After the success of its outposts in UAE and Mumbai, India Bistro, a restaurant offering north Indian fare, recently opened its first outlet in the city. We walked into the restaurant on 12th Main Indiranagar and were greeted by soothing Bollywood remixes. Curated to take you on a culinary journey through northern India, their elaborate menu features dishes places like Amritsar, Wagah, Lucknow and Kashmir.
We were offered the centre table as we pretty much had the place to ourselves. Before we could go ahead and place our order, we were presented with an ‘amuse bouche’ — Pani Puri. We then kicked off our meal with Tamatar Tulsi Shorba, a spicy, sour broth that was ideal for the chilly weather. Soon, two starters — Karari Aloo Tikki Chaat and Bhatti Ka Murgh — made their way to our table. Topped with spices, chutney, yoghurt, pomegranate and sev, the former was a perfect balance between sweet, sour and spicy flavours while the latter was smokey and piquant.
We followed these up with Ghee Roast Mutton Boti (a Lucknow-style delicacy where the mutton is tossed in a blend of spices and cooked in ghee) and Bharwan Tandoor Khumb (a creamy dish where mushrooms are stuffed and marinated with yoghurt, cream, spices and finely chopped vegetables). We paired the second set of appetisers with a couple of mocktails, Apricot Orange Blossom and Mandarin Basil Caipiroska. We loved the former, thanks to its sweet and fruity notes.
We began our main course with Lazeez Murgh Tikka Masala and Laccha Paratha. The Tikka Masala — marinated pieces of boneless chicken cooked in a spicy and creamy tomato gravy — paired perfectly with the buttery paratha. We also sampled their Classic Dum Gosht Biryani. The popular Mughlai recipe — made with lamb, yoghurt, a melange of spices and onions and served alongside salan and raita — was well executed.
The dessert, Rasmalai, was the highlight of our meal. Topped with pistachios and kesar, the combination of cold badam milk and the cardamom-flavoured soaked chhena cakes was delectable. The meal came to a close with the crowd favourite Gulab Jamun, which was warm and comforting.
We will definitely revisit this place for their classic North Indian curries, chaats and refreshing mocktails.
Rs1,000++ for two. At Indiranagar