burrp! Stats
- 3 Reviews
- 1 First to review
- Been to 3 Places
- Burrping since Mar 13, 2007
Reviews by shefalish
Jul 24, 2007
No.15, Sigma Mall, Near Wockhardt, Cunningham Road, Bangalore
Excellent
Excellent Chinese Food
The first thing that struck me about this restaurant was that we didn't have to wait for a table on a Saturday night! That's right... Take that, Bangalore! Our visit to Nanking was unplanned. We were two tired and hungry shoppers who were willing to settle for pretty much anything that night. Since we were in the mall and had seen Nanking's posters outside the mall, we thought why not.
The restaurant's entrance was deceptively small - the dining area was huge and well done-up. I was (pleasantly) surprised that we were seated right away at a comfortably huge table - usually, tables for two are tiny and squeezed into corners.
Almost as I had settled into my cushy chair and finished admiring the decor, the server came up with menus. That was the next thing that scored with me - the impeccable and polite service. (Yes, it was impeccable AND polite!) Our server seemed happy to suggest items to us. Based on his rrecommendations, we ordered for mostly sea-food, which was as fresh, flaky (where appropriate!), and perfect as it gets. Also had steamed vegetable dumplings and pan-fried noodles which were simply delish! The server also suggested the crab for our next visit!
The food is expensive. A dinner for two is close to Rs.2000 with drinks. But hey, no wait time, super service, and mouth-watering food... What more can a tired and hungry shopper ask for?!
Apr 10, 2007
3rd Floor, Asha Enclave #20, Off MG Road & Brigade Road, Church Street, Bangalore
Average
Good Pan-Asian food
And when I say "good", I mean just good. So let me begin by saying what else is good. For starters, they have extremely polite valets doing the parking - always manages to score with me. The restaurant is on the third level and they have an elevator that takes you there - another plus with me, especially now that I am nursing a sprained ankle. The decor is tastefully done in East Asian styles. The food is definitely Pan-Asian with influences of China, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore, unlike some other restaurants that serve Chinese food claiming it is Pan-Asian. Each day of the week, they have a buffet featuring cuisine from a different East Asian country. So Mondays is Indonesia, Tuesdays is Thai, etc. On weekends, they have the Pan-Asian buffet, which offers a chance to sample food from all regions. Apart from this, they have an extensive à la carte menu. The service is exceptional - the servers are knowledgeable, polite, efficient, and quick to respond to your needs.
Now on to what stops this place from moving to "excellent" in my book. The space is too constricted - tables are rather close to each other. We went on a Saturday afternoon without reservations, so we had to make do with a seat near the door. (There are no tables for two - only for fours and bigger groups.) We opted for the buffet in which we had a choice of soup (not the best option on a hot day), six starters (all rather average, except for the prawn), main course comprising some six-eight dishes (the papaya salad was refreshing), and four dessert choices. None of the items, save for the prawn starter and the papaya salad, was worth writing home about; yet, they were all very authentic.
The one serious grievance I have with Saigon is that they serve only mineral water and charge outrageously for it. One bottle of Bisleri costs Rs. 45! (Their menu says Rs.40, but when we checked with our server, he informed us that the menus haven't been updated with the new price!)
All in all, the experience was just good, but definitely Pan-Asian!
Mar 14, 2007
Next to Time and Space Gallery, Near Java City, Lavelle Road, Bangalore
Awful
Such a disappointment!
After reading many good reviews about the Painted Platters in Jaynagar, I was delighted to find out there was one right on Lavelle Rd as well - closer to home. Unfortunately, it didn't match up to any of the reviews. The location is rather cozy and the place is well done; however, the desserts are another story. After presenting a tastefully done menu (ours came printed on a CD) with tantalizingly tempting dessets like the "Missisipi Mud Pie", our server broke our chocoholic hearts by telling us there was NOTHING available, except for three things - the hot chocolate fudge sundae, Dark and White Chocolate Sushi, and tiramisu.
We settled for the hot chocolate sundae and the sushi. When the two came, our spirits slighly soared. The presentation was marvellous, especially of the Dark and White Chocolate Sushi, which was dark and white chocolate mousse rolled like a sushi roll in paper-thin hardened chocolate. I dug my spoon in with glee but was left with a mouthful of slightly tart-tasting mousse! Not only was the mousse not fresh, but it was also not stored at a proper temperature. The sundae was a little better, provided you could get past the tart whipped cream (that had fallen flat) and reach the teensy-weensy bit of chocolate icecream underneath.
Dejected with the whole experience, we left Painted Platters hoping this was just a one-off experience and vowing to drive to Jaynagar next time instead!