Bisi Bengaluru: Steak it out with sizzle!
A good, wholesome steak and sizzler place never goes out of style. In fact, when the older lot want a good meal, the sizzler is their go-to… and a fortnight ago, our hunt for a place to eat on Mother’s Day led us back to an old favourite, The Grill House, in a brand new outlet.
The Grill House has slowly but surely captivated the city’s Continental soul with three outlets across the city. And on a rainy Sunday evening, the urgings for a sumptuous sizzler led us to the Grill House in Kalyan Nagar that opened a few months ago. It’s a neighbourhood stop for all things Continental, and sees a steady stream of meat lovin’ foodies.
That said, the space is fairly basic – airy and perched atop a building on the main food street of Kalyan Nagar down which one must trudge! The partners, Samson Sunderaj, Neil Peres and Jairaj are addressing the need for ordinary, tasty, wholesome steaks and sizzlers with some Conti thrown in for the regular oorean. They seem to have gotten the formula right. A terrace and an easy space, it’s the best option for a Continental meal this side of town. Chef Prakash, who was previously with two of the oldest eateries in the city, helms this space and lets the meat do the talking. And chef and partner Sunderaj oversees the finer details with his experience in hospitality.
We ordered the twice marinated beef sizzler and the vegetarian steak sizzler which came in steaming hot - just what the pelting rain outside required.
The wholesome nature of Grill House, where regular families flock for their taste of continental food in an affordable price range is its main selling point as it caters to the burgeoning middle class and meat lovers. The sizzler came in medium, with a huge portion of perfectly marinated beef that went wonderfully with the delectable pepper sauce, a portion of veggies that could have been crunchier, and lots of herbed rice.
It’s a huge meal for even a hearty eater… and you can order a mash instead of rice or fries if you like. That is what Indians love… a full plate, mostly, so it works. We actually saw a couple sharing a sizzler, which might be the way to go if you are watching calories.
The vegetarian steak on a sizzler was good, packed to the hilt, with a nice, well-mashed crunchy sweet corn and cottage cheese patty and a tangy béarnaise which might not have been the real tarragon and mustard deal, but a cheat one that was ok. It was also served with a portion of veggies and herbed rice. Again, a bit much for one person, but regular homely fare. The garlic bread was toasty, and we ordered an egg florentine, which the chef was accommodating enough to cook to our liking… it came in baked golden, we would have liked the spinach as is, instead of mashed, for a better bite, but it was creamy, tasty and runny. And again, it was a portion large enough for two.
What with the price, the serving size and taste, this place is drawing people in droves on weekends. It would be nicer if there was a lift to get to the top two floors, but it’s certainly a nice enough steak and sizzler haven, which the area also needed. The service staff is very hospitable and partner Samson stresses on the warmth in service, “We have over 10,000 regulars at all our Grill Houses across the city. The quality, quantity and hygiene plus the taste is what brings them here. Our price point is also very affordable. It has been our endeavour to give the customer a pleasant experience. The customer is most important.”
Meal for two: Rs 1,000
Call +91 8041239061
+91 7676554493
Must haves:Buffalo wings, twice marinated steak, eggs Florentine, Lava Cake and brownie
Grill House: 507, First floor, 4th cross, 2nd block, CMR road, Kalyan Nagar, Bengaluru.
We had ordered a plate of fries and soda initially, that got a bit lost in translation, but we can blame it on the downpour, when the lights went out for a bit. The terrace was caught in the spray until the blinds went down. The Mexican Hot Chicken, Beef and Miso and Brazilian Steak are favourites here according to Chef Prakash. Order the walnut brownie or the Lava Cake for a sweet bite, and have a quick meal here if you’re in this neck of the woods. Easy on the pocket, meaty and quite good.