Spaghetti Kitchen & Bar is a lovely little Italian restaurant tucked in the by lanes of Koramangala & I ate the most scrumptious Italian fare at Spaghetti Kitchen last week.  I was invited to review their newly introduced Lunch & Dinner Buffet menu starting from the 24th of September.

Gusto D'Italia as the buffet is called boasts of 30 different dishes on their buffet menu which includes everything from starters to soups to yummy pastas & desserts.

Spaghetti Kitchen has a lovely ambiance with Mediterranean influence. The restaurant is divided into two segments. One segment is painted blue & has colored glass lanterns & the other segment is more airy with large windows & loads of sunshine

We started off with some smoked tomato soup along with some breads & dips and some stuffed olives.

Next came in the Parmesan Cream Cheese Potatoes & Sicilian Cottage Cheese. There was also some Corn Fritters with Labneh. We also had some lovely Peach & Strawberry Martini for company.

They also had a lovely spread of Pastas. But the highlight was the Ricotta & Spinach stuffed Ravioli & the Vegetable Lasagna. The Thin crust Veggie Pizza was great too.

Wherever there is Italian food, there Ought to be Tiramisu :) then of course there were some Hot Brownies & of course choice of Gelato. 

The vegetarian  Lunch Buffet is Priced at Rs 399 & the Non Vegetarian Lunch Buffet is priced at Rs 499 

The vegetarian  Dinner Buffet is Priced at Rs 449 & the Non Vegetarian Dinner Buffet is priced at Rs 499 A whole lot of Italian food at this price is definitely a steal.

And, there was more .. Chef Bill Marchetti - Corporate Chef for Spaghetti Kitchen was also present at the venue. He not only saw to it that his guests ate well but also cooked some Pasta for us. He made his signature Penne Arrabiata with Vodka & Fettuccine con Pesto. It definitely was a pleasure to watch the Masterchef cook for us. Not only that, He gave us loads of food tips & great stories about Italian food all along ( which I will be sharing in my future posts )

After being stuffed with good food unlimited Martinis, we had some Italian Espresso from the Cafe located inside the restaurant

I loved the buffet spread. Not a single dish that was bad. The Sicilian Cottage Cheese could have been better though, But everything else was spot on. For Rs 399 + it is a lot of food & you are guaranteed to have a good time. 

SPAGHETTI KITCHEN AND BAR – KORAMANGALA is located at 

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California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) is now in India. I was sad to have missed their launch a few months ago as I was busy with Baby K but this Mexifornian Food Festival more than made it up for it.

 

CPK is having a Mexican Food Festival with a Californian Twist called Mexifornia. What a lovely name isn't it? The festival starts on Apr 29 & will be there across all their outlets in India & will end on May 19. I was so so thrilled to be a part of it. I opted for an all Vegetarian Meal & I wasn't dissappointed.

 

We started our Mexifornian journey with Paneer Enchiladas. They were baked with Cheddar & Fortina Cheese & delicately seasoned with Cumin, Paprika & hand torn cilantro.

 

Then came the delicious Vegetarian Baja Pizza. This Pizza was definitely the highlight for me. It was a thin crust pizza topped with Mozzarella Cheese, black beans. sliced mushrooms & roasted corn. what I loved about this pizza was that unlike the regular on es, this wasn't overloaded with cheese. Also, I loved the flavor of hand torn cilantro & creme fraiche.The Orange sauce that came along with it had a lovely burst of flavors. I ate one large pizza all by myslef, It was THAT delicious

 

There were Tacos with mexican rice But this wasn't personally my favorite. The chipotle slaw was amazing but this had paneer too & I thought it didn't go too well with tacos. A different vegetraian filling would definitely have been better The Mexican Rice that came along with had a nice lemony flavour & it was just perfect.

 

We finally ended our meal with som Churros & dark chocolate Mousse. The Mousse was out of the world & we licked our plates clean. We also had some lovely mocktails to go along with it.

 

 

There were some refreshing cocktails to give us company throughout our meal. I loved the Cranberry Mist which is a blend of cranberry juice and lime juice topped with soda. The slight tint of lime was lovely. Just the kind of drink I needed for Bangalore Summer

 

We also got to peek into their kitchen & the chef was very courteous to show us how he made Pizzas. It was a very enjoyable experience overall.

I am definitely going back for the very delicious Baja Pizza & Dark Chocolate Mousse. Yumm De Yumm

Bliss Chocolates, India's first luxury chocolate brand has been around for some time now, 3 years to be precise. Well, it's not just your regular shop stuffed with all things chooclatey .. It is based around the concept of a lounge .. Yes, you heard it right, Its a Chocolate Lounge & the first of its kind in India. Which means, you can just drop in to their lounge & enjoy the goodness of all things Chocolate

A week ago, I happened to go to their Luxe Lounge in UB City. It's a small cozy place right in the center of UB city which can accomodate about 30 odd people.  We started our Chocolate journey with Belgian Dark Chocolate Pastry along with some rich chooclate sauce poured over the top. Then came an array of assorted chooclates right from Almond chocolates, Rum truffles to Plain Dark Chocolates. The also have various Indian Flavored chocolates like Jeera, Masala Chai  & cardamom But the highlight definitely was the Chilli Chocolate. It comes with just the right hint Spice from red chilli flakes.

And then came a cup of Hot Chocolate made with the finest belgian dark chocolate, so perfect for the Bangalore weather right now. After an overdose of sweetness, we ordered for some nice & crunchy Masala French fries along with a strong cup of Cappuccino. Much needed, I tell you .. They also have other fried goodies on the menu along with some sandwiches

Besides, this they also have gift hampers along with a few selected wines & you can even place an order online. They make great gifts during Diwali & New Years. The chocolates, pastries & other fried goodies are very good, no doubt .. But it is a tad expensive & will cost much more than your regular bar of chococlate .. They have the finest raw chocolates sourced from all around the world. No wonder, it's a luxury brand isn't it ??

Besides UB City, they have their outlets in Forum Mall, Koramangala, Mantri Square, Malleshwaram & Forum Value Mall, Whitefield. For anyone who loves chocolates, this place is worth checking out. You can also find more information or order online from their website http://www.blisschocolates.asia/index.php

Go Visit this chocolate Heaven & Have Fun !!

Whenever I would pass through the traffic in Jayanagar 3rd block, I would always notice this cosy cafe at the Cloud 9 hospital & would make a mental note to visit it in leisure. For some reason the visit never happened & maybe I would have put it off for a few more days, if I wouldn't have received an invite to visit Au Bon Pain's brand new outlet in Koramangala. SO, On a cloudy saturday afternoon, I set out to lunch @ Au Bon Pain along with my husband, Shankar

(Image Source: Various)

The menu includes everything from Sandwiches to soups to salads, to desserts & delicious bakery products. We started off with a vegetarian soup & a couscous salad. The soup was spicy & was perfect for the Bangalore weather. I picked a Jalapeno & corn panini which was delicious while Shankar chose a panini with mediterreanean Hummus & olives which wasn't that impressive. Alongwith these, we alose had some Veg Puffs, Cinnamon Rolls & Croissants which were just perfect.

We ended our meal with a fruit bowl & some chocolate mousse. Apart from these, Au Bon Pain also serves yummy Bagles, Muffins, Brownies, Cakes & Guess what?? Dal, Biryani & curry too to satiate your Indian taste buds,

And yes, I couldn't stop drinking  their Cappuccino. It was Fab & I ordered a 'To Go' as well  .. I took home a crusty Baguette which was very good. So those of you looking for good French bread Au Bon Pain is the place to go

Au Bon Pain is definitely a place to visit especially if you are looking for something quick, light & healthy. None of the dishes I oredered were heavy & greasy & I definiteky was very happy about it. I only wished the place was roomy enough to accomodate more people as it can get quite crowded in the afternoons .. Nevertheless, the food is the main highlight ..  And, it was ... Awesome

When Cheryl from Cheryl Duncan & co. asked me if I would like to review Hari Nayak's latest cookbook,  I readily agreed. And, Stephanie from TUTTLE PUBLISHING was gracious enough to send me  a complimentary copy of Hari Nayak's latest 'My Indian Kitchen', I was thrilled for I heart cookbooks. As a food blogger, I have more than one reason to fall in love with cookbooks.

Those of you, who do not know, Hari Nayak is an Indian celebrity chef who lives in New Jersey. He is also an author who has several books to his credit. Nayak hails from Udipi, a small town close to Mangalore. So all those who love South Indian food, you can look forward to some lovely South Indian recipes here.

The book arrived on rainy afternoon here, I immediately sat down with a cuppa Masala Chai, & as I flipped through the pages, I was already in love with this book. The pictures are by Jack Turkel are such a visual treat. Along with a few of his popular dishes, this book includes some of his family recipes as & a few tips & tricks which makes cooking easier.

The book starts with an introduction to Indian Cuisine & what I loved was a note on Pairing Wines with Indian food. Now we all know, which wine to pick with that spicy curry.

The book then gets divided into 9 delicious chapters beginning with recipes for Indian Spice mixes, the quitessential Indian Chutneys, Appetizers, Soups & dal, Vegetable & cheese dishes. There is a separate section for sea food & another one for meat & poultry. There is another chapter dedicated to Indian faltbreads & Rice varieties, in which he also teaches how to cook the perfect Basmati Rice. There is a Desserts & drinks section at the end, which features some delectable desserts. I personally loved the Pistachio & Mango Ice Cream.

A few other unique recipes that caught my fancy were the Avocado & roasted cumin Raita, Potato & Onion Fritters, & Zucchini with lentils & roasted garlic. These recipes are a perfect way of giving western vegbetables an Indian touch.

If you are a vegetarian who hates buying cookbooks because of the Non Vegetarian recipes in them, you need not worry, for this book has ample Vegetraian recipes. I am a vegetarian myself & I was not dissappointed with the veggie collection here.

However, if you are trying your hand at Indian cooking for the first time, this book is perfect to make a beginning & it lives up to its tagline, 'Preparing delicious Indian meals without fear or fuss'. For a novice, the pictures are such boon because you will know what the end result should look like. Most of the recipes are very easy & with simple narration, anybody can get a hang of what Indian cusine is all about.

In case you already own this gorgeous book, some of my favorite recipes in this book that you may want to try are

There are a lot more other fabuluous recipes from this book, which I will be doing in my upcoming posts .. Do watch out

Verdict

Nayak's effort is sincere which reflects in his recipes. The narration is simple, precise & well written. Nayak clearly suceeds in his motive to make Indian cooking less intimidating.

It is a solid cookbook which covers a wide array of the vast Indian cuisine. As the author rightly puts, 'It is for all who love the value of a home cooked family meal' .. Those who love collecting cookbooks,this book definitely deserves a place in your book shelf. It also makes for a great gift to cooking enthusiasts .. Go for it ..

If you wish to know more about Hari Nayak, visit his website at http://www.harinayak.com/.

Also, log on to http://www.myindiankitchen.com/ , to have a look at the recipe gallery.

Where was I ?? Well, I was on a much needed get away with family & now, I am back to the grind. Sigh ...

As you all know, South Indies, my series on South Indian cuisine is an inspiration form South Indies, an upscale South Indian Vegetarian restaurant in Bangalore.

South Indies is one of my favorite eat outs in Bangalore. And why, because We both love South Indian food, & we don't have to make do with all the various same old udipi joints that have sprung all over the city.

Last weekend, we were at their much talked about, Brahmin Food Festival. We both being Brahmins, aren't really new to Brahmin cuisine, but the 4 course meal they offered had me craving for even more.

We started off our meal with a light carrot & lentil soup. It had some lovely spices which offsets the sweetness of carrots.

Next came the keerai vadai, which is a deep fried lentil dumplings with spinach & spices. It was crispy on the outside & soft on the inside. The Ulundhu Bonda was good. It was nothing but medu vada in a new avatar, but you will love this one no matter how many times you've had it.

The urulai vadhakkal, which is spiced shallow fried baby potatoes was not really impressive & could have been better.

Yennai Kathrikkai ( Baby Brinjals in a tangy curry ) was very good & went very well with oothappams.

The cluster beans & lentil curry was a little too try for my taste. But I think, I would have enjoyed it with Rasam & rice than with Adai Dosas.

The highlight of the menu was the drumstick & tamarind curry (Murungakkai vendaya vathal kuzhambu)

This one literally got me licking my fingers. It was tangy & I loved that slight flavor of fenugreek seeds.

I am not blessed with a major sweet tooth, but I thoroughly enjoyed this
rice payasam with jaggery and coconut milk (Idichi puzhinja payasam). It was creamy & wasn't overly sweet & I enjoyed the flavor of coconut milk.

What I would have loved to try was Avial with some steamed rice. But, We had so much on our plates already

I have been to this restaurant several times, But the food festival was very different in more than one ways. I loved the golu collection. It really did remind me of my childhood.

Oh BTW, the dishes had no onions, & no garlic. It is definitely something that your amma & ajji would look forward to. I absolutely love the calm & serene ambience. If I had to take my family, this would definitely be the place.

This is a perfect place to rediscover the taste of authentic Brahmin food. If you want a break from the regular Udipi joints, do try this place & let me know if you liked it.