Having frequented a fair number of multi-cuisine restaurants in the city, I assumed that Raga in Bilekahalli, Bannerghatta Road, would be no different, with the usual Chinese, north Indian and tandoori fare. However, I must say that some of their novel dishes made me sit up and take notice of their culinary expertise.
Combined expertise
Raga is the product of the combined expertise of three brothers — Nikhil, Sudarshan and Nitesh Shetty, who were initiated into the hospitality sector by their father.
“Each of us has specialised in one of the three cuisines served here. While I am adept at Chinese, Nikhil takes care of the north Indian food and Nitesh does tandoor,” elaborates Sudarshan.
At leisure
The ambience is pleasing with well lit, spacious surroundings and elegant furnishings, allowing one the pleasure of having a sumptuous dinner at leisure.
The best time to dine there would be an early Sunday evening and since the crowd is fast moving, it is not difficult to find a table.
Appetizers
I started the meal with a vegetarian mandarin soup which was just the way I liked it — slightly on the spicier side. The broccoli cheese nuggets, with its crisp exterior and cheesy interior (eaten along with the sweet-and-salt mint chutney), was the best among vegetarian appetizers.
The khatta meetha subzi seekh, served with mint chutney, is one among the special dishes from the tandoor section.
Mangalorean twist
The Mangalorean roots of the trio are quite evident in the delicious butter garlic prawns, which had just the right amount of tenderness and seasoning. Their roomali rotis are a must-try too. While I did enjoy the delicacies served earlier, they were only a precursor to the highlight of the meal — the Raga special Chinese noodles (usually known as the Chinese entrée). If you are out with family and friends, this is one meal you wouldn't want to — or rather, cannot share.
Fire and ice
“It is a light meal, but the taste is dependent on the temperature it is cooked at. So it cannot be distributed into more than one plate after it's been served,” informs Sudharshan. The fried noodles, is topped with fried rice and a delicious sauce, and is served along with spring onions and a unique sweet cabbage salad. It is, by far, one of the best Chinese dishes I've tasted.
The Chinese fried-ice cream was the perfect end to the meal. It has a warm and crisp wafer-like exterior, with cold mango ice-cream inside, just like a cone ice-cream.
