Hooked On Seafood | The Marina | Bangalore
With 3/4th of our planet under water, and thereby abundance of natural resources, seafood has been an important part of our diet system for a long while. Seafood is known to contain fewer calories and are rich in essential nutrients as well as protein, Omega 3, essential fatty acids, Vitamin-C, D & E and Zinc. The low calories in seafood diet helps to maintain a healthy, well balanced diet and being a Keralite, the love for seafood is in my blood.
I am a person who simply loves to gorge on seafood with prawns and shrimps being my favorite. I am sure there are many like me, who miss having good seafood restaurants in Bangalore. The thought of a stir fried prawns or spicy prawn masala already has me drooling and I never miss an opportunity to gorge on seafood whenever I visit Chennai. During one of those trips, I visited a restaurant called The Marina, an apt name considering the Marina beach in the second longest urban beach and the pride of the city. The restaurant is all I wished for and I always made time out to visit them when in Chennai.
Imagine my elation when I realized they are opening a branch of The Marina in Bangalore. All pending plans and appointments were either cancelled or forgotten and my hubby and I visited the newest branch of The Marina on the busy 100 feet Road in Indira Nagar. The location was perfect as I always prefer to dine within Indira Nagar. The usual parking woes are taken care by their valet.
The Marina while primarily a gourmet seafood restaurant is also very involved in ocean conservation and making a difference in lives of fisherfolks, retailers and suppliers. They are part of a broader sustainable seafood movement working to ultimately transform the seafood marketplace in favor of environmentally sustainable fisheries and aquaculture operations. They believe that leveraging market forces is a powerful and effective strategy in driving ocean conservation, ultimately helping to sustain wild, diverse and healthy ocean ecosystems that can exist long into the future. They have a vision of sustainability wherein they purchase seafood that is procured in ways which do not harm the environment thereby sustaining wild, diverse and healthy ocean ecosystems. It is indeed a refreshing feat at responsible restaureurism wherein their seafood is sourced from villages along the coast where the fisherfolks are encouraged to fish in a responsible way to maintain the livelihoods of fisheries-dependent communities.
The Marina ensures the best and fresh catch of seafood showcased for all to see with their centre seafood counter displaying all kinds of seafood available along the coast and sets the mood for a one of a kind experience. You are encouraged to pick your seafood and pay by weight which includes the cost of preparation. The menu has a large selection of preparations to choose from Tandoor, Lava grilled, Western, South Indian and many more. The decor is simple and meant to be secondary as the seafood counter and the delicious dishes should be your foremost thought and needs.
While The Marina took a while to come to Bangalore, I understood from the Operations Manager that they went through months of trials to ensure their dishes tasted exactly the same as their restaurant in Chennai. This level of meticulousness is such a pleasure to note and I am thrilled to be able to experience the same culinary seafood delicacies in Bangalore without having to wait to visit Chennai.
Some of the dishes we tried were Pepper Grill Prawns, Tempura Prawns, Cajun Grill Fish, Crispy Fried Calamari, Mandarin Fish and many more. Every dish was spectacular with the freshness of the seafood adding that special touch.
Some of the seafood which is almost impossible to find in a city like Bangalore such as Lobster where some of the highlights of our meal. The Lemon Butter Garlic Lobster and Indian style prepared Pomfret were absolutely divine.
They also do have some interesting dishes such as Corn in a Basket, Dimsums, Soups, Rice, Noodles for the vegetarians though I must warn you that 95% of the menu is for the seafood lovers.
While I really would not be interested to try desserts after such a heartening meal, that day I did try two of their desserts because it sounded quite interesting. The Kit Kat Chocolate Mousse and the Tres Leche of which I preferred the former.
I’m hooked to The Marina. Do dive in for the best Seafood experience!