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Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

YUMMY DELIGHTS Savour dishes flavoured with interesting sauces

With a chic, contemporary ambience, comfortable indoor and outdoor seating, the restaurant does have a lot to offer in its multi-cuisine repertoire that does a rather interesting combination of Indian, Chinese and continental selections. The USP of the restaurant, I am told, is good food with attitude, and the highlights on offer in the all-time favourites section (clearly the showpiece of the menu) do fit that description.

Take the grilled prawns, for instance. There are only so many ways you can grill prawns. But Soul’s prawns are refreshingly different; thanks to the lemon butter that Dan, who manages the place, says has a special secret ingredient that gives it a lot more punch. Or try the half-roast Moroccan chicken, a full-bodied, smooth finisher thanks to the rich chicken pate that goes into the sauce. In the same league are the rosemary chicken and the barbecue chicken, both of which throw up a few tastes that you’re never quite expecting them to.

One thing that must be said about many of the highlights in this menu is that the restaurant’s never shy of slathering its dishes with some rather flavourful sauces. The grilled lamb chops, for example, benefit from this treatment acquiring a juicier, tenderer texture than chops done elsewhere with a more restrained dose of sauce. So too does the pasta carbonara, which Dan proudly informs me is treated with enough sauce that sometimes it’s tough to tell what kind of pasta’s gone into it. At first glance, this might seem like too much sauce, but with the carbonara, the generosity really does give it the feel of comfort food.

For those feeling irreverent, Soul also does an interesting spaghetti korma, which comes in vegetarian and non-vegetarian versions and doles out quite the ethnic spice mix. It takes a while to get used to the mix of tastes, but eventually it works rather well. Or you could try the lamb curry with rice, for a more familiar flavour range.

For people looking for variety and willing to pay a little extra for it, the ultimate experience is the Soul Blast, which has both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. Here, a giant platter is loaded up with a variety of meats/veggies, each done in a separate sauce. What makes the experience worth its price is not only the range of meats/veggies, but also the choice of sauces, which in some cases work primarily because of their unexpected usage.

Among the Indian and Chinese sections, the choices are familiar, but not boring, such as the mutton rogan josh, the murgh kalimirch, the dahi macchi, the palak mushroom/paneer, the diced chicken red chilli and the chilli mushroom. Soul also has a small but good selection of soups and salads. At first glance, the menu might seem to suggest a paucity of vegetarian choices, a problem the restaurant should hopefully correct with a better menu design. However, do be patient and ask for vegetarian recommendations because when they come, they are often worth the effort.

The bistro’s selection of non-alcoholic coolers is rather nice, and the outdoor seating also offers the added attraction of sheeshas in an impressive variety of flavours. All in all, the restaurant has quite the variety of piquant tidbits, flavourful add-ons and hearty comfort food.

Soul Fashion Bistro and Restaurant is at #65, Bluemoon Complex, M.G. Road and can be contacted at 25589991/ 99020 33896.

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