A countrywide food survey conducted by McCann Erickson in 2000-2001 as also the more recent survey by Outlook reveals that the cosmopolitan Indian is now eager to explore new tastes and absorb global trends and is no longer limited by geographical or cultural boundaries in his gastronomical search for excellence. India can boast of several thousand multi-cuisine eateries that dot our cities. You can have Italian, Thai, Chinese, Arabian, Mexican, Cajun and French food for the asking, to name just a few, apart from the regular North Indian, South Indian and other regional cuisines. Statistics show thatover 80,000 pizzas are consumed every weekend in the major metros. There are more than22,000 registered restaurants in India today worth a whopping Rs30,000 crore!And dozens more are launched everyday. But this is not all - there are, in addition,the odd roadside dhaba,the tiffin room next door, the innumerable fast-food 'joints', the local tea'n snack bars, etc. etc. In fact, you could confidently say, India is the epicurean's delight.

This urban melting pot that India has turned into has given rise to fusion foods. The traditional south Indian idli has incorporated paneer and been rechristened paneer idli, not to mention thepaneer dosas. Pizza paranthasis another exampleof fusion food. Vada pav is now served with coleslaw at McDonald's outlets in Mumbai and Chinese bhel - the evergreen snack present on all metro sidewalks.

To celebrate this great Indian 'eating-out' revolution, here are Bangalore's Top 4 Restaurants. They have been handpicked for their food, decor and service by a cross section of top Indian celebrities. They appear in no particular ranking order, but have been shortlisted from a list of 100 eating places.

The Raj Pavilion

The Raj Pavilion, a replica of the famed glass house in Lalbagh, is a total 'colonial' experience. Its a walk down memory lane to the days of grand shikar camps where beer flowed and spirits soared.

Crispy fish delights, nuggets and chips are all served with Col Skinner's chutney in true Raj style. The soup and salad bar with an array of desserts is ideal for corporate honchos with not much time to spare. The buffet is an awsome spread of popular colonial curries.

Meal for two: Rs 1,000/-

Taipan

A popular family restaurant with Indianised Chinese cuisine, best describes Taipan. Meaning 'supreme leader', this place is always crowded. The food is great, servings generous and the service is quick. What more could you ask for.

Lung Fung soup, with pork and prawns is a great starter. Follow this up with Cantonese noodles that are delicate and easy on the stomach. Prawns in red sauce go well with it. Or fried rice and crispy chicken. For dessert, pancake with date filling is your best bet.

Meal for two: Rs 500/-

Karavalli

This 'simply-south' restaurant celebrates coastal cuisine. The cascading water reminds you of the backwaters of Kerala or the sun-drenched beaches of Goa. And the aromas that greet you could well be from the family kitchens in Mangalore. It has that typical Kerala Tharvad atmosphere minus the banana trees and elephants.

With a lot of local spices and coconut milk, it is an experience to remember. A variety of starters like kori kempu bejule, cauliflower bejule, tiger prawns or lobster balchao are a must. Another finger-licking must is the idiappams or sannas accompanied by ulli thiel or avial or an array of vegetarian curries. The Kerala fish curry and chicken dry fry are too are a delight. The meal is not complete without some traditional sweets like pazham pradaman, bibinca and dodhol.

Meal for two: Rs 1,200/-

Sunny's

The casual, cafe-type look with its five star tariff and wholesome Italian fare, is what Sunny's is all about.

To start with, there is an assortment of speciality breads - bagels, French bread, pita bread, sesame bread, spinach bread or parsley bread - to choose from. Then there's a feta cheese 'n fresh lettuce salad, black-pepper fettuccine with wild mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes, not to mention the succulent barbequed prawns marinated in a spicy sweet 'n sour sauce. But the pasta at Sunny's is undoubtedly the best. For those with a sweet tooth, there's a chunky walnut chocolate and walnut tart that's baked to perfection.

Meal for two: Rs 1,200/-

Source : The Outlook and India Today   |