Jive, Rumba, Cha Cha, Salsa…You might have heard of these
famous dance styles. Foxtrot is another dance style which is similar to a
Waltz, and became popular in the 50’s with Haley’s famous song, "Rock
Around the Clock". How is this relevant you ask? Foxtrot is one of those
unique places which exudes a character of its own, and I would even go as far
as say that it is a one of its kind pub in Bangalore and it starts with the
name. Here is why:
Location/Ambience:
Located in Marathahalli, the perennial pit stop for
people all over Bangalore, this is not the kind of place you would expect to
see here, and that it why, it is surely going to carve out a niche of its own.
As you enter this place, the first thing you notice would
be the open bar, with the words Foxtrot emblazoned across the top of the bar
counter with lights, in a typically retro style. This place is done up very
differently, and has these private booths, done up in various themes which
remind you of frat or sorority houses. The décor is ultra-chic and
sophisticated and in –line with the theme of this place. The place is well-lit
up, airy and is very well spaced out. It is mostly open-air, but there is an
air-conditioned section which you could slip-
into to get away from the noise.
F & B:
Beverages: They
have a huge selection of cocktails to choose from, with smoked-cocktails,
gimmicky cocktails, Jell-O Shots, Liquor Popsicles and of course, the classics.
While I could write an entire post just about the cocktails, I will stick to a
shorter version. Here are some of my favorites:
Forest Fog: While
this drink is presented dramatically, with a lovely smoke-filled dome covering
it, the drink itself is pretty good. Whisky, Citrus and bitters with the lovely
smoky flavor of hickory wood, this one is for the whisky lovers!
Sprouty G&T:
While I love Gin and Tonic, this one took that humble combo to a different
level. The lovely sprinkling of bitters and greens had completely neutralized
the slight bitter tang of Tonic, and I loved it!
Cabo Mug-a-Rita: This
one was one heck of a refreshing cocktail. Tequila, citrus and jalapeños smoked
with Applewood and served with a lovely almond biscotti
A few cocktails worth a mention are the What a Match(a)( Matcha Tea , whisky, ginger
syrup and a dash of lime made up this
one lovely cocktail) and Garden Fresh(If
you like cucumber in your drinks, then this one will appeal to you. It had gin,
cucumber, citrus, green apple and fresh mint)
Food:
Chaupati Bhel Bar:
Not an item I would generally
review, but this Mumbai style bhel with a garlic chutney and desiccated coconut
bits, blew my mind, both in terms of taste and presentation. Check it out for
yourself in this pic.
Jerked Spice
Cottage Cheese: Again, full marks for presentation and for the super-soft
paneer in a nice-spicy-tangy coating.
Black Pepper
Chicken Tikka: Well-cooked chicken
in a black pepper sauce, a good item, but nothing extraordinary.
Curry Leaf Prawns:
Definitely, the dish of the day. Lovely medium prawn pieces cooked to perfection
in a curry leave/coconut milk emulsion that had me drooling before I even
started eating it! Excellent preparation.
Tellicherri Mutton
Boti: This dish was a hit and a miss. While the minced mutton was
well-cooked, all of us at the table found it to be a bit too bland and the
recipe needs tweaking for sure.
A few other dishes worth mentioning were the Veg Platter (which
had a delicious tandoori soya chaap among other items, which was enjoyed by
everyone present) and the Lebanese Mezze(which was pretty authentic and had
hummus, baba ganoush, fattoush with pita)
Desserts:
Mango Basil Bhapa
Doi: Steamed Yogurt, with a mango dressing and garnished with basil, this
was really pretty to look at. However, the slightly high acidity of the mango flavor
used offset the sweetness of the curd, and I would say it was about average.
Hot Chocolate
Fudge: While we were not expecting
something extraordinary, the presentation of this one delighted us. Gooey Hot Chocolate
Fudge served with vanilla ice-cream and an assortment of nuts for company, this
was really good. Do try this out!
Verdict: An oasis of sorts for the people of Marathahalli,
this pub scores high on the Unclichéd
quotient and the excellent ambience, brilliant presentation and quirky
cocktails makes me want to visit this place more often. Do visit this, if you
are in the mood for something experimental, and you will not be dissapointed!
Food Quotient: 4/5
Ambience Quotient: 5/5
Service Quotient:
4.5/5
Unclichéd Quotient: 5/5
