July 1, 2011

Siri's Eat Outs | Signature Monsoon Menu at Shiro, U B City, Bangalore

"There's always a period of curious fear between the first sweet-smelling breeze and the time when the rain comes cracking down." 

~ Don Delillo

..and monsoons have arrived in Bangalore. So, has the Siganture Monsoon Menu at the very famous Shiro restaurant, well known for its Oriental cuisine on Vittal Mallya Road (the same says it all), Bangalore. In my opinion, creating as entire menu on just Stir Frying is quite challenging, but if executed properly its tantalizing flavors of hot, spicy, tangy, pungent and sweet will remain with you forever. My experience at Shiro was mixed. There were some dishes which were truly spectacular and some were a little disappointing. Also I thought there was also an issue with consistency. Meaning, it doesn't matter how many times you order the same dish, it is of paramount importance that it tastes the same.

Having said that, I want YOU to be the judge because I think when it comes to *taste* and *flavour*, they very subjective as each of our palettes are different. I am here only to introduce the menu to you all and give a slight sneak-peek about what are they, how do they look like, all-in-all what was my personal experience and last but not the least, the "Star Dish of the Day" which is an absolute must-have (according to me) and not-to-be-missed.

Before we jump into the food part, let me show you around the restaurant first (if its your first-time-visit to Shiro). With its huge sculptures, the interiors are just magnificent. Look at the one below. Isn't it just beautiful and sets a perfect mood instantly.


..and once you cross this, you will enter an open-top-seating-area. With plenty of cool breeze, the ambiance cannot get any better.


Shiro is also known for its sassy cocktails....


Now that you have all seen how the restaurant looks like, lets begin the food-tasting part. Shall we? They had some good options for both Vegetarians and Non-Vegetarians, which was a bit of relief as I had many bad experiences in fine dining restaurants, where I could order only 1 or 2 out of the entire menu. Thank you Shiro for thinking of we, vegetarians too. :-)

1. Tofu Cubes with Spicy Korean Bean Paste.

I love *tofu* and it has a tendency to absorb any flavors it is added into. Because it is soft in texture, it is important to treat it gingerly. This dish with the spicy korean bean paste was delicious and spice levels were just right. A great start, I must say.


Tofu Cubes with Spicy Korean Bean Paste
2. Hung Shao Green Beans


I have had many versions of green beans. Some were just fantabulous. Some were ok. Some were really really bad. This Hung Shao Green Beans was ok. There is nothing wrong with the dish, but it lacks that WOW factor for me.

Hung Shao Green Beans
3. Aubergine stir fried in coconut,basil and chillies

Unfortunately this is my least favorite dish of the day. Stay tuned, the most favorite is right down the post. You know why I didn't like it? not because of the taste. The first time it was served, it was good. What not to love about coconut milk and basil. When we ordered the same for a second helping, the aubergines were uncooked, which disappointed me as I was really looking forward to taste it again. Consistency is the key in running a successful restaurant.

Aubergine stir fried in coconut,basil and chillies
4. Assorted Veg Stir Fry with Chilli Mustard Sauce

Mustard is one spice which is very strong-in-taste. It works differently when paired with delicately steamed veggies and when coated to meat. I had with some assorted veggies, except for broccoli, rest all were delicious. I am sure its meat counterpart tasted much better as I saw couple of non-veg friends going for a second helping.

Assorted Veg Stir Fry with Chilli Mustard Sauce
5. Mushrooms & Babycorn Stir fried with Thai Spices

I was in a place called "Yummyville" (a fictional heavenly place created by me where it is just ME and the decadent food in front. ;-)) after having the next 2 dishes. Simply fantastic. Perfectly executed and I was longing for more. :-)

Mushrooms & Babycorn Stir fried with Thai Spices
6. Potatoes Stir Fried with Chilli Sesame Sauce

Would you believe if I say, we ordered this dish thrice? It was simply delectable. The chilli-sesame sauce was so so good with the potatoes. I would definitely go back for this and for the next one.

Potatoes Stir Fried with Chilli Sesame Sauce
..and finally the award - "Star Dish of the Day" goes to..ahem ahem ..Green Mango & Jasmine rice with Tofu. Green mango with what? Yes, with Tofu. I personally never had such a combination before and this was one dish which bowled me over, with it pleasant taste and little tanginess from the mango. Very very flavoruful dish and I don't even remember how much I ate. :-)

Green Mango & Jasmine rice - Tofu (you can have the same with Pork if you wish to)

There were others too: here is the list of other "Rice & Noodles" which were served to us -

Pad Thai - Vegetables (Chicken/ Prawns)
Spicy Yaki Soba - Vegetables (Chicken / Prawns)
Green Mango & Jasmine rice - Tofu (or Pork)
Thai Basil fried rice (with Chicken)
Korean Spiced Fried Rice Vegetables (Chicken / Prawns)


Non-vegetarians, don't be disappointed. I might not have any beautiful photographs for you, the least I could do is give you a run-down of items served on the menu. Here it goes -

Malaysian Style Chicken Stir Fried with Curry Leaves
Stir Fry Chicken with Chilli Mustard Sauce
Chicken & Asparagus with Ginger lemon Sauce
Fish with Chilli Mustard Sauce
Fish Stir Fried with Hoisin & Thai chilli Sauce
Prawns Stir Fried with Kaffir lime leaves and Thai Red Chillies
Prawns in Creamy Garlic Butter Sauce
Prawns in Tom Yum Sauce
Lamb dumplings Stir fried in Wood Smoked BBQ sauce
Green Curried Tenderloin
Stir Fried Tenderloin with Oyster & Black Bean Sauce

Chef Priyank Chouhan
..and the brain behind designing this monsoon menu (for a limited time only) is Chef Priyank Chauhan - a level-headed, affable person who is open-for-feedback (trust me, not every chef take criticisms in its right stride). He, very intently listened to our opinions on each and every dish and graciously shared his culinary experiences with all of us. I wish him all the very best and hopefully to meet & would love to eat his food again. :-)

Now, I am sure most of you are already wondering - What about the desserts? Of course there were many and here is one which caught our attention the most. "Chocolate Sushi". I am not much of a dessert person, this one I couldn't resist and it tasted absolutely amazing.

Chocolate Sushi, how innovative. Isn't it?


Thank you Mads for taking me along and sharing these pictures with me. Without them, the review would be incomplete.

I sure had a blast.. :-)




This specially designed Stir Fry Monsoon Menu is available at Shiro until July 11th 2011. The price ranges from 300/- INR to maximum 625/- INR excluding taxes.

Hurry up and make your reservations, Call -  080 41738864. 



Address:

2nd Floor, UB City Mall,
Vittal Mallya Rd, Bengaluru, Karnataka


If you happen to visit Shiro, do share your foodie experiences with me. I would love to know what YOU thought about this menu.

until next time,
Siri

3 comments :

  1. Siri ... am reading a blog after a long time... not because its u ... this review has been written really well.... kudos to madhuri too... awesome clicks... again put up really well...

    ReplyDelete
  2. You remember what I told you on FB, right? When I am back in Blr - I'm in with you guys on this Shiro 'Phiro' thingie :P

    ReplyDelete
  3. chocolate Sushi - that's innovation! Gotta try this! :)

    ReplyDelete

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Siri

 
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