BENGALURU : With the IPL fever back to getting all fans hooked to the screen, it is even more enjoyable when one heads over to a place which resonates the spirit of the game. Many people prefer to go to a pub in a gang and watch the match live on a screen and cheer for their most-loved team or rejoice when their least favourite one loses. Well, Monkey Bar, Indiranagar, has an ample number of munchies and crisps to devour while you hold a drink in the other hand and cheer away till the end.
On a weekday after work, my RCB-supporter friend and I went over to experience the spirit of cricket and like always, we first ordered cocktails to set the mood for the night. She took Mangaa, while I took Toast to Calcutta. These were two very unique, yet refreshing drinks that we had in the hot weather. The aam panna-inspired Mangaa felt like a summer drink fit to gulp down and drown away all work-related tensions and worries.
Toast to Calcutta had the signature Bengali-special Gondhoraj Lebu (Kaffir lime) which made the drink so aromatic, that even while writing this, I can still get my olfactory nerve working!Meanwhile, the waiters brought over Gully Bao, which has a Mumbai connection and tastes somewhat like misal pav, but has stuffed bao with curried white peas, along with onion and tomato salad with spicy rassa. We also took Fried Riders from the Kolkata section, which are crispy fish fillet fingers, stuffed with curried shrimps and served with kasundi mustard spiked salad. We thoroughly enjoyed this as the fish was fresh and the salad complimented well with it.
We found the Chicken Challenger quite interesting, as it tasted a lot like the local chicken kebabs that we get on the roadside stalls or any low-budget restaurants. Keeping Bengaluru’s cultural heritage in mind, Monkey Bar surely made a mark by taking a local delicacy and putting it on the menu, much to any non-vegetarian’s delight. Also, keeping something specific from every state which IPL represents has been very appealing.
From Chennai, we had the 65 Not Out, which is spicy chicken 65 cubes marinated in a curry, which was served with mini uthappam. If you want a moderately heavy meal, or something like a proper dinner, go for this. By now, we felt thirsty and wanted another round of drinks, so we were suggested Mad Men and Monkey Masala Soda. Mad Men was more for people who love their coffee strong, while the Masala Soda was gin-based, yet had the smooth flavour of our typical drink that we have instead of cold drinks.
From team Hyderabad, we chose Capt Kheema, which is mutton kheema stuffed in a dough, along with mint chutney. It was, undoubtedly, one of the best mutton kheemas we had recently. With the right kind of spices and a perfect mince, we had a good time with this.Last, we ate the Taco Indians, which was served in a thepla and had crispy paneer, marinated with mayonnaise, along with green chilli and peanut chutney. It took us back to the lanes of Mumbai, but with a fusion twist. All this, while watching cricket on the big screen and keeping ourselves entertained. Bidding goodbye right after the match ended, we promised to come back.The IPL team spirit festival is on till May 19. cost for two: Rs 1,500