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Variety fare

Sumptuous Silky-smooth gravies in a coconut and chilli dressing

A meal at Bon South is always something to look forward to, as the food is great, the ambience rocks and Chef Venkatesh Bhat, who is also the CEO, effortlessly spreads his genial charm to make the meal memorable. The news of a Mangalorean food festiv al at BonSouth was reason enough to make that trip.

Chef Bhat says the timing is just right as the beginning of monsoon is when you get the best sea food. “This is the time of giant king fish, lobsters, crab,” says Chef Bhat. We are shown our places by the cheerful maitre de.

The mellow lighting perfectly complements the smooth service. First is a snack made from jackfruit seeds. “After the jackfruit have all been eaten, the seeds are stored and eaten as an evening snack.”

Then comes the soup. I had the thili saaru where the garlic and cumin did a serene tango with the rice water base. The starter platter is extensive, expansive and totally mind-blowing. There was chicken (hurda koli), mutton (hasiru chops) and the fascinating fried fish in red masala (meen kaiadhive). The vegetarian platter had the lightest fluffiest goli baje, the marvellously-layered pathrodey and vada apart from the absolutely darling button idlis. It was strict discipline and the thought that one needs to keep space for the main course that one kept from gorging on them.

The main course had coconut and chilli gravies dressing all manner of vegetables from raw banana to okra apart from the lamb, chicken and fish variants. These were to be eaten with crisp, tangy uppu puli dosa or kadubu and steamed pundit gatti.

Missing dessert would be a terrible crime. We had the velveteen mango rasayana and the badam halwa which gives a whole new meaning to melt in the mouth. Steel tumblers brimming with piping hot in-house filter coffee was a flawless end to a perfect meal.

The Mangalorean food festival is on for dinner at BonSouth (749, 10th Main, 4th Block, 80 Feet Road, Koramangala) till July 12. Call 40716500 for reservations.

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