while the menu was very refreshing - i am a kannadiga and i was nostalgic looking at the menu, i had rarely seen these items in restaurants in bangalore - the food was not up to the mark. the ingredients were all right, very traditional and conventional, but the spice balance and the flavour was off. the maddur vade lacked in savouriness, the coconut chutney and the peanut powder (chutney pudi) lacked any punch whatsoever. on the other hand, the yenne badnekayi lit up a fire in my throat and below the following day as well. i mean, yes it's known for its fieriness, but the dish really made a point of it. the hesarabele kosambri (loosely translatable to moong dal salad) was pretty good. the beer was fresh, but 5 out of 6 of them were more on the bitter side.
a better, but more expensive alternative to highly authentic gourmet south indian food is dakshin by itc. oota, like itc dakshin or like rajdhani, would also be served well by curating a set menu of several well-balanced dishes. this could please all kinds of palates, both those looking for an authentic experience and those looking to explore a new cuisine.
the service and the ambience were pretty good. no complaints there.