Cooking, eating out, food travelling
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Reviews
When I think of Kerala food, I think of appams and stew. Seasonal vegetables simmered in a spiced coconut milk based sauce, eaten with thin lacy pancakes made of fermented rice flour. Now imagine eating traditional Keralan food in a quiet restaurant decorated in the traditional way, served by staff in traditional attire. If you can’t be in Kerala, be in Vembanad, Bangalore.
CTR Bangalore is synonymous with benne masala dosa, or butter masala dosa. If you haven't been to Bangalore or Bengaluru as it's now called, you're probably wondering what all the fuss around a masala dosa is, given every second food joint in the city serves these. You're not alone. I first heard of CTR on Instagram, when a friend shared a happy picture from his trip to Bangalore. It instantly found its way onto my wish list for my trip, and on my third day in the city, my parents, husband and I set out on the long drive from Yelahanka to Malleswaram, to sample the famous dosa at CTR Bangalore.
Smack in the heart of Shepherd's Bush Market, opposite the Shepherd's Bush Market tube station, there is a no-frills little restaurant with a few tables and chairs scattered around, and this unassuming place makes stupendous falafel wraps. Mr Falafel, in my opinion, is London's most underrated, understated, most delicious falafel joint.
Potli was recommended to us by a friend who runs her own restaurant in London and who couldn't speak highly enough of it, so we decided to catch up for dinner with our partners. That was our first visit (a couple of years ago) and we've been back twice since. That says a lot, since I don't usually like revisiting restaurants given there are so many to try out in London and new ones sprouting everyday!
I'll be honest. Banana Tree was not the plan for Friday night. Pizza Pilgrims was. However, I was starving and there was an hour's wait with the Pilgrims (shame, because I was really looking forward to that pizza!), and so I put my name down on the wait list and then wandered down Dean Street to explore other options. Lines everywhere. Then down Wardour Street...more lines. Finally when I could bear this uncertainty of not knowing whether dinner was going to happen at all that night, no more, I saw a large sign for Banana Tree on the other side of the road, and decided to go stand in the queue, however long it may be. Turned out the place was packed, but there were only three other people in line before me, who got seated very rapidly, and in 5 minutes I found myself inside too! At the far end, in a corner, but hurrah! I was going to eat dinner after all.
