Soda Bottle Opener Wala does not need any introduction. It is probably the best place in Bangalore for authentic Parsi and Irani cuisine. It also has various branches all over India.
K and I have long wanted to visit the place and the New Year Bhonu or Parsi Feast that they have going till Aug 24th seemed like a good option to try.
Location and Ambiance
Soda Bottle Openerwala is located in the upscale Lavelle Road. However, the restaurant by itself is simple and unpretentious. It has a very old world charm to it, with simple tables and booth-style. The decor is very appealing. I loved the lamps and the jukebox – very pretty.
The Drinks
The Navroz Bhonu thali has two options – a veg thali and a non-veg thali. Along with the thali, you get cocktails and sangria options. We really didn’t know what cocktail to choose, so we went with the waiter’s recommendations, which turned out to be really good.
We started off with a masala vodka and an alcoholic chaas (served in a typical soda bottle in the old style).
Confession, I had no idea about the significance of that soda bottle. Apparently, soda in the earlier days used to be served in such bottles, and users had to pop the bottle open.
We then tried the Greater than chai (gin-based utterly delicious cocktail) and a sangria.
All the drinks (except the Sangria) worked really well with the food that was served up to us. I’d recommend the cocktails very much as they are also desi in taste and complement the food well.
The Food
K tried the non-veg, and I tried the veg thali. Both the thalis were excellent.
Some really stand-out items:
- The veggie and cheese, and chicken pattice was excellent – crumbly and tasty.
- The Masala ni Dal was spicy yet very comforting, with a lot of dal. Heavy but delicious!
- The Tarela Bheeda was actually fried bhendi. Very tasty, but didn’t feel particularly Parsi or Iranian in style.
- The pulavs were the standout. The veg and non-veg pulavs were lovely. They were drizzled with a curry and when mixed up and eaten it was absolute heaven.
The thali in general is very filling, but if you need to pick and choose what you eat, I’d say go with the pulav, and the bhendi and roti. Supremely satisfying!
There was a plate of dessert following this.
Both desserts were good. The falooda was a little too liquidy by the time I finished it. But it was pretty light on the tummy and easy to finish. The malido was good too but heavy. By the time the desserts came, we were really stretching our appetites and couldn’t do enough justice to them.
Details
For Reservations call: 91 7022255299
Navroz Bhonu available till Aug 24
