#bakasur

Restaurant Review| Bakasur| Priya Bala

Bakasur, An Indian restaurant named after a demon from the Mahabharata, and one with an epic appetite at that. Is that a cool idea or what! That the mighty Bheema slew the monster in a less-than-menacing encounter adds to the enjoyment of the Bakasur story.

I went for the pre-launch dining experience organized by PoshVine last evening, had a fab time.

The theme of the Bakasur restaurant in Bellandur is similarly likeable. It is reflected in the scale of the place – a vast 170-seater terrace that’s open on the sides, a super long bar and another space at the lower level with a show kitchen for kebabs and rotis. Bright colours and stylized Bakasur motifs are used in a judicious combination with muted tones and well-crafted furniture to create a setting that smacks of style rather than kitsch.

The kebabs are the thing to start with here. And on opening night I had a remarkably good vegetarian pudina seekh, with nuts adding texture and a nice balance of sweet and hot flavours. Bakasur may have wanted more meat on his mutton chops, but they were well marinated and tender. The everyday murgh malai kebab gets an aromatic twist with cinnamon and is most enjoyable.

My pick of the curries would be the Bihari mutton curry, listed on the menu, in somewhat intimidating fashion, as Asur Mans. It was a home-style curry with simple spicing, tender meat and large chunks of potato, which is always lovely in a mutton gravy. There was also an unusual dish of chicken cooked in milk with lots of black pepper – creamy, fragrant and very tasty. The tandoori ragi roti is a nice change from the regular selection. It combined beautifully with the mutton curry.

After a meal fit for Bakasur, it would be hard to fit in sweets. If you do succumb, the jalebis fried in ghee will have you abandoning your resolve. The many-textured kheer is delicious, too.

Portions here are huge and, given the sensible prices, the food is excellent value for money. It’s a great place families and large groups, for all the dishes are meant for sharing – unless you have a Bakasur appetite, of course.