Food Review: Ironhill launches all-new menu in Bengaluru

We dropped by the restaurant on a Saturday afternoon to taste the latest additions to its already extensive menu
Saffron and Pimento Stuffed Potato, a dish from the new menu of Ironhill Bengaluru
Saffron and Pimento Stuffed Potato, a dish from the new menu of Ironhill Bengaluru

The trend of globalising local cuisine and localising global cuisine has been on the rise in the city since last year. The most recent testimonial to that is the new menu at Ironhill Bengaluru. We dropped by the restaurant on a Saturday afternoon to taste the latest additions to its already extensive menu.

As we sat at a table by the bar, we were handed the new menu for food and drinks. All the dishes seemed so fetchy that we resorted to taking suggestions from our hosts. We were recommended to start with something light, like Asian Tossed Salad. A mix of crunchy vegetables and crushed peanuts with chilli peanut honey dressing, Asian Tossed Salad turned out to be a healthy yet appetising option to begin the meal with.
 
Starters
Next, we ordered an array of starters – Harrah Bara Tikki (patties made of cumin-tempered spinach and green peas), Basil Fish Tikka (fish tikka in basil marinade ), Hunan Chicken Roast, Pink Chicken Roast (chicken tandoori in beetroot and yoghurt marinade), and Ulavacharu Chicken Roast (chicken roasted in horse gram sauce). While the savoury Harrah Bara Tikki and sweet and spicy Hunan Chicken Roast were delicious, Basil Fish Tikka, Pink Chicken Roast, and Ulavacharu Chicken Roast deserved a special mention. 

<strong>Pink Chicken Roast</strong>
Pink Chicken Roast

With herby notes of basil, Basil Fish Tikka was cooked so well that it melted in our mouths. In Pink Chicken Roast, the mild sweetness of beetroot and creaminess of yoghurt made the tender chicken morsels scrumptious and irresistible. But our best pick was the Ulavacharu Chicken Roast. 

For the unversed, Ulava means horse gram in Telugu and Ulavacharu is a soup made of horse gram that is popular in the Guntur and Krishna districts of Andhra Pradesh. Inspired by that, the restaurant came up with the Ulavacharu Chicken Roast. With strong hints of curry leaves, the thick, creamy horse gram sauce was complemented well by the spicy green chillies, which made for a flavoursome affair. 

Finger foods
Before we moved on to the mains, we decided to take a stop for drinks to wash down the extensive spread of food we had had by now. We tasted a new cocktail on the menu, Sexy Gin, which was mildly strong with citrus notes of gin and the taste of burnt lemon. Masala Okra Tempura (gram flour-coated fried ladies’ fingers) and Corn n Kaju Fritters (sweet corn and cashew nut dumplings) were served along.

The sweet and salty Corn n Kaju Fritters seemed a perfect option to have with neat drinks that leave you dry, but the Masala Okra Tempura made us pleasantly surprised. If you are not a fan of this vegetable and consider them slimy, this dish is a must-try. Crunchy and savoury, Masala Okra Tempura is just one of those finger foods that you can not stop munching on. If you are at Ironhill — touted as the world’s largest microbrewery — chances are that you will want to have a beer. And if you are looking for food to pair with the beer, Masala Okra Tempura is the dish you should go with.

<strong><em>Masala </em>Okra Tempura</strong>
Masala Okra Tempura
<strong>Sexy Gin</strong>
Sexy Gin

Main course
For the main course, we had Crusted Fish (marinated fish grilled and served with broken wheat and Naga chill cream sauce), Butter Chicken Naanza (naan topped with crème tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and butter chicken), and Paneer Butter Masala Naanza (naan topped with crème tomato sauce, butter-flavoured cottage cheese, and mozzarella cheese.)

<strong><em>Paneer</em> Butter <em>Masala </em>Naanza</strong>
Paneer Butter Masala Naanza

Both Butter Chicken Naanza and Paneer Butter Masala Naanza were delectable. They had thin, slightly crunchy crusts with generous amounts of toppings, yet the crust-to-toppings ratio was perfect. If you are visiting with a group of friends and plan on having small portions of several dishes, these two naanzas would make a good option. If you are on a solo date and just want to have a tasty-yet-wholesome meal by yourself, opt for Crusted Fish. The crispy crust of the grilled fish and the soft broken wheat was complemented well by the slightly tarty chilli cream sauce.

Dessert
Ending our meal on a sweet note, we had Palkova Samosa (filo pastry stuffed with reduced milk), served with vanilla ice cream. Combining a culinary element of West Asia (filo pastry) and the Indian palkova (Tamil word for milk khoya or reduced milk), the dish was a visual treat. The combination of the buttery, crispy exterior and the sweet, sticky reduced milk stuffing was luscious. Despite having reduced milk, the sweetness of the dessert was balanced, thanks to the scoop of vanilla ice cream served on the side. We highly recommend this dessert if you have a sweet tooth.

<strong><em>Palkova</em> Samosa</strong>
Palkova Samosa

The new menu of Ironhill Bengaluru is not only bound to surprise their regulars but will also attract newer diners, especially who love to explore fusion food.

₹2,500 for two. At Marathalli. Details: 8069299999

Email: prattusa@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @MallikPrattusa

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