BENGALURU : Even as the scorching sun refuses to provide any respite, Bengalureans find a way to bring the mercury down with the many pubs in the city. Placed strategically, right at the junction of Vittal Mallya Road and Lavelle Road, one such watering hole – Bootlegger – has been known for its an array of mocktails and lip-smacking food.
Stepping into the exposed brick decor, we settled on one of the wooden chairs. Old school soft rock played in the background as we decided what to try from their menu. We ordered the Orange Chicken – a fresh addition to the pub’s menu, which has been overhauled with new offerings based on customer suggestions. The dish soon became one of our favourites, thanks to the sweet and sour tang of the dish made for a good starter. Next, we had some Buffalo Cauli, which was the vegetarian answer to the hot favourite of many beer lovers – Buffalo Wings. The sauce – similar to the one usually used in its non-vegetarian twin’s recipe – hit all the right spots and the crispiness made it appropriate for a mug of beer.
While we took another bite of the chicken, the owner of the pub, Shreyas Patel, suggested we try their new cocktail Basmati Panca: A mix of Basmati-infused Vermouth, Cognac, clove syrup and Peychaud’s. The first sip had a strong whiff of the pleasant aroma of Basmati, which is followed by a strong burst of flavour, thanks to the clove. However, our personal favourite was the Irish Coffee.
This concoction is made of coffee, Irish whiskey, demerara and cream. The thick layer of cream sprinkled with coffee powder and whiskey made for a perfect warm drink. It’s the best of both worlds for coffee lovers; you get to taste both coffee and whiskey in one drink.
Next up was the Guntur Chicken. Made with guntur chillies, one of the hottest varieties of chillies available in South India, the dish did not fail to disappoint and had us reaching out for our drinks every few bites.
For our main course, we were served some Butter Garlic Prawns and Stir Fried Noodles. The prawns had a strong flavour of garlic that was coupled with soft butter, which added a nice soft texture to the prawns.
What good is a meal without dessert? To end ours on a sweet note, we tried the Classic Gooey Almond and Chocolate Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream and we recommend you do the same.