Gourmet spin for pub grub in Bangalore

Food, it seems, is the new beer for pubs and bars in Bangalore. India's original pub city was once known for its legendary watering holes serving beer with limited pub grub like peanut masala and chicken tikka. Then there was the mixology phase with bartenders making magic with trendy cocktails. And now there is the era of gastropubs, the latest trend in fine dining.

Gastropubs by definition are watering holes that serve high quality food. Keeping up with the changing times and evolving palates, you may find that the menu has French fries made with truffle oil. Fish fingers get transformed into pan-grilled Cajun fish fingers with fruit relish and a coriander yoghurt shot. The cheeseburger gets a gourmet spin with inclusions like unique cheese and bacon with homemade sauce.

The focus is on innovative and affordable menus to go with popular brews and spirits. Yet, gastropubs retain the casual décor of a refined pub. Today, Bangalore's pub crawlers are well-travelled gourmands who want more from their night out. This growing appetite for sophisticated food, quality spirits and stylish service in a convivial atmosphere has triggered the gastropub movement.

Bangalore is perhaps the first city in India to witness this new socio-dining boom. Gastropub as a concept was unheard of in the country till Monkey Bar opened its doors in Bangalore in 2012. Inspired by New York, with its roots firmly in India, the fun and quirky gastropub has on its menu dishes like berry pulao, Parsee orderlies mutton curry and modern takes on traditional dishes like pork sorpotel and pandi curry. Brain fry has been moved out of its Jama Masjid bastion and presented in a whole new avatar. Even the vada pav has been adapted and tweaked. But Monkey Bar is as much about a bustling atmosphere as much as it is about gourmet food — which is all that a gastropub ought to be. After its roaring success in Bangalore, Monkey Bar saw its second opening in Delhi, followed by another set-up in Bangalore.

Manu Chandra, executive chef and partner of this trendsetting gastropub chain, says a good gastropub should have three qualifiers: the place should feel like a pub, the food must be fresh, innovative and affordable, and the atmosphere should be buzzing. However, the award-winning chef still insists that Monkey Bar is the Indian avatar of a gastropub, contrary to the original British version which serves only upscale English dishes with just brews. Our gastropubs serve designer Indian and international cuisine with boutique wines and handcrafted cocktails.
Riyaz Amlani, restaurateur and owner of popular gastropub chain Social, agrees with Manu. "In India, the term gastropub is used for a bar which serves high-end food instead of regular English pub grub such as shepherd's pie, bangers and mash and Sunday roast in a more upmarket ambience," he says.

The Social experience comes with industrial chic décor and offbeat table settings. Sauces come in tubes, and the food is served in convict plates. The menu includes Bombay bhel puri salad and cheeseburger salad, 'chakhnas' like muruku with Schezwan sauce, samosas stuffed with pizza and mushrooms, gunpowder calamari and engineered pita sliders. Chinese and biryani boxes, sizzlers and desserts such as banoffee cronut and donut sundae add to the eclectic fare.

Another hotspot is the American-style PlanB on Castle Street in Bangalore. Popular dishes on the menu include beef chilli cheese fries, pulled pork sandwich, blue cheeseburger, roast pork leg, chicken wings and the big, fat juicy American burger.

Industry bigwigs feel that maturing palates combined with the effects of recession have led to the growth of gastropubs in India and worldwide. Talented and energetic chefs are leaving fancy restaurants, trading them for laidback pubs with accessible price points so they can attract regular customers. They also get a chance to experiment as gastropubs change their menus every now and then. Blimey in Bangalore changes its menu every six months. The gastropub, styled on the lines of a modern Irish bar with thumping music and Irish beverages, has a dual set-up with a rooftop bar and a restaurant below with a smaller bar and fun table games. People flock here for specialties like nachos heap, chicken harissa salad, Irish lamb stew and Irish cheesecake besides the regular pizzas and burgers.

Santosh Martin, partner at Blimey, says, "The line between restaurants and bars has merged. So, we serve both the ones who wish to drink and those who want to come out for a hearty meal. It's for both the young and the young at heart."

Culinary experts believe the gastropubs trend is growing, and so, there is plenty of room for new, unique and quality ideas. To which Manu Chandra of Monkey Bar advises, "Some gastropubs try too hard. Keep it affordable and down to earth. Quality must be on the fore. Anyone emulating the concept must not lose sight of this fundamental principle."

As new-age Indian chefs continue to expend significant creative energies on developing interesting menus for this new social space, the future of gastropubs appears to soar high. "You will no more see just a bar or just a restaurant. You will no more see generic fried food. It will be all about good kitchens, good chefs and good menus. Gastropubs are the way ahead," says restaurateur Santosh Martin on this silent revolution which is redefining the bar experience in more ways than one.