This time I made a mistake – Sky Brew is not the place for a quick, perfunctory dinner that can be crammed into a couple of hours. Located on the terrace of the Movenpick Hotel and Spa, it is the sort of place where you need time to enjoy a drink or many, slowly, where you scan the cityscape and entertain thoughts of the Bangalore that was and the Bangalore it has become. And/or go with some raucous company, occupy at least two tables that you insist on joining together, spill at least one drink and address at least one waiter by name at the end of the evening.
The night is cold and windy and I ask for a taller glass of the watermelon and mint shot they offer in welcome. “How about something else ma’am? Litchi or peach?” he asked me. I am firm, it is watermelon or nothing.
The night is also dark, but tiny torches and lamps bring enough light so you are able to read the menu. It’s not a big help with the food though, you don’t see much of what you eat but I shovelled it into my mouth unsure if it was a pretzel or a schnitzel.
The Bavarian Camembert cheese spread was garnished with onion rings and served with a pretzel. With fractions of only cheese and butter with salt, pepper and paprika to taste – the obatzda made bread and butter a whole new delight.
For your information anything that is suffixed with wurst indicates that it is a kind of sausage, for example weisswürst or bratwurst – the Germans take their sausages very seriously, and they come in varying lengths of frightening thickness.
If you order the Bavarian style weisswurst with sweet mustard you’ll see what I mean. The weisswurst is a traditional Bavarian sausage made from very finely minced veal and fresh pork back bacon, flavoured with lemon, parsley and many things else. The mixture is then separated into individual sausages measuring about ten to twelve cms in length and about two cms in thickness.
Sample the half Bavarian style roast chicken with homemade potato salad – the Bavarian style works well in a European sort of way. But it misses a punch and trips before steadying itself again, my Indian palate is longing for some sweat.
If you ask for the mushroom pot in herb cream sauce with a bread dumpling, forget about the bread dumpling but the mushroom a la crème is smooth and rich and creamy and a ray of hope for vegetarians.
Not to sound like a gavaar , but I’m not sure I understand the Spätzle noodles with cheese and crisp fried onions. It is a soft type of egg noodle – which does not mean egg in your noodles, but the noodle itself has egg in it – with grated cheese and fried onion on top, no ketchup.
Potato salad, meat platters, red cabbage, sauerkraut it all came plated with no fuss – just simple, good old comfort food. But the most comforting of them all was the warm apple strudel with vanilla sauce, a sweet pastry layered with apple and served with a dollop of Movenpick ice cream.
Visit Movenpick Hotel and Spa at 115, Pipeline Road, Gokula Extension open 6.30 p.m. onwards, from Friday to Sunday only. For reservations, call 43001000.
