There couldn't be a better day than on the eve of the World Environment Day, to drop by at the recently opened Modak, known for its all-organic thaali

There couldn't be a better day than on the eve of the World Environment Day, to drop by at the recently opened Modak, known for its all-organic thaali

I almost felt like a green queen as I walked up the steps of quaint Aspasia which houses a Japanese/Continental restaurant besides serviced apartments amidst a lot of calming greens and Ganesha statuettes all around.
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On the terrace is this alfresco casual dining place. Almost all the tables were occupied with a strewn of dhoti-kurta and Gandhi topi clad waiters attending briskly to the eager foodies.

Go Organic seems to be the mantra these days. And we totally dig this concept of organically grown vegetables, spices, pulses, oil, sugar, salt, rice and everything else that went in the food served in our thaalis being incredibly fresh.
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As fresh as fresh can be. Infact, we were told it was straight from the farms to our forks. Well, not really fork, as this was a mix of Maharashtrian and Kannadiga cuisine that we were lunching on, which is best eaten with hands.

It was a cozy and sunny yet pleasant afternoon and we ordered our Royal Thaalis (Rs 130). There's also a Premium Thaali (Rs 80) where you get the same dishes in limited portions. But we chose to go with the former, already feeling a tad royal.
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Weekend options here are only the Royal Thaali though and on all weekdays you have both the Premium and Royal Thaali to pick from.

A single modak (a traditional sweet offering to Lord Ganesha) was served on our thaalis and that explained the name of the restaurant and also the number of Ganesha idols. One bite into this heavenly treasure bag and it melted into our mouths.
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I had yet to begin my meal so I chose to refrain from another modak, which comes at an extra Rs 10 if you wish.

On the large stainless steel thaalis we were served Kosambari, a crunchy salad made of yellow moong beans, tossed with thinly sliced and cut coconut and cucumber.

Then came a piece of the Veggie Bhajji, which was slightly cold and oily and could have been given a miss. The small serving of Tomato Soup made up for it though.

We loved the Bombay Saagu, a potato curry cooked just the way you would get at railway stations, but with a little milk in it which went well with the tiny fluffy Puris.
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The vegetable on the day we went was a Porial. We were also served Rajma in a small bowl.

Then came the Pulao with Raita followed by Steamed Rice and Sambhar cooked in a home-style with Pickle and Papad as accompaniments followed by the customary Curd Rice.

The Gulab Jamun and Fig and Honey Ice Cream were up for dessert as part of the Royal Thaali and yes we did like the figs in our ice cream.

I don't claim that I wiped out clean all my carbon footprints, but I sure did my bit for my environment. Well, almost.

At: Modak, 423, 8th Main, 4th Block, Koramangala, Bangalore.
On Feast at the Organic Food Fest on June 11, 12 and 13 and if you want to try your culinary skills, call 96325 77111/99725 72310 to take part in a cookery contest. Organic ingredients will be provided by Modak and would be ranked and awarded by a panel of judges.