Stepping into Bangalore Agarwal Bhavan, we expect an out and out North Indian Menu. But surprisingly, this place covers South Indian as well as Mexican and Italian. First started in Bengaluru, the restaurant has grown to over 10 branches there, while the newly opened and first Chennai franchise is owned by Abhishek Kankariya, who was earlier a dance choreographer. “We tried to incorporate few changes, especially with the way that we present the food,” quips Abhishek, talking about the presentation of the food and the unique mocktail menu and bar. They took their time to finalise their menu in the 100-seater space. The 25-year-old owner says, “The 15-day trial period in early May was overwhelming. The entire dining area was flooded with people, especially on weekends, after which we decided to go for a fully fledged launch at the end of the month.” He also informs us that the choice of location was deliberate too as Vepery has a dearth of multi-cuisine restaurants as compared to the rest of the city.
Soon we were greeted with their pick of mocktails, a mix of flavours — the first one has coke and cranberry juice topped off with mint leaves and lime wedges and another comes with a strong guava essence, with the rim of the glass lined with chilli powder, adding to the experience of having the fruit, with each sip.
Before we could get done with the drinks, we were interrupted by a plate of croutons and spiced potato wedges that we dipped into copious amounts of warm cheese fondue and a plate of cottage cheese kebab, coated with spinach and served with a drizzle of mayonnaise.
We couldn’t leave without trying one of their popular thalis and opted for the north Indian one — a plate with generous amounts of veg biryani, paneer subzi, raita, roti and a bowl of warm dal curry and a
gulab jamun. With five chefs leading the kitchen, they also provide a number of dishes with a Jain option, keeping in mind the preferences of the community based around their location.
Meal for two Rs 800. Details: 30853764