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| Images by Kunal Chandra |
‘Hey,
let’s meet for a drink this evening. We could wrap up that deal…’
‘Sure,
but where shall we go for dinner later?’
Quite out of the blue,
Bangaloreans have a one-stop answer to such everyday dilemmas. One that bypasses
the hearty (sometimes stodgy) fare and standard tipples around this pub city. If
you ask me, all foodie and pub-hopping roads today lead to the spanking new Monkey
Bar, India’s first gastropub!
This funky take on the
global phenomenon of a gastropub had a soft launch in late May. Its tagline is
right on cue: ‘New York meets Bangalore,
Bangalore meets New York.’ Its logo? Three winged monkeys – one in sharp
shades, one with headphones on, the third with a pipe.
What’s a gastropub? A
restaurant-pub that yokes together pub ambience, fine food, affordable prices,
and great service. The term originated in the UK in 1991, when new generation
pub-goers tired of a ploughman’s lunch or fish-n-chips. By 2000, the US had Father’s Office in L.A., The Spotted Pig in Manhattan, and more.
Norway joined the bandwagon in 2009. By 2012, The Hand & Flowers gastropub in Buckinghamshire had earned 2
Michelin stars.
Back in Bangalore, a
blackboard at the Monkey Bar entrance reads: “Welcome! We’re teething. Please
bear with us.” Grinning, we step in. First impressions? Wooden floors, eight-seater
bench-booths, exposed brick walls. Assorted light fixtures and retro posters strung
together with casual cunning. More intimate tables for four. A bright Vespa
scooter parked on a ledge. Nostalgia-prompts
line the walls: a Hershey’s plaque, a curved blackboard that promises an
American-style breakfast in the future. A DJ who spins retro music – Abba, Don
McLean, Ozzy Ozbourne, et al – has us nodding in approval long before we’ve
downed our first drink.
I do not drink beer.
But the edgy cocktails menu, like the imagination shaken and stirred, woos us through
gusts of laughter. On offer? A
mega-sized King Kong, a blend of rum, cream, banana and (ahem) chocolate
Horlicks. A tongue-teasing Ginny of cranberry, ginger and gin. Goose bum’s of
gooseberries, gin and salt (a far cry from the fruity schnapps/vodka
combination of the similar-sounding Goosebumps). A chocolate vodkatini lends
sparkle to our smalltalk. More traditional drinks, wine and sangria are listed,
too. Our cocktails gained a 4.5/5 approval rating from our gang of four.
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| Monkey Bar burger |
Wandering past built-in
bar stools with GI pipe footrests, and wrought-iron tables for standees, we tromp
into the basement, where billiards and fussball (a.k.a. table soccer) tables
are set up. Perfect to unwind over after a long day at work.
We frown, then grin,
over the main menu. It is a contemporary, tweaked take on a global palate. Some
choices for starters: spicy Goan sorpotel in a jam jar paired with pav; silken beef
galouti kebabs (less fatty than the Lucknow street version); peppered, skewered
lamb hearts with Moroccan spices (La Kama, maybe?); eye-watering Thai Tiger
Beef salad ~ its subtle notes of chili, lime, galangal and ginger, surface with
each bite.
The main courses are
both generous and dramatic (bye-bye, shepherd’s pie). We sample saffron-rich
Iranian berry pulao topped with potato straws, that stars chicken kebab and
shredded chicken. We tuck into peppery noodles with creamy Chicken Stroganoff. Faced
with choices straddling Thai, Vietnamese, Mexican, Cajun, Lebanese, Bengali,
Kodava, even ‘Chindian’ cuisine, we unanimously agree on our favourite dish: Bork.
What’s that? Aromatic, ultra-tender pork slices, double-cooked, served over
black beans and noodles. Soul-enticing, to the last lick.
Desserts entice us, too.
The Lemon Meringue, for one, teases with the tang of passionfruit curd and
fresh mango. The flourless chocolate XS cake is delicate and heady, all at
once.
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| Sorpotel in a jar! |
As the volume turns up,
folks roll into Monkey Bar through a Saturday evening in micro-shorts and
saris, in linen shirts and skinny jeans, undeterred by the shoulder-to-shoulder
crush. How does one describe this gastropub’s essential vibes? As airy as joie-de-vivre.
In sync with pub style, with mismatched crockery, hot sauces in springform
tins, cutlery in beer mugs. And coasters that are worth a big belly-laugh. Besides,
it is all served with a smile!
Who thought up this
menu, which defies definition? Who decided Bangalore was the right testing
ground for a gastropub? The trio of partners are from the upper-crust Olive
kitchen brand – pioneering restaurateur A.D. Singh, strategic ideator Chetan
Rampal, and wizard chef Manu Chandra.
Why Monkey Bar? “It’s
playful. We all grew up with monkey bars and jungle gyms. It rolls off the
tongue easily; it has quick recall,” responds Manu over email. “The logo is funky,
cool and definitive all at once. In neon, the three monkeys with wings,
speakers, headphones and sunglasses are young and edgy.”
Bingo! I’m no
gastronomic pundit. But I was drawn back to the all-day gastropub twice within
a week, an atypical response. All around me folks – whether businessmen,
journalists, teachers, travel professionals, designers or foodies – were
head-nodding happy, long before they were high. So was I.
This could prove
addictive, I fear. I’d bet my best stuffed monkey that the day of the Bangalore
gastropub has arrived. Perhaps Monkey Bar will fan into a pan-Indian chain one
day.
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| Mangaa cocktail |
That brings in its wake
another set of dilemmas: Will I dare to order its signature MoBar burger one
day, its dry-aged multiple cuts grilled over a wood fire? Or will I opt for
spicy beef pickle instead, with ker, sangri and curry leaves in gingery oil, in
memory of a Rajasthani childhood?
Either way, I can’t resist a toast to Monkey Bar with Mangaa, their aam-panna/ sweetlime/ vodka cocktail, served in (believe it or not!), a Nutella jar with a squiggly straw. Hic-hic-hurrah!
* * *
Address: 14/1(Krishna
Manere), Wood Street, Richmond Road, Ashok Nagar, Bengaluru 560025
Phone: +91 - 80
- 41116878/ 79
Hours:
12 noon to 11.30 p.m.
Wallet Factor:
Meal for two, including drinks and taxes, about Rs. 1200-1400.
Website: www.mobar.in
* * *
Here's an online link, too:
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/life/article3473711.ece/
* * *
(The Hindu Business Line, June 1, 2012)
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