Back on the blog after a real long time! I don't know if it was writer's block or self-created work pressures or general dont-feel-like-writing-though-there's-so-much-to-write, but its true that I haven't been blogging as regularly as I should. Or, at all.
But am back! And it was a leisurely late Saturday lunch at Otto Infinito with old friends Oilboy (ex-Biscuit Man) and The Regulator that set the writer's ink flowing again. Hope it never dries up again.
Otto Infinito is bang in the heart of BKC's banking corridor (glittering chrome-and-glass headquarters of 8-10 major Indian banks flank both sides of the road). The restaurant is roomy and spacious, the effect emphasised by with the ample natural light filtering in from the signature glass wall. There's both table and booth seating inside, and a more casual deck-like sitting area outside. When we were there, there was foot-tapping Middle-eastern music playing - that, amid the chic setting, made me feel I was at Dubai or Istanbul. Very global. :)
It was late, and The Regulator had "just half an hour" for a quick lunch so we bypassed the soup and starters and directly ordered the mains. Its another thing that we loitered over lunch for over 2 hours!
The Regulator asked me to choose for him, so I asked for the Turkish Kebab for him, and the Baked Basa in Harissa for moi. Oilboy had eyes only for the Hand-cut Herbed Linguini with Chicken Bolognaise. All in all, a nice diverse set of dishes for us to explore!
The food appeared in record time, in outsized white plates that seem to be the darling of fine dining restaurants. But in all fairness, the portions were fair-sized too. Not overly generous, but decent - not like the microscopic portions nouvelle cuisine seems to favour! Dots of vivid sauces and exquisitely-plated nano servings in cavernous bowls make me prickly. :)
The Regulator's kebabs were glorious - four hand-crafted cylindrical kebabs glistening with juiciness and with tell-tale char marks from the grill.
The yellow-hued ones were chicken and the brown ones were lamb. The accompaniments included 4 triangles of toasted pita, a small tub of spiced mayonnaise, fries and julienned (maybe pickled, I didnt taste 'em) vegetables (carrots, capsicum) The chicken kebabs were gloriously tender, while the lamb ones had more bite to them but were amazingly fragrant with spices, particularly cumin.
Oilboy's pasta was nice - quite tasty and substantial. Nothing more, nothing less. But perhaps its just me - I seem to have lost my yen for hearty carbs. :(
Given this change-of-taste, my main was perfect - 4 healthy-sized chunks of steamed Basa (its difficult to believe Basa is available only frozen) in a tomato-based clear broth atop a base of wilted spinach. The broth was tasty without being spicy and livened with tiny cherry tomatoes and whole cloves of garlic.
For dessert, the guys forced me to order the 'Cafe Gourmand' - a chef's selection of three sweets with cookies and 2 cups of coffee. The guys chose latte and cappuccino as their coffees and shushed me when I asked the waiter to enquire what the Chef's selection was. "Let us be surprised!" was their refrain. Oh well, I said in resignation and waited to be let down by some fancy new-fangled dessert concoction.
But luckily, I was proven wrong. The oversized dessert tasting plate was a very nice way to end the meal - 2 cookies (one soft and crumbly cinnamon-spiced one (scrumptious!) and the other a crisp chocolate chip one), 2 coffees and 3 desserts - a slice of orange cake (garnished with an absolutely yummy wheel of candied orange), a rum ball and a wedge of hazelnut cheesecake. Surprisingly (most surprising to myself!) I found myself turning away from the creamy cheesecake and rich rum ball and preferring the cinnamon cookie instead. Wonders will never cease.
The total damage for our well-made and well-executed lunch was INR 2200 (excluding the tip), which is acceptable for a fine dining restaurant located in the city's priciest business district. To sum up, Otto Infinito is a good choice for a meal in BKC - whether it is a power lunch or a celebration dinner or just a relaxed weekend catch-up with friends.
Otto Infinito
G Block, Raheja Tower,
Bandra Kurla Complex
022 26567777
http://www.ottoinfinito.com
But am back! And it was a leisurely late Saturday lunch at Otto Infinito with old friends Oilboy (ex-Biscuit Man) and The Regulator that set the writer's ink flowing again. Hope it never dries up again.
Otto Infinito is bang in the heart of BKC's banking corridor (glittering chrome-and-glass headquarters of 8-10 major Indian banks flank both sides of the road). The restaurant is roomy and spacious, the effect emphasised by with the ample natural light filtering in from the signature glass wall. There's both table and booth seating inside, and a more casual deck-like sitting area outside. When we were there, there was foot-tapping Middle-eastern music playing - that, amid the chic setting, made me feel I was at Dubai or Istanbul. Very global. :)
It was late, and The Regulator had "just half an hour" for a quick lunch so we bypassed the soup and starters and directly ordered the mains. Its another thing that we loitered over lunch for over 2 hours!
The Regulator asked me to choose for him, so I asked for the Turkish Kebab for him, and the Baked Basa in Harissa for moi. Oilboy had eyes only for the Hand-cut Herbed Linguini with Chicken Bolognaise. All in all, a nice diverse set of dishes for us to explore!
The food appeared in record time, in outsized white plates that seem to be the darling of fine dining restaurants. But in all fairness, the portions were fair-sized too. Not overly generous, but decent - not like the microscopic portions nouvelle cuisine seems to favour! Dots of vivid sauces and exquisitely-plated nano servings in cavernous bowls make me prickly. :)
The Regulator's kebabs were glorious - four hand-crafted cylindrical kebabs glistening with juiciness and with tell-tale char marks from the grill.
The yellow-hued ones were chicken and the brown ones were lamb. The accompaniments included 4 triangles of toasted pita, a small tub of spiced mayonnaise, fries and julienned (maybe pickled, I didnt taste 'em) vegetables (carrots, capsicum) The chicken kebabs were gloriously tender, while the lamb ones had more bite to them but were amazingly fragrant with spices, particularly cumin.
Oilboy's pasta was nice - quite tasty and substantial. Nothing more, nothing less. But perhaps its just me - I seem to have lost my yen for hearty carbs. :(
Given this change-of-taste, my main was perfect - 4 healthy-sized chunks of steamed Basa (its difficult to believe Basa is available only frozen) in a tomato-based clear broth atop a base of wilted spinach. The broth was tasty without being spicy and livened with tiny cherry tomatoes and whole cloves of garlic.
For dessert, the guys forced me to order the 'Cafe Gourmand' - a chef's selection of three sweets with cookies and 2 cups of coffee. The guys chose latte and cappuccino as their coffees and shushed me when I asked the waiter to enquire what the Chef's selection was. "Let us be surprised!" was their refrain. Oh well, I said in resignation and waited to be let down by some fancy new-fangled dessert concoction.
But luckily, I was proven wrong. The oversized dessert tasting plate was a very nice way to end the meal - 2 cookies (one soft and crumbly cinnamon-spiced one (scrumptious!) and the other a crisp chocolate chip one), 2 coffees and 3 desserts - a slice of orange cake (garnished with an absolutely yummy wheel of candied orange), a rum ball and a wedge of hazelnut cheesecake. Surprisingly (most surprising to myself!) I found myself turning away from the creamy cheesecake and rich rum ball and preferring the cinnamon cookie instead. Wonders will never cease.
The total damage for our well-made and well-executed lunch was INR 2200 (excluding the tip), which is acceptable for a fine dining restaurant located in the city's priciest business district. To sum up, Otto Infinito is a good choice for a meal in BKC - whether it is a power lunch or a celebration dinner or just a relaxed weekend catch-up with friends.
Otto Infinito
G Block, Raheja Tower,
Bandra Kurla Complex
022 26567777
http://www.ottoinfinito.com
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