11 January,2010 10:27 AM IST | | Namita Gupta
Where else but in food destination Koramangala would one find a restaurant as quirky as this one?
Thulp, verb, slang: Old Bangalore Anglo-Indian speak for a binging session, also referring to excessive eating and the need to finish everything served on a table. Also often used with local synonym saapad, which in its verb form and usually exclamated, mean the same thing.
If you flip the dictionary for 'Thulp', you probably won't find a reference, but if you do, don't be surprised if it means the same thing that we've described above. A much-loved word that's in common usage with propah Bangaloreans, the word now also refers to a cafu00e9 in Koramangala.
Quite true to its name, Thulp in Koramangala has a garage like groove and is tucked away on the left side of a service road off the 80 feet road in Koramangala. Confusing? You're probably not from Koramangala. Do ask a Koramangalite for directions, before you make the pilgrimage.
But rest assured, you can't miss the large logo outside -- a speech bubble like the one you spot in comics, so you won't be lost. Don't be surprised by the no-door, no-wall, only a one-side opening onto the road as an entrance to the cafe. That lends the place an airy and roomy feel. No fuss, no hoity-toity butterflies or chic prim n propah men in black or girls in LBDs, instead walk in to a hangout filled with young, casual and a relaxed lot of diners.
For starters, the innovative wordplay on each of the dishes names on the menu itself had us engaged for a while. There's 'prawnic healing' (prawns) for those who dig sea food or the 'bird on a wire' (chicken satay) for those who prefer fowl play. The original hamburger called Moo here also caught my fancy, but I let it pass for another time when hunger pangs really strike. I also noticed 'the Rocky Balboa', a philly sliced steak, with grilled onions, grilled green peppers and cheese sauce and the 'bow wow wow', a grilled frankfurter delight.
Once you're done ordering, you can check out the perk-me-up walls with life-sized wonder women in comic books and graffiti outside the open kitchen. You could also pick up an interesting book from the many books stacked at a corner shelf or try your hand at some board games.
Our food arrived in less than ten minutes and the wait was not one bit trying. We had asked for a Tom Kha soup and the distinct tinge of bamboo shoot and lemongrass, took sometime to get adjusted to. It was however, tangy with a hint of spices and galangal -- it worked as a great appetizer. The fish n chips that we'd ordered however was the catastrophe. Intelligently called, 'a fish called Wanda,' the dish didn't seem that intelligent when we bit into it. The batter was brittle and so thick that it was almost impossible to bite. It was deep fried to the extent of almost burning it and the inside seemed outrageously raw. Funnily enough, it was also one of the most expensive dishes priced at Rs 225.
The spaghetti as our main course was the taste bud-saver and was cutely called 'alphonso hanky pants'. The creamy Alfredo mushroom sauce was heavenly with the tender chunks of chicken.
Just in case, we decided to also check out the snacking options and our choice of sandwich was called 'the funky chicken'. This grilled chicken breast wonder with lettuce and tomato was quite a mouthful and went really well with the Oreo cookie shake. While alcohol seems to be completely absent from the menu, you don't really find that hard to deal with, when you're given equally good options to choose from.
At: Cafe Thulp, 998, 1 Main,
1 Block, Koramangala.
Call: 4093 3344, 4093 3355.
Meal for two: Rs 700.
Cafe Thulp didn't know we were there, MiD DAY reviews anonymously and pays for all their meals.
