n. An obsession with grandiose or extravagant things or actions. In particular an unabashed appetite for gustatory pleasures, for there truly is no sincerer love than the love of food.
1.Thin crust pizza’s that rival Bangalore’s best in Yelahanka!
Who would have thought it possible to be able to source take-away pizza’s this good in the middle of nowhere! Pizza Stop at Yelahanka truly is in the taste. Try it to believe it! It may be veggie, but its delicious!
99/3 RMS Layout,
G Block,
Sahakarnagar Main Road,
Opposite ICIC Bank,
Bangalore
Ph: 0091 9611471424
2.Fresh pannini’s and baguettes around almost every corner...
Breadworks specialises in a range of European breads and these two are particularly my favourite by them. Grab your favourite kind of bread, take ‘em home and work your magic. My advice is to try their panninis. They are wonderful sliced, slathered with mayo and relish, topped with shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes and a grilled chicken breast with cooked in your favourite marinade. Add some bacon to accelerate the experience.
Their baguettes are awesome too, simply crisp them in the oven or under a grill, dress with olive oil, pesto or sliced onions and tomatoes with garlic and bellisimo!
Au Bon Pain is hands down ingenious for bringing to Bangalore an international franchise cafe that offers customers an array of soups at approximately Rs. 60/- per serve in a bread bowl if preferred. So when you’re done with the soup, simply eat the bowl that has absorbed a good amount of the soup adding flavour and moisture!
Located on MG road near Spencer Supermarket
4. Roll it, wrap it, eat it...
Rolls United endeavours to do exactly this with a menu of international favourites that can be eaten from the palm of one’s hand. While the food is far from mind blowing, it is satisfying and a great concept. Their French doughnuts – beignets – on the other hand are little puffed up pillows of heaven and a definite must taste!
Food and fashion share several similarities. Beyond the fact that both are necessities for life and survival in modern times, food and fashion manifest themselves in varying forms, inspired by culture, tradition and art while continually transformed and altered by an individualised sense of inspiration and interpretation.
For some time now, the world has been witness to a wave of extremes in both the food and fashion world, cutting edge trends and experimentation gracing the covers of glossy food and fashion magazines the globe over.
For the past decade the likes of Ferran Adrià and his popularisation of molecular gastronomy at his restaurant El Bulli has been a talking-point for the food world. All the while Christian Louboutin’s splash with his signature red-soled shoes and the comeback of the ever-sensuous stiletto has paralleled those developments.
But the biggest similarity is that fashion, like food is big when it’s branded. Saha has become for Bangalore, what Valentino is for Italy – a brand, an iconic symbol of what a place can produce. For Saha, 2009 was a big year with his baby Caperberry coming into existence. Barely a month in the unveiling is his second restaurant – Fava.
The wine list is rich, and at that on tap, while the bar is well stocked. Immediately I turned my nose up at the idea of wine on tap ... wine to me is about sophistication, elegance, old world values, charm and taking the time. There is something undeniably beautiful, almost sacred about the protocol involved in wine drinking.
From the bottle being uncorked, the precise, swift removal, allowing the wine to breathe and finally the carefully pouring, the glug as the liquid pours into the wide bottomed glass and filling slowly into the gently tapering sides. Eric Asimov, NY Times asks a valid question, “Is wine by the keg a novelty? Or is this just the beginning of a trend that will benefit purveyors and consumers? It makes too much economic sense, I think, for it not to take hold.”
Getting back to Fava, I skipped the wine list entirely and opted for a jug of Sangria, trying the watermelon and basil rose option, that was refreshing, the perfect afternoon cooler.
The place boasts Mediterranean fare, leaving a lot to the chef to play with, since this refers to Middle Eastern favourites blending with the razzmatazz of Greece, Spain, France and Italy, as well as extending to Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.
Fava’s menu is extensive – perhaps a little too much so. This is maybe where they fall down – trying to deliver too much variety instead of specialising and triumphing. Their tapas and mezzes are spot on, with several delightfully pleasing hummus options, notably the cinnamon and orange. An absolute must is their mezze platters that come in ½ a dozen or a full dozen of choices – it offers dips that are drool-worthy along with pita pockets, and you will not be disappointed I promise!
The beef tartar with greenery infused (think it was mint and coriander) was absolutely divine, reminiscent of the classical preparation in terms of taste, but refreshing and zesty on the palate with the infusion of herbs, perfectly whetting the appetite.
The lamb chops, also an entree were deliciously succulent and tender, perfectly seasoned with freshly cracked pepper. As for mains, the lamb tagine – which I was expected to be served up in the funnel-shaped earthenware pot was sadly missing along with a bit of the punchy, aromatic fragrance one expects with a Moroccan treat. The shanks though did not fail to deliver, yielding soft, fall off the bone meat accompanied by a moistened cous cous with prunes and apricots that was missing a gentle sprinkling of coriander, mint and a splash of extra virgin olive oil to finish.
The three cheese pizza featuring halloumi, feta cheese and another I forget now (the problem with putting of reviews past a week) was delicious and a hit with our table. The crust was unmistakably thin and beautifully cooked.
The risotto was a bit of a letdown. It wasn’t that the rice wasn’t cooked properly, but rather that the asparagus and chicken combination lacking any attitude made the entire dish stodgy and reminiscent of a kraft-out-of-the-box-dinner. Sadly Fava’s version of risotto was a disdain to the timeless Italian classic.
The chocolate tasting plate was well received by my dinner comrades, but the crème de la crème was clearly the baklava. Having grown up in Kuwait my love for Arabic sweets is almost inborn, and that evening I fell in love with the toasted nuts, delicate pastry and spun sugar that all collided in my mouth taking my back to the taste of my childhood – pure bliss.
FAVA IN A NUTSHELL:
Pros: The zingy mezze options on the menu that will leave you bedazzled.
Cons: The service is beyond shocking! And there is a definite issue with insects, namely flies that needs to be addressed.
In between the lines: Love the decor, ambience and general feel of the place, especially with the glass encased kitchen. A good idea would be to invest in hairnets/ steward caps however for anyone that enters the kitchen – can be a bit worrisome for paying customers!
Born and brought up in South India's metropolitan city Bangalore to an Anglo-Indian mother and Keralite father, having lived in several countries and travelled extensively, my background comprises a myriad of intertwined cultures, traditions and experiences. Straddling two worlds, the West and East, I am a Global Indian. Traditional values and competitive Indian nature combined with a wide exposure allows me to gaze through broad horizons and thus gives rise to my freethinking spirit and vociferous nature. My first five years were spent in Kuwait, preceeded by international schooling in Bangalore, middle school in Singapore, returning to Bangalore for high school. Pursuing my love for writing I graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Journalism & Psychology in 2004, worked for The Bangalore Mirror, a daily publication owned by The Times of India Group. A keen interest for food, fuelled by a passion to pen thoughts to paper propelled my move to South Australia in Feb 2008. Since then I have graduated with a Cordon Bleu Masters in Gastronomy and Cert III Commercial Cooking at Regency TAFE Adelaide, followed by a year long stint chefing in Melbourne.
