Regular readers of this blog will know that it is another Christmas-time tradition in our family (apart from gawping at the beautiful decorations in malls across the city, that is) to eat plum cake (as fruit cake is called in this part of the world!). The OH and I love trying out plum cakes from bakeries, old and new, across Bangalore this time of the year, comparing and contrasting. We have some favourite haunts by now, but that doesn’t stop us from experimenting with plum cakes and bakers. 🙂
This time around, we went for the plum cake from Fatima’s, for the first ever time, after having heard a whole lot about it from some fellow food bloggers. The little round-shaped plum cake that we bought was absolutely worth the INR 300 we paid for it. It is moist, dense, rich with orange peel and nuts and other candied fruit, beautiful in taste. It is a wee bit more sweet than is required, as per me, but I am not complaining – it isn’t cloyingly so. It is amazingly fresh, too.
I wouldn’t say I haven’t had better plum cakes than this, but this is just lovely. We are loving gorging on this rum-filled delight, slice by slice, every night post dinner.
I was recently offered the opportunity to sample the food at Currylicious, a recently opened outlet in Orion Mall. Here is my account of the experience at the eatery.
Location and ambience
Currylicious already has a presence in Elements Mall, Nagawara, and in Kalyan Nagar, Bangalore. They have recently launched their third outlet in Bangalore, in Orion Mall, Rajajinagar. The mall itself needs no introduction, I am sure.
This particular Currylicious outlet is a small stall in the mall’s food court, therefore not boasting of much of an ambience. One needs to pick up one’s food from the counter, and sit at any of the tables in the food court. I happened to visit the place on a weekend, when the counter was crowded with customers. Though the staff was managing the counter well, I had a tough time ferrying the trays of food to our table, dodging the crowds, a few times over.
Currylicious serves hand-picked South Indian delicacies, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. There’s mostly food from Goa, Chettinad, Mangalore and Kerala. From what I hear, the place is a haven for lovers of non-vegetarian food, but I was there to sample the vegetarian part of the menu.
Food and drinks
First up, I went for a Mushroom & Babycorn Pepper Fry from the ‘Starters’.
Mushroom & Babycorn Pepper Fry
The starter turned out to be a beautifully done, very South Indian fry redolent with the smells of pepper and curry leaf. I loved it, though the level of spice in it was a wee bit more than what I like in my food.
I also sampled the only two drinks they had on offer – spiced buttermilk and lemon juice – and found both to be well done. The buttermilk was cool, lightly spiced and flavourful, neither too watery nor too thick, just the way I like it. The lemon juice was quite refreshing, too.
Vegetarian thali at Currylicious
Then, I chose their Vegetarian Thali, which comes with a chapati, rice, mixed vegetable fritters, a Chettinad-style gravy-based curry, salad, pickle, another simple curry, and a Mangalore-style ghassi. Of these, I loved the fritters (they were really lovely!) and the simple cabbage curry that was served the day we visited. Both the Chettinad curry and the Mangalore ghassi were too oily and spicy for my taste, but still flavourful. The rice was well cooked, unlike the half-boiled rice served at most eateries. The chapati was okay, and could have been better done, I felt.
Post this, I ordered a Neer Dosa-Mangalore Vegetarian Ghassi combo plate.
Neer Dosa-Vegetarian Ghassi combo at Currylicious
The neer dosa was nice, done exactly the way it is supposed to be. Like I said earlier, though, I didn’t like the Mangalore ghassi that was served with the dosas. There was also a portion of sambar, which was, again, too oily and spicy for my taste.
Then, I decided to try out their Alleppey-style raw mango-based bhindi curry, with some chapatis.
Alleppey-style raw mango-based bhindi curry at Currylicious, served with chapatis
Again, the chapatis were okay, not too bad but not great either. The curry was tasty, though a tad too oily for me.
I would have loved some dessert after all that oily, spicy food but, sadly, the eatery doesn’t serve them. I think this is one thing they should definitely look into.
Cost
The prices of food here are mid-range. A meal for two would cost between INR 500 and INR 700.
My thoughts
Overall, I think I had an average experience with the food I chose at Currylicious. I speak only about the dishes I tasted here, though, I reiterate, and only from the ‘Vegetarian’ section of the menu. Also, in general, Chettinad food is supposed to be spicy, and there’s the fact that I don’t love very spicy food.
I might not be opting for meals here again, but I would definitely love to check out the other starters here. They have a very interesting ‘Banana Flower Cutlet’ that I would love to try out the next time I am here.
Disclaimer
I was invited to sample the menu at Currylicious free of cost, in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts expressed here are entirely my own, not influenced by anything or anyone. I do not stand to receive any kind of gain by recommending or not recommending this eatery to you.
A while ago, I was part of a bloggers’ table at the newly opened Forklore Bistro in Koramangala. We were invited to lunch at the eatery, to sample the food and drinks on their menu. Here are my impressions about the place.
The Back Story
Forklore is a family-run business, started by a lovely couple, Sanjay and Trupti. Sanjay is a musician, in charge of the music at Forklore and the overall look (of course!), while Trupti is the head chef in Forklore’s kitchen.
Sanjay and Trupti returned to India after a stint in the USA, came across this old house in Koramangala, and decided that they just needed to get their hands on it. They bought the place, renovated it, decorated it with quirky odds and ends, and launched the eatery they had always dreamt of launching. That is how Forklore came into being. Charming, right?
Sanjay and Trupti interacting with us, bloggers
The eatery’s name, Forklore, is a play on the word ‘Folklore’, signifying its intent to become ‘lore’ (i.e. talk of the town) thanks to the power of the ‘fork’. The ‘lore’ in the name also signifies ‘Bangalore’.
The bistro is a new entrant in town, only about four months old, but it has already received some rave reviews. We, sort of, figured out how within a few minutes of entering Folklore and walking around the place. By the time we were done with our lunch there, we were sure why.
Cuisine
The bistro mostly serves Continental and Mediterranean fare, and is famous for its sangrias and hearty breakfasts and brunches. It has recently started a Sangria Festival, where you buy one sangria and get one absolutely free.
It serves both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.
Location
Forklore is located on the hip-and-happening 80-Feet Road in Koramangala, in the midst of a whole lot of other eateries. It is quite easy to locate and to commute to.
Decor
We were struck by the charm of the decor the minute we walked into Forklore. Like I said earlier, it is a house converted into a bistro, done up with quirky furniture and odds and ends. A lot of plants add to the effect. The end result is quaint, a lovely place that emanates a warm and friendly vibe.
Part of the indoor seating at Forklore
When we visited, Forklore was decked up for Christmas, and looked all the more gorgeous!
The Christmas tree!
The eatery is a medium-sized place, with outdoor as well as indoor seating.
The outdoor seating area, done up for Christmas. Would be amazing on a summer evening or an overcast winter afternoon!
Forklore surely is the kind of place that you’d like to bring a date to, or where you’d like to hang out with your close friends. I surely am going to do just that!
The bistro plays some lovely retro music, all thanks to Sanjay, which takes you back in time.
Food And Drinks
As if we weren’t charmed enough by the bistro already, the food and drinks came in and charmed us some more. I’m not exaggerating – most of the stuff we were served was absolutely beautiful!
What is even better is that there is a decent selection for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.
Pancakes
First up, we were served some pancakes.
The non-vegetarians had the Maple Bacon Pancakes, while the vegetarians were served their Smurf Pancakes (with white chocolate and blueberry spread!), Chocolate Pancakes, and Carrot And Spring Onion Savoury Pancakes. Every single one was much loved. I, not a great fan of pancakes myself, loved the savoury ones.
On the left, Carrot And Spring Onion Savoury Pancakes. On the top right are the Smurf Pancakes, and on the bottom right are the Chocolate Pancakes.
Sangrias
Then came the sangrias! Yours truly had the Virgin Sangria (yes, such a thing exists!), which she loved to bits. All the other alcohol-based sangrias were thoroughly enjoyed, too, especially the Red Dirt Girl and Fruity Booty.
On the left, Virgin Sangria with pomegranate, blueberry and spiced punch. On the top right is Fruity Booty, and Red Dirt Girl is on the bottom right.
Starters
While we sipped our respective sangrias, we were served an assortment of starters from the menu.
The non-vegetarians loved the Fried Calamari, Chicken Satay, and Pan-Seared Fish. The vegetarians amongst us got lucky because they got to lay their hands on such gorgeousness as Chilli Cheese Fries (heavenly!), Lettuce Cups (a house specialty), and Sweet Potato Fries.
On the left is a plate of Chilli Cheese Fries. On the top right is a Lettuce Cup (the vegetarian version) and on the bottom right is a plate of Sweet Potato Fries.
I loved, loved, loved the Chilli Cheese Fries – they were cheesy and full of spice and just lovely, quite unlike the lame things I have had in the name of Chilli or Cheese Fries elsewhere.
My most favourite starter, though, would be the Vegetarian Lettuce Cups – cups made of lettuce, served with falafel, hummus, olives and ricotta. What loveliness!
Mini sliders and quesadillas
Next came some mini sliders and quesadillas.
The Chicken Quesadillas and Nutty Mushroom Mini Slider went on to become huge hits with everyone. I liked the two vegetarian dishes in this category – the Chilli Spinach And Mushroom Quesadilla With Goat And Cheddar Cheese and the Nutty Mushroom Mini Slider – but they didn’t win my heart.
On the left is the Nutty Mushroom Mini Slider. On the top right are the Spinach And Mushroom Quesadillas, and on the bottom right are the Chicken Quesadillas.
Main Course
Then came the main course!
The non-vegetarians went gaga over the Beef Steak and Pulled Pork Pizza. The vegetarians went equally gaga over the Hawaiian Pizza and the Mujaddara.
On the left is the Beef Steak. On the top right is the Hawaiian Pizza, and on the bottom right is the Mujaddara
The Hawaiian Pizza was just glorious – the pineapple and in-house BBQ sauce used in it made the taste top-notch. Honestly, this has to be one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had! I couldn’t keep my eyes and hands off it!
The Mujaddara – a Lebanese preparation that uses rice, lentils and caramelised onions – was simply beautiful. It was so light and perfectly done, yet so tasty and wholesome. And the name ‘Mujaddara’- ah! This is something I have absolutely got to learn how to make at home!
We were also served an Aglio e Olio (vegetarian), which was good, but didn’t really bowl me over.
The Aglio e Olio
Desserts
By this time, all of us were way too full and threatening to sleep at the table, but, of course, we couldn’t leave without trying out the desserts!
Folklore has four, very different, desserts on its menu. We were served all four of them.
Extreme left – Holly Berries, Centre – Monk In The Middle, Top Right – Strawberry Fields Forever, Bottom Right – Chocolate Cheese Cake
Monk In The Middle – with its centre full of Old Monk – went on to be an instant hit with everyone. It was too rum-my for someone like me, who doesn’t drink, though.
My personal favourite was Strawberry Fields Forever, which was a light, slightly tangy dessert topped with strawberry sauce. The walnut-hung curd mixture that made up the dessert took the flavour to a whole new level. And, of course, I cannot not love that beautiful, romantic, poetic name!
The Chocolate Cheesecake was too chocolate-ey, even for a chocolate lover like me.
The Holly Berries was good, somewhat similar to Strawberry Fields Forever, but not as ‘Wow!’.
Every single thing that was put on our table – from the starters and the sliders to the main course and the desserts – was plated so very beautifully. Full marks for presentation!
Prices
Considering the ambience of the place and the top-notch quality of the food and drinks (not to forget, finger-licking delish!), the prices here are on the higher side. A meal for two at the bistro would cost around INR 1500, including a starter, two main course dishes and a dessert.
Verdict
Folklore Bistro is such a charming, happy place it is easy to fall in love with. The food is beautiful, priced well too. What more do you need out of an eatery?!
Disclaimer
I lunched at the bistro free of cost, along with a group of other food bloggers, by invitation, in exchange for an honest review. The views expressed herein are entirely my own, and not influenced by anyone. Forklore really is the kind of place I would love to frequent, with or without my loved ones, and I do plan to do exactly that in the times to come. I do not stand to any kind of gain by recommending this eatery to you.
I was recently invited to sample the food at Vaho Kafe on Bannerghatta Road, a very new eatery in town. The place prides itself on offering healthy, but delicious food, at reasonable prices.
Vaho Kafe is located bang opposite the IIM-B campus, making it very easy to find. The place is small, though, with only a few tables and chairs laid out. Inside, the atmosphere is mess-like, and there’s no ambience to speak of. That said, the restaurant aims at providing quick, healthy bites to its patrons, and isn’t heavily invested on the ambience.
The inside of Vaho Kafe
The eatery has a limited menu, which keeps changing every day. Typically, the menu here consists of a wholesome salad, freshly pressed juices (without any added sugar), and global and Indian thalis (the former containing international dishes, the latter containing Indian dishes). Most of the food on the menu here has both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. Everything on the menu is priced below INR 150.
The menu at Vaho Kafe, the day we visited
First up, we sampled the Indian Combo Meal, which came with two spiced rotis, raita, red chutney, green curry, daal tadka, jeera rice, and a broken wheat kheer. The green curry wasn’t great, but everything else tasted good.
Vegetarian Indian Thali at Vaho Kafe
We also sampled a Global Combo Meal, which consisted of a cold bean salad, fried rice, Thai red curry, a hot salad, and broken wheat kheer. I liked everything this thali had to offer; I especially loved the Thai red curry, which was beautifully done. The fried rice was made the healthy way, with no sauces or colours added to it. The salad was healthy, too, and it didn’t have loads of dressing in it, as is common in most other eateries. The broken wheat kheer was the same as the one served in the Indian Combo Meal, tastefully done.
Global Vegetarian Thali at Vaho Kafe
Next, we sampled a coupe of their freshly pressed juices – Watermelon and Pineapple – which were prepared right in front of us. Like I said before, there was no added sugar in the juices. The watermelon juice had a slightly greasy smell to it, but the pineapple juice was simply beautiful. Both juices were very fresh and refreshing to drink. The presentation of the juices was cute, too, in little glass bottles.
Freshly pressed pineapple juice (left) and watermelon juice (right) at Vaho Kafe
Verdict:
1. The food here is really healthy and easy on the pocket. The eatery can, thus, be a boon to working professionals and students nearby.
2. We heard there are healthy sizzlers in the offing too, but we didn’t spot any on the menu the day we visited. Now, that is surely something I would love to try, and which can be a huge draw for diet-conscious foodies.
3. Unlike other eateries, this place makes its salads, juices and food in a wholesome manner. No-sugar juices and no-dressing salads are tough to find, so kudos to Vaho Kafe for trying to fill in this very crucial gap in the restaurant world for health-conscious foodies.
4. It would be great if different desserts were served as part of the Indian and Global Combo Meals.
5. The place isn’t high on ambience, so please don’t visit expecting any. I would suggest visiting the eatery for its healthy, pocket-friendly food, rather, if you are in the immediate vicinity.
6. The portion sizes in the thalis are carefully measured out, each thali serving healthy proportions of food to suit one person. If you are anything like me, though, you will need about 1-1/2 thali and a juice to fill you up.
Disclaimer:
I was invited to sample the food at this eatery, free of cost, in exchange for an honest review. The views expressed herein are entirely my own, and not influenced by anyone. I don’t stand to gain anything by recommending this place.
The husband and I ended up lunching at Kapoor’s Cafe in Whitefield recently, a totally unplanned lunch just because he was in that part of town on work and I was in a position to accompany him right then. Now, Kapoor’s Cafe has been on my radar for almost a year now, ever since I started reading rave reviews of the place on a whole lot of food blogs. Somehow, a visit to the cafe never happened till recently, and I was thrilled to be able to finally go.
Kapoor’s Cafe is an all-vegetarian cafe (a dhaba-style cafe, to be precise), which prides itself on serving authentic Punjabi fare. There are two outlets – one behind ITPL and one in Varthur, both in Whitefield. We went to the Varthur outlet.
Decor and ambience
The exterior of the cafe
The decor is colourful and peppy, but strictly a ‘no frills’ one. There are simple chairs and tables laid out in the seating area, which is spacious. Food is served in simple steel plates, no fancy stuff there. The roof is a colourful asbestos sheet.
The colourful interior of the cafe
There are little quirky touches in the decor here and there, like a poster on the wall that proclaims ‘Oye! I’m Punjabi, and I cannot keep calm!’ (or something to that effect) and pretty, hanging lights. Mostly, though, the place looks like an upscale dhaba.
When we went, it was the typical lunch hour, and the cafe was bustling.
Food
I opted for a combo meal, from one of the many combos on offer – a Winter Special meal consisting of sarson ka saag, gur, desi butter, chutney and makke di roti.
The sarson ka saag and makke di roti meal
The desi butter came wrapped in a piece of foil, and drenched the hot, hot, hot makke di rotis on my plate. Bliss, indeed! The rotis, unlike those we have tasted at some other places, were soft and tasted delicious.
The gur tasted lovely, too, and I took big bites of it in between eating the roti and the saag. It looked and tasted very different from the jaggery we are used to eating in Bangalore. I wonder where they get it from!
The green chutney was beautiful, hitting just the right notes of spicy and tangy.
The sarson ka saag came with a tadka of grated garlic, which tasted mind-blowingly brilliant. I am so going to replicate that at home now! That said, the saag could have done with a bit more flavour, according to me – it wasn’t very bad, but it wasn’t ‘Wow!’ either.
The husband ordered a few phulkas and a Mushroom Masala Subzi. The subzi was super duper delicious, though it was a tad too spicy for us – I could taste many different spices used in it – and both of us loved it to bits. Whether it was an authentic Punjabi subzi or not, I don’t know, but we loved it, and that’s all I can say.
Mushroom Masala at Kapoor’s Cafe
The phulka rotis were nice and soft, and freshly made. When we asked for a couple more phulkas, though, a while later, we got some cold ones that were fresh, but evidently not made to order.
Next up, we got ourselves some desserts.
We opted for a Fruit Cream and a Dryfruit Lassi, both of which were served in clay kulhads, decorated with dry fruits and a cherry. Cute! That said, both desserts we ordered looked the same – a slightly different presentation for both of them would have won the cafe more brownie points, though that is a minor matter as far as I am concerned.
Fruit Cream at Kapoor’s Cafe
The fruit cream tasted gorgeous – it was like a creamy, sweet fruit salad with nuts that was absolutely delicious, and we lapped it up in seconds. We were expecting the fruit cream to be something like the one we had in Frazer Town once, but this one was totally different. (I’m guessing the Frazer Town was fruit cream in Bombay style, while this is the Punjab style. I don’t know for sure, though.)
The dryfruit lassi was super brilliant, the star of the meal for me. It was thick and sweet and creamy, and oh so delicious! I would highly recommend you try it out whenever you visit this place.
Service
The service staff was friendly and courteous. We got our orders within 20 minutes or so.
Prices
The prices are on the higher side, we felt.
INR 150 for a dryfruit lassi and INR 265 for a Sarson Ka Saag combo is quite high, considering the absolutely no-frills environment of the place. Yes, the food (at least the food that we sampled here) is good, but still overly priced.
We paid about INR 860 for our meal, including all taxes, which is, indeed, high considering the fact that we didn’t order for any starters or additionals.
The quirky menu at Kapoor’s Cafe
Verdict
Both the husband and I enjoyed our meal at Kapoor’s Cafe. We loved the food that we sampled (mostly!), albeit expensive, and we would love to go back to this place again.
Would I recommend this place? Absolutely!
Disclaimers
The reviews I read about this place online seemed to be divided into two major categories – those who absolutely hated the food and those who loved it. Some hated it because it wasn’t not authentic, not what they had tasted in Delhi or Punjab. The husband and I fall into the latter category – we liked the food and the place – without any knowledge of the authenticity of the food.
This was a meal that we paid for, personally, and not a review offer. The thoughts expressed herein are entirely my own, based on our experience of eating at the restaurant. I do not stand to receive any kind of gain by recommending this eatery to you.
This was our first experience of eating at Kapoor’s Cafe, and I believe one cannot judge a place by visiting it just once. This is, therefore, just a recounting of our first ever lunch at the eatery.
The World Through My Eyes 