If the thought of seafood makes you drool and leaves you weak at the knees, this is the place for you. Located on Cunnigham Road, in Sigma Mall, Nanking provides one a fine dining experience that is guaranteed to impress.
It is a chinese restaurant specializing in seafood, primarily Crab and Lobster. The decor is classy and elegant with soothing lighting. Soft, barely audible oriental music plays in the back ground.
The menu card is very well designed, combining simplicity and functionality. A maitre'D came by to assist us with our selection, and we left it to him to decide what we should have.
He suggested for an appetizer, Prawns stir fried with Red chillies, garlic and spring onions, a slightly spicy, wonderful start to our meal. The prawn was well cooked, not overdone and the flavours of the seasonings came through very well. Stay clear of the chillies though, they are lethal if had by themselves.
Our main course was a massive lobster in a flavourful sauce. This was my first experience of lobster and I was very impressed, both with it and with the presentation. It looked and proved to be mouth watering. Meat was tender and soft, not chewy or overdone. Served with a mildly spicy sauce with a lot of garlic, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
To compliment our lobster was a very simple Clay pot rice with vegetables. The rice was fragrant with almost no spice, and the delicate flavour of the vegetables and the black chinese mushroom were very evident.
The portions are more than sufficient for two. Too full to have dessert, we decided to leave that for another day.
Excellent service and the soothing ambiance, combined with seafood delicacies come at a price. But its a price one will be more than happy to pay. Meal for two will cost you around Rs. 3000 with drinks, i.e. if you opt for their specialty - lobster or crabs. A costly affair even otherwise, this place is a must visit for die hard sea food lovers.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Bay of Bengal
A wonderful experience with bengali food at 6 Ballygunge Place prompted us to try out the recently opened Bay of Bengal for lunch this Saturday. It is located above K. C. Das on St. Marks road.
First impressions were not favourable, a dark narrow stair way with some dangerously hanging cables led us to the entrance. Just at the entrance was an overflowing dustbin and a pile of crap.
Decor is simplistic, the restaurant is well lit though tables are placed a little too close to each other. The table napkin was not as clean as one would like.
The service is extremely courteous, bordering on apologetic. Being a hot day, the AC not working at its best, was enough to put us off. The menu is surprisingly limited and any vegetarians had better avoid this place, unless they want to eat Russian Salad bengali style.
To start with and to compensate for the AC, we ordered Aamras. It was chilled but rather thick, the taste was quite alright though. A better one can be had at Bombay Post.
We skipped the starters and went straight to the main course with Steamed Rice, Baby Naans, Chicken Korma and Pomfret Jhol. The Pomfret was perfectly done, in a mustard gravy, not too spicy though a tad salty for my taste. The waiters were not keen to serve and we had to do the honors ourselves. The korma was average. The baby naans were excellent.
Bay of Bengal is an entomologists paradise, with innumerable flies that will join you for lunch, I also saw a red ant walking across the table.
Eager to get away from the flies, we skipped dessert and ordered a mineral water bottle, which was not available chilled. On asking for finger bowls, we were told that hot water wasn't available! This is a first for me - Finger bowls with water at room temperature and a slice of lemon.
The restroom is very very bad; period. I will not go further and ruin anyone's appetite.
All in all, this is not a place we will be visiting again. Lunch for two will set you back by around Rs. 400. Tread in only if you are willing to sacrifice hygiene for good taste. We'd rather recommend 6 Ballygunge Place for a true Bengali food lover.
First impressions were not favourable, a dark narrow stair way with some dangerously hanging cables led us to the entrance. Just at the entrance was an overflowing dustbin and a pile of crap.
Decor is simplistic, the restaurant is well lit though tables are placed a little too close to each other. The table napkin was not as clean as one would like.
The service is extremely courteous, bordering on apologetic. Being a hot day, the AC not working at its best, was enough to put us off. The menu is surprisingly limited and any vegetarians had better avoid this place, unless they want to eat Russian Salad bengali style.
To start with and to compensate for the AC, we ordered Aamras. It was chilled but rather thick, the taste was quite alright though. A better one can be had at Bombay Post.
We skipped the starters and went straight to the main course with Steamed Rice, Baby Naans, Chicken Korma and Pomfret Jhol. The Pomfret was perfectly done, in a mustard gravy, not too spicy though a tad salty for my taste. The waiters were not keen to serve and we had to do the honors ourselves. The korma was average. The baby naans were excellent.
Bay of Bengal is an entomologists paradise, with innumerable flies that will join you for lunch, I also saw a red ant walking across the table.
Eager to get away from the flies, we skipped dessert and ordered a mineral water bottle, which was not available chilled. On asking for finger bowls, we were told that hot water wasn't available! This is a first for me - Finger bowls with water at room temperature and a slice of lemon.
The restroom is very very bad; period. I will not go further and ruin anyone's appetite.
All in all, this is not a place we will be visiting again. Lunch for two will set you back by around Rs. 400. Tread in only if you are willing to sacrifice hygiene for good taste. We'd rather recommend 6 Ballygunge Place for a true Bengali food lover.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Mast Kalandar
It has been a long time since we posted here. This doesn’t mean of course that we have not eaten out since then, quite the contrary. Today, we went out for a quick bite, a short drive away from work for a quick lunch.
Mast Kalandar is a cheerful looking Punjabi eatery on CMH Road. Service is of the help yourself kind. They boast of interesting sounding starters, paratha combos, rice combos and a nice dessert menu. Mast Kalandar also has 500 ml Family Curry packs that are takeaways.
We were four of us and were warned that the portions are pretty large. We had the Biryani with a Twist, The Great Indian Maha Combo and the Spicy Corn paratha combo.
The Biryani was spicy but not overly so, with lot of vegetables and lots of fried onions which I am partial to. The twist in the biryani turned out to be a rolled up papad. The parathas were hot and quite soft, and are served with raita and dal. All combos are accompanied by a raw salad portion. The cucumber was not as fresh as crisp as one would like it to be.
The Great Maha Combo can be easily shared among two ladies, which is what we did. It contained 2 soft tandoori parathas, a cup of biryani and 3 curries. It was followed by a large Jamun, which was a little too sweet for my taste. Among the curries, we had the Chole which was mildly spicy and well cooked, the paneer was average. My favourite was the Dal Makhni. Raitas were spiced with Jeera powder and contained shredded cucumber. I was delighted that the curd used was not sour or watered down.
We finished off with thick sweet Lassis and I tried the Masala Shikanjee (which was like jal jeera).
All in all, Mast Kalandar promises a very filling meal at a very reasonable price. The air-conditioning was not exactly up to the mark, but the rest room was quite clean.
It can get crowded and a bit loud at peak hours.
A meal for four with drinks cost us under Rs500. Mast Kalandar is a vegetarian restaurant.
Service was impressively quick.
Parking poses a bit of a problem, while we were there, a cop imposed a fine on a car parked just outside, be warned. We suggest you park on some of the interior roads and walk up to it. Mast Kalandar is located between Kwality Walls and Bata on CMH Road.
Mast Kalandar is a cheerful looking Punjabi eatery on CMH Road. Service is of the help yourself kind. They boast of interesting sounding starters, paratha combos, rice combos and a nice dessert menu. Mast Kalandar also has 500 ml Family Curry packs that are takeaways.
We were four of us and were warned that the portions are pretty large. We had the Biryani with a Twist, The Great Indian Maha Combo and the Spicy Corn paratha combo.
The Biryani was spicy but not overly so, with lot of vegetables and lots of fried onions which I am partial to. The twist in the biryani turned out to be a rolled up papad. The parathas were hot and quite soft, and are served with raita and dal. All combos are accompanied by a raw salad portion. The cucumber was not as fresh as crisp as one would like it to be.
The Great Maha Combo can be easily shared among two ladies, which is what we did. It contained 2 soft tandoori parathas, a cup of biryani and 3 curries. It was followed by a large Jamun, which was a little too sweet for my taste. Among the curries, we had the Chole which was mildly spicy and well cooked, the paneer was average. My favourite was the Dal Makhni. Raitas were spiced with Jeera powder and contained shredded cucumber. I was delighted that the curd used was not sour or watered down.
We finished off with thick sweet Lassis and I tried the Masala Shikanjee (which was like jal jeera).
All in all, Mast Kalandar promises a very filling meal at a very reasonable price. The air-conditioning was not exactly up to the mark, but the rest room was quite clean.
It can get crowded and a bit loud at peak hours.
A meal for four with drinks cost us under Rs500. Mast Kalandar is a vegetarian restaurant.
Service was impressively quick.
Parking poses a bit of a problem, while we were there, a cop imposed a fine on a car parked just outside, be warned. We suggest you park on some of the interior roads and walk up to it. Mast Kalandar is located between Kwality Walls and Bata on CMH Road.
Monday, November 12, 2007
South Indies
Seekers of authentic South Indian vegetarian fare must usually make do with the many udupi joints that can be found. While these places serve great food, service leaves much to be desired and conversation must be at high decibels in order to be heard.
South Indies is a south Indian restaurant with class and style. Beautiful interiors of glass and wood give it a understated elegance. Soft south Indian classical music is piped through out. To enjoy Bangalore’s great weather, there are seating options outdoors on the ground floor as well as on the upper floor.
The upper floor has a small open kitchen where you can watch the chefs masterfully turn out great tasting appams. Seating is comfortable and spacious.
We have had both lunch and breakfast here and both are equally good. The lunch is usually a buffet. (We have never had the opportunity to have ala carte)
The buffet lunch always has a fair spread consisting of 2 dry vegetable curries, an excellent sambar and rasam. A mildly spiced vegetable curry in coconut milk is always present as well. A curry with ground coconut gravy with seasonal vegetables ends the set of curries on offer.
In addition to plain rice, there is a flavoured rice or a south Indian style biryani. Delicious keral style appams are served hot at the table as is the rasam which is served in a small glass. We also had the masala buttermilk which was delicious but a bit overpriced.
There is usually a selection of fresh cut fruit in addition to 2 south Indian sweets and an ice cream for dessert. The wheat payasam we had was superb.
The breakfast buffet is available between 7 and 10 in the morning. The spread is quite large and varied. We started with plain rice idlis and excellent sambar, moving on to rava idlis with assorted chutneys and a very delicious upma.
Served hot at the table were soft golden pooris with a potato bhaji (which was ok but could have been better). Also served at the table was golden brown crisp dosas, not too big and not too papery. Finally we tried the Medu Vadas, which were very good – crispy on the outside and soft and spongy on the inside.
There was an assortment of fresh cut fruit and two varieties of freshly squeezed fruit juices, as well as tea and coffee to those who requested it.
Service is prompt and courteous and very attentive. All the waiting staff use little handheld PDAs to take your order (a nice high-tech touch).
I noticed that some customers who had small children were provided with children’s books to keep the children occupied and out of trouble.
Valet parking is available, though they will park your car on the road since they have no parking lot. Reservations must be done before hand, as the place is usually packed.
Located on Indranagar’s 100 ft road opposite Domino's Pizza, it is easily locatable and the green of Indranagar adds to its appeal.
As can be expected, class, elegance and hot towels on arrival, do not come cheap. South Indies is not for those on a budget. Breakfast was 175 per head and lunch was around 250 perhead.
South Indies is a south Indian restaurant with class and style. Beautiful interiors of glass and wood give it a understated elegance. Soft south Indian classical music is piped through out. To enjoy Bangalore’s great weather, there are seating options outdoors on the ground floor as well as on the upper floor.
The upper floor has a small open kitchen where you can watch the chefs masterfully turn out great tasting appams. Seating is comfortable and spacious.
We have had both lunch and breakfast here and both are equally good. The lunch is usually a buffet. (We have never had the opportunity to have ala carte)
The buffet lunch always has a fair spread consisting of 2 dry vegetable curries, an excellent sambar and rasam. A mildly spiced vegetable curry in coconut milk is always present as well. A curry with ground coconut gravy with seasonal vegetables ends the set of curries on offer.
In addition to plain rice, there is a flavoured rice or a south Indian style biryani. Delicious keral style appams are served hot at the table as is the rasam which is served in a small glass. We also had the masala buttermilk which was delicious but a bit overpriced.
There is usually a selection of fresh cut fruit in addition to 2 south Indian sweets and an ice cream for dessert. The wheat payasam we had was superb.
The breakfast buffet is available between 7 and 10 in the morning. The spread is quite large and varied. We started with plain rice idlis and excellent sambar, moving on to rava idlis with assorted chutneys and a very delicious upma.
Served hot at the table were soft golden pooris with a potato bhaji (which was ok but could have been better). Also served at the table was golden brown crisp dosas, not too big and not too papery. Finally we tried the Medu Vadas, which were very good – crispy on the outside and soft and spongy on the inside.
There was an assortment of fresh cut fruit and two varieties of freshly squeezed fruit juices, as well as tea and coffee to those who requested it.
Service is prompt and courteous and very attentive. All the waiting staff use little handheld PDAs to take your order (a nice high-tech touch).
I noticed that some customers who had small children were provided with children’s books to keep the children occupied and out of trouble.
Valet parking is available, though they will park your car on the road since they have no parking lot. Reservations must be done before hand, as the place is usually packed.
Located on Indranagar’s 100 ft road opposite Domino's Pizza, it is easily locatable and the green of Indranagar adds to its appeal.
As can be expected, class, elegance and hot towels on arrival, do not come cheap. South Indies is not for those on a budget. Breakfast was 175 per head and lunch was around 250 perhead.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Jalsa
Jalsa is a restaurant that looks like a sand castle on the dusty dry outer Ring Road, and almost as soon as you approach, you are treated like royalty. Never before has someone bothered to hold open the car door for us!
The interiors are cool and inviting, resembling a set of Mughal-e-aazam. We were led in by a lady dressed in the garb of the period, a tad garish, but still in keeping with the theme.
The staff are most courteous, and wait on you constantly. Each table has its own little space, with glittering glass bead curtains, for a intimate feel.
The food was excellent, save for the Fish Curry which was a bit over poweringly cinnamon flavoured. I especially liked the Sheekh Kabab, moist and succulent.
Half way through our meal, the gentle ambiance was broken as a projector screen came down from the ceiling and a video of Devdas was screened. The volume increased as well, replacing softly played old numbers with their louder modern cousins.
At the end of our meal the maître d', dressed like a nawab, checked in on us and enquired in Urdu as to how we enjoyed the food.
For dessert we decided to try the Flambe-ed Jamoon. The jamoon was drowning in a small cup filled with rum and set alight. Sadly, the rum and the jamoon were not on talking terms and the combo was a failure.
Before we left, we were offered pa'an, which did not come up to the standard of the food. On the way out, we got to pick a small scroll each from a basket of Shaeries.
I was delighted until they were opened to reveal rather silly poems in English.
Conclusion:
Overall a very delightful experience. The food is great, provided you make a choice that suits your taste buds. Ambience is the main attraction. We would recommend every connoisseur of food to visit this place at least once.
For us, it was one of the better places in Bangalore.
Rating: 4/5
Cost: Though a bit on the costlier side, we feel the money is worth spending for some reasonable occassions or when you are in mood to be pampered like Royalty. A meal for two may set you back by around 1000 to 1200 Rs.
They do not have a buffet menu, hence the place is to be ruled out for those who relish great places on company/team budgets. :)
Route:
For those coming from Airport road side:
Airport Road -> Marathalli -> Take left connecting lane at Marathalli overbridge signal -> go around 2 kms on the outer Ring road towards K.R. Puram, beyond the Dhaba(another well known restaurant). It will be on your left hand side.
For those coming from Sharjahpur Road side:
Continue past Innovative multiplex-> Go below the Marathalli overbrigde ->go around 2 kms on the outer Ring road towards K.R. Puram, beyond the Dhaba(another well known restaurant). It will be on your left hand side.
For those coming from K.R. Puram side:
K.R.Puram railway station-> Take the over bridge connecting Whitefield main road to Outer ring Road towards Marathalli-> go around 5 kms on the outer Ring road towards Marathalli-> Once you see a cluster of upcoming apartments, slow down -> Look for a sand castle like place on your right. It is right opposite a popular South Indian dhaba chain Bhagini. Keep in mind not to miss the connector on the road few feet before the restaurant Bhagini, else you'd need to go another 2 km to take a U turn.
The interiors are cool and inviting, resembling a set of Mughal-e-aazam. We were led in by a lady dressed in the garb of the period, a tad garish, but still in keeping with the theme.
The staff are most courteous, and wait on you constantly. Each table has its own little space, with glittering glass bead curtains, for a intimate feel.
The food was excellent, save for the Fish Curry which was a bit over poweringly cinnamon flavoured. I especially liked the Sheekh Kabab, moist and succulent.
Half way through our meal, the gentle ambiance was broken as a projector screen came down from the ceiling and a video of Devdas was screened. The volume increased as well, replacing softly played old numbers with their louder modern cousins.
At the end of our meal the maître d', dressed like a nawab, checked in on us and enquired in Urdu as to how we enjoyed the food.
For dessert we decided to try the Flambe-ed Jamoon. The jamoon was drowning in a small cup filled with rum and set alight. Sadly, the rum and the jamoon were not on talking terms and the combo was a failure.
Before we left, we were offered pa'an, which did not come up to the standard of the food. On the way out, we got to pick a small scroll each from a basket of Shaeries.
I was delighted until they were opened to reveal rather silly poems in English.
Conclusion:
Overall a very delightful experience. The food is great, provided you make a choice that suits your taste buds. Ambience is the main attraction. We would recommend every connoisseur of food to visit this place at least once.
For us, it was one of the better places in Bangalore.
Rating: 4/5
Cost: Though a bit on the costlier side, we feel the money is worth spending for some reasonable occassions or when you are in mood to be pampered like Royalty. A meal for two may set you back by around 1000 to 1200 Rs.
They do not have a buffet menu, hence the place is to be ruled out for those who relish great places on company/team budgets. :)
Route:
For those coming from Airport road side:
Airport Road -> Marathalli -> Take left connecting lane at Marathalli overbridge signal -> go around 2 kms on the outer Ring road towards K.R. Puram, beyond the Dhaba(another well known restaurant). It will be on your left hand side.
For those coming from Sharjahpur Road side:
Continue past Innovative multiplex-> Go below the Marathalli overbrigde ->go around 2 kms on the outer Ring road towards K.R. Puram, beyond the Dhaba(another well known restaurant). It will be on your left hand side.
For those coming from K.R. Puram side:
K.R.Puram railway station-> Take the over bridge connecting Whitefield main road to Outer ring Road towards Marathalli-> go around 5 kms on the outer Ring road towards Marathalli-> Once you see a cluster of upcoming apartments, slow down -> Look for a sand castle like place on your right. It is right opposite a popular South Indian dhaba chain Bhagini. Keep in mind not to miss the connector on the road few feet before the restaurant Bhagini, else you'd need to go another 2 km to take a U turn.
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