Grasshopper

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There are those usual restaurants where you go on the spur of the moment and then there are those like Grasshopper – which are reserved for those really special occasions that require thought and planning.  All I can say is that you will not be disappointed. 

Grasshopper is housed in a beautiful farmhouse that combines a chic boutique with a fabulous European restaurant.  It is located off Bannerghatta road, beyond IIM and Meenakshi Temple – but needless to say, this off-beat location adds to the charm of being in a place far from all the madness and traffic.  The minute you reach Grasshopper, you can feel the peace and quite.

You enter through the boutique which has all the charm of a Greenwich Village store – a painted red door, exposed cement blocks, and lovely designer clothes and jewellery.  I could not take my eyes off a ruffled, bohemian black dress – it looked perfect, and pair of red sandals – but all the stuff comes at a pretty steep (I am sure, very well-deserved) price.  Jazz music plays in the background.

The outdoor dining area is situated amidst a lovely garden and accommodates about thirty people.  You need to reserve a day in advance – and there is no fixed menu – the chef cooks up a seven-course spread – so, when you get there, you don’t have to take the trouble of ordering; each course appears in front of you.  Do declare your preference regarding vegetarian, non-vegetarian, red meat and fish when you reserve.  Of course, you have to trust the chef – but I can assure you he knows his job and it shows – the food is made from the freshest ingredients and tastes divine.

Elegant fresh flowers decorate the trendy circular tables (the furniture looks like it is from The Design Store) and if you are there for dinner, candlelight adds to the warmth and romance.  There is a menu for drinks – a select choice of white and red wines, and some other beverages.  We selected the ginger lime vodka and it was absolutely perfect – tangy, with just a hint of ginger.  Then the meal began – course after course of delicious food – olive and mushroom crostini, figs and goat cheese with argula, a salad of the most luscious pears, walnuts and lettuce with parmesan cheese, poached seabass in lemon and tender veal with a side of perfectly cooked vegetables; and all this with a side of freshly baked bread.   For dessert, we tried the chocolate truffle with kiwi and the fig and almond ice-cream – both winners. 

I went there for dinner – it was superb – but I have a feeling that lunch in that gorgeous garden will be even better.  Prices are a bit steep – Rs.1000 per head, but the entire experience is well worth the cost.  The place lets you savour your meal and the laidback, unhurried ambiance combined with the fabulous food allows you to linger and enjoy pleasant memories.  Go there for the next celebratory occasion in your life or for a very romantic evening. 

For address and phone number, click here.

Punjabi Times

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Went there based on gourmand’s review – and completely agree – pleasant Punjabi ambiance, family-friendly and nice food.  Situated right opposite Shoppers Stop, the restaurant seems to be doing brisk business feeding the tired and hungry shoppers.  Décor consists of pots on the walls, a mural that depicts a village scene from Punjab and lantern-shaped lamps.  The chairs are arranged a bit too close for privacy and there are diwans with cushions against the walls.  Bhangra music plays in the background.   Service is very quick and courteous. 

We began our meal with tamatar adrak ka shorba (the tomato soup) and the murg tikka .  Both were good.  The tikka was really cooked in a tandoor and had a perfectly grilled flavour.  The main course consisted of the tandoori roti and the murg batinda, chicken cooked home-style in an onion and tomato gravy.  Again, very good.  None of the dishes were overtly spicy – but had the right amount of flavour. 

Took gourmand’s word about the bathrooms and did not check them out!

Valet parking is available at the restaurant.  Go there with your family for a pleasant meal.  You will not go wrong if you pick the tandoor dishes. 

For address and phone number, click here.

Casa Picola

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Finding this place made my day. I have passed by this Casa’s several times but ignored it since I assumed that it is like the other ones – good but nothing special. Decided to step into it after an afternoon out to get something cool to drink and was pleasantly very surprised, to put it mildly!!!

This Casa’s is HUGE – it is 3 levels – and has the open air outdoorsy feel of all the other branches. What is really special about it is that it has a covered terrace more like Casa del Sol (the lounge on Residency Road which is run by the same people), lovely patio furniture, Spanish looking tiles – and a neat bar. Very, very loungable – and in this part of the city – surely it is much-needed. Step in and sip on your drink and you will that forget you are in Jayanagar, much less in 4th block.

I had an iced tea – they make it there, not some canned or bottled stuff. I asked him to put less sugar – and he made it perfectly. My friend had a rum punch and pronounced it yummy. We did not eat anything – but chatted for a few hours – no one bothered us and the place was pretty much empty at 4 pm.

I am sure the place is lovely in the evenings too, I noticed strategically placed beautiful lamps – and if you are looking for a place for a romantic date or to lounge about with your friends in South Bangalore – this surely is a must-try!

For address and phone number, click here.

100 ft Boutique Restaurant

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Located in a remodeled villa in upmarket Indiranagar, 100 feet restaurant serves up food, as well some cool shopping. The boutique sells various artifacts such as wall décor, masks, nick-nacks and so forth and clothing including hip and funky party clothes, jewellery and scarves (and lovely beaded sandals – the kind that look good with a summery skirt – for Rs.600 – Rs.700); and the restaurant serves Mediterranean food.

The ambiance here is fantastic – you dine downstairs under the covered patio or up at the terrace, and it is an ideal place to catch up with friends. The terrace has a bar area as well. The food is not anything to rave about but is pleasant enough. The starters are quite good – try the garlic bread brushed with basil leaves or the bruschetta. Minestrone soup was passable. We went vegetarian that day – for the main course we tried lasagna and the spaghetti arabiatta (pasta in tangy tomato sauce).

All in all, no negative notes in the food – it was ok. Valet parking is available. Dinner for two with alcohol is approximately Rs.1100.

For address and phone number, click here.

The Herb

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Hungry at noon, and finding ourselves in Malleshwaram, we went to this restaurant located in the 4^th floor of The Basil Hotel.  Very non-descript and drab green and brown décor greeted us – and coupled with the slow service, I began fearing the worst.  But – pleasantly enough- the food was very, very good.  The restaurant serves mainly North Indian and Chinese cuisine, and a South Indian thali.  My two companions ordered the thali which came with puris, sagu, bisibele bath (scrumptious), rice, sambar (five stars for it), rasam, curd rice and a most-delicious badam halva.   We ordered a cream of chicken soup (good), tandoori and missi roti (excellent), gol tarkari curry (mixed vegetables – superb) and dal tadka (yummy).  The food was wholesome, tasted like homemade, not too spicy or too bland.  The thalis cost Rs. 90 each and the cost for the rest of the meal was approximately Rs. 500.  I would recommend you go here when you feel like eating home food; stick to the basics and you will not go wrong.  Parking is available at the hotel.

For address and phone number, click here.