Farmlore puts India’s Bengalore on the gastronomic map

Bengalore has long been hiding in the shadows of more tourist-preferred cities in India like Delhi and Mumbai. But when Farmlore, a humble farm-to-table restaurant tucked in Sathnur Village, bagged the American Express One to Watch Award by the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants early this year, it singlehandedly put the "Silicon Valley of India” in the spotlight and made the capital of the southern Indian state of Karnataka an emerging culinary hub.

Set inside a 37-acre farm owned by the family of co-founder Kaushik Raju, the 18-seater fine dining restaurant wasn’t supposed to be what it is now. Former professional tennis player Kaushik was inclined to play with food. “I was very curious about it. I still am. Back then, Indians weren’t as experimental when it comes to food. Most of my peers weren’t,” he said. He scratched his culinary itch and made friends with people who had the same degree of interest in food.

He adds, "I started researching on YouTube. Ferran (Adria) and Heston (Blumenthal) were some chefs I really got into, specifically Ferran’s idea of science behind cooking and Heston’s storytelling. They got me excited.”

In 2012, he started experimenting and got a professional chef to help him in his adventure. After eight months, he did his first menu and served it to a group of people from different walks of life—politicians, socialites, home body friends. "None of them knew each other,” recalled Raju. “It was quite intense but once they had the meal, it got them talking. They all eventually became friends. It was proof that food breaks down the barriers we normally have.” The progressive private dining concept may have been too early for its time in Bengalore; still, he soldiered on and continued with his experiments.

Two years later, he met Johnson Ebenezer. He was working in a hotel in Chennai where Raju’s former general manager (his family owns Radisson Blu in Bengalore) was employed. He came for a visit, went to the kitchen, and saw Heston’s molecular powders on the shelf. Instantly, Kaushik knew that the chef spoke his kind of language. However, Johnson just signed on to do Nadodi, a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. The two promised to keep in touch.

In 2019, chef Ebenezer called to tell him that he was ready to go back to India. He came over and together continued what Kaushik had already started, under the name Lore. Unfortunately, the global pandemic hit, which forced to them to move to Raju family’s farm. This then consequently evolved and became the popular portmanteau Farmlore, a restaurant that thrives on a healthy patch of land that produces close to 70% of their ingredients, practices sustainability, celebrates regional flavors, and tells delicious stories through its menu that relies on wood-fired ovens (it’s a gas-free kitchen!) and traditional cooking techniques.

What Farmlore provides isn’t just a filling meal but an immersive experience, starting the journey with a tour of the farm. A relaxing stroll through lush mango and coconut groves, then introducing guests to their solar-powered hydroponic system and a vertical farm of lettuces and fresh greens to maximize growing space. They even get to meet their Hallikar cows and pass through a patch of flowers and herbs before being led to their seats where the chefs get to lay down a monthly menu largely driven by the onsite farm.

There’s the Kadambam which is a mix of seasonal tubers in varying textures, along with fresh greens, danger chutney and Devanahalli chakota; Rameshwaram lobster with moringa, cashews and coconut; snails cooked all the way through served with kadappa sauce made with lentils; red mullet fillet with lush greens (two types of spinach) with a relish of green tomatoes and pickled gooseberries; and aged duck cooked with spices and a sauce made of berries and beetroot.

It’s a well-thought-out menu that’s been attracting not just tourists, but also locals from different Indian states to drop by Bengalore just to experience what Farmlore has to offer. Luckily, those who did were rewarded not just with a satisfying dinner but a dining experience to remember.