Kempegowda International Airport - An Experience, Bangalore

I have always loved the elegance of the Bangalore Airport - KIAL (Kempegowda International airport. The glass ceiling makes way for all natural light during the day while the nights are well lit, unlike various airports when the lighting just seems inconsistent.In numerous visits what has worked for me is the spaciousness, the lighting (both natural and generated) and the cleanliness.

This view only got renewed when I got the privilege of spending a day at the airport, exploring the new offerings that are now in place for a discerning traveler. For this specific day, the corporate office of KIAL organized for journalist passes which provided us with special access to the airport terminal. We did get through special lines meant for the airport crew and team but I must make a mention that, "At no point in time was the security compromised. We did go through the same elaborate security check process as would anyone at KIAL."

Post its inauguration in May 2008, the airport recently underwent an expansion to increase its capacity to support 18 million passengers per year. With this expansion, KIAL has not only achieved increase in capacity but has also given travelers numerous reasons to arrive in early to the airport and spend time experiencing a wide array of services that have now been introduced. While it was exciting, it was

For travelers with lots of time on hand:

On the international departure side of the airport, 'Bar 380' is the new and swanky bar. It offers the best of views of the one and only airport runway and the Bangalore landmark 'Nandi Hills'. The name 'Bar 380 Degrees' is an ode to the first A-380 which is expected to make its first landing at the Bangalore airport in the near future. Going by the theme, the menu presented is in the form of a passport with a lovely listing of international food and beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic). I tried the 'BIAL French fries', 'Bruschetta', 'fish and chips' and a lovely 'fresh watermelon juice. My pick of the lot was the good old 'Fish and Chips' and the fresh watermelon juice. Pricing here definitely intrigues me as it busts the age old myth that, "Pricing at airports are really unreasonable and sky high."

Clockwise from the top: Menu for the day, Coaster and Passport style menu at Bar 380

Sampler Platter

Known to have one of the highest international traffic in the country, the airport has a fabulous duty free shop which boasts of a lovely collection of duty free goods like alcohol, perfumes and a lot more at prices better than US, Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong airport; to name a few. If your question is - Did I get to buy liquor from the duty free shop? My answer is  - 'No, as a boarding pass is mandatory'. But, how I wish....

Unlike most airports, the emphasis here is on serving freshly prepared food and beverages to travelers. Keeping this in mind, in addition to 'Bar 380' KIAL has also introduced 3 other restaurants - 'Noodle Bar', '7 Tawas' and 'Malgudi Tiffin Center'. '7 Tawas' offers North Indian food like samosa chaat, kathi rolls and more while 'Noodle Bar' offer Chinese food where one gets to assemble their own noodles for instance. At both these restaurants, you get to see the food being prepared right in front of you. When can you grab a grub? Anytime of the day or night - It operates round the clock.

Masala Chaas @ 7 Tawas

Chicken Tikka Kathi Roll

Busy work schedules sometimes allow no time for a relaxed spa treatment in the regular course of life. So when at the airport with time available before your flight takes off, it might be a good idea to indulge in a relaxing spa treatment at the O2 spa.

O2 Spa

By this time, it felt like I wouldn't be able to eat anymore. But the signature offering at the airport is 'Malgudi Tiffin Center' (MTC) was yet to be visited. Located on the domestic side of the terminal, this restaurant has a feel of the refurbished house shown in RK Laxman's 'Malgudi days'. Specializing in the cuisine of South India's Coastline covering Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, this restaurant is a must visit for its sheer delicacies. 

The food arrived and I was all hungry again. A look at the thali and I knew 'It was a trap!' - 'A food trap'; a plate full of food that looked downright delicious. I got to try the 'Gongura Kodi (Chicken)', 'Mangalore Fish Curry' and 'Mutton Varutharacha Curry' with an assortment of accompaniments like 'Malabar Paratha, 'kallappam', 'iddiappam', 'sannas' and 'rice'. Suddenly, I couldn't stop eating for its sheer deliciousness. For dessert there was 'Palada Payasam' and the meal was finally rounded off with a glass full of 'cold badam milk'.

Non-Vegetarian Thali

Vegetarian Thali

MTC opens early at 5:30 AM for breakfast and operates all through till 10:30 PM serving and catering to travelers delicious courses of meals. A breakfast and any other meal at MTC will cost around Rs. 350 and Rs. 900  plus taxes for two, respectively. Totally worth the experience.

For travellers with not much time on hand:

The airport very thoughtfully has also set up express counters at both - international and domestic sections of the airport terminal. For continental stuff, there is 'Urban Food Market' which serves pastries, sandwiches, pizzas, burgers and more. It's an apt outlet for those who want something quick - to go.

For the Indian fare there is Malgudi Tiffin Express where you can 'Grab-N-Go' some south Indian delicacies like pakodas, bajjis, rice varieties, some tea or coffee; makes for a perfect accompaniment and an easy way to kill time on flight.

For the non-travelers:
Are you visiting the airport only because you love to drive down the best road in Bangalore? Yes, the very same newly opened stretch of road between Hebbal to the airport? Then there is a lot of grub for you as well - CCD, Cafe Noir, Hatti Kappi, subway and more. And guess what! For all of this stuff, you just need a parking space for your vehicle. No air ticket or no boarding pass required. Again, open round the clock. :)

Signing off:

RendevouzNon-Travelers - Enjoy your drive and some grub available outside the airport complex.

Travelers - Bon Voyage! And, do include the airport experiences in your travel itinerary .

Address: Terminal 1 of Kempegowda International Airport

Posted by Nitin Kandhari

Note: This post was originally published on http://reviewofrestaurants.blogspot.in/

 

When banana leaves replace plates!

A new concept to most people not living in South India, we eat on banana leaves. Yep, just like Adam and Eve. Sounds quite caveman considering we live in a world where we get all kinds of plates to eat on- porcelain, melamine, paper, eco-friendly and the likes. So then why do we eat on leaves?
So, its simple- eating on a nicely washed leaf is hygienic. It adds lots of flavor to the food. A very common sight at weddings and festivals, ''ellai sapadu"is a much awaited affair.

Imagine your attending at a grand south indian wedding. You'll see a lot of mama's and maami's in veshti's and nine-yard sarees bustling around being the perfect hosts. Next thing you know, your sitting in the large dining hall with a big banana leaf in front of you. What do you do? For those unaccustomed to eating with fingers, dont ever try to eat with a spoon- you'll be glared at. Waiters running around carrying food in buckets- yes, buckets are not just for baths alone, sambar and rasam is carried around in steel buckets to serve guests. Soon your going to be served with food. Fair warning: theres a way of serving and eating on an ellai. 

Position your leaf- ensure that the broader end is on your right. The top half of the leaf is served with side dishes and the lower half is for the rice. The right side of the leaf will have a small helping of payasam ( sweet, milky rice sweet- a type of kheer), kesari (a rava sweet) , sweet pongal or any desert items. Whereas, the top left will have a pinch of salt , pickle and raita. Around the middle there will be a lot of fried items like chips, appalam, etc. For every ellai sapadu, vegetables are chosen carefully. Today, a lot of varied rice items are also included in the ellai. Once at a wedding, I was given fried rice on a ellai.
Rice is always served on a plate only when a guest is seated. Sambar, rasam and curd are the various accompaniments along with the traditional ellai sapadu.One must be super careful during this meal- there are times where the leaf might tilt and food will be on your lap. This happens a lot with rasam. 

One feels like a royal, with many waiters waiting on you while you relish each and every bite of the elaborate and delicious meal.

So remember: Whenever you visit South India, dont ever miss out on the traditional ellai sapadu! 

Food Review

“Food tastes best when it’s cooked from the heart”

This is what celebrity Chef Harjinder Singh stands for.  Fondly known as Sweety Singh, he is here in Chennai from Punjab, with his mouth watering Punjabi cuisine at The Crown at Residency Towers.

His charming demeanour and thorough delight in telling us his journey is hard to miss. Highly passionate towards cooking and focused on serving delectable food, Harjinder Singh is one of the most wanted chefs by celebrities - both cricketers and Bollywood. We intently listen as he takes us back to his roots.

“My father ran a small dhaba in Amritsar. It was quite famous and a lot of people visited it. Even after he lost sight to diabetes, he continued cooking based on the smells emanating from the pot and instinctively knew when to add the ingredients. This passion my father showed towards cooking attracted me from a young age and I decided to become a chef.”

Sweety Singh began his career in 1996 at Park Sheraton, Chennai. He fondly remembers the first dishes he ever made - Rajma, Dal Makhani and his signature dish until date - Pindi Chole. There has been no looking back, ever since.

With strong belief in serving “ghar ka khana”, Sweety Singh oversees every single dish made in his kitchen. He believes food tastes best only when masala is added using his fingers. With a small chuckle he adds, “I think one can relish the taste of good food only when eaten with fingers.” Well, don’t we all agree?

Punjabi food is known for being rich and lavish with loads of butter and ghee. Interestingly, Sweety believes in moderation. He doesn’t believe in adding too much fresh cream and nuts to every single dish. He points out that young chefs today add too much cheese, cream, artificial colouring, butter or ghee to enhance the flavour in the food.

Working doubly hard to preserve the taste of authentic Punjabi food, Sweety Singh, like every top chef, has his own “secret” ingredients. The only thing he is willing to share is that these secret ingredients are flavour enhancing masalas.  A staple set of ingredients is what Sweet believes, brings out the flavours in each of his dish. Sweety is also a firm believer in garnishing and presentation.

Then we excitedly, set forth to enjoy our first private dining with Sweet Singh. Our meal began with the popular Punjabi Delight - Lassi. This was followed by an assorted platter of paneer tikka and the gobi kebab, and the exotic dish we enjoyed thoroughly - Beetroot kebab! A vegetable thoroughly boring to eat has been cooked into something so delectable which left us spellbound, as we slowly relished each bite of it.

The main course consisted of Sweety’s signature pindi chole, mutton ghosh and the Punjabi staple - sarson ka saag. This was accompanied with soft and fluffy kulchas. Each dish was cooked perfectly with a generous mix of his secret spices, leaving us completely satiated and in-love with authentic Punjabi cooking.

Sweety Singh also runs a Dhaba in Delhi. But he spends most of his time visiting other hotels, training young chefs. Content with what he does, he says, “People work hard for food, so I feel happy feeding people good food.” We needn’t say more.

Ask him to choose between idli/sambar and aloo paratha? Sweety says aloo paratha wins hands down! A delightful person to meet, his cheerful face and pleasing nature coupled with small doses of humour (he asked me if I chose to be vegetarian in order to find a good husband!) is what makes him who he is today. Sweety Singh has no immediate plans in opening a restaurant in Chennai, but he’s happy to offer consultation to those who want to. Sweety Singh is truly king!

-  Nina Justin was at The Crown, the rooftop restaurant at The Residency Towers in Chennai, on a personal invitation from Sweety Singh.

Red, White and Bean minestrone soup

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil1/4 cup Italian turkey sausage, in small pieces, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 cup chopped onion, 1 cup chopped celery, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 1 cup chopped carrots, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 16 ounces chopped canned tomatoes, 5 cups chicken stock, 15.5 ounces cannellini beans with liquid, 8 ounces red kidney beans, drained 2 cups zucchini cut into 6-inch pieces, 2 cups baby spinach1 1/2 cups baby spinach, 2 tablespoons pre-packaged pesto, 2 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium sauté pan. Add sausage, brown well.
Add tomato paste, cook 5 minutes until brown.
Add onions, celery, garlic, carrots, and oregano. Cook until garlic is aromatic, approximately 5 minutes.
Pour into a 4-quart slow cooker. Add tomatoes and chicken stock.
Cook on low setting for 6–7 hours or until the vegetables are tender.
Stir in beans, zucchini, spinach, and cooked pasta. Cook on high setting for 8 minutes or until beans and pasta are warmed through and spinach has wilted.
To Serve: pour the soup into a bowl. Top with a little pesto and fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Thai chicken coconut noodles recipe

Crunchy green beans work really well with these Thai flavours

Serves - 4

Ready in about 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 x 250g pack dried medium egg noodles
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste (we like Thai Taste, from major supermarkets)
• 400ml can reduced-fat coconut milk
• 600ml chicken stock, hot
• 4 small, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 lemongrass stalk, bruised
• 150g green beans, halved lengthways
• 2 carrots, cut into thin sticks
• 1 tsp soft brown sugar
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lime, plus lime wedges,
• Good handful fresh basil leaves

Method:

How to make thai chicken coconut noodles

1. In a bowl, cover the noodles with boiling water and set aside for 5 minutes, to soften. Drain, refresh in cold water and drain again. Toss in half the oil.

2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the curry paste and stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir in the coconut milk, stock, chicken and lemongrass, cover and simmer for 12 minutes, until the chicken is cooked. Using a slotted spoon, lift the chicken out of the pan and onto a plate, and roughly chop.

3. Return the chicken to the pan with the beans and carrots. Simmer for 2 minutes, then stir in the noodles, sugar, lime zest and juice, and most of the fresh basil leaves and heat through.

4. Season and ladle into bowls. Garnish with lime wedges and the remaining basil leaves.

Wine note: Gallo Family Vineyards Turning Leaf Shiraz Rose. Turning Leaf Shiraz Rose pairs wonderfully with all the beautiful fresh flavours of Thai cuisine and the mildness of the coconut sauce.

Over 100 Super Foods for a Super You

Include These Foods for Maximum Body Benefits

Faster than a speeding bullet… More powerful than a locomotive… Nutrient-packed with health enhancing properties Here come the SUPER FOODS! These foods benefit your body in so many ways. They power your brain, and correctly and efficiently fuel your body. Super foods fight infection, enhance your immune system, and protect against diseases such as osteoporosis, heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, and respiratory infections. While this list of super foods may be longer than most, it shows that great things do come in small packages. These foods are not only healthy, but they're also affordable, familiar, and readily available at regular grocery stores and farmers markets. With so many choices, you'll discover just how easy it is to eat super healthy every day…even when on a tight budget. This is an all-inclusive list, but some foods might not be right for your tastes, preferences or health goals. Remember that no single food can provide everything you need to be healthy. That's why it's important to choose a variety of super foods from each category to meet your daily nutrition needs. Vegetables   Asparagus Avocados Beets Bell peppers Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Collard greens Crimini mushrooms Cucumbers Eggplant Garlic Green beans Kale Mustard greens Onions Peas Portobello mushrooms Potatoes Rainbow chard Romaine lettuce Shiitake mushrooms Spinach Summer squash Sweet potatoes Swiss chard Tomatoes Turnip greens Winter squash Yams Calcium-Rich Foods   Almond milk Cheese, low fat Cottage cheese, low fat Milk, skim or 1% Orange juice with calcium Rice milk Soy milk Yogurt with active cultures, low fat Fruits   Apples Apricots Bananas Black olives Blackberries Blueberries Cantaloupe Cherries Cranberries Figs Grapefruit Grapes Honeydew melon Kiwifruit Lemons Limes Nectarines Oranges Papaya Peaches Pears Pineapple Plums Prunes Raisins Raspberries Strawberries Watermelon Grains   Amaranth Arborio rice Barley Brown rice Buckwheat Bulgur Corn Jasmine rice Millet Oats Quinoa Rye Spelt Triticale Wheat berries Whole grain breads, cereal, pasta Whole wheat breads, cereal, pasta Wild Rice Proteins   Almonds Beef, lean Black beans Cashews Chicken, skinless Chickpeas Egg whites Eggs Fish, unbreaded Flaxseed Garbanzo beans Hemp seeds Hummus Kidney beans Lima beans Lentils Miso Navy beans Nuts Peanut butter, natural Peanuts Pinto beans Pork, lean Pumpkin seeds Salmon, canned or fresh Seafood, unbreaded Sesame seeds Soybeans Sunflower seeds Tahini Tempeh Tofu Tuna, canned or fresh Turkey, skinless Veggie burgers Walnuts Wild game, skinless Miscellaneous   Canola oil Dark chocolate Green tea Olive oil

Designing The ‘Perfect Meal’ With Your Hands

We're celebrating Healthy Eating at Foodathon this week and to start with, let's talk about how to make the perfect meal.

The Perfect Meal takes the complexity out of creating healthy, and goal orientated, meals. It follows a simple system of portion sizes (using your hands) that will help ensure that you consume all of the nutrients required to keep your body happy, healthy, and lean.

So how does it work?

Well, it works on the simple premise that every meal must have a few components, and each of these has a serving size that’s determined by your hands. These components are –

• 2 palms of protein – the building blocks of muscle
• 2 fists of veggies – for vitamins, minerals, and fibre
• 2 thumbs of healthy fat – to improve testosterone levels
• A big glass of water – because you’re probably dehydrated, and as Dan John would say ‘water is the most anabolic thing on this planet’.

That’s a pretty simple way of setting things out, right?

High on Desserts – Chennai Style!

It’s the Valentines week and how else can we celebrate it without some sweets? I know the sweets and bakery market shoot up during Valentines day and here’s Foodathon suggesting few of the best desserts and have a sugar overdose peeps!

That Tiny Chocolate Cake

Don’t you feel it’s tiny? Oh yes, this Tiny Chocolate is definitely a MUST for everyone.  I know you’re writhing in chocolicious ecstasy right now.

This is available in the famous Sandy’s in Chennai and it’s just not this tiny in real, MIND YOU!

Rainbow Cake

Bored of one flavoured cakes?  Then please do try Rainbow cake. This cake which is filled with different colors is not just eye-catchy but equally yummalicioussss!

You get Rainbow cake in Cupcake Company, Chennai. Try out their cupcakes too. Truly blissful!
 

Ice Cream Cannelloni

It's easier to resist at the beginning than at the end, but where does this begin?!

"Leave the gun. Take the canneoli." 

Try these truly delicious canneolis at Amadora Gourmet Ice Cream and Sorbet, Chennai.

A definite must visit at least once in two weeks for the dessert lovers.

What other way to treat your loved ones than desserts? So foodies, STOP DROOLING and it’s time to GET HIGH ON DESSERTS!

Places to eat out on Valentine’s Day - Chennai style

Here are our top picks for Valentine’s Day this year – be it candle light dinner by the pool, some elegant wine, romantic music or irresistible desserts – we have it all covered.

The Taj Club House presents an exotic Chef’s special 5-course Dinner under the starlit sky at the rooftop Mediterranean restaurant, Kefi.

Prego by Taj offers a poolside venue, candle lit dinner, a gourmet handcrafted menu, and the finest bottle of Champagne and a starry sky above make for a memorable evening and dinner.

On the nights of February 13 and 14, Upper Deck and Bay View at Fisherman's Cove have a unique do for Valentine's. Four-course menu, dance floor, music bands... its attractions galore.

At Taj Coromandel, it's Aphrodisia at The Patio and Cupid Nite at Matchpoint. Besides live music, dance floor and a mugshot corner to freeze those romantic memories, a four-course meal (champagne) is on offer at The Patio. At Matchpoint, it's going to be candle-lit dinner.

The Hilton offers alfresco dining experience with a set exclusive dinner menu, a bottle of sparkling wine, strawberries and chocolates, and unlimited soft beverages and alcoholic drinks. Guests will have the choice of dining at the rooftop bar, with a view of the cityscape, or share a romantic evening at the cabanas on Vintage Bank's patio.

Courtyard Marriott has drawn up elaborate Valentine’s Day special plans across its best restaurants. Rhapsody brings to you the ultimate romantic Valentine dinner - an exotic Valentine menu with Italian cuisine, wine, live-band, roses and everything romantic. At Paprika there is an elaborate buffet spread; live counters with a mouth-watering dessert menu.

Hyatt’s Valentine Day package that includes multiple experiences starting from pre-dinner beverages at the bar, followed by dinner at Stix and to end the evening on a sweet note they have a special dessert buffet at the pool side in specially decorated cabanas.

The Residency Towers hosts a sumptuous Buffet, Candle light dinner comprising 35 dishes bearing names inspired by romantic heroes and places with Live Music at the Main Street. Key Board artiste Francis will sing your favourite romantic songs. The roof top restaurant The Crown Deck that serves Indian and continental cuisine has a chef handcrafted Valentine’s Day special menu and also Heather & Ashley Playing Live romantic music to dine alfresco at the deck with a breath taking panoramic view of the Chennai City.

Radisson Blu GRT, GST Road offers romantic candle light dinner by the Poolside and Garden Café coupled with flowing wine, live romantic music and a special menu with cupid's favourites on the specials.

At GRT Grand, a special a la carte menu by chef David Kao is an attraction at Oriental Pearl, while a special mock tail will be offered to guests visiting Copper Point.

The Westin promises a special Valentine themed evening at Seasonal Tastes the 
city’s most elaborate dinner buffet specially crafted for families and couples. Signature dessert buffet spread of macaroons, chocolate and strawberry themed delights.

For those who are madly in love, Mad over Donuts has introduced <3 shaped donuts. The love specials come in three exciting flavours:

1. Sweetheart: Dipped in white chocolate. Filled with strawberry jelly. Topped with chocolate sprinkles and drizzled with strawberry jelly 
2. Berry MOON: Dipped in white chocolate, topped with strawberry butter cream rosette and a drizzle of strawberry jelly 
3. I Love Hazel: Filled with hazelnut and milk chocolate ganache, dipped in dark chocolate and topped with chocolate chips. So go ahead and experience pure bliss that’s not only in the air, but on your plate too!