Psst! Nando's has a new menu

Nando's invited me for a Bloggers Table dinner to celebrate the launch of a new menu. They promised me a food-gasmic experience. 

Here's a photo tour...

Nando's is a casual dining restaurant originating from South Africa with a Portuguese & Muzambican theme. The Nando's at ITPB has a great ambiance with lots of space...

The decor is charming...

Peri-Peri is the core differentiator of Nando's. Almost all the dishes here are flavored using the peri-peri sauce. Nando's peri-peri sauce is made from African bird's eye chili and the recipe is a closely guarded secret...

Considering the sizable vegetarian population in this region, Nando's has come up with a menu only for vegetarians available exclusively in India...

As I am a non-vegetarian, I decided to try a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes...

Started with flame grilled chicken wings. Chicken was soft and the peri peri sauce was doing its bit to tingle my taste buds...

From the vegetarian menu I had grilled watermelon and paneer dish called Something Exotic. The innovative combination of paneer and watermelon was most refreshing and my palate wakes up to some new sensations...  

Out of the five cocktails I tasted, my favorite was Vanilla Caipirinha, a light concoction of vanilla, white rum, fresh lemon and mint topped with ice cold sprite.  Other delightful cocktails included Naughtea Peach, Sangria, Mojito and Long Island Iced Tea...

I paired the drink with a simple Caesar salad with chunks of chicken and a drizzle of peri peri goodness...

PERi crusted wings...

Spicy Mixed Olives, Roasted veg dip, warm pita and Hummus...

Three bean salad...

Grilled Chicken burger...

Black Mushroom and Sweet chilli Burger...

Angry mango chicken burger. This remains my favorite...

And the Butterfly Burger...

Corn on cob...

NO Bones Platter. The distinctive butterfly shaped double breasted delight is a must have...

Spicy rice was good. It had mild flavor which complemented well with the butterfly chicken breast...

Veg Espetada Carnival is served on a skewer holder...

The carrot cake was all right with the white choco-frosting and roasted hazelnuts...

And the selfie spree by my co-diner, Noorain Sobiya...

Most of the dishes were tantalizing and delicious. And yes, few of them did induce the promised food-gasm. 

Leaving you with the beautiful smile of my host, Shambhavi Mishra...

New menu additions at Mango Tree Bistrobar

I was invited for a Chef's Table lunch featuring the new menu at Mango Tree Bistrobar, Bangalore. The new menu showcases Thai dishes with a twist and some additions of famous Pan-Asian dishes that have the same flavour profile as Thai food.  

Here's a photo tour... 

The starters included Grapow Sang Choi Bao - minced chicken with basil chili lettuce wrap. The sharp hits of chili together with refreshing lettuce and herbs brought an array of sensations. A starter that wakes up your taste buds and prompts you to explore... 

Baby Corn Tempura - crispy baby corn with sweet and sour dipping sauce. I love the presentation...

There are some innovative cocktails, too...

 Talking of innovative cocktails, this wrapped drink was a first for me. Great idea for a blind tasting session to guess the ingredients. It also comes with chips to munch in between sips...



Fish Kung Pao - spicy stir-fried fish fillet was delicately flavoured and just melted in my mouth...

Salt & Pepper Prawn - Sauteed with salted black beans and garlic. This was my favorite in the menu as the plump prawns were perfectly cooked and the garlic flavor mildly stood out...

Pad Thai - stir-fried rice noodles with special tamarind sauce were interesting...

Jasmine Rice and Thai Green Curry - Sweet and spicy green curry is definitely recommended for its flavor and silkiness...

For dessert, Mango Sticky Rice is a very interesting choice. The ripe mangoes goes really well with the sweet sticky rice....

The innovative additions and twists make it a fun dining experience. The service is unhurried and nice. Do check it out if you want a slightly unusual dining experience.

Leaving you with some beautiful smiles...

Summer festival at Cafe Mangii

The summer so far has been a very challenging one. In India, this has been one of the deadliest summers with soaring temperatures. So, when Café Mangii invited me to the Summer Festival, and promised plenty of summer friendly food, I was only too glad to attend. Here's a photo tour...

I have taken to eating lots of fruits and vegetables during the hot days as many fruits contain water that will further keep the body cool and hydrated. The Summer menu had lots of vegetables and fruits in the offing and my dear wife was really looking forward to this meal...

While we were waiting, a bread basket was set in front of us along with a bowl of butter. I liked the herb-laden rolls...

We ordered Fruit Sangria to drink. White wine for her and red wine for me...

Watermelon Gazpacho soup. Made from ground cucumber with watermelon bits, green tomatoes and garnished with feta cheese, croutons and mint was an instant cooler...

Chilled Melon and Fresh Alphonso Soup with bit of pistachio on the rim. Loved it...

The Salads variety was quite immense. The Melon and Mango Bouquet had ripe mango, scalloped melon, onion, sweet peppers drizzled with mini mojito...

Rosemary Chicken with Hot and Sweet Mango Pickle was an interesting salad. The tomatoes, rucola, baby spinach with the mango pickle were a great combination of flavors... 

Watermelon Pizza - Slices of  watermelon topped with feta cheese, balsamic vinegar and greens...

Let us move on to the appetizers. Pina Colada Chicken - coconut chicken tender served with creamy pina colada vinaigrette dip. This remains my wife's favorite... 

Zucchini Crisps - flowered golden fried squash with labneh...

Crispy Chicken with Asparagus and Tomatoes. This had a nice mild hint of basil in the aftertaste... 

I should mention that the Fruit Sangria was most refreshing and was perhaps the best drink to wash it all down...  

Let us move on to the main course. Apricot Glazed Hen - wood fire roast chicken served with cilantro whipped potatoes, green bean and apricot glaze...

Summer Spaghetti - hand cooked spaghetti in a red and yellow cherry tomato sauce...

Salmon al Cartoccio - Salmon fillet marinated in ginger soy and brown sugar served with roast almonds and snow peas...

How can a meal end without desserts? 
Chocolate Brownie...

Fresh Cream and Mangoes...

There are a number of other items in the Summer Menu. You should ideally give it a try to cool off and eat something which is a tasty way of combating the heat.