Around the world on one plate

Hosur Main Road starts to get a little dull after a while. The time it took usu00a0 to get to the new Keys cafeat the Keys Hotel located in Electronic City, almost made it feel like we were travelling somewhere exotic, and not just to the other side of Bangalore. But as we were to find out, the real journey was the one waiting for us at the dinner table. We were going to be taken on a whirlwind culinary trip around the world and yes we were not complaining.

Keys cafe
Food: great
Service: attentive
Ambience: classy


Keys Cafe is an understated classy affair unlike the usual sidewalk ones we come across. The interiors are done up with stately Art Deco-style chairs and tables. You can choose from the a-la-carte menu or the buffet, which is presented on granite bench tops. The bar next door includes a pool table and dart board. The food is the work of Chef Souvmitra, who has spent some time in the Middle East, which has made him bring in Middle Eastern flavours along with other international cuisine into the selection of food at this cafe

We started off with a Tomato and Pepper Rasam (Rs 90). The watery rasam felt very hearty and combined with the zest of the lime and the heat of the pepper made each mouthful well balanced and potent. We also enjoyed the Hummus B'lahme (Rs 150), a lovely combination of cinnamon spiced lamb mince presented with a ring of hummus around it, which we moped up with warm pita bread. Although the lamb was a little dry, when combined with the hummus and pita bread its Middle Eastern flavours were not to be missed.

We also had a Spiced Lamb Harira (Rs 140), a lovely fusion of Middle Eastern and Indian sensibilities. Traditionally a Moroccan dish, the soup made out of chickpea and lamb stock was enhanced with cumin and red chilli. Each mouthful was a powerful combination of spices, with the chilli doing a good job of perking up the lamb and chickpea broth. After the very memorable entr ufffdes, the mains seemed a tad simple.
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The All-time Favourite Crumb Fried Fish (Rs 225), was soft and subtle, although a little plain. The other main we had was the Mini Bangers (sausages) and Mash with Red Wine Glaze (Rs 240). Little sausages were draped over a bed of mashed potatoes. The sausages came with a hint of whole spices and combined well with the reduced richness of the red wine glaze and mash.

We capped off our meal with a Hot Chocolate Fondant (Rs 110) and the Trio Kheer (Rs 110). The Kheer came with three flavours; orange, rosewater, and pistachio each in its own little bowls. The rosewater kheer was particularly refreshing and sweet, making a cool finish to our meal. The Chocolate Fondant was baked to perfection with an oozy inside, slightly crunchy exterior and complemented the slowly melting ice-cream served along with it.

The cafes proximity to Electronic City might make it a favourite for the local IT hubs and other businesses during the week, although the weekend we stopped by, it was a little quiet. Probably since its been open only very recently.

At: Keys Hotel, opposite Live 100 Hospital, Electronic City
Call: 3944 1000
Meal for two: Rs 800