Sie sind auf Seite 1von 1

YOU

www.bangaloremirror.com/you

BangaloreMirror

| FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

19

Going big on the biryani


U
Manu Prasad bmfeedback@indiatimes.com
NEERAJ NIKHIL SIMON

ntil a few months back, the domain on 1st A Cross could very well have been called Keramangala, thanks to the proliferation of Kerala food joints. But when Paramount shut shop, after finding that it really could not be true to its name as long as Empire was around, and the spot immediately turned into Coconut Grave, courtesy the deep pit that appeared in place of the similar-sounding restaurant, Kerala was beginning to lose its gastronomic hold over Koramangala. But a new hope soon arrived in the form of NBC not the television network- but Naushad, the Big Chef. For those in the habit of watching Malayalam channels, Naushad would be a familiar figure, rattling off easy-to-make recipes from across the world into the airwaves, for about seven years now. He has a Bangalore connection too he did a hotel management course here. From a catering origin, NBC now has branches across many cities in India and plans to expand in the Mallu homeland across the waters too the Gulf. Though the menu does vary a bit across the outlets, keeping in mind local tastes, the biryani, which has found great favour in Kerala, is a common factor.

#125/A, KHB Colony, 5th Block, Koramangala, Bangalore - 560095. Ph: 080-41465252

Naushad Big Chef,

Food Owner(s) Chef Alcohol Price range

prawns and a very spicy masala.

Starters: The starters menu is pre-

From top: Biryani; Chiken ullathiyathu; Malabar fish curry; Prawns pepper fry

dominantly North Indian and Chinese and the one item that caught our attention the Chilli Fish NBC style - was still in its natural habitat, and therefore unavailable. We took this opportunity to test out the North Indian representatives in the menu and asked for a Chakori Kabab and a Nilgiri Kabab. The former was a chicken kabab with a mutton mice filling but was a bit sour for our liking. The Nilgiri Kabab chicken again, was much better tangy and mildly spicy. The Prawns Pepper Fry was the best of the starters, with juicy, succulent

Main Course: Just like the starter section, this one too has quite a lot of North Indian and Chinese items, but we were quite focused. The fish continued to give us the slip even when it came to the biryani. The Chicken Biryani, NBCs signature dish, arrived first and was very good flavourful, non-sticky rice, just the right amount of masala, and well-cooked chicken. It seemed more Travancore style than Malabar, in terms of taste as well as the conspicuous absence of the boiled egg. The other dish that gave it good competition for the top spot was the Chicken Ulathiyathu, a dry dish with some excellent spicy masala. Try it with the soft and fluffy appams. The (Mutton) Brain Roast is quite unlike the versions youd find elsewhere, both in texture and taste. But it lost its impact thanks to the oily aftertaste. We finally got the fish in the curries Alleppey and Malabar - both coconut-based, and if you like a sharp tang, you should try the former. Watch out for the fish with a

swollen head though mostly bone. The Meen Pollichathu though, was quite a disappointment with an uncharacteristic bordering-on-bland masala and a pomfret that seemed to have extra bones in its body. The Dosas and Kerala Porottas performed their role reasonably well. The latter was quite crisp but lacked that hint of butter that has now become a characteristic of the Dosabased combination. In addition to the various items listed on the menu mostly standard fare, they also have a juice and ice cream counter. We thought it was very unfortunate that they had chosen not to have any Kerala representation in this section. But we decided to try out the Date Pancake, which unfortunately, not only had an overdose of sesame, but was deep fried enough to be called a Date Poori! The Rasgullas turned out to be overly rubbery and rather insipid in terms of flavour. The Gulab Jamoon was probably the only item that we were not totally disappointed with, though it would be wise to check its temperature before swallowing it whole, since one of us was ready to

Parking Wheelchair access Service

Kerala cuisine, also has North Indian and Chinese dishes Naushad, Sattar Prakash No `For Rs 550, you could share a non-veg starter, a biryani, a couple of Kerala Porotas and a non-veg dish for the main course, and a gulab jamun for dessert. Street Parking

No Swings between helpful and chaotic. Sound level The busy street outside is the only source. Ambience Functional Hours 12 noon to midnight Home delivery No Reservations Walk right in

Desserts:

BM VERDICT

10

spew smoke after this stunt.

In a nutshell: The signature dish was the only redeeming factor in what turned out to be an otherwise botched experience. Unless there is a significant improvement in the quality of the dishes, especially the Kerala cuisine, and the overall levels of service, the Empire need not bother striking back.
Bangalore Mirror reviews anonymously and pays for meals

MUTHU P

Cooked in a range of spices and Coorg vinegar Kachumpuli, pandi curry is available in the city, if you look in the right places

FIVE OF A KIND - PANDI CURRY

COMPILED BY RUTH PRABHU

COORG

100-FT Road, Indiranagar, `320 aving pandi curry available on a buffet menu is like a dream come true for those who love pork. The highlight is the pandi curry that does not go overboard on spices or heat levels. The best combination to eat it with the noolputtu that is served here. Saira Mohanty, marketing executive

Residency Road, `90 or pandi curry, there is no place better than Wild Spice. With almost zero dcor and ambience to speak of, the pandi curry here can be ordered on its own or as part of a rice/chapathi meal. You will find the ratio of meat to fat perfect, the blend of spices and kachumpuli to be finger-licking good. Caleb Paul, ayurvedic practitioner

WILD SPICE

Vasant Nagar, `280 he pandi curry served here is largely fat- free, which makes it an even better indulgence. It is spicy, but then goes well with the beer that you will be having on the side. A couple of orders of that and you can end your weekend outing in blissful peace. Nishitha Ram, banking professional

WINDSOR PUB

The Park, M G Road, `550 erved with the traditional sannas, a Mangalorean rice cake, it makes mopping up that dark, oily gravy so much more fun and fulfilling. The balance of spices and kachampuli, Coorgi vinegar, is hard to get right, but the cooks at Monsoon seemed to have aced at it. Sachi Antony, IT professional

MONSOON, THE PARK

SECRET GARDEN CAF

Cunningham Road, `280 his is not a regular on the menu, but you can be sure it will come onto the menu one fine day. Call in to make sure they have it, in case you are going just for the pandi curry. It is slow-cooked in a multitude of spices. So, indulge and go home happy. Swaratmika, yoga instructress

have tasted the best in to Mention of the eatery, the place, cost and Next week: Appam and stew Do you believeityouthe best tasting pandiAppaminand stewWeBangalore? Then writeandus about it. In 50-100 words.Send yourthe nameto bmfeatures@indiatimes.com why you think is curry the city. will test your choices give our verdict next week. choices

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen