It starts with the name. While an address for a name seems to reveal the worst kind of laziness, 1Q1 Kitchen & Bar is interesting thanks to the letter Q, which gets us thinking of a long line of restless people, a pool table and a play. The name comes from the address 1, Queen’s Road and the spacious Art Deco inspired interiors are inviting — the pale green walls notwithstanding.
I am not adventurous when it comes to food. When I chance upon a meal I enjoy, I order the same dishes till kingdom come. If the waitstaff make suggestions, I politely listen but go ahead repeat my order. At 1Q1, my go-to order is green mango and papaya salad where the prettily-named but fiery bird’s eye chilli is combined with lemon and tempered with palm sugar and crunchy peanuts.
Main course is Japanese style yaki udon noodles with sukiyaki sauce — tried the tempura donburi with sticky rice and was not particularly impressed so it was back to the happy noodles. Non-vegetarian options for my companion alternate between the excellent steak with yakiniku dipping sauce, onion confit and simply superb wasabi mash potato and the Korean bibimbap with its gochujang sauce, grilled vegetables and rice.
Dessert would be the deconstructed apple pie on a dramatic black plate with slow-cooked apple, lemon gel, meringue and a peanut cream and buttermilk sorbet. And the meal would be rounded off with excellent black coffee strong enough to waken the dead.
However since I was reviewing the new menu at the restaurant, I tried the fresh vegetable tostada from the Nikkei (Peruvian-Japanese) cuisine. Avocado, cucumber, broccoli and grapefruit tap danced on a toasted tortilla with wasabi lemon cream (I have a weakness for wasabi).
For starters broccoli and baby corn went hand in hand with the Thai garlic chilli sauce (nam prik pao). From the futomaki (large rolls) section I tried the asparagus and cream cheese option which was all it promised to be. I am partial to the everyday poetry of dumplings and the assorted mushrooms flavoured with black truffle oil and the translucent packets of edamame beans were all rhyme and rhythm.
Can there be a meal without rice? And so it was the Japanese katsu kare with panko fried sweet potato and the old favourite, Thai green curry with jasmine rice. Avocado parfait with brownie squares, matcha soil and vanilla ice cream was a walk on the wild side for dessert.
Now that the review is out of the way I can go back to the sweetly spicy attractions of udon noodles.
1Q1 Kitchen & Bar
Wheels: No.1, Express Building, Queens Road Bangalore 560001
Ambience: Art deco
Hits: Yaki udon noodles, deconstructed apple pie
Meal for two: ₹ 2,500
