Come on over to Kapoor’s Cafe for Authentic Punjabi Cuisine

I am passionate about food and trying out different cuisines and thereby restaurants across Bangalore and wherever else I travel.

Been invited to join the Food Bloggers Association of Bangalore (FBAB) for their meet up was when I came to know about  Kapoor’s Cafe.

Punjabi cuisine especially only Vegetarian has not excited me enough to go looking for their outlet and give them a try. Being the newbie to the group, I joined their meet up last Saturday at Kapoor’s Cafe mainly to get to know other food bloggers/reviewers and secondly to try their food.

To start with I was a bit lost getting there and I called up Mr.Arpit ( who I  thought was the manager and did not know was the owner) and he was patient enough not only to guide me to their cafe but also show the way to park my car at a safe area ( some bad experiences make one paranoid). Though they are located on a small street, do note there is a possibility of parking 4 wheelers on the left side of the same road or a little ahead on the right side in front of an apartment complex ( 10 – 12 cars space).

Since I was lost getting here, I joined the meet up a bit late and when I arrived everyone was busy devouring something in a matka ( clay pot) and some had a satisfied expression on their faces. The reason behind this was a simple pot of Dry Fruit lassi. I am lactose intolerant hence I could not try this but needless to say my fellow foodies expressions said it all. Since I was the only one not having the lassi Mr.Kapoor insisted on me trying their Masala Coke which was quite ok.

Moving on to the next course – the appetizers.
We were served Cheesy Pataka Balls which were plates of 6 to 7 small deep fried balls containing just the right amount of potato, cheese, spices and batter. Though it was called Pataka it was not spicy and just melted in your mouth. I understood from Mr.Arpit that this a new item in their menu and was yet to be launched in their regular menu.

Next came the French Fries Punjabi style. Now I can be a bit critical when one takes western dishes and tries to pass them off as something different. But I must mention that this Punjabi twist which was nothing but simple day to day ingredients such as chilli powder and fried coriander leaves added to good old french fries and garnished with fried green chillies is a brilliant idea. Kudos to their team for their out of the box thinking.

Then followed the Paneer Pakoras. This is a simple enough appetizer/snack sold in many restaurants. I had this at a restaurant recently and was not too happy about it. Hence I tried one paneer pakora with not much expectation but it was so soft inside and perfectly crispy outside that I dug in for more. This was served with mint chutney similar to the pataka balls.

By now, many of my fellow foodies and I were already quite full and we knew the main course was yet to come. The main course was a thali and not just a normal one but a Maharaja Thali. The thali had bowls of  Baigan Bartha, Dal, Mixed veg dry, Salad, Cucumber Raitha, Peas Pulao and Paneer masala gravy served along with soft and fluffy Phulkas. All the items were well prepared but the stand outs for me where the dal and paneer masala gravy. A note to all, this is a very filling thali and if you already had appetizers there is no way you are gonna finish it all.

 

Just when I thought it was all over, there came a plate of hot parathas stuffed with cheese. Just had the place to try a little bit of it and it was very tasty!

Finally our host ended our meal with Fruit cream which looked so delicious that though I am lactose intolerant, I could not resist taking one spoon. It was all creamy and crunchy with fruits and nuts.

In between different courses I had the opportunity to check out some of their witty and good humoured wall decor.

From my above experience, it is very obvious that the owner ( and wife) has put a lot of their time and efforts in setting up this cafe and their actions speak in the food served and the service provided ( with a smile always).

Overall, a simple no frills restaurant serving authentic veg Punjabi food with a pinch of love!