[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by nowwhat?

... it is sacrilegious to mix the two together. One Japanese told me that it is better to simply disregard these two as the sushi itself would have the correct proportion of soy sauce and what not and would be "perfectly balanced" by the chef. Also that soy sauce and/or wasabi go well only with certain types of sushi and if I didn't have a clue, it was better not to use them at all. ...

He he no, it is not sacrilegious! No one ever told me that in any region in Japan.

None of the Sushi fillings have any shoyu in them, not even Tamago-yaki. That is because adding salt or shoyu (used for salt more than flavor) will bring out water from the filling, and make the roll fall apart. No wasabi is added in the fillings too. Secondly, one can't put wasabi on the tongue directly (well, one can, but only to prove one can) - since the sinus whoomph will spoil the eating experience. That is why wasabi is mixed into shoyu.

Many Japanese don't feel the need for tasting the salt - they are happy with the trace amounts put while cooking. They are the ones who avoid shoyu with Sushi or Sashimi. We Indians are used to a rather pronounced taste of salt in food, and feel something lacking if it is missing. So do many Japanese. So I happily mix a dollop of wasabi in shoyu and dip the morsels in it.

Originally Posted by nowwhat?

... I never once had Teppanyaki. So honestly I have no idea how authentic the one in Asian Ninja is except that it tasted well and I especially liked the sauteed veggies. ...

I have had it a couple of times when it was an office dinner! Frightfully expensive, and that is not because the ingredients are costly.

It is because of the overall experience of the Teppanyaki environment: entertaining chef (not a line cook), live cooking, personal preferences catered to, great service ... no one will pay for Teppanyaki if these are missing. I can do a far better job sauteing veg, sea food and meat at home, but that is never the same. It is like listening to Jagjeet Singh songs from CD v/s hearing him perform live.

[nowwhat?]

Just in case anyone was tracking my posts on eateries in Koramangala buried somewhere on this thread, I have three new entrants.

1. Pizzeria at The Paul

The Paul hotel in Domlur introduced a pizzeria and a microbewery recently. I went a few months ago to the pizzeria before the microbrewery opened. The seating space is the same as the Sidewalk cafe.

The pizzeria uses a wood-fired oven and the pizzas are thin-crust and large at 14 inches and they are absolutely scrumptious. Two pizzas can comfortably feed three. The Philly cheese-steak pizza is probably the best and a different take on the classic roll with meat and dripping cheese. I also liked the more expensive one will all meats (Don't remember the name). Prices are reasonable and much cheaper than a rip-off joint like Pizzeria Romano in Koramangala which set me back close to 3 quid after they tacked on service tax and service charge for a decent meal with my family of 3, all without opting to pay extra for a wood-fired pizza.

One disclaimer to the above though: I am partial to The Paul. I like this hotel because the people are friendly with not a touch of condescension especially when I am chowing down bacon, beef and pancakes during their Sunday breakfast buffet. I find everything including their room tariffs to be rock-bottom for a 5-star hotel.

2. Momo, Rice, Noodles

This has now become my go-to Chinese place on Fridays when we indulge in binge-eating washed down by more than a few drinks. Those who have read my previous posts may remember that I tried Delicacy for years until I encountered some hygiene issues and then moved on to Chinese Cottage until it suddenly disappeared leaving me with no good Chinese options for some time.

Enter Momo, Rice, Noodles. Prices are dirt cheap at Rs. 700 for some 5 dishes and quantities especially the rice is large enough for 3. The reason I have stuck with them for many months now is because they are one of the few who serve pork and my personal favorite, Chilly Roast Pork. Chicken dishes took some experimentation as most of it was either too spicy or too bland, but we have now settled on the Chicken Lollipop (this is not the batter fried one) and Thai Fried Chicken.

One thing to note: Even though this place is close to my residence, I have never visited it as I always opt for delivery.

3. Go Italia

Go Italia serves pasta for relatively less especially with a Groupon coupon. This may be a place to go to if you crave cheaper Italian without the fine-dining experience. All pasta and especially the Spaghetti Chicken Alfredo is good. Club sandwich, though slimmer and different from what you normally expect, is also decent.

Steer clear of the pizza though. At 7-inches it is only enough for kids.

Some other observations:

KFC at Sony World runs queues on Sunday whereas Chic King across the street is usually empty. Chic King prices are also higher than KFC which is surprising for a South-East-Asian chain. One thing that disappoints me about KFC though is they they do not sell Original Recipe in South India, only their Hot & Crispy variety.

[brraj]

Been to SOHO which is opposite to forum, koramangala.

Serves Non-veg and Veg and has around 65 dishes(Buffet only)
My favorite's were
- Kheema and Chicken momos
- Kalmi kabab
- Crab
- Fish
- Mutton chops
- pastas
- Kheema
- verities of chicken dry.
- mixed ice cream with fruit n nuts.

rs.575 on weekdays
rs.675 on weekends

Total value for money.

[dass]

Had been to the village theme restaurant in Total Mall - Sarjapura road Yesterday for a birthday party, and I thoroughly enjoyed the food, ambiance and the set up.

[motorpsycho]

My Place

Had been to MovenPick for dinner , choose to go with Buffet dinner.

Ambiance: 4/5 - A

A classy looking place well laid out dining

Service- 5/5

Was attended immediately and seated , the plates were cleaned and changed between servings

Food- 3.5/5

Well it's above average , not very spicy , was cooked for those who prefer a milder taste. Dessert was OK.

[reignofchaos]

Originally Posted by motorpsycho

Had been to MovenPick for dinner , choose to go with Buffet dinner.

Ambiance: 4/5 - A

A classy looking place well laid out dining

Service- 5/5

Was attended immediately and seated , the plates were cleaned and changed between servings

Food- 3.5/5

Well it's above average , not very spicy , was cooked for those who prefer a milder taste. Dessert was OK.

Movenpick = Mezzaluna for me. It is *the best* italian place in the city. Been to pretty much all of them and nothing beats their authenticity.

[acurafan]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

Well, it is a good restaurant serving Bengali cuisine, quite different from a Bengali restaurant. Been wanting to replicate their smoked Hilsa (European concept, Bengali flavor) for a long time. It was so delicious that my Japanese (as finicky as they come) friends have requested me to freeze some and bring to Japan if and when I go there.

It is not "Smoked" it is steamed. The name of the dish is "Bhapa Ilish" which translates to "Steamed Hilsa". There are plenty of steamed dishes in "East Bengali" cuisine including sweets.

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by acurafan

It is not "Smoked" it is steamed. The name of the dish is "Bhapa Ilish" which translates to "Steamed Hilsa". There are plenty of steamed dishes in "East Bengali" cuisine including sweets.

That means you have actually not tried Smoked Ilish at Oh Calcutta!

Bhapa Ilish is different. The traditional 'bhapa' fish dishes are all smothered in mustard-paste based 'moshla' in most cases. Some are made with coconut paste with a bit of mustard. Oh Calcutta does Gondhoraj Bhetki - Bhetki fillets marinated in tender coconut paste with zest of Gondhoraj lemon and juice, and then steamed - delicate, flavorful, delectable. I have made that at home.

"Smoked" fish is a Scandinavian and Scottish traditional method adopted in modern haute cuisine. Fish is gutted, cleaned, seasoned and smoked in a vessel. Traditionally, herring, haddock, cod, salmon, trout etc. are smoked. In the case of Ilish, they patiently remove the fine bones with tweezers. The smoke - real smoke, not flavor liquid - comes out of glowing wood shavings to which some raw rice and tea leaves are added. The result is delectably soft (due to low temperature cooking), and has a wonderful smoky flavor combined with the natural taste of Ilish.

'Smoked' anything (fish, reindeer meat, ham, sausages, salami, chicken etc.) is an acquired taste. If you taste it once and like the concept, you will feel like having it again and again. It is light and aromatic without heavy spicing. I have had various types of smoked stuff during my travels, and I like it very much.

[acurafan]

This is the problem when one does not have a background yet assumes things about others. First of all no self respecting "East Bengali" would smother the hilsa with mustard, coconut and other non-sense. My grand mother would not put a potato in a Hilsa jhol as Potatoes can absorb the flavor. It will be just Halved Green Chilli, Kala Jira and Turmeric. If you are eating mustard, coconut smothered Hilsa then it is time to ditch that restaurant.

Bhapa Ilish is done in two steps. First the steaming and then the infusion of smoke. As most Bengali household do not have a smoking chamber like the Scandinavians, they need the two steps. The fish is steamed with the thin paste of Oil, salt, mustard etc. This is not very different to Sous-Vide but no air tight bags are used. Typical Hilsa cuts are not used as it is difficult to debone later. After the steaming is done, the fish gets optionally de-boned. Though I actually prefer it with bone. The next step is the infusion of smoke in an earthen pot with charcoals made from Berry tree. Once again small tea spoon of mustard oil and water is added over the embers for moisture control and preventing the outer skin from hardening.
As you can imagine this is not an everyday dish. The steaming and smoking makes the fish unusually soft compared to the Smoked Mackarel, Herring, Haddock or Salmon. Also the rationale behind smoking in European cuisine is different as they want to preserve the meat as opposed to immediate consumption in the Bengali cuisine.

I am not sure whether just the smoking process will make Hilsa that soft and flavorful though Taj Bengal or ITC Shonar claims that they only smoke (no steaming) their Hilsa during their preparation. Commercial smoke chambers have a sophisticated temperature and moisture control which cannot be done at home. On the other hand Oh'Calcutta in their menu says exactly the same thing I described earlier.

[hamster]

Been tired of trying out most vegetarian outlets in IndiraNagar and all the dishes being predictable, last weekend decided to try out a new place which had opened in Double Road - Bang opposite to HDFC Bank. It used to be the Mandarin earlier.
Name of the place - Kadai Crust
checked their menu in zomato and it indeed had some south Indian dishes. Being a vegetarian, decided to try out, even though they were "multi-cuisine".
Came out a bit disappointed and also with a "frowned faced spouse", quoting "Never Here Again ".
The Malabar Parotta, was not soft at all and showed signs that " I have been made already and am re-roasted" and represented its TN counterpart.
What caught my eye was their "Vada Curry". Decided to try it along with the Parotta, since was missing it since my TN days. It was very spicy and too oily too. Was able to have only a little of it to go with the Parotta and had to waste the rest(I hate it, when I have to waste food).
The Masala Omlette had nothing special in it, as the name suggested and it was served cold.
Spouse ordered for a Dosa and the accompaniments, the simple coconut chutney and sambar didnt have anything to be called so.
Believe it is being run by a Keralite and had a lot of non-veg options in the menu. May be others would like it, but for a vegeterian like me, "Never Again".
Had to go to the nearby K C Das outlet to suppress this disappointment.

[kousik]

Since the Restaurant Week back here again, where you get to eat the best dishes from great restaurants almost at 50% of the price, I am confused which one to pick! Any suggestion from previous experiences?

[ankan.m.blr]

Its that time of the year , Durga Puja is starting after 10 days. Any good place to have Ashtami dinner apart from Bhojohari, Oh Calcutta, 6 BP? We are a group of 6 and looking for a 'bangali' restro where waiting time will be less. We have had horrible waiting time in BM during last year puja.

[vinay kamath]

Originally Posted by arijit

Hey Hatari, even me going to Blore....but a week later than you. Will be there for a couple of days. So the infos you are getting here, am too noting them down.

Hello B'loreans.... where do you get Kannada food ? And what are the specialty dishes which cannot be missed?
(You get pizzas/biriyanis..maybe slight diffnt/kebabs every where). I love food and would not want to miss out on your local favourites.

Pls advise.

Hatari ,

KANNADA FOOD !

Go to MTR opp Lalbagh park near Urvashi theatre , and be transported back to the 1950s ..

or try HalliMane at Malleswaram near Sampige theatre .

Best: Buy the most satisfying piping hot lip-smacking breakfast from VEENA STORES Malleswaram Margosa road & 15th cross junction.

links:
http://www.mavallitiffinrooms.com/ourstory/
http://www.hallimane.com/about-hallimane.html
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/...cle4857717.ece

enjoy! vinay

[vinay kamath]

Originally Posted by ankan.m.blr

Its that time of the year , Durga Puja is starting after 10 days. Any good place to have Ashtami dinner apart from Bhojohari, Oh Calcutta, 6 BP? We are a group of 6 and looking for a 'bangali' restro where waiting time will be less. We have had horrible waiting time in BM during last year puja.

Have Lunch at the Durga Puja Pandal at Jayamahal 3rd main road! Bangali food & snacks!

[sanjaykk]

Guys,

Anyone knows the cafe that is shown in this song from the Malayalam movie 'Bangalore Days'?

Watch the YouTube Video (see 1:45 to 2:06)

Video

The Rasta Cafe on BLR > Mysore road is shown in the shot just before this. I'm wondering if it is the same place where they show people painting/art work on the wall.