At FarmLore, a farm-to-table dining experience in Bengaluru, there is a certain authenticity about the experience that awaits.

At the fringes of this project, lies a dream by three chefs to bring a twist to modern dining by integrating a ‘back to one’s roots’ concept.

One of them is Johnson Ebenezer — a chef from Chennai who has been a part of many Michelin-star restaurants.

He was joined by Mythrayie Iyer and Avinash Vishaal, both of whom have also worked at Michelin-star restaurants during their career spans.

A common ideology united the three to create something that hadn’t been done before.

The 37-acre plot is a lush farm filled with seasonal trees, and herbs and vegetables.

“We grow five different varieties of mangoes,” points out Johnson, adding that they also have coconut, papaya and banana trees. “There is also vertical farming setup for growing cauliflowers, carrots, onions, garlic, etc.”

Organic gardening is the norm at FarmLore as is seasonality.

“We don’t force anything to grow. We work with seasons around this part of the land,” says Johnson, adding that 60 percent of the ingredients that go into the food are sourced from their organic garden.

Apart from the lush surroundings, ‘Hydrolore’, their hydroponic segment also captures the attention of their guests.

Lettuce, bell peppers, tomatoes, bok choy, strawberries, English cucumbers, Chinese cabbage, and knolkhol are grown in the hydroponics setup.

The ‘Minimum Costing Self-Sustaining Hydroponic System’ utilises wet waste from the farm along with cocopeat and soil. The hydroponics setup works along with a self-sustaining solar panel system that is powered by 12 kW panels.

Meanwhile, the produce from the farm finds its way into the delights that are served to the guests.

Everything is cooked on a woodfire, says Johnson, adding that the menus change every week. And guests are treated to delicacies, both traditional and modern fusion.

Sharing the journey of how FarmLore found its place in Bengaluru’s dining scene, Johnson says it all started with a feeling of disconnect.

After 25 years of working as a chef, Johnson knew he wanted to explore the culinary world in much more depth than he’d done.

While initially, the plan was to get a restaurant in the centre of Bengaluru, Johnson says it was around the same time that COVID struck and they had to rethink their plan.

“Kaushik’s ancestral farm was vacant, and we agreed that opening a restaurant inside the farm would be a great idea. That’s where the name comes from,” he shares.