Punkah House

Shruthi ( @bangalorexpress )

6 years ago

5.0

God lies in details 🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴 Punkah House   is a throwback to the bygone era Look and feel of a british Raj elite club or present day Bangalore clubs with colonial hangover . Punkah house has tried to reinterpret the memories & emotions that evoke the charm of the  old world  but with a glamorous  twist .   Very rarely does a restaurant impress us so much on all aspects . The Commitment to the concept is evident in décor, food & drinks & has aimed to reinterpret   India's culinary past . One of the best new launches  this year in Bangalore . 🔸🔸Must try : Quarter Plates : Foxnut Jhalmoori , Karachi Spiced Lotus Root Small Plates : Sweet Potato Chops , Rustic Chicken Dumplings Large Plates : Hoppums – Asparagus & water chest nut , Old Bombay brain scrable , Flat bread- Mushroom kovai style Desserts : Toffee Cheese cake Drinks : Gin & tonic – Varieties ➡️Ambience / Décor  - Intimate & Charming . A restaurant you can visit and be sure to hear your companions speak without the loud music and closely placed tables disturbing you So what if you cant fancy a expensive elite club membership , you can go to punkah house and experience the charm. Styled around an English club with wooden flooring, stained glass, latticed windows, eye-catching artefacts such as wall-mounted retro telephone, grandfather clock, full-length antique dressing mirror, hat stand, Ming vases and more . second floor you will be greeted with a covered, open terrace with rattan furniture and greenery . This is a perfect spot to soak in the city’s weather. ➡️Food : Names of the food & drinks , ingredients and even the dishes remind one and give glimses of the time when indian was trying to build its independent identity and drawns  from India , Ceylon & Burma  who share a history from that era . The menu is a mix of indian traditions and its british raj influences . Most of all everything we tried was extremely delicious and presented beautifully . Overall : Welcome change from the overly done  micro breweres in Bangalore . A must visit

Soumya Gopi

6 years ago

5.0

If you are looking for a sophisticated gastronomic spot in Indiranagar with colonial vibes then head to Punkah House in 12th Main. Punkah House is now open for lunch and they celebrate the good old times where India-Burma-Ceylon had many things in common when it comes to a gastronomical affair. The food and bar menu has a wide range of options available with interesting names which will take you back to a different era. What I liked most -  *Drinks * Pegu Imperial - The Victorian-style Burmese Club essential which had Gin, raspberry and lemon; a perfect drink for my liking. Bengal Sour - Another favorite from the curated cocktails menu which had Tequila, triple sec, homemade raw mango shrub. Brigadier - From the ‘Barrel-aged cocktails’ menu, this drink was presented in a classy way. The concoction made of Bourbon, absinthe, coffee and orange bitters and angostura bitters was pure bliss. *Food* The food here is simply fabulous. Each dish had distinct flavors and textures. If you are confused about the food menu, then ask suggestions from the sauve Chef Akshay. I enjoyed the Foxnut Jhalmoori, Rustic Chicken dumplings which comes with a chilli-pepper broth, Not-so-Wasabi lollipops, Jamun Ceviche, Sweet Potato Chops, Chorizo Vada and mushroom crumble. These classic dishes are something you must try when you visit Punkah House. From the main course menu, I loved their Pepper Beef fry hoppums and Yangon noodles (Chicken). Being a Mallu, I can vouch for the hoppums they serve - perfectly cooked and the right balance of flavors was experienced. After a heavy meal and long conversations with friends who are like family, we ended our lunch on a sweet note with their Toffee Cheesecake. This dessert will blow your mind. Overall I had a great time at Punkah House and would love to visit again. The vibes of this place are brilliant and it’s a perfect place to take your date or even for a formal meeting with your client.

Lopamudra Sarkar (thefatummy)

6 years ago

5.0

Well, it's not everyday that you have a wonderful experience when you dine out! Punkah house is definitely the place to be. With colonial vibes, rustic yet classy architecture, the community house feels and the great food that they offer, it is definitely one place now which tops the list for me. This place opened in June this year and it's just recently that they opened for lunch. I happened to visit them on a rainy Sunday and had a great time treating myself to some amazing food fare. Foxnut Jhalmuri and Karachi spiced lotus root are my picks amongst the quarter plates. These served as a perfect accompaniment with the cocktails we ordered in. They have some brilliant Gin based concoctions to offer, their take on Gin and Tonic is a must try! In the small plates, we tried a variety of stuff, the sweet potato chops and Mushroom crumble were my absolute favorites. The Rustic chicken dumplings in chilli pepper broth was their take on floating dimsums and we loved it! Moving to the main course, we kept the affair simple with hoppums, their take on the classic appam with various combinations of water chestnut and asparagus in the vegetarian segment and old Bombay brain scramble and pepper fry beef in the non vegetarian section. I loved the brain scramble, which tasted like mutton keema and was absolutely delicious. In the desserts, I had their Toffee cheesecake with bourbon Caramel, probably one of the best cheesecakes that I have had in recent times, a must try! We also happened to try their aged fruit cake which is their Christmas special which had Gingersnap ice cream and banana fosters, loved it! I am definitely heading back soon, such good food to try out! Cheers!

Vidya Lakshmi

6 years ago

5.0

Punkah house is a hidden gem in heart of the city. Ambiance decorated like old-fashioned gentleman's club...I enjoyed the creative twist to many classic dishes paired with cocktails. My favourite and must try dishes were Karachi spiced lotus root, shredded cafreal lamb, fish and chips, mushroom crumble, asparagus and water chestnut with appam, old fashioned Bombay brain scramble with appam and toffee cheesecake with bourbon caramel. Must thank Punkah house for hosting me at bloggers table. What I got to taste from the menu: *Quarter plates* Foxnut Jhalmoori. Tamarind chicken picalilli Karachi spiced Lotus root *Small plates* Sweet potato chops. Smoked chili aioli Mushroom crumble. Chili soil Yangon spiced paneer Rustic chicken dumplings. Chili pepper broth Fish and chips Shredded lamb. Cafreal spices *Flatbread* Mushroom kovai style. Tamarind cheese *Hoppums* Asparagus and water chestnut Old Bombay Brain scramble *Desserts* Toffee cheesecake. Bourbon caramel Christmas specials: aged fruit cake. Gingersnap Icecream. Banana fosters

+3

Anisha

6 years ago

5.0

I loved Punkah House. The ambience, food and drinks are all amazing. We ordered the roasted baby potatoes, sesame chicken and the edamame wraps - all really good. They have an exhaustive and curated cocktail list - probably the most exhaustive in Bangalore. I had a couple of their gin based cocktails, and their G&Ts which I loved. The coriander and pepper Ginto was my favourite! The service is excellent. The staff are warm, courteous, attentive and knowledgeable. One of my drinks had a little too much tobasco which made my lips burn - the staff immediately got some honey to relieve it. They also changed my drink and got me a new one - with their compliments. I am definitely going back to sample more of their food - didn't feel I ate enough!

Bhavyesh

6 years ago

5.0

It’s was worth the time and money. Visited with my office colleagues, place was clamming with classic jazzy interiors. Drinks were well made, food was the mind blowing part well cooked, complex flavours, appropriate portions.

Amit Agrawal

6 years ago

4.0

‘Punkah House’ the name reinforces the definition of the hand-held palmyra leaf ‘punkah’ with a slow, hypnotic motion delivering a calming effect making everything seem more gentle and genteel. The whole vibe takes you a step back in time and making you nostalgic. The two floors of the restaurant, located in an old bungalow a little away from the main road, have decidedly different vibes: the terrace works as a tropical oasis with soothing sound of water in the background while the first floor has the look and feel of a cosy British smoking room from the colonial era with its wood furniture and flooring, gramophone, old-timey telephone and grandfather clock. The music is kept at a low volume and consists of smooth jazz. The menu at Punkah House is laced with innovative cocktails infused with flowers, herbs and spices and the food is a rich amalgam of the old and the modern while paying a rich tribute to cuisines from the subcontinent’s culinary past - think colonial India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. Pre-independence era atmosphere, colonial décor, leather upholstery, wicker chairs, vintage knick-knacks, all make for this cosy restaurant in namma Bengaluru. 💁🏻‍♂️ We begin with an amuse bouche of sago vathal with a sauce. It is interesting and sets the tone. 💁🏻‍♂️ Karachi Spiced Lotus Root: Crisp Lotus root tossed and spiced to perfection served alongside multiseed crackers and sour cream. This one is definitely a must try because of its unique take on lotus root. 💁🏻‍♂️ Monastery Roast Potatoes: Marinated baby potatoes, cooked in tandoor sprinkled with chilli on top and served on berry cream. This was little bland for my palate, may be they could spice it up. 💁🏻‍♂️ Rustic Chicken Dumplings: The rustic chicken dumplings in chilli pepper broth flavoured with tamarind was their take on floating dim sums and we loved it. Soft, juicy and interesting. 💁🏻‍♂️ Wild Mushroom Dumplings: Dumplings stuffed with mushroom and caramelised onion served alongside chilli coconut cream. 💁🏻‍♂️ Hoppum with asparagus and water chestnut: It’s a take on God’s own appams that our neighbours across the Strait have enhanced to make it the street food of choice in Sri Lanka. It stands tall in its crisp edges, before revealing a soft underbelly into which a creamy concoction of asparagus and water chestnuts gently soaks. We can’t stop tearing and dipping. 💁🏻‍♂️ Roasted Aubergine Flatbread: The flatbreads, hot off the wood-fired oven topped with curry leaf pesto, onion jam and smoked cheese. This was a big let-down, the flavours and the taste were underwhelming. 💁🏻‍♂️ Spinach Ricotta spheres: Spinach ricotta balls served on a bed of spinach and cream gravy alongside boul/ rounded loaves. The quantity of gravy was quite less for the bread served alongside, although it tasted yum and was very comforting. 💁🏻‍♂️ Toffee cheesecake: Cheesecake with bourbon caramel and roasted walnut pralines, probably one of the best cheesecakes that I have had in recent times, a must try. 💁🏻‍♂️ Chocolate eton mess: Flourless chocolate bars with berry sorbet, chocolate ice cream and some nuts on top. A popular dessert at Punkah House, I wasn’t quite impressed. The sorbet wasn’t done very well and the chocolate bars were a bit too dry. 🍸 We ended out dinner with some hot green masala chai (Chilli Romance). I would suggest the management to go for tea leaves instead of tea bags. 🍸For drinks, we tried their mint mojito iced coffee and the other mocktail was pineapple based. They were quite good. The service staff are extremely polite and attentive to minor details to create a great dining experience for the diners. Although we were here on a Sunday evening, the restaurant was quite empty and the service was very quick. Bon Appétit.

Veena Joji

6 years ago

3.0

In spite of asking, did not inform the credit card offers they had. Felt cheated of being asked to pay more when they had an opportunity to extend a better deal.

Chethan Shriyan

6 years ago

1.0

Had a horrible experience in this place. The restaurant misled on the brunch menu. Ending up paying much more than the amount mentioned. Wouldn't recommend this place. When i escalated to the management they did even value my feedback. Never had a such a bad customer experience

Aayush Shroff

6 years ago

1.0

Food did not arrive for over 45 mins. I checked twice but did not get proper answers from the staff. They were not apologetic at all. Not visiting again