Christmas is around the corner and every restaurant and baker in town has their festive menu ready, replete with Christmas cakes, gingerbread men, and more. This week, we take a detour and focus on all things seasonal and comforting. Be it a warm bowl of khowsuey, decadent dumplings, or heirloom specials like the undhiyo. Here is a lowdown of new menus and popup events to explore this month.
Black pepper lamb chops at Wabi Sabi
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Special Arrangement
NEW MENUS
Dumplings and more @ Wabi Sabi
After launching an array of Japanese Nikkei dishes by Chef Randy Cultivo earlier this year, the city’s speciality Asian restaurant – known for its innovative Japanese and Chinese cuisine – has now launched a new Chinese menu. At the helm is senior sous chef and Wabi Sabi co-lead, Ablu Bhowmick who has crafted a delicately-flavoured set of dishes with unique pairings.
Blending the spicy signature of Sichuan dishes and steamed delicacies from Canton, the new menu harmonises traditional flavours with surprising bursts of taste, which break conventional pairings and embody Wabi Sabi’s philosophy of finding perfection in the imperfect.
Into the Dark at Wabi Sabi
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Special Arrangement
Highlights from the new menu include classic Peking duck served with rice paper pancakes, shallots, and plum sauce; grilled pork belly with fresh herbs, chilli spice, and sesame; charred scallop with plum coriander butter and grilled sweet corn; black pepper lamb chops; a Chilean seabass with baby leeks; duck taro puffs; and more. Vegetarians, fret not, for there are refreshing dishes like a smoked enoki and asparagus, chilli essence, and potato crunch; tofu and three jade soup; Chengdu dan-dan noodles; tofu baos; and radish dumplings that are light on the palate.
For dinner, there is a Wabi Sabi caviar box with lactose-free banana cremeux, inspiration Valrhona chocolate, crunchy pearls; Kintsugi that has ginger yoghurt mousse and mango shiso sorbet; and Into the Dark that comes with Valrohna’s Guanaja chocolate mousse, raspberry crisp, burrata ice-cream, and wasabi.
At The Oberoi, MG Road. For reservations, please call +91 80 2558 5858
Khowsuey at Burma Burma
| Photo Credit:
Seen Media
Bowled over @ Burma Burma
It is the perfect weather for soupy meals, and this restaurant has you covered. Burma’s traditional khowsuey gets a twist with Burma Burma’s new menu with six new variants that are inspired by the different regions of Burma.
Offerings include Oh No Khowsuey with coconut milk curry infused with lemongrass and tamarind, topped with diced vegetables; a Dry Khowsuey that has rice noodles hand-tossed with gram flour, roasted red chilli, garlic and tamarind. Grandma’s Famous Khowsuey is based on the heirloom recipe from the co-founder’s ancestral hometown, Prom (Pyay), and features a mild curry with coconut milk, toasted peanuts, and is topped with tomatoes, garlic chilli oil drizzle and onion fritters.
Oh No Khowsuey
| Photo Credit:
Assad Dadan
Other bowls include Shwe Taung Khowsuey, from the town of Shwe Taung, is a soupy curry with pan-fried noodles and mock meat; No Ze Khowsuey is a curry sans coconut milk and has evaporated milk instead and is served with rice noodles and a crisp spring roll stuffed with sweet corn and onion; and a spicy Downtown Khowsuey that is inspired by the team’s first taste of khowsuey in downtown Yangon.
Wash this down with their range of zero-proof cocktails including the Pandan Royale, Cane Glow, Burma Sour and Yangon Sunset.
Until January 31 at outlets across the country
Breakfast at Coracle
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Special Arrangement
Breakfast first @ Coracle
The latest addition to the city’s breakfast spots is this home-style Kerala meal that is offered every Sunday. An ode to traditional, homestyle cooking from Kerala, the menu features mutton, beef, and chicken stews, the classic egg roast, and a Kerala fish curry. For vegetarians, there are dishes like vegetable stew, kadala curry, and coconut milk with appam. Alongside appam, idiyappam, and puttu, diners can savour the aval Nanachathu, a sweetened rice flake preparation.
Another nostalgic dish is the kanji payar, rice gruel with green gram, that is a staple across homes in the State. End the meal on a sweet note with steamed nendran banana, and chaaya (tea) to complete the experience.
Every Sunday, from 9 am to 11 am at BIC Café, Indiranagar
Food at Kai
| Photo Credit:
ARANYA GHOSH
Penthouse brunch @ Kai – Bar & Kitchen
Fancy a brunch perched atop 13 floors? Then head to MG Road for a meal and 360-degree views overlooking the Army Cantonment’s heritage greens.
On the menu are appetisers like the skyline platter, Kyoto mushrooms, vine tomato tostas, mint and lime prawns, crispy lamb, and Kai roll. There are also dimsums like truffled edamame and asparagus, charcoal chicken and porcini. The large plates include porcini and mascarpone risotto, Penang curry, vodka spaghetti prawn, Malabar seared fish, harissa chicken, and a grill selection with chilli and fennel salmon, balsamic pork, and more.
End with tiramisu, chocolate and cranberry cookie dough tart, and house-made ice creams in flavours like double chocolate, salted caramel, and coconut-kaffir lime.
₹3750+ taxes with alcohol at 13th Floor, Du Parc Trinity, Ashok Nagar
Undhiyu
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
FESTIVE SPECIALS
Winter specials @ Khandani Rajdhani
The season for sarson da saag and warm makkai rotis is here. Ringing in the winter season, this thali speciality restaurant has launched Swad Kesariya, a festival to celebrate seasonal delicacies. On the menu are dishes such as undhiyu, adadiya pak, mogri peru, mooli kofta subzi, and more. The extensive range of desserts include shakarkhand, gajar ka halwa, and ragi coconut ladoo. There is also a farsan platter with bathua ka muthiya, kela-methi-na-gota, arbi-nu-tuk, and the platter comes with a range of chutneys, Indian breads, and a rice and khichdi
At outlets across the country
A satay dish at Mirth
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Special Arrangement
Holiday treats @ Mirth
This 65-seater cocktail bar has introduced a holiday special bar food menu curated by Chef Baljeet Mehra. Highlights are the umami ash with warm potatoes in a goma dressing; Goa glow with prawns tossed in a spicy house-made thecha; and Kyoto hush is a refined take on the fried chicken. Other dishes include chicken Thai’d up, sunny side south that pairs Malvani curry with a chicken-filled omelette; beef in transit; and more.
Until December at Indira Nagar 1st Stage
Pork chops at Daysie
| Photo Credit:
JISVIN
British Christmas @ Daysie
Seasonal festive treats are at the core of their new menu, as are family-style meals, private evening dinners, and warm cocktails. The menu begins with truffle parsnip velouté, and is followed by celebratory small meals like creamy spinach and ricotta croquettes; duck breast carpaccio with pickled pear and orange gel; Moroccan lamb cigars with harissa mayo. The celebratory mains include herb-infused spinach, mushroom, and citrus ricotta cannelloni; five-spice roast duck with rosemary-plum glaze; and a pork chop with mustard-maple glaze.
Pair these with their cocktails: eggnog, mulled wine, Santa’s Little Secret, Christmas Punch, North Pole Adas, and the Christmas Fashioned. End the meal with the roasted fig and honey-thyme tart with pistachio sablé and the Christmas spiced pavlova with bourbon vanilla cream and roasted winter fruits.
From December 22 to 30 at Daysie, MG Road
A dish at Arena
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Special Arrangement
Cocktails first @ Arena
Inspired by the pyramid, Indira Nagar gets a new dining destination that brings together global cuisines, cocktails, craft brews and immersive design across four levels. It is rooted in the philosophy of ‘Many Worlds. One Destination; and each floor has been designed with a different flavour and atmosphere
The menu comprises guacamole tarts, crispy prawn curlies, char sui pork belly, and truffle ricotta cannelloni, alongside signatures like smoked chilli chicken, mutton chops and honey almond pie for dessert. Arena’s cocktail programme features Popcorn Whisky, Forbidden Fling, Singing Sunset and Gin and Juice.
A calamari panuozzo at Serious Slice
| Photo Credit:
JISVIN
POP-UPS
Italian affair @ Serious Slice
Modern European cuisine meets Neapolitan fare at this one-day culinary experience. Titled Fire and Flour it is in collaboration with Chef Clive Fernandes who is known for blending classical techniques with contemporary creativity.
Curated to capture the warmth of wood-fire cooking, the menu begins with antipasti such as focaccia with leek, parsley butter and sea salt; Caesar salad; pumpkin fritti with sauce verte and chilli crisp. For mains, the pasta section has scarpinocca with orange beurre blanc, chilli crisp and fried milk crumbs; chilli shrimp spaghetti with shellfish tomato bisque and parsley pangrattato; and the classic gnocchi with brown butter and wild mushrooms/pork. The risotto selection features ceppès risotto with porcini marmalade and smoked scamorza; shrimp risotto with shellfish red pepper bisque and smoked scamorza, etc. The meal ends with bomboloni with pastry cream; and canelé with mulberry gel.
On December 17 at Serious Slice, Cunningham Road