It’s been an iconic establishment since the 1960s, and whether you say it openly or are too cool for school to admit, Empire is the bomb!
For work lunch, order chicken or fish thali. With a mound of rice, dal, two heavy coin parathas, a chicken curry or Malabari fish one, a vegetable (changes daily), paneer butter masala and pickle. Yes, there’s a vegetarian version. Fridays though, are for The Shaadi Ki Biryani Typical to Bangalore Muslim weddings — dum-cooked on firewood apparently, it needs nothing else but the spicy salan and raita it comes with.
Despite not being authentic, how can you say no to their Chicken Shawarma rolls loaded with garlic mayo, strips of meat and a hint of spice tucked into Indianised pita bread? This meal is sometimes replaced by the Appam or Semiya accompanied by either prawn curry, chicken curry or paneer butter masala. It depends on much power your Keralite friends or co-workers have over you!
But, let’s face it, nothing quite says your weekend partying was successful if the night doesn't end at Empire, with plates of Mutton Keema Dosa and Paneer Butter Masala one, well past midnight! But this is the time where you don’t look at the menu; all you say is, “Bhaiyya, jo bhi hai five plates de dijiye, please. Faaaast. Jaldi. Bega. Bega!” So while some will get a few rotis to gobble with chicken curry, others will be wolfing down dosas (exact numbers unknown) with any kind of gravy – paneer, mutton, prawn, egg or even your BFF’s dal or salan!) because everyone knows that the world’s best food no matter what, is at Hotel Empire at 1am.
And this is why The Empire will always strike back!