People have different ways of defining a "Cosmopolitan City" but I consider Bengaluru as the ultimate Cosmo city mainly because of the variety of food that its restaurants serve- you have South Indian, Punjabi, Gujarathi, Andhra, Chettinad, Kerala, Chinese, Italian, the list goes on- and all of these restaurants serve authentic food rich in taste and aroma. I have been to quite a few of them considering the number of times I have visited the city.
During my visit last weekend, we (me and my aunts- all equally mad about food!) decided to check out the Tandoor on MG Road (Next to Raheja Towers) which has been in the business for almost 4 decades and has been a favorite of foodies all over the city. The dining hall was tastefully arranged with an old world charm about it. Considering it was a Saturday afternoon, it was quite crowded but we landed ourselves a comfortable table right in the middle of the hall. The service was prompt and the heavy Menu Card was the kind that would make anybody's mouth water! The wines and spirits menu was equally comprehensive :-)
We decided to start with mocktails (Italian Smooch, Pina Colada and Mojito) and Lal Mirch Ka Paneer Tikka. Needless to say, the mocktails were exotic and tasty and provided great respite considering the sveltering heat outside. The tandoori starter was served with pudhina chutney, imli chutney, fresh onions in vinegar, green chillies, lime and tangy mango pickle. Yummm...
We gorged on the paneer tikkas- authentic cottage cheese with the right amount of spice. We decided to be true, blue Punjabis and placed the order of makai ki roti, sarson daa sag and mixed dal fry as main course. The rotis smelt of fresh corn flour and were thick, filling and tasty. Sarson da Saag was very homely with very little spice and had the fresh flavour of the mustard leaves. The king of the day was of course the dal fry- chana dal, moong dal and toor dal- all mixed in the right proportion with a tinge of ginger for seasoning- was gorgeous to say the least. We finished the food in no time and continued licking our fingers- that was the taste and aroma of the food!
How can anyone leave a Punjabi restaurant without gorging on the desserts? It was time for us to order forPerfect Harmony- Rice Kheer with one scoop each of Vanilla and Strawberry ice creams with the right amount of vermicelli thrown in- sweet and served cold- it tasted like manna from heaven!
Along with the bill, the restaurant also served us a variety of after mints- sugar coated saunf, imli ki goli and the like- which was exactly what the doctor ordered! The bill was slightly heavy on the purse but the satisfaction that a complete fooadholic derives out of devouring authentic Punjabi food scores much higher than the numbers on the bill :-)
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Isn't it a strange coincidence that both of us have written about Bangalore the same day?
ReplyDeleteWell, no wonder we get along so well, our tastes are so similar
I completely agree, as they say, Great Minds Think Alike! and we know we are great and the best :-)
ReplyDeleteDo visit the restaurant as early as possible though. I am sure you will love the food :-)