Last year was a year of some pretty interesting dining experiences. I went to a ton of new places, and tried lots of different cuisines at different price points - an eclectic and excellent dining year, which is now evidenced by a roll around my tummy that I am now planning to work off.
You can see all my dining out posts here, but below I wanted to summarize the best of the best of 2017 in terms of food - my top 5 favorite dining spots.
Oko
Pan-Asian is my favorite cuisine, and I was lucky enough to try some great Pan-Asian restaurants new to me. Oko is one of the high-end options for excellent Pan-Asian food. Located in the 5th floor of the Lalit Ashok hotel - it has a lovely ambiance and great views. I loved everything I tried there, but the highlights were the dumplings, and the sizzling eggplant. Yum!
Read on about my Oko experience here.
Misu
If you are looking for Pan-Asian food, but don't want the 5-star experience or prices, then Misu is the place for you. Their cocktails were the best, and their food even more so. I still dream about their stir-fried vegetables with chili garlic basil - so delicious. It's the one place I recommend to all and sundry. The atmosphere is funky, loud, and colorful. They have a huge menu with tons of variety, so it's especially perfect for large celebratory gatherings. I love the place!
Read on for more about Misu here.
Johnny Rockets
I was invited for the launch of this restaurant in Virginia Mall, Whitefield. I love how unpretentious this place is. The quality of the food is amazing, the kids love everything on the menu, and it's super-clean and well-maintained. After the launch I have visited this restaurant multiple times on my own and it never gets boring. If you have kids, this is a safe place to bring them. There are plenty of options for kids and adults.
The milkshakes and the french fries are a do not miss!
More about Johnny Rockets here.
Big Pitcher
Apart from Misu, another great place for cocktails (and beers) is Big Pitcher. Their micro-brewery was good, but the cocktails were even better. I enjoyed everything I tried. If you go there, don't miss The Kiss on the Lips - a potent combo of Baileys, Kahlua, and vodka.
My post on Big Pitcher is up here.
District 6
District 6 opposite Orion Mall in North Bangalore is ideally situated for north, west, and Central Bangaloreans. It's also very accessible by metro. They have a really excellent micro-brewery stocking the best beer I had last year. The food is excellent too. I am a huge fan of their beer bread, and I would happily make the trek there just for the bread alone.
My post on District 6 here.
So this was my list of top 5 places. There were plenty of other excellent dining places - Ging, and Bonsouth come to mind. And Barbeque Nation was also dependably good.
Still, for this post to have any meaning, I wanted to restrict it to just the top 5 places, and hence this shortlist - Oko, Misu, Johnny Rockets, Big Pitcher, and District 6 - covering all locations, price points, and cuisines.
What are some of your memorable 2017 dining spots? Have you visited any of the ones I mentioned?