Secret of Bangalore, Rajarajeshwari Nagar

Spend an evening at this enchanting restaurant that will transport you to a hill station-resort with its vibe, beautiful pathways and garden ambience!

Secret of Bangalore, or SOB, as embossed everywhere is a multi-storeyed open restaurant  built on the vast Shakti Hill resort property tucked away in RR Nagar, Bangalore. It is a glitzy, neon lit hideaway on a shallow hill with a quaint (but well populated and motorable) approach route. As soon as you reach the entrance which is at the foot of the restaurant, you will be amazed by the eclectic decor which includes giant gilded cages on the lower open seated area, swings, overhead lanterns and shades, neon lighting as well as the white pathways branching out to different levels of open seating areas which are similar to family resorts in touristy areas and also probably reminiscent of Santorini, Greece during the day time.

This daytime resort garden turns into a glitzy nightclub which is a popular spot for those looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the crowded city and compact restaurants for some fresh air and alfresco dining, but still stay connected and within the range of easy navigation on a weeknight.

SOB is economical, with most dishes in the range of Rs. 250-350 (veg) and Rs. 300-500 (non-veg) and offers via Zomato Gold, Dineout and other dining out platforms. Their menu is nearly as expansive as their property, aiming to cater to broad categories of cusine: regional in dishes like puddu with saari, hot chips, meen polichhatu; North Indian with kebabs, tikkas, kadi pakoda,  like rogan josh, Kolkata prawn curry, kheema pav, rogan josha; and “Global” with items ranging anywhere from nachos and fries to ravioli stuffed with artichokes and bocconcini pizza. They have an impressive array of dishes. However, like most hotel restaurants in far flung hill stations in India, the actual execution of the food suffers some limitations when it comes to delivering on ambitious menus. In terms of preparation their expertise is significantly better in Indian food dishes and crowds would be better served ordering kebabs, naan, curries and biryani than the more exclusive continental items or fusion desserts (an effort at modern Indian cuisine?).

Among the appetizers, we ordered the giant bowl of cheesy fries and nachos with 3 dips: cheese sauce, salsa roja and beans. Although undeniably tasty in the way greasy and cheesy junk is, even the bright red lights that coloured our view of all the food couldn’t disguise the fact that the nachos were cornitos, the cheese sauce was a lumpy bechamel (which, fortunately for them, was a lighter option that went with fries), the salsa roja tasted like salsa out of a TexMex jar (but diluted with vinegar?) and the beans were unseasoned mashed rajma. The fries were decent: crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

We also had the dahi ke kebab (also called dahi ke sholay) which were 6 extremely soft cutlets with an almost sweet fluffy filling of strained yogurt and paneer, which lacked heat and crunch from other veggies in the filling. The meen polichathu (fish steamed in banana leaves) served in 4 generous pieces came hot and moist, with liberal amounts of shredded coconut mixed with ground fish to form a rough patty. For the main course, we ordered the mac and cheese which came with macaroni in a cheesy white bechamel sauce, lightly seasoned, and the Chettinad chicken pizza with mushrooms and scallions (upon the server’s recommendation). It was loaded with rubbery cheese similar to the “Pizza cheese” mozzarella sold in supermarkets which dried into a hard layer (not unlike some Dominos pizzas the next day) as it cooled. Unless their target crowd is the guzzlers who will be far too gone to notice or complain about the improper seasoning, flavouring, greasiness and freshness of items, SOB needs to refine its menu and return to recipe development to deliver basics of continental or cafe type food satisfactorily.

The service here is quick to respond to missing cutlery or bringing in the bill, but not particularly knowledgeable about the menu for recommendations or adept with timing courses (having committed the cardinal sin of delivering a main course 15 mins before the appetisers arrived).

While I will not be returning to SOB with any expectations of gourmet food, it is still a delightful place for an inexpensive night to eat, drink and be merry with a bunch of friends on a cool evening without having to travel very far.

RATING:
Ambience: 9/10
Food: 6.5/10
Service: 7.5/10

COST FOR 2: 800 (without alcohol)

ADDRESS: Secret of Bangalore, Shakthi Hill Resort, BEML Layout, Off Mysore Road, V Stage, RR Nagar, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Bangalore.