A creamy lump of burrata, gently damaged open, and soaked in fiery chilli oil and spiced honey, is piled atop a crispy crostini. With a drizzle of nut crumble and contemporary basil on high, each chunk explodes with flavours, textures, and tastes in my mouth. “The sweetness comes from the balsamic vinegar and the honey glaze. It’s like a classic caprese sandwich served on open toasties, staying true to the original preparation with fresh ingredients. There is no drama, just natural flavours. That’s our vibe,” says Kirthana Sendhilkumar, founding father of Bizou Cafe & Grill situated at Alagesan Road, Saibaba Colony. I’m lunching at her newly-opened restaurant and cafe that serves up every part European, from decor to meals.
Over a vivid drink that mixes contemporary orange juice, crushed rosemary and tonic water, Kirthana talks of her time in Switzerland where she accomplished her Masters on the Culinary Arts Academy. “I interned at hotels in Paris and also in the US before coming back to start Bizou. What you see here is a slice of my experience: European cuisine with an Indian twist, and having a good time,” says this younger entrepreneur who comes from a household that’s into the engineering business. “I did chemical engineering as my father runs an industry unit here and it made sense to take that path. Culinary field was never a career option until I realised my passion at a college event. I had to sell a product, and I promptly chose cupcakes. I built a brand around it and realised that my passion lies in food.”
Guatemala prawn grill
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Special Arrangement
Bizou’s menu, curated by Chennai-based M &N Consultancies, additionally consists of an unique cafe part that includes Mediterranean eggs and labneh platter to call just a few, apart from grills, pastas, sandwiches, and pizzas. “ I share my idea and they curate the menu after many rounds of trials. When I was abroad, every weekend I would try a new cuisine. Now, you can catch me restaurant hopping in Bengaluru often,” says the entrepreneur as I chunk into chicken karage, fried Japanese type chicken thighs marinated in equal elements of mirin and soy sauce. Once deep fried, it’s tossed with chilli powder or peri peri and served with Kewpie mayonnaise, a Japanese type dip made with egg yolks as a substitute of entire eggs. The bite-sized chicken items are crisp, juicy and surprisingly mild.
Kirthana picks Italian delicacies as her favorite, drawing on her work expertise at an Italian restaurant known as Princepessa whereas in the US. “The chef there also taught me about understanding cuisines from the traditions and culture point of view. We have to choose spices that suit our palate. We have tweaked a few dishes like Gochujang chicken with familiar flavours, as there is huge craze for Korean food. Some of our pastas are high on spices. Our pizzas are a combination of Middle East, Indian, and Mexican flavours.”
While I strive ravioli pasta, a easy house-made dish that has silky cheese and pistachio stuffed into ravioli, a brand new addition to the menu, Kirthana says she turned her household’s heritage constructing where her grandparents as soon as lived right into a 120-cover restaurant. “We retained the personality of each room. For example, one of the rooms has a higher ceiling while the outside area has a Parisian, bistro vibe to it. We have Mangalorean style roofing that filters in natural light.”
Chermoula chicken
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Special Arrangement
While the menu retains altering each 4 months with additions primarily based on seasonal greens and fruits, experiments with plating and presentation with micro greens, edible flowers to call just a few can be a relentless. “In one of the chicken dishes, we tweaked the sweet profile by replacing maple syrup with peri peri and it became fast moving. We have added seafood mezzaluna, crab and prawns mince stuffed pasta tossed in crustacean sauce. We have also added lamb burger which is much loved by our customers,” explains Kirthana.
The cafe is housed in a heritage constructing
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Special Arrangement
The desserts platter seems inviting with pink wine poached pear, tropical panna cotta and chocolate fondant. I maintain that for one more day and spherical off my meal with a comforting plate of grilled harissa marinated chicken drumsticks served with a aspect of herb rice and tossed greens.
Tropical panna cotta
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Special Arrangement
Bizou Cafe & Grill is situated at Alagesan Road, Saibaba Colony. A meal for 2 prices ₹2500 roughly. For reservation, name 8925905037
