It’s not All Greek!
House of Troy – Mediterranean and Greek restaurant.
Sail off into the blue, whilst in the heart of Bangalore and drown your blues in the House of Troy, Bangalore’s latest addition that transports you to the warm and sunny climes of the Mediterranean and brings to you the refreshing and robust cuisine from that region of the world, where every day seems like a beach holiday.
Embark on an invasion of Troy as you enter its cool white environs and prepare to battle with yourself, as you decide what to choose from its exciting menu where every item vies for attention and leaves you wanting them all!
With dishes that are sure winners, victory is yours for sure and this is a war that you will come back to wage repeatedly.
About the restaurant –
The House of Troy has been ideated by Saurabh Mehta of Ginko Ventures and Sajal Jassal, a successful restaurateur with 9 long years of experience. Sajal’s forte has hitherto been Punjabi cuisine and he runs the adjacent fine dine restaurant Punjab Bistro and several other QSR outlets across Bangalore city.
Wanting to foray into something novel, his research brought forth the realization that there was a lacuna in the Koramangala locality as far as Mediterranean cuisine was concerned and hence he ventured to create the House of Troy.
This 2 month old restaurant is like a breath of fresh sea breeze in the urban envelope of the locality and the cuisine is a welcome addition to the cosmopolitan palate profile of the discerning Bangalorean.
House of Troy or HOT which it serendipitously abbreviates to, also lives up to its label and is now the hottest new place in Koramangala.
On a personal note, I did get a few strange looks from the husband, as I was editing my album titled HOT pics and the shots of hunky Greek warriors, complicated my case further 😀
Decor –
Whilst drawing from the vast offerings of the Mediterranean, House of Troy also has a leaning towards Greece, right from the name, the menu and the decor.
A long, white board greets you at the entrance, emblazoned with the name The House of Troy in gold, with a couple of cleverly incorporated Thetas and Sigmas, that give you an indicator of the territory that you are about to enter into.
A blue colored metal arched gateway, intertwined with the green and fuchsia of the bougainvillea, leads you right into the al fresco yard bordered by a white picket fence on one side and an amphitheater style seating on the opposite corner, where a horse (presumably the Trojan one) stands sentinel over the high stools and long stone benches.
For those who would like to be sedately seated, there are metal chairs and white marble topped tables bordered in gold, that lend a touch of finesse to the outdoorsy setting.
The restaurant can accommodate 100 diners, 50 outside and another 50 in the indoor area which is all done up in cool blue and glittering gold.
Broad glass windows look out onto the outdoors and bring in natural light, aiding the chandeliers in brightening up the interiors.
Aquiline nosed, helmeted Greek warriors preside upon the proceedings from the walls and cast their gaze upon you as you seat yourself in the large, comfortable, brown chairs.
A long bar occupies one side of the space and one can also choose to sit close to the action, on the tall bar stools.
The attention to detail is so great that even the washroom doors are guarded by Greek figures albeit rather irate looking 😀
Menu –
Scattered all over the Mediterranean with a focus on Greece, is how the menu presents itself here. Well fear not if the names sound all Greek and Latin, for there is enough English in the descriptions to let you know exactly what you are devouring.
The menu offers an array of soups, salads, little plates, pre plated platters, pastas, flatbreads and hearty main courses.
The restaurant being next door to its Punjabi cousin, also enables the diner to order from the desi menu and you might just see a Saganaki nestling with a Sarson ka saag or a biryani coexisting peacefully with a Baklava on your neighbor’s table.
Of course you cannot un-see it ever again so be careful where you look, in case your purist sensibilities are at the risk of suffering life long damage 😀
The menu is sufficiently vast and if you want to make the choosing easier, then you have the option of going for their value for money 5 course lunch with a beverage of choice. Priced most competitively, this is served from Monday to Friday between 12 pm – 3.30 pm.
In keeping with the overall theme, the bar presents an exciting mix of ouzo based cocktails and of course serves a wide range of alcohol that includes wines and even craft beer on tap, sourced from the premier brand, Briggs Brewery.
Ask the ever helpful bartender to help you out and he will concoct a Sambuca based Ouzotini, a pour of beer, a glass of wine or whatever your parched throat desires.
My meal –
Word of my prawn obsession must be getting around, for they started me off on the Prawn Saganaki, with large succulent prawns tossed in rich tomato sauce. A perfect beginning to my Mediterranean saga.
Their signature Pumpkin and kale soup was next and then of course the Greek salad with fresh cherry tomatoes, English cucumber, onions, feta cheese, bell pepper and green, black and Kalamata olives in an oregano Citrus vinaigrette dressing and also the Orange fennel salad with fresh greens, fennel shavings, toasted almonds, oranges and goat cheese in a flavorful orange vinaigrette dressing and orange dust. Both the salads were very refreshing and perfect for the confused winter cum summer struck Bangalore weather.
The server then walked in bearing shoes, yes that is what the Melitzanes Papoutsakia translates to. Eggplant shoes, stuffed with ground meat and feta (assorted vegetables for the vegetarians) and finished off with cream cheese sauce.
The Greek Sheek was next, with ground chicken infused with in-house Greek seasoning rub, fresh herbs and feta cheese and finished off on a charcoal grill … and finished off further by me of course.
This was followed by the delicate Spanakopita with its phyllo casing encompassing a cheesy spinach, spring onion, feta cheese and ricotta filling and served with tzatziki.
Try saying Spanakopita or tzatziki, after biting off a mouthful 😀
My vegetarian main course was the Yemista, with oven roasted bell peppers and zucchini stuffed with rice grains cooked in a spicy tomato feta sauce and accompanied by baby potatoes, feta and tzatziki. Quite an extravagance that filled me up just by looking at it.
However that did not stop me from eyeing the the majestic pan seared, garlic marinated Tiger prawns that crowned a cylindrical bed of couscous, along with a tangy vegetable stew and creamy white wine sauce.
Speaking of alcohol, the Ouzo Sour with Sambuca, icing sugar, lemon juice, cherry bitters and egg white, kept my food company. The Ouzotini with gin, ouzo, cumin syrup, elderflower syrup, lime juice and a garnish of mint leaves, also followed suit.
Well I was as stuffed as the Yemista by now, but they tempted me with dessert and really who would want to miss a creamy Baked cheese cake with a combination of Greek yogurt and Philadelphia cream cheese, dripping with luscious in-house strawberry compote? This beauty could give Helen of Troy tough competition.
I was pretty much done but they were apparently still on a Roll and the Rolls of nut filled cigar shaped Baklava that they brought, played a big Role in my forthcoming food coma.
House of Troy is a great place for a hearty meal with good portion sizes and great prices. Their Dolmadakia (rice or lamb stuffed vine leaves) do need a bit of improvement but for the most part they have got their food right.
Visit them when you are really hungry and you will leave from there as stuffed as a Trojan horse with your insides conspiring to bring you back for more!!!
Address – SJR Primus, Ground, 7th Block, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560095
Phone – 080 4907 0111
Timings – 12 pm – 12 am
Open 7 days a week
Alcohol – available
Average Meal for two – Rs 1400/-
Parking – Valet parking available
Disclosure – My visit was on invite. The opinions expressed are my own.
For more pictures see My Facebook – House of Troy Also catch me on My Facebook, My Facebook page, My Twitter and My Instagram
Feb 4th, 2020
