What began with yelps and a furry puppy became one of the enduring faces of hospitality in the Garden City since 1993. Seldom does one get a chance to see such a legacy unfold. A passion which took a life of its own, and now, 23 years later, the restaurant is a phenomenon quite contrary to what hospitality deems right. Sticking to classics, spooning out sinful desserts and delectable morsels, the talented, passionate and gourmet-spurting owners Arjun Sajnani and Vivek Ubhayakar have a joie de vivre about their culinary forays.
More than two decades later comes this latest stand-alone Sunny’s on Indiranagar’s 12th Main. The strong men of Sunny’s have been serving a flavourful trail to the happy-go-lucky Banglorean since 1993, in what could be considered a sleight of hand in a mercurial industry. This new Sunny’s is a labour of love you must visit.
From being the city’s first European fine-dining restaurant to one that has stood the test of time, Sajnani has kept at it, be it with his early morning jaunts to the market to source quality ingredients, or getting travels tips, or keeping to the classics with the penchant of a disciplinarian. He believes luck, a love for food and the loyal city foodie spurred his restaurant forward. “We named our restaurant after our precious divine Golden Retriever who changed my life forever. Not wanting to leave him for a minute, I decided to become a dessert chef with Renee’s help, and Sunny was the inspiration. Today with Indiranagar, we pay homage to him again!” says Vivek, on the rare occasion he chooses to speak. Their pet passed away years ago, but still lives on.
The new restaurant in a quaint bungalow was painstakingly transformed into a many-balconied haven. With a swirl of French inspiration, and wait for it, the same OLD menu from decades ago, there are many favourites here! A feat, especially since hospitality likes to follow a formula of change and refurbish. “Can you imagine that people are loving the same dishes they had over two decades ago?” asks Arjun, beaming, though abashed. Simplicity like the older one on Lavelle Road, with niches, two quaint balconies and a first floor under a sloping glass roof which overlooks the din below, and a handsome bar, there is also a small warm pet friendly courtyard.
The journey
Arjun’s previous stints at New York, learning on the job (as waiter, captain and bartender), and his immense passion for cooking has undoubtedly left its mark. The self-taught chef with no formal training looks back at his tryst with hospitality, “Even as a child in school in Delhi, during the cold winter evenings, I would do my homework in the kitchen, and help make phulkas, We had a big family, and lived in a very small government flat. Later, I would go marketing with mum and I always loved cooking. It was right after college. I was to become a teacher. But something struck, and I decided to go to New York. In the US, in Tennessee, there was no Indian food back then (in 1964-65), so I asked my mother for some recipes which I cooked, and people loved it. I had a special spaghetti bolognaise which I developed with my professor’s wife. I worked as a waiter in New York, did a bit of acting and directing too. Uncannily, we got into the restaurant business because we needed the money to live! When Vivek and I ca
me back, we were broke as recession had hit. Life took its turns, and we started to cater which was fun, but no paisa! We decided to start Sunny’s just to stay afloat. Also, we had never found the food we had in New York food anywhere in Bangalore. Our first Sunny’s was a small two floored space. We grew from there. Later, we partnered with Embassy’s Jitu Virwani, and opened a bigger one at Vittal Mallya where we learnt so much.”
With a few stops and starts, finally, they opened their present one at Lavelle Road in a beautiful colonial bungalow which Sajnani says was manna from heaven. Now, Indiranagar gets its burst of flavour with their new space that also has a delicatessen with breads, cheese, meats, and Vivek’s famed desserts and cakes. They have partnered with a doctor couple from Whitefield for this new place, and Arjun is smiling from ear to ear, “My journey is totally intertwined in hospitality, I love it,” and the taste and the place speaks the same language.
We started with a simple Tempura Lotus Stem, which was crunchy dipped into wasabi soy. The next was the arugula blue cheese apple and pomegranate salad. Delicious. Fresh leaves, and a dressing with tang and sweet which complemented the blue cheese and apple perfectly. With it we chomped on the customary bread and herbed butter that all Sunny’s faithfuls love... crusty, just out of the oven! The Seer Fish Anna came doused in white sauce, sundried tomatoes with flaky fish, and veggies. It was a bit salty, delicious nonetheless.
For mains, it was a Chicken Saltimbocca with proscuito and goat cheese - spectacular. A glaze of proscuito cloaked the juicy breast, stuffed with goat cheese, it came plated with farfelle in a sweet sauce on a bed of spinach and crunchy veggies. Succulent with a volley of flavours. Among the best chicken dish we’ve had, we wondered why we always stick to regulars, as do the other loyal clientele, Thus, the unchanged menu. Though Vivek is busy rustling up a new set of starters with quinoa, mushroom and pakodas.
For Arjun, Sunny’s has been his ode to French cuisine, and Vivek’s ode to scrumptious desserts. “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” smiles Arjun, as he recalls working as a captain at Maxwell’s Plum with Warner LeRoy in New York, which was known for the best burgers and steaks and brought in Mark Peel and Alice Waters to change its essence, “It flopped. So, we thought it best to keep our menu. Our consistency and passion is what makes us relevant after 23 years. Infact, for the first nine years of Sunny’s, I was the chef. As I was not trained, I relied a lot on recipes,” says the classicist who loves the French approach to cooking. “Cooking and hospitality still excites me even today,” admits Sajnani.
Vivek has lent his expertise with a robust array of desserts after training with Renee Senne. Their legacy lives on in this new Sunny’s where we had the famed New York cheese cake, devouring it’s creamy, almond slivered bites with gusto. A hands-on approach to ingredients and raw materials is something Sajnani feels is what has helped them carry on. “We can’t disappoint anybody and we don’t want to change our food which is very true to what we wanted to do with the first Sunny’s” says Arjun. For us though, it’s a toss-up between what to order, the next time we are there, the steak with gorgonzola, the medallions or just walnut arugula salad?
(Suruchi Kapur-Gomes takes the road less travelled, in search of the ultimate foodie high in namma city)
Sunny’s, 956, 12th Main, HAL Second Stage, Indiranagar
Meal for two: Rs 1,800
Call: 080 43775912
Must-haves: Seer Fish Anna, Chicken Saltimbocca with procuito and goat cheese, New York Cheese Cake, Steak, Pork Chops, Medallions, Spaghetti Bolognaise
