My friend and I went to Sunny’s(with fond memories) after a gap of a few years on a Saturday evening. We did not have reservations but we did not have to wait long either for a(not so great) table offered rather ungraciously. There was no greeting when we entered and after standing around for a few uncertain minutes, the owner and headwaiter looked up and offered us an outside table in a mildly dingy corner.
We started off with the usual freebies in a continental restaurant, two pieces of not so fresh bread(I have had better) with a good herbal butter. We had to ask for the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The lukewarm apple and pumpkin soup lacked flavour, was too thin and too sweet(the waiter had told me when I ordered that it was sweet, but I had expected pumpkin sweetness, not sugar sweetness). I could not help reminiscing about a rather excellent pumpkin and apple soup I had had at another restaurant a while back.
For the main course, I chose a black pepper fettucini with mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes.it was good, but not extraordinary, with the sauce being rather heavy(the menu did say cream, I suppose) and the sundried tomatoes too sour. My friend had a saffron rice with a vegetable medley and that was better, the sauce being more flavourful, lighter and the vegetables cooked just right. The tiramisu we shared for dessert was a disappointment. Though we did smell coffee, the predominant taste was of whipped cream between layers of rather heavy sponge(reminded me of the ubiquitous Iyengar bakery’cakes’ of Bangalore). I could not taste the mascarpone cheese(if any). Isn’t it supposed to have a hint of chocolate too?
The service reminded me more of a fast food Darshini rather than a fine dining place. It was(too) quick, plates removed without asking us whether we had finished. I had to hold on to my plate in case it was inadvertently whisked away while we were in conversation. The little dish in which I had put in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar was taken away without asking us if we needed it. I could have used more of it. As we sat talking for about ten minutes after paying the bill, the owner came and asked us to leave or go upstairs(I am not sure what is upstairs) as he had reservations. We chose to leave. I must say here that the owner came earlier with the bill too and asked us how it was. We were so busy talking we just nodded, and neglected to give him the feedback.
The menu offers a wide selection of both food and drink and the portion sizesare on the larger side. All in all, the food reminded me of the food that passed for continental in Bangalore before my palate changed by travel and by the’real’ Italian restaurants opening up in Bangalore with lighter and more flavourful cuisine. And the ambiance and service certainly didn’t fit in with my concept of fine dining.The place is really centrally located in case you want to meet friends from other corners of Bangalore, but parking can be a problem if you don’t have a driver.