BENGALURU: Resto-bar food menu can be usually predicable, but new menu in Nevermind, Indiranagar, has some exciting treasures.
For starters, the spread included Shrimp Scampi –prawns slow-cooked with white wine, garlic, parsley and butter – and the Walnut and Maple Bacon Wrapped Prawns. The Shrimp Scampi was cooked well and the white wine reduction being the hero of the dish. Pair it with some of their interesting gin or vodka cocktails to relish some great flavours. The crispy Calamari, however, did not live up to expectations. The batter coat was too thick to really enjoy the Calamari.
The vegetarian starter platter was a huge surprise with elaborate options. I tried some Brie Tampura– batter-fried brie cheese with some orange glaze. It was light, addictive and is recommended. I also had crispy Lotus Stem tossed in Sweet-Chilli Sauce. It was passable and did not really stand out. The main attraction of the evening was the Exotic Mushroom With Cashew Nut. It had stir fried Shiitake, black fungus, button mushroom with bell peppers, cashew and soy garlic sauce. The black fungus tasted great and the flavours were well balanced. It’s one dish I wouldn’t mind repeating. Overall, the starters menu has many options for Bao and dumpling fans.
If you are a cocktail lover, then you are at a right place. The restaurant’s revamped menu has quite a few new chilling and refreshing cocktails. The first gin cocktail on my table was Empress Kiss which had rosemary-infused gin, lime juice, orange juice and egg whites. The rosemary and egg whites gave the drink a distinct feel and flavour. It was followed by Ginpaan, a gin with betel leave juice and cream. I found it less flavourful. The third cocktail was The Saint, a gin with carrot, turmeric and ginger juice. This was one of the most experimental drinks I have tried this year. I was pleasantly surprised with the subtle but well-balanced drink with a good aftertaste of turmeric.
In the main course, there was Pan Seared Red Snapper. It was a crispy skin red snapper on a bed of couscous with chimichurri sauce and orange fennel sauce. After a generous consumption of starters and cocktails, this light dish can really sooth your taste buds. Snapper was followed by Jalapeno Cheese Burger and Coastal Prawn Curry cooked in coconut milk. The burger was juicy with a chunky patty. The pickled onions and puffy bun elevated its taste. The Prawn Curry served with rice reminded me of home.
I rounded off the evening with their signature dessert –Tall, Dark and Crunchy – a milk chocolate sponge cake with a thick dark chocolate ganache and cashew praline bits. It was indulgent as a dessert without a spike of sugar.
Overall, it is a good place for brunch if you are not a fan of loud music and enjoy dining with friends in a semi-private seating.
Cost for two (approx): Rs 2,000