Nāvu Kitchen — Restaurant in Bengaluru

“NĀVU” They stand true to their name cuz given the industry they are in, the entire show here is about them and them only. Me moi myself.

As a disclaimer : given your short fused responses to other reviews, I’m not reviewing your chef’s life - I’m only reviewing the food made by them.

I went here on a dinner date and the two stars is only for my partner’s presence + the 3 to 4 sardines in our Pissaladière. The sardines were very nicely cured which is quite tricky since they have a very flaky meat so I’ll give that to them. The flatbread it was served on was also good. We then ordered Hasselback Potato with Chimichurri which was borderline average. Got a glass of a Mulberry drink - very passable. Then came the Walnut Gnocchi - now here is where I’m going to go ahead and call this dish a tragedy. When you place a dish in the “to share” section of your menu and price it at 700 bucks when the dish predominantly rides on potatoes costing some 50bucks a kilo, we don’t expect 8 mere small pieces of Gnocchi in our bowl! That’s insane. Are we eating real food or sharing Cadbury Gems? We barely got to taste walnuts. To top that off, the Gnocchi was hella salty and I understand that came from the Garum which by nature is extremely salty but the combination just didn’t work for us. Service or interaction I won’t mention cuz it didn’t exist.

The menu sure sounds interesting but that’s about it. When they announced their re-branding, I was quite stoked cuz it’s always so good to see folks doing something original and innovative. I’ve worked in the same industry and as much as I understand what it takes to run an establishment, FOOD.IS.SUBJECTIVE. Feedback should be taken with a pinch of salt but with the condescending tone used by the team in response, there seems to be an air about themselves. Are people that go to KFC or McDonald’s not human enough for you all? I love me a good burger and fries cuz it is what it is. It’s not wrapping itself in some aspiring-to-be-French-but-in-a-Domlur-neighbourhood gift wrapping paper. If I’m paying 200bucks for my fries, I get fries made of potatoes and not imagination. And before your team comes at me, if I’m choosing to visit you, know that I know what I’m getting myself into. Most people do. We’ve all dined at an Osip and a Barrafina, and we’ve also dined at a Nagarjuna and a Haldiram’s. India is seeing a new wave of restaurants and given your geography, you will not magically get people who will always enjoy cured meat or potatoes swimming in salt. There are people of all kinds and they may or may not like it and that’s okay. If you are so touchy about criticism, maybe start screening your reservations.

Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves and start patronising the people that helped put you on the map in the first place now, shall we? Having and making a meal should be fun, not stressful.

Being so enchanted with your own vision may leave...

My wife had been following this restaurant for quite some time and with all the hype online, we decided to travel across town to try this place out.

Good:

The dessert (Mulberry Pie) was delicious. Small plates (Cauliflower Creme Brulee and Sunchokes) were decent at best.

Bad:

The location and ambience just does not justify the prices of the dishes. The rates are comparable with the likes of Lupa and Bastian, however, one will find it difficult to even locate the restaurant. There is a small board with the name of the restaurant in tiny letter in a building that is more likely to be an abandoned post office. The handwash/bathroom is wedged in a tiny box-sized space. Tables are virtually joined in a manner that one just can not have any kind of conversation without the people on the other table becoming a party to it. One would think that with the kind of rates charged, this restaurant would put some effort into making it a wholesome experience.

Large Plates were a major let down. We ordered Spinach and Zucchini, Carrots (On server's recommendation) and Cauliflower Steak. The sauces for all three dishes tasted kind of similar, and honestly, if one could add some pan fried onions and tomatoes to the cauliflower steak, it would turn into a classic Gobhi Gajar Matar ki Sabzi.

The in-house photographer followed the server almost every time a dish was being served and clicked snaps once they were served. Felt a bit intrusive, to be honest.

Extending the first point, the interior ambience is basic. Certainly, not a reflection of a fine dine restaurant, which again puts a question mark on the justification of menu prices.

Again, portion size is quite small when compared to other fine dine restaurants in the same price range.

The description of dishes is very vague, with main ingredients highlighted in bold and sub-ingredients mentioned underneath. The menu really doesnt talk about flavours and textures that one can expect.

Ugly:

Ended up ordering a fresh lime soda and received it in a glass barely larger than a 60 ml shot glass. Felt more like a mockery at that point. If you feel the need to rationalize on the quantity of a lime soda, then I wonder if this is how the restaurant is planning to cut cost and become EBITDA positive. This was really low.

Presentation: The food actually doesnt look appetizing on the plate.

At the end of the day, this was a disappointing experience and made us feel that we should have just gone to...

My favourite meals are when someone invites you home and whips up a warm, thoughtful and wholesome meal infused with love. Nothing ever comes close to satisfying the soul on such an evening.

Eating out in Bangalore is far from this, packed like sardines in an endless maze of floors layers with pop music hits the drab of the restaurant franchise template drives you away from a true gastronomic experience.

Tucked away in a corner of Indiranagar though, the Navu project is one of the new bastions of resistance. It’s difficult to find until you realise that you need to make your way up to a home. You don’t have to wade your way through bouncers and staff as Kanishka Sharma opens the doors to her warm cosy restaurant and helps get you seated at one of 6 tables across different parts of an old Bangalore residence. Everyone’s smiling, the hungry patrons, the staff and the duo of Kanishka and Pallavi who run the place creating a familiarity as if meeting old friends in an intimate home gathering. Every part of the decor helps you ease into the experience as if you were in a friend’s home, lowering your guard and setting you up to experience a delectable array of single plated meals.

From their ever changing menu, we picked the cauliflower crème brûlée and halloumi with sea salt and honey to start our meal. What you immediately recognise is everything at Navu is a delicate balancing trick. The flavours are simple yet structured to hit your taste buds in a progressive exploration as if almost choreographed. You bite into the halloumi getting through the caramelised crust and tasting the slightly acidic and creamy cheese which is quickly replaced with the sweetness of the oozing honey with the aftertaste being dominated by the remnants of the sea salt; the saltiness only leaving you wanting to have more of it. No dish at Navu fails to surprise this delicate dance of a flavour trip each unique in its own song. We also tried the spinach fettuccine and my favourite was the grilled oysters mushrooms.

The plates are perfectly sized letting you share them with a partner, allowing you to explore their wide menu. Someone special brought me to this place and for the brief time we were there, we knew we were surrounded with love from the owners, the warmth and comfort of the home and food that nourished our souls. As we walked out of the doors the entire experience seemed like a nostalgic memory. Memories of home, good friends...