ITP Indian Travel Places: Food, Travel, Tourism Business Events and Trade Shows
Restaurant Name: Bo Tai: JW Marriott, Lavelle Road, Bangalore
Phone:+919731476113, +918884400175, +919731474386
Address: J W Marriot, 24/1, Vittal Mallya Road, KG Halli, Shanthala Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Lavelle Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Time: 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM, 6:30 PM – 1:00 AM
Meals for two: Rs. 2,800
Cuisines: Chinese, Thai
Facilities: Full Bar Available, 4/5 Star, Indoor Seating, Table booking recommended
Most of Bo Tai occupies a patio off the lobby level of the JW Marriott. There is indoor seating and an impressive al fresco space that is wrapped around an ancient tree. The designers deserve credit for their respect for this natural feature. When I dined here at night, though, I found the lighting so dim I had to constantly pull out my phone torch to read the menu and to see what my food looked like.
Bo Tai: JW Marriott, Lavelle Road, Bangalore: Food
The menu here combines Thai and Chinese dishes, some classics, others with a Bo Tai twist. When a group of us went here for dinner, we began with the Preserved Raw Mango and Avocado Salad. It was a refreshing platter with a zesty dressing. We then had the Medley of Frangible Mushrooms, deep-fried, tossed in a sweet-sour sauce, a crowd-pleaser. The Ika Rings was a big pile of deep-fried squid rings, the batter coating overwhelming the seafood.
We then had a selection of Dim Sum. I liked best the Sauteed Leeks and Chestnuts one with its beetroot-tinted wrapper; I had, as I mentioned earlier, to shine my phone torch to see the colour. I’m always on the lookout for places that serve Xiao Long Bao and found the Bo Tai version needs perfecting to hit the spot.
We wrapped up our meal with some Fried Rice and a bowl of Kanomjin Noodles, both providing familiarity and comfort.
On an earlier occasion, at a tasting in the run-up to the opening, I had sampled the Beijing-Style Prawns, an extravagant dish with the prawns in their shells and an abundance of chilli, plus a well-made Corn Curd Pepper Salt. I was also introduced to some of the cocktails and noticed they were all Instagram-friendly.
Bo Tai: JW Marriott, Lavelle Road, Bangalore: Service
At the beginning of our meal, the waiter told me ‘Please let me know if I make any mistakes’. He seemed to have an idea of how the service would go. My Dim Sum orders were mixed up, it took ages to set right and there was a long wait for the main course.
Plus & Minus:
It’s a gorgeous setting and the menu has something for everyone. Service needs fine tuning.
