Bangalore restaurants- Food and Travel: Kamanahalli

Breakfast at BYLI - Bet You Love It

Wednesday, April 01, 2015Me! In words

I love breakfast. Its the one meal that is a pain to deal with each morning, but nevertheless I love breakfast. A while ago I started chronicling all the breakfast places we happen to visit. Of course, the south Indian breakfast is always a favourite, but I do love trying all others. You can read about some of our breakfast experiences here.

Recently we were invited to BYLI - Bet You Love It in Kamanahalli to try out their breakfast menu. We took up the offer simply because it was an all-day breakfast and the distance on a weekend, served as an outing of sorts.

BYLI does not have parking of its own and we were lucky to find some right opposite the restaurant which is opposite Aioli if you are familiar with the area. They have an AC section that was packed on the day of our visit. We sat on the outside which is quite comfortable and has a lovely indoor water fountain that sets a very soothing tone.

BYLI's breakfast menu is available from 9.30AM to 2.30PM. So all you late risers can still have your first meal of the day, even at unconventional hours.

Toblerone MilkShake - The description did say that Toblerone was blended with chocolate ice-cream. I did not feel that too much though. What I did taste was a great chocolate milkshake, with nougat drizzle on the side, topped off with some lovely thick whipped cream. I would have liked a little of the nutty bite of Toblerone. But this did make for a great milkshake.

Hot Chocolate - I wanted to get some milk down Anoushka and so asked for some hot chocolate. The art in the cup are some of the small pleasures in life for someone Anoushka's age. The hot chocolate was nice.

Sudhakar asked for a Latte which he declared was good.

And now, getting down to the breakfast. Sudhakar had The M&S Scramble - 3 eggs beaten with 4 cheeses - Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Cream Cheese and Swiss Cheese with ranch potatoes and an addition of chicken ham or sausages. The eggs were topped over with some scallions and it gave the cheesy eggs some great crunch. The ranch potatoes are on the spicier side and will perk up your taste buds after the cheese and eggs. The toast was crisp, just the way I like it.

Of the breakfast platters, the Big BYLI Breakfast is by far the largest. You get a cheesy omelette, chicken sausages, hash browns, mushrooms, and roasted tomatoes. All of this makes for a hearty breakfast. The roasted tomatoes could have done with a little more time on the grill. I would have also preferred them sliced and not squashed to a mush. What I really missed on the platter was bacon, but then the restaurant does not serve pork but still manages to put up a great breakfast.

Toast with Me - French Toast with Chicken Ham slices and Cheese - This was a nice mix of sweet and savoury with neither flavours overpowering each other. A filling breakfast option for when you are on the go or for a child at the table.

Its OK to Waffle with BYLI - the Waffles are nice and come with the works - Maple Syrup, thick chocolate sauce, whipped cream and a generous cover of icing sugar!

The breakfast menu at BYLI is quite extensive, with several options. It gives you enough of choice to try something new on several return visits. The service is pleasant and efficient. A meal for two will be within the Rs 600 bracket if you really indulge yourself. They do have an all-day cafe menu as well.

Address: G 1-2, Ist Avenue, 5th Main, 2nd Block, HRBR Layout, Kalyan Nagar, Bangalore

Phone: 49653104

Cuisine: Breakfast, Continental/American
Wallet factor: Rs 600 for 2

Parking: Street

Bangalore restaurant reviews Expensive Kamanahalli

Arirang

Monday, October 08, 2012Me! In words

Kamanahalli area has always been good to us in terms of food - Aioli BBQ and Grill House, The Naga Kitchen, Appam Corner and Rewind (unfortunately I lost these photos and never put up the review) and so the expectations were a little high for Arirang. After one failed attempt at finding the place we finally landed at their doorstep one afternoon, nice and hungry. We ended up being the only Indians there throughout our meal and this happened on our second visit as well but not once did we feel awkward in any way...

The grill at the table instantly meant that we were going to order something to put together at our table. We decided on the Samgyeopsal moksal with deonjang jjigae or in three words, grilled pork belly and the deal here at Arirang is that anything on the grill has to be a minimum of two portions when ordered. The basic pork belly comes with a lettuce leaves, garlic, sliced onions and mushrooms and then comes the traditionally large selection of banchan or side dishes.

The grill at the table being prepped

Samgyeopsal moksal with deonjang jjigae - grilled pork belly

We were told that we had to chop up the pork belly with the scissors, place them on the grill, throw in the mushrooms and the onions and place the bowl of garlic on the grill directly so that the juices from it don't drip around. When the pork gets nice and crisp, you pull it out, wrap it in the lettuce leaves with your choice of banchan and munch away.

We also decided to have some tuna kimbap while we were grilling. More to scratch the sushi itch we always have. Its not the same deal, but something is better than nothing... And this plateful was really nice. In fact Anoushka too had some and loved it.

Tuna Kimbap

There were a lot of the banchan and many of them were completely new to me and different from our earlier Korean experiences at Soo Ra Sang and Hae Kum Gang.

Sesame leaves and pickled radish

I just loved the color on this green radish

Kimchi and slices of omelette tossed in Korean garnishing

This was an egg white scramble in a sizzler dish

topped off with some shredded veggies

Another sizzler platter with sweet corn kernels
being the main ingredient

The first time round we ordered a squid dish, Ojingep deobap, that came with rice on the side for Anoushka. Its not as fiery as it looks and is loaded with veggies as well as squid in gochujang paste. Little one decided though that it would be just squid bits and plain rice for her and she loved the pork belly as well.

Ojingep deobap - squid and sticky rice

On our second visit, we were started off on cold pumpkin soup. This was literally a puree of pumpkin and in my opinion an acquired taste. I could not get through all of my portion since I don't like grainy feeling cold soups. But that's just me.

The banchan this time round were different with salads and variations of radish being included. There was also tempura and silken tofu, which made this second experience all the more different and interesting.

Banchan on the second visit

Veggie tempura

A fresh salad with a dressing I can't fathom,
but which was tangy

Sundubu - silken tofu - it is as creamy as it looks and rather bland which looking at the dressing you may not expect. Again for me it took two bites to actually start appreciating it but it does make a very interesting addition to the meal.

Pa Jun was also one of the banchan - this thin pancake with shredded veggies in it. Anoushka used to make a meal out of this at Soo Ra Sang when she was much smaller.

Nakji bokkeum or stir fried octopus

I had my eye on the Nakji bokkeum or stir fried octopus with gochujang paste and rice. And I thoroughly loved this one. This time round the spice was not toned down as it was done for the earlier squid dish that we got for Anoushka, so it packed quite a punch, but in a lovely way. The bites of octopus are plenty and very discernible. Its not really a traditional gravy kind of dish that you would expect and the rice can still be a bit dry when you eat it with the octopus, but you do need the rice to help tone the spice levels a bit.

Beef bibimbap

Sudhakar was keen on the beef bibimbap and that is what he had. As with any bibimbap, this was a complete dish in itself, lots of crunch from the veggies and also a bowl that I stole from him, half way through my octopus. Every meal ends with a serving of cold cinnamon tea. You also get starch based water on the table though you can ask for regular. But when you are here you might as well go all the way.

Cinnamon tea

Both times the owners of the place were kind enough to take the trouble and explain the dishes and the way to eat them, despite not being very fluent with the language. Bowls are cleared and glasses are topped up constantly despite a full house (on both occasions). The first time round our bill came to around Rs 2000 and the second time a little lesser. But I felt we completely got our money's worth. The toilet is nice and clean.

Address: 3, NK Enclave Building, Near Chinappa Layout, Opp Himalaya Drug store, 4th Cross Kamanahalli, Bangalore.

Phone: 41732581

Cuisine: Korean
Wallet factor: Rs 1300 for 2

Parking: Nothing exclusive . Can be a little tough

Bangalore restaurant reviews Continental Grills

Aioli BBQ and Grill Smoke House

Tuesday, September 20, 2011Me! In words

It was one of those weekends when we were scratching our heads on a place to head to. Someone in Sudhakar's office spoke of this new Korean joint in Kamanahalli and we thought of trying that out. And so with cousin Roshitha (our resident food guide in Kamanahalli) in tow we set out to find the place. We searched and we searched and we searched... and didn't find it. At last hunger got the better of us and so Roshi suggested we go to Aioli and that's how us 3 and half hungry souls landed at its doorsteps.

Its been around a while and I liked the casual interiors. We were the first on the scene and throughout our time there just 2 other tables filled up. Either we missed the weekend rush since we came in post 2.15PM or they have a hell of dinner service. Anyways, as the name suggests, everything here is about being grilled or smoked. The menu is not really extensive, but the pictures with each dish helps gets the stomach rumbling if you haven't reached the stage we were in.

The bar has a decent choice and we had Sangria, Wine cooler and Mocktail of the day between us. This is one of those long pending reviews and I don't remember what went in the wine cooler and the mocktail, but they were both really nice. The Sangria too was nice, but I personally loved the Sangria served at Jamavar at the Leela and haven't tasted one as good till now.

Sangria, Wine cooler and Mocktail of the day in front

For starters and to get junior going on her never-ending meal, we had the smoked garlic bread. Nice, hot, crisp at the edges. Didn't really get any smoky flavor but I loved the olive oil and chopped dill dressing that came with it. Added a nice touch. This was downed largely by Junior Prabhu

Smoked garlic bread

We knew we would need another starter and Warm pita bread with Baba Ghanoush was our choice. The pita was warm and made for a generous scoop for the baba ghanoush. Now that was really nice, finished off with a drizzle of olive oil. But again, the pita at Zaks is still my all-time favorite.

Warm pita bread with Baba Ghanoush

Can't get enough on the table and so Spiced Chicken wings was next. By now, we were the only ones in the resto and thanks to the glass covered grill space could see our chicken get made. When it came, it was piping hot. The outer layer was crisp throughout with a few charred edges. One bit and you know the chicken didn't have to work hard to get the "spiced" added to its name. It was spiiiiccy! But nice spicy.

Spiced Chicken wings

And finally we moved on to the main courses. We had Jerk Chicken with a side of mashed potatoes. Loved the fact that the starch came in a massive bowl. For those who love their potatoes, they will love this. The mash was on the grainy side and went well with the chicken, which was everyone's favorite part.

Jerk Chicken with mashed potatoes

The Seer fish with lime Aioli was as good as it sounded. There was another round of pita served with it and a salad. Anoushka grabbed hold of the pita. The fish was fresh and I felt the portion generous. Each of us also got this little glass bowl filled with four accompaniments. I really would like to know how they got all four in without them running into each other.

Seer Fish with Lime Aioli

I had the Moroccan Lamb Kebabs with Spinach rice and salad. That way I got get something decent like rice down junior's throat. The kebabs came on a skewer and were spicy, but melt in the mouth soft. They had done their time in the marination. In all three plates though, I found that the salad tasted a bit bitter. Maybe the lime squeezed was a bit too much or someone forget to take of the seeds when squeezing the lime. Besides that, the salads had their crunch.

Moroccon Lamb Kebabs

We shared a chocolate banana, which was grilled as well. Though, we really didn't think much of it. The ice cream and chocolate sauce portion tasted better.

Chocolate Banana

This meal with 3 starters, 3 main courses, 3 drinks alcoholic beverages and a dessert came to Rs 1800. This was the first time in god knows how long that I did not visit the loo with junior, so no comments on that. The service was good, the food good and the ambiance pleasant. All good reasons to drop by if you are in the area.

Address: #4,09 1st floor, 5th Main, 2nd Block, Kalyan nagar, HRBR Layout, Bangalore - 38

Phone: 42084359

Cuisine: Carribbean

Wallet factor: Rs 1100 for two with alcohol

Cards Accepted: Yes

Parking: Nothing exclusive and not too difficult

Bangalore restaurant reviews budget eating Kamanahalli

The Naga Kitchen

Wednesday, January 05, 2011Me! In words

I was first introduced to the cuisine of the northeast at the food festivals that the Ants Cafe has on a regular basis. So far we have made it to the Nagaland and the Mizoram festivals and thoroughly enjoyed what we had. The food of this region is completely sans multiple ingredient masalas that we are accustomed to. It has a lot of the local herbs and spices and is largely boiled and smoked. And also, it is a meat lovers paradise, not to say that they don't have some great vegetarian dishes, keyword being some here. The Naga Kitchen is across the border for us considering its in Kamanahalli, but we journeyed on one Sunday night.

The restaurant is done up in a bamboo/wood set up, with wooden benches and cane chair seating arrangement. Christmas decorations were already up and Anoushka headed straight for the tree. Also the bright shiny stars stuck into each one of the bamboos planters on the table made for a nice touch. Though the place is semi-open, being on the rooftop, it wasn't that chilly despite the time of the year.

The table setting in a corner

The star on the table

We chose the benches and one that was closest to the service window. One look at the specials menu and our stomachs were rumbling. There was King Chilli Chutney, Crab gravy, momos and a whole lot more. The regular menu had us zeroing in on the pork section. And this is what we settled on - Smoked pork with Akhuni, Naga Chicken curry with steamed rice, a chicken fried rice for Anoushka and after a lot of debate - the King Chilli chutney. The food is served in wooden bowls with wooden serving spoons. The quantities were just right for us three adults, considering Anoushka had two helpings of her chicken fried rice.

A look at the entire spread - the little bowl of green is a chilli chutney
to go with the fried rice

Smoked pork with Akhuni

Akhuni is fermented soyabean and an integral part of Naga cuisine, especially with the Sumi tribe. It has a rather pungent smell and can take some getting used to. The pork we ordered was smoked along with Akhuni. Smoking is generally done on bamboo as we learnt at the Ants Cafe. However, in this case, I found the pork a bit tough and chewy. The flavor was great, but it took a while going down. This was completely in contrast to what we had at the Tangkul Naga food festival at Ants. Maybe a difference in the process! Anyways, this was our starter.

Naga Chicken Curry

The next was the steamed rice with Naga Chicken Curry. The chicken curry was slightly thickish in consistency. Almost like egg drop soup. Makes you feel like that cornflour may have been used to thicken it. But I make no claims to knowing how the consistency was arrived at. After that mini rambling, I have to say that chicken curry tasted great. It was neither spicy or heavy. And with the wallop from the King Chilli chutney, it made one of the greatest meals ever.

Plain Rice

The chicken fried rice for Anoushka was completely different from what we are used to. It was not dry and a bit undercooked like most fried rice dishes are. Rather it felt more like an oriental pulao of sorts. Moist, the grains of rice well cooked and could be eaten as is. No need to dunk in gravy to get it down. Once we were done with the rice and chicken curry, we polished off this as well.

Chicken fried rice

And now for the highlight of the evening - the King Chilli Chutney. The King Chilli is known by a lot of names - jolokia, bhoot jholokia, Naga chilli and others. It currently is the second hottest chilli in the world. It give you an understanding, Wikipedia states that in 2009 scientists at DRDO announced plans to use it in the making of non-lethal weapons to flush enemies out of hideouts. In terms of heat, it is 100 times hotter than the jalapenos that you get on your pizzas. And for those of who you can't yet get the picture, attempting to eat a full King chilli will make you a good case study for spontaneous human combustion. Only here people will know the reason why!

This chilli is seasonal and harvested in July. Dried and fresh versions are used to make the chutney. It is coarsely pounded together in a mortar and pestle, with tomatoes, garlic and bit of coriander. The staff brought us a King chilli to look at and told us we could have a small bit of it if we liked. Sudhakar wanted to take it on and the video will tell you what happened next.

When you taste your first bit of King Chilli chutney, the effect is more of the delayed reaction types you see in a Tom and Jerry cartoon. A small fire set on your tongue that takes a few seconds to sink in before the yelp for help. Its more like 24-gun salute in your mouth, only here gunpowder is substituted with spice and instead of the sky lighting up, its all your senses that are set ablaze. Once the tears are done re-routing your mascara and your stomach has become a well with the water you have drunk, the King chilli chutney is guaranteed to have you reaching for more. Spice is not the only factor to judge this by, it does have a great flavor and is one you will remember for a long time after the meal.

King Chilli Chutney

The Adventures of Sudhakar - the King Chilli conquest

The King Chilli itself

I enjoyed the meal at Naga Kitchen. I will definitely be back for more when in that part of the country. The meal came to a pleasant Rs 575 and its roundabouts. The loo could do with some work but the dining area is spotless.

Address: #26, AVS Arcade, Opp Adidas Showroom, Near Nandhini Hotel, Kamanahalli, Bangalore

Phone: 41732012

Cuisine: Naga Cuisine

Cards Accepted: Yes

Parking: Nothing exclusive and you need to be lucky

Breakfast at BYLI - Bet You Love It

Arirang

Aioli BBQ and Grill Smoke House

The Naga Kitchen

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Bangalore restaurants- Food and Travel

Breakfast at BYLI - Bet You Love It

Arirang

Aioli BBQ and Grill Smoke House

The Naga Kitchen

Find by Location

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Get easier updates through Facebook!

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Bangalore restaurants- Food and Travel