UNDER THE MANGO TREE, RICHMOND TOWN - A REVIEW

BY PRIYA JAIN

Office time lunch is always a nerve-wracking experience. There is always that fear of overshooting your allotted lunch time as well as the idea of being on call. But when my colleague said ‘let’s go under the mango tree’ I simply found it hard to say no!

So off we went, bright sunny day, a headache almost threatening to come on. But once we entered the restaurant, I was quite happy with the cool (natural and not AC) breeze coming through and natural lighting, without being blinding, under the mango tree.

The menu was given and knowing our penchant for trying stuff never tried by us before and of course, Harry Potter and pumpkins obsession, we went with the roasted pumpkin soup priced at Rs 110 to start with.

The soup was quite bland in the beginning, but with more and more going into your mouth, the creaminess and the mild saltiness start to grow on you. Much as I was tempted to lick my soup container clean, I resisted. But I still do not understand the pumpkin obsession in Harry Potter, are pumpkins tastier abroad?

We went with Spinach cheese squares served with garlic tumb priced at Rs 190. In one word, the dish was ORGASMIC. Three of my favourite ingredients put together in the most delectable manner. The only disappointment was that there were only 4 pieces. My friend had to part with an extra half thanks to my greed and a phone call! Yippie! I am certainly going to try recreating the magic of this one at home!

Main course was again pumpkin based. Pumpkin ravioli in mango sage butter priced at Rs 280. A delightful dish that left me wanting more. The cream was so rich, I scooped it all out and ate it with the bread that the dish came with. When there was still some left, I used my spoon. The Ravioli had stuffing of mashed sweet pumpkin. The dish was lovely and flavored at every level. I LOVED IT

I did not like the fact that we were forced to take mineral water at Rs 30, most restaurants give you the choice of choosing regular water. Why put out more plastic in the environment when it’s already suffering? And what is wrong with drinking perfectly respectable tap water?

For dessert, we chose a blueberry cheesecake, priced at Rs 176. As good as a usual blueberry cheesecake.

The backbreaking bit as always were the taxes. 159 rupees. Could have had another starter and left a generous tip for the steward. An article coming soon on the service taxes.

Overall, the meal was a delight and did not take more than an hour to get through with.

ELEMENTS HERITAGE- A REVIEW

BY PRIYA JAIN

A happy Friday afternoon, a friend and I set off in the pursuit of great happiness. In simple words, we were two hungry souls looking for food that will please our tummies while not denting the wallet too deep.

Cosy seating in Elements Heritage with intricate detailing on cushions

Cruising around Frazer town, we stumbled across the Elements Heritage restaurant. Situated on Mosque Road, the restaurant actually looks like somebody’s house from the outside. After a double take, I did figure that it is indeed a restaurant.

The menu with the same embroidery
 as the cushions!

 Having parked, we walked in a bit uncertainly. The whole place was so empty, we were not even sure they were functional. A very sweet gentleman greeted us at the entrance and seated us in one of the dining rooms. 

One thing that really stood out is the fact that the place was extremely cool. And not an AC in sight! The house/ restaurant was built in such a way that it had plenty of air and light without resorting to artificial means. The interiors seem plastered with mud, reminding me of all the village homes I have lived in!

 While the person who attended to us was extremely warm and welcoming, he did not really give us a choice of different seating, even though the restaurant was absolutely empty. Only later did we discover a much prettier seating area outside in the restaurant!

 Coming to the food, Elements Heritage serves up a delightful mix of Awadhi, North Indian, Malabari & Peshawari cuisine. We moved a bit cautiously as we have had some bitter experiences in the past where the décor is so good, but the food is the exact opposite.

Dum Tarkari: Unlike any soup we have eaten!

 We started tentatively with a Dum Tarkari shorba priced at Rs 60. The shorba is served up in a small brass cup along with a piece of Naan (a type of bread) and a salad. The helping, though small is very rich and kind of filling. The thick soup has an ample collection of vegetables and is delicately flavored.

 Next we moved on to Paneer Misfira which was priced at Rs 160. Served up with fryums and two types of salad and chutney, this Paneer dish is as succulent and melt-in-the-mouth as it gets. Not only is the paneer marinated, the delicate flavoring of the herbs and the garnishing adds to the overall delight of the dish. The paneer is all at once tangy, spicy and soft. 8 huge chunks of Paneer are served in one dish and can be quite filling for two people.

Paneer Misfira: Has to be eaten to be believed!

 We chose vegetable stew and appams for the main course at Rs 200. The presentation was quite interesting with the stew being served in a long boat like dish along with a small helping of rice and salad along with fryums. The stew was delicious. There is something unmatched about eating vegetables along with the lovely flavoring of coconut. We were given 3 appams and split it between the two of us. Having eaten to the level of pleasantly full, we were quite pleased when we saw that the bill was still worth less than 700 rupees!

Appams and coconuttttty stew. Still drooling!

 Along the way, we had also ordered for two drinks to go with it. I opted for a regular sweet Lassi while my partner in crime opted for a Heritage special drink. The heritage special drink was quite yummy with a mix of three different fruity flavours.

Airy and Roomy without an AC!

Lassi and Heritage special drinks!

A special mention to the décor and the service: The menu and the tiny cushions in the seating area have the same embroidery as the logo of the hotel. I personally quite liked the touch showing the attention to detail. Also the service was prompt, but it was not too detailed on what to expect from the restaurant on request.

All in all, it was a totally worth it lunch for under a 700 rupees and must be tried if you are in Frazer Town and hungry!

CHAAYE STALL- A REVIEW

BY NOLAN PINTO

Just when you think that all the coffee shops are the same, a surprise awaits you. I am not the person to sit and waste time in coffee shops, they are too noisy and at times bloody irritating. So when a pal of ours suggested we check out Chaaye Stall, we were a bit apprehensive. It was like this, if it turned into a nightmare, we would surely kill him!

An instant mood setter, they have lanterns in tea pots!

We reached the place at around half past seven in the evening. There is ample space to park both cars and bikes. But be aware, even though the bike parking is hop step and jump away, you have to ride all around this huge building to get there.  This small joint is right near the gate and the moment you enter, you get this very cozy feeling. Dim lights but enough to not be shady at all like many places are these days. We decided to sit on floor one. The steps to head up are narrow and are spiral like those in old churches.

Once on the top, you are amazed at the seating. Nice floor cushioned seats and neatly spread apart. We decided to take a seat where we could have a view of the road. What struck us immediately were the drawings on the wall. The old Bangalore where one still had time to sip a cup of coffee or tea.

The queen of spices (white cup) the smell of the soil (mud pot)

Bread Pakoras, really wish there were more pieces!

We thought this place would be extremely costly, but one look at the menu and we were amazed. This got us in the mood to just keep on ordering. The waiter arrived within 10 minutes of us taking our seats and getting used to the place. 

We were famished and hence ordered loads to eat. So it was Hash Browns, cucumber sandwich, Golgappa Shooters, Bread Pakoda and then for tea, one 'smell of the soil' that is served in a Kulladh(mud pot) and 'queen of spices' a tea blended with Indian spices.

Golgappa Shooters! We couldn't resist eating two before we remembered we need pictures! 

I would certainly suggest the Golgappa shooters. Very elegantly served. The puris are placed on a long shot glass filled with the pani. The pani is served chilled and is just about the right amount of sweet and yum. 

A potato lovers delight! Yummylicious Hash Browns!

The Hash Browns were absolutely yummilicious. For the potato lover, it had the right amount of steam, oil as well as garnishing. We wiped the plate clean!

If you’re heading to this place all alone, then this dish will for sure fill your tummy. The cucumber sandwich is as normal as it gets but the bread pakoda (though with a filling) could have been better.

The teas are good. I for one enjoyed the queen of spices better than the smell of the soil which was pretty ordinary in taste. I know it’s supposed to give you the feeling of drinking tea in a mud pot but still the tea can be made a bit more interesting.

Greedy hands reach out for more Golgappas!

Cucumber sandwiches- ek dum ghar ka taste! 

The feel of the place is wonderful. They played old Jagjit Singh songs and not too loud and not too soft either, I would say just about there in the background so it won’t disturb you while you are speaking. My first time here and I was satisfied. More so since the entire bill came to less than Rs. 400 in spite of us ordering 4 dishes and 2 teas. Really cost effective for a place to just hang out and also to treat others toward the end of the month.