There is a lot happening for food aficionados in Bangalore right now. Restaurant Week commences on April 1st and is on till April 10th in Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai. General bookings are now on and I thought it would be fun to look through the menus of all the participating restaurants and see what is on offer. Here is what I found.

Azure - looks like a really well balanced menu with equal number of choices for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Though many of the dishes sound familiar, they have an interesting twist - like the battered calamari and octopus with chilled iceberg or the Panko crusted chicken escallops with tahina. What really piqued my interest was the Kolokithi - zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant chips. Among the entrees it is the Valencian Sea food paella and the beetroot carrot gnocchi with four cheese sauce that caught my eye. If I do visit this place I would most probably end with the red wine, figs and seasonal fruit gelato. Click here to look at the menu. 

Baluchi: Can't get a better excuse that RWI to visit this place. Among the appetizers I have my mind set on the Galawat e bulbul - a kebab made of milk... now that sounds like something. Among the starters and main course gravies is a number of chicken options, a lesser number of mutton and one rabbit option as well. Vegetarians don't have to despair because there is a decent number of options for them as well. And among the desserts, the Taw eke Seb - green apple infused with cinnamon and cooked on a tawa is what will find its way to my table if I visit this place. Click here to check out the menu.

Benjarong: Easy enough menu that has been split into a vegetarian and non-vegetarian spread. Their classic of pandanus leaves is present in both with tofu and chicken options. Its been a top choice when we have visited the restaurant.The meal will be a huge one since you get to choose two appetizers, a soup and sald, 2 main courses and rice + noodles as well. So make sure to take your eating pants along. Click here to check out the menu. 


Blue Ginger: Interesting that Blue Ginger has gone with a vegetarian and non-vegetarian bento box with soup and dessert. Though the bento box in itself is complete, if you are two non-vegetarians or vegetarians for that matter, you will not have a choice in what is served unless you have some dietary restrictions. Click here to check out the menu.

Blue Terrain: Now this is what I would call choice. Lot of interesting choices like the Pan seared Foie Gras, BBQed Quail, Jack Daniels Glazed Beef Brochettes, Rock Lobster - and for the grill section you get to choose your rub or seasoning... I have my confirmation for this place! Check out the menu here.

Cafe Noir: An old hand at RWI, Cafe Noir has kept it smart and balanced, two options each for the meat eaters and vegetarians in the appetizers. 2 for the vegetarians and 3 for the non-vegetarians in main courses. And just two options in desserts. Maybe they could have had a few more here considering their desserts are what they are largely known for. Appreciate that these guys have a coffee/tea on offer or the option between a glass of red sangria or red or white Vindiva wine. Check out the menu here.

Caperberry: We visited last year at RWI and thoroughly enjoyed our meal here. The choice is completely different from last year which is great. Am not sure about the others on this count. The menu is interesting with the tomato and crab meat soup catching my eye, along with the grilled halibut. The eggless and sugarfree pannacotta too will be an interesting try. Click here to check out the menu.

Dakshin and Dum Pukht Jolly Nabobs: I am totally in love with the menus here. What they have done is create 2 sets of menus for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Instead of choosing a dish, you choose a menu and you get everything on those menus. Generally in RWI, these restaurants are among the topmost sellers and get booked pretty much immediately. The sound of Khus khus kebab, elaneer payasam, pomegranate champ and more just sound too good. Click here for Dakshin and here for Dum Pukht.


Ente Keralam: They have the best of Kerala on their menu. Choices are in the appetizers and soups, while you get the range of main courses served to you on a plaintain leaf. There is quite a spread in both the vegetarian and non-vegetarian sections - classics like the kadala curry, naadan kozhi curry, meen curry are all available. Check out the menu here.

Graze: This restaurant has stuck to the basics - 2 options in each section for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Great for a couple, slightly repetitive for a larger group. But its the Graze and brilliant taste is a given. The lobster bisque would be on my radar as would the gnocchi. Check out the menu here.

Likethatonly: One of those places that shot up to instant fame and for good reason. The menu has some of the best things I have had here - beef and jalapeno gyoza, vegetable massaman curry, steamed snapper curry and for desserts, if you like tart flavors then the Tarte au Citron is what you should be ordering. Click here to read the menu.

Masala Klub: The vegetarian and non-vegetarian menu has extensive choices. The lemon grass rasam, water chestnut and lotus stem curry, barrah kebab and tamarind sorbet all sound very interesting. Couple of the dishes are a repeat of the vegetarian menu. Think of it as a way of tasting a bit of your vegetarian counterpart's meal. Click here for the menu.


Mezzaluna: Distance from city center not withstanding, this place is brilliant on any given day. I have been there for a few blogger's table and have never been disappointed. My picks would be the Mixed Rome seafood soup, tortelli filled with spinach and ricotta cheese, chargrilled tenderloin with sauteed spinach and more if I could fit it in. Here is a look at the menu.


Olive Beach: You can't possibly go wrong with the baked brie, ravioli of short beef spare rib and the lemon mousse at the Olive Beach. Granted the menu is not extensive but you are not going to be disappointed with what you get. Check out the menu here.


Shiro: We visited this place as well last year and thoroughly enjoyed the meal. The choices seem a bit more extensive this time, though you choose only one dish in every category. The chilli lemon soup, the sushi, grilled prawns with wasabi mayo and more all sound good to me. Click here for the menu.

Teppan: First off, they are not doing sushi, but you will get the whole pomp and show at the teppanyaki table which can more than make up. It did sound disappointing to me at first, but then there is a lot more to Japanese food than just sushi and this will be a good way to experience it. Their Gomuku Soup and their Tori Kara Age sound great. Click for the menu.

The Pink Poppadom: I have liked this place the one time I visited it for a workshop, so the small menu does sound really interesting. From the Galouti Kebab and Basil Chicken to the Coorg Chicken and Kasundi Fish with Ghee rice, it all sounds good. Check it out here.

Trader Vic's: A new entry on RWI, the menu is again not very extensive, but does sound nice. Vietnamese Mango mint rolls and Senior Vic's stuffed chillies would be what I would be trying. You could check the rest of the menu here.

These menus are all available for Lunch and Dinner at Rs 750++ per head. An absolute steal, even if I do repeat the obvious. You can start making your bookings here.