Mar 07, 2014 09:07 PM
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There are many cafes which have opened up in the past few years in Bangalore. Similarly, there are many restaurants which serve good Burgers, Pastas, Sandwiches and Steaks. But for me, Ice and Spice remains the best you can get in Bangalore.
Are their burgers and pastas the best in terms of taste. No, definitely not. But like a lot of customers, I place a lot of importance on Value for Money. Would I be satisfied with a Rs. 1, 000 burger. Probably. But I would definitely be much more satisfied if I got a burger which tasted 90 per cent as good for 1/10th the price.
And that is what Ice and Spice provides. Value. Lots of it.
My earliest memories of Ice and Spice come from ten years ago. Being a college student, money was always a concern, and the birthday treat was looked upon with both happiness and dread. So where to go then? I did not want to blow money on an expensive restaurant, nor could I afford to look cheap. Then a friend recommended Ice and Spice on St.Marks Road, and the love story has continued ever since.
Ice and Spice have only three outlets in Bangalore; at Kormanagala(Near Forum), on St.Marks Road(opposite SBI Head Office) and at Sanjay Nagar(close to M.S.Ramaiah Hospital).
In terms of decor, do not expect too much. One feature of all Ice and Spice outlets is the lack of space. Around half the tables are placed outside, with the remaining indoors. There are only around 8 - 10 tables on average, and they fill up very quickly, especially on weekends.
The atmosphere is casual, with a lot of the crowd being college going youngsters and young working professionals, all looking for a good value meal.
Regarding the choice of food that you get, well, it spans a vast array of both vegetarian and non-veg dishes, though you can clearly see than the Non-Veg is the star of the show, as it occupies over 80 percent of the menu. Of course, that does not mean that the veg items are bad. Far from it.
There are too many items on the menu to get through, so I shall cover the most popular sections, and the dishes that I personally love.
Section 1 - Burgers(come in sizes Regular, Double, XL and XXL) Price - Rs. 95 to 270
Lamb Burger - very well cooked, with a juicy patty
Tons of Fun Burger - Lamb or Chicken with Salami, Cheese and Egg - Sinful, in a good way
Cheese burst Lamb Burger - Lamb with a cheese filling - Yes Please!
All American Veg Cheese Burger - Veg Patty plus Cheese patty= Heaven
My recommendation; even the Regular burger is quite filling, and the XXL is gargantuan, so eat that only if you have starved yourself for a week
Section 2 - Steaks - Rs. 190 - 300
California Chicken Steak - Smooth and Creamy
Classic Chicken Steak - Cannot go wrong
Chicken Stroganoff - More tailored for palates who like rice, excellent gravy
Fish & Chips - Sheer indulgence. Perfect sports game food
Section 3 - Pastas - Rs. 140 - 220
Honestly, all of them are excellent. You do get a choice of different Penne and Spaghetti for the different sauces. They are served with two pieces of garlic bread and make for a meal in themselves.
Section 4 - Sandwiches and Submarines - Rs. 80 - 180
Chicken Salami - Nice and light enough for a meal on the go
Non Veg Club(w/ Cheese and Egg) - Sheer indulgence
Hot Dog - Very well made, with a lovely barbecue sauce.
Honestly, I can go on and on about each item, but words would not do them justice. I think the reason why they are so popular, along with the good value, is large portions, and the taste which is familiar. It does not try to make the food too avant-garde, but a taste which most people would enjoy.
Of course, not everything is perfect. And in this case, what lets the side down is the service. It is as bad as the food is good. Honestly, even though they have only ten tables to serve, it is quite diffucult to get a waiters attention. By now I am a regular, so I know the drill of having to go to the cash counter to get someone to come over and take the order, but the plain fact of the matter is, the service is slow, really slow. If you are hungry and want a bite to eat, you will get irritated waiting for your food to come.
I will be realistic. I will not defend the shoddy service by saying, the food makes up for it. The food is excellent, no doubt, but the service has been the same for the past 5 years, no matter which outlet I go to. The huge crowds also mean you will most likely have to wait for a table during lunch or dinner times. Luckily, the place is open from 11 AM to 11 PM.
Conclusion: If ratings were to be given only on food, Ice and Spice would easily earn a 6 stars out of five, but the service is what tryly prevents it from attaining greatness. Still, if you want good value, good portion sized Burgers, Pastas and Steaks in Bangalore, this is the place to go.
