While there are a lot of good places in
Bangalore that serve Wine, there are few which tailor the food so that it pairs
well with wine, without compromising on the taste. Haute is one of those places
which seeks to please the casual wine-drinker as well as wine-connoisseurs with
an excellent selection of New World and Old-World Wines and some domestic
favorites as well. Does the food stand-up to the gorgeous wines they have
curated? Let’s find out.
We learnt from Chef Adithya Kidambi,(the Executive Chef here) that the concept they are going for, in terms of food is two-fold.
For the lunch menu, the food will be a combination of short eats and one-bowl
meals, suited to the more casual diner. Dinner however would be an elaborate
affair with a multi-course meal, with wine-pairings for each course. For the
preview, we had a five-course meal paired with a Fratelli Chardonnay and a
Fratelli Gran Cuvee Brut. More on that later.
Course
1: Teriyaki
Mixed Greens,
Cherry Tomatoes, chicken slices (marinated overnight in a traditional soy-sauce
based marinade), cucumber and the best part, the crunch of a homemade chikki
made of sunflower & flax seeds in jaggery. The salad was delicately
balanced with sourness from the cherry tomatoes, the crunch and sweetness from
the crumbled home-made chikki, some freshness and additional depth-of-flavor
from the mixed greens. A brilliant start to the meal.
Course 2: Beetroot
My initial thought was, this was one dish that
the chefs might have gone overboard. Was I wrong! Gazpacho is all the rage on
the Indian food scene these days, and while it might be colloquially called, a ‘cold
soup’, it is so much more. The one here at Haute was pretty well done. A
slow-roasted beetroot gazpacho, served with a dollop cultured cream on the
side. The Gazpacho was a brilliant red color, which can only be described as
beetroot red and the earthy flavors of beetroot had been mellowed down
considerably. The addition of dried orange segments added a much-needed
crunchiness to this soup while imparting its own lovely flavor. The cultured
cream when mixed with the soup, completely balanced out of the flavors, and to
be honest, this is definitely the best Gazpacho I have had so far. 
Course
3: Dumplings
We ordered the Prawn bisque and the Paprika
Chicken dumplings. Both of them were very well-made with a beautiful, almost-translucent
skin. The filling was ample and while the paprika chicken lacked the strong-punch
of paprika, this version would appeal to most palates. However, both of these
were served with a brilliant, grainy pepper sauce, which I absolutely loved.
Course
4: Mains
I ordered the Cream of Chicken & Peas
hand-cut Linguine while my spouse ordered their popular Bibimbap. Linguine is a
pasta which falls somewhere between a spaghetti and fettuccine in terms of
width. The linguine here was hand-cut and served with a creamy, buttery sauce
and topped with shaved parmesan cheese, and thinly slices of chicken. I have to
say, I loved this preparation immensely.
The bibimbap was served in a smoking hot cast
iron bowl and was Korean Style Rice with 2 types of kimchi, assorted veggies, a
poached egg and was served with a bowl of lamb slices that could be mixed with
the bibimbap or had on its own. This is probably the most colorful Bibimbap I
have seen in Bangalore, and was pretty good as well!
Course
5: Chocolate
A beautiful tart with layers of single-origin dark
chocolate. True chocolate connoisseurs will appreciate the beauty of the
nuttiness of the dark chocolate and when had with the superbly creamy Dulce de
Leche that it was served with, it was just heavenly. Not overly sweet nor too bitter,
this was another masterpiece. A beautiful finale to a delightful symphony of flavors
and textures.
Verdict:
Haute is one of those rare places where the execution of a beautiful concept has
been done flawlessly. Excellent Wine-Selection, Brilliant food and an Ultra-Chic
ambience are the reasons you should visit this place as soon as possible!
