Friday, May 11, 2007

Pune Times - Foodie Article- The world’s on your plate

here is 1 article in Pune Times dated 11th may, I found interesting from foodie perspective.
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JUFUvMjAwNy8wNS8xMSNBcjA0MDAx&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

A journey through Pune manifests a range of culinary delights. And, yes, we are not talking about obvious fare here. One does come across Indian cuisine, and Chinese or Thai have a serious presence as well. But, if one were to look beyond such cuisines, one can see that Indonesian, Malaysian, Japanese, Greek, and Italian delicacies are clicking in a big way as well. Today, popular food festivals have all kinds of thematic delights, and look way beyond Lucknowi or Kashmiri food. A Sushi festival also does equally well. The taste of foodies in the city is fast developing, and they know what they want. "It's not like before. When customers come to the restaurant, they know exactly what they want to order," says Cookie Singh of Toscana, an Italian restaurant. Various restaurants that specialise in different types of international cuisine have made their way into the city. Le Pizzeria continues to be a favourite for Italian cuisine. Then there is La Dolce Vita, where celebrities both from Pune and Mumbai dine regularly. Asia specialises in South-East Asian food and is another popular hang-out. Then, there is Mad House Grill, which specialises in Irani food (Irani Food???- what was the writer thinking ?). Greek magic is served at Galaxy Grill in Aundh. There is The Ship at Kalyani Nagar. And, then there are the regular Chinese restaurants, with Mainland China continuing to be the biggest hit. Even Mainland China is coming up with a number of branches all over Pune. There are the smaller joints like Thai House in Camp. US chains like McDonald's, Domino's and Pizza Hut have their usual clientele. R Chauhan, manager of Mainland China, explains, "Today, the city is expanding and the average income of people is also increasing. They want variety which is what we are endeavouring to provide," he says. Chinese food has always been popular in the city, but new methods are being adopted to woo customers. "It can't just be the usual. For instance, we did a special festival in this Year of Pig in the Chinese calendar," says Chauhan. Today, more and more Puneites are going abroad, which explains why the culinary habits are undergoing a transformation. "I was away in Italy on a company project for three years. Some colleagues from there came to meet me last week. They loved the Italian food in Pune," says Jitesh Agrawal, an executive working for a top MNC. Following the corporate boom, there has been a considerable rise in the number of foreigners, leading to an increase in demand for world cuisine. "It's good to get some nice Continental food near my office," says Ronald Cruz, a French national. Restaurants specialising in world cuisine are taking off in localities like Kalyani Nagar, which houses some of the leading international companies like HSBC and Ventura. Even the average Puneite likes to savour unique cuisine. "Preparations have different flavours, and the sauces used are different as well. It's light on the stomach," says Kamini Jaiswal, who loves Greek food. Her personal favourite is Taramosalata, a dish made out of fish roe mixed with boiled potatoes and moistened breadcrumbs. Some restaurants attempt to give a complete feel of the country whose cuisine they specialise in. Gauri Naikanavre of Galaxy Grill explains why. "It is a conscious effort from our side to do that. People love it that much more." These restaurants also import spices and other ingredients. "It is important so that the flavour is intact and authenticity is there. Today, the people are very aware about what they are ordering," says Gauri. Be it the caffe macchiato or the traditional pasta, Italian food with its select toppings has always been popular. That includes Nasi Pecel Rice served with cooked vegetables and peanut sauce, and Opor Ayam Chicken cooked in coconut milk. To cater to the varied tastes, fivestar hotels have been organising European buffets regularly. "It's very popular in the hotel, and not just with the foreigners who are there but with Indians as well," says Jaswinder Narang of Le Meridien. Indeed, there is a huge demand for organising international food festivals. The five-stars spice it up by having European bands like Le Meridien does, or Filippino singers who are brought to the city by Hotel Pride. As international cuisine is catching on, so is European wine that goes down very well with such delicacies. Niche wine, like sparkling wine, is gaining popularity, so much so that Venky's Rock is now thinking of importing it. Various wine testing festivals are regularly organised, and they have fabulous turnouts. Wine experts from all over the globe come over, and interact with people. Wine lunches and dinners comprising international cuisines and quality wines are organised regularly. Now that the food scene is so bright, where are you going today?

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