Food review: Monkey Bar in Bangalore

One thing’s for certain, one cannot eat and drink everything on a menu. The side effects are precarious. You tend to imagine things and your mind sees monkeys everywhere. While it isn’t exactly what happened when I paid an official visit to Monkey Bar, the freshly minted gastropub in the city, I did have difficulty in telling faces apart and nearly ended up saying hello to a few absolute strangers. Funnily, you don’t have to be drunk to do that; if your stomach is an ambitious soul, you’ll get there before you know it.

Monkey Bar, Bangalore’s first official gastropub, looks like a fantasy bar — framed posters of all kinds, from films to funny old commercials deck up the walls, adding layer after layer as you walk in. Concert tables with seating divided into booths and chairs, this is an intimate space that lets you shout out your friend’s name and sing along with the music. And if you don’t mind the steps, there’s a basement tucked away, complete with a few more tables, a pool and foosball table!

And then there’s the wondrous menu. You see, when something as basic as Horlicks, can be blended with banana, Nutella and made into a cocktail with rum, you’re only left licking your lips; a few of those and you will need help getting up from your chair. Or the Mangaa for instance; aam panna, a summer favourite, sweet lime, mint, jeera and salt — one would think it’s a chutney or something in the making but add vodka and you get this really refreshing cocktail. The mellowed balance of all the ingredients hits the right spot; you taste the cumin for a few initial seconds as the mint takes over and the omnipresent mango gently wraps itself around your tongue.

Or the Watermelon Caiprojka — where the little roundels of watermelon make all the difference in the world — it’s not a horribly complex cocktail, but you got to add the twist to make it unique. And that is what I found here.

It’s pretty much the same story with the Monkey Mule; beer cocktails are not a new thing, every brewery in town is trying out something or the other. Even the shandy has been around for the longest time but you can’t help but credit the man (or woman!) who thought of adding bits of coriander seed and a hint of allspice seed, apart from the vodka and ginger to the beer. The result — interesting, in a good way.

Now that you’re well on the way to getting drunk, don’t forget to eat — something you’ll find in plenty at Monkey Bar; after all, it IS a gastropub!

Their signature creation — the burger — is a dish one could find difficult to get over. Perfectly baked buns, soft and easy to handle (albeit the massive size) and meat that’s been pounded to perfection — the recipe is a secret, but the pleasure from gobbling that one can be totally made public. And then there’s the oozing, sinful cheese that melts in the mouth and shoots a million calories up your bloodstream — heaven is right there!

Personally, the Bork — where slices of pork  are double cooked and then fried and served over some veggies that are flavoured with black beans and served on a bed of thin noodles — is something I can eat at least thrice a week. For pork lovers, this Russian-sounding Oriental dish reminds one of something Jamie Oliver makes except that he uses soy, fish and lots of oyster sauce; the Monkey Bar version of course focuses on the pork a little more seriously!

Now while the spicy wings and the Devilled Fish didn’t work with my tastebuds at all, perhaps bordering a bit on the boring, the galouti kebabs were special. No artificial tenderiser, the chef will tell you. The beef is pounded patiently and uses pineapple to make it soft. Now how much pineapple, that is the real secret.

The one snack you have to try is the Spiked Nachos — tequila and lime tortilla chips, baked tomato jalapeno salsa, beans, guacamole, sour cream, onions and cheese. It’s sinful but oddly not greasy or over the top — the ingredients are used accurately and every element in the dish gets the chance to play its part. It’s pretty much the same with the Tiger Beef, where slices of beef are tossed around with chilli paste, black beans, galangal, lemon grass, coriander, bean sports, bok choy and peppers. One of the signature dishes at Monkey Bar, it’s pretty amazing to see how a simple creation as this could bring out so many textures.
I could go on, really. But what would perhaps be better is if you hopped over to Monkey Bar and made your own list of favourites.

They have room for all sorts of palates and curious drinkers. Passé and typical cocktails don’t quite cut it here but you could be chilling with a bottle of beer and feel as snazzy as you would if you were sipping on a At Your Own Risk, a fiery cocktail of Sambuca, Baileys, vodka and fresh orange, which by the way, is served on fire!
Monkey Bar
Address: 14/1, Krishna Manere, Wood Street, Ashok Nagar
Call: 41116878/9
Rating: ****1/2