Top 5 Casual Dining Restaurants for Asian Cuisines

Whenever my friends talk about Asian cuisines, the dish that comes to my mind is chow mein, and up to some extent Momo. Apart from these two, I was not aware of any other Asian dishes. Also one of my friends corrected me. In my limited information, I used to think Momo to be an Asian cuisine which is not true. Momo is a dish that traces its origins in Tibet and was later adopted in Nepal, Bhutan, and Darjeeling in West Bengal, India. However, there are similar dishes with different names in countries like China, Japan, Mongolia and Korea. Since the discussion was going on about Asian Cuisines my self-proclaimed food enthusiast and traveller friend Manoj interjected. “I travelled to Seoul last year and tried the ‘Mandu’, which is similar to the Momo that we get in Bangalore”. I must accept the fact that he is knowledgeable and when it comes to food, he becomes the Arnab Goswami and forces the nation to know things that he does about food. Thus he tells about the best food joints in Bangalore where he had already been to. As a favour, I got the privilege to visit some of the best restaurants in a couple of days to explore the Asian cuisines without travelling the world.

 #1.Singkong, Lavelle Road

Singkong located at 4^th floor, Comet Block, UB City is a great place known for its pan-Asian delicacies. They serve Thai, Indonesian, and Chinese cuisines. The ambience of this place is pretty awesome and so is the service. They also have an arrangement for outdoor seating. Since we were there to try the different varieties of Asian cuisines, Manoj ordered Wasabi Prawn along with Sangria for the starter. The Wasabi Prawn comes with a strong wasabi, topped with mayo and sweet and spicy mango salsa. I had no idea what is going on inside the eatery. The smell of the appetisers had already numbed my mind and I was vacillating with the choices of food. I was unable to choose what to eat. The waiter who served our table was a polite and friendly guy. He suggested me to try the steamed open bun that comes with pickled cucumber, hoisin sauce and spring onion. There were different choices of meat fillings for the steamed open buns.

I chose the Pan Roast Black pepper chicken, but alternatively you can choose from Honey Hunan roasted pork, stir fried sesame beef, and textured soy wheat black pepper. The overall experience was great and before leaving the manager asked us to visit gain which I will definitely do to try different cuisines. Apart from the steamed buns, you can also try dim sums, for which they have a wide variety. Chilli Beef with red onion that is tenderloin and a wide range of seafood like Wok tossed king prawns and much more.

#2.Tim Tai, 5^th Block Koramangala

Located at 1^st Cross, 5^th block of Koramangala this place is an authentic Thai and Asian casual dining restaurant. The ambience of this place is bright and the colour contrast of the whole place is awesome. The menu of this place is so populated and all the names were so unheard to me, I totally depended on the waiter for a suggestion. I asked him to suggest some Thai dish. He listened to me patiently and showed me few dishes on the menu.

Finally, I settled for Thai style Khao Pad, which is basically Thai-styled fried rice with onion and tomatoes. To complement with the rice I ordered Padang fish curry. I must say the service of this place is what I liked the most. I will also visit the place once again to try more dishes from their menu. If you are a first time visitor to Tim Tai you can try Banana Leaf Wrapped Fish with Balinese Spices, Quick Fried Mix Vegetables with Ginger Wine Sauce, Thai Massaman Curry, Corn and Spinach Gau Dimsums, and Tom Yum Soup.

#3.Mamagoto, Indiranagar

I had heard about this place from many foodies who speak largely about this place. This place is known for Asian, Thai and Chinese cuisines. Located at 100 feet Main Road, Indiranagar this place is easy to spot. The ambience of this place looks Asian. There are paintings and posters on the wall that gives you the feel of any outlet as shown in Chinese movies. Coming to the service of this place, it is pretty efficient. The staffs are courteous and friendly. If you have a problem choosing the cuisines, just ask for their suggestion and they will not disappoint you.  Apart from the awesome food they also serve alcohol. So be assured this place is great for treats and parties with friends. Now let’s talk about the food at this place. Inspired by the street food in different Asian countries and blend of innovation by the chefs the food at this place is awesome. One such dish that I tried was Bibimbap, that is a Korean dish. Basically, it is Sesame Rice tossed with vegetables and Korean seasoning. Chicken and Veg, both the options are available. My friend Manoj who accompanied me there was on diet and so he chose a healthy alternative.  He ordered steamed Traditional Peking Dumplings. It is basically steamed vegetables dumplings dipped in Soy and Red Chillies. Apart from the dishes that we tried you can also give chance to Pad Thai, Prawn Tempura, Dim Sum, Sweet Corn Soup, Khao Suey, and Honey Chicken.

#4.Nasi and Mee, 4^th Block Koramangala

Nasi and Mee is a restaurant located at Koramangala that serve a diverse variety of Asian cuisines. You can find Malaysian, Thai, Chinese and Singaporean cuisines. The ambience is cosy and the décor gives the place a classy look. The staffs of Nasi and Mee are courteous, friendly and your dining experience at this place will be good. My friend ordered Sambal fried rice that is basically a Malaysian cuisine with fresh chilli, bell pepper and Sambal. Along with that, he ordered Thai red curry. The main ingredients of Thai red curry are vegetables, lemongrass, ginger and herbs. If you are in the mood of eating a super spicy curry then this dish is strongly recommended to you.

I ordered Jasmine rice with Rendang. The jasmine rice is steamed rice with a mild flavour of Jasmine and it tasted awesome. Rendang is again a Malaysian dish that is slow cooked in flame with coconut milk and spices. The combination of the gentle rice and the spicy Rendang was a great combo. Apart from these dishes, you can also try Nasi Goreng, Soupy Dim Sum, Prawn Dumplings, Pad Thai, Prawn Momos, Clear Soup, and Massaman Curry.

#5.The Fatty Bao-Asian Gastro Bar, Indiranagar

This place located at 12^th Main, 80 feet main road, Indiranagar is a lounge and only 18+ is allowed at the outlet. So if you are planning to take your kids to this place then I am afraid you might have to be disappointed. Apart from Asian dishes, this place is a lounge with awesome nightlife. However, Manoj and I visited this place in the afternoon. It was a lazy afternoon with very few guests at the restaurant. If you happen to be at their outlet in the evening then I would suggest you sit on the rooftop. The ambience of this place is pretty funky. There are images of Pandas that gives you the feeling of a Chinese restaurant. The service was pretty fast. Also when we visited the place it was less crowded but Manoj said that irrespective of the crowd their service is pretty fast. The ambience is also appropriate for a romantic dinner. So if you are planning to take your better half to this place it won’t be a bad idea. Char Siu Bao that they serve here is something that I had heard of a lot. So I decided to try that out. Basically, it is a Cantonese dish with barbequed pork filled in steamed buns. Apart from Char Siu Bao, you can also try Sushi, Pork Ribs, Stuffed Mushroom, Thai Chicken Salad, Mushroom Ramen, Veg Bao, and Mushroom Dim Sum.