Chakhna at city’s bars is no more a chip off the old block

A new trend is raising the bar these days. The good old ‘chakhna’ served complimentary with drinks is going gourmet. Inhouse cheese and breads, healthy kale chips and fancy munchies are replacing routine chips, peanuts and popcorn. Chefs are unleashing their creativity in this new-found segment as they discover Bengaluru’s growing global palates and health-awareness.
The Oberoi-Bengaluru recently replaced cashews and cheeselings with healthier makhaana (or fox nuts) and roasted kale chips in their complimentary bar bowls. Senior manager-communications Pinky Padmaraj says, “The makhaana is baked and tempered with Indian spices like cumin and red chilli powder. The kale chips are seasoned with western flavours like rosemary, thyme and sea salt. The idea was to serve snacks that are low in sodium while keeping the appetite whetted till one orders the main course.”

Restaurants want to show that they are making an effort to make customers feel like guests and stay one-up in the fierce competition. “Best things in life come for free,” says chef Abhijit Saha. At Fava, he serves complimentary baked lavash flatbread flavoured with sesame seeds. At his other eatery Rock Salt, it is homemade namak-paara that accompanies the cocktail.


“Today, the bar snack has a significant role to play as it is instrumental in establishing a restaurant’s brand recall and identity. Packaged munchies are outdated. Even complimentary food served must be made in-house and fresh,” believes Saha.

At the by-invite club BLVD, chef Vikas Seth serves complimentary hummus and lavash peppered with sea salt, rosemary and tomato salsa. He notes that even the bar snack orders from the menu are taking the healthier route. “At our eateries Sriracha and Sanchez, we see that baked and grilled is replacing fried food. Mexican cheese with sliced inhouse sourdough breads are getting popular,” adds Seth.

Resto-bars in the IT hubs too are observing an increasing demand for healthier bar orders. The new bar bestseller at Bar Bar in Whitefield is a bowl of assorted sprouts with whipped yoghurt and date chutney. They claim to sell about 15 portions a day. Executive chef Paul Kinny from the watering hole says, “Staying fit appears to be the lifestyle for young IT professionals. They want to keep the calorie count down even while they are partying.”

This shift has prompted some revellers to follow the same principle in the home entertainment space too. Geeta P, a senior executive at an MNC in the city, dishes up posh greens like pasta salad and sautéed cabbage, to yoghurt-based dips, cheese and breads with olive oil for her house parties. At times, she pulls out her guacamole-maker to dish up the avocado dip live in front of her guests. She says, “Restaurants have popularised the concept of tapas or small plates. So, I like to make a substantial serve with drinks at home. Even if I am enjoying a drink just with my husband, I make a small-eat like kidney bean or chickpea salad in place of serving fried or processed food.”