How about a fun food trail that takes you through three of Bengaluru’s most exciting gourmand destinations?

We were lucky enough to take part in a food trail organised by CRED Only Fridays in Bengaluru recently — which offered a unique experience, curated by the city’s top F&B experts. The plans were last minute and the guestlist, just five — four winners and Indulge and the food trail would last half the day. This seemed like a terrible idea, but once we got there, we assure you, we absolutely loved the experience.

We began at Naru Noodle Bar at The Courtyard, KH Road — quite simply, the restaurant with the longest waiting-list in the city. The waiting list is now several months long and we know of people who’ve booked their hard-earned slot, six months ahead. Therefore, getting into this Japanese cuisine mecca so easily, seemed like the best way to start. Since we were short of time, we decided to just order the Original style Pork Tonkatsu and pair it with some sake. They aren’t lying when they tell you that this is the best ramen in town — without competition, it definitely is! Perfectly cooked noodles, egg and pork in a perfectly made broth — this was perfection, all out!

Pretty full already, we then moved to Spirit Forward at Hotel Southern Star Bengaluru at Lavelle Road. A specially crafted cocktail menu had four options and we decided to try the Southern Star — tequila, bloom fermented plum, gauva and jalapeno. The drink was interesting to say the least and the bar’s gorgeous interiors with even more interesting posters, complemented it perfectly. We nursed the drink, digested our ramen and waited till we were ready to head to our next gourmet destination.

Kopitiam Lah has not yet even fully opened to customers, but this was where we were headed next, for dinner. Absolutely worth the hype, we tried exclusive previews of their Curry Laksa, Nasi Lemak, Char Siu Pork, Ayam Goreng Berempah (Fried Chicken), Rojak (Mixed Salad) and washed it down with their Asian Colada, Kopi Cola and Carrot Milk. The tasting menu was out of this world and we had to really hold ourselves back from ordering another serving of laksa — it was that good!

CRED rewards and recognises members, to encourage financial prudence. One of their initiatives to recognise those who’ve paid their bills consistently, is Only Fridays — a weekly IP available only to those with >1 million CRED coins. Only Fridays unlocks opportunities to access the inaccessible, with immersive red-carpet experiences like the one we were a part of. Contact CRED for more details.

Email: romal@newindianexpress.com

X: @elromal