JOIN USPyramid-shaped Arena serves world cuisine
Almost every restaurant in the city serves “world cuisine” but very few of them do justice to that. To our luck, ‘Arena - Artisanal Brewkitchen’ in Indiranagar stood to what they said promise.
Just before we get to the food, it’s the ambience and decor that peak one’s interest. It’s designed like a pyramid, an ultra-cool one too. It almost makes you wonder what the interiors will be like.
The futuristic metallic accents and psychedelic colours made it an awesome place to hang out. They also have everything from long tables to private pods, giving one the experience that they expect from an unusual place like this.
Finally, let’s get on to the food. Where do we even start! Out of a number of items that we tasted, there were just two that we weren’t a fan of. To everything else, we had to stop ourselves from licking the plate clean.
What we loved about the sushi served to us was the freshness of it. We tried the ‘California Roll’, ‘Prawn Tempura Roll’, ‘Yellow Fin Tuna Uramaki’ and ‘Jalapeno Salmon Roll’. We loved that they were all rolled well and didn’t break when we bit into it. The crab sushi and the avocado roll were our favourites though.
Most places that I’ve been to claim that they have really good dim sums but I’ve often been disappointed. Key criteria like don’t stick to the roof of my mouth or break off as soon as I pick it up to have not been taken into consideration. However, at Arena, both of the criteria and more met my expectations. ‘Edamame Truffle’, ‘Prawns Hargao’ and ‘Spicy Spinach Corn and Cheese Dim Sums’ were divine. It wasn’t overstuffed and was an easy one or two bites. Honestly, I could eat them all day.
We also tried the ‘Assorted Mushroom Croquettes’ which my friends thought was really good. But we weren’t too keen on having more of the ‘Cambodian Prawns’ or ‘Langkawi Chicken Satay’. The prawns and chicken was too dry.
I wouldn’t recommend the chicken if you aren’t a fan of lemongrass.
Since we were trying out all kinds of cuisine here, we tried the ‘Thai Green Curry’ with Jasmine Rice. We also ordered the ‘Chicken and Wild Mushroom Oyster Black Pepper Sauce’. I have three words for you — don’t skip this!
The Thai Green Curry was different from the ones we are used to. I loved the slight hint of heat that paired well with the rice. The sauce had the softest chicken I have had in a while and the saltiness of the mushroom was perfect. We honestly wish we had more room left to lick the plate clean.
But we knew that we had to end it with desserts and the ‘Belgian Chocolate Fondant’ and ‘Tiramisu’ was the perfect way to do that. The chocolate oozing out of the cake and the strong espresso in the tiramisu was everything every dessert should have.
The drinks served here are a must-try too. We recommend the ‘Infusion’, ‘Love Me Or Leave Me’ and ‘Apple Pie’. Each glass has its own drama to it that made the experience a fun one.
‘Arena - Artisanal Brewkitchen’ is located at No 48, Defense colony 100ft road, Indiranagar. For reservations, call 92056 95696.