Food review: Green Theory in Bangalore

Green Theory
15, Convent Road,
Residency Road, Off Richmond Road
(Credit cards accepted)

There’s more to Green Theory than its food. From a micro-perspective, the food is not exactly an experience to die for — it’s fairly decent, completely vegetarian (which will make all the ‘green gobblers’ quite happy!) and priced rather well.

But that aside, what makes Green Theory a place you must visit is the sense of complete peace the minute you walk in. Nestled in one of the lanes off Richmond Road, which is never free of traffic by the by, it’s brilliant how you don’t quite feel the disturbance as you enter the lush environment. An old bungalow, refurbished to make it spanking new, the restaurant is split into different sections. You have the gazebo, the garden seating, an indoor, slightly fine dining area, a library and even one goodie store for organic products.

That’s the keyword that drives Green Theory — organic. While I don’t know where their supplies come from, I’d like to go with their claim that at least 45% of the menu is completely organic and the rest is as fresh as it can get.

Sitting at the gazebo, and looking at the pouring rain that came quite unexpectedly, I sipped on some Lychee And Vanilla Smoothie, waiting for my salad to arrive. The smoothies here are pretty awesome, simply put, and serious brownie points to the Banana And Peanut Butter Smoothie. It’s a meal by itself though and I love the concept of them not adding extra sugar to make it sweet.

While the restaurant does have a full-fledged menu (curries, sizzlers, some awesome pasta), I like the idea of snacking here more than eating dinner. So I tried one of the sandwiches, which was like most sandwiches but looked rather tiny on the big plate it was served in, and some Roasted Vegetables In Pesto Sauce the first time I was there. The vegetables were cooked right to retain the required crunchiness and they hadn’t messed up the pesto sauce by making it too salty — if I were to nitpick, perhaps it was a bit creamier than I’d hoped, but I wouldn’t hold it against them.

The second time I was there, the Corn And Cream Potato Skins brought a massive smile on my face. There’s nothing to it really and if you got an oven at home, it’s easily replicable. But there’s something fascinating about the way potatoes can be used. The cream and corn was prepared perfectly — not too overbearing, no super strong flavours and the salt was just right.

From the salad section, I went with the Glass Noodle Salad that comes with tons of crunchy and fresh vegetables and topped with lemon (very vinaigrette style). I loved the way the glass noodles added a sense of crisp to the crunchiness of the veggies — top points!

After having stuffed ourselves with the starters, it was inevitable that I’d have no space for main course but I couldn’t resist the desserts. The Choco Freddo, where a dollop of chocolate mousse is served on a bed of whipped cream, was to die for.

The mousse that is — it’s on the darker side and absolutely divine. The cream needed to be whipped a little better because I got this metallic after-taste that comes from cream and that’s not exactly a taste you’d look forward to.

Finishing off the whole evening with some Kashmiri Kahwa (a must-have if you love tea) I realised that I could come here every day, despite there being no meat on the menu. It’s an ideal place to bring your date, best friend or colleague or even to come alone and just read as you try some of their exotic teas and quick bites.

And yes before I forget. Green Theory is on Black Berry so just get their PIN number when you’re heading there — they’ll update you with news every now and then. Now this is I super-like; but what I don’t super-like is the fact that there is zero parking available on that lane or anywhere close by. And no, there is no solution to that problem, not yet!