Highnote is a part open-air restaurant on 100ft road of Indiranagar.
I and my husband were having some nice paani puris at a road side place last Thursday when some of our friends called to meet up. We had just come back from office, were really tired and the idea of having a couple of drinks did not sound so bad.
We left for Indiranagar. The traffic was bad. It took us about an hour to go from HSR Layout to Indiranagar, but when we reached the place...
At the first glance, you will see nicely done interiors, dim lights, open space, lots of plants. At a second glance, you will however realise that the place is too cramped up. They have put too many tables in a small place. The table in front of the bar (yes an ordinary sort of a bar) is so close to it that you cannot put chairs in front of each other - So people can sit in one direction only, looking at the bar.
We reached there early (!) and while waiting ordered some drinks. We were quite stuffed with the chaat so we did not care for any snacks. I got myself a lime margarita and my husband ordered for some whisky. The margarita which costed Rs 275 was amazingly strong for that rate and I enjoyed it.
After some time, our friends started pouring in one by one. We were ten of us by late evening and the drinks and snacks were ordered non-stop. One thing that I noticed was that my margaritas became lighter and lighter which was not very nice. Also, once there was some green stuff in my drink. The bartender said it is open air and something might have fallen from somewhere (but I know it was not the case). He did replace my drink though.
We got quite late and ordered food at around 11.30, which was very nice as they were still taking orders (though they had switched off all the lights for some reason). Maybe the new 1 AM deadline extension has already begun or....
I was not too hungry so I cannot comment on the Thai food that came for dinner. The bill came out to be around 12k.
We did have a small parking issue with the valet. We lost the valet coupon and the bugger was actualy trying to imply that we were thieves :-P
Well, I doubt I will go to this place again. Highnote had a just-another-place feel to it and I did not find anything special here.
Anyways, my ratings out of 5 -
Ambience - 3
Service - 3
Presentation - 3
Taste - Cannot Comment
Drinks - 3
Value for money - 3.5 if the food was good, 3 otherwise.
Parking Tip - Valet Parking available, but be sure not to use your valet coupon.
Location - 100ft road, Indiranagar - When you are coming from Koramangala, the place is on your left and is right after 100ft restaurant an Sony showroom.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
Legend of Rock
Legend of Rock - An excellent pub in Koramangla, playing amazing rock music and has great crowd.
I went there yesterday, with my husband and one of his friends. LOR is know for its great music. They had a special event going on yesterday - They were playing live music after months.
We made a reservation for 7.30. The place was partly filled when we reached and the waiter showed us to our seats. I have to tell you this, we had the best view! We were sitting right next to the band and we had elevated seats. The next time I go there, I am going to ask for the same seats. The only seats better than ours would be two bar stools, right in front of the band.
When we reached, the band was just getting ready. They were checking the speakers, adjusting the volume and putting up more cables. While they did that, we ordered for Fries and Chilli Paneer. We were really hungry so I cannot comment on the taste much. The Paneer was ok, but the fries were average. The portions were too small. We also called for a pitcher of beer (In draught, they have only Fosters). The pitcher was for Rs.275, which is very decent. They also had an option to call for a 3 litre can which was for Rs.550. We did not go for that, but we saw it on another table and it was really interesting. It was plastic tower, looked like a smoothie machine and had a tap on the bottom - How cool is that!
Ashish, the owner of the place introduced the band - The Bourbon Street. The lead guy was Fidel, who was on the base guitar. The lead guitarist was Chester and he was really good. On the keyboard was Bharat and he was Oh-My-God amazing. Finally Sudhakar was playing the drums. They were playing at a pub for the first time - And believe me, they were unbelievable! They played Jazz, which included a few originals. After a while, a female called Sangeeta played classic Carnatic music on her Violin and the Bourbon Street mixed it up with their music. The fusion was mesmerizing. The Bourbon Street continued with there songs later on. It was 9.30PM, when they stopped playing and they rocked the crowd! We ordered pitcher after pitcher and also a plate of Non-Veg Platter in between (The platter sucked!).
The bill came out be Rs.1601 which was really really cheap for the refreshing music and the non-stop beer.
LOR is going to have more Live Bands every Sunday evening now and I am going to try and not miss many!
Out of 5, Here's how I would rate the place
Ambience - 5
Service - 4.5
Presentation - 3
Taste - 3
Drinks - 5
Value for money - 5
Parking Tip - Take a left after the LOR building and go into the small street. You can drive for a few meters and find a parking space, in front of the shops. Koramangla has a lot of small alleys and taking a quick turn would always help to find a parking place.
Location - Koramangala 80Ft Road, in front of Petrol Pump next to Pizza Hut
On the Map - Legend Of Rock
I went there yesterday, with my husband and one of his friends. LOR is know for its great music. They had a special event going on yesterday - They were playing live music after months.
We made a reservation for 7.30. The place was partly filled when we reached and the waiter showed us to our seats. I have to tell you this, we had the best view! We were sitting right next to the band and we had elevated seats. The next time I go there, I am going to ask for the same seats. The only seats better than ours would be two bar stools, right in front of the band.
When we reached, the band was just getting ready. They were checking the speakers, adjusting the volume and putting up more cables. While they did that, we ordered for Fries and Chilli Paneer. We were really hungry so I cannot comment on the taste much. The Paneer was ok, but the fries were average. The portions were too small. We also called for a pitcher of beer (In draught, they have only Fosters). The pitcher was for Rs.275, which is very decent. They also had an option to call for a 3 litre can which was for Rs.550. We did not go for that, but we saw it on another table and it was really interesting. It was plastic tower, looked like a smoothie machine and had a tap on the bottom - How cool is that!
Ashish, the owner of the place introduced the band - The Bourbon Street. The lead guy was Fidel, who was on the base guitar. The lead guitarist was Chester and he was really good. On the keyboard was Bharat and he was Oh-My-God amazing. Finally Sudhakar was playing the drums. They were playing at a pub for the first time - And believe me, they were unbelievable! They played Jazz, which included a few originals. After a while, a female called Sangeeta played classic Carnatic music on her Violin and the Bourbon Street mixed it up with their music. The fusion was mesmerizing. The Bourbon Street continued with there songs later on. It was 9.30PM, when they stopped playing and they rocked the crowd! We ordered pitcher after pitcher and also a plate of Non-Veg Platter in between (The platter sucked!).
The bill came out be Rs.1601 which was really really cheap for the refreshing music and the non-stop beer.
LOR is going to have more Live Bands every Sunday evening now and I am going to try and not miss many!
Out of 5, Here's how I would rate the place
Ambience - 5
Service - 4.5
Presentation - 3
Taste - 3
Drinks - 5
Value for money - 5
Parking Tip - Take a left after the LOR building and go into the small street. You can drive for a few meters and find a parking space, in front of the shops. Koramangla has a lot of small alleys and taking a quick turn would always help to find a parking place.
Location - Koramangala 80Ft Road, in front of Petrol Pump next to Pizza Hut
On the Map - Legend Of Rock
Athena, The Leela Palace
Athena is a lounge bar in the basement of The Leela Palace on Airport Road.
I have no words to describe this awful place. I have been here before but Saturday night was horrible.
The entry is Rs.1000 for a couple. Out of this, Rs.200 is cover charge and Rs.800 you can spend inside. We wanted to pay by our American Express Card, which they surprisingly did not accept. We paid the money and asked the guy on the front desk that how the crowd is as we could not hear any noise from inside. He said, 'It's Good'. We went inside and Whoa! The place was almost empty, with hardly 6 people inside. They were playing some lounge music and we decided to find a place for ourselves. We sat on a couch and a waiter came running towards us saying that the place was reserved. We went to the next couch and again the guy told us it was reserved. We asked him to take us to a place which was not reserved and he said all the places are reserved and showed us to two small stools in a dark corner. That really pissed me off. I told him that if there's no place inside, why did they not tell us so at the entry itself.
They had a separate area for members (which was obviously empty). We asked them about how to get the membership and they had no clue!
We wanted to leave, but not without spending the 800 bucks. We went to the bar, I had a large vodka with cranberry juice and my husband had a 100 pipers with coke (they did not have thums up). The drinks cost 1000 in all, and we had to pay another 200. Again surprisingly, they took Amex inside!! Part of the same hotel, takes Amex at one place and does not take it at another. We paid the money, gulped our drinks and left.
That was Rs. 1200 spent in 10 minutes. Athena sucks!
Hence, the ratings (out of 5) follow
Ambience - 1
Service - 0.5
Presentation - no clue
Taste - no clue
Drinks - 2.5
Value for money - 0.5 (this 0.5 is because you can tell your friends you went to The Leela (Grr!))
Parking Tip - Valet Parking
Location - Old Airport Road
I have no words to describe this awful place. I have been here before but Saturday night was horrible.
The entry is Rs.1000 for a couple. Out of this, Rs.200 is cover charge and Rs.800 you can spend inside. We wanted to pay by our American Express Card, which they surprisingly did not accept. We paid the money and asked the guy on the front desk that how the crowd is as we could not hear any noise from inside. He said, 'It's Good'. We went inside and Whoa! The place was almost empty, with hardly 6 people inside. They were playing some lounge music and we decided to find a place for ourselves. We sat on a couch and a waiter came running towards us saying that the place was reserved. We went to the next couch and again the guy told us it was reserved. We asked him to take us to a place which was not reserved and he said all the places are reserved and showed us to two small stools in a dark corner. That really pissed me off. I told him that if there's no place inside, why did they not tell us so at the entry itself.
They had a separate area for members (which was obviously empty). We asked them about how to get the membership and they had no clue!
We wanted to leave, but not without spending the 800 bucks. We went to the bar, I had a large vodka with cranberry juice and my husband had a 100 pipers with coke (they did not have thums up). The drinks cost 1000 in all, and we had to pay another 200. Again surprisingly, they took Amex inside!! Part of the same hotel, takes Amex at one place and does not take it at another. We paid the money, gulped our drinks and left.
That was Rs. 1200 spent in 10 minutes. Athena sucks!
Hence, the ratings (out of 5) follow
Ambience - 1
Service - 0.5
Presentation - no clue
Taste - no clue
Drinks - 2.5
Value for money - 0.5 (this 0.5 is because you can tell your friends you went to The Leela (Grr!))
Parking Tip - Valet Parking
Location - Old Airport Road
Monday, May 25, 2009
More Than Paranthas
As the name suggests, you can expect a variety of Paranthas from this place. There are 50 odd types of Paranthas to choose from, and trust me, this can take a while.
I and my husband went there this Saturday for lunch. We were famished as somehow we could not grab any breakfast for some reason. This was good as we reached MTP with a huge appetite. The place was full and they needed reservations. We did not have one, so we waited for sometime and got a place.
We skipped the starters to save the appetite and jumped on to main course. This is what we ordered - Mutton Rogan Josh, Dal-E-MTP (Dal Makhani), Jodhpuri Garlic Parantha, Lachchha Parantha, Boondi Raita and Mutton Biryani. Phew!!
The Dal-E-MTP and Jodhpuri Garlic Parantha simply ROCK as a combination. Every bite I took, made me happier than I was. It was amazingly delicious. The mutton was very tender and cooked very nicely. They claim to get all their spices from Old Delhi and I am tempted to believe that. Finally the Mutton Biryani - It is a MUST HAVE! Do not skip this if you go to MTP.
The portions that they give are really big. Inspite of the huge appetite, we could not finish the food and had to get it packed. The service was good, the waiter serving us made good suggestions and we really enjoyed the food. The one thing that I did not like about the place was that the tables are too close to each other. We could hear the conversation from the next table as if we were a part of it. It was a bit annoying and if you are looking for spending sometime with your partner to talk about stuff, then this is not the place. (For the spice of it, two girls were sitting on the adjacent table and their father was lecturing them about their future for the whole time - Tough!). Also, the tables were not too comfortable - They had a bulky design with very less space to put your legs under them.
The bill came out to be Rs.1400 (Including a bottle of beer and a glass of Fresh Lime Soda)
Overall (out of 5), I would rate the place as follows -
Ambience - 1.5
Service - 4
Presentation - 3.5
Taste - 5
Drinks - 4
Value for money - 4
Parking Tip - Valet Parking
Location - Kormangala, 80Ft Road - More Than Parathas
I and my husband went there this Saturday for lunch. We were famished as somehow we could not grab any breakfast for some reason. This was good as we reached MTP with a huge appetite. The place was full and they needed reservations. We did not have one, so we waited for sometime and got a place.
We skipped the starters to save the appetite and jumped on to main course. This is what we ordered - Mutton Rogan Josh, Dal-E-MTP (Dal Makhani), Jodhpuri Garlic Parantha, Lachchha Parantha, Boondi Raita and Mutton Biryani. Phew!!
The Dal-E-MTP and Jodhpuri Garlic Parantha simply ROCK as a combination. Every bite I took, made me happier than I was. It was amazingly delicious. The mutton was very tender and cooked very nicely. They claim to get all their spices from Old Delhi and I am tempted to believe that. Finally the Mutton Biryani - It is a MUST HAVE! Do not skip this if you go to MTP.
The portions that they give are really big. Inspite of the huge appetite, we could not finish the food and had to get it packed. The service was good, the waiter serving us made good suggestions and we really enjoyed the food. The one thing that I did not like about the place was that the tables are too close to each other. We could hear the conversation from the next table as if we were a part of it. It was a bit annoying and if you are looking for spending sometime with your partner to talk about stuff, then this is not the place. (For the spice of it, two girls were sitting on the adjacent table and their father was lecturing them about their future for the whole time - Tough!). Also, the tables were not too comfortable - They had a bulky design with very less space to put your legs under them.
The bill came out to be Rs.1400 (Including a bottle of beer and a glass of Fresh Lime Soda)
Overall (out of 5), I would rate the place as follows -
Ambience - 1.5
Service - 4
Presentation - 3.5
Taste - 5
Drinks - 4
Value for money - 4
Parking Tip - Valet Parking
Location - Kormangala, 80Ft Road - More Than Parathas
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Magnolia Chinese & Thai
Magnolia is part-formal restaurant serving Chinese and Thai food.
The food is delicious. I have been there a couple of times . Last night, I went there with my husband and two close friends, who we just bumped into. We already had food prepared for dinner at home, but we chose to ditch that and go to Magnolia. The traffic was bad and it took a long time for us to reach there. It was worth the trouble though because they cooked a nice meal for us, which all of us enjoyed.
It is normal to expect empty restaurants on Wednesday evenings, but Magnolia was surprisingly busy. One thing that I really like about this place is it's fast service. The waiters keep watching the guests from a distance, in case someone needs something and are right there when you call for them.
For starters we had Drums of Heaven (a Chicken-Lolly Pop sort of a dish, fried with a layer of Besan (gram flour) on the top). This a dish which I would not recommend as it was very bland and weirdly soggy from inside. We also ordered for some Crisp Mushrooms which tasted amazing with their homemade Hot & Sweet sauce.
As we had Chinese food lovers and Thai food lovers sitting at the same table, we decided to go for both. For Chinese, we had Triple Schezuan Fried Rice and Veg Balls in Hot Garlic sauce. I must tell you that the combination rocks. The crispy noodles are an interesting complement to the Hot Garlic Sauce. The whole dish looks so RED (☺) that you just have to have it! For Thai, we had steamed rice and a Panang Curry. I am a person who adores mild dishes, and this is a one to certainly try! The Thai curry was perfectly made and smelt very nice.
One drawback is that the place serves only beer, and no other alcoholic drinks. You can say it is also good in a way that then you get to enjoy the food more.
The ambience is average. They have done up the place nicely, with dim lights, comfortable chairs and a nice glass waterfall in the background. But as the place is part open, they have to put standing fans and coolers on the floor, which add to the noise and don't look very neat.
The bill came out to be Rs.1280 for four people.
Out of 5, here are my ratings -
Ambience - 3
Service - 4
Presentation - 3.5
Taste - 4.5
Drinks - 3
Value for money - 4 .5
Parking Tip - You will generally find a place right in front of the building. A proper parking place is missing and sometimes, you need to drive a bit further down the street to find a place. It can be bad if it's raining. Always ask the guard who stands in front of the building to guide you.
Location - Magnolia Chinese & Thai
The food is delicious. I have been there a couple of times . Last night, I went there with my husband and two close friends, who we just bumped into. We already had food prepared for dinner at home, but we chose to ditch that and go to Magnolia. The traffic was bad and it took a long time for us to reach there. It was worth the trouble though because they cooked a nice meal for us, which all of us enjoyed.
It is normal to expect empty restaurants on Wednesday evenings, but Magnolia was surprisingly busy. One thing that I really like about this place is it's fast service. The waiters keep watching the guests from a distance, in case someone needs something and are right there when you call for them.
For starters we had Drums of Heaven (a Chicken-Lolly Pop sort of a dish, fried with a layer of Besan (gram flour) on the top). This a dish which I would not recommend as it was very bland and weirdly soggy from inside. We also ordered for some Crisp Mushrooms which tasted amazing with their homemade Hot & Sweet sauce.
As we had Chinese food lovers and Thai food lovers sitting at the same table, we decided to go for both. For Chinese, we had Triple Schezuan Fried Rice and Veg Balls in Hot Garlic sauce. I must tell you that the combination rocks. The crispy noodles are an interesting complement to the Hot Garlic Sauce. The whole dish looks so RED (☺) that you just have to have it! For Thai, we had steamed rice and a Panang Curry. I am a person who adores mild dishes, and this is a one to certainly try! The Thai curry was perfectly made and smelt very nice.
One drawback is that the place serves only beer, and no other alcoholic drinks. You can say it is also good in a way that then you get to enjoy the food more.
The ambience is average. They have done up the place nicely, with dim lights, comfortable chairs and a nice glass waterfall in the background. But as the place is part open, they have to put standing fans and coolers on the floor, which add to the noise and don't look very neat.
The bill came out to be Rs.1280 for four people.
Out of 5, here are my ratings -
Ambience - 3
Service - 4
Presentation - 3.5
Taste - 4.5
Drinks - 3
Value for money - 4 .5
Parking Tip - You will generally find a place right in front of the building. A proper parking place is missing and sometimes, you need to drive a bit further down the street to find a place. It can be bad if it's raining. Always ask the guard who stands in front of the building to guide you.
Location - Magnolia Chinese & Thai
Monday, May 18, 2009
Chili's Grill & Bar
Chili's is a fun place. Texan Food, Elaborate Bar, Huge Portions, Colorful Surroundings.
I went there yesterday with my husband and two close friends. It was a Sunday evening, so to avoid the depression of thinking about THE Monday Morning, we ended up at Chili's, which has recently opened up on Airport Road, Bangalore. (Just to let you know, we went there on the opening day too).
They greeted us nicely at the door, though they really need to work on their accents. A simple 'Welcome to Chili's' takes a few seconds to register in your brain. 'Chili's' actually sounded like 'Silly's' to me (I am sure this was not intended). The smiles on their faces is a definite plus point though.
Next, they took us to our reserved seats. I would suggest that you do not go there without a reservation. We were there pretty early (around 6.30PM) and by 8 the place was really full. The bad part is due to the 'burger' image of the place, it is somehow turning into a kids place. Every table other than ours had one or more children sitting. Parents were clueless about the food but the kids were having a good time (Read making a lot of noise).
Chili's boasts of a good bar, but I must say that the rates are TOO HIGH. Paying Rs.700 for their signature Margarita did not appeal to us and we went for the regular Mai Tai, Long Island Iced Teas. The Mandarin Blush that we ordered was almost without alcohol but the bartender was kind enough to make it strong enough to suit our taste. (Again - Why were the kids there?)
Our Cheese nachos were really tasty, definitely very cheese, with one Jalapeno on the top - Yum Yum Yum!. The Guacamole, however, was a turn off. It was so bitter as if they had used stale avocados or something.
We then went for the burgers. I had a Jalapeno burger and let me tell you this - The burger was almost the same size as my face - It was huge!! My hubby had a Chicken Ranch Sandwich and he swears by it. The fries that came along with the burgers were also very fresh and crispy.
That was about the food - now the service - I think they try to overdo it. Two or three people try to take orders, a few more try to serve and even more try to know how the experience is. The noisy kids are enough and more disturbance is definitely not welcome. But I guess these are the initial days and everybody is pretty jumpy because of that.
The bill came out to be around Rs. 4200.
Well, out of 5 here's how I would rate it -
Ambience - 3.5
Service - 3
Presentation - 4
Taste - 5 (Oh yes!!)
Drinks - 3.5
Value for money - 4 (I take away .5 for the noise and .5 for the overactive waitresses)
Parking Tip - Valet Parking
Other Information -
Link to site - http://www.chilis.com/ - Too bad they have not updated India in their list of locations!!!
Location - Chili's Bangalore
I went there yesterday with my husband and two close friends. It was a Sunday evening, so to avoid the depression of thinking about THE Monday Morning, we ended up at Chili's, which has recently opened up on Airport Road, Bangalore. (Just to let you know, we went there on the opening day too).
They greeted us nicely at the door, though they really need to work on their accents. A simple 'Welcome to Chili's' takes a few seconds to register in your brain. 'Chili's' actually sounded like 'Silly's' to me (I am sure this was not intended). The smiles on their faces is a definite plus point though.
Next, they took us to our reserved seats. I would suggest that you do not go there without a reservation. We were there pretty early (around 6.30PM) and by 8 the place was really full. The bad part is due to the 'burger' image of the place, it is somehow turning into a kids place. Every table other than ours had one or more children sitting. Parents were clueless about the food but the kids were having a good time (Read making a lot of noise).
Chili's boasts of a good bar, but I must say that the rates are TOO HIGH. Paying Rs.700 for their signature Margarita did not appeal to us and we went for the regular Mai Tai, Long Island Iced Teas. The Mandarin Blush that we ordered was almost without alcohol but the bartender was kind enough to make it strong enough to suit our taste. (Again - Why were the kids there?)
Our Cheese nachos were really tasty, definitely very cheese, with one Jalapeno on the top - Yum Yum Yum!. The Guacamole, however, was a turn off. It was so bitter as if they had used stale avocados or something.
We then went for the burgers. I had a Jalapeno burger and let me tell you this - The burger was almost the same size as my face - It was huge!! My hubby had a Chicken Ranch Sandwich and he swears by it. The fries that came along with the burgers were also very fresh and crispy.
That was about the food - now the service - I think they try to overdo it. Two or three people try to take orders, a few more try to serve and even more try to know how the experience is. The noisy kids are enough and more disturbance is definitely not welcome. But I guess these are the initial days and everybody is pretty jumpy because of that.
The bill came out to be around Rs. 4200.
Well, out of 5 here's how I would rate it -
Ambience - 3.5
Service - 3
Presentation - 4
Taste - 5 (Oh yes!!)
Drinks - 3.5
Value for money - 4 (I take away .5 for the noise and .5 for the overactive waitresses)
Parking Tip - Valet Parking
Other Information -
Link to site - http://www.chilis.com/ - Too bad they have not updated India in their list of locations!!!
Location - Chili's Bangalore
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
