ITP Indian Travel Places: Food, Travel, Tourism Business Events and Trade Shows
Address: 318, 6th Main Rd, HAL 2nd Stage, Defence Colony, Indiranagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560038
Time: 12:30 – 3:30 PM, 7:30 – 10:30 PM
Meals for two: Rs. 1,200
Cuisines: Healthy Food, Beverages, Desserts, Salad, European
Facilities: Home Delivery, Wine, Outdoor Seating
Forage, Indiranagar, Bangalore: Decor
Forage, on 6th Main, Indiranagar, keeps a low profile. Designed to be an intimate, cozy space offering the comforts of a stylish home, it has the charming Mayura Kutappa playing hostess. There’s a living room providing seating in niches with comfy chairs and colourful cushions. A well-stocked bookshelf invites you to grab a book, find a quiet corner and linger over a cup of coffee. There’s a pretty al fresco space that’s perfect for dinner. A rooftop garden is also taking shape.
Forage, Indiranagar, Bangalore: FOOD
In the kitchen is Himanshu Dimri of Grasshopper, who, all those years ago, had the pluckiness to cook and serve his fare of the day without a menu. At Forage, he’s been equally brave, serving a cuisine that’s described as California-style, with the focus on healthy, light, nutritious dishes. And, oh, eschewing that restaurant favorite, chicken, in any form.
The freshness and sparkle of ingredients that are Himanshu signatures are evident in every dish. On my first visit here in the early days, I’d had the Zucchini Parpadelle, no more than zucchini sliced into pasta-like slivers, tossed with diced peppers, cherry tomatoes and topped off with delicious caramelised bacon. The vegetables keep their integrity in this dish and the sweet-salty bacon adds the slightest decadence. The Sea Bass I had for main course was excellent; if the fish was left unadorned, the pea puree it rested on was zesty and lent a lovely creamy texture to the dish.
On a more recent visit, I found new dishes on the menu; also, that the prices had been lowered for obvious reasons. I’m all for inexpensive dining, but rue that the average Bengalurean diner is loath to pay for true quality.
From the new dishes I tried the salad of Cucumber, Capers and Peanuts with shreds of toasted nori and a soy dressing. There were different types of saltiness from the ingredients, and it was refreshing and delicious. The Fig and Feta is another superb salad with locally-sourced cheese. This is also one of the few dishes in which cheese makes an appearance on the Forage menu.
For my vegetarian main course, I had the dish quaintly christened A Piece of Cake. It was a square of steamed red rice cake, topped with a medley of crunchy greens, all in a pool of creamy coconut curry. Every soothing mouthful spoke of goodness. My lunch companion declared the Pork Stew with black beans and coriander on a bed of quinoa ‘Brilliant!’ For dessert, I would recommend the Date and Cashew Creme Brulee. It’s not a crème brulee as we know it, but it’s so scrumptious, you wouldn’t really care what it’s called. While restaurant desserts frequently leave me fretting about the artificial cream and sweeteners they are concocted from, this one was just date puree crowned with cashew butter, a pairing that worked beautifully.
That’s one of the standout qualities of the Forage experience; simple cooking techniques combine with good ingredients allowing their quintessence to shine through, instead of being masked by nondescript sauces and condiments.Much of the Forage menu is gluten-free-even the pasta is crafted from rice -and there are vegan offerings as well. While this could well have become a place that attracts only health nuts, Himanshu Dimri ensures it holds appeal even to those who don’t really care if their rice is white, brown or black. Vegetarians can eat happily here, too.
Forage, Indiranagar, Bangalore: SERVICE
You’ll experience warm, personal service at Forage.
Forage, Indiranagar, Bangalore: PLUS AND MINUS
The setting is lovely and the food is packed with freshness and flavor, creating a feel good meal experience. Diners looking for chicken or paneer won’t find any on the menu.
