A themed affair

What's on explores various food options for the food connoisseur

The newest to hit the city's fine dining circuit is Babettes. Rings a bell? Remember the Danish movie gaestebud, which is reminiscent of the popular Babette's feast? Babette's signature cuisine is presented as a piece of art. Drawing inspiration from the gastronomical extravaganza , which forms the film's central character, food experts, Sanjay Bahn and Satish have created an exclusive menu based on the feast served in the film. Chef Paul Ebenezer brings this menu to life and serves it fresh from farm to fork. A concept born of the Danish movie Babettes gu00e6stebud, Babette's is for those who love their food.u00a0

Babette's has a dual themed du00e9cor with an insideu00a0 seating area and an outside patio, with circles, squares, trendy and classic designs, to suit various moods and needs. What you'll find is a fashionable space, with an eclectic and futuristic du00e9cor, that suits trendy Silicon Bengaluru's present day repute and lifestyle. The inner seating area is a more formal place, with an old world du00e9cor, a reminder of the days, when Bengaluru was a sleepy cantonment town and a pensioner's paradise.

What's hot: I had the orange and carrot soup, a very refreshing and healthy hot and cold soup. There's also a wide range of entru00e9e and salads, with emphasis on using organically grown produce including fruits, vegetables, jaggery, sugar, and even organic ghee. A fish lover, I couldn't resist the Grilled fish with buttered asparagus (slices of fish in tangy marinade of lemon, grilled and served with herbed lemon butter and gooseberry relish), which was delish. My dining companion tried the Garlic tiger prawns with raw mangoes with a dash of teriyaki sauce in chilly flakes and garlic. The prawns were paired extremely well with the tangy mangoes. Babette's also hosts a range of activities like movie screenings, tea tastings and book readings at their restaurant for an added zing.

What's not: The menu is not very exhaustive, so after you've frequented the restaurant a few times, you will have to order your favourite dish once again.

Wallet factor: Meal for two Rs 1,500
Where: Babettes, 423, 8th Main, 4th Block Koramangala (restaurant is part of the Aspasia hotel).
Ph: 99725 72309, 2552 1674

Kung Hei Fat Choi (Happy New Year)

Ginseng is all geared up for the Chinese New Year with an elaborate Oriental feast. The chefs have worked on a special menu to mark the beginning of the Year of the Ox (Ji Chou). According to a legend, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called the Nian or Year in Chinese. Nian would come on the first day of New Year to devour livestock, crops, and even villagers, especially children. One day, people saw that the Nian was scared away by a little child wearing red. The villagers then understood that the Nian was afraid of the colour red. Hence, every time before the New Year, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. Following this legendary belief, Ginseng is done up with oriental lanterns, and shades of bright red.u00a0u00a0u00a0

What's hot: The barbeques especially crafted for the New Year's feast, dish out unlimited vegetarian and non-vegetarian starters. The grain fed stuffed chicken is a full chicken, stuffed with rice and is a whole meal in itself. The New Year sweet and sour fish is also quite wholesome, with noodles and fried rice. A complimentary beer or soft beverage comes with the elaborate buffet lunch. For dessert options there is Mandarin soufflu00e9, candied Mandarin peel and caramelized Asian pear.

What's not: Other than the barbeques and a few specials like the dim sums, grain fed chicken and sweet n sour fish, the rest of the food offered are conventional Chinese fare.

Where: Ginseng, Hotel Royal Orchid, HAL Airport road. Ph: 4178 3000, 2520 5566. Chinese New Year celebration is on till 13th February, 2009.u00a0
Wallet factor: The lunch buffet is priced at Rs 399 for non-veg and Rs 349 for Veg (excluding tax). Chinese a la carte dinner is priced at Rs.700.

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