Best bang smack in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Jayanagar is Ishta – a vegetarian restaurant where you can start your day trying something new or relax by enjoying the familiar comfort food of Punugulu, Pappu Avakaya Annam, Raago Sangati and others.
Brought to you by the people behind United Tegu Kitchen and Ironhill in Bengaluru, Ishta also doesn’t stray too far from the tried-and-tested dishes found in traditional Telugu homes. And there are some fusion surprises on the menu, too.
Ishta boasts of an amazing range of breakfast items that even the pickiest of eaters would find hard to fault. Idli, dosa, pesarattu, upma, uttapam and puri – all of them come with a variety of options. Only served at breakfast time, their five-foot masala dosa comes with eight chutneys and is served on a long platter. It appears with glee on your table and is a real gift especially for the children sitting at the table.
Idli Fry | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Similarly, their Rayalaseema Yerra Karam Dosa served with both podi and masala is only for those who can handle the spice. And for those who want to subject their palates to interesting flavors and textures, Chocolate Dosa, Ice Cream Dosa and Lay’s Dosa await. Breakfast items are served only from 7 am to 11 am and again from 6 pm to 10.30 pm.
We check out the starter which is an unusual mix of Telugu specials like Chintha Chiguru Veluli Paneer and Indo-Chinese favorites like Honey Chilli Crispy Potatoes. We try the Paneer Satay and Ishta Special Chilli Paneer. The satay was mildly hot and the flavor of the cheese matched well with the cheese, while the Ishta Special lived up to its name due to its spice.
Munakkya Karivepaku Soup | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
We also tried the Mushroom 65 and the Vegetarian Shanghai Roll; Both were good but not exceptional. Since Ishta doesn’t serve alcohol and the menu has a mix of tastes (North Indian and Jain dishes are also included), your meal may end up being a mismatch of tastes, unless you choose one dish and stick with it, as you won’t be following the main formula starting with drinks.
As suggested by the staff, we started our main course with Garlic Naan and Malai Kofta, but I would only recommend this if you fancy a taste of creamy sweetness midway through your meal. There’s nothing wrong with that – it just takes you off the southern spice route your taste buds were on until then.
Next, we savor the Panasapottu (Jackfruit) Biryani, which is as delicious as it is aromatic, with juicy chunks of well-cooked jackfruit. The South Indian thali also certainly did not disappoint, with myriad small bowls of hearty vegetarian food.
South Indian Thali Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Traditional Telugu sweets that are on the menu include Sheer Kurma (a version of kheer with dry fruits), Junnu (milk pudding in its second incarnation) and Nethi Puranam Boorelu; We choose the latter only because we never had it before. The recipe was an interesting one – pakodas made of mashed chana dal, jaggery, coconut and dry fruits are dipped in batter and fried until crisp, golden brown. Sadly, they came at the end of our meal otherwise I would have enjoyed a few more of these delicious globes.
When you visit Ishta, make sure you are not too hungry as it always seems packed despite having a capacity of 220.
