In the popular and very happening food court of UB Mall in Bangalore’s Vittal Mallya Road, is Rasovara. The elegant name of the vegetarian restaurant means royal kitchen and it claims to serve you some of the age-old, time-tested and closely guarded delicious dishes prepared by the chefs of royal kitchens or khaansamas of yesteryears. Rasovara belongs to the same chain that runs and owns the Rajdhani restaurants across country. But Rasovara provides a different experience altogether as eating a thali here is a far more leisurely and unhurried experience than Rajdhani.
The starters are so sumptuous that you might just want to skip the main course. The special paav bhaaji that is served in an European-styled fondue format is delicious. Other starters include dhokla, missal paav, pani puri and corn packets. The humble pani puri is given a glamorous facelift as these comes in vodka shot glasses.
In the main course, there are three curries that can be accompanied with rice. The sweet Gujarati kadhi, dal panchratna and surti dal give you a true taste of the region. The dal baati churma and ghee-laden khichdi make you want to skip a meal before you dive into the Rasovara thaali.
The jalebi rabdi and kesari malpua is sure to satiate your sugar-cravings and the walnut halwa which is filled with nuts and khoya is rich and yet not too sweet.
The restaurant remains open even during tea time between 3pm and 7pm. Those who want to indulge in lighter snacks, the place offers choices like papad churi, pyaz ki kachori, corn bhel and tokri dahi chaat, and these can be enjoyed with a glass of Malabari chhaas or Maharaja lassi.
The brain behind the exhaustive menu is chef Hema Ram Choudhary. Born at Morkha village in Rajasthan, Choudhary loved cooking from a very young age. Pleasing people with his food has been the closest he has felt to god, feels the chef. For the past 27 years, Choudhary has been cooking up delights and serving people. He insisted that one should not miss eating his legendary shahi gatte ke subzi and khajur barfi.
In Bangalore, Chef Kamlesh Bingola, who has been trained and guided by Chef Hema Ram, is excited about the widespread a-la-carte menu and the snacks menu that’s interestingly called ‘From the Chowk’ and the signature special ‘Royal Rasovara Thali’. “Our a-la-carte menu has handpicked vegetarian delicacies from across the country. Pick from our numerous starters, main course, snacks and desserts. Our subz hara shorba, paneer banjara kebab, Bikaneri mattar pack, kumbh methi ka salan, paneer khada masala, makai mirch shaak, dal panchratna amongst other mouthwatering royal delicacies will certainly have you asking for more,” says Bingola, the man behind the idea to serve traditonal dishes in contemporary ways to suit the tastes of the suave urban diners.