Monkey Bar now at Indiranagar ~A Restaurant Review

You want to monkey around with some good food,  drinks and of course some good company and get twice the excitement? Then Monkey Bar part 2 is the place to unwind. Where is it located?..... strategically located on bustling 12th Main Indiranagar - so the place cannot be missed.

The interiors are exposed brick wall strung with the quirky wall posters and to add to the unconventional look there is a scooter and a model plane making a presence from the roof – yup just look up while you drink and eat.  The monkey bar has a nice mezzanine floor and basement to count in space enough for some drunken monkeys to prance around. The emphasis is definitely on fresh, innovative and affordable, in a cool yet laid back, vibe atmosphere.

Well let's get to the serious part which is the eats: We started off with some Pirogies, the Polish version of the pan-fried momos filled with chicken, celery and jalapeno and the spicy Italian pork sausage mince - this time chicken trumped pork for me. You can’t get  enough of the chicken pirogies that had everything you needed - meat, crunch from the celery, heat from the jalapeno and tangy from sour cream which came along as a dip.

Chicken and Pork Pirogies

Next up was the Tempura Calamari, well nothing wrong with that one,  one can bite into the crunch from the crispy batter which is glazed in green curry and then drizzled with some wasabi mayo and fresh scallions for the added freshness.

Tempura Calamari

Crab Rangoon

The Crab Rangoon written on the little black board was something that caught my attention apart from the "Death sauce" placed in a rather convincing way its hard to resist it - the sauce is a deadly thing in the cutlery holder of every table and I dare anyone to try this.... the spice level definitely takes you to levels you wouldn't have EVER sensed AND I mean that.
The Crab Rangoon is a fried wonton stuffed with crab and cream cheese. You wouldn't have a count of how many have popped into the mouth once the dish comes onto the table - 'Mind You'.

Then came these cute little cuddles of Goan Chorizo Pao,  for those who love the vinegary taste of the sausage meat against some freshly baked paos which are hardly the size of the palms mmm mmm mmm!!! You may consider ordering one more plate of it so as to avoid a scramble on the table..(that’s how finger licking good these paos are)

Goan Chorizo Pao

Pandi Curry and Pita Bread

The most ordered and well sought after dish is the Pandi Curry with the Pita Bread, this is one pork dish that will definitely delighted by one and all ordering this Porky dish – delish is the word.












Burgers  are meant to be messy, juicy with all the right condiments all neatly piled up. But this burger is called the BBQ Burger  - a sloppy joe filled with juicy pork and bbq sauce enough to make your tummy sing.

If you can't do away from the table without the little of a rice in your repertoire then there is a very hearty 'Parsee Orderlies’... mutton curry served with savory rice and finished with a sprinkling of Amul Cheese. The Berry Pulao  is a simple style pulav with morsels of  chicken and a generous measure of nicely caramelized onions.

BBQ Pork Burger

I did not have desserts due to an SOS call from home so just had to rush out, never the less my bloggers meet at Monkey Bar was more than satisfying!! But a recommendation is the Chocolate Pot De Creme which is a chocolate lover's haven in every bite. Also let me mention I did not try any of their alcoholic drinks as I’m 'preggers' and stayed safe at a simple Mojito Mocktail. For those wanting to give it their shot with some good drinks I recommend the Ginger Rogers a refreshing concoction of ginger ale, ginger and peach syrup that’s comes in a coconut shaped ceramic pot. Red Riding Wood  made from Vodka, Fresh Plum, Passion fruit  and Apple juice.  Wild Leaf is another one to try which is a refreshing drink made from lime leaves and passion fruit.

Well Monkey Bar has raised his itself in terms of the space and lives upto his expectations in terms of food drinks and ambiance. So they are serious at Monkeying this Bar Up.

Open from 12 Noon to 11 PM (Mon-Thu), 12 Noon to 1 AM (Fri-Sat), 12 Noon to 11:30 PM (Sunday)

MONKEY BAR

12th Main, (Near Apple of My I or Diagonally Opp State Bank Of India), 

Indiranagar, 

Bangalore.

Ph:  080- 44114455 

Parking: Valet available

Cost: Rs.1800/- (exclusive of taxes) for a meal for two

Also located at 

14/1, Krishna Manere, 

Wood Street, Richmond Road, 

Ashoknagar, 

Bangalore

Ph: 080 - 41116878, 080 - 41116879

California Pizza Kitchen Small Cravings Festival

Thai Chicken Satay

California Pizza Kitchen introduces their Short Eats, Small Cravings festival which kick started on the 5th of March and is on till the end of the March. And since then some of the short eats remains on the menu. CPK is a chain widely known for its innovative  and non traditional pizza, they also serve various kinds of pasta, salads and desserts. The last month the fest was all about showcasing a set of 8 appetizers which are not on their menu. The idea is to bring their discerning patrons a taste of the best the professionals at CPK have innovated.

Bocconcini & Cherry Tomato Bruschetta

The Pan Asian Style Chicken Cakes, are crunchy little morsels and goes well with your drinks. The Crispy Mac and Cheese is a good twist to the kids menu. The regular Mac and Cheese which is then made into small b little balls, coated with panko bread crumbs and then deep fried. Anything deep fried is a definite hit for anyone in general, and this appetizer just made us go for a second.

Chicken Taquitos

Crispy Mac & Cheese

The short eats festival had the following dishes to try Bocconcini & Cherry Tomato Bruschetta a good bite into a soft boncoccini against the tardiness of the tomatoes with a crunch. Black Bean Quesadillas, which  is a simple. Thai Chicken Satay, an appetizer, where I found the peanut dip too good to resist with the perfectly grilled chicken. The Serrano Cheese Toast, which were pretty ordinary cheesy toasts with a bite of the chili and onion and nothing really to rave about.

Serrano Cheese Toast

 The Chicken Taquitos are plateful of crispy rolls with a filling of chicken served with a dip of a good salsa. All these appetizers come at a price of INR149. And after all the samplers we had on the table, one cannot end a meal without going for a slice of pizza. We had the

Black Bean Quesadilla

The desserts at CPK are worth not only a mention but worth a dig, because you'd be licking your spoon with an indulgence that would leave you in nothing short of a "sugar high". The CPK signature Red Velvet Cake and Tiramisu are their fastest moving and I wouldn't disagree on that. The Red Velvet Cake are layers of red cake with a creamy vanilla cream cheese frosting.

The Tiramisu beckons to all Coffee and Chocolate lovers. The tag line of this dessert is "pick me up" is an indulgence of Italian Mascarpone, with lady fingers soaked in Kahlua and espresso, topped with a Coffee sabayon and grated chocolate. This is my personal favorite due to my chocolate and coffee inclination above all flavors.

Two new entrants to the dessert menu is the White Chocolate Praline Mousse, bound to be a hit. The praline base is enriched with  pistachio and then covered in a decadent chocolate ganche. CPK goes tropical with the other new dessert which is the Coconut Banana Cake another goodness of the coconut and banana creme with a side curlicue of whipped cream.

Now if you were to not go on a gastronomic high then for sure I'd be lying! Try CPK for their new entrants on the menu and enjoy some excitingly new flavors this year! I'm sure to hear great reviews for CPK, let me know your experiences too!!!! Cheers.

California Pizza Kitchen 
284, 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar

Tel: 080 64048888, 080 64058888

Valet Parking Available

The Island ~ A Restaurant Review

A posh resto bar located on 80ft road Indiranagar and it’s a place noticed by one a many passing by on that road. Once you walk in to the Island, you would be pleasantly transported to a beach side appeal; large white walls, low seating, cascading waterways, thatched umbrellas, hammocks and the candle lights placed all to just set you in the mood. The Island has a nice long bar on one side and above that an elevated balcony for those wanting to host a private party. One part of the restaurant is also reserved for a more serious and formal dinner for those wanting a sit down sort of dinner.For those who love to drink, the menu comprises of a good range of cocktails from your regular to their house specialties which would be the Island Special Cocktail. The menu also hosts varied options on nibbles from all over the world and for Starters we ordered the Spicy Cilantro Chicken which is a plateful of crispy chicken morsels with the rightful amount of spice cooked in the oriental style, Texas Buffalo Wings are finger licking good with the American bbq flavors laced in. The Peri Peri Grilled Fish comes nicely with some South African Spice dominating the palate with the fish grilled with all the moistness of the king fish intact.
Since we were one big family of bloggers that evening we also got to try the Veg Sampler comprising of crumb fried cheese-balls, spiced potato wedges, beer batter fried onion rings and nachos served with mint sauce and aioli which I should say is quite a generous plateful served to the lot of us. All the starters score full marks on presentation and on taste.

We also had a try at the Char Grilled Lamb with Rosemary which was an interesting take of the Indian Spices and a non Indian Herb like the Rosemary, an average dish. The Main Course has again varied options from Pizza's, Fajitas, Pastas and Risotto's and some rather interesting Steaks.We were so stuffed with the starters that the main course just did'nt make way to our tummies. But how can one end a meal without a dessert. And to conclude the meal we ask the chef to make his recommendations and there makes way a Grand Duchess, a white cream and coconut mousse served with some exotic berries. My son got a choco-extravaganza of a Sunken Chocolate Cake which is an  indulgence of layered mousse and cake served with a coffee sauce. Though 'we had to wait' for the arrival of the desserts, they were worth it, because we were digging in wanting more of that smoothness and creaminess we were offered.

Grand Duchess

On Sundays the restaurant has a lot more happening for families and children with a bouncy castle, face painting and much more whilst the adults get to enjoy their brunch. The brunch is available from 12pm to 3:30pm. The regular buffet is available from Monday to Saturday at INR299 including taxes.

My verdict: What we loved about the Island is the ambience, the starters and the presentation of the dishes. The Spicy Cilantro Chicken, Texas Buffalo Wings, Veg Sampler and the Grand Duchess is definitely on the list of must order. One thing to notice is that the menu has lot of options for the vegetarians which is aptly taken care off. The average cost for two INR2000.

The Island,# 3 80 ft Road, Indiranagar, Bangalore -560038

Working Hours - 12 noon to 11pm

Telephone: 41261114

Valet Parking available