Full Toss Fish, Kolkata Fried Riders: Bengaluru restaurants dish out IPL-themed menus

BENGALURU: Chugging down some cold ones, 27-year-old Kevin D’Costa and a bunch of friends are furiously debating MS Dhoni’s captaincy for the Chennai Super Kings vis-a-vis Virat Kohli’s team-leading skills for Royal Challengers Bangalore at the buzzing 1Q1 Bar and Kitchen. The beer is free flowing for under a thousand rupees during the Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

Amid the election hullabaloo, the 12th edition of the IPL began quietly over the weekend. The din may seem a bit low-key this year, but restaurants across Bengaluru are keeping spirits alive with an array of innovative, IPL-themed food and drinks.

At Three Dots and a Dash, there are cocktails dedicated to many teams. Love all things CSK? Pick up a punchy Chennai Super Kings, a concoction of spiced rum, basil, mango juice and beer. Rooting for Kolkata Knight Riders? Order a special tropical cocktail with a mix of gin, peach syrup, cucumber and coriander named after the men in purple.


At Monkey Bar, try the Punjab Murgh of the Match, a Kolkata Fried Riders or a Chennai Kothu Super King. “We have introduced the Chicken Challenger — a local spicemix marinated fried chicken kebab, and Full Toss Fish, made with ravacoated mackerel fillet sliders, for Bengaluru fans. Delhi bowls the Butter Chicken Bouncer — chargrilled chicken tikka stuffed spring rolls — while Mumbai supporters can have the Taco Indians,” Dheeraj Varma, head chef at Monkey Bar, says.

The ever-busy Social chain has eight special Long Island Ice Teas for the eight teams with catchy names like Berry Bangalore, a fresh Sunny Chennai, a citrusy punch with Hyderabad Hues and a touch of blue for Rajasthan supporters with a curacao-infused Rajasth-ani Rani. The restaurant has also tied up with a streaming service to host a VR cricket match for patrons. Hit two fours or a six, and you get a pint of beer on the house. 1Q1, too, has a smattering of offers for the T20 league, like guessing the man of the match, to win a beer coupon.

The IPL is a crowd-puller and special menus garner much interest among customers, says Anirudh Kheny, partner at 1Q1. “We’ve noticed many customers coming to watch the matches on our 18-foot screen, which is why we need to constantly strive to be as creative in generating something different for everyone.”

Those cheering for teams in restaurants are making the most of these offers. But for those choosing to skip the crowd and eating in to watch the action, online food ordering startup Freshmenu has come up with ‘Cricket Fiesta’ featuring dishes like Champion’s Chilli Garlic potatoes and Wankhede Peanut Masala.

Last year, Social sold over 12,000 Long Island Ice Teas during the IPL season alone. “Besides the drinks, we have a munchies menu, too, with a local hero from each city,” said Ranveer Sabhani, its Bengaluru business head.