Inside the Jewel Box

This place was on my wish list for a long time but never got a chance to go there till the other day. Was on my way back to bangalore when we made our last pitstop at the Koshy's for a Meal.

Had to wait outside for a while as the Jewel Box a.k.a the posh lounge of Koshy's wasn't open. The Paradise Cafe a.k.a the regular Koshy's cafe was crowded even at that odd time. We soon moved in to the Jewel Box.Well lit, warm and Cozy , the Jewel Box stood up to its name.

Inside Koshy's Jewel Box.

I ordered a Sangiovese Wine to start with.

Sangiovese Red Wine (INR 110).

For the Meal , we ordered the Famous Pineapple Steak with Spring Onions and Grilled Pork.

Pineapple Steak with Spring Onions. (INR 275)

Grilled Pork. (INR 275)

Both tasted awesome. The Steak was well cooked, soft and juicy and was served with a slice of Pineapple,which went well with a fork of steak. Pork was delicious but the occasional bone encounters were tough to handle.

As usual I needed to have a dessert to consider the meal complete. I chose the Caramel Custard.

Caramel Custard. (INR 90)

A nice place to hang out with some great food. The well behaved Keralite staff were so helpful in Menu Decisions. Definitely a Must-visit.

Address:

No. 39, St Marks Rd, Bengaluru

The Continental Taste of Benitos, Bangalore

I would call myself heart(tongue)less, if I wait any longer to write about this place. My (almost) everyday hangout , Benitos. A decent continental restaurant located in Sarjapur Road, Bangalore.

As I said, I am a frequent visitor and a huge fan of the place. The truth is that I cant live without a juicy steak at least once a week. And when it comes to it, where else to look than right across my street.

I wouldn't say the menu of Benitos has much variety to offer, but what they have there is worthy for an entry to your system. I would always start my course with either a salad or a soup. Then I would go for a house special and will close the deal with a dessert.

I am suggesting a (my favorite) menu that you could try once you are there.

Chicken Salad with potatoes/ pasta / sweet corn.

House Special 1: Mixed Grill Steak / Sizzler ( For All-Meat Lovers).

House Special 2: Chicken Parmegean (For Chicken Lovers).

House Special 3: Thai Curry Rice ( For Seafood Lovers).

Dessert : Tender Coconut Souffle.

Well, this is not the end of it. The list goes on and it goes on good. Other items worth mentioning are the Lasagna, Chocolate Crepes, Chicken & Leek Soup and the Fish Sizzler. Don't miss out on the Tender Coconut Souffle though, its without a question one of the best desserts I've had in Bangalore.

Beach Road Scissor Cut Curry Rice in Singapore

For the first 2 nights of my Singapore visit ,I had to stay at the CityHub hotel in Jalan Besar. The Dinner at hotel was so bad that I had to go out and eat once again at 11 PM.

Right across the street was the famous Beach Road Scissor Cut Curry Rice shop. I saw people standing there patiently waiting for their turn to taste the delicious scissor chopped meal at midnight.

Beach Road Scissor Cut Curry Rice Shop.

On my way to the top of the queue I saw pretty interesting stuff set out in the shelves.

Fried Larvae

Drumsticks

When I arrived at the Cut Centre, the man with the scissors asked me " yo whataa dhu you needth"? ( I am no Russell Peters and I don't do very good impressions.)

Honeslty i didn't knew the names of most of the items laid down before me. Some where black, some green and some where brown. I just went with my instincts and pointed everything in an order which seemed appropriate to me. He took everything and made small cuts out of it with his scissors and put those in a bowl of rice. Threw in some gravy and gave me the plate.

Scissor Cut Rice Plate.

The plate with everything chopped on it was 3 S$. It had beef, pork, fish, chicken, squid and almost everything that I've ever eaten, all together. But the combo was pretty good. Fish cakes were well cooked. The red and white meat were neat and juicy.

But the quantity wasn't that great. I was still hungry and wanted to try a few more items in the shelf.

The Shark Egg.

The Ultimate Combo. Drumstick, Grilled Shark and Meat Sausage with Chilly Paste.

In my 5 day-long Singapore trip, I've had 5 Plates of Scissor Cut Rice. I think that pretty much sums it up!

Surprised by Attuvanchi : Alappuzha

We were a bit confused when we saw the board "kallu" (Toddy) showing up prominently over the hotel's actual title 'Attuvanchi', But hunger won over confusion the very next second. We were on our way home from Alappuzha and almost near changanassery when we decided to stop at any place which offered some food.

We got in and thought of doing it the right way and hence appeared a pot of fresh toddy on our table.

The toddy was so fresh and sweet.It was definitely tingly but not sour.

We ordered one plate of Kappa ( Mashed & Cooked Tapioca), A Set of Appams, One Kada (Quail) Deep Fried and Crabs. We had to wait for a while to get these ready but meanwhile we were offered a Duck Curry we could use as an appetizer.

The Duck curry went well with Appams. Spicy with lots of bones.

Kappa well cooked and spicy. Hot delicious.

Kada fry was alright. Eatable to the last bone, it resembled chicken in taste.

We got 3 adult crabs and an over sized adult crab in one plate. Tasted amazing even though you had to struggle through the shell.

And finally the battle was over.

To our surprise the bill for all the above said menu, was under 300 INR, which was a huge relief as we only had 500 on us and these places wont accept any cards!

Ulu Ulu of Singapore Zoo Night Safari

By the dusk of my first day in singapore, I was dead tired from the day-long walking , standing and shooting. After finishing my Night Safari tour at the Zoo (which is an experience of great value by its own) , I was looking for a place to eat. Night Safari Campus itself offers a variety of restaurants and food outlets and as I was keen on having some authentic strange food, I chose Ulu Ulu.

The menu ranges from local favorites to international cuisines and the ambience is active with the cries and songs of Frogs, Cicades and other creatures of the night.

We could make our order right at the counter ,also the area where the actual cooking takes place, and wait under the burnished wooden roof till your dish is ready to go. The place is near to the bornean tribal art performance arena, so you can enjoy your food and the show at the same time.

We chose the Duck with Noodles & Beans and the Chicken Rice Set.

Now the people who eat with their noses, don't even try this. Frankly you don't deserve any of this. It might smell weird but it tastes so good, I am not even trying to convince you guys.

The food was quiet expensive as this being inside the Zoo, but was totally worth it. The Duck was 25 S$ a plate and the Chicken was priced at a reasonable (?) 15 S$.

Kong Kee Mutton Soup : Singapore

One thing I will never forget from my Singapore trip 2011 is the Kong Kee Mutton Soup I had from the Family-run street food place at 227,Jelan Besar Street. The lady makes this delicious mutton soup and serves that with some hot rice and traditional Red Chilly Sauce. The place is a little dingy,dimly lit and occasionally noisy, but trust me, that adds up to the whole experience. You can sit by the side of the road,listen to the feeble retro chinese song and enjoy the soup with chopsticks and a soup spoon.

Chopped Mutton Pieces ready to be cooked.

Even the idea of having a soup with chopsticks was scary. But I saw people sitting next to me doing the art with perfection.

The Kong Kee Mutton Soup comes in 3 variants. The 2 S$ Soup, The 3 S$ Soup and the 5 S$ Soup. Must be quantity of the pieces that draws the line, Anyway I had room only for the 2 S$ Soup and it was pretty fulfilling. It tastes wonderful with the mutton pieces so tender and grainy. The rice is well cooked and goes well with the Soup. Not too spicy but served hot so watch your tongue. The place opens up only after 8 PM but goes on till 1 AM. To sum it up, A must try for all potential singapore visitors out there!