01 September, 2009

Under the Banyan Tree - Restaurant Review

UTBT was a chance option on Sunday evening. I think we were early so got a table right away. but by 9 we saw that the place was getting crowded.

The youngsters of the area a bit of nuisance around this place, since it's a very popular teen hangout - they are smoking, laughing away and doing their car skids etc. Kind of disturbing a bit.

Ambiance is nice - but A/C tables are limited, so in humid weather outside seating could be an issue. But a few tall fans threw in appropriate breeze.

What we ate?
Jalapeno cheese fritters - yum. Should have.
Humus with pita bread - not bad.
  • Mushroom Pate - yum. Should have. (pic uploaded)
  • Mushroom wrap (pic uploaded) - was very tasty but the wrap seems to have hardened after a few re-heats in the microwave, I think.
  • Italian Connection - dad says it was nice.
  • Pasta in pesto sauce - could have been a little better. very hard boiled, I thought.
  • Wild mushroom & thyme Risotto - was kind of sad, I thought. In crude terms - it needed some tadka. Was a bit boring, could have done with some spices etc.

Dessert offerings are limited - not much variety if u are not a chocolate person. The mousse and vodka cheesecake tasted very artificially sweetened. I am not sure if the others looked any better either.

So overall a decent food offering, but service lacks a bit - had to push the waiters around a bit and hey don't jadao too much english poor guys just about manage to understand the dish names - so avoid asking too many extra questions.

For the 5 of us we paid Rs.1200, which was not bad. Of course the servings are just about ok to fill individual stomachs so I don't expect sharing to be really workable.

Recommended for casual dining. Avoid large groups - could get a bit messy.