This new restaurant in Bengaluru seeks to impress with affordable tried and tested classics…

With a name like Sally by 1522, the cantonment snobs in us were already quite intrigued. What made this place even more interesting was that it was at the brand new Pheonix Mall Of Asia in Hebbal. We were pretty impressed with the retro-themed ambience juxtaposed against the shiny new mall from the very get go. That the opening soups — Roasted Pumpkin and Dill; and the Crab Meat Soup were dished out to thoroughly impress, only added to this feeling.

We wasted no time in delving into our first solid food for the review — a Poached Pear and Arugula Salad. Have we ever told you how much we like a good salad? If a chef takes the effort to show his craft in a salad, we’re literally pretty much already sold for the rest of the review. Let’s just say this sweet and tangy salad was a great second impression. We were now excited and decided to go all-out and order at least three appetizers. We started with Sally’s Souvlaki Platter (Bhattimurgh Tikka) and quickly moved on to the Stir-fried Long Beans, followed by a Cheese Beetroot Cutlet. The former is a traditional souvlaki platter with pita bread, hummus and pickled vegetables served interestingly with a bhattimurgh tikka. Curious to say the least, we had polished it up in no time. The stir-fried beans were crispy, soft on the inside, perfectly seasoned; and worked really well with the star of the appetizers — the cheese beetroot cutlet — an uncommon, absolutely delicious vegetarian option to savour.

Next up, were the small plates — Sally’s Special Bombay Khari, Garlic Chilli Prawn Crackers, Murgh Papdi Chaat, Smoked Malabari Prawns and Hot Pot Steamed Fish. We decided to try the khari with all the toppings — creamy mushroom, caramelised onion and feta, paneer makhani and tandoori chicken. The first two impressed, while the latter two seemed pretty unexciting. The prawn crackers became our crispy side for the rest of the meal and it complemented everything — no surprise there! The chicken papdi chaat was an eye-opener, as we’d never even imagined a non-vegetarian chaat till that first bite. We’re glad to report that we were impressed. We wrapped up our meal with small servings of prawn and fish and both left us feelings pleasantly satisfied.

For dessert we managed to try just two — Flourless Chocolate Cake and Phirni Creme Brulee. Both were decadent and delicious — just how we like it. We paired our entire meal with two fantastic cocktails, the Mustang Sally and The Mexican Wave and would recommend both for their ability to pair with almost everything we ate.

Meal for two: INR 2,000. At Pheonix Mall Of Asia, Hebbal.

Email: romal@newindianexpress.com
X: @elromal