Au Bon Pain

Ever wondered where can we find one of those Cafes with a beautiful display of perfectly lined baked goodies? Au Bon Pain is the answer. Au Bon Pain is an American bakery-café chain. They have 11 outlets in Bangalore and are looking to open many more. Good for us! The one newly opened was at the Koramangala Sony World junction. One couldn’t miss its happy yellow exterior with a Bagel Sandwich poster staring at you. Casual yet comfortable are the apt adjectives to describe Au Bon Pain’s seating arrangement. Beautiful pictures of the café around the world adorn the walls as you walk up the stairs to the floor above. This is a self-service café, pick up a tray, use the tongs provided to pick up whatever you’ve been eyeing, take it to the cash counter, pay up and grab a seat to enjoy your meal. The service at Au Bon Pain is definitely noteworthy. It is obvious they take special interest in making sure the customer is comfortable and has no hassle in getting his order right. There will always be someone at any given time, however busy the café maybe, to attend to you with a smile on their face.

Right in the middle of the café they have a soup station with the Soups of the Day with an assortment of breads and breadsticks one can buy for the soup. The chiller kiosk was lined with Aerated Drinks and other Canned/Bottled Juices, Desserts like Cake, Mousse, Fruit Bowls, Musili, Cold Salads and Cream Cheese.

The Bakery section was a treat, lined with all sorts of baked goodness. From Bagels to Cookies, from Brownies to Cinnamon Rolls they had it all. We picked the Cinnamon Roll, Pineapple and Black Currant Danish, Walnut Brownie and the Chocolate Chip Muffin. The Cinnamon Roll was soft, moist, rolled with cinnamon powder and bits and slapped with sugar icing. It was a sweet surprise melting away in my mouth. They could have toned down the cinnamon a notch since it was almost overpowering. Texture wise though, it was spot on. The Danish again, the texture and the sweetness was just right topped with the right amount of the fruit preserve, making it a perfect accompaniment with a cup of coffee. The Walnut Brownie, to be honest is definitely better than what we’d get at most cafes. Then again it wasn’t as memorable as the other baked goodies. It could have been a little more moist. Then came the Chocolate Chip Muffin. Although I did find it dense and on the heavier side, it would sure be a hit with chocolate lovers since they get pretty generous with the chocolate. The Chocolate Chip Cookie I found to be true to its form, moist, chewy, fresh and delicious. It had quite the ‘home-made’ feeling to it. That’s exactly how a cookie should be.

They also serve a good variety of beverages. We took to liking their Coffee Blast, which was a cold coffee with crushed ice.; smooth, creamy and delicious. They also serve Iced Teas, Slushes and a variety of Hot Coffees.

With the number of outlets opening at every other corner of the city Au Bon Pain is sure to stay and serve the city with more of their delicious food. Be sure to visit one of their many outlets in the city and you are sure to be a loyal.

Zingron

Zingron is located in Koramangala’s 7th block, right opposite Jukebox and the building just before 64. The moment we stepped in, we caught a whiff of pungent bamboo. It was a little unsettling to begin with but it almost grows on you after a while. I am the last person to judge the authenticity of the North-eastern elements in Zingron. But my friend had somewhat of an idea and she seemed happy. We didn’t bother reading much of the menu, instead opted to chat up one of the staff about the food. As luck would have it she turned out to be the owner’s sister. She was gracious enough to help us with our order. So we started with the Smoked Pork and Steamed Chicken Momos. Since it was smoked, the pork was dry and tough, which to our understanding was authentically done in that particular way. The taste however was incredible. Very robust flavors of ginger, garlic and other spices and of course the shredded bamboo was delicious. The momos turned out to be one of the best we’ve had in the city. The shell was soft and easy to chew, keeping the filling juicy and succulent. For the mains we got Chicken Curry cooked in chilli powder and steamed rice. I was a mouthful away from calling the fire station. Extremely hot but still delicious I must say, the chicken curry is not for everyone. For drinks we had an authentic rice beer and gooseberry drink which didn’t go down well with us but if you want to try something authentic and not the usual soft drink please give it a shot, literally. A meal for two should cost Rs 800.