Kolkata, November 13, 2019: The Monkey Bar Evolution is here. Presenting an all new menu that’s lighter and light-hearted, with dishes that are high on comfort and taste, and flavours that are layered with our signature unconventional, playful twist. It’s the next stage of evolution for India’s first and favourite gastropub Monkey Bar (a part of the Olive Group of restaurants), with the amazing new menu offering 41 exciting, new dishes and 8 brilliant,new signature cocktails to whet every appetite and re-invent the rules of a gastropub experience! With a focus on small plates packed with flavours from different parts of the country,the menu offers a variety ofregional Indian-inspired dishes that are homely and familiar,a selection of unpretentious, hearty pub food, scrumptious burgers and crisp thin crust pizzaswith new toppings and a line-up of refreshing cocktails in exciting new combinations.With its creative new offering, cool, yet laid back atmosphere coupled with great service,Monkey Bar, India’s first and most definitely favourite gastropub is your go-to destination for a taste of the new!
Seven years ago, Monkey Bar opened its green doors to give India a glimpse of its very first gastropub, making regional Indian pub grub so cool that it had people coming back for more!But as Monkey always says, there is so much more to come with a whole lot of fun. Seven years on, the new menu at Monkey Bar Kolkata(and Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru) offers several new additions across all sections of its menu. The offering delves deep into lesser-known delicacies as well as popular dishes, giving a fresh perspective to perennial favourites, but retaining its innovative twists. New additions include sizzling new small plates from the tandoor, a unique Indian mezze platter, as well as a host of regional dishesre-invented with a quintessential Monkey Bar finesse to make for unpretentious and comforting pub grub. The pizzas have a host of new toppings, the salads are fresher and crunchier, the burgers bring back the honest original smoky taste, while adding many more fillings to the repertoire. That’s not all, oldfavourites still have a place on the menu, but come with newer accompaniments, dips and sauces, giving them afresh new flavour. In all this, how can the cocktails be far behind? Monkey Bar changed the way crafted cocktails were made in India, using delicious Indian concoctions and giving them a spirited twist. Expect delicious takes on popular Indian drinks from across the country,with eight new cocktails to order for a very happy evening.
The cool new additions include the new ‘small plates via the tandoor’, one of India’s favourite cooking styles and now a brand new offering at Monkey Bar.The much-loved kulchas of Delhi and Amritsar play a big role as Monkey Bar brings you soft, fluffy kulchas with fillings inspired by popular regional fare including the Malabari Mutton Kulcha, Butter Chicken Kulcha and offbeat Onion and Cheese Kulchausingindigenous Kalimpong cheese. More gems fired in our tandoor include Thelawala Mutton Seekh, Bandel and Malai Fish Kebab, Curry Leaves and Pepper Chicken. There is also the Paneer and Tarkari Shashlik and the more exotic Kasundi Chicken, if you want to skip the carbs!The new ‘Soups and Salads’ includes the piping, hot Tibetan Thukpa, a light Watermelon and Feta Escabeche Salad and the healthy Honey Mustard Chicken Salad.Monkey Bar’s new menu rewrites a lot of the old rules, while keeping the original script as the base. Small plates which are perfect bar food,offer dishes inspired by the local, regional snacks from around the country. Whether it be the hugely popular the Dilli Samosa Chaatwith curried potato and green peas stuffed mini samosas topped withchutneyand a side of Sindhi style khatti dal, or the Kerala style Mutta Puffcomprising hardboiled eggs, chilies, spices and onions envelopedin a light puff pastry with a curry leaf hollandaise or the Ghee Roast Bao- Kundapur-inspired pulled chicken ghee roast stuffed in a Chinese steamed bao.That’s not all – there’s Meen Pollichathu- a Kerala Toddy Shop-inspired masala fish served with lemon and coriander potato and NagaCrispened Pork Belly with vegetables and soy, hoisin andNaga chili. Also new on the small plates section is the Indian Odyssey Platter – a perfect dish to order when you are out with a large group of friends. Taking inspiration from the traditional Mediterranean platter, we take it to the next level with a Bengali style baingan bhorta (our answer to Babaganoush), KadduHummus, salted labneh, bonda vada (to replace the falafel) and pickled Shalgam or turnip and carrots with Kalimpong cheese. On the platter is Mangalorean Kori Roti, fryums and Gujrati fafda to scoop up all the delicious dips.
There’s a new selection of chutneys and accompaniments to the small plates offering too.Nacho Nacho now comes with the traditional cheese sauce, refried beans, Pico De Gallo but the surprise elements are the traditional Andhra – styletomato pachhdi and a drizzle of honey kasundi. The hugely popular Chilli Cheese Roll retains its place on the menu but now with an added twist of the beetroot ketchup while the Nimbu Masala Fries comes with a rather unusual pickled lemon aioli adding that extra zing to the dish.
Monkey Bar has always been known for its burgers drawing crowds of Burgerphiles in droves across the country. There is freshness to the entire burger offering, with pillowy,soft eggless plain milk buns,a variety of new patties inspired from the cooking styles and flavours from Asia to the West, new relishes and accompaniments. The integrity of flavours of a good honest burger with the freshest of buns, melt-in-mouth patties ranges from the MFC (Monkey Fried Chicken) – herbs and spice-fried chicken, black bean mayo, cheese sauce, Icebergand more; Thai Style Chicken Burger with a lime leaves, chilies, garlic, lemongrass and galangal spiced chicken patty with Iceberg lettuce, white cheddar cheese and sesame and garlic Arugula. A must order is the Chilli Pork Burger with hoisin chili pulled pork, sweet sour raw mango-papaya salad, smoked bacon and cheddar cheese. For vegetarians there’s the Barnyard Burger made with a crispy fried vegetable patty with red pepper relish, wine- braised onions, baked beans and white cheddar cheese. Don’t miss ordering a Double Trouble Burger with two grilled b**f patty, Kasundi relish, onion jam, roast gravy and grilled tomato. The new accompaniments for the burgers include smoked bacon and red pepper relish, beetroot ketchup, kasundi relish, onion jam,roast gravy, not to forget the skinny fries and crunchy coleslaw with every burger you order.
The ‘Mains’ retaina selection of signature dishes, with roots deeply entrenched in regional specialties from the Kayasth-influencedChandraji’s Mutton Curry, Iranian- inspired Aunty Vinnie’s Berry Pulao, Punjabi- style Butter Chicken Khichdi and the Pandi Curry from Coorg. The new dishes in this section include a new style of Gundruk Fried Rice (vegetarian fried rice with Gundruk chutney from the North East, mixed with onion, chilies and charred tomato.There’s also a Kerala style B**f Ularthiyathu Fried Rice and a Chemmeen (Prawn) Fried Rice. Worth trying is the Meen & Curry– with sardine fry, Meen Kolambu served with a beans and carrot poriyal, ghee rice, appalam and salad.
In the true spirit of the gastropub tradition, the cocktail story is still strong. Monkey Bar’s cocktails have always raised the bar, steering away from sweet, syrupy concoctions to fresher flavours with depth and variety. Picking up some old Indian favourites and combining them with unique ingredients is what makes the signature cocktails at Monkey Bar so interesting. Some come with a brand-new avatar like the Rasam Mary, a delightful combination of vodka, tomato pepper rasam, curry leaf and lemon salt rim, or the Tomesh Collinswith gin, lime murabba, sweet & sour topped with tonic water, and the Pied Piper comprisingjeera infused whisky, cinnamon, sweet and sour syrup topped with ginger ale. Other new additions include the Juicy Martini made using vodka, Rhododendron syrup, pear juice and apple juice, the Peena Colada where homemade rabri and badaam shirin give a delicious spin to an old favourite dessert. There is also the tangy Sip Me Tender, enhanced with white rum into a smooth yet heady concoction. It’s no longer about regular cocktails but a whole new spin where innovation and freshness are firmly at the forefront.
Monkey Bar retains its charm, for a fun night out with friends or family, with great music, a relaxed vibe anda menu packed with a whole lot of funin both food and drinks. The brand has evolved over the years since it opened in Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. In a short span of time, Monkey Bar has been recognised both nationally and globally as a unique F&B destination.
Corporate Comm India(CCI NewsWire)
