The Chug – Garage Bar
Bangalore has been seeing an upward-trend in the number of restaurants, cafes and resto-pubs in recent times. In some cases, it has been the already-popular names expanding their influence in upcoming neighbourhoods. On the other hand, we have also seen new names making their mark, at times, even challenging the already established ones. Not long ago, I was invited to the launch party of this new bar (in fact the only one) at Nagawara Junction- not far from Manyata Tech Park.
As aspiring food and beverage entrepreneurs rack their heads to find new and interesting themes to dazzle customers, these guys found something different- something like never before. The Chug – Garage Bar is the only bar (as of now) in Bangalore based on the theme that embodies the most admired machine in this country- the Royal Enfield. The ambience gives you an impression that you just walked into a Royal Enfield garage but at the same time, the classic rock playing in the background makes you feel that your elsewhere. The interior decor is simple but I would recommend that they minimise the size of the bar stools and chairs as they occupy a lot of room and makes one feel cramped for space.
For a bar, the array of starters and entrée dishes served were impressive to say the least. The Chicken Quesadillas were delicious, the filling was thorough and the ingredients- fresh. The Madras Curry Risotto and the Curry Noodles were beautiful representations of fusion cuisine. The tender chicken morsels with a hit of madras curry was definitely something out-of-the-ordinary and so was the Curry noodles which is a blend of Indian spices and Chinese preparation. Personally, my favourite (which is biased) was the Bangers & Mash- this is a traditional dish made from sausages, mashed potato and is said to have originated from the British Isles. The taste catalyst for this dish is the lip smacking red wine gravy on which the layer of mash and sausages are plated. There were more interesting dishes on the menu which I would have loved to try but decided to keep for another visit and instead tried their desserts.
Among the dessert served, my favourites were the Apple Cinnamon Pie and the Checked Cake. The latter was not only visually appealing but really toothsome. The love for Apple Cinnamon Pie was not surprising as my affinity towards Cinnamon knows no bounds. We were also served a portion of Deconstructed Tiramisu, Chocolate Truffle cake and Snicker Bar- all good but I had a bite and decided to order another portion of the Apple Cinnamon Pie (:-p). The initial rounds of Dark Rum and Coke (with a tinge of lime) seemed to have sensitised my taste buds and sent me on a sweet-craving; which is unnatural of me. So, what is my overall take on Chug..? First off, employees slogging at Manyata Tech Park- looks like you guys have a chill resto-bar to call in an early weekend on Fridays. All the more, Chug happens to be the only resto-bar for quite a distance and considering that they have a full bar and some lovely dishes on the menu- I would surely pop in if I were around Nagawara on a weekend.
