Step Back in Time: The Vintage Magic of Punkah House

Indra Nagar, 12th Main Road, has yet another cool new joint. Punkah House opened there recently, and I checked out their offerings.

Punkah House Ambiance

Punkah House is very different from the other run-of-the-mill places in Indra Nagar. When I stepped in, I felt I was transported to a whole other era – colonial times when pucca sahibs used to end their long days with a drink and dinner at the club.

The interiors are all colonial style, with vintage cane chairs, plush leather couches, beautiful Chinese vases, and other vintage knick-knacks. Lots of dark wood paneling and everything is made to look like a Gentleman’s club from the 1800s.

The interiors encourage you to lounge and take it slow. And that’s what we did. We took ownership of a comfy window-side sofa and just caught up with each other late into the night.

Drinks

Their drinks also are an ode to a time long gone. Cocktails such as The Rangoon Connection pay tribute to Indians who migrated to/from Rangoon. Bengal Sour harks back to the partition of Bengal by the British.

One highlight is their variety of gins.

They also have the most incredible barrel-aged cocktails. I tried The Brigadier, a combination of Bourbon, absinthe, coffee and orange bitters, and Angostura bitters. If you’re in the mood for a strong, manly concoction, this is the one I would recommend.

Btw, all their drinks are pleasantly strong. No watering down of the drinks here!

Food

Punkah House’s food menu draws on the rich gourmet traditions of India, Ceylon and Burma, three nations united by a shared history. 

I tried various food from their incredibly diverse menu, and here are some highlights I’d like to share.

Awesome Dawsome #1: Asparagus Foogath

Bread might seem a very unglamorous food to highlight, but the best kind of bread creates a certain joy and contentment (all that serotonin!) that no other kind of food can bestow, in my humble opinion.

And the bread in Punkah House was the tops! Their wood-fired flatbreads are baked with sourdough using starters that are made in-house.

Just amazingly fresh and tasty!

Awesome Dawsome #2: Pulled jackfruit  with Mangalore Buns 

Jackfruit isn’t something I enjoy normally. Eaten raw as a fruit, I am not fond of its pungent smell, its overly sweet taste, and its meaty texture. Hence, this isn’t a dish I would normally order for myself.

But it was around on the table, and I tried a spoonful with the Mangalore buns and ended up loving it! I pretty much finished this dish all by myself. It’s that good!

A must-try if you like jackfruit.

Awesome Dawsome #3: Decadent desserts

Punkah House has a small but interesting dessert menu ranging from regular desserts to dessert wines/cocktails and even dessert teas and coffees.

We were super intrigued by the dessert wine offerings, but since we all had to drive back home soon, it didn’t seem a responsible decision. Instead, we stuck to their regular desserts.

The pineapple sorbet was not on the menu, but the chef got it out for us to try, and this was absolutely smashing. Just the perfect blend of flavors and textures. Highly recommend!

In theory, I should have loved the Kapimisu brioche. And actually, I did like it. I think the coffee taste clashed with the lingering pineapple taste in my mouth. But yeah, this didn’t quite rock my sweet tooth.

The chocolate Eton mess was the perfect ending to our meal. I absolutely loved the combination of the flourless dark chocolate dessert with the raspberry sorbet.

Very sophisticated flavor, and one I will be ordering the next time I visit.

Overall thoughts on Punkah House

Love! Love! Love! This is one of those joints that have got it absolutely note-perfect. It’s the perfect place for a sophisticated sun-downer with friends.

Details

Address: 
First & Second Floor,
2989/B, 12th Main Rd,
HAL 2nd Stage,
Indiranagar, Bengaluru,
Karnataka 560008

Phone: 080 4147 1005

Cost: Meal for two – Rs. 2500/-