A few minutes away from Hebbal lake, Omega IX Cocktail Bar & Global Kitchen, perched on top of Visthara Urban Boutique Hotel, is easy to spot from a distance. This new spot in Sahakar Nagar boasts lush green and intense blue interiors dotted with Greek sculptures and paintings, bright neon signs and golden hanging lamps. The restaurant’s extensive menu spans Asian, European, North Indian and Italian cuisines.
We took a seat by the window, which had a birds-eye view of the city. We began the evening with
two gin-based cocktails — Floral Fizz and Heaven Blues. The former was a bitter sling, infused with rose cordial, aromatic bitters and gin while the latter was a concoction of blue tea, elderflower, gin and tonic. The floral infusions in both drinks set them apart. For starters, we opted for a Mini Korean Ramen bowl topped with bok choy filled with spicy gochujang broth with thin noodles and chicken. The piquant flavour of the soup was delicious.
Soon, two dishes — Hummus 3 Way and Nippat Nachos — made their way to our table. The first
dish came with a twist of jalapeno, cilantro and Thai chilli, which paired well with pita bread.
The second, the popular South Indian snack of spicy crackers, was loaded with spicy tomato
chutney and diced veggies. This reinvention won us over immediately.
We also sampled their recommendations — the Thai fan Veg Dumplings and Chilli Basil Chicken Buns. The purple wheat starch dumplings with water chestnuts and bird’s eye chilli served with spicy chilli garlic sauce were a rewarding choice. While the pillowy-soft wheat flour buns filled with chilli basil chicken and seasonings were comforting.
Bisibele Bath Risotto With Munchies and Pull Me Up Burmese Khow Suey arrived at the table and the innovative main course dishes had us excited the moment we laid our eyes on them. Bisibele Bath is a Karnataka staple but in this case, the local rice is replaced with Italian Arborio. Although the rice tastes different, the flavours remained true to the centuries-old recipe. Undoubtedly Insta-worthy, the pull-me-up version of the Burmese Khow Suey is served with creamy coconut curry poured over the noodles, chicken and roasted peanuts which makes a hearty and comforting dish.
We wrapped up the meal with a pull-me-up version of Tiramisu and Classic Blueberry Cheesecake. Both the desserts were rich and satisfying. There are some very interesting options on offer and it is the
presentation of the food that transforms the meal at Omega IX from satisfactory to sublime. The menu is vast and our appetite is limited, but we will be back for more.
Rs1,800 for two.
At Byatarayanapura
srushti@newindianexpress.com
@Sru_Kulkarni