Breakfirst at Monkey Bar

I love breakfasts. They're my favourite meal of the day. The first thing on my mind when I get out of bed is food, and I can't wait to down a huge breakfast every morning that gets me through my day. And the best part about breakfast? You can eat it any time of the day! And it can be savoury, sweet, savoury and sweet, and it has no rules.

So it comes as no surprise that I'm doing yet another breakfast post, and this time, on one of my favourite bars in Bangalore, Monkey Bar in Indiranagar. Oh, my apologies, they call it Breakfirst.

Having tried out the Breakfirst menu in the Wood Street bar already, I was curious to check out the menu in the Indiranagar one and couldn't wait to dig in. We entered the bar around 10:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning, and despite it being early (anything before 12pm on a weekend is early for me), the bar had a decent crowd. And if you think Monkey Bar looks warm, rustic and lovely in the evenings,  a visit in the morning would greet you with rays of sunshine finding their way through the crannies and kissing the glass windows that create for a very magical ambience as well.

With no time to waste, we kickstarted our meal with ordering the Egg Kejriwal (there are signs all over about this dish), and our server couldn't stop talking about it either, so we had to give it a try . I was sincerely hoping the dish wouldn't quit on me in 15 minutes and then refuse to be served (#YepIJustWentThere). The Egg Kejriwal is a grilled pav laden with fried egg, onion, tomato, coriander, green chilli and cheese. All of those elements work very well together and the Egg Kejriwal elevates the classic bread and egg dish to the next level. It was moist and not overly gooey, the heat from the chilli gave it a nice kick, and combined with the onion, tomato and coriander, the dish overall runs a nostalgic memory in your head. Top it up with cheese and we have something you can't have enough of!

Egg Kejriwal

Next, for something a little more 'meaty', we decided to venture with the Scotch Eggs. The Scotch Egg was a soft-boiled egg enclosed in house-made sausage mixture, crumbed & fried, and served in a lettuce and straw potato nest. The egg was perfectly done, and as my knife sliced through it, the yellow goodness of the yolk oozed out in a delicate stream and coated the meat well. I found the meat to be a little underseasoned for my liking, but very tender and moist. The potatoes went well with the eggs, but the lettuce was a tad too bitter for me.

Scotch Eggs

A signature special that our server absolutely pushed us to try was the decadent Brekkie Burger Bang! This was truly a burger like no other, and is definitely not for the faint-hearted. It's an open faced 200 grams burger, topped with bacon, fried egg, mushrooms, cheese, avocado, grilled onions, lettuce, served with coleslaw and pickle. If this doesn't kickstart your morning, I don't know what will. The meat was perfectly done and that crisp bacon on top added a lovely crunchy texture to it. The yummy mushroom, gooey melted cheese, crunchy onions, all came together with the meat with a perfectly runny egg yolk coating all of this hunk of a burger. My only grouse was with the red kidney beans; I felt that it didn't add anything to the burger and it already had too much going on for itself, so they could have been avoided (neither was it mentioned in the menu).

We managed to polish our plates clean, and decided to settle for one helping of a dessert. Having already tried the absolutely sinful Red Velvet Waffles countless times before, we were intrigued by another special, the MoBar take on the traditional French Toast, aptly named Toast to France. In addition to the bread being soaked in milk, eggs and vanilla, this twist added dimensions of orange zest, wine and honey, which was then pan fried and served with house syrup. To click it up a notch, the bread was sandwiched with peanut butter and jelly. I can't tell you how good this dish tasted over a mere blog post. This is 100% pure indulgence. I'm not a big fan of jelly, but was curious to see how this would work in a French Toast, and work it did. All of the flavour profiles came together very well to make one helluva sandwich. You can also order the challah without the peanut butter and jelly, as this makes it quite heavy and you'll find yourself getting filled up rather quickly and slowly finding a place by the wall and table, nestled in a corner so that you can take a short and satisfied nap.

Toast to France with peanut butter and jelly

Overall, we had an amazing time. The service was excellent, the ambience cannot get any better, the music was fun and the food left us wanting for more. Consider your Sunday well spent here when you drop by to devour their breakfast, and also know that you're going to leave heavier with possibly a popped button from your jeans.

Rating:
Food - 7.5/10
Service - 8/10
Ambience - 9/10
Verdict - Whether you want a cure for your hangover breakfast or looking to chill with friends and family on a weekend morning, MoBar will offer you the perfect pick-me-up. Must visit.
Cost for 2: Rs.1200

Monkey Bar is located at: 610, Diagonally Opposite SBI Bank, Near Apple of My I, 12th Main, Indiranagar, Bangalore
Phone: 080-4411-4455
Parking: Parking space available in the bylanes of Indiranagar

Breakfast at Cafe Mozaic

I'm a sucker for continental breakfasts and love having the luxury of time and a world of an appetite for a lazy breakfast on a weekend. Which is why when I was up surprisingly early on a Sunday morning with a "I'm so hungry, I can eat a Hippogriff" kind of appetite, I decided to indulge in a breakfast buffet that would calm my stomach down.

I've tried the typical fare of all weekend breakfast places - Hole in the Wall, Cafe Terra, Ants Cafe, Pecos (yes, they do serve continental breakfast along with a delicious Chicken Stew with Appam) and was frankly, looking to get more on my palate. Which is why I decided to go to Taj Vivanta instead. I've been to Taj for breakfast only once before, and found it lovely, and I decided that it was worth the indulgence this time as well.

We walked in by around 8:30 a.m. to a half-full Cafe Mozaic and I wanted to sit by the pool side, but was informed that it was closed. I was irked with that, because nothing speaks bliss like a glass of orange juice on a Sunday morning by a serene pool side and stuffing your face with pork sausages and strips of fatty bacon.

Anyway, I dived straight in to the buffet - they have 101 items on the table, so it's a LOT to take in. They really do have everything from Indian to Continental to Asian food. You'll find live counters of Masala Dosas, Appams and even Paranthas. Idlis, chutneys, Puris, were all nicely served up. First things first, I packed my plate with a couple of pork sausages, bacon strips, ham slices, hash brown, baked beans, mashed potatoes, grilled veggies, some cheese and toast. Not too much, I like keeping it simple.

First round of the breakfast buffet

The sheer number of options for the breakfast buffet is overwhelming. If you love food as much as I do and are as Indian as I am, you are likely to hop around every counter and get something on to your plate not just because you're hungry, but you feel that this is your money's worth. And it is. *evil parsimonious grin*

Poached eggs on toast.

Love at first slice.

I think the bacon here has a halo and is blessed with divine light. Hallelujah!

Grilled Tomatoes and lovely Hash Browns

The spread also included a lovely chicken stew for your appams, smoked salmon, cut fruit counters, endless cereals along with fried rice and noodles with accompanying sauces (I never went to any of these counters, btw, because I can't digest the idea of rice for breakfast, and why on earth am I at Taj to eat fruit and cereal?).

Cheeses from around the world.

The fruit counter that I stood far away from.

The Indian side of things.

Slowly and steadily, I began to stuff myself by eating whatever my stomach could take. I took little breaks in between, and then resumed my buffet devouring session. After no more space for bacon that could give me a heart attack, I settled on a simple waffle with chocolate chips. My friend was already too full (and he ate less than half of what I did, what a pity), and he wasn't even willing to take a bite out of the waffle.

Waffle with gooey chocolate chips

The waffle was nice and warm and I liked the idea of gooey chocolate chips inside the waffle. Topped with maple syrup, this completed my Sunday breakfast beautifully. I wish I had more space to have also tried their pancakes, but I was certain that I would have burst if I had tried anything more.

To sum it up, the breakfast is pretty darn awesome and I love the wide variety of food offered. The quality of the food here stands apart, well, because they're the Taj, but they rank high in taste of food, service and ambience. I do wish they would have served more cold cuts though - nothing like meat, cheese and fruit for a great start to your morning.

Food - 8/10
Service - 10/10
Ambience - 8/10 (it gets a 10 when I'm allowed to sit by the poolside)
Verdict: For the love of food, go already.

The breakfast at Cafe Mozaic is priced at Rs.800 per head (all inclusive of taxes). This is totally worth it, especially for the price point. The breakfast buffet is available from 7:30 - 10:30 a.m. on weekends.

P.S. Apologies for the crappy pictures. I was lazily clicking them with my phone, but my priority was to eat, rather than click.

Cafe Mozaic is located at Vivanta By Taj, 41/3, MG Road, Bangalore - 560001

The Tuck Shop

I love checking out new places to eat in the city, and have recently been on a hunt around town for good burgers. So when a new cafe called The Tuck Shop that specialized in burgers and all day breakfasts popped up in the city, it definitely piqued my interest and I decided to check it out. Located in Koramangala, the place is run by two alumnus of Christ University, Mayank Agarwal and Ahmed Sharif. They graduated in Hotel Management only this year and already had their business plan ready about the Tuck Shop when they gave their final exams.

Barely 3 months old, The Tuck Shop has nice, warm feel to it and is frequented by loyal customers who come from all around the city. They're famous for their hearty breakfast, delicious burgers and simple and lovely desserts. A friend and I decided to check this place out for brunch on a weekday, as I was really craving for some good burgers.

I loved the idea of spoon as the oscillating pendulum for this cute clock!

It was already past 1pm when we got there and somehow, neither of us was in the mood for an English breakfast. My friend decided to order a chicken steak and I wanted to try a spicy beef burger. Which is when Mayank came over and told me about the Chilli Lava burger they were planning to introduce soon, but wasn't on the menu yet. I decided to try that instead. I chose a coleslaw salad and a side of onion rings.

The Chilli Lava burger was bloody brilliant! The beef patty was juicy, moist, and had the perfect spice rub. The heat from the chilli was perfect as well. I devoured it in minutes. The coleslaw was decent and I found the onion rings a little too greasy for my taste, but my friend loved it for precisely that reason. :)

Chilli Lava Burger - the highlight of our meal.

The steak, called The Chicken that had a Threesome, was a pan seared chicken breast topped with a mushroom, garlic and black pepper sauce. The sides we chose for this were mashed potatoes and salad of the day (which was red cabbage in a honey vinaigrette). My first thought when I saw the chicken steak was that the fillets looked very small and were very thinly cut. By which I mean there was nothing to really 'cut' the steak. The mashed potatoes were a little grainy and the salad was okay. I preferred the coleslaw.

The Chicken that had a Threesome!

Not entirely full with the steak and the burger, we decided to order another burger as I really enjoyed the beef one I had earlier. I ordered the Baby's Day Out, which was a lamb patty blended with a special spice rub topped with BBQ sauce, along with a side of potato wedges. I was expecting a burst of flavours with the spice and the BBQ, but on my first bite, I was met with a very strong hit of cheese. It was a very massive slice of cheese that overpowered the entire taste of the lamb burger, and I didn't quite enjoy it. I finally peeled off the cheese from the patty and ate the burger, but didn't get too much of a spice rub. The wedges were outstanding though.

Baby's Day Out burger. Super cheesy.

We thought we'll finish by ordering a plate of plain ol' waffles, and chose Nutella and maple syrup as our toppings. The waffle was perfect in terms of taste and texture and I don't see how anything can go wrong with a dish when you add Nutella to it. :) They have more toppings that include caramelized banana and a honey sauce, but I wished they also had whipped cream/vanilla ice-cream. It's a brilliant topping on waffles, especially with Nutella.

Warm waffles dusted with castor sugar.

Topping the waffles with maple syrup. Yum!

I spoke to the owner, Mayank Agarwal and gave my feedback about the dishes. He took it very well and
also discussed how consistency was being an issue for them because of the vendor problems they're facing since they're very new in the business.

Overall, I had a good time at The Tuck Shop, playing board games, listening to some good music and gorging on yummy food. They need to tweak some of their dishes and ensure that the consistency is delivered across all dishes. Did it actually help you relive school memories? I'm not quite sure, because my school's tuck shop never served burgers and waffles, but this was a good experience nonetheless.

Oh, I also forgot to mention that they make a whole lot of things in house, including bread and ketchup. Pretty cool, huh?

My rating:
Food - 7/10
Service - 9/10
Ambience - 8/10 (they definitely need an AC during lunchtime though)
Final Verdict - Beef burgers FTW! :)

The Tuck Shop is located at  98/A, 17th B Main, 5th Block, Koramangala.

Monkey Bar - Break'first' Edition!

There has been so much hulabaloo since Monkey Bar launched its breakfast that I figured it's about time I visited the place (we Bangaloreans get more than a little happy when you club breakfast and bar in one sentence). So my sister, a friend and I decided to indulge in this Break'first' (as Monkey Bar calls it) on a Saturday morning, hoping we'd get a quiet table for our conversations and some good food.

The Break'first' Menu

The breakfast menu at Monkey Bar is only served on weekends and alcohol is served past 10:30 a.m.. Pretty cool, eh? My sis started off the meal by ordering the one egg dish she swears by pretty much everywhere - the Eggs Benedict - poached egg and ham on an English muffin topped with plenty of Hollandaise sauce. What's not to love? :)

I simply couldn't flaw the Eggs Benedict, honestly. The eggs were perfect and the Hollandaise sauce was just right - not too sour nor too 'eggy'. My sister found the bread a little harder than it should have, but it seemed just like the texture of that of the typical English muffin bread. Though there were only two poached eggs, they were quite filling.

My friend next ordered the Pandi Curry (which seemed so 'off' from the typical Monkey Bar-esque menu). The pork was really tender and well spiced, though there wasn't so much of a curry with it. The Pandi Curry was served with warm Pita pockets. While the pork tasted good, I couldn't have more than a few bites of it because it wasn't something as a 'breakfast' dish for me. It was not a 10 am thing for me (bacon is totally an all-day thing for me, btw). My sister and my friend seemed to share no such problem though.

Pandi Curry with Pita Bread

I didn't find the menu too extensive, so I decided to play it safe and order a sandwich instead. I was suggested the Croque Monkey by the server, which was a cheesy-gooey ham and Emmenthal cheese sandwich. My expectation of this signature sandwich was quite high, and I was mighty disappointed when the dish did arrive. I didn't find the punch of the Emmenthal or the moistness of the ham and it had zero seasoning. It was extremely vapid in flavour and was nothing more than a bland ham-and-cheese sandwich. This was served with Mustard Potatoes and fresh Baked Beans. I really liked the potatoes, they were flavourful and not too pungent. But that's the only thing I liked about this dish. To top it off, this sandwich is priced at Rs.295 which is ridiculously expensive for a simple sandwich.

The boring Croque Money

We were quite full by this time, but decided to try their much talked about signature Red Velvet Waffles with cream cheese and almond praline. These officially are the best waffles I've ever had in my life. I'm not kidding. The waffles were literally velvety soft and the cream cheese and almond praline added a brilliant dimension of sweet and sour flavours with soft and crunchy textures. We topped this generously with maple syrup, and it tasted orgasmic. It elevated us to such a happy high state that we just wanted to sit there and not move and savour every last bit of that taste.

YUM Red Velvet Waffles!

Overall, it was a very pleasant breakfast, service was highly courteous and the music was awesome as always. It's a great place to head to dig into a breakfast to cure that hangover. Our total bill (all of the above items + an orange juice and a side of bacon) came up to Rs.1860, which was quite expensive for 3 people. The endless breakfast buffet at Taj Vivanta costs Rs.700 per head, just saying.

Food - 8/10
Service - 9/10
Ambience - 8/10
VFM - 5/10
Final Verdict - Definitely go for the waffles, and ensure you're all Ka-chinged up! :)