Bangalore restaurants- Food and Travel: Koramangala

Breakfast at Nasi and Mee

Monday, September 25, 2017ruthdsouzap

I love breakfasts out. Always have, always will. Have done them all - the English Breakfast, the American Breakfast, the Military hotel idlis and kheema curry, the South Indian breakfast, the North Indian one... you get the drift. I love me my any kind of breakfast. And so when Nasi and Mee launched their Asian inspired breakfast, an invitation to try it out could not be declined. We headed there a Sunday morning and here is what we had.

Freshly Brewed Black Coffee - is available with milk as well and there is no better way to start a breakfast. The beverage menu is quite an interesting one and so space yourself out to make room for more them.

We began with the Sambal Cheese Toast - I mean, come on, the description had me at sambal! I am all for nice spice - I am the one who can eat Priya Pickle sandwiches in the middle of the night. And so I am a sucker for all things sambal and its ilk. This black plate of happiness is the N&M blend of Sambal, Cheddar and Parmesan cheese toasted in sourdough, with wild arugula and spiced tomato relish. Its crisply toasted, well balanced with all the textures and tastes coming through very well. A perfect was to start breakfast and wake up all those sleeping taste buds.

Now what breakfast would be complete without some eggs. And so up next was Thai Style Eggs Benedict which is poached Eggs on a bed of sourdough, chicken ham, topped with Tom Yum Hollandaise. Its the laced hollandaise which makes all the difference and by the time this dish came to the table, I really wanted to know where N&M gets its arugula from. Its so fresh and punch-filled with every bite. And oh yes... those eggs run very well when sliced down the middle.

Synonymous to street snacking in Asia is the Singapore Kaya Toast - generously slathered with coconut jam. So here at N&M the jam is made in-house. Its nice and sweet and perfectly sandwiched between two slices of toast that don't have their edges on them (just the way I love my sandwiches). But considering I am not too much of a sweet-in-the-morning kind of person, I had to ask for sausages on the side.

The N&M Big Breakfast puts together some of those individual choices on the menu to give you a nice and heavy start to the day. - Choice of two eggs prepared with the goodness of arugula, sautéed sausages and Kaya toast. That's quite a plateful and you will be a very happy diner post it... especially if you pair this with the Iced Milo Shake that you see below.

Ice Blended Milo Shake - Now this is one of those drinks that will take you racing back in time - just about the same way Anton Ego did in Ratatouille. Its all sorts of good, happiness inducing and delicious. Think a thick Milo shake with crushed ice topped with a generous sprinkling of Milo powder.

And because the spice fiend in me couldn't help it, I needed to end on the Triple Decker Corn Fritters, with cherry tomato, wild arugula and and balsamic glaze on sourdough bread. This one hits the spot well and can be a complete breakfast dish in itself. Make sure to slice all the way through the deck, pick up a bit of everything (do not forget that argula and make sure to save some for the end)

And finally breakfast ended with Kopitiam Teh Tarik literally translating to Pulled Tea. It takes a bit of getting used - its looks like your average good cuppa but has a more pronounced flavour. But it is something that will make a great beginning or end to your breakfast.

Breakfast begins early here at 8.00AM and only on Sundays goes on till 11.00AM every weekend. An average meal for two is around Rs 1200 if you are really generous with what you order. If you time yourself well, you can get straight into the regular menu which is quite a treat too. And do not forget to dive into the bowl of XO that comes to the table.

Address: Nasi and Mee #974, 4th Cross, ST Bed, 80ft Road, 4th Block, Koramangala
Phone: 080-41513456
Cuisine: Thai, Indonesian, Malaysian, Asian
Cards Accepted: Yes
Wallet factor: Rs 1500 for two on average
Parking: Valet

Brunch First on Indulge Koramangala

Sunday Brunch at the Hilton

Friday, February 10, 2017ruthdsouzap

If it’s a Sunday, it’s usually brunch and if you choose to head out for it, then nothing can be more beckoning than a poolside brunch. Hilton at the Embassy Golf Links introduces its poolside Sunday brunch at the Ministry of Food and it will take you a good part of your Sunday to get through it.

The brunch has quite a large spread, split between the poolside and Salt Grill as well as Ministry of Food. Settle down under one of the large umbrellas by the pool or dive straight in before you head to the tables and begin nursing your cocktail. Or you could choose to sit inside, in air conditioned settings.

The pool that really beckons

With a buffet set up right next to it! Perfect beginning to a Sunday

The bar whips up most of the classics and we nursed a Cosmopolitan, a Mojito, following which we customized our drinks and the bartender sportingly whipped it all up. A tad bit slow with the drinks coming to the table, but then a full house and the demand for the good drinks can tend to back things up a bit.

A view of the bar that was going full steam ahead

The first round of drinks that hit our table

The cheese and crackers counter brings on the whole shebang and you can choose from a range of hard to soft cheeses and everything in between. A choice of breads, crackers, dry fruits and nuts and some grapes help you make up an enviable platter to sip on with your sangria.

Everything Cheesy About This!

The grills offer a range of meats with accompanying sauces and vegetables. What stood tall was the chicken quiche, the roast chicken and the grilled pork. The spinach and corn tarts were great as well. There is a vast selection of Indian starters, which will be brought to your table on request. So from tandoori fish to vegetable kebabs, and a range of meat starters you can be sure of something to nibble on all through the afternoon.

One view of the grill station

The pasta station gives you the usual options of white and red sauces with a choice of short-cut pastas. The station is a vegetarian one primarily, but we asked for bacon to be added and were obliged. The decorative colored spaghetti on display makes this station something you spot right at the beginning.

I just loved this display. Too bad it was not for plating!

In between the eating, drinking and merry-making you will be regaled by a magician who makes the rounds. You also have a lovely duo belting out what are now classics for my generation! Also present is a tarot card reader who can be frighteningly accurate, or was that just the cards I happened to pick!

Don’t forget to explore the spread set up on the inside. A collection of interesting cold cuts and salads greets you first. The octopus salad was my pick as were the cuts. Don’t be surprised when you see thick test tubes of watermelon gazpacho, which do need a good shake before you down them. You then have the Asian and Indian sections to browse through and do not miss the sizzling tava vegetables being made live. Try the Khow Suey – there is a very generous hand with the galangal, lemon grass and the coconut milk, making this a grand gravy. The lamb biryani too is light on the spices, yet very flavorful. There is a chaat counter too, if you want some of that roadside goodness too! Take a look at the pictures... sometimes that's all you need to tell a delicious story.

What you must not miss at this spread is the watermelon jello shots doing the rounds – potent and delicious these work perfect in between drinks. Not to mention the trays of shots that are taken around as well.

The potently delicious jello shots!

The assorted shots doing the rounds

Desserts occupy a good amount of space and besides the plated sets is the nitrogen ice cream counter as well as the live jalebi and rabdi counter that will have many a happy soul at them.

Young guests are well entertained at a kiddie corner with staff looking after the younger ones. Older kids have a foosball table at their level, a library of books and board games as well. The children’s buffet has kiddie favorites.

Ministry of Food, Hilton, Embassy Golf Links Business Park, Domlur

12.30pm to 4pm

Alcoholic Brunch: INR 1999 ++

Non-alcoholic Brunch: INR 1499 ++

Kids Brunch (5-12 yrs): INR 749 ++

Reservations: +91 7353759820

This article first appeared in Indulge

Bangalore restaurant reviews Koramangala On Invitation

SmokeHouse Deli and its delicious new menu

Sunday, March 08, 2015Me! In words

Smokehouse Deli or SHD if that's how you know it is all about doing it King-size - so when they launch a new menu, you know that an invitation to sample the fare is going to be a bring-your-Joey-Jughead-size-pants-to-the-table affair. While the ambiance and many of the classics remain the same, this new menu is more about going local (which seems to be the trend these days), staying fresh, being innovative and bringing in an element of health, while not going too over-the-top. A lot to achieve but which is ably done. Its always good to bring in something new and that's precisely what the menu hopes to offer its regular and new customers.

This cheese platter made everyone on the table happy, so much so that when an attempt was made to clear it away for the food, the collective sadness was so palpable, the staff left it where it was!

We were a large table that day of 11, two children included both of whom had quite a treat in store. SHD is quite child-friendly and has even created quite a fancy menu for them - An activity and sticker book, from which they can choose to customize their meal and place an order. One of the staff is always willing to come forward and help with this! My Anoushka was quite the happy little girl with her Farfalle Pasta with Tomato sauce and Bacon. And I did sneak in a bite to check it out - would have been happy with a bowl myself!

The sticker make-your-own-meal section

Anoushka's lunch (BTW, she took all these photos herself)

To say that there was an overwhelming number of dishes to try that day would be an understatement, so I am going to stick with what seriously stood out for me the most. Among the appetizers it was definitely the two you see here -

The BBQ Beef strips on skewers made for some awkward photographing, but completely made up for it in being grilled deliciously. The BBQ sauce hit that perfect sweet note in
complimenting the meat.

This I savoured in between sips of the Orange and Pineapple Margharita - no shying away from the alcohol and citrus always makes for a lovely cocktail base.

Prawn fritters in Mustard Aioli - Give me an unending supply and you will keep me eternally happy. Am guessing that should sum it up for you. Crisp outside, soft and juicy inside and a mustard twang that brings it all harmoniously together.

The Pomegranate and Thyme Martini has some strong flavours going for it, but pairs well with almost everything on the menu. The men at the bar know what they are doing for sure.

When the soups were first brought out almost unanimously we all decided that a sip would be all that we would wanted. Five minutes later, you had a raucous table fighting over bowls. The High Street Chicken and Noodle soup was hearty and very soul-satisfying. A distinct bacon-like taste we were told came from some smart cooking and definitely not from the all-time favorite porcine delight. The Minestrone soup with the surprise element of Barley (in the picture above) was hands down the most delicious.

The SHD Market Vegetable Salad with a dressing of toasted cous cous and cider along with a pear and mango chilli emulsion + flax seeds. So that is a lot to go into a salad, but I can see it making for a delicious summery lunch. The chips on top being the only exception to the dish - they turned soggy and chewy and could perhaps be omitted from it all completely.

Among the Fresh fruit infused cocktails, this was the Orange, Cantaloupe Melon and Vodka that was a happy marriage of ingredients. I am happy I got to honeymoon with this great combination.

For me, burger eating is like a messy adventure. Rings and watch always come off and don't be surprised to see me licking my wrists in perfect bliss. The Pulled Roast Chicken Burger with Bearnaise sauce and a double hit of melted cheddar provided me with the perfect situation for this burger eating.

The Chicken Schnitzel with Caper Sauce on a bed of sauteed vegetables will make for a very satisfying lunch, even on a working day - The mozzarella layering will give you that richness (read treat) you are looking for in the middle of those crazy deadlines.

The Grilled Steak with Creamed Mushrooms, Baby Potatoes and Pepper Sauce gave us a lot to rave about - from the nicely done beef roundels to the devilishly good potatoes and a nicely peppered sauce. Like my friend loves to say "It was hot, gooey and nice. What's not to like?"

Slow Cooked Pork Belly with Kimchi Apples - Need I say more? A nicely caramelized crackling and a perfect offering of thanks to the porcine gods. The kimchi apples give it that tartness that makes this into a dish that will have you saying grace after meals!

This Capellini Chilli Garlic with Mussels and Prawns and all things good from the sea in a delicate sauce was supremely delightful on first bite. After reading Swapna's post I now know why I never saw the plate again ;-)/

I am always worried about Risottos getting boring in between but this one Old smoked bacon and mint risotto will do anything but that. The rice had its bite, the flavours are deeply infused and you may consider lifting the plate and licking it clean if no one is looking, I know I did. Alternately some bread from those little baskets on the table will help.

I personally loved the Warm Apple Cake with a Vanilla Cardamom Sauce in the dessert section. The sugar twirls had a few of us guessing for a while on what it was really made of. I made good of this dessert without the ice cream on the side.

The Baked Yogurt with Orange bits was nice but compared to the rest of what was served was not really standing out

SmokeHouse Deli never fails to impress on every visit. Consistency has been an issue on a few visits and I believe that has been all taken care of now. A great new menu of food and drink to look forward to and I will be there soon for sure.

Address: No 1209, Ward No. 72, HAL 2nd Stage, 100ft Road, Indiranagar.

Phone: 25200899

Cuisine: Continental, European
Wallet factor: Rs 2500 for two (with alcohol)

Accepts Cards: Yes

Parking: Valet Parking

Breakfast at Nasi and Mee

Sunday Brunch at the Hilton

SmokeHouse Deli and its delicious new menu

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Bangalore restaurants- Food and Travel

Breakfast at Nasi and Mee

Sunday Brunch at the Hilton

SmokeHouse Deli and its delicious new menu

Find by Location

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Get easier updates through Facebook!

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Bangalore restaurants- Food and Travel