As we sit down at the all-day dining space of The Bengaluru Brasserie to preview the new menu that Head Chef Gaurav Ramakrishnan has put together, we can't help notice the space. The al fresco seating with poolside dining, the TVs screening matches, and the general lively vibe of the space makes it great for date nights, office lunches, and sundowners on a Sunday. Cocktails are crafted expertly and sent to the table along with a refreshing mocktails as the first of the many dishes that Chef Gaurav had planned come to the table — a Minestrone soup and Gosht Yakhni Shorba.
The shorba is rich and warms the body and we're excited because Chef Gaurav arrives at the table to tell us how he's reimagined the menu with experimental flavours and concepts — he's picked familiar flavours and given it a modern outlook without trying too hard. Case in point, the Cafreal Chicken in Pita Pockets and Hariyali Chicken Kheema Sub, which are perfect for those evening dinners with a side of beer as you catch a match with your buddy. The Bunny Chow Missal is another dish that caught our interest — it's chef's take on South African bunny chow with the Maharashtrian missal.
Between conversations and chow, one of the favourites from the old menu arrived — Kundapuri Chicken. The dish — chicken in a spicy gravy with shallots served atop a fluffy idli — is one of the many the restaurant highlights. We, honestly, could have it every day. Another dish that won it for us for the night was the Hickory Smoked Salmon — a date-night special when you want a bit of prim and proper to go along with your wine and 'mine'.
We thought we had already gone through the Chef’s Special when Chef arrived with the Deconstructed Tiramisu and Textures Of Chocolate. The tiramisu was plated live on the table and it's one of the better tiramisus we've had in the city. The chocolate was the standout without any drama — just chocolate goodness through and through, or at least that's what the chocoholics at the table said.
