The food trio — AD Singh, Chef Manu Chandra and Chetan Rampal — is showering Bangalore with more good stuff. Their new eatery, tucked away in a quiet lane in Whitefield, is all about whimsy, starting with the name: likethatonly. The décor — by designer Anshu Arora, painter Murali Nagapuzha and landscaping artist Rashmi Attavar — is a lovely mix of turquoise and coral, lime green and pink, with interesting kitsch aplenty, like a bathtub with a running shower serving as a fountain, hanging tin kettles and attention-grabbing chandeliers.
The food, as is to be expected from this team, is guaranteed to delight both gourmets and gourmands. The 100-seater bar and restaurant may be high on quirky ambience but Chef Manu is clear that there will be no compromise on quality.
Besides a comprehensive selection of liquor, the signature cocktails are interesting: Mary Pops In (a smoked Bloody Mary), Lotta, Adams Apple, Fru Fru Colada, champagne, wines, sangrias… The food itself, from starters and soup to dessert, runs an eclectic gamut: seven spice salmon atop a local yam puree, salted seaweed on kohlrabi, fresh fennel and cabbage heart veloute, tomato with creamy burrata cheese, smoked corn soup, fish, crab and prawn broth, steamed pork baos with a sweet and moist slow-roasted pork shoulder, sweetbreads, sake poached pear, coconut chiboust and kaffir lime creme brulee. The last is ambrosia on a plate. Bangalore gets lucky. Again.
Bottomline: Likethatonly scores high in ambience, cuisine and service.
Likethatonly
Where:#14/31A- Hagadur Road, (Behind Forum Value Mall), Whitefield, Bangalore. Ph: 08065475610.
Wallet Factor:Meal for two including drinks: Lunch: Rs.1,500 plus taxes; Dinner: Rs.2,500 plus taxes
Timing:Noon to 11:30 p.m.
