Ever ventured inside an airport to hunt for that perfect restaurant serving your favorite cuisine? I know it sounds corny because most of us focus only on the travel aspect of an airport and tend to ignore the available options to eat out. I was elated upon receiving an invite from Burrp to take part in this one of a kind food walk which took place inside Bengaluru International Airport. The agenda for the same was to cover three specialty restaurants spread across domestic and international terminals followed by a Master class with Executive chef (India Region) Murali Murthy of HMS Host.

HMS Host is world’s largest provider of food and beverage services for travelers, the brand is recognized for providing world class dining experiences in airports across the world. Running a full fledged restaurant inside an airport is one difficult task as it involves following tons of safety norms which revolve around implementing unconventional cooking methods like No Fire Cooking techniques, non usage of sharp objects like knives and so on. Even after all these restrictions, the standard of food served in these outlets are top notch and so much better.

Our first destination for the day was Tiffin Centre, a restaurant known for its ‘Flavors of South’ concept. It is housed in the domestic terminal of BIA and easily noticeable as it looks very traditional from outside! The cuisine here is inspired by 3 main South Indian states – Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. We were welcomed with Nannari Sharbet, Nannari is a herb that is known to have immense cooling powers and works as a natural coolant for the body. We then got to taste the Rasam which was right on spot with respect to taste, texture and tanginess.

We then got to try tasting portions of veg and non veg platters which included Mirchi Bajji, Dal Vada, Rava fish fry and chicken pepper lollipop. I must mention the coconut chutney served here with the fried items was easily the best that I’ve had, it complimented the Vada and Bajji in the best possible way. We also got a sneak peak of the full meals and Chicken Biryani which were served in traditional steel containers. Chef Murali mentioned that the ingredients here are sourced directly from the place of origin.

Our next pit-stop was at La Alta Vita, a restaurant targeted towards travelers who would want to indulge in some authentic Italian cuisine. Chef Murali explained that the decor of the place is inspired by Italian cities, and we all felt that the overall feel that you get here is nothing short of a fine dine.

We got to try some of their signature dishes like Zucchini Fritters, Chicken Arancini and Olive, Tomato and Cheese Bruschetta. Italian cuisine focuses more on the quality of ingredients rather than quantity, most of the dishes here are a combination of 10-12 ingredients only. The restaurant is very niche in terms of authenticity followed in preparing some of the finest Pizza, pasta and grills.

La Tapenade was our third and final destination of the day. It is a Mediterranean cafe housed inside the International terminal, the ambiance of the place is classy and you find lot of picture friendly elements all around.

If you carefully look at the walls, you will find lots of written information about various oils and vinegar which can keep you busy in a nice way while waiting for food.

The highlight of our stay here was the Masterclass where Chef Murali prepared two signature dishes – Penne in Pomodoro Sauce and Chicken Tahini. Pomodoro in Italian stands for tomato, and the sauce used in the pasta was prepared in front of us. Chicken Tajini looks more of an Indian dish, it has couscous and chicken which is cooked in low flame along with spices, onions and tomatoes to give it a unique flavor.

Post this we had lunch, a light lunch I would say 😉 We had the Harira soup, garden fresh salad and BBQ chicken Pizza along with the chef’s preparation, Pene in Pomodoro sauce and Chicken Tahini.

Dessert options here are amazing and we dived straight into the blueberry cheesecake, Banoffee pie and the Tiramisu.

The Food Walk was now complete and what started next was a fun round of Video shoot where we all of us had to face the camera, probably the toughest job of the day 😀

We walked out with a humble gift, a wooden Airplane from Channapatna. The gift made so much sense as it was Dusshera time and airport was having a full fledged celebration right outside the main entrance. I thank Burrp and HMS Host for letting us get a first hand feel of the dining culture at Bengaluru Airport.