Culinary perfection at The Banjara

Written on April 20, 2001

Dew drops, pink flies and great food....

The Banjara Group of hotels, which runs the much-loved Banjara on Kumara Krupa Road, also runs the multi-cuisine restaurant, with the same name, at Ramanashree Comforts, Raja Rammohan Roy Road.

The comfortably lit restaurant is reminiscent of a Chinese mandarin’s room (minus opium vapors, of course). Yet there is something modern about the place, something will appeal to today’s customers.

The food is predominantly Indian, with a lot of Chinese and Continental food to add variety to your palate. For lunch you can either order from the vast menu or pig out at the very economical buffet spread (Rs 200 a head inclusive of taxes).

You can begin with some innovative cocktails with names like Dew Drops, Pink Fly, and old favourites like Screwdriver, Tom Collins, Bloody Mary et al. The bartender does a perfect blend of fine spirits and liqueurs and his specials are a must try. Get adventurous and sample a bit from each cuisine. Chicken Man Chow soup, redolent with aromatic spices and garlic is a good starter and whets your appetite.

A Chinese chicken platter accompanied with a ‘ping’ sauce, was interesting with full points to the sauce. Flavoured without being overpowering.

For the die-hard meat lover, the Tandoori platter with various kebabs would be a delight. Made by Chef Bhagwan Singh whose come down from Mumbai, it contains Reshmi kebabs, Malai kebabs, Afghani kebabs, Tangadi kebab, an unusual vegetable sheekh kebab, made from beetroot and the Chembur kebab (chicken kebab layered over with egg pancakes). You can accompany this platter with cheese naans. Light but sinfully filled with calories.

Chinese fans have an extensive selection of dishes to choose from. Chinese Schezwan rice and Satay chicken is a good choice to make. Each and every bite is redolent with flavours from the mystic Orient, and keeps you wanting more.

The dessert section features a few Indian choices and some Continental ones too. Fried ice-cream, a speciality of the Banjara restaurants, both in Kumara Krupa and Ramanashree is the all time favourite and rightly so.

Banjara also offers breakfast buffets priced at Rs 126 and includes fruit juices, cereals, bacon, many breads and South Indian breakfasts.

Jeffrey Crasta, group general manager for the Banjara Group, said "We will be starting a family pub in the same premises, within the next few months. We hope to fill the need for a good pub in this locality."

Lucky Bangaloreans.

Enduring faith

Bangalore, August 29, 2001:

It's been an uneventful two months. BTF has been going along just fine... with no major goof ups from my side.

So there I was all complacent and content, and I thought to myself, why not seal this run of luck with a visit to the Lord of the Seven Hills.

Being the conscientious sort, I decided to do my spiritual seeking on the weekend. I reached Tirupati at about 4 am, raring to so and discovered that my appointment with the almighty was only at 10 pm.

Dotcom CEOs and God are equally busy these days, it seems.

Well, they also serve who only stand and wait.

That's when I realized that Indian Stretchable Time stretches all the way to heaven.

I waited and waited along with crores of others, all waiting for divine blessing to rain down on us in a cool, serene spray of enlightenment.

We were rained upon alright, but with blows, pushes and shoves as the sweating line of Humanity inched its way to divinity.

After what seemed like an eternity, I found myself in the sanctum sanctorum face to face with The One I had spent 24 sleepless hours waiting for.

Strangely, I found myself thinking of Ravi, our sales manager, describing some of his clients. "You spend hours waiting for the boss to see you," he had said, I knew then what he felt.

"Darshan" over, I walked out of the temple clutching two ladoos (these are strictly rationed) and a new respect for some of my colleagues.

Working for BTF or waiting for God... whatever.

I know I need a lot of patience.