Cubbon Pavilion at the ITC Royal Gardenia, Bangalore

Will we be going back ? Look at the contented look on papa's face. I am sure we will be.


 Easy Access: They rolled the wheelchair right upto the car. Very friendly wheelchair attendant.

 Good food :  Large range of choices. But generally ok.

 Outstanding service : spotty. but nothing to  complain about. we were well looked after

 Decor and ambience :

 Vegetarian Choices:


 Air- Conditioning

Our Native Village

Will we be going back ? Not for the food, perhaps for the ambience and the regression therapy
,Easy Access: No - 35 kms from home through villages and narrow lanes, last 2.5 kms on a dirt road.
Good food : All natural, organic, no oils and fats, no milk products or derivatives, low on spice Vegetarian. Just a little too healthy for me, though I think I could get used to it as part of a therapy program.
Outstanding service : Service 3.5 out of a 5. There was nothing you could pinpoint and say was missing. But after the long journey, I did not just want faultless service, I wanted to feel welcomed and loved. And there was none of that.
Decor and ambience : Very rustic - all eco friendly resort. Runs on solar power and harvested rainwater. Might take it to the extreme. Beautiful landscape and traditional art everywhere. Some spectacular murals on the walls of the Guest Rooms.
Vegetarian Choices : Vegetarian, yes. Choice NO - Fixed Menu
Air- Conditioning: Nope - though it is situated on a hill, and even in the afternoon we did not need a fan, leave alone the AC
Spa:  Mom and Dad had a massage. It was an awfully long ride for a good massage, competently delivered in a nice room. Overall spa experience - mediocre.
Price: In general price performance of the resort was not favorable. Far too much money spent for what we wanted. Perhaps its a good deal if you do it as part of the soul therapy package. Depends on whether you have 14 days you can spend there and are willing to take a risk on it.
R&R: They did put out charpoys for us to lie down on by the pond. And it was really nice.

Link to photos on FB: http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=2063871&id=1464954926

Mainland China in Indiranagar

Will we be going back ? Yes
Access: Moderately ok. The restaurant is located on the service road next to the flyover from Inner Ring Road to Indiranagar. Not the easiest access from Koramangala, but nothing that would challenge a skilled driver. The parking scene is a little dull. But the 3 steps up from the street are the pits. The first time around mom had a huge struggle with it. It got better the 2nd time.  They need to get a little better with seating people and differentiating between seniors and ordinary people.... their reception service still has many quirks that need to be sorted out.
Good food : I've enjoyed the food most times that I've been there. And the parents enjoyed both trips there. The Crackling Spinach is my favorite.
Service: Wait and table staff are very attentive and we were generally very pleased with the service. Just the reception and seating service that needs some work.
Decor and ambience : Good. Neither attracts nor distracts. Does not get in the way
Vegetarian Choices : Lots of good choices
Air- Conditioning: It works, and it works well. No outdoor seating options.

Copper Chimney - Bangalore Central

Will we be going back ? Yes
Easy Access: Moderately so. Drive the car into the basement and back up into the area in front of the elevator. Elevator takes you directly to the restaurant level. There are about 3-4 steps that you must climb up and then down to enter the restaurant. Not very good handles. But the steps are not too steep.
Food: What was good was very good. But we did order a few things that we wished we had not. Some of the appertizers we ordered were quite bad. We saw someone getting a toasted roomali roti with masala (tomato and onion filling) and ordered that - it was really good! The Kabuli Nan was not good at all. But there were 2 breads that were just awesome. One was a Khasta Roti (with Ajwain) could eat that by itself, and there was another roti made with Dahi Tufo Naan ? I think - which was also soft and fluffy and very good - I prefer it to the butter naans. We had a couple of sabzis and a dal and rice and we had to get dahi to temper the spices. Overall a delightful experience, next time we will order less food.
Service : The service was reasonably good. They were slightly busy by the time we got there. But even the non-busy staff were too busy socializing so you had to wave to get their attention. They could have given us better menu recommendations. So service gets a moderate 2 stars.
 Decor and ambience : Bright and airy. You can see the skies from atleast 2 or 3 sides of the restaurant, given that it sits so high up. The view itself was worth the visit.
Vegetarian Choices : Plenty of choice.
Air- Conditioning : It worked. I think there is an outdoor seating balcony as well. But it isn't a "sit under the stars" terrace - more like a covered balcony.

Memories of China at the Taj Residency

Will we be going back ? Yes, absolutely

Easy Access: Yes. Located at the Taj Residency, it is a few steps past the reception area and the cake shop. You do have to negotiate the 3-4 steps of the hotel itself. There is a good handle bar available for support.

Food : Papa was really looking to get some Chinese vegetables in a white sauce - kind of like the Chinese Chop Suey of old. So we had Vegetable Spring Rolls and Crispy Vegetables (my friend Rama's recommendation) as appetizers. For soups mom and Rama split a Hot and Sour, while dad and I had the Clear Soup with Mushrooms and Chinese Herbs. Entree: Chinese Vegetables in a light garlic sauce, and Eggplant in garlic sauce (mom's looking forward to eating the leftovers with steamed rice today). We also had the Vegetable Fried Rice and Hakka Noodles (none of which was spicy as Chinese food tends to be in Indian restaurants these days. Thank God!) Desert: Date rolls, Carmelized Bananas and Ice Cream. Awesome.!!

Service: We were 1 of 3 groups of diners in the restaurant. We had all the attention we needed, though I think the wait staff would have been a little stretched had there been more diners.

Decor and ambience : Felt like we had been transported to a different place and time. Decor was pleasant and cheerful. However, when they walked past with a dish of sizzlers, there was a strong waft of spicy air through the restaurant, I was coughing and sneezing long after the dish was delivered to another table.

Vegetarian Choices : Enough to keep all of us happy .

Air- Conditioning: It worked just fine. It is the Taj, what can I say ? There was no outdoor seating but on a May afternoon in Bangalore, we were quite happy with the indoors.

Sahib Sind Sultan

Will we be going back ? Absolutely

Easy Access: The restaurant is on the 2nd floor of the Forum Mall. We drove up close to the Mall Office, and spotted a wheelchair. Ensconced Mom in the wheelchair and took the elevator upto the 2nd floor and wheeled her over to the restaurant. She was feeling particularly energetic that day. Said she could have walked, it seemed such a short distance (right mom! Say that after you've walked it).


Good food : Really good food.

Outstanding service : We arrived there around 12:30 just as the restaurant was opening. We did not have reservations, which can be a bit of a hazard if you want to sit in one of the "cars". We were lucky. We were able to bag a table there. Wait staff was very helpful, helped us board our rail car and settle into our seats. Here is the conductor coming by to check on us.

Decor and ambience : Every time the kitchen door opened, you heard a rumbling sound that felt like we were actually in a train rushing through the countryside. They played old hindi songs that evoked the romance of trains. This was interspersed with the train whistle blowing and railway announcements.

Vegetarian Choices : Primarily Punjabi/North/North West Indian food. So lots of good choices. We were about to over order, and the kind "Ticket Collector" cum Concierge talked us into a more reasonable selection. For appetizers we had the patti samosas. Mom ordered the Bhindi and Singada (Water Chestnuts)  ki subzi.  We had one other vegetable whose name I cannot remember. We had aloo kulcha, butter naan and roti. The subzis were a little too spicy for papa and I. So we added steamed rice and Plain dahi. For dessert we had pista kulfi. All very delicious.
Air- Conditioning : Air conditioned, and it was just right.
Driving Distance from Koramangala : Since we live adjacent to the Forum Mall - the hardest part was exiting the building and entering the parking lot next door - a task which thankfully I don't need to deal with.

Karavalli at the Taj Gateway

Will we be going back ? Absolutely

 

Easy Access: The restaurant is located at the back of the hotel. You need special permission to drive upto the entrance. Its a beautiful garden setting, however, then there is a brief stroll on flat ground to the restaurant. Mom handled it pretty well.

Good food : We ordered more food than we really needed cos we wanted to sample it all. There were some really really good things, and a few passable ones. The appetizers were very ok. However, here is what we ordered for the entrees:

1. Neer Dosa and Kuddala Curry -> loved the neer dosa - got to figure out how to make them again . Kuddala curry had a great taste but was your basic brown channa.
2. Iddiappam and Avial -> The avial was very good, mom loved the black peppers, papa hated them. The idiappam was interesting but we are unlikely to order it again.
3. Appam and Stew -> This was the absolute best !!! So much so that we want to go back again and again.

Outstanding service : We arrived there at 12 just as the restaurant was opening. So it was quite empty. All the wait staff were at full attention, helping us get settled in and addressing our every need. We were quite pleased with the service. Later, at mom's request they gave us a tour of the kitchen (see photos)

Decor and ambience : Dark brown antiques with beautiful woodwork. Bright garden setting. Traditional place settings.

Vegetarian Choices : Large range of vegetarian choices.

Air- Conditioning : The air conditioned section is beautifully decorated in the colonial and south indian style. However, there is also a beautiful outdoor area to sit in, It could be pleasant to sit outside in the good weather.

Driving Distance from Koramangala : Not quite next door but close enough - about 30 mins door to door.

Open Air Lounge at the Leela Palace Hotel 23 points out of 35

Will we be going back ? Absolutely ***** 23points out of 35.


Access: While you can bring your car to the entrance of the Leela, you do have to pass thru the metal detector and then walk past the very nice lobby to the outdoor bar situated right in front of the Jamavar restaurant. This is a favorite place of mine with its high ceilings, large candles and sof t breeze. Mom declined the offer of sitting down to rest in the lobby. **


Food: Very limited choices of food but what we had was very nicely presented - Podi idly and tomato and mozarella cheese. Both were really good. The non-alcoholic cocktails were quite bad.  ***

Outstanding service : When we could get the attention of a wait person, they were pretty courteous and helpful. However, its a long walk from this space to the Limelight restaurant and most of the time the wait person was away. So it got mildly annoying. . ***

Decor and ambience : Simply awesome. The parents totally loved it. *****

Vegetarian Choices : Small selection of veg food. ***

Air- Conditioning : Open air. ***

Driving Distance from Koramangala : 10-20 mins. ****

Rajdhani at the UB City Plaza - 23 Points out of 35

Will we be going back ? Perhaps ***** 23 points out of 35.

Access: At the plaza level in UB City - you can drive your car really close to the elevator, take the elevator up and then walk across the plaza to the restaurant. The bathrooms are another walk into the building. Mom's energy level was not particularly high that day, and it was a bit of a struggle for her. **

Food: Fixed menu with a large variety of Gujrati/Rajasthani food. Rajdhani is a franchise that you see in many cities in India, and even in some parts of the US. You can most likely find something that you will like in the full range that they bring to your table ****
Service : Very good while you stay within the standard formula. Cannot do much outside that. But the standard forumla is quite acceptable. ***
Decor and ambience : Outdoor in UB City plaza with its fountains. Can be really nice on a day when the weather is good for sitting outside. ****

Vegetarian Choices : Vegetarian only. So many many choices. *****

Air- Conditioning : No Air co. *
Driving Distance from Koramangala : About 25-30 mins door to door. ****

South Indies - 28 points out of 35

Will we be going back ? Absolutely ***** 29 points out of 35.

Access: Located on the rooftop of the Chevron Hotel on Infantry Road. Car can pull up to the hotel steps. But then there are steps : 3-4 but mom struggled with them. Then walk a few steps to the elevator that takes you upto the covered terrace. Couple more steps to climb and then walk to your table.  **

Food:  At breakfast time, they had the standard south indian fare, well made, well presented. But nothing spectacular. Mom and Dad both enjoyed the food.Will have to return for dinner, which will be difficult given that we like to eat by 7pm. The menu was beautiful, and certainly one that encouraged us to want to return. However, no ala carte on weekends for lunch.   ***

Outstanding service : We had gone for brunch, arrived around 10:30 - there were a few diners there. That did not stop the staff from being super courteous and accomodating. Later on, they took mom on a tour of the kitchen and a chat with the chef.  *****

Decor and ambience : The glass roof, the lush foliage and the overhead waterfall all contributed to a superb ambience. The parents totally loved it. ****

Vegetarian Choices : Vegetarian only. So many many choices. *****

Air- Conditioning : Air conditioned, and it was just right. *****

Driving Distance from Koramangala : About 30-40 mins door to door. ****

Little Italy - Koramangala: 30 Points out of 3035

 Will we be going back ? Absolutely ***** 26 points out of 30.

Easy Access: The restaurant is on a quiet side street. The car can pull up right to the entrance. However, there are 2 rather large steps that must be negotiated. No handrail that can be used to pull yourself up. It was a bit of a struggle to make it up the steps, but mom was determined. ***

Good food : There was a great selection of Italian food to suit Papa's angrezi pallette as well as mom's desire for something with a little kick. It was all well made and well presented. ****

Outstanding service : We arrived there at 12 just as the restaurant was opening. So it was quite empty. All the wait staff were at full attention, helping us get settled in and addressing our every need. We were quite pleased with the service. *****

Decor and ambience : We sat by the large picture window with a view of the lush foliage. It got a little noisy as more diners arrived. But by and large it was very pleasant. ****
Vegetarian Choices : Vegetarian only. So many many choices. *****

Air- Conditioning : Air conditioned, and it was just right. *****

Driving Distance from Koramangala : Located in Koramangala near the Forum Mall. So close they even do home delivery. *****

The Basic Requirements

I have compiled this based on our experiences on dining out with my parents, both of whom are in their 80s, in relatively good health, very aware of what they like and don't like. Over the past few weeks we have made a ritual out of our Saturday lunches, and the purpose of this is three-fold.

1. Share our experiences in case they can be of help to anyone else
2. Receive suggestions on other dining options
3. Document them so we have a place to remember and reference

Our requirements are simple. Or perhaps not quite so simple

Easy Access -> Cannot be a very long walk from the car to the seating area in the restaurant. Not too many steps to climb up and down. At 80+ my parents are not into long treks to get to their food.

Good food -> Having travelled around the world, and then watched all the Guju cooking shows that talk about garnish and decoration, my parents are quite sophisticated. In addition to being wholesome, tasty and non-greasy, the food must be presented well.

Outstanding service -> This is non-negotiable. Ahead of good food, ahead of good presentation, this is the make or break characteristic of the restaurant. My parents attitude - we can always food we like at home. If we are going out, its for the experience. Its for how they make us feel when we are in the restaurant. So service is paramount.

Decor and ambience - should be conducive to a leisurely lunch and contribute to an overall good experience

Vegetarian Choices - any carnivorous appetite my father might have had is overwritten by the strong vegetarian regimen that my mom and I follow. So while there can be non-veg items on the menu, there should definitely be a good set of Vegetarian options.

Air- Conditioning - yes, Bangalore is reputed to have a very pleasant climate. Yes most people in Bangalore have lived without airconditioning. We are the exception that make the rule. If the weather is really pleasant and the bugs and mosquitoes are not out, then of course we want to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air. Otherwise, airconditioning is a requirement.

In or near Bangalore - since we happen to be living in Koramangala in Bangalore, it should not be more than an hour or 90 mins ride.