Passing through the hot dusty lanes of Indiranagar, if you come across a nice,cool inviting green place, be sure you are at the right place, The Island, the newest casual dining lounge in Bangalore. Few days back I had the opportunity to dine there thanks to Avian Media. It was a wonderful experience and I also got to catch up with fellow bloggers Suma Rowjee and Aliena Varghese.
What strikes you the first and foremost is the excellent ambience. Cool with small waterfalls, tree house like extensions,hammocks all make the open air seating most wanted in the hot climate.Its especially charming at night. The seating is very casual with low tables and small candles.All in all a very casual, friendly ambience that is very inviting and refreshing.
We started with the mocktails. The verry berry colada was verry true to its name Berrylicious with hint of pineapple. The bartender special, the fruit punch and the island special were sweet,refreshing and inviting. But I definitely felt a bubble gummy flavour was slightly predominant in the first sip,but later on enjoyed it.
I went with the knowledge that the portions served here were big and could be shared. But when Suma and myself ordered the cheesy corn soup we were warned that it could not be portioned. I actually wondered at this and was taken aback when I saw an elegantly plated yet small in quantity soup was placed before us. But to be honest, it was 'Awesome! in looks and taste. And a few spoonfuls and we were already feeling full. I am truly happy that we ordered only one as two or more would have left us with no space for the mains and desserts. Along with the soup came the Starter platter with beer battered onion rings, pao de quijo ( normally it means cheese rolls or cheese buns, but this was cheese stuffed bread fritters which was excellent , but collides with the name given atleast thats my opinion),spicy potato wedges etc.And not to forget the chef special salad with a lemony vinaigrette. The artichokes was listed as an ingredient in the salad, but I did not find any. Do check how tart you want it to be else it might turn a bit too lemony. They have several options in salads and soups and even a Vegan caesar salad. I feel the non veg options are more but the veg options are not disappointing either.
The nachos with guacamole and cheese was excellent. The nachos held their own and were not soggy despite the veggies, cheese and guacamole with which they were combined. A homemade nacho chips, I presume. And yeah, dieting went out for a toss meanwhile. .. :)
Then came the mains. Actually we were thinking of skipping them -Aliena actually did skip them .She knows when to stop unlike me who wanted a taste of everything !?. Well, the mains were also served in good proportions -easily shared by 2 or 3 and we started with Thai red curry with rice crackers and steamed rice along with Penne in alfredo with sun dried tomatoes. Not to mention the sizzling Veg Sizzler with herbed rice. Here I have few suggestions.
The herbed rice was akin the fried rice of Indo Chinese cuisine and was awesomely tasty. The sizzler was awesome with skewered veggies and paneer but I could not do more of it as I was full(I have to stop somewhere before desserts). Red Curry was good and the flavours of lemon grass and galangal(ginger!?) and basil came out strongly.The colour I felt was a bit too green, but tastewise its got full marks even from my husband as well. Now the red curry need not be red in colour as the name is derived from the red chillies used while making the paste and the final curry will be in shades of yellow or even orange, but not too green.Apart from this colour defect, it was a complete meal. The taste of lemongrass still lingers and tickles the tastebuds.The penne alfredo was a bit dry with no traces of sundried tomatoes in the sauce or atleast in the portion I was served.
The nachos with guacamole and cheese was excellent. The nachos held their own and were not soggy despite the veggies, cheese and guacamole with which they were combined. A homemade nacho chips, I presume. And yeah, dieting went out for a toss meanwhile. .. :)
Then came the mains. Actually we were thinking of skipping them -Aliena actually did skip them .She knows when to stop unlike me who wanted a taste of everything !?. Well, the mains were also served in good proportions -easily shared by 2 or 3 and we started with Thai red curry with rice crackers and steamed rice along with Penne in alfredo with sun dried tomatoes. Not to mention the sizzling Veg Sizzler with herbed rice. Here I have few suggestions.
The herbed rice was akin the fried rice of Indo Chinese cuisine and was awesomely tasty. The sizzler was awesome with skewered veggies and paneer but I could not do more of it as I was full(I have to stop somewhere before desserts). Red Curry was good and the flavours of lemon grass and galangal(ginger!?) and basil came out strongly.The colour I felt was a bit too green, but tastewise its got full marks even from my husband as well. Now the red curry need not be red in colour as the name is derived from the red chillies used while making the paste and the final curry will be in shades of yellow or even orange, but not too green.Apart from this colour defect, it was a complete meal. The taste of lemongrass still lingers and tickles the tastebuds.The penne alfredo was a bit dry with no traces of sundried tomatoes in the sauce or atleast in the portion I was served.
The desserts -the most awaited course - was excellent. We had sunken chocolate cake with creamy coffee sauce along with citrusy pudding and cheese cake textured mousse!. We were intimated the chef customizes the dessert as per the food taste and allergies of the customer. Now this is good as far as I am concerned. Most of the other lounges have a set menu which might not be suitable for all.
In a nutshell, the USP of the restaurant is its ambience. It is a casual lounge which wants its food to be talked about. You feel very relaxed and can even order cocktails from its excellent range of foreign and Indian liquors . The portions are big and can be easily shared by 2 and worth the prices that we pay. The service is quick,friendly and welcoming. The menu basically Continental, Mediterranean and European lists the ingredients so that we can make choices as per tastebuds. The dessert list is small but excellent. Valet Parking is available.
Buffet is priced at Rs. 299/-+ taxes per person Monday through Saturday.
Sunday brunch is Rs. 800/- + taxes per person which includes, a live salad bar and lot more than what we saw.It comes in 3 packages ranging from Rs.800 - Rs.1400/- + taxes. Sunday brunch is excellent for families with small and fussy kids- the kids can opt for a separate section with a live magic show and other fun activities as well.
We had the opportunity to meet the GM, Mr Vipul Khurana and also the co owner Mr Kay. An excellent
evening spent at a perfect lounge with enjoying company.
I wish I could add more pics of the dishes, but my camera is useless at night! The pics are courtesy Avian Media .
Will I be visiting the place again?- definitely yes, and looking forward to it.So if you are near Indiranagar, make sure you visit The Island.
The Island,#3, 80 ft Road, Indiranagar Bangalore- 560 038
Can Visit the FB page at The Island
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1 Comments:
the place looks awesome :).. i have lot to catch up when i come home.. island is on the list now :)
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