The Only Place!

Yes, it’s THE place, The Only Place. Few places remain etched in your memory and on your culinary palate the way The Only Place does. Personally, I have lost count of the number of times I have been here; I have spent many an afternoon and evening at this Goan-styled shack like place, always leaving it more than pleased and desperately wanting to go back again. I simply cannot stop raving about The Only Place.

Starters: So far I have sampled only the Onion Rings for starters. These perfectly circular, golden yellow rings, dripping in oil could be given a miss. I am sure there are other starters that are a whole lot better than these rings.

 Main Course: The Only Place is known primarily for its steaks and burgers. Most of the steaks are beef based while only a few are made from chicken. The Chicken Steak and The Chicken BBQ Steak are more than just brilliant. Both are juicy, perfectly cooked and succulent to the core. They are served with a glob of mashed potatoes and boiled veggies. The Chicken Tettrazini had penne pasta and chicken doused in rich, creamy white sauce. Most restaurants generally go overboard with the white sauce but The Only Place gets it right effortlessly. The Chicken Schnitzel had 4-6 pieces of tender chicken fried in oil. (Oil always makes me squirm!). This dish is served with ample amount of French Fries and can undoubtedly fill even the most monstrous of appetites. Lastly, the famous Chicken Lasagne can be found on almost every single table here. Apparently, it’s a must-have. The Lasagne is a delight to just look at; smooth, moist layers stacked neatly upon each other and that leave you begging for more!

BBQ Chicken Steak

Chicken Lasagna

Chicken Steak

Desserts: The Apple Pie here is famous across the length and breadth of the city. The crust is perfect: neither too firm not too crumbly- this Is the mark of a good pie and the fact that The Only Place gets it right all the time only proves the culinary prowess of the chef. The pie is served with either ice cream or cream. I prefer the cream on a hot, sultry afternoon in Bangalore. The Caramel Custard is just about okay.

Apple Pie

Caramel Custard

Overall, my dining experience at The Only Place has always been pleasant and fulfilling. The staff is courteous and quick. The prices are reasonable , great value for money.This place definitely deserves a 5/5.

Chili's : It's only for the pasta !

Having a mall right behind your where you live can be every distracting. It not only tempts me to check out almost all the eat outs there but also makes me pretty lazy -  why travel all the way to Church Street or Koramangala when I have some good restaurants a stone’s throw away?

This blog is about Chili’s – an American Tex-Mex restaurant in Orion mall. It belongs to an American chain of restaurants and thanks to a burgeoning global market, like many firang restaurants, Chili’s too has made its way to India. I have dined at Chili’s four times already and here’s a rundown of the dishes that I sampled there.

Chicken Salad

Bottomless Nachos-Unlimited refills!

My favorite - Alfredo Pasta with Cajun Chicken

Food: We ordered Chicken wings, Bottomless nachos and something-something chili. (I’m sorry I do not remember the name of the last one). The chicken wings are nothing to brag about. Eight pieces of chicken wings are served with some carrots and a mayo dip. For someone who has had the juiciest chicken wings at places such as Plan B and Toit, the chicken wings here at Chili’s are a major let down. The only saving grace of the Bottomless nachos is that you can order unlimited refills . Now, that definitely made us happy. The something – something chili had thick gravy like texture to it and left us totally unimpressed.  But something about Chili’s that made me go over the moon was their Alfredo Pasta in Cajun Chicken- it is the only pasta I have had till date that serves generous pieces of well cooked chicken. This pasta is the main reason I am drawn to Chili’s over and over again. The desserts make you leave the place happy and swell. The Brownie Sundae has a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream atop a warm and gooey brownie. The Caramel Dessert too leaves behind pleasant memories

Something-Something Chili

Chicken Wings

Drinks: This place has happy hours from 4PM TO 8PM, all seven days a week. From what I have heard, the drinks served during happy hour time are way too diluted and tasteless.

Service: In one word – Perfect. The waiters literally got down on their knees near the edge of the table to take down orders. Pretty down-to-earth I must say. The waiters and the hotel staff are courteous and pleasing.

Ambience: Chili’s offers both indoor and outdoor seating. Given how hot Bangalore’s summer can get, I suggest you choose the airy and relaxes outdoor seating.

Brownie Sundae

Caramel Dessert

Verdict: Given how crowded the adjacent food court can get, Chili’s may seem like a convenient option to dine at in the mall. However, the prices are too steep and the portion sizes are massive. It can definitely do with cutting down both the price and the size.

Diluted Mojito

Cafe Noir :So not impressed!

My rendezvous with the French culture began way back when I was in the second year of college, when, in order to beat holiday – boredom, I decided to enrol myself in French classes at Alliance Francaise de Bangalore. In the two months that I spent learning the language, I was also introduced to oh-so-romantic French culture and simple, yet filling French cuisine. The first time my taste buds got an inkling of the French food was when we celebrated the French Independence day at the venue. Baguettes and Crepes marked the culinary side of the celebration, and thus fuelled an interest in the French cuisine.

Cafe Noir first set foot in Bangalore sometime in the year 2011, in UB city. Since then, it has spread its wings and established two more cafes- one in Orion mall and the other in Phoenix mall. This blog post is written after I dined at both, the UB City and the Orion mall cafes. 

Veg. Lasagna

Crepes

Food: When it comes to food, the French believe that less is more The crepes with pear and vanilla were simply out of this world. They are served with a generous amount of maple syrup and give the balanced nutrition of fats, carbs and proteins. The taste of the egg white could get a little too heavy at times though. Cafe Noir is most famous for its sandwiches and baguettes. Those of you with strong jaws and teeth can opt for the baguettes because they are probably the hardest variety of bread you will ever find. I opted for the much softer veg sandwich. I was a tad disappointed. The veggies are fresh no doubt, but the dish as a whole lacks taste. The veg lasagne was exactly the size of my wallet - the smallest portion size of lasagne I have ever had. Nothing great about it either. The brownie shake (well that's the English name for it, I do not remember the exact French name) hardly had any brownies any it. I had to literally poke and prod the drink, hoping I would find some brownie pieces.

Brownie Shake : Where is the brownie?

Latte art!

Ambiance: Cafe Noir strongly resembles a street side Paris cafe. Whoever designed it has indeed done a great job. The place was especially nice during Christmas time with a huge, well decorated Christmas tree. The waiters are absent minded. Make sure you check your bill twice because chances are that you might be charged for something that you haven't ordered.

All decked up for Christmas !

Prices: The Cafe caters to only a niche section of the general public. The prices are high and how many us would be willing to shell out 500 bucks for a dish whose name you cannot even pronounce? I would give this place a 3/5. A good European restaurant can be chosen over Cafe Noir any day.