The aroma of the coconut oil being heated on a pan, the tempting curries and payasam dishes spread across the table is what God's Own Country's food is about. Here are some of the restaurants that serve the best of Kerala cuisine in Namma Koramangala and HSR layout.

When you set foot into Kumarakom in HSR layout, it feels like you have stepped into open courtyard house in Kerala with all the woodwork and high ceiling. It has with some typical kerala features like the chuttu vilakku and some fine cane and wood furniture.

The pearl spot fish is brought from the backwaters of Kerala on a daily basis to Bangalore. The masala used here is a blend of very special spices unique to only the Kumarakom restaurants! Their perfectly lacy Appams and Beef Ularthiyathu is the most asked-for dish here. The Ularthiyathu has the right amount of…

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The movie 3 Idiots, has this famous scene with Kareena Kapoor and Aamir Khan that refers to Gujarati dishes - Dhokla, Faafda, Thepla, Haandva. Watching the movie again made me yearn for those yummy delicacies. I set out to find some in Jayanagar.

A typical north Indian village setup where you are welcomed with vermilion on your forehead. Village, Jayanagar, has the perfect atmosphere for a wonderful dining experience. Such an unusual welcome in a restaurant! You can play Dandia-raas in the open space. The puppet shows will definitely keep the children engrossed. The Mehendi counters offer a wide range of Mehendi designs to apply. The ambience takes you on a virtual journey to Gujarat.

The food counters around you will put you to a dilemma as to what to try and what to leave for the next time. The Bataka na Bhajiya (potato bhajji) and the…

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Do you want to taste authentic Chinese cuisine without the tadka? Here are some options you can check out in Jayanagar. 

Three Quarter Chinese at Jayanagar is a perfect place to hangout during weekends as it is a part of a set up that includes Amoeba bowling alley and games floor for children and grown-ups. The restaurant specialises in authentic Chinese and north Indian cuisines.

The ambience is posh and the hospitality is good. Golden Fried Babycorn and Chicken Taipei are the most sought-after starters here. The restaurant serves buffet lunch at Rs.350 without alcohol. "The best of all the buffets I have had in Bangalore. This place is an absolute delight right from the moment you walk-in and the menu is great", says Shashank Srinivas, a customer. Wallet factor: Rs.1000 for two (without alcohol)

Noble House is one of the best known Chinese restaurants in Jayanagar.…

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The urge to eat Chinese cuisine made me hunt for a smaller version of China here in Bengaluru and I searched for some genuine Chinese cuisine restaurants here. When that sour and spicy taste mixes on the tongue, China does not seem far away. Check out some of the best restaurants serving Chinese cuisine in Koramangala and HSR layout.

The pungent aromas from the Sichuan province attracted me to Sichuan, a Chinese restaurant in Koramangala. The vegetarian dishes here prominently feature Broccoli, Zucchini, Red and Yellow Bell Peppers, Bok Choy leaves that adds a different flavour to the food.

Some of their specialties include Lemon Coriander Chicken, Chicken Teriyaki, Prawn Kungpao, and Sizzling Chongqing Chicken.

The average cost for a meal for two is Rs. 500.

It is not often that one finds pure vegetarian chinese restaurants so Luo Han in HSR Layout was welcome change. The Ming style vases…

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Birthdays are not just simple affairs with a bunch of friends, cake, balloons and candles, anymore. Today, childrens' birthday bashes can be quite a fancy event with everything from bouncing castles to magic shows, all managed by professionals.

Hotels/party halls have tie ups with event management companies for the décor and theme of the party though it is optional. "The basic décor starts at Rs 3000, magic show at Rs 2,500, tattooing at Rs 1,500 and caricature at Rs 2,500", says Srinivas N, an event manager.

"My five year old son is always excited to go to a birthday party just for the games and return gifts. It's a new concept, but kids enjoy a lot", says Padmaja Vinod, 33, a homemaker.

Here are a few of the venues where your child's birthday party can be celebrated in south Bangalore.

Pai Viceroy, which houses an exclusive party hall, is…

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Birthdays are not anymore a simple affair with a bunch of friends, cake, balloons and candles. Today, childrens' birthday bashes can be quite a fancy event with everything from bouncing castles to magic shows, all managed by professionals.

Hotels/party halls have tie ups with event management companies for the décor and theme of the party though it is optional. "The basic décor starts at Rs 3000, magic show at Rs 2,500, tattooing at Rs 1,500 and caricature at Rs 2,500", says Srinivas N, an event manager.

"My five year old son is always excited to go to a birthday party just for the games and return gifts, it's a new concept, but kids enjoy a lot", says Padmaja Vinod, 33, a housewife.

Here are few of the venues in Koramangala where your child's birthday party can be celebrated

Magnolia, an authentic Chinese and Thai restaurant in Koramangala, is…

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Gorging on delicious but high calorie junk food no doubt gives pleasure to our taste buds, but along with it comes guilt and weight; guilt of having indulged on so much fat and so many calories. The result is crash diets and skipping dinners, which are believed to be extremely unhealthy.

It is a myth that healthy food cannot be tasty. You will realise this when you visit Nature Nest, a food joint in Jayanagar. This place offers a variety of fruit salads, vegetable salads, vegetable soups, vegetable sprouts, ice creams made only out of fruit pulps and tender coconut water in 18 different flavours. The prices range from Rs 25 to Rs 65 which can be considered reasonable.

Nature Nest is six months old with two outlets, one in Jayanagar and the other in Rajajinagar. The most sought after and unique dish here is ‘Hareera', a…

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Indulging in chocolates and ice creams is surely irresistible. But along with it comes the fear of that bulging waistline. This time, how about some healthy treat to your body! Salads are the way to go. Mind you! It is not the usual boring carrots and tomatoes on a platter that I am talking about. I stepped out to check out some of the coolest salad joints in Koramangala.

Namdhari's Fresh - One word that attracted me to Namdhari's was "Organic". The fruits and vegetables are grown in their own farms, the organic way. Indian ingredients get together with continental styles and gives you a blend of different variety of salads.

One of the most tempting salads that would bring you back to this place every time is Waldorf salad. A mixture of fruits and dry fruits with a dash of fresh low fat cream and strawberry jam,…

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With soaring temperatures ice creams become a necessity. Be it a candy or a whole box of it, no one wants to say no to it. Here are some of the ice cream shops in Jayanagar.

From mobile ice creams carts to an exclusive ice cream parlour, Kwality Wall's Swirls is at your reach. Situated amidst the busy Jayanagar 4th block, it is one of the places where one can relax on a bean bag. The parlour is having an offer where you buy a Cornetto 'love potion swirl' and you get a love token for free. The love token is a fridge magnet in the form of a heart. The offer is available till the end of February. Ice creams are available from a range of Rs. 46 for scoops to Rs. 115 for Desserts.

Address: Shop no. 24, (old no. 63), 27th cross, 4th block, Jayanagar.…

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Swensens, a popular American ice-cream chain is now a well-known hangout place for ice-cream lovers near the 80 feet road in Koramangala. With 40 different Sundae varieties and 24 different flavors, Swensen's has the perfect ambience to relish a scoop of ice-cream. The three popular flavors, which have been attracting a lot of customers, are the nutty crispy tower, Ceit tower at Rs 139 each and the hot fudge bonaza split at Rs 119. Price range is Rs 60 per scoop to Rs 399 for a special Sundae.

Address: 621, Ground Floor, Opposite Barista, Near Sony Center Signal, 80 Feet Road, 4th Block, Koramangala, Ph: 41313674

Worried about bulging waistline? Counting calories on everything you eat? Then all health-freaks, head to Mamamia, located at 3rd Block, Koramangala. Savour ice-creams made with skimmed milk, which claims to be 96 percent to be fat-free and the specialty low fat gelatos…

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Are you bored of those confusing menu cards and long waiting period after ordering your food in restaurants? Opt for the buffets then! These are the restaurants you can hit without apprehensions and enjoy the best buffets in South Bangalore.

Isys, one of the well known hotels in Jayanagar offers buffet lunch and dinner. It is a multi cuisine restaurant which includes Chinese, Indian, Continental and Thai cuisines. Buffet lunch on weekdays is priced at Rs 375 (inclusive of all taxes) without drinks and on weekends it is Rs 417 (inc of all taxes) without drinks. Dinner buffet is available only on the weekends and is priced at Rs 464 (inc of all taxes) without drinks.

The buffet includes a variety of dishes: two soups, two vegetarian starters, one non-vegetarian starter, Indian breads, two vegetarian rice dish, one non vegetarian biryani, dal/rasam/sambhar, two non vegetarian gravies, 10…

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Are you bored of those confusing menu cards and long waiting period after ordering your food in restaurants? Opt for the buffets then! These are the restaurants you can hit without apprehensions and enjoy the best buffets in Koramangala. 

Little Italy is one of the most sought after restaurants in Koramangala. Italian and Mexican cuisines are offered here. It is a vegetarian restaurant. The lunch buffet from Monday to Friday is priced at Rs 460 (inc of all taxes) without drinks and for children it is priced at Rs 275 (exclusive of all taxes).

The buffet includes welcome drink (soft drink), two salads, three starters, one soup, Mexican rice, lasagna, assorted topping of pizza, garlic bread, pasta live counter and two desserts - fruits with ice cream. Weekend lunch buffet is priced at Rs 550 without liquor and Rs 650 with liquor and for children it is…

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Coconut Grove offers consistently good classics of Kerala cuisine. One of the branches of this restaurant is on Sarjapur road. Classical Carnatic music and waiters clad in traditional dhotis gives the restaurant country look.

The starters in demand are kozhi porichathu (chicken fry) and erachi ularthiyathu (chicken fry). Coconut Grove is mainly for non vegetarians, though there are some vegetarian items on the menu like the kadala curry. The restaurant is famous for its appams, idiappams and nadan chemmeen curry (prawn curry).

The thali is priced at Rs 199. Alcohol is served. Average cost for two persons: Rs 500 - Rs 600 (without alcohol).

Address: No.65, 1st Floor, Shivaganga Complex, Kaikondrahalli, Sarjapur Road, Bangalore - 560034. Ph: 42147047

One of the best north Indian restaurants in Koramangala, Grameen, offers vegetarian thalis at just Rs 70. The restaurant has a rustic look, the low cane chairs and tables add to…

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Up South at Jayanagar is an exclusive South Indian restaurant which offers combination meals at affordable prices. "We do not have the concept of thalis but we have combo meals", says Vinay Kumar, manager, 23. "There are totally six types of combos, there is lunch combo priced at Rs 85 which has white rice, sambhar, rasam, flavoured rice and a sweet", he explains. There is a wide range of dishes; each dish is accompanied with different types of chutneys and spicy sambhars and also they do not use soda. Up South is easy on the pocket and a fun place for hanging out.

#23, 26th main, 9th block, Jayanagar. Ph: 080-22443434

Peppers is one of those few restaurants offering authentic Kerala cuisine at BTM layout. Recommended dishes are mussels fry, karimeen porichathu (a fish delicacy) and crab masala. The restaurant serves Kerala style thali at just Rs…

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Sandwichwallas, a fast food joint at JP Nagar offers toasted sandwiches prepared in a homemade style, breaking away from the usual grilled sandwiches. It also features on its menu tasty pizzas, extremely delicious garlic bread, chats and coolers.

The price here is enormously reasonable and the food you get here is worth every single pie you pay. A vegetable sandwich is priced at just Rs 15. Not a single dish on the menu would exceed Rs 40.

"We have about 37 different kinds of toasted sandwiches and everything that is prepared here is homemade, the sandwiches here are prepared on a pan", says Karthik L B, 27, owner of Sandwichwallas.

"This place was started about a year and a half ago in JP Nagar and the other branch is at Gandhi Bazaar which is just about a month old and the response we are getting is…

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Tomatina, is a newly opened multi cuisine vegetarian restaurant at HSR Layout. As the name suggests, red predominates the colour scheme of the interiors and ‘tomato' is used in almost every delicacy. The ambience has a touch of countryside charm and there is terrace seating too.

"The restaurant specialises in Jain food, Tandoor and continental food", says Shivaram Nataraju, 31, Assistant manager. He also adds that the chefs are from the Maldives.

The menu offers sizzlers (Rs 200-400), continental food, north Indian food and salads; it also has soups served chilled - like tomato gasparchio, carrot soup and more. Liquor is not served. Cost: About Rs 1000 for two.

Tomatina, 2631, 27th main, 1st sector, HSR Layout. Ph: 080 42420606

Chilli Pepper in Kormangala is just three months old, offering authentic Bihari cuisine. "The place is famous for its unique bihari dishes like litti choka with…

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A Jayalakshmi and her husband S Prabhakar have been creating figurines using sugar, jaggery, candles, dried coconuts and dry fruits for over three decades now. These figurines are used as decorative pieces in Hindu weddings.

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The marathon of festivals is now peaking with Deepavali around the corner. There seems to be no festival fatigue in sight as shops court their customers in different ways.

Armed with an opportunistic license given by the festival, corporates and clients felicitate each other with gift hampers of dry fruits, sweets of salted savouries and sweets.

Adyar Anand Bhavan, next to BTM Petrol Pump, Maiyyas, G Pulla Reddy, Sri Venkateshwara Sweets, Dharwad Mishra Peda, Parimala Sweets (4th Block) are gearing up to meet the consumer rush.  Dr P Sadananda Maiyya,  Director of Maiyyas Beverages and Foods Pvt Ltd says that their mechanised production makes it possible to make bulk sweets such as Mysore Pak in minutes.

In order to ensure freshness and quality, they will cater to the estimated 100% increase in sales about three to four days before the festival. Demand is maximum…

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The shingada or kuttu (water chestnuts) comes to the rescue, given that the on-going Navratris have restrictions on many North Indians, and in particular the Jain community.

As recipes using flour made from Shingada are permissible, people make variants of regular dishes as well as new ones. Mast Kalandar, the Vegetarian restaurant , is serving the Vrat Thalis  using shingada or kuttu flour in pooris and pakodis that are salted with a special salt (sendha namak) .  Priced at Rs 159, the Vrat Thalis or the Navratra combo will be served till 05 Oct 2011, after which the Dussehra and Diwali Combo is on the anvil.

The mention of sabudana, poha, srikhand and batata brings to mind its strong association with Maharashtrian dishes. Started by a couple Dhananjay and Madhuri  Upasin in 1998, Rajvardhan Foods draws a crowd for its authentically prepared Maharashtrian dishes such as thalipeeth,…

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It’s a busy time for Bengali Associations across Bangalore as they are in the midst of organising Durga Pujo. This is the time of Puja, new clothes and getting together with the community to share a rich heritage of performing arts and cuisine.  

One such Pujo is being organised by Bengali In Bangalore (BinB), a non-residential Bengali community online. The theme for this year’s pujo is Awkal Bodhan which depicts a scene from the Ramayana of Lord Rama doing a puja before going to Sri Lanka to rescue Goddess Sita.
Apart from this there will also be Dhunuchi Naach, a traditional dance where people, usually men, balance diyas or aarthis (lamps) on their palms and dance by turning and bending their arms. The loukik-aloukik show (the real and the unreal) is a magic show that reveals the way illusion is created.

A comedy drama based on author’s Sukumar…

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