Food for every mood

A good ole' Chinese hotel and a chic restaurant give Bangloreans plenty to chew on

Very hearty, very Italian

Lido, the restaurant at Hotel Ista, has launched an all-new Italian menu of salads and starters, soups, pizzas, pasta, risotto and desserts. There are exotic salads made with sundried tomatoes, asparagus and roasted yellow pumpkin in a sherry-vinaigrette dressing. There's baked asparagus and spinach soup flavoured with pancetta and garlic; margherita pizza topped with tomato sauce, cheese and basil; and a delicious seafood pizza. Pasta choices include penne, farfalle, spaghetti, conchiglie and fettuccine in sauces like arabiatta, carbonara, alfredo, putanesca, marinara, pesto, aglio'lio, pomadoro and bolognaise.u00a0
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What's hot: The risotto with asparagus, mushroom, spinach, sundried tomatoes, walnuts, pine nuts, zucchini, mint or broccoli is a revelation. If meaty fare is what you crave on a cold day, try the risotto with seafood, chicken, duck, squid and salmon. As always, chef Subroto Goswami makes sure that every dish is a visual palatable treat, especially the Himalayan trout and Italian desserts.

What's not: I tried the salt baked Himalayan trout and squid stuffed with herbed rice. While the trout was baked just right, the taste of rock salt was overwhelming. The squid tasted leathery.

Wallet factor: Meal for two Rs 1,500 (without taxes).

Where: 1/1, Swami Vivekananda Road, Ulsoor.
Ph: 2555 8888.

No fuss, no frills

Red lanterns, paper dragons and artificial plants; how cliched can the decor of a Chinese restaurant get, I wondered.
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The arrival of the tangy, peppery soup and crispy fried chicken in honey and chilli sauce distracted me briefly.

Nobel House, the no-fuss and no-frills restaurant on Infantry Road, believes in concentrating its energies on food.u00a0

What's hot: The steamed garlic rice with stir fried prawns and the mushrooms and baby corn in bean chilli sauce were delicious. But I like to smother my rice in gravy, so I yearned for more sauce with more bite. The Soya Bean Nobel House Special was a great starter.

What's not: Don't expect divine desserts in this Chinese restaurant and you won't be disappointed. The day we dined there, there was just one dessert option lychee with ice-cream.

Wallet Factor: Rs 700 (meal for two)

Where: No 9/13, 1 Floor, Kedia Arcade, No 92, Near Safina Plaza, Infantry Road.
Call: 6638 9020