It was one of the evenings when we had gone to visit some friends in Koramangala and we decided to eat out. Dine with Panache is a hop, skip and two jumps away from their home and so we bundled the kids, squeezed into one car and got ourselves there. Got a good spot right outside the restaurant and had to walk up a flight of stairs to get to the resto. The lighting, from the staircase onwards was this dim ambient sort... nice.
The resto was empty when we got in and so we had a choice of seating. They have a split floor on one side of the resto with seating down there. Seating was around this little depressed well too. There is also a glass wall partitioned semi-outdoors set-up which seemed really pleasant, but with the kids and the climate we decided to stick indoors. They do have a decent liquor list but we decided against it as it was a working day in the morning. Here is a look at what we ate.
The Lagan ki Boti was described as mutton cubes marinated in garam masala spices, onion, yogurt and placed in the tandoor. These came out like kebabs when served and were quite soft. Despite the onions and garlic, it did not leave you searching for a mouth freshener.
We also wanted to have a vegetarian starter and went in for Karare Aloo ki Tukde. Their description of spicy potato cubes marinated with spices and curd and put in the tandoor was spot on... at least on the spicy aspect. Our initial thoughts of giving this to the kids was instantly chucked out. It was spicy and by the time we were finished, we had a glasses of water replenished twice over.
Safest bet for the kids was aloo parathas and this they had quite willingly. The parathas were soft, loaded with butter and stuffed to the hilt with mildly spiced potato. It was really a nice choice for the little mouths.
And for us grown ups, we teamed together Kesari Chooze ki Salan - which was chicken cubes with spinach and fenugreek in a onion-garlic base. This too was grainy in texture and went well with the makki ki rotis that we had ordered (below).
We needed one more side dish and that was Bhuna Dum ka Ghosht. Again, a similar tomato-onion-garlic-possibly almond/cashew paste gravy. Nice, because of the ingredients in it, but nothing to remember when hunger strikes at 3 in the morning.
And can we leave without desserts in a north Indian meal - the kids had gulab jamuns that were served warm = great. We had two shahi tukde go around. The slices of bread were quite thin and there were two to a plate, but still the taste was quite nice.
Gulab Jamun (above)
Shahi Tukde (Below)
Overall it was a pleasant meal to end the weekend. I wouldn't term it spectacular and my all time north Indian khana favorite continues to remain Sahib, Sindh, Sultan. The loo is not really in a discreet part of the restaurant and considering that my daughter loves to announce where she is going, it can get a bit embarrassing. The loo is clean though. This meal came to around Rs 2000 for 5 adults and 3 kids. This is without alcohol, which I still feel is reasonable. If you are in the area and want a pleasant meal, this is a good choice.
Address: No: 84, ST Bed, 4th Block Koramangala, Bangalore
Phone:42124141
Cuisine: North Indian
Wallet factor: Rs 700 for two with alcohol
Cards Accepted: Yes
Parking: Yes, small space outside restaurant
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