menu

The Glass House

Bangalore Bistro - Cunningham Road

Find by Location

Hello!

Get easier updates through Facebook!

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Labels

Contact Form

Bangalore restaurants- Food and Travel