The Naati Oota festival at DoubleTree by Hilton Bengaluru Whitefield played host to select media and creators. TheGlitzMedia was among those invited for the evening, and we share the experience of a beautifully put-together night, with old Bengaluru flavour in place, right down to the last detail.
Saturday evening, and Bengaluru traffic was in full form. Eighteen kilometres from home, a proper weekend jam on ORR, but getting to DoubleTree by Hilton Bengaluru Whitefield for the Namma Naati Oota preview was worth every bit of it.
The festival is on from the 12th to the 15th of July, four days in all. We liked that it wasn’t stretched out longer than it needed to be. Good Naati food isn’t meant to linger longer than it should. The setup pulled us in, the food arrived with the smell of home cooking, and the evening moved along easily, much like it would at any family get-together.
General Manager Shyam Kumar was at the entrance to receive us himself. Simple gesture, but we noticed it, and it set the tone for the evening straight away.
The setup, at 1882, honestly, we didn’t expect. One long table ran across the room, proper sit-down style, plush velvet and leather chairs for everyone. Fine porcelain plates, cutlery that gleamed, small vases of fresh flowers between settings, and place cards with each guest’s name. We felt like we’d walked into a family banquet, not a media preview.
Celebrated Chef Kalyan Gopalakrishna, known for keeping Bengaluru’s traditional Naati cuisine alive, spent the evening with us, walking us through the menu like he was talking about his own kitchen at home. Recipes he’s picked up over the years, ingredients carrying authentic masala flavours, all cooked the traditional way. We loved how every dish was presented with a touch of class, yet stayed true to its roots. It felt like listening to someone who genuinely loves cooking and feeding people, and that came through in what was served.
The meal ran across seven courses, and if the word Naati made anyone think vegetarian, this menu set that straight, fast. This was food for meat lovers, cooked the old Bangalore way, and every course came with its own Paul John whisky cocktail.
We started with Old Bangalore Fried Chicken, juicy and well spiced, alongside a Paul John’s Nirvana Highball, and that got us rolling from the first bite. Right after came Bannur Mutton Khaima Vada, pan grilled with old Bangalore spice, paired with a Smoked Nirvana Old Fashioned. We found the vada a touch spicier than we expected, but the smokiness in the drink balanced it out well.
Starters took things up a level, and this is where we slowed down. Lobster Paddu, slow cooked with coriander and homemade spices, came with a Brilliance Coastal Collins, light and clean against the seafood, we thoroughly enjoyed this one. Then Bannur Lamb Chops with mini dosa, in the same old Bangalore spice mix, paired with a Bold Penicillin. This combination, we agreed, was the best of the night.
Main course brought Naati Koli Saaru with poori, a country chicken curry, simple and full of flavour, we didn’t feel it needed any dressing up, served with Paul John’s Brilliance as a straight pour. Alongside it, Bannur Mutton Pulav with raita, cooked in a mint masala with coconut milk, brought the Smoked Nirvana Old Fashioned back for round two. We were fairly full by this point, but neither dish felt heavy, which we appreciated.
Dessert closed things out gently. Hal Obbattu, crisp pancakes with a coconut jaggery sauce, paired with Paul John’s PX, straight pour. We weren’t expecting dessert to hold its own after seven courses of meat and whisky, but it did, quietly and well.
Between courses, there was enough time to ask Chef Kalyan questions directly. Where a recipe came from, why a particular spice, what made a dish special to him. We came away with more from those conversations than from any single dish.
We left feeling like Namma Naati Oota doesn’t try too hard, and that’s exactly what worked for us. The food simply tasted the way it should, nothing more, nothing less, and that’s what stayed with us long after the meal was done.
With the festival wrapping up on the 15th, this one’s a must visit for anyone who genuinely loves Naati cuisine. If old Bengaluru flavours are on your list, this is your call, and it’s closing soon.
Namma Naati Oota is on at DoubleTree by Hilton Bengaluru Whitefield until 15th July.
