Diamond Cafe

The Diamond Cafe is located in the basement of the Diamond District center on Airport Road, but is at the same level as the swimming pool Non-residents will need to purchase a parking ticket in order to enter the building. The main entrance is from the top of the pagoda like structure adjacent to the tennis courts in the middle of the building complex. Follow the arching wooden stairway a floor down to get to the cafe. The cafe is spacious, and offers a view of the well manicured garden, fountain and poolside across its broad glass windows. The laminated double-sided menu offers a mix of continental, chinese and indian food options. Service in generally was abysmally slow - the order took time, delivery took forever, and the waiter didnt show up with the bill. However, the place was quiet, and with a book in my hands and something to chew on, it set the pace for a relaxing evening.



Cost: Rs 35-90 for a meal

Cleanliness: Average

Quality: Average

Service: Poor - everything took ages.

Ambience: Good

Bottomline: If you've got time to kill, and want to chill in a quiet spot, you may like the Diamond District Cafe.

Barista on 100 Feet Road

In a little nook, Barista is easy to miss as you drive down 100 feet road. A few yards away from Fab Mall, this Barista perhaps offers the quietest and most informal settings I've seen amongst other joints from the popular chain. As you walk in from the street, you step into the open patio covered by a colorful awning. While the Barista does not have a non-smoking section in the patio area, it is spacious enough for you sit comfortably under the breezy umbrellas in the pebbled garden area. In the mornings and evenings, the noisy street can be annoying. At which point you may wish to retreat into the quiet pastel colored interiors, to be greeted by the aroma of freshly ground beans and a vista of dessert delights. Like to be wireless? Bring in your laptop, and take wing - this is a Wi-Fi hot spot. I won't get too much into the menu since it's really the standard and consistent Barista fare (As a side note, if you are a cafe aficionado, you may read that last adjective as characterless. But then, I wont digress here**).

Cost: Rs 60-120 for coffee and a snack
Cleanliness: Average (dusty street nearby and cigarette butts lying around)
Quality: Good
Service: Good
Ambience: Good (Cozy, but can be noisy - crowds or honking traffic)
Bottomline: If you live near Indiranagar and are looking for a cozy nook to grab mocha while you surf the net or play scrabble, you would want to stop by.

**Invasion of Parisian cafe culture
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3401637.stm

Flambé at Ambrosia

Note: I had written this for The Hindu's Metro Plus supplement (article on The Hindu's site is here). This blog article features an additional YouTube video.

As the mercury dips in Bangalore this December, the Flambé food festival at the recently opened Ambrosia restaurant offers a fun way to enjoy a cozy evening with some sizzling fare.

Flambé (also spelled flambe; pronounced /flɒmˈbeɪ/) is a cooking procedure in which alcohol is added to a hot pan to create a burst of flames. The word means flamed in French. (Source: Wikipedia)

If you're wondering if this is yet another sizzler joint in town, hold that thought. Joints such as Kobe's (in Garuda Mall) adopt a pan-asian approach where the dish is cooked on a hot iron until it sizzles. In the case of flambé, the dish is cooked in alcohol (typically cognac or brandy) in a hot pan and served immediately. At Ambrosia, the dish is made on a mobile counter right by your table, creating quite the spectacle when the flames leap out towards the ceiling.



We started off by sampling the Threaded Baby Corn, a lovely little dish with deep fried corn wrapped in wonton sheets. Next, we tried their Gamberoni Al Ajillo, a scrumptious jumbo prawn starter that reminded us of tapas.

Eager to get on with the flambé dishes, we quickly moved on to the main course. We first tried the classic Beef Burgundy (a.k.a. Boeuf à la Bourguignonne), stewed in red wine and flavored with pepper, garlic, baby onions and cream. The dish was flamed with brandy and served promptly at our table with a helping of rice as a side. The cubes were slightly chewy, but the overall flavor of the gravy was fairly good.

Next, we tried the Salmon Fillet, which was marinated, pan fried and briefly flamed with brandy just before serving with a side of bearnaise sauce. This hit the spot, retaining the natural flavors combined with simple seasoning and subtle lingering flavor of the brandy. If you like fish, we would recommend this dish.

We also sampled the Mushroom Ragout, another stewed vegetarian preparation served on a bed of penne that might be popular only with pasta aficionados.

All the flambé dishes come with a complimentary glass of Big Banyan wine. The options include their Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc. Other beverages including a few domestic and international wines are available off the menu.

We topped off our meal with the Drunken Bananas (a.k.a Bananas Foster) which you can see served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the YouTube video inserted in this post. And finally, we were treated to a special ghajar halwa to close out the meal.

While we didn't get to sample these dishes, here a few you may wish to try out: Ratatouille Nicoise (veg), Chicken Cafreal, and if you really want to play it safe, the ever popular Chocolate Brownie.

The Ambrosia restaurant is located a stone's throw away from the Sony World junction at the cusp of Indiranagar and Koramangala, right off the Inner Ring Road. If you have trouble finding parking, use their convenient valet service. The restaurant offers a cosy ambience and comfortably seats small to medium sized groups.

In addition to the flambé specials, which are available through end of December as a part of the food festival going on, Ambrosia offers an international selection of dishes. For vegetarians, calorie conscious diners, or simply those looking for Indian food, you'll find a fair selection on the à la carte menu. And for corporates looking for a quick power lunch, they offer a fixed price menu list.

Their address is: 52 B, 100 Feet Road, 4th Block, Koramangala, (Near Sony World) Bangalore 560 034 Phone: (080) 4094 0101/2

Cost: Rs 300-500 per person
Cleanliness: Good
Quality: Good
Service: Good
Ambience: Good
Bottomline: If you like sizzlers, you'd love flambé at Ambrosia.

Chili's Bar & Grill

Chili's Bar & Grill, the South-Western and Tex-Mex casual dining restaurant has opened up on Airport Road, bringing their popular burgers, fajitas, wings and margaritas to the bustling neighborhood which already has Pappa John's, Domino's and Hyderabadi Biriyani right next door.

But what sets Chili's apart from the joints next door is their vibrant ambience, colorful decor, and friendly staff. We were quickly given a spot close to the bar, with a neat table that had a mosaic tiled pattern on it. Being close to the bar had its benefits, with a game in progress on the TV.

We started off with a bowl of their traditional chili (slow cooked with peppers, chilis and topped with cheese). It wasn't too bad, and had plenty of zing. A few others grabbed a bowl of nachos and tortillas and seemed quite happy.

A meal at Chili's wouldn't be complete without trying their Presidente Margarita (P.S: Grab the recipe here if you'd like to try it at home), so be sure to bring a designated driver along.

We went overboard with the main course items, trying out the fajitas, burgers, tandoori sandwich and pasta. Overall, the food was pretty good, although beef and pork were notably missing from the menu. Upon enquiring, we were informed that these would be available soon. It sounds Chili's may have chosen to play it safe at launch time to avoid ruffling any sensitive feathers. Their menu has a number of vegetarian options - soups, fajitas and pastas, and so the place is well suited for a family outing.

Since we were quite stuffed by this point, we didn't get around to trying their desserts, but word has it that their molten cake is quite popular. There were a couple of birthday parties going on that night, and there was a fun, boisterous crowd. You would likely want to make reservations on weekend nights since the Total Mall shoppers tend to end up here. The traffic in the area near Total Mall is pretty bad, but Chili's valet service is conveniently located. If you choose to self park, head down the gully by the side and you ought to find a paid parking spot at the end.

Cost: Rs 400-1000 per person
Cleanliness: Excellent
Quality: Very Good
Service: Excellent
Ambience: Very Good
Bottomline: TGIF is passé. Head to Chili's!

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Hyderabadi Biriyani

I am by no means an expert on Biriyani, but I've been very impressed by the veg and chicken biriyani served up at Hyderabadi House, near the Lifestyle on Richmond Road. It has a small, no frills dining area where you can grab a quick plate. The place is thronged by working men who are often hunched over a plate, enjoying their meal with not a word spoken, oblivious to everything else around them.

To me, the biggest value is in their fast take away service. You can drive up, order for a biriyani, get a parcel in five minutes, and be on your way home to enjoy a lip smacking dinner.

Cost: Rs 50-70
Cleanliness: Average
Quality: Excellent
Service: Excellent
Ambience: Average
Bottomline: Express takeaway biriyani

P.S: They have just opened up another restaurant/take-away joint next to Kemp Fort on Airport Road, which does deliveries.

A clan's classy cuisine (The Hindu's Metro Plus)

Note: I had written this for The Hindu's Metro Plus supplement. You can find the original review article on The Hindu's site here: The Hindu Metro Plus - Coorgi Food Festival review

Coorg stirs the imagination with its exotic location and unique history. For those who haven't yet made the much-recommended visit to this hilly country, there's a rare opportunity to sample authentic and traditional Coorgi delicacies closer home.

Taj West End is hosting a special Coorgi food festival until October 2 at its poolside barbeque restaurant. An a la carte menu is available for lunch and dinner during the festival. Sandeep Kachroo, Executive Chef at the barbeque restaurant who earlier set up the Taj's Vietnamese restaurant, is passionate about the need to explore lesser known but rich regional cuisines in Karnataka and offer them in an authentic style.

Soothing ambience

We arrived at the Taj West End early in the evening and made our way past the lovely lawns to their elegant poolside restaurant. A live band playing gentle rock numbers offered a soothing ambience, although the music was occasionally a bit loud. Parvati from Coorg, currently mentoring the Taj chefs during the festival, gave us a vivid cultural primer about the Coorgis. As it is in many other parts of India, food is often closely linked with weddings and key festivals such as Kail Podh and Huthari. While a typical daily meal may consist of simple rice and chicken-based dishes, the festivals are celebrated with special lamb (yarchi) and pork (pandi) delicacies. A spice unique to Coorg is kachiampuli, an extract from the fruits of the garcinia tree. It adds a distinct colour and flavour to the meat, reminiscent of tamarind, but more earthy in flavour.

We started our meal with two dry starters, the yarchi bartad and pandi bartad. They are prepared by frying the meat with powdered spices in coconut oil, and are best had with a beer. This was followed by the main course of yarchi nad kanne (lamb broth), pandi curry (chunks of tender pork) and koli curry (chicken). These were served with noolputtus (similar to idiappam) and sannas. We were impressed by the juicy and tender meat, literally melting in our mouths. The food was medium spicy and the flavours of kachiampuli and pepper were well tempered with other spices. We also tried the pooputtu, a steamed rice preparation that is cut into square pieces. One of the two well-known dishes which we did not get to sample but would recommend are the bimbale curry (baby bamboo shoots) and akki otti (rice-based roti).

Limited desserts

Coorgis aren't big on dessert, and we topped off dinner with a light haalbai, a variant of kesari bhath with a stronger milk base.

Bottomline: This fest serves the best kept culinary secrets of the Coorgi meat-eating warriors in traditional style. Bringing veggie friends? Have them plan on an early supper on their way in!

ARAVIND KRISHNASWAMY

South Indies

In the past, I've reviewed everything from biriyani to bouillabaisse and caviar to cajun. But this review is much closer to home, in more ways than one!

South Indies, the theme fine dining restaurant invited me for a review of their Brahmin Food Festival. The fête is being held at both their 100ft road as well as Infantry road restaurants from the 18th until the 27th of September, coinciding with Navratri. As you may have guessed by now, the food menu was inspired by traditional dishes of the Tam-Bram (Tamil Brahmin) community (to which yours truly belongs).

Venkatesh Bhat (the head chef) and I go back a long way, my having reviewed his food when he was the Executive Sous Chef at the Leela Palace earlier. He was kind enough to be a wonderful host for my wife and I.

Chef Bhat teased us with a light, delicious carrot soup to start with. If you like a little extra zip to your soup, this sure has the spices to leave your throat tingling. We moved on to a few classic starters - keerai vadai (fried lentils with spinach), ulundu bonda (batter fried urad dal stuffed with coconut, pepper and chilis), and batter fried baby potatos. We missed sampling the kaara kozhukattai (steamed rice cakes), which might be a healthy alternative to the fried options.

We were presented with a lovely spread for our main course. The manga pachadi (raw mango cooked with jaggery, mustard and curry leaves) was just perfect - tangy enough without being bitter or too raw. The avial (vegetables cooked in curd gravy) was passable and didnt have much to write home about.

One of my personal favorites, the keerai mulagootal (Palghat dish with spinach, dal and coconut) was excellent (see picture above), but was quite different from what I've been raised on both in terms of flavor and texture. It had a lot more red chili and less pepper and coconut than I'm used to. But once I put myself past the mental block of comparing it with my mother's recipe, I liked it. Ultimately, it is important that we balance our pursuit of authenticity with acceptance of the diversity of our cuisine - the subtle variants in how different homes make the same dish is what makes them unique.

The paharkai pitla (bitter gourd in tamarind curry) was terrific and I would highly recommend it, despite the acquired taste involved. The bitter sweet flavor of tamarind paste is a key ingredient in most southern dishes, and the pitla uses it to perfection in liaison with the bitter gourd.

All the brinjal/eggplant dishes were excellent as well - try the yennai kathirikkai or kathirikkai rasa vaangi, and you will not be disappointed. Both of them are classic dishes as well with their unique variants in each household.

A number of sides and accompaniments complement your meal, ranging from the relatively common adai, oothappam, vangi bath and thayir saadam (curd rice - a 'classic' Tam-Bram staple to top off a meal) to the elumbicham saadam (lemon rice) and thengai sadam (coconut rice). Picture: thengai sadam.

The desert menu is impressive, and apart from the usual fare, offers the nendra pazham varati (banana with jaggery) and panchamrutham (five ingredient combination of banana, cashew, honey, jaggery and dates). And if you'd prefer to pass on the sweet stuff, try the kumbakonam 'degree' kaapi for your shot of caffeine.

My wife and I liked the food so much that we're planning to head back next week when my parents visit.

A few things for you to be aware of:

• The Metro construction work in progress has created quite some havoc in the area. Once you negotiate past the stretch to reach South Indies, their valet service handles the rest, and it's less inconvenient than it seems.
• The ambience blends chic with rustic southern elements well, but you may want to look around to find a nook that you like the most - the first table we were shown wasn't as tidy as we would have liked.
• Resist comparisons to your mamma's recipe or Shanthi Sagar's prices - sit back and enjoy the fine dining experience.

Cost: Rs 400 for fixed price menu including starters, main, dessert (à la Carte available as well)
Cleanliness: Average
Quality: Excellent
Service: Excellent
Ambience: Good
Bottomline: The perfect place for a Navratri week family outing. Dont let the all veggie menu dissuade you - the variety will make up for anything you may miss.

Taj West End - Ravioli and Gnocchi special (The Hindu's Metro Plus)

Note: I had written this for The Hindu's Metro Plus supplement. You can find the original review article on The Hindu's site here: The Hindu Metro Plus - Pasta All The Way
The headline added by the newsdesk unfortunately incorrectly referred to the Taj Residency instead of the Taj West End.

Pasta all the way

The ravioli and gnocchi food promotion at the Taj Residency offers some splendid fare

NEAT PRESENTATION The menu is tailored for both the uninitiated as well as the foodie

Love Italian food, but bored of the usual pasta and pizza options served up by Bangalore restaurants? The Mynt diner at the Taj West End is hosting a promotional gnocchi and ravioli special until Sep 15.

Set in a pleasant ambience with a Romanian duo playing soft music, the fest spotlights two kinds of pasta — gnocchi, the dumplings typically made of semolina or ricotta cheese, and ravioli, the thin-layered pasta usually filled in the middle with vegetables or meat. While these two pastas as the motif might be limiting for most, innovative Chef Kachroo serves up a vista of dishes.

The starters

The two soups up for starters are zuppa pommodoro (fresh tomato soup) with capellaci and zuppa di pesce (mixed seafood soup). Both were fairly good, although we missed the meat-based minestra.

The main course offers substantial veg options, ranging from classics like gnocchi in sage butter sauce to interesting flavours of bengal gram and beetroot capellacci in olive tapenade sauce. We also liked the herbed gnocchi with quattro formaggio, the interplay of the subtle flavours of the four cheeses blending with the creamy sauce.

Other avatars

Other cultures have parallels to ravioli as well, such as the Chinese jiaozi, Russian pelmeni, Tibetan momo and Jewish kreplachs. But, like all pastas, the taste is `al dente', and is a bit chewy. Gnocchi, which literally means `lump', cooks faster than normal pastas and can fall apart if overcooked.

Amongst the non-vegetarian items, we loved the innovative pumpkin and semolina gnocchi with salsa di prosciutto (ham) the most — the mild sweet flavour of the pumpkin complemented the ham and gnocchi well. Also interesting were the duck confit ravioli in orange cream sauce and the crabmeat tortellini. The potato gnocchi with bolognese sauce was passable.

In the Tuscan area of Italy, spinach and ricotta-flavoured gnocchi are called strozzapreti (priest-stranglers). Legend has it that a local priest choked and died after a binge on the delicious gnocchi.

We sampled two of the desserts, the baciali limone (lemon custard dome with glaze) and the spuma di pere (pear mousse with chocolate sauce), which were excellent.

Overall, we were impressed by the creativity of the spread, and the thought that had gone into the selection. The promotional menu is à la carte and supplements the regular diner menu which visitors can feel free to choose from.

Bottomline: The festival offers a pleasant introduction to ravioli and gnocchi for the uninitiated, as well as some splendid innovative new flavours for those up for an Italian culinary adventure.

Call The Mynt at 66605660 for reservations.

ARAVIND KRISHNASWAMY

Mango Tree, Hampi

It’s been a little while since I’ve updated my food blog – largely since I’ve been traveling a bit internationally which makes scheduling food reviews hard and have been caught up with work, and also since I haven’t eaten anyplace really worth writing home about. Until now. When I visited Hampi. While the lovely Mango Tree restaurant isn’t in Bangalore (the theme of this blog), it’s stirred me enough to pen this piece.

Turn right at the Virupaksha temple at the end of Hampi Bazaar, head towards the river, turn left by the bathing ghats and walk about hundred yards down and you’ll see the little hand painted sign of the Mango Tree restaurant on a tree. Walk down the little mud pathway through the banana plantation and you enter a little house with a thatched roof. Park your sandals by the side, wash your hands at the nearby basin and you are ushered inside the lovely restaurant facing the spectacular Tungabhadra river.

The open air restaurant offers seating on straw chatai on granite slabs pleasantly spread across multiple levels like steps in an amphitheater that eventually descend down to the river. A large mango tree towers above the restaurant, offering shade while still providing splendid views of the river. A lovely swing tethered high up on the tree hangs down – an idyllic rocking chair which at full swing reaches out dreamily into the expanse of the mighty river.

The restaurant itself is quite modest, providing simple low seating with reclining support on sloping walls, gas lamp lighting, and basic furnishing. But the sheer beauty of the place offers an ambience that is sensual, lively and vibrant while still being relaxing and refreshing. A natural and unassuming ambience that few 5 stars hotels can hope to provide, and far less can achieve.

While my expectations of food were quite low, I was quite delighted by the excellent thali offered (Rs. 30). The menu offers a range of continental dishes, with a variety of interesting variants like nutella chapatti (inspired by crepes?). When you consider how remote Hampi is, and the lack of qualified chefs, the range and quality of the dishes served up was highly commendable.

If you are headed there at night, plan on taking a torchlight along since the streets leading to the restaurant are not well lit. Also, you may want to know that alcohol is not served at establishments in Hampi since its a pilgrimage center. But then, in such an ambience, you can be assured - your spirits will be high nevertheless.

Cost: Rs 50-250
Cleanliness: Excellent
Quality: Good
Service: Good
Ambience: Terrific
Bottomline: If you haven’t been to Hampi, make it your next holiday hop. And when in Hampi, plan on a lazy afternoon at the Mango Tree.

Sunny's on Vittal Mallya Road

When I used to visit Bangalore fifteen years back, the Casa Piccola on Residency Road was a local favorite for continental food. Today, Sunny's on Vittal Mallya Road is a strong contender for that mantle despite the proliferation of numerous similar restaurants in the last few years.

Wonder why? Having been to Sunny's several times to date, I feel it comes down to the basics. Their menu provides fairly diverse options, the service is good (although I've seen it deteriorate when they are busy), and their classic dishes retain authentic flavors. Add to that a fun and lively ambience which attracts expat regulars, and the place is often buzzing on weekend evenings.

I'm hesitant to dive into a typical food review of Sunny's as I've eaten there several times, and likely carry some bias. However, some of my favorite dishes there are the goat cheese crostini, grilled salmon steak, roast filet mignon, and cannelloni. I've never tried their pizza or pasta, but they sure appear to be popular as well.

What makes Sunny's ambience special is that you can show up there with friends on a lively Friday evening or a lazy Sunday afternoon, and you'll find the right seating and menu choices to make your day. They have an impressive wine selection of both domestics and imports to complement your meal. Several imports are available by the glass - something which is not too common in Indian restaurants. Just as wide is their dessert selection, which will leave anyone with a sweet tooth quite satiated.

As a pet owner, I often struggle to find restaurants in Bangalore which permit you to bring your dog along. While there are the smaller joints that don't mind, most larger restaurants are quite anal about not letting you sit out even in the open with a pet. Fortunately for pet lovers, Sunny's lets your bring your dog along and dine in the open patio area. As would be expected, the dog needs to be on leash at all times and well behaved. As I understand it, the restaurant was posthumously named after the owner's golden retriever. We took out pet along on a Sunday afternoon, and it was a lot of fun meeting other dogs and their owners.

Cost: Rs 600-1000
Cleanliness: Excellent
Quality: Excellent
Service: Good
Ambience: Good
Bottomline: Party with friends in the lounge on a Friday evening. Laze around outdoors on a Sunday afternoon. Sunny's can make your day.

P.S: I've missed taking food shots at Sunny's. The picture inset is my wife enjoying a gimlet.

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Kudla

Here's a bit of trivia to start with - Did you know Kudla means 'Mangalore' in the Tulu language? And did you know that Tulu does not have a written script? Sound exotic? Well, so is the splendid food at this seafood haven on Raja Ram Mohan Roy Road in west Bangalore.

Kudla was not too packed when we showed up on a late Sunday evening after watching a game of cricket at Chinnaswami stadium. As we stepped in, it was hard to miss the live king crabs on display by the entrance. The interiors are simple and casual. We grabbed a table near the window and quickly set out to sample the seafood starters. The ladyfish, silverfish and mussels were excellent. The vegetarian samplings were a bit disappointing - so if you have a veggie friend, you might want to consider an earlier supper stop. Beer was available, but wasnt cold enough. After eyeing the crabs for little longer, we picked the largest one to be cooked kudla style in a curry. It took about 20 minutes, but was well worth the wait. Easily the best crab I've had outside of the Konkan coast, this dinner left us smacking our fingers at the end.

Cost: Rs 250-300 per meal
Cleanliness: Average
Quality: Good
Service: Average
Ambience: Good
Bottomline: Great crabs up for grabs

Masala Klub, Taj West End

This food blog has been getting quite a bit of attention over the last year. I've received a handful of review requests from restaurants, catering services, lounges, and websites over the past few months, but haven't been able to keep up due to my work schedule. However, a recent enquiry stood out. Taj West End requested for a review of the newest in their Masala Klub chain, the fourth such restaurant in the country and first in Bangalore. I've reviewed Taj's food a few times in the past for The Hindu, but was especially intrigued by this new theme.

The theme isn't entirely new, so to say, as others had attempted it quite unsuccessfully in the past - Serving up traditional Indian recipes with light, contemporary, healthy preparations while still retaining its authenticity. But why does this theme matter as much?

If I look back at the last five years, we've seen a multitude of restaurants cropping up all across this vibrant city as the urbane population has started to love to eat out. But more often than not, the stir fried dishes and oil sopping gravies leave you feeling like a stuffed turkey reaching for the nearest bottle of antacid! No, this isn't an easy task as our Indian cuisine thrives on the explosive mix of masalas and thick pastes in the gravies.


The Taj West End is off Race Course Road (see Google Map for directions). Located by a 120 year old tamarind tree on the heritage grounds, the Masala Klub is elegantly designed, with an open patio area near the pool, a decorated lounge area, an interactive teppanyaki style bar, and a barbecue section. We would recommend the patio for a lunch outing.

As you step into the restaurant from the patio, you see their large selection of wine. They serve over 50 varieties of French wine including several Grànd Crù and vintages, and there's sommelier Jean to help you with your pick. He recommended a nice, fruity white wine to start with and a light and slightly dry red wine to go with the meal.

Sous Chef Rishi and Executive Sous Chef Satya Narayan walked us through the concept and the day's menu and delighted us with a lovely spread. The preparations use olive oil and light gravies with freshly ground masalas.

When you decide to reinvent the world, why not start at the beginning? Now, this wouldn't be the traditional, spicy rasam, would it? It sure was - and it was as refreshing as the original, albeit lighter with an invigorating whiff of lemon grass. Welcome the globally appealing drink.

The next course consisted of a scrumptious spread of sea food and vegetarian options - Malabari soft shell crab, Bhatti ka jheenga (prawns cooked Tandoori style), Makai Motiya Seekh (Corn kernels and pimentos rolled in), Khumb Galouti (Mushrooms made in lamb kebab style), and Sarson ke Phool (broccoli in mustard marinade). While the broccoli seemed too soft from overcooking in the tandoor, each of the other items stood out for their distinct flavors. The mushroom kebab, made in classic Lucknowi tandoori lamb galouti style and served on wafer thin crisp potatoes complemented the soft mushroom well.

What made the lunch memorable was their signature Tamarind Sorbet, served in a genie lamp style dish (see pic) replete with dry ice fumes - a homage to the aging tree flanking the patio.

We loved the baingan saraf, a spiced up mushy aubergine served in a sliced eggplant. Not to forget, the savory, well tempered Achari Lobster, that is sure to appeal to all who like sea food.

A phulka counter nearby serves freshly rolled and puffed phulkas at your table.

The other exclamation point was the Chilgoza Falli (see pic), a combination of string beans and chilgoza (pine nut) tossed together in a light, tangy sauce. I tried looking up this innovative dish and found that it is offered by Ravi's Cumin, an Indian restaurant in Australia with even an identical menu description. If anyone knows the origin of the dish, please let me know.

Of the desserts we sampled, the Peak, a baked ice cream and gulab jamun combination stood out. Not only is it an innovative combination of Indian flavors and baking techniques, it tastes splendid and is quite filling too!

P.S: A special note of thanks to the Taj for their patience - this post has been delayed significantly first due to work commitments and later with technical issues with my food blog. I am still on the older blogger template and need to upgrade.

Cost: Rs. 1,500/-5,000/- for a couple
Cleanliness: Excellent
Quality: Excellent
Service: Excellent
Ambience: Good
Bottomline: Light, contemporary and healthy Indian food at its best. Great for corporate lunches and healthy conscious diners.

Sun 'n' sand 'n' seafood (The Hindu's Metro Plus)

Note: I had written this for The Hindu's Metro Plus supplement. You can find the original review article on The Hindu's site here: The Hindu Metro Plus - Caribbean Food Festival

Sun 'n' sand 'n' seafood

The Caribbean food festival at The Leela celebrates the vibrant spirit of the tropical archipelago's cuisine

VARIED FARE Contrary to the general belief here, the islands do not share a uniform cuisine

You don't need excuses to celebrate the Calypso spirit and The Leela offers none as it for its exotic Caribbean food festival.

When we visited, although the up-tempo music was yet to be turned on, it proved a lasting treat for the palate.

Contrary to the general belief here, the islands do not share a uniform cuisine, having come under different colonial experiences over the centuries. But they share a vibrant common spirit that is typical of the tropical islands and that is reflected in the preparations on offer.

We started with the seafood bouillabaisse, which is also known in the islands as "fish tea". While not exclusively Caribbean, there's an excellent spread of salads that includes the Caribbean seviche, Haitian ham salad, smoked fish, crab salad and an interesting combination of salty beef with mango salsa.

For the veggies, there's a Bahamian potato salad, vegetable Rasta salad, Pomello salad and several other options. A live salad station offers tossed salads made to your preference.

The meal is complemented by a glass of peppy ginger beer.

From the English-speaking Bahamas to the Spanish Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Danish West Indies, the islands offer quite a variety of seafood dishes and an even richer variety of spices in which to cook them. Surprisingly, none of the preparations were spicy enough, which could come as a bit of a disappointment if you tended to expect the flavours from the Caribbean islands to match their music and lifestyle. This was apparently a concession for the regular clientele.

The main course menu had a natural predominance of non-vegetarian dishes, mostly seafood. We enjoyed the absolutely fabulous Havana lobster mariposa which was attractively packaged and cooked to a delicious finish, flavoured with crisp toasted almonds and a tangy orange sauce. Also excellent was the St. Martin fish steak, a well-marinated grouper set on a plate of wild rice and flavoured with sweet tasting ginger and rum sauce. Instead of the full buffet, visitors may also choose to order the main course items à la carte.

To top it off, the dessert counter offers delicious banana fritters with mango ice-cream and an assortment of other popular items. As a bonus, a selection of Caribbean cocktails is also available.

You can sign off summer in style at the Caribbean food festival. The fest is on till May 21. Call 30571340 for dinner reservations at the Citrus.

Ambience: Good, but sans Calypso spirit

Service: Buffet cum a la carte

Specialty: Caribbean flavors

Wallet factor: Rs. 1,500 per head

ARAVIND KRISHNASWAMY

Suswad's Idli Bazaar on CMH Road

Nestled between the HDFC bank ATM and the MK grocer store on CMH Road, the Suswad's Idli Bazaar is a fast food joint in the lines of the ubiquitous Sagars all over Bangalore. However, unlike any of Kannadiga run chains, the family run Idli Bazaar offers simple fast eats from Tamil Nadu. In additiona to a range of stuffed idlis, the usual dosas, uthappams, upmas, vadas, and thali meals, they also serve adai avial, puliyodharai, coconut rice and lemon rice. If you like your sambar without jaggery in it, you will not be disappointed. To top off your meal, try their south indian filter coffee or badam milk.

It's easy to miss the joint as you walk down bustling CMH road, avoiding passerbys, beggars and hawkers. Stop at the florist next to MK's and walk down the short gully to the self service standing area shaded by Mangalore tiles. If you'd like to sit down and eat, there's limited seating outside right by the self-service area, or you can head inside where the living spaces of the house have been converted into a mess like dining area. The ambience is simple, with slightly jaded Tanjore paintings and wood cut dolls on display. Despite being right off the main road, the place is relatively dust free and quiet.

Cost: Rs 50-100
Cleanliness: Average
Quality: Good
Service: Average
Ambience: Average
Bottomline: Shopping on CMH? Take a break for some quick, economical, quality vegetarian tamil nadu tiffin items.

A culinary twist (The Hindu's Metro Plus)

Note: I had written this for The Hindu's Metro Plus supplement. You can find the original review article on The Hindu's site here: The Hindu Metro Plus - Moplah food at the Jamavar, Leela Palace

Header, leader, and insert on South Travancore Christians courtesy the edit team.

A culinary twist

Regional cuisine is big and it's the right time to check out the Moplah food festival at the Jamavar in The Leela Palace

CONFLUENCE Moplah cuisine has Arab as well as Kerala influences

Moplah is the anglicised version of Mappila, the Kerala Muslim community of north Malabar. (It's another matter that the Christians of south Travancore are also called Mappilas!) The Malabar Mapplias are believed to be descendants of Arab seafaring traders and the local fisherfolk. Many of their customs and attire have Arab influence even as they have retained their Malayali roots. Moplah culture and cuisine have evolved over the centuries and are now well integrated into the Malabar traditions.

Exotic fare

Jamavar, the Indian restaurant at The Leela Palace, is hosting a special Moplah food promotion until April 14, and this offers a fine opportunity to try their exotic food in a pleasant outdoor setting.

Jamavar hosts two north Indian and two south Indian festivals each year to celebrate regional cuisines. The spread is carefully chosen after research by its team, which spend time with regional chefs to understand the subtleties of how preparations vary from one household to another.

We started with alise, a chicken soup of Arab origin. It had an interesting thick texture due to its wheat base, and was garnished with golden shredded fried onions. Alise is a special preparation traditionally offered to the groom before his nikah ceremony. A vegetarian kanji (cumin-flavoured crushed rice stew) is also available. We then sampled the erachi porichathu (fried lamb), kozhi chuttathu (roasted chicken) and the chemeen (prawn) cutlet. The lamb was a bit dry, but the chicken and prawns were excellent.

The style of preparation of Moplah food is similar to the rest of Kerala cuisine, with a few subtle differences being the use of ghee versus coconut oil and addition of dry fruits. The use of locally available ingredients predominates, just as it does in most other regional cuisines.

Main course

The main course items we tried were the chemeen manga chaaru (prawns and raw mango curry), lobster mulakittathu (chilli hot lobster curry), Moplah mutton curry (tender lamb cooked in onion, tomato and garam masala), and chicken khorma (chicken gravy). Of the lot, the mutton curry with its succulent meat and the chicken gravy stood out. We also tried the rich chicken rice biryani, which was very good. (In fact, you can't find fault with any biryani made by a Kerala Muslim!) The gravy items are typically had with either pooris or pathiri (wafer thin tava baked rice pancakes). Variations like the podi pathiri and nei pathiri are available.

Although the Moplahs are not particularly known for vegetarianism, Chef Venkatesh Bhat has included several veggie options in the menu. A few we sampled were the thakkali vattichathu (stewed tomatoes garlic mustard gravy), kaippakka varutharacha curry (bittergourd in coconut gravy) and the chakkara kadu manga (sweet and sour mangoes). The bittergourd gravy is recommended.

In addition to the Moplah promotion menu, visitors can also choose from the regular à la carte items.

Those familiar with Moplah food or Kerala cuisine in general may be surprised by three missing items: mutta mala (egg garland), beef and choru. By policy, Jamavar does not serve beef and pork.

For dinner reservations, call 30571342.

Ambience: Excellent
Service: Average
Specialty: Moplah food from north Malabar
Wallet factor: Rs 1,100 upwards

ARAVIND KRISHNASWAMY

A salmon trip (The Hindu's Metro Plus)

Note: I had written this for The Hindu's Metro Plus supplement. You can find the original review article on The Hindu's site here: The Hindu Metro Plus Salmon Special at The Oberoi

The headline and leader courtesy the edit team.

A salmon trip

Le Jardin's salmon promotion menu takes you on an exotic adventure

PHOTO: BHAGYA PRAKASH K.

FINE CATCH Chef Zafar Ali has crafted innovative dishes using Norwegian salmon

The salmon is legendary for its unusual lifecycle starting from its birthplace upstream in freshwater, down to the sea where it spends most of its life before making the arduous journey all the way back upstream to lay its spawn and die of exhaustion. How the salmon finds its way back to where it is born remains a mystery.

The exotic fish is a delicacy in northern Atlantic and the far-eastern Pacific. Le Jardin, the all-day diner at The Oberoi, is hosting a special dinnertime salmon promotion staring today (March 25) until the end of the month. Chef Zafar Ali has crafted several innovative dishes using Norwegian salmon that you can sample in addition to the regular à la carte items.

Great starters

We started by sampling the plate of salmon starters, a delightful combination of gravlax (salmon cured with salt, sugar and dill) with melba toast, mild teriyaki flavoured and sesame topped salmon, salmon mousse and smoked salmon cucumber. All of them were splendid, with the more traditional gravlax and melba standing out with its crunchy, mild sweet taste.

The easily recognisable bright red striped salmon is infused by other accompanying flavours and blends them in elegantly, offering interesting marriages of land and sea condiments. The cold cucumber soup with a scoop of salmon sorbet had an interesting texture, with the sorbet melting and blending in with the citrus base, barring a slightly jarring piece of peppercorn that was in the mix.

We tried a few of the main course items, starting with the cilantro crusted salmon with lemon and clam linguini, which was absolutely splendid.

We then tried the pan-seared salmon with lentils, green apples and smoked bacon. This was a exotic play of flavours that would delight the adventurous, ranging from the milder lentil and salty bacon to the acidic apples, with the salmon playing cameo. The grilled salmon with leek and fennel risotto had a pleasant aroma and subtle flavours.

The à la carte menu offers a range of dessert options to top off your meal. In addition, the restaurant offers a fine wine selection, with recommendations on accompaniments to go with the dish of your choice.

There is a pleasant and understated ambience in the restaurant with its high ceiling, oak wood finish and French windows overlooking the tropical landscaped garden. The open doors to the terrace area let in mosquitoes, and you may want to ask for a table away from the garden though!

For reservations, call 2558 5858.

Bottomline: The salmon promotion with its experimental nouvelle cuisine is likely to delight the more adventurous diners out for corporate entertaining or to sample creative seafood dishes.

ARAVIND KRISHNASWAMY

Royal flavour on common tongue (The Hindu's Metro Plus)

Note: I had written this for The Hindu's Metro Plus supplement. You can find the original review article on The Hindu's site here: The Hindu Metro Plus Caviar & Champagne Special at Leela

The headline and leader courtesy the edit team.

Royal flavour on common tongue

If you want some upscale caviar at a reasonable price, head for The Leela Palace

CELEBRATORY All items on the menu come with a glass of French champagne

Caviar, the processed roe of the sturgeon fish, has long been a luxury privy to the aristocracy. In a setting fit for the tsars themselves, The Leela Palace offers a rare opportunity to sample caviar and champagne at their Library Bar. Incidentally, the classic British lounge room with its antiques and book collection received the Forbes award for the No. 1 Bar in Asia & Oceania for 2005.

Some of the best caviar in the world today comes from Iran and Azerbaijan. Typically, the lighter coloured and less salty ("malassol") varieties of caviar are rare and thereby more expensive. The caviar selection at the Leela is imported from Iran, and includes the mid-size grained beluga, and the smaller asetra and sevruga. All items on the menu come with a glass of Moët & Chandon, the popular French champagne.

The combination

Uninitiated to caviar and looking to celebrate with a few starters before moving on to other things? I would recommend trying out the chilled tomato caviar shooters, which comes in a tall shot glass of gazpacho with a splash of lemon juice, topped with crème fraîche and about half a teaspoon of beluga caviar. The aftertaste of the caviar is discernable in the tomato base without being too overwhelming. Two shooters and the glass of bubbly cost Rs. 1,750. Another similarly priced option is the trio platter of lobster medallion, salmon tartar and sevruga caviar, all of which were excellent.

For the more adventurous, we suggest trying the caviar profiteroles. Unlike the popular French cream puff dessert, the profiterole stuffed with caviar is a starter. If you are with friends, you may want to try the Royal Caviar Experience, and assortment of various platters for Rs. 4500.

Finally, for the connoisseurs, the caviar of your choice is served by the ounce in a chilled ice tray, accompanied by a platter of various condiments like crème fraîche, egg white and minced onions. These can be applied on either the toast points or small blini (thin Russian wheat pancake). As silverware tends to taint the subtle flavours, caviar is served with a small wooden spoon. This is the best way to savour the soft buttery flavour of fine caviar.

The dark blue beluga left a pleasant sweet aftertaste, whereas the asetra and sevruga with their brown, smaller grains were slightly stronger. When I was in Russia a few years back, I noticed that caviar is sometimes smeared on a large blini, rolled into a tube, and served with vodka.

The Caviar and Champagne Experience at the Library Bar at the Leela is on till March 26. The bar is open from 11a.m. to 11 p.m. No reservations are required.

Bottom line: This is an excellent opportunity to try upscale caviar at a reasonable price, and would be a good choice for corporate entertaining or a celebratory stop for city socialites before moving on to one of the hotel diners.

Wallet factor: Rs. 1,750 to Rs. 9,000 per head

Specialty: Caviar

Service: Very good

Ambience: Classic British lounge with antiques, books, cigars and single malts

ARAVIND KRISHNASWAMY

A cuisine carnival (The Hindu's Metro Plus)

Note: I had written this for The Hindu's Metro Plus supplement. You can find the original review article on The Hindu's site here: The Hindu Metro Plus - Cajun Food Festival Review

I had started my piece with

“Well, he sings a song about a crowded hole
He sings a song about a jelly roll
He sings a song about meat and greens
He wails some blues about New Orleans”

- Elvis Presley, lyrics from ‘King Creole’

but this was clipped by the edit team.

A cuisine carnival

The good times roll with Cajun and Creole fare at The Leela Palace

MYRIAD TASTES The Cajun Food Festival showcases an eclectic range of cuisine that combines African, French and other European cuisine styles

New Orleans is famous for its Mardi Gras festival and jazz, but its distinctive cuisine which combines Cajun and Creole origins is not so well-known. Cajun cuisine originates from the cooking style of the French-speaking Acadian immigrants to Louisiana.

In contrast, Creole cuisine blends more elaborate classic European styles of the settlers. Both cuisines use capsicum, celery, and onion often, and a spice mix of parsley, bay leaf and cayenne pepper.

The elegant Citrus restaurant at The Leela Palace is hosting a Cajun Food Festival until March 17, with a dinner buffet crafted by Chef Paul Rajarajan.

We started the buffet sampling the sweet potato and apple salad, fried tomatoes with shrimp remoulade and stuffed artichokes with grilled goat cheese, followed by oyster shooters (accompanied with a tomato purée and Tabasco chaser) and a house salad with Creole croutons. All of them were delicately prepared with attention to detail. The chicken pecan pate was a good accompaniment for the Creole artichoke bread. In addition to these, the buffet offers a wide range of starters.

Besides the French, Cajun food also has African influences, which are apparent in the Gumbo, a chowder-like soup. The buffet offers both a z'herbes (vegetarian) gumbo and a chicken andouille (sausage) version, both of which are excellent.

Traditional Cajun food is usually cooked in three pots, one for the main dish, one for rice, and the third for the vegetables of the season. We sampled the celebrated rice-based jambalaya, which is common to both Cajun and Creole cuisine. It was somewhat mild, flavoured with Spanish paprika instead of cayenne pepper.

We went on to try the grilled blackened pomfret fillet, a mild and smoky dish — not originally Cajun — that was popularised in the '80s by American diners. The beer battered corn with chilli butter was passable. The beef on char grilled capsicum polenta with Creole butter was tender, juicy and well marinated and had us going back for second helpings.

When we got to dessert, it was hard to choose from the myriad options being served up at the counter. We chose the classic banana fritters with vanilla ice cream and the king cake, and were not disappointed — both were excellent.

The items on the buffet have been carefully selected, ensuring it caters to a wide range of tastes. Health conscious? Vegetarian? Seafood lover? Gourmand? Sweet tooth? The buffet has something for you.

If there was anything amiss in the buffet, we might have hoped for a small wine selection bundled into the price, similar to the Citrus Sunday brunch. Apart from a mermaid figurine, a saxophone on a high chair, and piped blues music, there wasn't much in the way of a theme ambience.

Bottomline: The New Orleans official motto goes "Let the good times roll" and their food is definitely a celebration in itself. Leela has a splendid Cajun food line-up at the buffet that could rival the best Nolas in the world, and is a rare opportunity to try out the exotic cuisine.

The Cajun Food Festival is on at Citrus till March 17. For information, call 30571340.

Ambience: Good, but not quite all that jazz

Service: Self-service buffet, courteous staff

Specialty: Cajun and Creole food

Wallet factor: Rs. 1,500 per head

ARAVIND KRISHNASWAMY

India Coffee House: A fine type

India Coffee House on MG Road, with its faded lithographs of traditionally dressed turbanded and rakish moustachioed men captioned 'A fine type' is more than just a icon of a Bangalore gone by - a pensioners Bangalore reminiscent of misty morning walks past treelined boulevards, listening to the birds chirp, and ranting about government subsidies while having your morning filter coffee over the morning newspaper.

But before that, lets turn the clock further back. This extract from the novel Devadasi by Kasturi Sreenivasan, under Chapter I The Course of True Lovers (1877) throws some color around the early days of coffee drinking in the south. If it took a few generations of Dutch immigrations to the U.S. to introduce apple pie and several Italians later to introduce pizza, it sure didnt take us too long to lap up filter coffee.

"Outside the temple, the petty vendors along the dusty street were doing a brisk trade by the light of smokey oil lamps...

Though Palayam was only a small town, one of its eating places started serving a new drink called coffee. It had been introduced by the British rulers and there were many stories about it. Some argued that, since it was of European origin, it must necessarily be unclean; others said it might be alcoholic. In any case, very few tried it, since a tumbler full cost as much as half an anna, while butter-milk was served free in many places and coconut water including the tender coconut meat was only a paisa. Only the most daring or the wealthy could afford the exotic brew. There was animated conversation about this and about various other things among the men who were slowly gathering in the temple courtyard. They talked about a new thing called a railway which had just been extended to the town from Madras recently... "

Fast forward to the frenzied pace of life in Bangalore today, the city mired in its own web, choking with traffic, a bursting population, pollution, filth and grime. Tiffanys is gone. So is Victoria. No cenotaphs on Cenotaph road.

As Lewis Carroll's Red Queen says, "Here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place".

But then almost like a metaphorical symbol of defiance, in the midst of the most bustling and busy streets of them all lies a quintessential symbol of the past. Enter India Coffee House, and you are put at ease by the unassuming ambience - a large hallway with rows of tables and chairs, flanked by 60s and 70s lithographs of coffee drinking posters, a tilted mirror occupying most of one wall, and a framed picture of Mahatma Gandhi at one end. The ageing waiters clad in jaded red and white uniforms and turbans, are probably as old as the four decades old joint itself. Nevertheless, service is brisk, the waiters are sprightly, and regular patrons are offered the personalized welcome only small family run establishments can offer.

Most of the patrons need no menu - they already know what they want. Dosas. Idlis. Pakoras. Omlettes. Toast. A Cuppa. One more cuppa. The dishes, served in stainless steel plates with cutlery, blend classic South Indian tiffin items with Raj style snacks. The large glass windows offer plenty of people watching - tourists in Tantra tees, yuppie hipsters on the way to the nearby Barista, passerbys digging into their fresh bhutta, persistent beggars on the sidewalk, there's never a dull moment here.

In one mystic moment, the thin glass almost appeared to be shielding us from the present, the harsh reality of the hustle, the bustle, the traffic, the world as we knew it as it worker bees raced along in clockwork fashion. The workers run the machines, but the machines run the lives of the workers.

If morning in Paris starts with petit noir coffee and Gauloises, Bangalore begins with filter coffee with a dosa, and it is best had at Coffee House.

Cost: Rs 20-50
Cleanliness: Good
Quality: Good
Service: Good
Ambience: Good
Bottomline: The finest type of old Bangalore joints - stop by for breakfast or a cuppa on MG R.

Sri Lanka on a platter (The Hindu's Metro Plus)

Note: I had written this for The Hindu's Metro Plus supplement. You can find the original review article on The Hindu's site here: The Hindu Metro Plus - Sri Lankan Food Festival Review

My original headline was " Culinary bridge to Lanka". I wish they had retained it instead of the "Sri Lanka on a platter" the edit team has put in.

Sri Lanka on a platter

The Sri Lankan Food Festival at Taj Residency introduces you to authentic cuisine of the island country, but some of the more popular dishes out there are missing

GOOD STARTER The festival offers a pleasant introduction to the island country's cuisine Photo: K.V. Srinivasan

The mention of Sri Lanka evokes vivid images of the Ramayana, Muralidharan's offbreaks, Tiger Prabhakaran and sprawling colonial tea gardens. The teardrop island south of the border has a historic past and a delightful cuisine to match. Fortunately, here's an opportunity to sample authentic Sri Lankan food right here in Bangalore.

The Sri Lankan Food Festival, which runs through March 5, is at the lovely poolside Café Mozaic at the Taj Residency on MG Road. Head chef Selvaraju, who has lived for several years in the Lankan resort city of Bentotta running the Taj Exotica restaurant, has brought along two chefs to ensure the preparations are authentic. All spices are freshly prepared — ground from natural ingredients.

While Lankan food is similar to Kerala food, beef and pork are not typically eaten, apparently due to the Sinhalese Buddhist beliefs. Instead, the use of soy meat as a substitute is common. Ghee is used sparingly, and rice forms the staple.

The buffet starts with a sambol, which is a grated salad that is had with naan or fish curry. The popular ones are the lunu sambol (onion) and pol sambol (coconut).

The vegetarian main course items are the traditional ala thel dhala (potato curry) and the mushroom curry, flavoured with authentic thuna paha (Lankan masala). Most Lankans are non-vegetarians, and the curries have flavours influenced by Dutch and Portuguese cuisine and are reminiscent of our vindaloo.

We sampled the soft shell crab curry, the lamb curry and the isso curry (prawns). The large chilli prawns cooked with coconut milk and flavoured with curry leaves and lemon grass was excellent, and was the highlight of the meal. For those unaccustomed to the flavour of lemon grass, the taste may be a tad too citrus for their liking.

You can also pick live seafood and spices of your choice from the display and request to have it cooked.

The dessert selection was quite impressive, and we were treated to kauwum, kockis, pol toffee, which are typically had during the Lankan New Year which falls in April. We also sampled the watalappam, a mildly spiced dessert resembling crème custard flavoured with Lankan hakuru (jaggery) and cardamom.

We did not get to sample the well-known kithul treacle and buffalo yoghurt dessert, but were told it would be available at the evening buffet. A limited Lankan tea selection is also available.

Having spent a couple of weeks travelling through Sri Lanka last year, I had expected to see of some typical dishes I had enjoyed. However, the hoppers, Maldive fish, kiri bath (coconut milk boiled rice had with sambol and fish curry), mango chutney and popular fruits like pineapple fritters, rambutan and mangosteen were not included in the buffet. Also, the thambili (king coconut) and ginger beer, both of which are excellent accompaniments to a spicy Lankan dinner, were missing.

Bottomline: The festival offers a pleasant introduction to Sri Lankan food for a first-timer with excellent seafood and vegetarian dishes in pleasant café surroundings. The dinner buffet starts at 7 p.m. Call 5660-4444 for reservations.

Ambience: Excellent

Service: Good

Specialty: Pick live seafood and have it cooked to your preference

Wallet factor: Rs. 850 for the buffet

ARAVIND KRISHNASWAMY