The Konkan, St. Marks Road, Bangalore Seafood Restaurant

Phone: 080 25593066 / +91 9844763787
Address: 48/1, 1st Floor, St. Marks Road, Church Street, Bangalore, Karnataka India
Time: 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM, 7:30 PM to 11 PM
Meals for two: Rs. 1,000
Cuisines: Seafood, Mangalorean, Konkan
Facilities: Home Delivery, No Alcohol Available, Kid Friendly, Valet Parking Available, City View

The Konkan, St. Marks Road, Bangalore: DECOR

This new restaurant, at the corner of Church Street and St Marks Road, occupies the first floor above KC Das. Its all-white interior, with touches of grey, gives it an air of serenity and makes you think of the seaside. Clean lines and a minimalist approach make this one of the more attractive restaurants to come up in recent times. Now, for the paving work on Church Street to be completed so you can access the restaurant without having to side-step all that rubble.

The Konkan, St. Marks Road, Bangalore: FOOD

I’m partial to coastal cuisine, and when it’s as good as it’s at Konkan, I feel the thrill of having discovered an excellent new place to eat in. Good ingredients, spice pastes that pack a punch and deliver robust flavors, and traditional cooking techniques combine to make the standout dishes here.

Fresh seafood is a specialty at Konkan and the day’s catch and prices are displayed on a blackboard. This, I think, is much better and more transparent than the ‘seasonal price’ or ‘as per size’ tactic a lot of seafood restaurants resort to. I began with the Sunkta, or Prawn Butter Garlic. Of not particular provenance, this was delicious. The prawns were fresh and sweet, not frozen and insipid, coated with a light batter, deep-fried and made rich with butter. Fried garlic and curry leaves lent the finishing touch.

The Rava Fried Silver Fish was also superb — well-marinated and fried just right, the coating crisp and the fish still moist. The Kubay or Clam Sukka was the very best, the shellfish in a tasty masala flecked with lots of freshly-grated coconut. The Pomfret Tawa Fry was spectacular and so was the Surmai Masala Fry, which was slathered with a silken, vivid red masala. The colour is all from the byadgi chilli, which is brought down from Kundapur. I mopped up the masala with lacy neer dosa, known in the Konkan belt as panpole, and it was a flawless pairing. Then, it was the pride of the Mangalurean kitchen, the Chicken Ghee Roast, again beautifully executed. The cooking style here is Mangalurean Catholic, which varies in subtle ways from, say, the Bunt cooking of the region. Therefore, pork appears on the Konkan menu. I had the Pork Bafat with sannas and these, light and airy and slightly sweet, are the very best sannas I’ve eaten in Bengaluru. The Bafat Masala was delightful, too, but I wish the meat had been more tender. The Mutton Green Masala is another Mangalurean Catholic favorite and also pairs a treat with sannas. It’s a recipe from owner Neil Rodrigues’ family. Tasting dish after delicious dish, I was utterly impressed with the passion and enthusiasm this first-time restaurateur brings to this place.

And how could I leave without experiencing the comfort of Fish Curry Rice. It was a Kane Ambotik, evoking of the Goan roots of the Mangaluru Catholics, and the rice was of the earthy, red variety. Happiness on a plate! The reasonable prices make the Konkan meal even better.

The Konkan, St. Marks Road, Bangalore: SERVICE

It’s warm, welcoming service here. As I left, the valet hoped I had had a good meal.

The Konkan, St. Marks Road, Bangalore: PLUS AND MINUS

I have only praise for the food here. Vegetarians will have to settle for Paneer Ghee Roast and Konkan Veg Ghassi.