On coming of age

My culinary journeys today have led me to the firm belief that eating out in general, and the food industry in Bangalore in particular, has come of age.

I can see some heads nodding sagely- or is that just the last bit of energy expended nodding in satiety? I wonder...

I ate at two restaurants today that are perhaps the epitome of what the catering industry would term super specialty niche eateries.

At one end of Banaglore, in a relatively green and airy neighbourhood, at the end of a yet to be tarred road, nestles Kanua. Currently housing/ hosting a family of raucous mynahs, this eatery brings together the old world charm of an informal setting with an almost homely feel and, the fine dining experience that one has come to expect of any new world eatery.

The Mangalorean food is a treat for the senses. However, the food I would recommend is the chicken- and NOT the fish! The ghee roast was visually a rich red- but surprisingly mild, perhaps in honour of the almost permanent set of expatriates I have found there. Alcohol is not on the menu- this being probably one of the reasons why this eatery seems to always have a table at hand. Texturally I have found the food here superb- every dish having been seasoned exactly right. The odor of the crisp curry leaves and the spluttered mustard with the crisp red chilli waft tantalisingly in the air every few minutes. Visually every plateful seems a treat... although the ghee could seem overpowering to more conservative souls. The flavors could improve. The fish is surprisingly bland- with the batter fried dishes I have tasted offering you a perfect experience of the crisp shell and soft innards you mght have learnt to expect only from the most experienced hands. The chicken biryani is clearly the south indian version- and the flavors are well balanced. The desserts have left me dissatisfied... the ghee fried banana fritters winning hands down in this area. They offer sugarcane juice- a definite must do!

The other eatery I visited today was the South Indies. A tad disappointing in that they seemed to be running a full house. Surprising that a veg eatery was that full- on a weeknight, as Pads pointed out! A corner table outside was the best they could do at short notice. The ambience again is a smart, fairly up market eatery. We started on a variety of the papads and their three chutneys. The green (my favorite) mint n coriander, a sweetish red onion and the standard white coconut. Lovely! Then came the Kuzhi Paniyarams- soft and fluffy. (Just like what you would get back home, if only mama knew how...) The Vadais followed in quick succession- and I can tell you this is where the regular Vadai eater who is too scared to sample roadside wares will be heading. My stomach was already begging for respite- while Pads was debating on whether we could follow up the main course with dessert. Deferring the decision till post main course, we settled on Mambazham curry and steamed rice. ANd that was where it all ended for me this evening!

Interesting- and definitely inspiring... I am going to be making variations on all of these in the weeks to come. Keep coming back- my recipes shall follow!

Of chilly and spice and everything nice...

It seems like it has been aaaaages since i last logged in... I have been in a very different world. Books have been keeping me busy. Not the kind of books I would necessarily recommend though!

Sushi has been on my list of things to do for the last few weeks. And my trusted sushi buddy has not deigned to give me company. Hmmm.. We shall wait! In fact my food buddy has not been willing to go out and forage for a while. Methinks something is amiss!

However, on to more pressing matters.

The most intense power play I have ever been privy to occurred this weekend. My little one year old angel held mum n me enthralled for two days straight- both when she was present and in absentia. She was all we spoke about...

The little miss pointed and we scurried to and fro- literally at her beck and call. Mum missed her afternoon nap- and plodded around- exhausted, but not willing to give up right until the little miss left.

Ah! The vagaries of the young! And she does not even speak intelligibly yet!

The meals at Nandini have oft been recommended to me. I have always come away dissatisfied. I have found that the meals are way too spicy to be considered palatable (forget terms like delicious!). Last week, I discovered the reason why I had such a disparate view. My jaunts had been limited to the "Traditional Andhra" section- which in a way explains the extra dose of chilly. However, having had access to the best of Andhra cuisine in all its furiously spicy glory- I beg to differ on the authenticity of this version. The fare upstairs- for the "normal" Andhra meals was palatable, if undifferentiated. The podi was missing. The gongura pachidi was slightly (strangely) musty. The rest of the fare passed muster. The missing fish fry- my favorite accompaniment to the Andhra meal- was a little disappointing. All in all, a moderate Andhra experience.

Nagarjuna still rules. Bhima's, Maharaja's and Amaravathi stay untainted by the Nandini experience.

Sambol Sambol!

The day started off rather early- with Pads waking me at 3 am. To be honest, I thought the sky was falling and in typical Chicken Little fashion I scurried around for exactly 6 seconds before burrowing myself deeper into my pillow and tucking the blanket snugly around myself for round 2. Snore...

I woke myself up with determined effort and made it to work by half past ten. Breakfast was Alu Parathas with tomato chutney. Fairly good- and after missing last night's dinner it was just what I needed to set off on my morning.

Pri called in sick and the day unfolded with a huge flurry of work... Despite the rush jobs required, I wanted a satisfying meal. Su was dutifully blackmailed into joining me and we rushed to Sri Krishna Cafe. There was mixed vegetable sambar, puzhikozhambu, more kozhambu and a yummy pepper rasam with the rice. A masaledar bitter gourd gravy, kosambri with diced, steamed beans and carrots (this was a new one for me- I've never had kosambri with dices and steamed veggies in combination before!) and a delicious ash gourd kootu. Hmmm- it hit the spot. The appalam and the instant mango pickle I swiped clean. I consciously avoided over-eating and wafted into the office- in a happier and lighter frame of mind. Can't say the same for Su though!

I skipped going for a swim- it is way too cold... and a dip in freezing water doesn't sound too appealing... I hope the clouds clear away by tomorrow.

Dinner was a thai red curry with Tina's latest contribution to my larder- the sambol paste that she found too spicy! A generous dollop of coconut milk, a few leaves of basil and lemon grass and sliced veggies and dinner was ready and served by half past eight. Smiles galore from Chef- who for some reason was trying to get me to add the cashew paste he had made into my curry. Pads was dropping off and headed straight for bed by a quarter past nine.

Hmmm- bed does sound inviting!