What I love about the culinary landscape of Bangalore is that the city is not afraid to experiment. Every new establishment will have its patrons - those willing to come out of discover a new cuisine. Irish pub Blimey has had a good run so far - good food and drinks has been the general refrain as far as I have heard. And so when we were invited to check out the a new menu that was being rolled out by Chef Vivek, there was no thinking about it twice.
To survive in a city like Bangalore that has almost as many restaurants as it has trees (which is not saying much for the trees here in what was once Garden City!), introducing something new at regular intervals is key. We settled down, with a mini foosball table on our table to keep the youngest member of the troop happy and prepared ourselves for the very long tasting session that was planned for us.
From what I saw on the menu for us that night, it was obvious that Blimey was moving a little away from the classic Irish, which was still very much there, but now you have a little Indian, a little Italian and an attempt at fusion as well. The plan was to see how it all came together.
Martinis - made the classic way and so potency is high as it should be. A nice way to begin and proceed with the meal
We began with the Spinach and corn soup - a thick spinach puree with kernels of corn. And that was just about what it was for me, nothing more. Considering its a pub, it wouldn't be my table as I would rather make place for the other interesting things that there are.
Like the Trio of non-veg platter which began with the heap of Nachos a la Fruite de Marie - seafood nachos with prawn, crab and calamari that was absolutely divine. Crunchy, smooth, just the right amount of spice and a tangy/spicy salsa on the side. I assure you that there is little that will stop you from ordering another platter - do so and you may risk missing out on a few other great dishes.
Drinking in India (as far as I have seen) goes with spicy grub. If that's what gets you going in a pub, then the Pub wings tossed in peri peri sauce and the Cajun spice fried calamari with tartare sauce are what should grace your table. The spice levels are quite high and so you may find yourself running out of the pub with your tongue sticking out, but if you are anything like me, then you may just consider another round of the two and perhaps even make a drinking game out of it.
For the veggie brethren, you may consider the Trio of veg platter - Nutty Mushroom Tart - mushroom and veggies with rocket salad, with the tart being exceptionally soft that it broke on its way to my mouth. Mushroom fans though will love this. Cheesy potato logs - potato and cheese bread logs are pretty much like mum used to make and I would classify that as comfort food. More like a pleasant in-between dishes and drink. And finally Saggo Alla Verde - and Indianized Italian dish if you may and not one that I cared much for. It was a coming together of minced vegetables and sago in this deep fried dish
Shammi Sliders seem to be a roll these days and this was the third version in a short while. I would say pleasant, with the meat being ground fine and the accompaniments of chilli and chutney good. But it did slip down to second place compared to the earlier two I had had.
Breakfast Pizza - Now for this, Chef Vivek should take a bow - breakfast on a pizza - what a way to start or end any day of the week - cheese, bacon, baked beans, tomatoes and eggs exquisitely baked together on thin crust base - they must consider starting a hangover breakfast with this as the star dish.
Bombay Masala Burger - an upmarket take on the vada pav of Mumbai is a good pick
Chicken burger - is a brilliant choice for when you are stuffed with starters and drinks and don't really want a heavy main course. The entire burger and its accompaniments have been constructed to ideally come together
Caesar Salad with a twist - crisp naans in place of croutons and a skewer of chicken and deep fried crispy onions - Pleasant if it went by the name of chicken salad. There was a little too much twisting in this one
But the Green Apple and Chicken salad with the mustard and vinaigrette dressing was spot on - crunch and tart from the green apple, soft chicken and the punch of mustard with the soothing sweetness of a honey drizzle. Yummy!
Srilankan Beef Deluxe - try this if you have a good deal of tummy space - a great mix of Sri Lankan spices in this sandwich, making it perfect pub grub. The spicy fries on the side completing the package well. Together, they may well be the reason for your next drink.
Amritsari fish - Mahi Mahi, batter fried with spicy chips - Indianized fish and chips but in a very nice way - a squeeze of lemon juice and the kick of the spicy fries and you have something spot on to go with your drink.
And we finally arrive at the Irish part of the menu with an upscale version of Boxty - pancakes with peas and ementhal cheese. The ementhal cheese gives out a sharp sting in the sauce, while the pancakes are slightly crunch. I love my peas soft enough to mash with a fork and these could have done with a little more time. But still it comes together as a very comforting dish.
Spinach and mushroom lasagne - knocks the ball right out of the park with its multitude of layers and cheese and spinach and mushroom and oh! did I say cheese... delicious down to the last forkful.
Just Bangers and Mash - always a favorite of mine on any menu and the creamy mash on the side was just heavenly - smooth and creamy as a bowl of soft set custard. The onion gravy makes this a total indulgence. Sinful and delicious
Irish Lamb Stew - I was truly stuffed by the time this arrived at the table and so just a spoonful of the gravy which was resplendent in its deep red color created by all the juice of the lamb shanks seeping into the gravy and of course, onions and celery and host of other ingredients that always make a stew look so deceptively plain. This was a beautiful rendition of the gravy and I can see a lot of people tucking into it heartily
Bread Pudding with an anglaise sauce - Delicious... hang on! while I head out to wipe my drool off... this picture triggered it all again...
Rich Chocolate - cake with a ganache topping and a maranchino cherry topping - sinful enough to be on Lucifer's top 3 desserts each day! and I stopped short at the strawberries - cherries in any form are just not my thing...
Blimey's new menu is now available. A meal for 2 will be in the range of Rs 2500 with a drink each.
Address: Level 5, 1 MG Mall, 1/2 Swami Vivekananda Road, Near Crossword Indiranagar, Bangalore
Phone: 22086777
Cuisine: Alcohol, Irish
Accepts Cards: Yes
Accepts Cards: Yes
Parking: Valet
