The new BonSouth at Malleswaram raises the bar with interesting cocktails and food from the four states of South India with focus on non-vegetarian fare
The new BonSouth at Malleswaram raises the bar with interesting cocktails and food from the four states of South India with focus on non-vegetarian fare
A refreshing tender coconut martini shares space with a rasavodka on my table. It's time for the South Indians to live it up. There is now reason enough to take a break from your usual idli-dosa tiffin affair and go gourmet the South style thanks to bonSouth, the newest address at a swanky mall in Malleshwaram.
On a weekend afternoon bonSouth at the said mall is already getting chock-a-block with eager diners making a beeline at their interesting buffet spread (Rs 275) comprising a vegetarian and a non-vegetarian starter, soup options, three non vegetarian dishes, five vegetarian dishes, two kinds of rice, alongside appams, kerala parotas, dosas and other accompaniments like papad, pickle, pudi and to top it all, four kinds of dessert options. 
Soft lighting and fusion music in the background elevates hunger pangs as I place my order of an Elaneer Martini (Rs 300) to kickstart my taste buds. It was a refreshing tender coconut drink spiked with vodka; just the thing to begin a meal with.
I munched on the mini papadams I picked from the lunch spread. The bar menu has interesting cocktails such as Rasavodka, a spicy vodka shaken on the rocks with rasam, Quick Gun Murugan, a mix of tequila, vodka, lime juice, pepper and tomato chutney, shaken on the rocks, Chennai Cocaine, another mix of vodka but this time with black south Indian coffee, if you please.
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Tongue mat karo
Most of the dishes names are real tongue twisters and pronouncing them the right way might just eat up your lunchtime. So dig in straight to the Vendakkai Varuval, Melagai Podi, Button Idli, Kane Bezule, Chemeen Porichatu besides other specialties which are dished out to devour. The Meen Kaiadhina (Rs 295) needs special mention.
Slices of boneless Seer fish marinated with chillies, cumin and pepper, dusted with semolina and deep-fried; crisp on the outside, succulent inside, made an excellent appetizer. And so were the bay fresh prawns called the Pudugai Eral Varuval (Rs 395) on the menu, cooked dry with fresh coriander was fresh and flavourful on the bite.
Skip the soup
The Thakkali Soup was a thin tomato soup flavoured with coriander and coconut, more like rasam and could be given a miss.
Lap up the mains from the four states
For the mains, we scooped up soft thin fluffy appams with vegetarian stew from the buffet. To get a taste of complete South India, we suggest you try one dish from all four states - Kodi Vepudu, tender pieces of boneless chicken from Andhra Pradesh, Appam Kerala mutton ishtew from Kerala, Nandu Kuzhambu, fresh crab cooked in a typical Chettinad style gravy from Tamil Nadu or the Harasoppu Huli (Rs 165) greens cooked with lentils, green chillies and garlic from Karnataka.
For dessert, try the Elaneer Payasam, tender coconut morsels in coconut milk and cardamom or the Paal Paniyaram, soft lentil dumplings stewed in a cardamom flavoured sweetened milk. The payasam is light and mild on sweet. If you're not counting calories do try their Badam Halwa, a rich, ghee soaked dessert complete with almonds and milk.
At bonSouth, Mantri Square Mall, Malleswaram.
Call 2266 7377
Meal for two Rs 800.
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