OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: CENTRAL TIFFIN ROOM (CTR)

 OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: CENTRAL TIFFIN ROOM (CTR) 

It's not often that one gets an opportunity to eat at a restaurant that is over 100 years old! The reason is simple- there are not many of them! One of Namma Bengaluru's favourite eating places - which we visit from time to time- does qualify for this honour. 

Central Tiffin Room in Malleshwaram - known far and wide simply as CTR- was established way back in 1920 which makes it 105 years old as I write this post. It has been in its current location at 7th Cross Road, Malleshwaram since 1952. 

For most patrons- CTR means Benne Masala Dosa- the South Indian dosa/ crepe which is roasted with a liberal amount of butter ( called Benne in Kannada). It is crisp and has a filling of potato palya within it. 

Their website informs us that they make and serve over 7500 Benne Masala Dosa per day!! 

We naturally had the Benne Masala Dosa- the most talked off dish in CTR.

We love this dosa- each time we visit here the taste remains as delicious as always!! 

Naturally, the restaurant exudes a quaint, old world charm. Try to get a place upstairs when you visit there. It is less crowded than the downstairs area and has so much nostalgia hovering over the place. 

We particularly loved the Essence of Teachings from the Bhagawat Gita. 

 We also had idli and vada- two other popular South Indian breakfast items. These were of course served with the traditional accompaniments of sambar and chutney. 

When you are done with eating and feeling satiated with the delicious food, you must have another favourite of mine- the South Indian filter coffee. 

A word of advice for those of you who are new to town and have been recommended a visit to CTR.  Since there is so much demand, the service tends to be brisk. You will be well advised to be ready with your order. Asking the waiter doesn't help much as he will rattle off so many items that you may find it difficult to comprehend. Instead, have a good look at the decidedly old world menu board! You will note with interest that CTR dates back to 1920 and they have no holidays!!! 

They won't hustle you out while you eat your food, but please note that CTR is not a modern coffee shop where you can sit - with or without your laptop - for hours over a coffee or two.

If you visit Bengaluru and haven't been to CTR yet, I would strongly recommend a visit. Definitely worth it!! 

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: THE KONKAN, BENGALURU

 OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: THE KONKAN, BENGALURU

My husband and I love seafood so when we were celebrating our wedding anniversary recently, we decided to go to a seafood specialty restaurant. After viewing various options we decided to drop in for lunch at The Konkan, established 2017. This is located at the junction of Church Street and St Marks Road in Bengaluru. We had been here before and had loved the food- hence the decision to repeat the experience.

Their website is here  and they also have a Facebook Page 

There were many fish options to choose from. For starters, we ordered the old favourite seer fish preferring to have this tawa fried. It looked really attractive but though it was tasty it does not get a rave rating as it fell a little short on the salt.. 

This was followed by the hit of the day: Prawns Butter Garlic. This was incredibly tasty! I would strongly recommend this to all of you, especially if, like us,  you love eating prawns! The prawns were expertly sautéed in butter with the right amount of garlic flavouring giving the dish a taste that you will remember for very long. 

To go with our meal we opted for Somaek. This is made up of Soju, Korea's iconic and most consumed liquor topped up with beer. We didn't have the soju in the regular Korean style by downing it as a shot. We had this as a Somaeak - soju + maekju (as beer is called in Korea). I am not sure if they had Korean beer but we had ours -with the ever popular Heineken!  

For the main course we opted for a chicken dish, considering we had already relished fish and prawns. Being from Mangaluru, our eyes lit up on seeing the Chicken Kori Rotti on the menu. This dish (which is most popular in Tulu/Bunt cuisine in Mangaluru)  has chicken curry eaten with crisp dry wafers or flakes made with boiled rice. We crush the wafers in the chicken gravy , mix and eat it with our fingers. This too was superb! 

After this delicious meal, we chose to have Caramel Custard for dessert. This came with the right amount of sweetness and was presented nicely with a garnish of assorted nuts. It tasted just great and was a perfect end to our meal. 

We went on a Friday afternoon around 1.30 and we got a place quite easily. The timings are 12 noon to 3.15 pm and from 7.00 pm to 10.15 pm. They are closed on Mondays.

They have a fairly large numbers of options to choose from -mainly centred around seafood for which the Konkan area is so highly reputed. The service was efficient . We liked the fact that they didn't hassle us with too many suggestions or bug us to speed up. The ambience is fine- nothing great but the food is indeed excellent! 

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: KHANDANI RAJDHANI AT ORION MALL, BENGALURU

 OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: KHANDANI RAJDHANI AT ORION MALL, BENGALURU

If, like me, you enjoy Rajasthani food, I would urge you to try the thali at Khandani Rajdhani at the Orion Mall in Bengaluru. They have several restaurants in different parts of Namma Bengaluru. At Orion Mall, you can't miss Khandani Rajdhani as this is the first restaurant you see when you go up to the Food Court in the second level. They offer lunch ( from 12 noon to 3.30 pm) and dinner ( from 7.30 to 10.30 pm). 

Last month, I went to this restaurant with my family. There is something about Rajasthani food that I love so we chose this restaurant. Here, I am told, the most popular offering is the Rajasthani Thali though they have Gujarati Thalis too. 

We also enjoyed the jal jeera and mango lassi along with the thali, though this does not come as part of the deal. 

It is recommended that you reserve a table because it can get quite crowded especially on Friday 

evenings and on Saturday and Sunday. When you reach your table, you are first offered warm water  to wash your hands in a basin. Then the colourfully attired waiters start the service with their customary efficiency. 

Instead of having too much of one particular dish, here the focus is on giving the diner small portions of many dishes. We loved the Rajasthani Thali.  Rotis or rice, you can have as much as you want enjoying the delicious dishes that are served with it. As expected,  I loved my favourite Rajdhani Special Dal Baati Churma, without which no Rajasthani meal is complete. 

In brief, the thali is made up of 2 starters ( I particularly liked the Rajwadi Samosa), 4 veg dishes: Paneer Butter Masala, Sarson ka Saag; Aloo Lasooniya and Jaisalmeri Chana. I must admit that some of the dishes are really not of Rajasthani origin! We also had  Cholar Dal, and Kadhi. These dishes were had with Indian breads such as phulka, puris, and rotlas. The rice offerings were Peas Pulao, Rajputana Khichdi and Anardana Curd Rice (curd rice with pomegranates). The accompaniments were green mint chutney, garlic chutney ( which was lip smacking!), masala chaas (buttermilk), and roasted papads.  

In the desserts, I particularly liked the Malpuas with rabdi (which is made by condensing milk on low heat for a long time). The other desserts were Fruit Shrikhand and Gajar Halwa. 

Interestingly, if yours is an all-women's group, you can choose to eat here on Wednesdays when they offer a special price for their Women's Wednesday Thali!!  If you live far away from their restaurants, don't be discouraged, you can order food from Khandani Rajdhani using the Zomato App. 

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: THE LEELA PALACE, BENGALURU

 OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: THE LEELA PALACE, BENGALURU

There is something about luxury hotels that draw you like a magnet. It is probably a combination of grace, style, and customer service- apart from the gourmet food of course. One such hotel that comes readily to mind for us in Bengaluru has to be The Leela Palace on the Old Airport Road.  As you wander around the plush interiors, you are reminded of the Founder of the Leela Group, Capt C P Krishnan Nair. The connect was that much stronger since my husband Prem recently wrote a review of a book on Capt Krishnan Nair authored by Bachi Karkaria. 

We started the evening by heading to the cool confines of the brilliantly appointed Library Bar. As the name suggests, it had an old world charm you would associate with the libraries of Clubs and stately houses of yore.  You can't miss the leather and dark wood that give it a distinctly stately ambience. We enjoyed our drinks in the quiet confines of the Library Bar: conversations went on as waitresses efficiently got you short eats to go with your drinks. 

The drinks menu itself needs to be seen to be believed. They have every conceivable top brand on offer.

The table we had reserved was ready for us at the Jamavar -the Indian fine dining restaurant. Jamavar is named after the intricate brocades of Kashmir. However we found the a la carte menu had dishes from different parts of India. This was not just for Kashmiri cuisine as one might imagine. To go with our food, we chose Jal Jeera and Masala Chaas (Buttermilk with roasted cumin and fresh coriander). 

We skipped the soup and dug into the starters. From what we had, top marks go to the Meen Varuval - in which Seer Fish darnes were served excellently marinated with lemon, chilli, and curry leaves. 

We also relished the succulent Tandoori Murgh ( chicken kebabs) - the vegetarian touch was provided by the Palak Benazeer- these were spinach and corn kernel patties served with a delicious roasted tomato chutney. All the dishes were superb! 

For the main course, reflecting our love for seafood, we had Kadhai Tossed Lobster, ( cubes of lobster cooked with onions, tomatoes and roasted coriander seeds) and Malabar Prawn Curry ( prawns simmered in a tangy curry , tempered with shallots and curry leaves). The spice levels were perfect and they went so well with the thin Roomali Rotis, baked on a glowing wok bottom. 

After a sumptuous dinner, we took a stroll in the lovely grounds- enjoying the cool night air.

All said and done, our dining experience at The Leela Palace Bengaluru was a memorable one.

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: CCDD, BENGALURU

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: CCDD, BENGALURU

Seeing the title of this post, you could well ask, "What is CCDD? It sounds almost like a Government Department". But you have to be a Bangalorean Foodie to know this one. We know that MTR is Mavalli Tiffin Room, CTR is Central Tiffin Room, TRC is The Rameswaram Cafe and so on,..... CCDD stands for Chulha Chauki Da Dhaba! You will find CCDD - a chain of Punjabi- dhaba style restaurants - in as many as seven locations in Namma Bengaluru. We went to the one in Rajajinagar, situated bang opposite the Orion Mall, for lunch the other day.

Pro tip: There is no system of reservations here! It's FCFS or First Come....First Served. If there is a crowd, as there will be -especially on weekends- you need to give your name to a guy who notes it down in a register. When a table is free, he calls out your name and that's it! 

The seating is designed to give a rustic charm to the restaurant as it serves dhaba style food. For the uninitiated, the "dhaba" traditionally is a restaurant on the highways where hungry truckers would stop to grab a bite and some rest.  Today, dhabas are as much frequented  by city folk who drive long distances to eat there. Hence at CCDD we sit on moodahs ( low bamboo stools) or charpoys (low slung cots with interlocking ropes) and the food is served on low bamboo based tables.

From the wide varieties of starters, we began with Babycorn Manchurian. The portion served was quite generous. We found the babycorn to be crunchy, spicy and totally delicious! We loved it!   

After that we went for a dish which was highly recommended: the CCDD Special Chicken Kabab. The chicken kababs were luscious and very well marinated. They were served with a salad of onions and a green chutney. This dish can easily be described: lip smacking.!

For the main course, we opted for the Chicken Lahsuniya which we enjoyed with hot Garlic Butter Naans. As the name suggests, this medium-spiced dish of chicken had a flavour of garlic. We deliberately chose to have a milder dish after the fiery starters we had.  

By now we were feeling too full! So the Kadhai Paneer that we had ordered  was packed for us to take away. We enjoyed this for dinner. It tasted just great with succulent pieces of paneer ( Indian cottage cheese)  well blended with the coarse masala that characterises Kadhai Paneer. 

And yes, I must mention that as we enjoyed our lunch we sipped at our tall glasses of Sweet Lassi. This  provided an ideal foil to the spicy food and was delicious in itself.

Being a Saturday afternoon, the restaurant was full. There were no vacant tables to be seen. Yet we could enjoy a leisurely meal. We found the service to be excellent. There wasn't much of a delay in getting one dish after the other. We weren't rushed either!

Overall, if you like  high quality Punjabi food, CCDD should fit your bill ( no pun intended).  The awards CCDD have won and proudly displayed speak volumes of the quality of this restaurant. 

 

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: THE RAMESHWARAM CAFE, RAJAJINAGAR, BENGALURU

 OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: THE RAMESHWARAM CAFE, RAJAJINAGAR, BENGALURU

A new home in the making. A new cooking hob to fire up in a new kitchen. But these things take time. The kitchen doesn't get operational until so many other things fall into place. I shall talk about my new kitchen in a future blog post but till the kitchen gets going you have to eat somewhere, right? 

We are indeed fortunate to have The Rameshwaram Cafe, (TRC, for short) Rajajinagar within a short walking distance from where we live. This naturally became our port of call for the first few days- be it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Sometimes for more than one meal a day here. 

Based on this experience, let me share my views on TRC with you readers, especially the ones in Namma Bengaluru. As you might know, there are The Rameshwaram Cafe  in Whitefield, in Indiranagar and in JP Nagar apart from the one we are speaking of. You can read about this chain of Quick Service Restaurants in their website. 

In the picture below, it was about 7.30 am and not crowded at all by TRC standards. . We ordered idlis and our friends have gone to get us the hot South Indian filter coffees! 

The Rameshwaram Cafe  is crowded almost all the time, more crowded during the lunch and dinner hours, and packed to the rafters on Sundays when you have difficulty getting in! It is said to be open from 5.00 am to 1.00 am and that says a lot! 

There is no system of reservation so the question of reserving a table and having a leisurely meal doesn't arise. The tables are the typical type you find in most fast food joints. Three- four people share a table and eat as they stand there. 

Self service is the name of the game. You can order and get your food in one of several ways. You can stand in the queue and order your food and pay for it. You will get a bill - a part of which has the items ordered listed on it. This is then passed on to the flock of staff waiting behind numerous counters. One for rice items, one for dosas, idlis, etc. They typically give you what you ordered very quickly but if the crowds are too much,  be prepared for a wait. Note your order number and wait for the guy to shout it out. " 257" he will yell or " 361" and you rush there and collect your order.

Modern tech has made it possible for you to use self- order kiosks which are linked to UPI systems so you place your order and make payment without any human interface.

The food is undoubtedly very tasty and is consistently of an extremely high standard. Whether it is idlis, dosas, akka rottis, puliogare, chitranna, or the wholesome full meals called Annalakshmi ( for which you have to be really, really hungry to do full justice) we found the food to be lip smacking. 

Top of the charts Ghee Roast Dosa! We had this sparingly but worth trying once in a while!! 

On another day we had rava idlis for a change!

The lacy Neer Dosa is a super hit with two types of spicy chutney and a sweet chutney to go with it. 

Crisp Akki Rottis with a variety of accompaniments make for a delicious snack !

By and large the prices are quite reasonable, the staff is efficient, and the place- an important consideration for diners- is really clean. If you want a quiet place to have a chat and eat your food leisurely, this may not be the place for you. But if you are up for some excitement amidst a lot of hustle and bustle to savour some amazing South Indian food, I would definitely recommend The Rameshwaram Cafe to you.

As I write this, my kitchen is up and functioning. I don't have to go to TRC for breakfast/lunch/dinner every day. However, you can bet that I will go there from time to time to savour the tastes and sounds of what was an unforgettable and enjoyable experience.  

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: CHOKHI DHANI , JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN

 OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: CHOKHI DHANI, JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN

Friends told us that no trip to Jaipur was complete without dining at the Chokhi Dhani. Over the years,  Chokhi Dhani has come to represent Rajasthani culture and heritage primarily for tourists from India and abroad.  Naturally we were keen to try this as it was presented to us as an option to experience traditional Rajasthani food and culture in the ambience of a typical village.

The resort is on the highway towards Tonk and you would need a car to get there and bring you back. If you wish to visit for lunch that's not possible. They are open only for dinner- which means you need to plan an evening here. Their timings are from 5.00 pm to 11 pm. 

We went there one evening during our stay at Jaipur. Getting the tickets was no hassle. There are different options available. We chose the basic Rajasthani meal for 900/-. Let me explain that Chokhi Dhani is like a re-created village so you have stalls selling different types of handicrafts. There are also other shows by magicians, puppeteers, a guy who brought flames out of his mouth etc. One can take a ride on a camel too. 

As we entered we were given a welcome drink  that was piping hot. This was made of Buttermilk and Bajra. We then entered the ethnic styled dining hall, for dinner. We had to sit on the floor and ate the food served on a thali with many "donas" (katoras) made of leaves.

The people serving the food- dressed in their colourful gear- were a most enthusiastic bunch. They encouraged us to eat much more than we would have! 

Being a typical Rajasthani meal, it had rice and Rotlas (Rotis) of different kinds including those made with bajra (millet), and makai ( maize), and jowar. Of course we had the famous Dal Batti Choorma, Gatte ki Subzi,  Rajasthani Dal, Mirchi Vada, Kadhi, a dish made with legumes, Moong Dal Kachori, an Aloo Subzi, fresh cabbage and onion salad, and a yummy Lahsuni (garlic) chutney. A cooling glass of chaas ( buttermilk) was served with the meal. 

The meal was served using some very old world utensils! At the end of the meal, we were fed with a stream of piping hot jalebis which were delicious. We enjoyed the meal very much. 

After such a heavy meal, we had to stroll around the complex for some time. We had a look at some of the shops with their multi coloured clothes on offer and some of the entertainment shows. Especially enthralling was the "Ghoomar" dance. 

All in all, I feel Chokhi Dhani is a nice place to visit. What you will find there is very predictable given its positioning but well worth the experience! It does embody typical Rajasthani culture. Jai Sri Ram! 

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: AGASHIYE IN AHMEDABAD

 OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: AGASHIYE  IN AHMEDABAD 

In my view, The House of MG,  is a "must visit" when you are in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, as a tourist. This is an old mansion which was built in the last century and is now part hotel, part museum, and part restaurant. At the roof top of the House of MG is a restaurant called "Agashiye" which I was told means " Terrace" in Gujarati. We enjoyed a typical Gujarati thali here for lunch during our recent visit to Ahmedabad. As their brochure says, it was an experience of Fine Gujarati Dining on the Terrace! 

The entrance of the restaurant has an interesting collection of pots and pans. The diner can choose from three types of thalis. The more expensive of the three types have unlimited quantities of food. We opted for the limited thali-The Agashiye Classic- which though very tasty was itself way too much for us! 

The meal starts with a welcome drink. On that day it happened to be Pineapple and Jamfal Nu Sharbat. A tasty and refreshing mix of pineapple and guava!  

We loved the main course which was Jodhpuri Bataki ( made with potatoes) , Panchkuti Shaak ( made  with 5 types of vegetables), excellent Phulka Rotlis ( so light and delicious), Lila Kopra wala Rice ( a kind of coconut rice)  and the slightly sweet but super yummy Gujarati Dal.

Supporting the main coarse was a bevy of salads and chutneys: Fangavela Kathol, Kakdi, (Cucumber), Tomato, Seasonal Vegetable Pickle, Sweet Pickle, Coriander and Peanut Chutney and a spicy Garlic Chutney which was out of this world.  

Accompaniments served with the meal were Dahivada Chaat ( which was super), Fresh Buttermilk, and Papad. 

We were wondering what would be served for dessert and were happy to see it was Mohanthal- supposedly the most famous sweet of Ahmedabad. It was truly delicious and we won't forget this taste for a long time. We have had Mohanthal in different places but the one at Agashiye was by far the best we had.

The House of MG, as I mentioned before, is an interesting place to visit. Try to club this visit with a meal at Agashiye to make the experience complete! Highly recommended.