I have developed quite a fascination for Military Hotels this past year. I spoke of two of them in an earlier post and now have two more here to wax eloquent about. The first is a personal favourite simply because it is so close to home and the food is divine. No week goes by without a quick stop for an indulgent lunch. Ranganna Miltry Hotel has been around for a long while now and if you follow my Facebook and Instagram, you will know that my love for Ranganna Miltry knows no bounds. 

From the few conversations I have had with Muniranganna, the owner and a one time wrestler, I came to know that he inherited this eatery from his parents. It was a small, dilapidated looking space that had its loyal customers spanning a couple of generations in Jayanagar. Today, he runs it along with his sons. The eatery has moved to a larger, airier space, just one road away, complete with family seating space, and is packed to the gills any given day. 

Spices are picked up from the nearby KR Market and Muniranganna religiously handpicks up every piece of meat that goes into his preparations. How do I know this? Well, we go to the same butcher and have seen him in action. In fact, if you ask for advice on the cut of meat to select, he will happily oblige you. Here is a look at just some of the food that we constantly head back for at Ranganna Miltry Hotel. 

You get served on leaves or plates, depending on what you order - you take your pick. 

Thale Mamsa - Head Meat gravy - this one is a spicy dish that packs in all the flavor that oozes out during the slow cooking process. The spice is from the whole garam masalas that you will find abundantly and pepper. It is tempered with a generous amount of fresh coriander leaves. 

Yes, its a poorly shot photo, but excitement got the better of me. Sudhakar's standard order when he is here is a Ragi Mudde with a meat curry. The Ragi balls are smooth and make for a sumptuous meal each and every time. Top it off with a share of mutton palav and siesta-here-we-come.

This Fish Curry comes with a generously oily base that packs in the heat of red chillies and of course Munriganna's secret mix of spices. He told us once that only a select few in the kitchen know the recipes of these dishes, among of course his immediate family. 

My personal favourite and almost every time order is the Kheema Balls - what you see here is the Kheema Ball Dry - there is also a gravy version which kicks up the spice level a few notches higher, but is equally excellent. The meat is hand pounded along with all the spices and condiments it needs. It is then shaped into these generous balls and cooked in an amazing base of tomatoes, whole spices, peas and more. 

Though my favorite Mutton Palav among the Miltry Hotels I have visited so far continues to be Naidu Miltry Hotel in KR Market, this one is a close second (yes, I still like this one over Shivaji Miltry Hotel). The meat in this one is always flawless, the spice comes from a generous onion-chilli mix and of course large handfuls of coriander and mint. Try the palav without the gravy first as, the gravy just adds to the spice factor. 

The Chicken Fry is a typically home styled version of onions-ginger-garlic-tomato with a few spices. Again, a dish that shows how a few simple things can result in major transformation of a core ingredient. 

A meal I once had of Rice with Kheema Gojju. These types of plated meals are by far the most common thing you will see going at lunch time. The kheema has been hand chopped rather coarsely, allowing it to take on all the masalas that have been added in. Team that up with the rice and that spicy gravy in the middle and you have a satisfying meal. 

Rasam is how most meals end here and you do not want to miss this little steel cups of heaven. The staff is generous with their rasam and will get you additional cups if you request for it. You also get a choice of aerated drinks. Service is quick and the food hits the table soon. A meal for two will not cross the Rs 400 mark. The place also has a very clean men's and women's washroom. There is limited parking outside the restaurant, the parallel roads offer you a better bet. 

Okay so for those of you who have heard of miltry hotels, there is no way you have not heard of Shivaji Miltry Hotel. By far the most popularly known joint, this place has been around for decades (as have most other miltry hotels). Finding it is not that difficult if you keep the Banashankari Bus Stand as your landmark. Just ask around and you will find yourself standing under the lemon garlanded entrance of the eatery soon enough. 

The thing with Shivaji Miltry Hotel is your timing. People come here for the Donne (a dried leaf bowl) Biryani/Mutton Palav and believe me it gets over rather soon. The place serves just about 2-3 dry meat dishes a day besides scores of donne biryanis. There is a certain strategy you need to apply to getting your fill at Shivaji.

1. Arrive at the right time - Biryani in the mornings is usually done by 10.00AM, so arrive early and you get it. You can try catching the next round which starts getting served around 12.45PM to 1.00 and if you are lucky till 1.30PM. There is another round that gets done around 2.00PM usually based on demand for the day. 

2. Getting a seat - Not that Shivaji is a small eatery, but it is packed... all the time. You have to master the art of scanning the space to see which table is nearing done. Stand next to the person eating and quite shamelessly stare them down till they finish eating and get up. Please don't wait for the table to be cleared, you will lose the seat. Sit down and the table is cleared in a jiffy and your order will be brusquely taken. 

Of course, for those of you who cannot fathom doing this, the place also has a brisk takeaway service going simultaneously. 

The plates of leaves stitched together that are placed in front of you

Buckets of Pachadi are carried around and it is unceremoniously dumped onto your plate, along with a plastic cup of the meat gravy. While you sit mesmerized with this whole quick mechanical process, the biryani is being set into donnes and your starter dishes are plonked in front of you. 

The Chicken Fry - which comes with a generous dose of a spicy gravy

The Mutton Fry, which uses a red chilli masala as a base. Both dishes are oil-heavy as they are meant to be. They go perfectly well with a Coke, till you get your Donne with Biryani. 

It is honestly quite a sight to watch the servers walk past tables with trays piled high with Donnes. Before you can blink, entire rows of patrons are already digging into their palavs. Each donne can served two people quite easily. You have to have a seriously large appetite to make good of one on your own. The palav is light, quite non-greasy with the meat being soft. Flavors of chillis and whole spices come through nicely as does that of the meat. 

Little plastic cups of pepper rasam that are placed on your plate as you end your meal. These are poured from classic metal tea kettles of yore. You can ask for another helping, if you manage to catch the eye of your server. 

Shivaji Miltry Hotel is an experience in itself. From the crowded tables to getting a seat to actually eating and then walking out with a burp of satisfaction. If you are looking for a quiet laid back miltry meal experience, I would put my money on Ranganna. But if you are looking to be in the eye of the storm, which BTW is a great experience too, then Shivaji it is. Service is quick, but bordering on rude. A meal for two will not go beyond Rs 350 to Rs 400. There are clean loos and hand wash areas here. Bike parking is about as much as you will get, if you are lucky. 

Of course, there are so many more that I would like to visit. In my next post on Miltry Hotels, I will tell you about Shrinidhi Miltry Hotel in Basavangudi and Kaveri Miltry Hotel near Nandi Hills, which actually serves pork as well. 

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. 

Phone: 26533777/78

Cuisine: European, Continental, a touch of Japanese

Cards Accepted: Yes 

Google Maps link to Location: Krazzy Folds

Jayanagar, like most other places across Bangalore city seems to be sprouting new places to eat. This one is quite close to home. It has the most interesting name and that was reason enough to step in. This is a little cafe, that has a small ground floor seating with a small art studio for displays attached. There 4 tables upstairs. The entire terrace wraps around a tree, hence the name Leanin' Tree Art Cafe. 

First visit, we sat upstairs and Anoushka was quite thrilled about being up close and personal with a tree on the first floor of a restaurant. It took a good 15 minutes or so to get our menus. We asked for two starters, the names of which I forget, and an order for Anoushka, plus 2 mocktails. It took an additional 10 minutes for the staff to come back and tell us that there was no power and so more than half of the appetizers were knocked off the menu. We decided to drop appetizer there and move ahead to mains. Unfortunately, our mains took quite a while coming and that too just one at a time, with Anoushka's being the last to arrive. Quite ticked me off considering you would think its common sense to have the child's meal brought in first, especially when I mentioned so at the time of ordering. 

Anyways, all these irksome things aside, we did get our food. And here is what it was like. 

Classic Mojito - which really did not taste anything like a classic virgin mojito, but more like an overly sweet lime juice and nothing else. The Hot at Leanin' Tree - guava, tobasco, W'shire, salt and lime, red chili flakes was a valiant attempt at an interesting combination but the chilli flakes on the rim tend to burn your lips a bit not allowing you to take in the rest of the drink. 

Nachos and Salsa - The second time round we were a bit lucky with the starters. After asking for potato skins, it took around 5 minutes for the staff to come back and say its "going to take a long time and so maybe we would like to order something else". Considering our earlier experience of slow service, we took his word and asked for nachos and salsa instead. Crisp nachos with more of your masala papad topping peppered with bits of rajma and a diced tomato-chilli bowl to mimic salsa. Decent munchies till the food came. 

Twice over, without realizing we ordered the same dish - Herb and Garlic Marinated grilled chicken with mash and veggies - pleasant white sauce with pepper, steamed veggies and some nice mash. Perfect for one person and nice, if you looking for reasonably good food of this nature that is not heavy on the wallet. 

Leanin Tree special burger - Again, great for one person. The burger patty is chicken seasoned with primarily Italian spices and then layered with the usual burger suspects. Could do with cutting down on the onion a bit. Reasonably decent for burger cravings. 

Spaghetti Bolognese - I love me a good spaghetti bolognese. This was fairly good - hot, generous chicken mince over nicely done pasta and garlic bread on the side. I liked this one.

Chicken with Chasseur Sauce Sizzler - if you are in the mood for sizzler, this one will please. Its got it all - meat, potatoes, mushroom sauce, roasted cabbage base (I love that in sizzlers) and veggies. 

Classic Fish and Chips with tartare sauce - For Anoushka this was perfect. Am guessing the fish is basa, but the coating was crisp, the fish moist and hot and the fries completing the package. All good!

Cafe Latte to round up one meal.

Leanin' Tree cafe is actually a nice hang out place if the service really really bucks up and moves quicker. Its the small things that matter, like handing you a menu in less than 5 minutes of arrival, serving a child on time, getting your food quick enough, handing you your bill in less than 15 minutes of asking (both times we walked down to pay our bill because we were tired of waiting). It does have some pleasant food and can be nice place to meet up with friends, but the slow service is a dampener. A meal for two does not cross the Rs 700 mark. 

Its been a while since this blog has seen a post that comes from our own explorations of the city's culinary offerings. Am starting on that track again, a little closer to home - Jayanagar. Toscano opened its doors rather quietly in this part of the world. It took us a while to get here, and we had two pleasant meals here. Nice location, right next to Madhavan Park, though I would have preferred if it overlooked the park and not the petrol bunk. Valet parking - brownie points for that. On our first visit for lunch we were told that the downstairs is for the buffet and the upstairs catered to those who preferred a la carte. And so up the stairs we headed. 

Chalk boards with trivia, walls done up with similar chalk-based quotes and notifications and a full fledged bar set up (Pity though that the wine license is "a month away maybe"). Menus in hand it was time to order. 

The set-up upstairs. Nice sofa seating is available that overlooks the buffet counters downstairs and the petrol bunk on the outside. 

Some nice bread with pesto and olive butter while we waited for the food to come. 

One our first visit we asked for the Mango Margharita - Mango crush, lime juice and sugar. And the Citrus Mint Cooler - Basil, lemon, mint and lemon zest with ice. Both pleasant without being overly sweet, or sour. 

The second time we had the Virgin Sangria - cinnamon, apple juice, pineapple juice. And the Tricky Mary - Tomato juice, Worcester sauce, Tabasco, lemon juice, and freshly ground pepper in a salt rim glass. The description said celery stick, but that wasn't there. I really enjoyed the Tricky Mary, would have loved if the ice had done its thing before the drink reached our table, but nevertheless it was a nice one. I am more the savory than sweet person, and this peppery, spicy drink hit the spot. The Sangria was nice, the non-alcoholic version would have been better. 

Starter on our first visit was the Crispy fried young spinach, ricotta and Chicken Polpettini with a bellpepper coulis and a salad of rocket and parmesan. 4 polpettini skewered onto a stick and served exactly the way it is described. These were seriously nice with the spinach, ricotta and chicken coming together really well inside the crispy coating. The textures have a nice play and the chicken thankfully is not

Lamb burger done medium well, with an add-on of bacon, which though not on the menu was still done for us on request. Accompaniments of salad and fries made this a complete meal. A nice tender patty and lightly fried bacon... can't really go wrong with this combination. 

I was a on a pasta trip both the times that we visited Toscano. The first time, I had the Spaghetti Carbonara with basil pesto, bacon and freshly ground pepper. Overall pleasant but I found the sauce drying up a bit too soon and the spaghetti turning clumpy. 

Anoushka asked for a "plain" Pizza and so the Pizza Margharita it was. This came to us piping hot - 6 large slices and very homely. She enjoyed every bit and so did we.

Another time, I had the Seafood Linguine. Squid, fish and prawns in a tomato sauce base. Again, not too impressed with the sauce. I am a fairly good cook and I felt my home made pasta sauce tastes better. 

Sudhakar had the Chicken De Toscano - Sage infused chicken breast stuffed with ricotta and spinach, gnocchi on the base and a vegetable ragout ensconced in slices of aubergine. I have always found his order to be better than mine, without exception, every single time, every place we go to. The chicken in this one was moist and stuffed generously with ricotta and spinach. What  I really enjoyed though on this was the vegetable ragout wrapped delicately in thin aubergine slices and the little gnocchi (surprisingly, there isn't a standalone gnocchi dish on the menu, risotto yes, gnocchi no).

Cafe Latte which wrapped up one meal and which Sudhakar said was nice. 

Another time, we chose the House special Crepe Suzette - crepes in a brandied orange sauce with orange peel, served with vanilla ice cream and cinnamon powder on the edges. Soft crepes, in a lovely, tangy orange sauce with vanilla ice cream. Just right for two people to have a spoon fight over. 

Toscano has a small specials board that is brought to your table and read out. The service is prompt and the staff know what's on their menu. I wouldn't say this is Italian on the level of Chianti or Via Milano, at least for me personally. But the place does serve a good meal, the presentation is nice on every dish and it does fill the lacuna for an Italian restaurant in this neck of the woods. Each visit to Toscano set us back by around Rs 2000. They have separate loos for the sexes and are clean.