Kangaroo Bar and Kitchen
Kangaroo Bar and Kitchen, located in the heart of the Central Business District of Bangalore at Wood Street is the first Australian Bar and Kitchen in the city. What would one expect when Aussieland comes to our mind? Well leave alone Cricket, it’s the green pastures, the colourful landscapes and its people, friendly and loud folks never missing an opportunity to have a good time and their national animal, the Kangaroo! No wonder that is the mascot of this themed restaurant and features liberally across its tableware and kitchenware. The restaurant and its vibrant and cheerful atmosphere breathe new life and enthusiasm in an otherwise mundane locality.
The bar and kitchen is spread across 2 floors-the 4th and the rooftop on the 5th floor. The 4th floor is a restaurant setup with a central oval bar illuminated with bright lights and psychedelic colours reflecting the cheerful nature of the aussies in general. The bright lampshades and canopies bear resemblance to a hippychic bar from the70s yet very contemporary in its appeal. We were lucky enough to be called in for the exclusive tasting of their signature favourites.
We started or culinary journey with the quintessential Mai Tai and an uber strong Pina Colada. We started our appetisers with the Pepper Chicken and followed up with the delectable Cheese Poppers. The latter had a dash of jalapenos inside which made them even more irresistible. I think I must have had about four of these poppers without thinking twice. It goes very well with a Smokey Barbeque sauce but I did not ask for it though. The star of the evening among the appetisers was the Bhatti Ke Murgh which is chicken leg pieces marinated in a coriander infused spicy Indian sauce. The dish was cooked to perfection in tandoor and melted in our mouth. The taste of the coriander along with fenugreek and asafoetida made us craving for more. I was happy with the Hoisin Duck Roll than followed next. A simple yet elegant preparation which is rare to find in restaurants across Bangalore. Only the crème de la crème carry Duck in their menu. The Chicken Wings in Barbeque sauce served next were cooked well and were perfectly blended with the sauce and its accompanying condiments.
We had another round of drinks before moving on to the Main Course. The opener was an Emperor of a dish-Pork Belly in Smokey Barbeque Sauce. Now let me tell you, this is not a simple dish to make as Pork Belly itself is a difficult cut to seek. The next challenge is to tenderise it to the right proportion so that the meat is neither hard nor dry and chewy. Kangaroo Kitchen has been able to serve me a Pork Belly which left me no room to complain. Perfect and adequate! What more can a man ask for when his food is at par expectation? The Vegetable Lasagne was wholesome and bore generous portions of broccoli and peas, a combination that uplifts my mood. The Seafood Fettuccine even though at first glance might look like Angel Hair Pasta, was cooked well and lived up to its quality. Desserts are presently unavailable, but we were served two shots of the bartender’s special cocktail comprising of Rum, Malibu, Passion fruit and Water melon extracts which served as excellent aperitifs. The hospitality of the staff was excellent. Chef Susheel came and introduced himself and we provided our feedback from time to time. The Manager Sandeep Shetty and his staff were very helpful and prompt with any clarifications we had. The owner of the place, Vicky personally introduced himself and we were able to get more inputs from him about their future endeavours. Looking forward to more such good evenings of classic and delicious cuisine.
The individual Ratings are as follows (1-5):
Cheese Poppers: 4.0
Chicken Wings: 3.5
Pepper Chicken: 3.0
Duck Rolls: 3.75
Bhatti Ke Murgh: 4.25
Seafood Fettuccine: 3.75
Veg Lasagne: 3.5
Pork Belly: 4.75
Overall Rating: 4.0
