Bangalore restaurants- Food and Travel: serves beef

1Q1 Focuses on Nikkei with its New Menu

Saturday, September 15, 2018Me! In words

And catching up with the backlog on the blog is this post on the now not so new menu at 1Q1. Well! if you haven't tried it yet, then this menu is definitely new for you. 1Q1 has quite a nice pan-asian menu to begin with and when it first opened its doors, it focused a small part of this menu on Nikkei - the Japanese-Peruvian variant that is really lovely. It was bound to do well and so in this new menu, the focus is now placed on this wonderful variant. I spent a great afternoon at 1Q1 a little while ago, to sample this new menu. Do note however that I was dining pretty much alone - all of the dishes you see here are in the tasting portion size and not full size.

I began the afternoon with the Saku Bliss - Hibiscus infused tea with Bacardi and shaken into a sour - quite the refreshing drink and good one to get the palate going. My first dish was the Peruvian Fresh Vegetable Tostada - Assorted pieces of avocado, cucumber, broccoli, grapefruit and edamame served on toasted tortilla with wasabi lemon cream with parmesan slivers. This truly is like a fresh garden salad, with some choice premium ingredients. The wasabi lemon cream and the gentle hit of bird's eye chilli bring this dish together very well.

A variant of this dish was the Tuna Sashimi Tostada - This is thinly sliced Tuna Sashimi with Wasabi Lemon Cream, Grapefruit, Tobiko, Avocado, Cucumber and cilantro with parmesan slivers. It does sound like a lot of ingredients coming together, but the key here is balance - in textures and flavours. For me, despite the many ingredients, the tuna was not overpowered, which is a brilliant thing. The touch of tobiko was a great addition to the texture.

Another great dish I sampled was the Grilled Octopus with Anticucho Sauce - this is a traditional South American sauce made with coriander, pepper, lime, garlic and other spices. It does not overpower the core ingredient, in this case the octopus. It bears some resemblance to an Indian sauce thanks to the presence of cumin, garlic, ginger and tomatoes but varies in some ways - in terms of proportions and combinations with other ingredients such as the Aji Amarillo chilli.

My second drink was the Mariachi's Song - Fresh blueberries and sage shaken with Don Angel's Tequila. Going with this was the Grilled Chicken with Anticucho sauce - a white meat variant that gives you a completely different feel and flavour of the sauce.

One thing you do not have to worry about at all in 1Q1 is the options available for the vegetarians. One of them is the Malay Penang Tofu - Tofu tossed Malay Peanut sauce - again, its the textures and the flavours that make this a great combination.

Because I have started loving top shots of tables laden with food.

A very pleasant sushi option is the Asparagus Cream Cheese roll

A vegetarian roll made with blanched asparagus and cream cheese rolled with seaweed and sushi rice

And so the courses went on - Next up was the Bangkok Chicken - Chicken caramelised in a sweet and spicy Thai sauce. Great to go with just about any drink and a nice one to linger over when you are planning a long lunch with friends and want to hang out.

Thai Bird's Eye Chilli Pork - Now this one which is sliced char siu pork cooked with Thai bird's eye chilli, shallots and Chinese garlic really worked for me - its got pork, bird's eye and garlic - what's not to like, tell me!

And then the Steamed Chicken Bao - Steamed bao stuffed with chopped chicken and coriander and served with a dimsum sauce. The sauce is quite the cracker and the baos pretty good - mildly sweet and well balanced with the filling on the inside.

And this was the dessert that brought the meal to an end - the Avocado Parfait with Gooey Brownie Squares and Matcha Soil - Image credit - Nikhilesh Murthy

Anyone who knows me knows that I am no much of a dessert person, but if I did justice to this one, then you know its a great one to go with.

You can read of my earlier experience at 1Q1 here and if you are looking to explore the Nikkei menu some more then ask for the Tuna Ceviche with Aji Amarillo as well as the Nikkei Salmon Sashimi with Passion Fruit. Also look at their coffees if you really want to end the meal with a punch.

1Q1 Kitchen and Bar

Address: #1 Express Building, Infantry Road, Bangalore

Phone: 080 4805 0101

Valet:Yes

Accepts Cards: Yes

Serves: Alcohol, Pork, Beef

Asian Bangalore restaurant reviews Chinese

1Q1 Kitchen and Bar

Friday, March 02, 2018ruthdsouzap

If there is one thing Bangalore restaurateurs have a lot of - it is the ability of doing things with a flair. On the block for a while now has been 1Q1 - an Asian restaurant - that promises not only good food, but an excellent experiential bar, a lounge space (both indoor and semi-outdoors) and a nightlife spot that was sorely needed in that part of town. We were invited to experience the space a little while ago.

Housed in the Indian Express Building, lending it a regal setting to begin with (and making me oh so jealous of the folks working in the building), 1Q1 derives its name from its address - #1 Queens Road, Bangalore -01. So with that mystery out of the way, let me take you past it gold gilted wooden gates and into the restaurant. Stepping into 1Q1, you are going to take a minute to take it all in. What you see in front of you is a massive expanse of a restaurant, with a double (or possibly triple) height ceiling. Multiple forms of seating allow for a varied kind of dining experience. Something to suit every kind of diner who walks in.

To begin with, you have the regular table and chair affair for that proper sit down meal. Separated by freestanding dividers, you next move to a series of low profile seating and tables that are placed in a line by massive bay windows. This is a flexible space where things can be moved around to allow for a live band to perform. The end of this low profile seating spells the beginning of a massive bar - done up in a classic style, reminiscent of a salon but amped up. Behind this bar, you step into the semi-alfresco seating area that is large, also is the smoking area.

Now to balance out a space as large as this, you need a good food and beverage menu to work with. And from the looks of things when we were handed the menus, there is no shortage of either. It was going to be a long afternoon of eating and drinking and we had come prepared.

To start things off we asked for the Devil's Tail - Grey Goose with Thai Red Chilli and Litchi Juice for me and Berry Grappo - Stolinchaya Vodka with imported grapes with homemade orange peel and rosemary syrup. I loved my drink primarily because it combines alcohol with spice, which is my favorite way to drink at any given point. The drink was well balanced in terms of the sweetness from the litchi juice and the spiciness of the Thai red chilli. The Berry Grappo, with its homemade syrup was another sweet drink, quite similar to my drink, coincidentally and was nice. Whether the imported grapes really made that much of a difference to the drink is debatable.

Since we had Anoushka with us and she is an eternal fan of a good Prawn Tempura, that is what we ordered for her, along with a portion of sticky rice and miso soup with tofu. The Prawn Tempura was done to light crispy goodness and the dipping sauce of light soy with scallions the perfect accompaniment.

Sushis were rolled out next and we started with the Rainbow Roll. Rolled into neat roundels and just the right size in terms of mouthfuls, the seafood was fresh as were the various roe used to top off the roll. We also had the Lava Roll that packed quite punch with its hot sauce topping. The selection of sushi is quite extensive and so if you are looking for some, here you go!

Lava Roll

Now Nikkei cuisine has been taking the world by storm and its not really easy to come by some really well done dishes that are a tribute to the form. Having really fresh seafood to start with is essential and so when this Nikkei Salmon Sashimi with Passion Fruit hit the table, we took a few minutes to gaze the dish over. One would think that dousing good fish with passionfruit is not such a good idea, but that is where being open to new textures and flavours is so important. This dish packed a range of textures, each one complimentary to each other - from the smooth firmness of the salmon to the very well done Leche de Tigre (Tiger's Milk) marinade all of which balanced really well with the sweetness of the passion fruit and the crunch factor that came from the sweet potato bits that are a generous part of the dish

At this point we had another round from the bar. The Aces Wild - Cinnamon and Apple infused Jim Beam with brown sugar, mint and lime. You have to hand it to the bartender, at this meal, all our drinks were very well balanced. And the infusion of cinnamon and apple not overpowering as it sometimes can get with the enthusiasm to do something different. For a person like me slowly moving into the whisky world, this was a nice cocktail to nurse.

Sashimi came up next and we had some really fresh Tuna Sashimi come to the table. These slices were much thicker than those I have normally encountered and I did ask about that. I was told that thicker slices have a better bite to them and are preferred. While the tuna was extremely fresh and the sashimi great to have, I personally prefer slightly thinner slices.

Now a first for me was the Scallops Sashimi - served up with daikon and on a shiso leaf, it reiterated why I have a deep love for scallops. And these were fresh as can be. And now moving into the slightly heavier starters, we dug into the Siam Beef - succulent slices of beef tossed in a sweet and spicy Thai basil sauce and a generous touch of basil. The sauce had that pleasant stickiness to it, and a touch of dried chillies which added to the flavour as well as the texture. A good dish with the drinks this one was.

Siam Beef

Another drink to hit the table was the Smokin Jazz - Gordon's Gin, Smoked Cinnamon stick - Smoked balsamic vinegar and elderflower syrup. This one has some flair going for it. The cinnamon stick is fired up (you could perhaps ask for it to be done at your table, very instagrammable the whole thing is) and then placed into your drink, smoky side down. It adds a very interesting layer to the drink which stands distinctly against the Elderflower syrup.

This was perhaps my favorite pick of the afternoon meal, The Tuna Ceviche with Aji Amarillo - this has small hunks of tuna in that tangy Leche de Tigre along with some spicy Peruvian chilli sauce infused with coriander oil. Topped off with a sliced Aji Amarillo chilli, this dish brings multiple flavours to the mouth. The freshness of the fish being the hero here.

We then went through a series of dimsums beginning with the Chicken Gyoza. If you like dumpling and sui mai, then there is quite the collection here to choose from. Think of ordering the Chicken Gyoza Scallop Sui Mai or the Crab Meat Dumpling or even the lovely and crunchy Vegetables and Chive Dumpling. Each one of these are packed to the gills, do not crack on the chopstick journey from bowl to mouth and come with dipping sauces that are not one-mix-fits-all. And if you want something really sinful, the Edamame and Black Truffle Dumpling is a must-try. The restaurant also offers a sizable selection off the Robatayaki and the Octopus stands really tall but if you want to go with something safer, then the lamb is a good bet.

Vegetable and Chives Dumpling

Scallop Sui Mai

Crab Meat Dumpling

By this time there was minimal space for just one of the main course dishes and that was the Miso and Mustard Glaze Spare Ribs from the Robatayaki. The Ribs have spent a good while marinating in a signature Miso and Japanese Mustard sauce. The meat could easily be teased off the bone with just about any of the cutlery on the table. With the drizzle of scallion and sesame seeds, the play of textures and flavours was a good one.

The restaurant offers an interesting range of gourmet coffees and a lovely on available on the day was an Espresso Orange Coffee. Infused with orange rind, this made for a good way to end the meal. You can choose from hot and cold coffees and teas and even some like the Asian classic of Thai Cold Coffee of the Cafe Latte.

Despite feeble protests, desserts were brought to the table and both these were as pretty as a picture on a plate. The Japanese Cheese Cake with Raspberry Sorbet served up with a raspberry coulis and sorbet and some pistachio dust and the Matcha and Raspberry Meringue Ice Cream Cake which was a meringue ice cream cake of Matcha green tea and Raspberry with some hazelnut praline, pistachio crumble and a caramel biscuit on top. Were they as delicious as they looked? Yes they were, with all the various flavours and textures coming together beautifully.

Matcha and Raspberry Meringue Ice Cream Cake

1Q1 has a lot going for it, from its space, to the interiors to the vastness of the menu. A subsequent visit turned out to be a good one as well. With the aim to maintain consistency across the board for the long term, 1Q1 will definitely be able to make a mark for itself in Bangalore's burgeoning food market. A meal for two here is approximately Rs 2500++.

1Q1 Kitchen and Bar

Address: #1 Express Building, Infantry Road, Bangalore

Phone: 080 4805 0101

Valet:Yes

Accepts Cards: Yes

Serves: Alcohol, Pork, Beef

Bangalore restaurant reviews gastropub Indiranagar

Sly Granny

Saturday, August 12, 2017ruthdsouzap

So Sly Granny happened for us a while ago but as luck would have it (or better yet, my very unforgiving schedule) this experience is being shared quite a long while after it happened. So with due apologies to the Sly Granny who gave us quite the story to mull about over this meal that we had been invited to, let me dive right in.

Sly Granny has managed to find itself some space on 12th Main in Indiranagar, which I have long since stopped wondering on its ability to accommodate new restaurants. Anyways, as the tale that has been woven around it goes - a nice little granny kicked the bucket and those wandering the halls of her home found out that she had quite a few secrets and interests hidden away - her love for pineapples, Arnie Schwarzenegger, some high quality tipple among other things. So the house reveals itself in the form of rooms, art walls, hidden spaces, laden cupboards and more.

You can choose to sit in the general dining area, the rooftop and if luck is on your side, the special place (call in and ask about it. Don't want to break the fun of that discovery). So we chose to sit in the general area, with its nice upholstered Victorian era chairs and leather backed sofa seats. We didn't have to bother about ordering as our meal was decided for us, so let me get right to that.Do note that a number of dishes were served to us as tasting portions so do bear that in mind when reading.

These were our drinks for the evening Above and Below - Le Punch in the wine glass, Whiskey Smash with the orange rind, Chase & Status and Strider

While we waited for the first dishes of our meal to arrive out the table, we were served some gorgeous Chicken Liver Pate, with Melba toast and two kinds tomato relishes. The layer of fat that is evenly spread over the top of the pate. The little arugula leaves on the side complete the wooden platter. Put them altogether the way you like and in proportions that you prefer. And while you have been putting together your toast, if you have been staring at the Arnie and Pineapple wallpaper and wondering what the heck was ol' granny thinking, then a bite into the pate is going to make the answer irrelevant. Its smooth, its rich, it has depth and it is sinful.

The Grilled Figs and Goat Cheese came to the table next. Crispy bruschetta smeared generously with goat cheese and then topped off with sliced, grilled figs. Freshly crushed black pepper and light drizzle of pomegranate balsamic completes this dish. Every bite gives you a multitude of textures - from crunchy, to soft, to a slightly grainy bite from the figs and the smooth coating of your mouth with the goat cheese. The flavors combine mild tartness, to a hint of sweet and a little bit of heat from the pepper. Sounds good? It was!

I love Ceviche and this Seafood Ceviche did not disappoint - with prawn, calamari and some seabass chunks, well marinated in lemon base, balanced with some nice chili and coriander in a base of cucumber water. The Caraway crisps add a lovely texture to Ceviche. A bowl of happiness this is.

Pulled Pork Taco - Its well marinated pork in a coffee BBQ sauce (which is an interesting combination), pulled out into juicy sheds, topped off with some pickled onions, with some jalapenos for that touch of heat and to soothe it down some ricotta cheese with chives. Not top of the charts for me, mainly perhaps because of the coffee element (not a fan of coffee), but makes for a nice, hot gooey snack.

Pork Chops - now this pork rendition on the other hand skyrocketed all the way to the top. Perfectly crispy crackling, moist meat, all of which is placed on some julienned radish. A very wholesome dish and does pays perfect obeisance to porcine Gods.

This slow Roast Lamb shoulder is served up on a bed of lentils, rice and brown onion pilaf, with a drizzle of pomegranate balsamic glaze.Here I found the meat and the sticky glaze on it really nicely done. I would be have preferred another carb... maybe something potato-based or even some good bread on the side.

The mini Kulcha are trending quite a bit right now and we were served up quite a number of them - 4 in fact - here you see the Pumpkin & Feta stuffed Kulcha, Cheese and Feta Stuffed, Kerala Beef Stuffed Kulcha, Chorizo Stuffed Kulcha. I was more partial to the meat based one, though for cheese lovers, either of the first two would work perfectly well.

Among the main courses was the Salmon Udon - Indian Salmon marinated in Miso and ginger and then placed on a bed of butter tossed house made Udon with some crunchy green veggies thrown in.A hearty heal this one, especially if you like udon. The fish was treated really well, with the textures of crispy skin, moist flaky flesh

Raan and Gnocchi - Ramen Noodle Gnocchi with Rajasthani style pulled raan, tomato and onion seed chutney. Now this a fusion dish if there ever was one. I believe the gnocchi was pan finished, though I did not think it needed that. The Indian touch to it worked for me, mainly because of the textures and the spices, but purists and especially those who like their Italian and their Indian kept separate, will find this an experiment.

Desserts were really great and we began with the Walnut Pie - a handmade pie crust filled with walnuts, chocolate chips and cinnamon served up with vanilla bean ice cream. I deconstructed the dessert and had each element on its own. Loved them all separate, loved them all together and that vanilla bean ice cream is spot on!

Always love a good experiment and also love jackfruit, so this Jackfruit Halwa with cashew, pistachio and rice with khari puff, vanilla ice cream and mustard oil (though am not quite sure where this last element found space on the plate). I loved the jackfruit halwa and the khari biscuit was a great balance to the grainy sweet texture

Pot du Cake with orange creme anglaise - Okay, let's see- sinful, decadent, indulgent, creamy, gooey, sticky, I-am-now-drooling good this one is

Sly Granny is an experience - in fact, the experience you get is different one on each floor and section and is totally based on the kind of mood you are. The food is experimentative, in keeping the theme of the space. Its great to lounge around, catch up over a few drinks and some good food. Definitely worth a try when you are in the area. An average meal for two is in the Rs 2750+ category and the restrooms are interesting spaces too.

Sly Granny

Address: 618, 12th Main Indiranagar, Bangalore

Phone:088844 98121

Cuisine: An interesting mix of popular cuisine

Meal for two: Rs 2750+

Expensive Japanese On Invitation

The Obento Meal Now Debuts for Lunch at Edo

Thursday, March 23, 2017ruthdsouzap

Dining at Edo is always a great experience. What a chef can do with quality ingredients is amazing and Chef Kamlesh and his team never disappoint. In October 2016 the Obento - a stylized Bento box made its appearance on Edo's menu. I first experienced it for dinner and you can read about that meal here.

Edo now opens its doors for lunch, much to my delight. I was recently invited to sample the Obento again, which now makes an appearance for lunch too. The idea behind an Obento is a great one - a working lunch that is indulgent, yet takes the hassle out of looking through a menu, ordering and putting together a meal. Here, all you have to do is choose between meat or a vegetarian Obento tray. How I wish I knew this a bit earlier. I visited Edo on a working lunch just before this sampling, so glad that they were now open for lunch and ordered a Bento Box - while that was great, I would have happily traded it in for the luxurious Obento.

So here is what you can expect from an Obento if you choose to try it. Do read my earlier experience as well to know of other seasonal options that come in an Obento.

This is what the spread looks like on an Obento tray. This here is the vegetarian one.

A post shared by ruth dsouza prabhu (@bangaloresrestaurants) on Mar 11, 2017 at 12:46am PST

Ichi Ni San Nya - Sake Bomb... a meal at Edo always starts on a fun note

Oshinko, pickled radish and gherkins -
This serves as a palate cleanser and can be had all through the meal.

The vegetarian option for the Zensai (Appetizer) Course

The Kani Salad on the meat Obento tray - Julienned crab sticks, mixed with Japanese mayo and topped with flying fish roe is next

The sushi at Edo is always a pleasure considering the freshness of the fish. This time too was no different. Edo signature rolls with salmon, tuna and avocado.

The Avocado roll for the vegetarians

The Sashimi - some brilliant cuts of fatty tuna and salmon. The sashimi you get is based on the fresh catch of the day that the kitchen receives.

The vegetarian option in appetizers

The miso soup at Edo is lovely thanks to the great dashi, especially when poured from the lovely kettle

The Tempura options for both kinds of platters - the prawn tempura on mine being superlative

From the Robatayaki or the grills section. Also served up, as you will see in my earlier post is the Chawanmunshi, an egg custard, which from then to now, I am yet to develop a taste for. However, a dining partner mentioned that a spoonful of light soy can do the trick. While I did have a few more spoons of it than I normally do, it still will be a while before I can appreciate it.

The main courses are wrapped up with a bowl of Udon Noodles. I love the Udon here for the deep flavours that come out from the broth that it is cooked in.

The Green Tea Ice Cream spells the end of this indulgent meal.

Obento Luncheon available between 12.30-2.45pm; INR 2250++ for meat based, and INR 2000 plus taxes ++ for vegetarian.

1Q1 Focuses on Nikkei with its New Menu

1Q1 Kitchen and Bar

Sly Granny

The Obento Meal Now Debuts for Lunch at Edo

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Bangalore restaurants- Food and Travel

1Q1 Focuses on Nikkei with its New Menu

1Q1 Kitchen and Bar

Sly Granny

The Obento Meal Now Debuts for Lunch at Edo

Find by Location

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Bangalore restaurants- Food and Travel