Its been really so long since I updated the blog. Matter of fact, the complete 2008 went away without any updates. Blame it on work, or laziness or plain losing of novelty value of blogging. Perhaps, I am not one of those creatures who like to share so much.
Now, its not like I have stopped venturing outside to eat, it's that I simply lost interest. But, yeah, reduced going outside as well..you know, recession fears, etc.!! Also, I joined an orkut forum " Pune Eats Out" or PEO as its is fondly called. It provides restaurant reviews from all parts of Pune. Very informative, and it subdued my urge to write as well. But, now that urge is back again, so lets see how long it continues.
So, back to business..let me see how many restaurants I can count and remember as well from last one odd year. I am not going to put in reviews of franchisees or chain of restaurants simply because, I believe, the taste is uniform and same and they don't offer any thing unique. So, in spite of having visited McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, Dominos a number of times and Papa John's, Subway more than once, I am not putting them here.
100 Biryanis (Katraj)
With about 15 biryanis on menu, they should seriously consider renaming their place. And with Chinese Biryani (??!!) on the card, who thinks it may have been anything different than a Fried Rice. So, we dared not try it and stuck to standard stuff. Though Luckhnavi Chicken Biryani (Rs 160) and Hyderbadi veg Biryani, (Rs 140), which we tried were good but I guess, standard. Overall, the menu is pretty limited but food is ok. Seating is spacious. In the same vicinity, there is a bar, so drinks menu is pretty varied with lots of choices.
Supreme Corner Paav Bhaji (JM Road)
50 minutes of waiting starting at 8.30 on a mid-week Tuesday, 5 minutes after placing order and 20 minutes for the dinner to finish. I can safely say I have never bothered to wait 50 minutes at any restaurant. For Supreme, I had made an exception..and Belive me, it was worth it. During all my stay in Mumbai/Pune, I have not tasted a better paav-bhaji. Probably, the right combination of spices and vegetables, probably a huge dollops of butter in the bhaji to give is a smooth consistency, or may be , it was slightly spicier than the ones I have tasted..but it was simply superb. Prrof : I had 7 paavs that evening..just could stop pushing it down..!!! At Rs 60 for a plate and Rs 15 for additional paav, it looks slightly expensive but scores much ahead than the regular joints. There are pulavs and pizzas as well..which looked pretty much in demand, though did not have an opportunity to taste them.
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Dorabjee's and more
There are few included in this review but the highlight has to be Dorabjee's.
visited Wazwaan, Baner Road, mentioned in my Baner Restaurant reviews.
I will keep this one short. This place is situated at Prime Rose Mall.
The place is elegant enough with table-chair seating as well as the Ground seating. Dast-a-khaan, is what I belive it is called. Decor is ok. The menu has options of kashmiri, chinese and some punjabi and south indian cuisines, both veg and non-veg.
Ordered Paneer Chaman and Dal Fry along with Rotis. Dont know what was wrong with Paneer Chaman. It was too salty and too much methi (Fenugreek). Finally had to give up the gravy and eat only paneer. Dal was ok, as it is at usual places. haven't tried Non-veg over here. And have not mustered up courage to visit again. Although, would like to try, but only Kashmiri delicacies since rest of the cuisines may be the usual available elsewhere.
Meal for 2 : Rs. 250
Skips, Aundh
A smallish shack joint in Aundh, next to Natekar Sports, Opp Symphony. Went on a Saturday afternoon and was deserted. Has options of Sandwiches and burgers which are different than usual stuff. Ordered Garden Chicken Burger(Rs. 60) and Ginger Lemonade (Rs. 20). Burger consisted of Grilled vegetables (onion, capsicum,tomatos, potatos) along with mayonnaise and cheese slice and a grilled chicken patty. All this made the burger about 4 inches high !
As mentioned, the burger was different than the usual Mcdonald's. The grilled vegetables were a nice touch and the chicken patty was soft and smoked. The ginger lemonade refreshing in a hot afternoon. Would like to visit again, but it is not for a typical family outing kind of place. More of a student/bachelor kindda place for a lazy afternoon brunch.
Punjabi Tadka, Chandani Chowk
This is a recently opened joint at the Chandani Chowk, next to Banjara Hills. The entrance to the place is rather small, with looks of a dhaba inside. The seating is mostly ground with mattresses and pillows and masnads. But, not rural. Contemporary. The waiters dressed in a typical yellow punjabi suit. Saw some hookahs as well. We had gone in the afternoon it was completely empty. We had doubts if they are opne but the maitre promised us fast service and authentic food. So, we sat down. We ordered Half Butter Chicken (Rs 145) and on server's recommendation, Punjabi Paneer (Rs. 80) and some Naans, Rotis, Missi and Makki Rotis.
Meanwhile, relaxed on the mattresses, stretched out with a lazy manner, listening to the music of Punjabi dhols. Order came in about 15 mins. The Butter Chicken was NoT boneless as suggested by the maitrte and it was great. Not too much sweet and not too oily. the masalas just in right combination, subtle and not overpowering. the Punjabi Paneer was also similar, subtle and not overpowering spicy. And have to admit, the Missi Roti and makki Roti were exceptional. The Maite mentioned the cooks and chefs were from punjab only, the recipes authentically rustic and they serve only punjabi food, no chinese/south indian stuff, to maintain exclusivity. The food was defintely much better than the typical Punjabi food you get in restaurants in Pune. Would definetly like to try other dishes as well. in all, a rather unique experience for a lazy lunch.
Meal for 4 came to Rs. 350.
Dorabjee's, Camp
I usually try to sample different places and not repeat. With Dorabjee, I had to make an exception. Wisited twice, in a span of 8 days. This place, located in Camp, is one of the ancient Parsee eating joints and people of Pune would swear by its food. Now, i know why. It a rather colonial looking place, ceramic tiles till the ceiling, tilted tin sheets for roof, mosaic flooring and a simple table-chair combination. And yes, i think there is this separate dining areas as Family room and Others. Quaint and adoring.
The menu is rather simple with limited dishes. I would strictly advise for vegetarians not to visit this place. But, the place is heaven for mutton lovers, which unfortunately , I am not. There are limited chicken dishes, lot of mutton dishes, Biryani and Parsi special- Dhansak, which is served only on Sunday afternoon- and the reason for my second outing. Anyway, on the first time, since Dhansak was available only on Sunday, ordered Chicken Salli and 3 chapatis. The food was served in less than 2 minutes- super efficient service I must say. A big bowl, with 2 gigantic pieces of chicken with chapatis and a small bowl of friend potatoes - match sticks which is Salli. Looking at the quantity of chicken, I wondered whether i would be able to finish it. It was definetly twice the amount you would get in a typical restaurant. And the food it itself, simple and delicious. The great thing about the chicken was, even with huge pieces, the chicken was tender and well cooked, the gravy, subtle and tasty, though I would be careful with the fat. Again, I think, it is the balance of various masalas and its authenticity that gives Dorabjee's, it reputation. Even after consuming 3 chapatis, there is still some chicken left on the plate.
Chicken Dhansak - served alongwith brown rice- on the other hand is in a different class of cuisine in itself. Dhansak, if you google it, is mainly made from Toor Dal, and there is a lot of prepration that goes into making the Dhansak masala. Add a tang of lemon joice and voila- an surpassable taste. Although, i must admit the quantity of rice is rather less, so order a couple of chapatis before, but be careful, the quantity of chicken makes up for smaller portion of rice. The Dhansak, I guess, is one of the unique dishes of India.
As I mentioned earlier, after the Dhansak, the Biryanis are the most favoured dishes at Dorabjee's. Also, you have cutlets, egg curry, chicken with eggs and many more mutton dishes.
And if you would have noticed on my blog, I usually dont favour sweet dishes after the meal. Here, I made an exception- Custard, both the times (Rs.20). Now, its not the usual semi-liquid, along with fruits at Dorabjee's. Here its a chunk of yellow solid custard, much like a sponge cake, with sugar syrup and caramalised top. Unbelievable. You have to taste it. Google for laganu-nu-custard to check out the recipe.
So, dont forget to visit Dorabjee's for a unique experience right in the heart of the city. I'll advice a lunch rather than a dinner, especially if you plan on a weekend and not sharing your meal.
Cost of single meal be apx Rs. 100.
Update : 30-Mar-09 : There have been many queries on location of Dorabjee's and Sons. I cant point out exact location since I am not well versed with the by-lanes. But, its not the Dorabjee's Super Market opp the Kakade Mall.
Its on back side, Nr Sharbatwala Chowk. You can ask for directions when you reach there. Search on Wikimapia for Sharbatwala Chowk.
visited Wazwaan, Baner Road, mentioned in my Baner Restaurant reviews.
I will keep this one short. This place is situated at Prime Rose Mall.
The place is elegant enough with table-chair seating as well as the Ground seating. Dast-a-khaan, is what I belive it is called. Decor is ok. The menu has options of kashmiri, chinese and some punjabi and south indian cuisines, both veg and non-veg.
Ordered Paneer Chaman and Dal Fry along with Rotis. Dont know what was wrong with Paneer Chaman. It was too salty and too much methi (Fenugreek). Finally had to give up the gravy and eat only paneer. Dal was ok, as it is at usual places. haven't tried Non-veg over here. And have not mustered up courage to visit again. Although, would like to try, but only Kashmiri delicacies since rest of the cuisines may be the usual available elsewhere.
Meal for 2 : Rs. 250
Skips, Aundh
A smallish shack joint in Aundh, next to Natekar Sports, Opp Symphony. Went on a Saturday afternoon and was deserted. Has options of Sandwiches and burgers which are different than usual stuff. Ordered Garden Chicken Burger(Rs. 60) and Ginger Lemonade (Rs. 20). Burger consisted of Grilled vegetables (onion, capsicum,tomatos, potatos) along with mayonnaise and cheese slice and a grilled chicken patty. All this made the burger about 4 inches high !
As mentioned, the burger was different than the usual Mcdonald's. The grilled vegetables were a nice touch and the chicken patty was soft and smoked. The ginger lemonade refreshing in a hot afternoon. Would like to visit again, but it is not for a typical family outing kind of place. More of a student/bachelor kindda place for a lazy afternoon brunch.
Punjabi Tadka, Chandani Chowk
This is a recently opened joint at the Chandani Chowk, next to Banjara Hills. The entrance to the place is rather small, with looks of a dhaba inside. The seating is mostly ground with mattresses and pillows and masnads. But, not rural. Contemporary. The waiters dressed in a typical yellow punjabi suit. Saw some hookahs as well. We had gone in the afternoon it was completely empty. We had doubts if they are opne but the maitre promised us fast service and authentic food. So, we sat down. We ordered Half Butter Chicken (Rs 145) and on server's recommendation, Punjabi Paneer (Rs. 80) and some Naans, Rotis, Missi and Makki Rotis.
Meanwhile, relaxed on the mattresses, stretched out with a lazy manner, listening to the music of Punjabi dhols. Order came in about 15 mins. The Butter Chicken was NoT boneless as suggested by the maitrte and it was great. Not too much sweet and not too oily. the masalas just in right combination, subtle and not overpowering. the Punjabi Paneer was also similar, subtle and not overpowering spicy. And have to admit, the Missi Roti and makki Roti were exceptional. The Maite mentioned the cooks and chefs were from punjab only, the recipes authentically rustic and they serve only punjabi food, no chinese/south indian stuff, to maintain exclusivity. The food was defintely much better than the typical Punjabi food you get in restaurants in Pune. Would definetly like to try other dishes as well. in all, a rather unique experience for a lazy lunch.
Meal for 4 came to Rs. 350.
Dorabjee's, Camp
I usually try to sample different places and not repeat. With Dorabjee, I had to make an exception. Wisited twice, in a span of 8 days. This place, located in Camp, is one of the ancient Parsee eating joints and people of Pune would swear by its food. Now, i know why. It a rather colonial looking place, ceramic tiles till the ceiling, tilted tin sheets for roof, mosaic flooring and a simple table-chair combination. And yes, i think there is this separate dining areas as Family room and Others. Quaint and adoring.
The menu is rather simple with limited dishes. I would strictly advise for vegetarians not to visit this place. But, the place is heaven for mutton lovers, which unfortunately , I am not. There are limited chicken dishes, lot of mutton dishes, Biryani and Parsi special- Dhansak, which is served only on Sunday afternoon- and the reason for my second outing. Anyway, on the first time, since Dhansak was available only on Sunday, ordered Chicken Salli and 3 chapatis. The food was served in less than 2 minutes- super efficient service I must say. A big bowl, with 2 gigantic pieces of chicken with chapatis and a small bowl of friend potatoes - match sticks which is Salli. Looking at the quantity of chicken, I wondered whether i would be able to finish it. It was definetly twice the amount you would get in a typical restaurant. And the food it itself, simple and delicious. The great thing about the chicken was, even with huge pieces, the chicken was tender and well cooked, the gravy, subtle and tasty, though I would be careful with the fat. Again, I think, it is the balance of various masalas and its authenticity that gives Dorabjee's, it reputation. Even after consuming 3 chapatis, there is still some chicken left on the plate.
Chicken Dhansak - served alongwith brown rice- on the other hand is in a different class of cuisine in itself. Dhansak, if you google it, is mainly made from Toor Dal, and there is a lot of prepration that goes into making the Dhansak masala. Add a tang of lemon joice and voila- an surpassable taste. Although, i must admit the quantity of rice is rather less, so order a couple of chapatis before, but be careful, the quantity of chicken makes up for smaller portion of rice. The Dhansak, I guess, is one of the unique dishes of India.
As I mentioned earlier, after the Dhansak, the Biryanis are the most favoured dishes at Dorabjee's. Also, you have cutlets, egg curry, chicken with eggs and many more mutton dishes.
And if you would have noticed on my blog, I usually dont favour sweet dishes after the meal. Here, I made an exception- Custard, both the times (Rs.20). Now, its not the usual semi-liquid, along with fruits at Dorabjee's. Here its a chunk of yellow solid custard, much like a sponge cake, with sugar syrup and caramalised top. Unbelievable. You have to taste it. Google for laganu-nu-custard to check out the recipe.
So, dont forget to visit Dorabjee's for a unique experience right in the heart of the city. I'll advice a lunch rather than a dinner, especially if you plan on a weekend and not sharing your meal.
Cost of single meal be apx Rs. 100.
Update : 30-Mar-09 : There have been many queries on location of Dorabjee's and Sons. I cant point out exact location since I am not well versed with the by-lanes. But, its not the Dorabjee's Super Market opp the Kakade Mall.
Its on back side, Nr Sharbatwala Chowk. You can ask for directions when you reach there. Search on Wikimapia for Sharbatwala Chowk.
Location:
Dorabjee & Sons Restaurant
845, Dastur Meher Road,
Sharbatwala Chowk,
Pune, 411001
Friday, August 24, 2007
OFFBEAT- Fine Dining Lounge - Opp Karishma Hsg. Soc., Kothrud
Ph : 25454772/66201022
Work Pressure. Thats one reason I can point out for the delay again. Instead of weekly updates, my blog is becoming a monthly update. Also, have not been able to venture out much during this season. But, enough talk. Back to business.
If you pick-up Pune Westside Plus on Friday, you will usually see the advt of this place. Google it and you will find an article mentioning that the owner of this place is a Sandeep Lele, an ex- Infy employee.
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=240211
So, this really had me ticking to visit the place since I kindda share the same background.
It is located at Kothrud, Opp Karsishma Housing Soc., on 1st Floor, above a shoe store. You cannot miss the decoration lights.
As usual, on a weekend, I decided to move in early than the ususal dinner time to avoid the rush. The place is smallish, with Japanese sitting blocks and the usual Table chairs as well. Different and definetly pleasant. Now, this is not usual Punjabi/Chinese/Italian joint. The menu card holds a variety of options including Lebanese, Italian, Thai, French and Malayasian in addition to Indian and Chinese. But remember, firstly, the options are limited from each cuisine and secondly, they are unique. I mean, even from Indian and Chinese cuisine, some dishes I had never heard off, let alone tasted.
So, for starters, I ordered Falafel in Pita Bread (Rs. 140) and went ahead with studying the menu and ambience of the restaurant.The menu has been selected carefully and the restaurant interiors tastefully done. There is also a projector for viewing cricket matches if any going on. By now, the place was getting almost full and I could see people who were there before us fretting that their order has not arrived. So, taking precautions, I decided to go ahead with ordering the main course. So. ordered Veg Lasagne Verdure (Rs.170), came along with Garlic Bread and Chicken Calabrese (Rs. 190), chicken breast stuffed with spinach in white sauce, along with rice and Garlic bread.
By now, the restaurant was packed and the usual weekend waiting queue begining to form.Thankfully, the starters arrived. Round tikkis of Falafels resting in a white casing of Pita bread. Now, I know Falafel is made of channa, but since I had never tasted it and hence ordered it, I did not know what to expect. But, the first bite itself took by surprise. It was as if I was munching overnight soaked chana. It was served with curd, but it made no difference. The taste remained rather bland. Added some salt and pepper to get some taste. No spice at all. (Later, i googled for the recipe, and as it turns out from the ingredients, it needs to be bland). Not sure if i will like to try again. Somehow, finished the Falafels and then waited patiently for the main course.
The Lasagne arrived first. A quarter of a circle with many layers of lasagne sheets, vegetables, cheese and tomato sauce along with 3 pieces of garlic bread. It was beautifully presented and the very soft and chunky in texture. Colorful, subtle in taste and it literally melted in mouth.The vegetables were relatively well done and the flavour not overpowered by herbs, sauce or cheese.
Soon after, the Chicken Calabrese arrived as well. As mentioned, chicken breast stuffed with spinach and herbs in white sauce. Again, presented in a charming manner. The chicken was well done, soft and tender, white sauce providing contrasting flavour to the chicken filling. Went well with the garlic bread although I found the rice unneccesary. The chicken in itself was satisfying and the sauce not sufficient for the rice.
So, overall, the only disappointing factor I found was the service. The attendants and servers were well dressed and courteous, decor and sitting arrangement elegant, food is fine and presentation is top class. I mean, when the lasagne arrived, we discussed whether to eat and spoil its presentation or just admire. !! The only problem was the delay in service. It is a smallish place and perhaps the kitchen is spread too thin with the variety of cuisine offered. So, time your visit carefully, especially on a weekend.
Dent to the wallet : Most of the dishes are in range Rs. 150-250. So a decent meal for 2 should be in achievable in Rs. 500-600.
Work Pressure. Thats one reason I can point out for the delay again. Instead of weekly updates, my blog is becoming a monthly update. Also, have not been able to venture out much during this season. But, enough talk. Back to business.
If you pick-up Pune Westside Plus on Friday, you will usually see the advt of this place. Google it and you will find an article mentioning that the owner of this place is a Sandeep Lele, an ex- Infy employee.
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=240211
So, this really had me ticking to visit the place since I kindda share the same background.
It is located at Kothrud, Opp Karsishma Housing Soc., on 1st Floor, above a shoe store. You cannot miss the decoration lights.
As usual, on a weekend, I decided to move in early than the ususal dinner time to avoid the rush. The place is smallish, with Japanese sitting blocks and the usual Table chairs as well. Different and definetly pleasant. Now, this is not usual Punjabi/Chinese/Italian joint. The menu card holds a variety of options including Lebanese, Italian, Thai, French and Malayasian in addition to Indian and Chinese. But remember, firstly, the options are limited from each cuisine and secondly, they are unique. I mean, even from Indian and Chinese cuisine, some dishes I had never heard off, let alone tasted.
So, for starters, I ordered Falafel in Pita Bread (Rs. 140) and went ahead with studying the menu and ambience of the restaurant.The menu has been selected carefully and the restaurant interiors tastefully done. There is also a projector for viewing cricket matches if any going on. By now, the place was getting almost full and I could see people who were there before us fretting that their order has not arrived. So, taking precautions, I decided to go ahead with ordering the main course. So. ordered Veg Lasagne Verdure (Rs.170), came along with Garlic Bread and Chicken Calabrese (Rs. 190), chicken breast stuffed with spinach in white sauce, along with rice and Garlic bread.
By now, the restaurant was packed and the usual weekend waiting queue begining to form.Thankfully, the starters arrived. Round tikkis of Falafels resting in a white casing of Pita bread. Now, I know Falafel is made of channa, but since I had never tasted it and hence ordered it, I did not know what to expect. But, the first bite itself took by surprise. It was as if I was munching overnight soaked chana. It was served with curd, but it made no difference. The taste remained rather bland. Added some salt and pepper to get some taste. No spice at all. (Later, i googled for the recipe, and as it turns out from the ingredients, it needs to be bland). Not sure if i will like to try again. Somehow, finished the Falafels and then waited patiently for the main course.
The Lasagne arrived first. A quarter of a circle with many layers of lasagne sheets, vegetables, cheese and tomato sauce along with 3 pieces of garlic bread. It was beautifully presented and the very soft and chunky in texture. Colorful, subtle in taste and it literally melted in mouth.The vegetables were relatively well done and the flavour not overpowered by herbs, sauce or cheese.
Soon after, the Chicken Calabrese arrived as well. As mentioned, chicken breast stuffed with spinach and herbs in white sauce. Again, presented in a charming manner. The chicken was well done, soft and tender, white sauce providing contrasting flavour to the chicken filling. Went well with the garlic bread although I found the rice unneccesary. The chicken in itself was satisfying and the sauce not sufficient for the rice.
So, overall, the only disappointing factor I found was the service. The attendants and servers were well dressed and courteous, decor and sitting arrangement elegant, food is fine and presentation is top class. I mean, when the lasagne arrived, we discussed whether to eat and spoil its presentation or just admire. !! The only problem was the delay in service. It is a smallish place and perhaps the kitchen is spread too thin with the variety of cuisine offered. So, time your visit carefully, especially on a weekend.
Dent to the wallet : Most of the dishes are in range Rs. 150-250. So a decent meal for 2 should be in achievable in Rs. 500-600.
Friday, July 13, 2007
The Northern Frontier (Opp. Dass, Nagar Road)
Ph : 65619300, 65619301
A large number of hits on this blog have been by the people looking for information on some restaurants mentioned in Times Foodie articles below, namely Sigree, Toscana, Saat Handi, etc and ..The Northern Frontier.So, decided to use the opportunity of a celebration to checkout this restaurant.
Situated on Nagar Rd, apx 2 Kms from Yerwada Bridge, keep looking on the left lest you miss it. On the other side of the road, there is DASS Store.The seating is inside as well outside, but since it was raining heavily, so decided to use the indoors. Since it was a weekend, so had called up and booked in advance. Good decision, since it was packed by 9 PM. The decor is simple, ambience peaceful and the interiors spacious. The woodwork looked authentic and the lighting was adequate, though I hope, they should have instantaneous power backup, going by the power failure routine in Pune. !
Since, our party was a mix of veg and non-veg, hence decided to try both. So for starters, ordered Paneer Achari Tikka and Chicken Kori Kabab along with sweet lime soda, since soups were rather limited in the menu. Both dishes arrived in some time and both were great. The Achari Tikka, tangy and delectable with soft cubes of paneer, and slices of capsicum,onions and tomato. The Chicken Kabab, on the other hand, nicely marinated, soft and juicy chunks of chicken, with a smokey aroma were nicely done. Great way to start the evening. !
For the main course, decided to go along with Paneer Birbali and the typical Dal Fry. For the Non-Veg , we were vacillating between Chicken Yakhani and Chicken-Wazwan Style, but finally went ahead with Chicken Wazwan.Also, ordered some Naans, Kulchas and Ajwain Rotis.
The main course arrived in due time. We were curious what would paneer birbali and chicken wazwan be like since we had never tried before. Paneer Birbali, although I never got around taste much, was something like spinanch and some other leafy vegetables stuffed between slabs of paneer in a yellow (probably, besan) and red gravy. Personally, I did not enjoy it, but probably thats because I was gorging myself on Chicken Wazwan. But, other in my party were satisfied, if not entirely swept off.
Coming to Chicken Wazwan, big chunks of juicy chicken in a saffron based thin and rich gravy. The taste was rather subtle, I tried separating the different tastes of masalas but was unable to. The taste and aroma of Saffron was too overpowering. Also, we felt the salt was a bit less, but that was ok. We did not want to destroy the authentic taste. And it was nothing like I have ever tasted before. The gravy was thin but great to taste. The chicken pieces, succulent and soft and sufficient in numbers. The Dal Fry was the usual, but thick and well tempered and had an authentic taste.The Kulchas, Naans and Ajwain Roti went well along with them.
By the time we were finished with the Rotis, we were nearly full. But, I had to give a try to the Chicken Biryani. With much pursuasion to my partner for non-veg, we ordered it. Again, big chunks of chicken, juicy, soft and well done arrived shortly. But, in reality, we did not have any space left. But, it was too tempting to let go. So, by the end of it, we were just having chicken, leaving the rice almost untouched. But, it again went well with the Wazwan gravy. Finally, we rested our forks and spoons and said, "Enough". And of course, we did not have any corners left to try the desserts.
To sum up then, a truly enjoyable evening. The service was prompt and couteous. If The Norther Frontier is on a list of recommended restaurants, its not with out a reason. I would love to visit them again, but I would prefer to keep its taste exclusive for certain occasions, rather than get used to it.Costwise, the main course dishes are about Rs. 130-150, starters about 80-100. in all, a decent meal for 2 would be well covered in Rs. 500-600.
Dont forget to book a table in advance.
A large number of hits on this blog have been by the people looking for information on some restaurants mentioned in Times Foodie articles below, namely Sigree, Toscana, Saat Handi, etc and ..The Northern Frontier.So, decided to use the opportunity of a celebration to checkout this restaurant.
Situated on Nagar Rd, apx 2 Kms from Yerwada Bridge, keep looking on the left lest you miss it. On the other side of the road, there is DASS Store.The seating is inside as well outside, but since it was raining heavily, so decided to use the indoors. Since it was a weekend, so had called up and booked in advance. Good decision, since it was packed by 9 PM. The decor is simple, ambience peaceful and the interiors spacious. The woodwork looked authentic and the lighting was adequate, though I hope, they should have instantaneous power backup, going by the power failure routine in Pune. !
Since, our party was a mix of veg and non-veg, hence decided to try both. So for starters, ordered Paneer Achari Tikka and Chicken Kori Kabab along with sweet lime soda, since soups were rather limited in the menu. Both dishes arrived in some time and both were great. The Achari Tikka, tangy and delectable with soft cubes of paneer, and slices of capsicum,onions and tomato. The Chicken Kabab, on the other hand, nicely marinated, soft and juicy chunks of chicken, with a smokey aroma were nicely done. Great way to start the evening. !
For the main course, decided to go along with Paneer Birbali and the typical Dal Fry. For the Non-Veg , we were vacillating between Chicken Yakhani and Chicken-Wazwan Style, but finally went ahead with Chicken Wazwan.Also, ordered some Naans, Kulchas and Ajwain Rotis.
The main course arrived in due time. We were curious what would paneer birbali and chicken wazwan be like since we had never tried before. Paneer Birbali, although I never got around taste much, was something like spinanch and some other leafy vegetables stuffed between slabs of paneer in a yellow (probably, besan) and red gravy. Personally, I did not enjoy it, but probably thats because I was gorging myself on Chicken Wazwan. But, other in my party were satisfied, if not entirely swept off.
Coming to Chicken Wazwan, big chunks of juicy chicken in a saffron based thin and rich gravy. The taste was rather subtle, I tried separating the different tastes of masalas but was unable to. The taste and aroma of Saffron was too overpowering. Also, we felt the salt was a bit less, but that was ok. We did not want to destroy the authentic taste. And it was nothing like I have ever tasted before. The gravy was thin but great to taste. The chicken pieces, succulent and soft and sufficient in numbers. The Dal Fry was the usual, but thick and well tempered and had an authentic taste.The Kulchas, Naans and Ajwain Roti went well along with them.
By the time we were finished with the Rotis, we were nearly full. But, I had to give a try to the Chicken Biryani. With much pursuasion to my partner for non-veg, we ordered it. Again, big chunks of chicken, juicy, soft and well done arrived shortly. But, in reality, we did not have any space left. But, it was too tempting to let go. So, by the end of it, we were just having chicken, leaving the rice almost untouched. But, it again went well with the Wazwan gravy. Finally, we rested our forks and spoons and said, "Enough". And of course, we did not have any corners left to try the desserts.
To sum up then, a truly enjoyable evening. The service was prompt and couteous. If The Norther Frontier is on a list of recommended restaurants, its not with out a reason. I would love to visit them again, but I would prefer to keep its taste exclusive for certain occasions, rather than get used to it.Costwise, the main course dishes are about Rs. 130-150, starters about 80-100. in all, a decent meal for 2 would be well covered in Rs. 500-600.
Dont forget to book a table in advance.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Ram Krishna & Aloha Pure Veg Restaurants
It has been a busy month for me, so have not updated the blog. But, did manage to visit a few places in the past month. But since, I am not good at remembering what I ate 2 weeks to 1 month back back, I will keep the reviews short,crisp and simple.
Ram Krishna Restaurant (Opp Westend Theatre)
ph: 26363938, 26330724
This is one of the landmark places in the city for veg food lovers. Situated opposite Westend Theatre, next to Magnum Mall, the place is huge. I mean, the seating capacity would be close to 200 persons. And as usual, a huge waiting queue, especially on the weekends. The food is great, ambience lovely, service fast.menu is typically Punjabi, Chinese mix. What stands out is the quality and taste. Never too oily, and not too spicy. We ordered Paneer Pasanda, Dal Fry and some kind of mix vegetable, along with Tandoori Rotis and Naans. All of it was great. Must visit again.
And to top it all, very reasonable. A meal for 6 came to about 600, including a plate of hot Gulab Jamuns per head.!!
Aloha ( Senapati Bapat Road)
ph: 25663244, 65230784
This is one joint I have visited many times but failed to mention it in my review. Waiting for an oppurtune moment. But now, that moment has come and gone, since i dont remember much details of the last visit !.
This is a multi-cuisine, pure veg restaurant, located opposite and close to Chaturshringi Temple on SB Road. (I am told, Aloha means Hello in Hawai !). A much favoured joint, by mostly the IT junta located in the vicinity. But, beware of the limited parking in front of the place and tow-away areas near-by.
Personally, I visit the place mainly for their Mexican Food and Italian Pasta. The Mexican Enchiladas, Nachos with cheese sauce and Quesadilla are simply superb. I think, there is a Burritto Supreme also, but my memory fails me. In Pasta, though the option are limited, but Pasta in Bolognese sauce is always tempting. Though, I would avoid the option with Pesto Sauce. The option with Alfredo sauce is so-so, you can try it only if you have tasted it before somewhere and liked it.
One thing that I always recommend is the Tomamto Soup with Cilantro. I know its just a tomato soup, but it is refreshing here and different. Also try the Mexican Bean Soup, which is a bit spicy tomato soup with beans floating.
They also have menu choices of Sizzlers, Chinese, Salads, Pizza and of course, Indian. I did try some of it, something called Sham-Savera, a mix of two gravies, spinach and tomato, but seperate. So, even their Indian choices are decent.
Over all, I have always found the food great. Ambience is ok, nothing great. Service is a bit slow, though. But, all of it makes up for the food.
Costwise, The Pastas are in range of Rs. 130-150. Mexican dishes between 70-90. Indian between 60-90. So, a decent meal for 2 should be in a range of Rs. 300-400.
Ram Krishna Restaurant (Opp Westend Theatre)
ph: 26363938, 26330724
This is one of the landmark places in the city for veg food lovers. Situated opposite Westend Theatre, next to Magnum Mall, the place is huge. I mean, the seating capacity would be close to 200 persons. And as usual, a huge waiting queue, especially on the weekends. The food is great, ambience lovely, service fast.menu is typically Punjabi, Chinese mix. What stands out is the quality and taste. Never too oily, and not too spicy. We ordered Paneer Pasanda, Dal Fry and some kind of mix vegetable, along with Tandoori Rotis and Naans. All of it was great. Must visit again.
And to top it all, very reasonable. A meal for 6 came to about 600, including a plate of hot Gulab Jamuns per head.!!
Aloha ( Senapati Bapat Road)
ph: 25663244, 65230784
This is one joint I have visited many times but failed to mention it in my review. Waiting for an oppurtune moment. But now, that moment has come and gone, since i dont remember much details of the last visit !.
This is a multi-cuisine, pure veg restaurant, located opposite and close to Chaturshringi Temple on SB Road. (I am told, Aloha means Hello in Hawai !). A much favoured joint, by mostly the IT junta located in the vicinity. But, beware of the limited parking in front of the place and tow-away areas near-by.
Personally, I visit the place mainly for their Mexican Food and Italian Pasta. The Mexican Enchiladas, Nachos with cheese sauce and Quesadilla are simply superb. I think, there is a Burritto Supreme also, but my memory fails me. In Pasta, though the option are limited, but Pasta in Bolognese sauce is always tempting. Though, I would avoid the option with Pesto Sauce. The option with Alfredo sauce is so-so, you can try it only if you have tasted it before somewhere and liked it.
One thing that I always recommend is the Tomamto Soup with Cilantro. I know its just a tomato soup, but it is refreshing here and different. Also try the Mexican Bean Soup, which is a bit spicy tomato soup with beans floating.
They also have menu choices of Sizzlers, Chinese, Salads, Pizza and of course, Indian. I did try some of it, something called Sham-Savera, a mix of two gravies, spinach and tomato, but seperate. So, even their Indian choices are decent.
Over all, I have always found the food great. Ambience is ok, nothing great. Service is a bit slow, though. But, all of it makes up for the food.
Costwise, The Pastas are in range of Rs. 130-150. Mexican dishes between 70-90. Indian between 60-90. So, a decent meal for 2 should be in a range of Rs. 300-400.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Shabree - FC Road
ph: 25531511
I dont exactly remember when was the last time I had a Thali. Long time I guess..perhaps eight years back, when I was in college. Then, it was the need of a hungry stomach. Today it is the craving of a ravenous tongue. Shabree, located on FC Road, next to Manmeet, aims to satisfy both of these needs.
There is no menu card, just the brightly shining thalis with vaatis lined up. And they start as soon as you are seated, clock work precision. Each server knows its turn, twirling the 4-in-1 serving container, knowing what to serve. And before you know it, the thali is packed with goodies.
Here is what we got in our thalis, not in any particular they were served :
Sweet Gujrati Kadhi,
Typical Toor dal
Dahi Aloo
Chawli (Rajma/Lobia - similar to kidney beans)
Koshimbir(sweet mixed raita - tomatoes, onions, beetroot etc)
Pitle Bhaji - a spicy dish made of gram flour ,
Baigan Bharta
Chilli Pakora and some Dal vadis
Curd
2 types of chapatties - wheat and bhakri
2 types of rice - plain and pulao
Papad
2 pickles and 2 chutnies
Whew...Have I forgotton anything ? I hope not.. although I am sure the main dishes will vary with the day, but more or less, basic items would remain the same.
So, where do i begin ? Decided to bite into chilli pakora and dal vadis first. soft and spicy pakora and crunchy vadis. ok, time to take the plunge. Bhakri with chawli and kadhi. delecious combination of sweet and spicy. Tried Pitale Bhaji next, i have never tasted this before. Spicy. Baigan bharta, spicy. Ok, time out. give it a rest. Try toor dal, pretty ok, Dahi Aloo, ok. chutnies, tangy and spicy. koshimbir- sweet.Alright, time to restart..yes..spicy..but the amazing thing is, I cannot stop myself. It doesn't seem if we are eating at a restaurant. No added colour, no artificial presentation. Just plain simple delecious food.I almost half filled up just while sampling the different combination of served dishes. The kadhi gets over faster than anyother item, since i have to take a spoonful after every bite.
The servers materialize again, for the next round. Take some, leave some, no way I can repeat all. Take some more bhakris and kadhi, which are way too good to describe. Finally, have to force myself to stop feeding. Then, the rice and pulao appear. What ? Can I eat any more ?? But, hey , a few spponfuls will not do any harm right. Pualo and rice, served with spoonful of ghee ( Of course, you can refuse the ghee..!!), are good to taste, but thats about all I can do. Taste, not eat. Stuffed till the throat. Rising up and leaving the table would require help. Lossen the belt a notch or two.
I have already admitted, I belong to Northern part of India. So, I do not have a typical experience of home cooked maharashtrian food. But, I am sure, it would not be any different than this one. For a simple reason - the simplicity of the food itself which lends it the authenticity. My maharashtrians friends vouch for the same. I would go by their words as well.
The service is fast, ambience well lit, neat, clean and hygeinic. Although, the waiters were not dressed as peshwas, as I have read at some other places/blogs!
So, for a typical home cooked maharashtrian experience, different than the regular punjabi paneer/mix veg/kofta/kabab/tandoori roti routine, try Shabree. You won't come back disappointed, and definetly not hungry. Better still, skip the breakfast/lunch, if you planning to go for lunch/dinner. You will do more justice to the Thali !!.
Wallet dent : Costs you Rs 100 per Thali. I do not think you can share. And this one is for the Air-conditioned dining area. May be less for the non-A/c dining.
I dont exactly remember when was the last time I had a Thali. Long time I guess..perhaps eight years back, when I was in college. Then, it was the need of a hungry stomach. Today it is the craving of a ravenous tongue. Shabree, located on FC Road, next to Manmeet, aims to satisfy both of these needs.
There is no menu card, just the brightly shining thalis with vaatis lined up. And they start as soon as you are seated, clock work precision. Each server knows its turn, twirling the 4-in-1 serving container, knowing what to serve. And before you know it, the thali is packed with goodies.
Here is what we got in our thalis, not in any particular they were served :
Sweet Gujrati Kadhi,
Typical Toor dal
Dahi Aloo
Chawli (Rajma/Lobia - similar to kidney beans)
Koshimbir(sweet mixed raita - tomatoes, onions, beetroot etc)
Pitle Bhaji - a spicy dish made of gram flour ,
Baigan Bharta
Chilli Pakora and some Dal vadis
Curd
2 types of chapatties - wheat and bhakri
2 types of rice - plain and pulao
Papad
2 pickles and 2 chutnies
Whew...Have I forgotton anything ? I hope not.. although I am sure the main dishes will vary with the day, but more or less, basic items would remain the same.
So, where do i begin ? Decided to bite into chilli pakora and dal vadis first. soft and spicy pakora and crunchy vadis. ok, time to take the plunge. Bhakri with chawli and kadhi. delecious combination of sweet and spicy. Tried Pitale Bhaji next, i have never tasted this before. Spicy. Baigan bharta, spicy. Ok, time out. give it a rest. Try toor dal, pretty ok, Dahi Aloo, ok. chutnies, tangy and spicy. koshimbir- sweet.Alright, time to restart..yes..spicy..but the amazing thing is, I cannot stop myself. It doesn't seem if we are eating at a restaurant. No added colour, no artificial presentation. Just plain simple delecious food.I almost half filled up just while sampling the different combination of served dishes. The kadhi gets over faster than anyother item, since i have to take a spoonful after every bite.
The servers materialize again, for the next round. Take some, leave some, no way I can repeat all. Take some more bhakris and kadhi, which are way too good to describe. Finally, have to force myself to stop feeding. Then, the rice and pulao appear. What ? Can I eat any more ?? But, hey , a few spponfuls will not do any harm right. Pualo and rice, served with spoonful of ghee ( Of course, you can refuse the ghee..!!), are good to taste, but thats about all I can do. Taste, not eat. Stuffed till the throat. Rising up and leaving the table would require help. Lossen the belt a notch or two.
I have already admitted, I belong to Northern part of India. So, I do not have a typical experience of home cooked maharashtrian food. But, I am sure, it would not be any different than this one. For a simple reason - the simplicity of the food itself which lends it the authenticity. My maharashtrians friends vouch for the same. I would go by their words as well.
The service is fast, ambience well lit, neat, clean and hygeinic. Although, the waiters were not dressed as peshwas, as I have read at some other places/blogs!
So, for a typical home cooked maharashtrian experience, different than the regular punjabi paneer/mix veg/kofta/kabab/tandoori roti routine, try Shabree. You won't come back disappointed, and definetly not hungry. Better still, skip the breakfast/lunch, if you planning to go for lunch/dinner. You will do more justice to the Thali !!.
Wallet dent : Costs you Rs 100 per Thali. I do not think you can share. And this one is for the Air-conditioned dining area. May be less for the non-A/c dining.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Konark Restaurant- Nr. Chandni Chowk
Am going to keep this one short and simple. Konark Resorts, situated about 2 kms from Chandni Chowk towards Mulshi, opposite Ambrosia enterance, is one hot and spicy place. Although, did not get the oppurtunity to roam freely, since it was raining buckets, but still got a decent oppurtunity.It has a small display or private collection, as they call it, of a variety of parrots and parakeets. Really amazing place for kids to see these beautiful and colorful creatures. Also, there looked like an open space for kids to play, also a covered courtyard to hold games or meeting but was deserted and I could not explore much.Amusingly, they have a few private huts with a table and seating capacity of 6-8 for families wanting to have their own private party. Though, a bad idea in monsoons, as it will certainly get you drenched with showers.
The food, again, a typical combination of Chinese and Punjabi, Veg, Non-Veg and Alcohol. Sufficient seating arrangement for couples and families. Have had some chinese before and it was decent enough.This time, decided to to with regular desi food. For starters, ordered Tomato Soup ( Rs. 30) was typically sweet, looked like a lot of tomato ketchup had been used. Veg Seekh Kabab (Rs. 70) was served with shredded onions-radish-cabbage salad. Frankly, not appealing at all, too much spicy and well, could not make out what exactly it was tasting like.
For the main course, went ahead with a simple Dal Fry and Veg Lajawab( which the server had recommended as "medium-spicy"), Nans and Roomali Roti.Dal Fry was typical but I think, a bit more chillies been used than usual. Veg Lajawab, on the other had was one fiery red spicy dish. I am inclined to believe that it was by mistake than by intention. Nothing unusual about the dish but frankly it was spicy AND tasteless, both at the same time.
Nans were ok, but one of the Roomali was having black soot one one of the sides. looks like it was tossed too much high up in the air..! Anyway, returned it and the waiter asked if we wanted a replacement. but, till then, we were already done by now and filled up, so we declined. No rice and no desserts.
So, to sum up : A nice, decent place with quiet ambience. Courteous staff and decent service. A 5% discount was offered in lieu of the Roomali incident. As I mentioned, the Non- Veg chinese I had tried some time back was ok, so was disappointed by this experience. But, go in a leisurely afternoon to enjoy the place and the greenery, but mind you, the courtyard is not air-conditioned. So, try a typically mild Pune afternoon, rather than blazing sun of April-May. They offer corporate discount to some organizations.
A Veg meal for 4 should be about Rs. 300.
The food, again, a typical combination of Chinese and Punjabi, Veg, Non-Veg and Alcohol. Sufficient seating arrangement for couples and families. Have had some chinese before and it was decent enough.This time, decided to to with regular desi food. For starters, ordered Tomato Soup ( Rs. 30) was typically sweet, looked like a lot of tomato ketchup had been used. Veg Seekh Kabab (Rs. 70) was served with shredded onions-radish-cabbage salad. Frankly, not appealing at all, too much spicy and well, could not make out what exactly it was tasting like.
For the main course, went ahead with a simple Dal Fry and Veg Lajawab( which the server had recommended as "medium-spicy"), Nans and Roomali Roti.Dal Fry was typical but I think, a bit more chillies been used than usual. Veg Lajawab, on the other had was one fiery red spicy dish. I am inclined to believe that it was by mistake than by intention. Nothing unusual about the dish but frankly it was spicy AND tasteless, both at the same time.
Nans were ok, but one of the Roomali was having black soot one one of the sides. looks like it was tossed too much high up in the air..! Anyway, returned it and the waiter asked if we wanted a replacement. but, till then, we were already done by now and filled up, so we declined. No rice and no desserts.
So, to sum up : A nice, decent place with quiet ambience. Courteous staff and decent service. A 5% discount was offered in lieu of the Roomali incident. As I mentioned, the Non- Veg chinese I had tried some time back was ok, so was disappointed by this experience. But, go in a leisurely afternoon to enjoy the place and the greenery, but mind you, the courtyard is not air-conditioned. So, try a typically mild Pune afternoon, rather than blazing sun of April-May. They offer corporate discount to some organizations.
A Veg meal for 4 should be about Rs. 300.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Berries Restaurant- Wonder Funkey - Mumbai–Bangalore Highway
So, why exactly I am reviewing an Entertainment Centre ? If you dont know, Wonder Funkey is a entertainment joint, with lots of Arcade games, Bowling Alley, a smallish discotheque, and the reason for including this review here.. a decent Veg Restaurant - Berries.
This is located about 1.5 kms from Chandni Chowk, towards Warje, on Mumbai-Banglore Highway.Here is there website, giving more details about the place. :- http://www.wonderfunkey.com
It would be odd if I dont spare a few lines about the place itself. It has a cover charge of Rs 100 per head, non refundable. So, 5 people going in, have to spend Rs. 500 inside. You get a card, which you can use to make payment, and also get it recharged with additional amount. Arcade games are decent, charging from 20 for kiddies to 30-50 for adults games. A chowpatty lane serves you with street snacks, samosas, dahi puris, kachoris to pastries and all.
Try Calcutta Bhel- it is different from your regular bhel in Mumbai-Pune zone. They also have Puppet and Magic Shows there as well. Downstairs, there is a Bowling Alley, a discotheque and snacks joint, shaped like a ship.It has pizzas, hot dogs, burgers and so on. Tried something ShangHai, which turned out as veg schezwan balls coated with lots of sesame seeds, pretty ok and filling. Be careful not to try them if planning to have dinner soon.
So, now to the main course of the review- Berries Restaurant, located on top floor.Now, ambience wise, its designed as a forest, dark and takes time to get used to it. Artificial leaves, animals, pond but thankfully, air-conditioned. Would have added fun, if they had some live fishes in the pond and a waterfall of some sorts. Hard green plastic leaves and animals look tacky. Kids would love this place. Lots of space, so much that they have shut off half of it. But, overall a soft and quiet feel to it.
Menuwise, it covers almost all major cuisines - Indian, of course (South, Punjabi, Jain Specials, Thalis) plus Mexican, Italian, Arabic, Chinese, Thai, and Sizzlers. You can take a look from their website as well.http://www.wonderfunkey.com/berries_menu.html
I have been there before and had ordered Mushroom Cheese Enchilada and Veg & Beans Tacos (about Rs. 80-90, each) which turned out to be quite decent. This time, decided to go with Burrito Supreme ( Rs. 65)and Veg Cheese Lasagna (Rs.110). Now, while going through the menu card, take a look a Indian menu and forget about ordering them. They are atrociously priced, somewhere in range of a Koregaon Park upmarket restaurant!! Now, why would I go to Funkey to have that ? Wouldn't I go to Kothrud, or better still, Chandni Chowk for the same ?
One reason, I understood is, this being a family entertainment centre, many grandparents turn up along with kids, and they would prefer eating Indian only rather than anything else.Anyway, rest of the cuisine is moderatly priced and variety wise, its huge. But, you have to know what you are ordering.
Service wise, they are quick, but then, the restaurant is mostly empty. Although, this particular day, our order was inordinatly late, for which they apologized.
But, finally,our order arrived. The Lasagna, I would have prefered in the flat tray, rather than a big bowl it arrived in. The thick red tomato sauce/gravy was chunky, layered with spinach, cheese, vegetables and lasagna sheets, and pretty much tempting. Piping hot sauce, with baked vegetables, lots of cheese. Good choice.
Burrito Supreme, on the other hand, in one word- a Disaster. Period. I know, after those Shanghai balls and Lasagna, the tummy was full and could not have eaten any more. But, at least, it should have been appealing to taste at the first bite ? It wasn't. It came along with a small serving of Onion rings,(too oily), cheese balls (which I did not like) and pickle. I hate to throw away food, home or restaurant, but in this case, had to make and exception and left most of it. Sheer Waste ! Seriously, I could not figure out, what exactly was wrong with the stuffing.
But, leaving aside the Burrito part, the Lasagna and previous experience of Enchilada and Beans Tacos were delecious and so, I wouldn't mind going there and trying out more stuff.
And, you have to pay through the charge card provided at the entrance. Pay additional amount by cash to charge the card.
To conclude, this is a lesser known place and so, the restaurant is not crowded even on weekends, although the arcade games and bowling alleys are packed. A decent place if you want to try something new, even if you are not in mood for games and bowling. Though, since it is located pretty much out of the city, so it makes sense to have fun and dinner together. Overall, a nice place to hang out for kids, teenagers and young adults and the Berries restuarant, to have a nice, quiet dinner to end a fun-filled evening. Reasonably priced, though I would prefer not to have Indian food over here, just for the price itself. Do try other cuisines.
Make sure you collect the remaining amout on your card before you exit, else they have some issues while refunding after you have exited.
This is located about 1.5 kms from Chandni Chowk, towards Warje, on Mumbai-Banglore Highway.Here is there website, giving more details about the place. :- http://www.wonderfunkey.com
It would be odd if I dont spare a few lines about the place itself. It has a cover charge of Rs 100 per head, non refundable. So, 5 people going in, have to spend Rs. 500 inside. You get a card, which you can use to make payment, and also get it recharged with additional amount. Arcade games are decent, charging from 20 for kiddies to 30-50 for adults games. A chowpatty lane serves you with street snacks, samosas, dahi puris, kachoris to pastries and all.
Try Calcutta Bhel- it is different from your regular bhel in Mumbai-Pune zone. They also have Puppet and Magic Shows there as well. Downstairs, there is a Bowling Alley, a discotheque and snacks joint, shaped like a ship.It has pizzas, hot dogs, burgers and so on. Tried something ShangHai, which turned out as veg schezwan balls coated with lots of sesame seeds, pretty ok and filling. Be careful not to try them if planning to have dinner soon.
So, now to the main course of the review- Berries Restaurant, located on top floor.Now, ambience wise, its designed as a forest, dark and takes time to get used to it. Artificial leaves, animals, pond but thankfully, air-conditioned. Would have added fun, if they had some live fishes in the pond and a waterfall of some sorts. Hard green plastic leaves and animals look tacky. Kids would love this place. Lots of space, so much that they have shut off half of it. But, overall a soft and quiet feel to it.
Menuwise, it covers almost all major cuisines - Indian, of course (South, Punjabi, Jain Specials, Thalis) plus Mexican, Italian, Arabic, Chinese, Thai, and Sizzlers. You can take a look from their website as well.http://www.wonderfunkey.com/berries_menu.html
I have been there before and had ordered Mushroom Cheese Enchilada and Veg & Beans Tacos (about Rs. 80-90, each) which turned out to be quite decent. This time, decided to go with Burrito Supreme ( Rs. 65)and Veg Cheese Lasagna (Rs.110). Now, while going through the menu card, take a look a Indian menu and forget about ordering them. They are atrociously priced, somewhere in range of a Koregaon Park upmarket restaurant!! Now, why would I go to Funkey to have that ? Wouldn't I go to Kothrud, or better still, Chandni Chowk for the same ?
One reason, I understood is, this being a family entertainment centre, many grandparents turn up along with kids, and they would prefer eating Indian only rather than anything else.Anyway, rest of the cuisine is moderatly priced and variety wise, its huge. But, you have to know what you are ordering.
Service wise, they are quick, but then, the restaurant is mostly empty. Although, this particular day, our order was inordinatly late, for which they apologized.
But, finally,our order arrived. The Lasagna, I would have prefered in the flat tray, rather than a big bowl it arrived in. The thick red tomato sauce/gravy was chunky, layered with spinach, cheese, vegetables and lasagna sheets, and pretty much tempting. Piping hot sauce, with baked vegetables, lots of cheese. Good choice.
Burrito Supreme, on the other hand, in one word- a Disaster. Period. I know, after those Shanghai balls and Lasagna, the tummy was full and could not have eaten any more. But, at least, it should have been appealing to taste at the first bite ? It wasn't. It came along with a small serving of Onion rings,(too oily), cheese balls (which I did not like) and pickle. I hate to throw away food, home or restaurant, but in this case, had to make and exception and left most of it. Sheer Waste ! Seriously, I could not figure out, what exactly was wrong with the stuffing.
But, leaving aside the Burrito part, the Lasagna and previous experience of Enchilada and Beans Tacos were delecious and so, I wouldn't mind going there and trying out more stuff.
And, you have to pay through the charge card provided at the entrance. Pay additional amount by cash to charge the card.
To conclude, this is a lesser known place and so, the restaurant is not crowded even on weekends, although the arcade games and bowling alleys are packed. A decent place if you want to try something new, even if you are not in mood for games and bowling. Though, since it is located pretty much out of the city, so it makes sense to have fun and dinner together. Overall, a nice place to hang out for kids, teenagers and young adults and the Berries restuarant, to have a nice, quiet dinner to end a fun-filled evening. Reasonably priced, though I would prefer not to have Indian food over here, just for the price itself. Do try other cuisines.
Make sure you collect the remaining amout on your card before you exit, else they have some issues while refunding after you have exited.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Mad House Grill - Koregaon Park
ph: 26124779
Now, if you google for this joint, mostly positive reviews have come up. Am sure, a regular pune foodie would have heard about this place. TFG (Times Food Guide) also mentions positive things about it.Now, as I mentioned below about coupons below in TFG, decided to put it to better use and find out more about this place. It is situated close to Silk Route in Koregaon Park.
Now, this is one place with limited seating arrangement. Not more than 15 tables. 2 on the outside, about 6-7 inside and probably 4-5 on 1st floor. Since I went there on a Monday, so it was not crowded at all. But, if the place is as famous it claims to be, am sure the weekends would be a nightmare.
A typical European set-up, sparsely decorated but inviting, nevertheless. The menu simple itself, with varities of steaks, lamb, chicken and vegetable options. The TFG suggested Mutton Raan (Rs. 500 apx), a whole mutton leg, grilled, with a variety of Indian/American etc. But we could not dare it. Probably next time. Am not exactly a mutton person.
So, for starters, decided to go with Chicken Wings (Rs. 110) and soft drinks. Now, I have tasted chicken wings in USA, also here in India at Pizza Hut.( Now, they stopped serving that). I loved the spicy and sweet taste there but in comparision, these were disappointing. Too much sweet, probably to serve the taste buds of Americans/Europeans. There were quite a few there. Looked like served in a sauce of jaggery and imli. Tasteful of course, but could have been better.
For the main course, ordered 3 dishes, Special of the day -Grilled Chicken Supreme (Rs. 250), Pepper Chicken (Rs. 180), Mad House Grill Vegetable Special( Rs. 165). On server's suggestion, Garlic Bread( Rs. 30).And then, we waited..for a long time. I hope this is not their usual waiting period. Anyway, food arrived and I must say, it was worth the wait.
Grilled Chicken Supreme- served with rice on the side.. A bit spicy red gravy, but juicy and adequate chicken pieces. Not much gravy, but delicious.
Pepper Chicken- a large chicken steak in spicy brown sauce. served with grilled vegetables and mashed potatoes on the side. scrumptious indeed, but would have liked a better quantity. I envied my companion having Chicken Supreme, but then Pepper Chicken costs less as well.
MHG Vegetable Special- various vegetable, brocolli, panner, mushrooms, in white sauce. Baked potatoes and grilled vegetables on the side. good quantity, lovely to taste. Although, some of the grilled peas were raw.
Now, the hilarious part, the Garlic Bread. tiny little round pavs or buns !. neither smelt like Garlic Bread, nor tasted like one. We almost laughed out aloud. went along with dishes, anyway.
In all, an interesting experience indeed. Food quality was excellent. Probably, would taste even better with some chilled beer.! Service could have been faster. Decor strictly functional. But then, coming back to main course- food was one pleasing highlight of the evening.
Blow to the wallet :A meal for 3 can be done for below Rs. 800. In my case, with mentioned the coupons in TFG, a 15% discount brought it down finally to Rs. 700.
So, Rs. 100 spent on TFG not futile, but recovered. And there are more of them left !!.
Now, if you google for this joint, mostly positive reviews have come up. Am sure, a regular pune foodie would have heard about this place. TFG (Times Food Guide) also mentions positive things about it.Now, as I mentioned below about coupons below in TFG, decided to put it to better use and find out more about this place. It is situated close to Silk Route in Koregaon Park.
Now, this is one place with limited seating arrangement. Not more than 15 tables. 2 on the outside, about 6-7 inside and probably 4-5 on 1st floor. Since I went there on a Monday, so it was not crowded at all. But, if the place is as famous it claims to be, am sure the weekends would be a nightmare.
A typical European set-up, sparsely decorated but inviting, nevertheless. The menu simple itself, with varities of steaks, lamb, chicken and vegetable options. The TFG suggested Mutton Raan (Rs. 500 apx), a whole mutton leg, grilled, with a variety of Indian/American etc. But we could not dare it. Probably next time. Am not exactly a mutton person.
So, for starters, decided to go with Chicken Wings (Rs. 110) and soft drinks. Now, I have tasted chicken wings in USA, also here in India at Pizza Hut.( Now, they stopped serving that). I loved the spicy and sweet taste there but in comparision, these were disappointing. Too much sweet, probably to serve the taste buds of Americans/Europeans. There were quite a few there. Looked like served in a sauce of jaggery and imli. Tasteful of course, but could have been better.
For the main course, ordered 3 dishes, Special of the day -Grilled Chicken Supreme (Rs. 250), Pepper Chicken (Rs. 180), Mad House Grill Vegetable Special( Rs. 165). On server's suggestion, Garlic Bread( Rs. 30).And then, we waited..for a long time. I hope this is not their usual waiting period. Anyway, food arrived and I must say, it was worth the wait.
Grilled Chicken Supreme- served with rice on the side.. A bit spicy red gravy, but juicy and adequate chicken pieces. Not much gravy, but delicious.
Pepper Chicken- a large chicken steak in spicy brown sauce. served with grilled vegetables and mashed potatoes on the side. scrumptious indeed, but would have liked a better quantity. I envied my companion having Chicken Supreme, but then Pepper Chicken costs less as well.
MHG Vegetable Special- various vegetable, brocolli, panner, mushrooms, in white sauce. Baked potatoes and grilled vegetables on the side. good quantity, lovely to taste. Although, some of the grilled peas were raw.
Now, the hilarious part, the Garlic Bread. tiny little round pavs or buns !. neither smelt like Garlic Bread, nor tasted like one. We almost laughed out aloud. went along with dishes, anyway.
In all, an interesting experience indeed. Food quality was excellent. Probably, would taste even better with some chilled beer.! Service could have been faster. Decor strictly functional. But then, coming back to main course- food was one pleasing highlight of the evening.
Blow to the wallet :A meal for 3 can be done for below Rs. 800. In my case, with mentioned the coupons in TFG, a 15% discount brought it down finally to Rs. 700.
So, Rs. 100 spent on TFG not futile, but recovered. And there are more of them left !!.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Pune- Times Food Guide 2007
Just purchased 2007 Pune Times Food Guide. Their claim of 'over 600' reviews does not mean anything. I can tell about the area I live in. There is no mention of Baner, Pashan, Bavdhan, Chandani Chowk or even Pune Banglore Highway. As if, Pune does not exist beyond boundaries of Aundh in Pune, at least on this side.
So, Sadanand Resorts, Rajwada and Mahabaleshwar in Baner which are major crowd pulling eating joints do not find a place and neither does Club CPR- Grand Maratha on Pashan Rd. The whole bunch of Chandni Chowk area is missing like Banjara Hills, Up and Above and more. Not sure of Wakad and Hinjewadi area but good eating joints must exist there as well.
They mentioned Imperial China but conveniently forgot Rajwada, although former is a branch of latter.
This guide just concentrates on the usual suspects :- Koregaon Park, MG Road -Camp,FC and JM Road. Although, I do believe the density of eating places is higher in these areas, but there are many places out there, beyond these areas.
I am sure if we consider the other corners of Pune, similar cases would be there. And if we go by the foodie blogs of punekars, especially Mr. Vikram Karve, its a disappointment as well.
And, surprisingly, seedy joints like Chandrama in Aundh find a mention and purely bachelor joints like Delhi Kitchen( food is ok, of course), too.
In all, for Rs. 100, a good reference material for addresses and location and gives a general idea of dent on the wallet. E.g. it confirms pricing for Flavors in Aundh( Rs 800 for 2)and Galaxy Grill( Rs 1000 for 2 !!). Although, there are some mistakes in pricing area as well. They mention, the buffet at Bombay Brassiere at Rs. 140 per person, although its closer to Rs. 300 per person.
BTW, it has some discount coupons for some restaurants. Probably I will use it while sampling some of these restaurants.
My suggestion : dont just rely on this guide alone. There are many more nice joints out there, not mentioned over here. Keep searching the net, and if not, create a blog of your own, just like me. Word of mouth from actual users is any day better than any commerical venture. And, I think a new joint opens every week in Pune. So, gotta keep running harder to stay at the same place.
So, Sadanand Resorts, Rajwada and Mahabaleshwar in Baner which are major crowd pulling eating joints do not find a place and neither does Club CPR- Grand Maratha on Pashan Rd. The whole bunch of Chandni Chowk area is missing like Banjara Hills, Up and Above and more. Not sure of Wakad and Hinjewadi area but good eating joints must exist there as well.
They mentioned Imperial China but conveniently forgot Rajwada, although former is a branch of latter.
This guide just concentrates on the usual suspects :- Koregaon Park, MG Road -Camp,FC and JM Road. Although, I do believe the density of eating places is higher in these areas, but there are many places out there, beyond these areas.
I am sure if we consider the other corners of Pune, similar cases would be there. And if we go by the foodie blogs of punekars, especially Mr. Vikram Karve, its a disappointment as well.
And, surprisingly, seedy joints like Chandrama in Aundh find a mention and purely bachelor joints like Delhi Kitchen( food is ok, of course), too.
In all, for Rs. 100, a good reference material for addresses and location and gives a general idea of dent on the wallet. E.g. it confirms pricing for Flavors in Aundh( Rs 800 for 2)and Galaxy Grill( Rs 1000 for 2 !!). Although, there are some mistakes in pricing area as well. They mention, the buffet at Bombay Brassiere at Rs. 140 per person, although its closer to Rs. 300 per person.
BTW, it has some discount coupons for some restaurants. Probably I will use it while sampling some of these restaurants.
My suggestion : dont just rely on this guide alone. There are many more nice joints out there, not mentioned over here. Keep searching the net, and if not, create a blog of your own, just like me. Word of mouth from actual users is any day better than any commerical venture. And, I think a new joint opens every week in Pune. So, gotta keep running harder to stay at the same place.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Rajwada - Imperial China, Baner
ph: 25881881, 25885885
As mentioned already, I did go to Rajwada last weekend..but even at 10 PM, it was packed with a waiting for 20-25 minutes. Now, who waites for 25 minutes for having dinner ? Also, I noticed, it would take them about 25-30 minutes to bring food after ordering. So, in all, 1 hour after you arrive at the place. This again reinforces my Golden Rule- In Pune, do not go out for dinner, especially on a weekend, that too, a Saturday.
Anyway, instead of waiting, we opted for their Chinese counter-part, called Imperial China, which was comparatively less crowded. Once inside, it was better, although I had to find a place myself, since there was no one to be found to guide us. Saw a few people having indian food, but the waiter said it would take "a very long time to serve it since it is very rush". So, anyway, went ahead with chinese. Since, I am very sceptical at ordering Chinese at new places, but was also bored eating the same Schezwan-Manchurian, decided to try something new.
The menu certainly did offer a lot of varities and option, Starters, Soups, Veg, Chicken, Lamb. ( I even saw Squid mentioned somewhere !) Many varities of Rice and Noodles. And not the regular Schezwan-Manchurian-Singapore-HongKong types. Did not feel like experiementing too much so ordered Orange Chicken with Broccoli (Rs. 150) and Thai Chicken Friend Rice(Rs. 120)and a couple of cold drinks.
And, while we were waiting, the A/C above our place started leaking water..!!! So, they switched off the A/C. Now, that does call for maintainence, doesn't it ?
The place inside was pretty much filled up, but not sure how many of them were actually having chinese.
The food arrived pretty much in time. The Orange chicken was plateful of glazed chicken pieces in orange sauce, and thankfully, more chicken than brocolli. It was a different dish than usual and I liked it. As expected, it was sweet and tangy to taste and you could see orange pulp in the gravy. Thai Fried Rice, on the other hand, was a bit disappointing. It was more like Fried Rice I have tasted everywhere, but less spicy. But, went well with Orange Chicken, once you added a bit of Schezwan Sauce and Chilli Vinegar.
In all, it was good experience, though I found some shredded lime peel in the chicken dish,which added to the aroma but tasted bitter. Hope, it was a part of the dish, but I dont know if we were suppose to eat it.!!
In all, a filling experience. The above was sufficient for 2 people. Next time, which I would visit definetly, I would like to try Nasi Goreng. The service was prompt, only disappointed with the A/C incident. Of course, nothing would beat Mainland China, its way too ahead, but Imperial China, this is a reasonably good option, at a reasonable price, at a reasonable location, if you want to try something different than you usual chinese stuff.
Meal for 2 : Rs 300+ (Main Course only).
As mentioned already, I did go to Rajwada last weekend..but even at 10 PM, it was packed with a waiting for 20-25 minutes. Now, who waites for 25 minutes for having dinner ? Also, I noticed, it would take them about 25-30 minutes to bring food after ordering. So, in all, 1 hour after you arrive at the place. This again reinforces my Golden Rule- In Pune, do not go out for dinner, especially on a weekend, that too, a Saturday.
Anyway, instead of waiting, we opted for their Chinese counter-part, called Imperial China, which was comparatively less crowded. Once inside, it was better, although I had to find a place myself, since there was no one to be found to guide us. Saw a few people having indian food, but the waiter said it would take "a very long time to serve it since it is very rush". So, anyway, went ahead with chinese. Since, I am very sceptical at ordering Chinese at new places, but was also bored eating the same Schezwan-Manchurian, decided to try something new.
The menu certainly did offer a lot of varities and option, Starters, Soups, Veg, Chicken, Lamb. ( I even saw Squid mentioned somewhere !) Many varities of Rice and Noodles. And not the regular Schezwan-Manchurian-Singapore-HongKong types. Did not feel like experiementing too much so ordered Orange Chicken with Broccoli (Rs. 150) and Thai Chicken Friend Rice(Rs. 120)and a couple of cold drinks.
And, while we were waiting, the A/C above our place started leaking water..!!! So, they switched off the A/C. Now, that does call for maintainence, doesn't it ?
The place inside was pretty much filled up, but not sure how many of them were actually having chinese.
The food arrived pretty much in time. The Orange chicken was plateful of glazed chicken pieces in orange sauce, and thankfully, more chicken than brocolli. It was a different dish than usual and I liked it. As expected, it was sweet and tangy to taste and you could see orange pulp in the gravy. Thai Fried Rice, on the other hand, was a bit disappointing. It was more like Fried Rice I have tasted everywhere, but less spicy. But, went well with Orange Chicken, once you added a bit of Schezwan Sauce and Chilli Vinegar.
In all, it was good experience, though I found some shredded lime peel in the chicken dish,which added to the aroma but tasted bitter. Hope, it was a part of the dish, but I dont know if we were suppose to eat it.!!
In all, a filling experience. The above was sufficient for 2 people. Next time, which I would visit definetly, I would like to try Nasi Goreng. The service was prompt, only disappointed with the A/C incident. Of course, nothing would beat Mainland China, its way too ahead, but Imperial China, this is a reasonably good option, at a reasonable price, at a reasonable location, if you want to try something different than you usual chinese stuff.
Meal for 2 : Rs 300+ (Main Course only).
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Baner, Pashan Restaurants
There are very few decent eating joints at Baner Rd, and those which are there, you dont feel like going again. Mostly, had the food home delivered. That is the best way for most of these restaurants but some of them can act as dine-ins for bachelors.! Starting from the Expressway end of Baner Rd.
Sadanand Resorts
Location : On Pune-Banglore Highway - Baner Rd Junction
Short Review : Serves Veg and Non-veg and Alcohol. Food quality is good, ambience is good, price reasonable. In short, one of the better eating places on Baner Rd. Its been quite sometime since I have been there, so will update again when I go there again. Mr. Vikram Karve has appreciated the Dabba Gosht served at this place( See list of sites), but I have just tried Veg over here. Its a resort so there may be other facilities, e.g. boarding/lodging which i am not aware of.
simple meal for 2 : abt Rs. 300+
Shiv Sagar
Location : Nr. Kapil Malhar
Short Review : Yup, there is one on Baner Rd as well. Serves Veg. Food quality is good, price reasonable. Regular South Indian, Punjabi, Chines and Pav Bhaji Stuff, Fuit Juice and Shakes. There is family room also but will rather have it home delivered. Prompt Service, but sometimes takes longer time than usual. Decent quantity as well.
(Update 07 May :- Avoid paneer dishes. Last two times I have ordered, it was like leather. Hard, thin, tasteless.)
simple meal for 2 : abt Rs. 150+
Burger Bouchee
Location : Nr. Kapil Malhar
Short Review : Dont go any where near it. The burger looked as if it were dying. The home cooked burger would look better if you were to try one. The fries, if you can called them, were as brown crisp and shatterd in in the mouth. tastless, wrinkled.
Price is irrelevant. Order at your own risk.
Pavitra
Location : Nr. Kapil Malhar
Short Review : This guy keeps changing its name. A strictly take out place though they have a family arrangement, never saw any ladies go in there. A bachelor drinking pad, probably thats why. Looks cheap from outside, but price wise, it isnt. The dishes are priced higher than its peers, if you compare Veg dishes to Shiv Sagar. But, the only place which can home deliever a decent non veg in the vicinty. Also, has non veg thali and fish, though never tried them. Chicken biryani was good and quantity more than enough.
simple veg meal for 2 : abt Rs. 150+
non veg meal for 2: abt Rs. 200+
Fasso
Location : Opp Pavitra
Short Review : A roll and frankie joint. strictly roadside, (plastic plates and all) also at Aundh, opp Medipoint Hospital. Veg frankie betteen Rs. 15-35 and Non Veg between Rs 25-50. Tastes nice, quick service and home delivery. Besides, they have different combos of kebabs and biryani, thali combos, parathas.. In all, a decent place, again for take out and home delivery. 1 frankie should be enough for a person. Can also try Tandoori kababs.
A decent meal for 2: abt Rs. 100- 150.
Mahabalershwar Resorts /Hotel
Location : A landmark in itself. Autos coming to Baner charge differently if location is before or beyond Mahabaleswar Hotel.!! Nr. Symantec.
Short Review : Been there just once. Parking on opposite side of road as wel as in their area as well. Huge place for both family and bachelors. Garden restaurant with lot of trees. So be prepared for mosquitoes. Stay only if you can stand the smell of mosquito coils. I believe its a hit joint especially with the booze gang. Veg, Non Veg, Alcohol. But, have to be patient with the long queues, especially on weeknds. has a children play area, fishes, aquariums, water bridge, so probably thats why a hit with children as well.
Food was nothing to write about. just average, heard that fish is good over here but never got an oppurtunity to try the same. Quantity more than sufficent though tastewise did not find anything particulary interesting. may be I will sample a little more next time. There has to be reason why its overflowing most of the times.
A decent meal for 2: abt Rs. 250+
Capsicum
Location : Nr Baner Petrol Pump
Short Review : Been here more than a few times. decent veg and non veg selection. has a cosy family room uptairs although with a low ceiling and a bit cramped. regular punjabi, chinese, maharashtrian food. they do home delivery as well. decent service. good quality and quantity.
A decent veg meal for 2: abt Rs. 200+
Bhairavee
Location : below Indiana Spa, Nr. Green Park
Short Review : Been here more than a few times. decent veg food. some intersting dishes as well though dont remeber the names now. regular punjabi, maharashtrian food. decent service. Though, once they bought butter naan instead of plain naan. good quality and quantity. Nice ambience. was undergoing some renovation in April 2nd week 2007. Hope its completed by now.
A decent veg meal for 2: abt Rs. 200+
The above 2 restaurants, you can hop in on weekends if you get tired of the queues at various places in Aundh. They serve decent food in nice ambience and you can enjoy it at a leisurely pace along with your family with no one to rush you.
Chat Ghar
Location : Opp Bhairavi
Short Review : Pure Veg. A smallish joint, they also have a branch near Wakad, before Hinjewadi Flyover. Strictly, a place for bachelors. plastic sopons, dishes and glasses. a decent chaat and paratha selection, with paratha combos. served with dal, raita and achaar. A combo of 2 parathas should suffice 1 person. cost abt 30-50, depending on the order. But, the parthas are tasty. like home made. They also have a lunch menu on weekends and dinner menu every night. Rs. 35, if I remember. They dont do home delivery, I dont know if they do take-out. They have the monthly dining scheme as well.
A decent veg meal for 2: abt Rs. 100+
Green Park
Location : Nr. Rajawada Hotel. Big Fluoroscent sign board, cant miss it.
Short review : Been there just once. It was raining, so the attendants were courteos enough to accompany us with an umbrella since its a bit of walk between parking and entrance. Huge seating arrangement although was disappointed that there were no sofa seats. Wanted to try Thai food. (My first time, ever). Dont rember the names, but ordered some soups, some flat chicken noodles and Chicken in Green Thai Saucea and some paneer dish with rotis. Later, the waiter came back saying they dont have the Green Sauce. Will the Red Sauce do ?!!!. I said ok, lets try. The soup was a bit spicy, the noodles and chicken ok. Good for a cold rainy night. But, since I did not have a prior experience with Thai food, can not comment on quality. The Veg selection was good and quantity sufficient.
A meal for 3: abt Rs. 600+ ( veg and non-veg, no desserts)
Grand Maratha- Club CPR
Location :Pashan Rd , Nr. St. Joseph, Loyola school
Short Review : Now, this does not come strictly in baner area. But its one of the decent joints in the vicinity. This is actually recreation club for the police but they have it open for general public as well. They call it Club CPR. It has got an old British feel to it, be it cutlery, table covers, waiters and huge broad spacious dinner tables.!! Ample parking space, in the open, of course. the food selection is limited for veggies but great for non-veggies. have always been there in a group so cannot remember the price of dishes but they are reasonable. They dont do home delivery, I dont know if they do take-out. decent service. good quality and quantity. Will try and visit again, this time on my own.
A meal for 2: abt Rs. 300+ ( veg and non-veg, )
That is all I can update right now. There are a few more, which i have not visited as yet.
Rajwada Hotel, a decent place, so i have heard.
(Found something about credit card fraud at Rajwada..so use cash !!)
http://upreti.blogspot.com/
There is one called Wazwan near Balewadi Phata
(Reviwed at Ketaki's Blog...see link)
Gajalee or something (I think its a fish speciality) near Sadanand
Baner Rendezvous which opened recently, near Dominos
May 29 Update : (A restaurant called Food Court, opposite Domino's recently opened)
These are still pending. So, as and when they happen, will update the post accordingly. Any new ones, or anything I have missed, will be updated.
Then, there is of course, Domino's Pizza, opp Food Bazaar, but then..why review it. Everyone knows how they taste like, although its one with decent dine-in arrangement. Very few Dominos outlets have them.
Sadanand Resorts
Location : On Pune-Banglore Highway - Baner Rd Junction
Short Review : Serves Veg and Non-veg and Alcohol. Food quality is good, ambience is good, price reasonable. In short, one of the better eating places on Baner Rd. Its been quite sometime since I have been there, so will update again when I go there again. Mr. Vikram Karve has appreciated the Dabba Gosht served at this place( See list of sites), but I have just tried Veg over here. Its a resort so there may be other facilities, e.g. boarding/lodging which i am not aware of.
simple meal for 2 : abt Rs. 300+
Shiv Sagar
Location : Nr. Kapil Malhar
Short Review : Yup, there is one on Baner Rd as well. Serves Veg. Food quality is good, price reasonable. Regular South Indian, Punjabi, Chines and Pav Bhaji Stuff, Fuit Juice and Shakes. There is family room also but will rather have it home delivered. Prompt Service, but sometimes takes longer time than usual. Decent quantity as well.
(Update 07 May :- Avoid paneer dishes. Last two times I have ordered, it was like leather. Hard, thin, tasteless.)
simple meal for 2 : abt Rs. 150+
Burger Bouchee
Location : Nr. Kapil Malhar
Short Review : Dont go any where near it. The burger looked as if it were dying. The home cooked burger would look better if you were to try one. The fries, if you can called them, were as brown crisp and shatterd in in the mouth. tastless, wrinkled.
Price is irrelevant. Order at your own risk.
Pavitra
Location : Nr. Kapil Malhar
Short Review : This guy keeps changing its name. A strictly take out place though they have a family arrangement, never saw any ladies go in there. A bachelor drinking pad, probably thats why. Looks cheap from outside, but price wise, it isnt. The dishes are priced higher than its peers, if you compare Veg dishes to Shiv Sagar. But, the only place which can home deliever a decent non veg in the vicinty. Also, has non veg thali and fish, though never tried them. Chicken biryani was good and quantity more than enough.
simple veg meal for 2 : abt Rs. 150+
non veg meal for 2: abt Rs. 200+
Fasso
Location : Opp Pavitra
Short Review : A roll and frankie joint. strictly roadside, (plastic plates and all) also at Aundh, opp Medipoint Hospital. Veg frankie betteen Rs. 15-35 and Non Veg between Rs 25-50. Tastes nice, quick service and home delivery. Besides, they have different combos of kebabs and biryani, thali combos, parathas.. In all, a decent place, again for take out and home delivery. 1 frankie should be enough for a person. Can also try Tandoori kababs.
A decent meal for 2: abt Rs. 100- 150.
Mahabalershwar Resorts /Hotel
Location : A landmark in itself. Autos coming to Baner charge differently if location is before or beyond Mahabaleswar Hotel.!! Nr. Symantec.
Short Review : Been there just once. Parking on opposite side of road as wel as in their area as well. Huge place for both family and bachelors. Garden restaurant with lot of trees. So be prepared for mosquitoes. Stay only if you can stand the smell of mosquito coils. I believe its a hit joint especially with the booze gang. Veg, Non Veg, Alcohol. But, have to be patient with the long queues, especially on weeknds. has a children play area, fishes, aquariums, water bridge, so probably thats why a hit with children as well.
Food was nothing to write about. just average, heard that fish is good over here but never got an oppurtunity to try the same. Quantity more than sufficent though tastewise did not find anything particulary interesting. may be I will sample a little more next time. There has to be reason why its overflowing most of the times.
A decent meal for 2: abt Rs. 250+
Capsicum
Location : Nr Baner Petrol Pump
Short Review : Been here more than a few times. decent veg and non veg selection. has a cosy family room uptairs although with a low ceiling and a bit cramped. regular punjabi, chinese, maharashtrian food. they do home delivery as well. decent service. good quality and quantity.
A decent veg meal for 2: abt Rs. 200+
Bhairavee
Location : below Indiana Spa, Nr. Green Park
Short Review : Been here more than a few times. decent veg food. some intersting dishes as well though dont remeber the names now. regular punjabi, maharashtrian food. decent service. Though, once they bought butter naan instead of plain naan. good quality and quantity. Nice ambience. was undergoing some renovation in April 2nd week 2007. Hope its completed by now.
A decent veg meal for 2: abt Rs. 200+
The above 2 restaurants, you can hop in on weekends if you get tired of the queues at various places in Aundh. They serve decent food in nice ambience and you can enjoy it at a leisurely pace along with your family with no one to rush you.
Chat Ghar
Location : Opp Bhairavi
Short Review : Pure Veg. A smallish joint, they also have a branch near Wakad, before Hinjewadi Flyover. Strictly, a place for bachelors. plastic sopons, dishes and glasses. a decent chaat and paratha selection, with paratha combos. served with dal, raita and achaar. A combo of 2 parathas should suffice 1 person. cost abt 30-50, depending on the order. But, the parthas are tasty. like home made. They also have a lunch menu on weekends and dinner menu every night. Rs. 35, if I remember. They dont do home delivery, I dont know if they do take-out. They have the monthly dining scheme as well.
A decent veg meal for 2: abt Rs. 100+
Green Park
Location : Nr. Rajawada Hotel. Big Fluoroscent sign board, cant miss it.
Short review : Been there just once. It was raining, so the attendants were courteos enough to accompany us with an umbrella since its a bit of walk between parking and entrance. Huge seating arrangement although was disappointed that there were no sofa seats. Wanted to try Thai food. (My first time, ever). Dont rember the names, but ordered some soups, some flat chicken noodles and Chicken in Green Thai Saucea and some paneer dish with rotis. Later, the waiter came back saying they dont have the Green Sauce. Will the Red Sauce do ?!!!. I said ok, lets try. The soup was a bit spicy, the noodles and chicken ok. Good for a cold rainy night. But, since I did not have a prior experience with Thai food, can not comment on quality. The Veg selection was good and quantity sufficient.
A meal for 3: abt Rs. 600+ ( veg and non-veg, no desserts)
Grand Maratha- Club CPR
Location :Pashan Rd , Nr. St. Joseph, Loyola school
Short Review : Now, this does not come strictly in baner area. But its one of the decent joints in the vicinity. This is actually recreation club for the police but they have it open for general public as well. They call it Club CPR. It has got an old British feel to it, be it cutlery, table covers, waiters and huge broad spacious dinner tables.!! Ample parking space, in the open, of course. the food selection is limited for veggies but great for non-veggies. have always been there in a group so cannot remember the price of dishes but they are reasonable. They dont do home delivery, I dont know if they do take-out. decent service. good quality and quantity. Will try and visit again, this time on my own.
A meal for 2: abt Rs. 300+ ( veg and non-veg, )
That is all I can update right now. There are a few more, which i have not visited as yet.
Rajwada Hotel, a decent place, so i have heard.
(Found something about credit card fraud at Rajwada..so use cash !!)
http://upreti.blogspot.com/
There is one called Wazwan near Balewadi Phata
(Reviwed at Ketaki's Blog...see link)
Gajalee or something (I think its a fish speciality) near Sadanand
Baner Rendezvous which opened recently, near Dominos
May 29 Update : (A restaurant called Food Court, opposite Domino's recently opened)
These are still pending. So, as and when they happen, will update the post accordingly. Any new ones, or anything I have missed, will be updated.
Then, there is of course, Domino's Pizza, opp Food Bazaar, but then..why review it. Everyone knows how they taste like, although its one with decent dine-in arrangement. Very few Dominos outlets have them.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Aundh Restaurants
Some of these restaurants i have visited a long while back..so can not go on specifics on prices and dishes..just to give a general idea. Some of them are better off as take-away or home delivery but can act as dine-ins for bachelors.!
Drizzle
Location : nr. Medipoint Hospital, next to Sasken,New DP Road
Short Review : Pure Veg Family Restaurant, small joint, regular punjabi, south indian dishes, price higher than usual but quantity substantial. ordered 2 dishes for 2 of us and i remember having to get the 1/2 of 1 dish packed for home. Even the rotis were bigger than usual. One of my colleagues told me that Dahi Khichdi is good there.
simple meal for 2 : abt Rs. 200+ (no starters, no desserts)
Shiv Sagar
Location : DP Road, its a landmark in itself.
Short Review : Pure veg. Its the best known eating establishment in the area. would be rare occassion to get a place without waiting. Substantial seating place, and still overcrowded. Serves punjabi, south indian, maharashtrian, indianized Mexican and Pizzas as well ! Fruit Juice and Shakes are well worth the money. Over all quality is good, but have stopped going to the place because of the waiting line and parking woes.
simple meal for 2 : abt Rs. 200+ (no starters, no desserts)
Sarjaa
Location : ITI Road, Nr. Kobe's, Opp. Symphony Services
Short Review : Its claim to fame ? belongs to Lata Mangeshkar. Serves Veg and Non-veg and Alcohol. Substantial seating, nice and well lit ambience. been there recently so I can remember specifics. Tomato Soup was not upto the mark. Chicken Kali Mirch was good and so was the Dal Fry. When i visited them first time, i made it a point to mention to them that "nowhere, I have tasted Dal Fry this good." but, last time, it was strictly ok, nothing great. have not experimented much, but have heard good things about them on quality.
simple meal for 2 : abt Rs. 300+ (no starters, no desserts)
The Klove
Location : 4th Floor, Ozone, ITI Road
Short Review : Since, it is on 4th floor, you have to know where to look for it. This is a Pure veg Rajasthani joint with dishes like Gatte ki Subzi, but sursprisingly, no Dal-baati ? How can anyone claim for Rajasthani joint without Dal-baati ?? Over all, the food quality is good. I make it a point to order the gatte ki sabzi, something unique to this place. But, service is atrocious. Once, I saw one of the waiters dropping the shakes over the table and the patrons. Usually over the weekednds, it is woefully under staffed during rush hour.
Dont try the starters. nothing unusual. Once, it ordered something which was a papad stuff rolled over gravy. by the time it came to us, papad were all soggy and nothing worthwhile.
simple meal for 2 : abt Rs. 250+ (no starters, no desserts)
Delhi Kitchen & Rasoi Ghar
Location : Rasoi Ghar- Nr. Spencers,T junction DP Rd
Delhi Kitchen- before Spencers, Medhi Park lane -end
Short Review : These two are strictly dine-in for bachelors joints. better off with home delivery.
Serve both veg and Non Veg. The regular punjabi tandoor stuff. veg dishes between Rs. 40-60. Non- veg between, 70-100. very busy during weekends, afternoon as well as evenings so takes time for home delievery. very popular with north indian bachelors and students. Open till late night. Chicken Adraki, tandoori chicken was good at both places. Good quanity, value for money, but dont expect 5 star hygeine. Close your eyes and relish..!!
veg meal for 2 : abt Rs. 150+
(Update : Rasoi Ghar has closed down. Instead, I saw a Bajaj Service Station in its place)
The Bananas
Location : Nr. Sony World, DP Road
Short Review : This is a popular pizza-pasta joint. have not tried any pizza from them since I believe it cannot be better than Pizza hut. Tried veg alferedo Spaghetti and chicken lasagna. Alfredo was strictly ok, though tasted somewhat like Sunfeast pasta. Lasagna i wanted to know what it looks like, was good but then, i dont have any prior experience to compare it with. It has got Baskin Robbins in the same shop, so definetly try that as desserts.
Pizza definetly less expensive than Pizza Hut. Pasta ok, served with Garlic Bread.
Meal for 2: Should cost abt Rs. 200, though depends on the order.
Kobe Sizzlers
Location : ITI Road, Nr. ICICI bank
Short Review : Kobe's is well known for its sizzlers. Have tried various ones on various occasions. Some came good, some very difficult even to inhale. Substantial Seating arrangements, though would be better off with stronger exhaust since sizzlers to smoke a lot. My belief is Sizzlers are worth only for Non-veg so have not tried any veg sizzlers. And, the ones with rice are more filling than with just noodles or steaks. But, then, steaks have more meat. my mouth is watering just remebering it. Anyway, your call. And avoid ordering anything very pungent. Eating it becomes difficult with the smell.
Chicken Sizzlers cost Rs. 200-250 each, 2 should be sufficient for 3 people.
Tip: If ordering more than 1 and sharing, ask them bring 1 by 1. Keeps hot.
Flavors - Seasons Appt. Hotel
Location : Turn left from Spencers, cross Anandban Club
Short Review : been there just once when it had just opened. very limited options in the menu.
ordered veg penne bolognese and something else which i dont remember right now. The quantity was so miniscule for the price. After having it, was still feeling hungry, and trust me, i can make better tasting pasta at my home than those guys and am no professional chef.
Dinner for 2 costed Rs. 600. Exorbitantly priced. Probably, you can have better at The Bananas mentioned above.
Since its an appt hotel, so they can fleece the foreigners staying there for the stuff. I remember a Roti costing Rs. 65 !!. They have Greek Galaxy Grill also there. May be I will muster up courage to visit that once.
( April 27 update : - One helpful but anonymous soul has reviewed Galaxy Grill in the comments below. Help yourself.)
There are few more in the vicinity : Shukriya, Jerry's, Polka Dots, Fasso's( Fasso's I will include in my Baner Restaurants reviews). Since, I have not sampled those , so no reviews right now. Will update as and when it happens.
No point in reviewing Pizza Hut and Mcdonalds there.
Drizzle
Location : nr. Medipoint Hospital, next to Sasken,New DP Road
Short Review : Pure Veg Family Restaurant, small joint, regular punjabi, south indian dishes, price higher than usual but quantity substantial. ordered 2 dishes for 2 of us and i remember having to get the 1/2 of 1 dish packed for home. Even the rotis were bigger than usual. One of my colleagues told me that Dahi Khichdi is good there.
simple meal for 2 : abt Rs. 200+ (no starters, no desserts)
Shiv Sagar
Location : DP Road, its a landmark in itself.
Short Review : Pure veg. Its the best known eating establishment in the area. would be rare occassion to get a place without waiting. Substantial seating place, and still overcrowded. Serves punjabi, south indian, maharashtrian, indianized Mexican and Pizzas as well ! Fruit Juice and Shakes are well worth the money. Over all quality is good, but have stopped going to the place because of the waiting line and parking woes.
simple meal for 2 : abt Rs. 200+ (no starters, no desserts)
Sarjaa
Location : ITI Road, Nr. Kobe's, Opp. Symphony Services
Short Review : Its claim to fame ? belongs to Lata Mangeshkar. Serves Veg and Non-veg and Alcohol. Substantial seating, nice and well lit ambience. been there recently so I can remember specifics. Tomato Soup was not upto the mark. Chicken Kali Mirch was good and so was the Dal Fry. When i visited them first time, i made it a point to mention to them that "nowhere, I have tasted Dal Fry this good." but, last time, it was strictly ok, nothing great. have not experimented much, but have heard good things about them on quality.
simple meal for 2 : abt Rs. 300+ (no starters, no desserts)
The Klove
Location : 4th Floor, Ozone, ITI Road
Short Review : Since, it is on 4th floor, you have to know where to look for it. This is a Pure veg Rajasthani joint with dishes like Gatte ki Subzi, but sursprisingly, no Dal-baati ? How can anyone claim for Rajasthani joint without Dal-baati ?? Over all, the food quality is good. I make it a point to order the gatte ki sabzi, something unique to this place. But, service is atrocious. Once, I saw one of the waiters dropping the shakes over the table and the patrons. Usually over the weekednds, it is woefully under staffed during rush hour.
Dont try the starters. nothing unusual. Once, it ordered something which was a papad stuff rolled over gravy. by the time it came to us, papad were all soggy and nothing worthwhile.
simple meal for 2 : abt Rs. 250+ (no starters, no desserts)
Delhi Kitchen & Rasoi Ghar
Location : Rasoi Ghar- Nr. Spencers,T junction DP Rd
Delhi Kitchen- before Spencers, Medhi Park lane -end
Short Review : These two are strictly dine-in for bachelors joints. better off with home delivery.
Serve both veg and Non Veg. The regular punjabi tandoor stuff. veg dishes between Rs. 40-60. Non- veg between, 70-100. very busy during weekends, afternoon as well as evenings so takes time for home delievery. very popular with north indian bachelors and students. Open till late night. Chicken Adraki, tandoori chicken was good at both places. Good quanity, value for money, but dont expect 5 star hygeine. Close your eyes and relish..!!
veg meal for 2 : abt Rs. 150+
(Update : Rasoi Ghar has closed down. Instead, I saw a Bajaj Service Station in its place)
The Bananas
Location : Nr. Sony World, DP Road
Short Review : This is a popular pizza-pasta joint. have not tried any pizza from them since I believe it cannot be better than Pizza hut. Tried veg alferedo Spaghetti and chicken lasagna. Alfredo was strictly ok, though tasted somewhat like Sunfeast pasta. Lasagna i wanted to know what it looks like, was good but then, i dont have any prior experience to compare it with. It has got Baskin Robbins in the same shop, so definetly try that as desserts.
Pizza definetly less expensive than Pizza Hut. Pasta ok, served with Garlic Bread.
Meal for 2: Should cost abt Rs. 200, though depends on the order.
Kobe Sizzlers
Location : ITI Road, Nr. ICICI bank
Short Review : Kobe's is well known for its sizzlers. Have tried various ones on various occasions. Some came good, some very difficult even to inhale. Substantial Seating arrangements, though would be better off with stronger exhaust since sizzlers to smoke a lot. My belief is Sizzlers are worth only for Non-veg so have not tried any veg sizzlers. And, the ones with rice are more filling than with just noodles or steaks. But, then, steaks have more meat. my mouth is watering just remebering it. Anyway, your call. And avoid ordering anything very pungent. Eating it becomes difficult with the smell.
Chicken Sizzlers cost Rs. 200-250 each, 2 should be sufficient for 3 people.
Tip: If ordering more than 1 and sharing, ask them bring 1 by 1. Keeps hot.
Flavors - Seasons Appt. Hotel
Location : Turn left from Spencers, cross Anandban Club
Short Review : been there just once when it had just opened. very limited options in the menu.
ordered veg penne bolognese and something else which i dont remember right now. The quantity was so miniscule for the price. After having it, was still feeling hungry, and trust me, i can make better tasting pasta at my home than those guys and am no professional chef.
Dinner for 2 costed Rs. 600. Exorbitantly priced. Probably, you can have better at The Bananas mentioned above.
Since its an appt hotel, so they can fleece the foreigners staying there for the stuff. I remember a Roti costing Rs. 65 !!. They have Greek Galaxy Grill also there. May be I will muster up courage to visit that once.
( April 27 update : - One helpful but anonymous soul has reviewed Galaxy Grill in the comments below. Help yourself.)
There are few more in the vicinity : Shukriya, Jerry's, Polka Dots, Fasso's( Fasso's I will include in my Baner Restaurants reviews). Since, I have not sampled those , so no reviews right now. Will update as and when it happens.
No point in reviewing Pizza Hut and Mcdonalds there.
ONLY PARATHAS, INOX
ph : 26051834-35
went to this place near Inox called Only Parathas last weekend. Nice ambience, and since there was lot of traffic on the roads, managed to find the place empty. by the time we finished, there was the regular waiting queue which is a regular stuff on weekends in pune.
ok, now for the food stuff.
the sheer variety of parathas or better still, the combinations are huge. but nothing outlandish.
Single filling for abt Rs 81 and Double filling abt 92. they also have a basket of mini parathas 4", 4 in number for Rs. 200-270. You can also have your own combination with upto 4 filings.(Rs. 104) and also Low Cal Tandoor paratha. But then, why will anyone go for an oil-free paratha ?
As, for starters, they have the regular chaat stuff and tandoor . So, we ordered a mini platter (Rs. 162) which had 2 pieces of 4 types, i.e. 8 in all (As it turns out, it was a wise decision). It was pretty ok, Paneer, Gobi, Potato, Paneer. Also, some Mocktails. (Rs. 99 each). Now, the one I ordered, Honey Bucnch was, simply to put, unpalatable. Too sweet. it was suppose to be with vanilla icecream, which i could never see or taste. i literally had to force it down with water since I dont like wasting food.
The Parathas arrived after sometime. I was kind of surprised at the size of them. They were smaller than the ones I had at similar joints.The parathas are served with dal, chana masala, raita, onions and achaar. We had ordered 3 parathas of mix combinations and managed to sample all 3. But, as I found out, nothing exquisite about them. The chana was too salty, the stuffings were less than filling. The parathas in themselves would have been insufficient if we had not had the tandoor platter earlier and the mocktails.
Did not order any sweets.
The ambience is nice, spacious and well lit. The service decent. Surprisingly, no finger bowls. Now, you are eating parathas, not pizzas. Got to use fingers, else it wont taste the same. So finger bowls should have been there.
Meal for 3 would cost in range of 600-800, including taxes.
Finally, as i said earlier, the size of the parathas was dis-appointing and so was the filling, (tastewise and quantitywise). So, what else is there in a paratha ? The tandoor platter, i believe, was highly priced and mocktails ( at least, mine) unpleasant.
In all, a below par experience.
Now, I am comparing this with one I had at Real Parathas, Nr. Vasant Vihar, Thane(W). That is what I would call a real north indian paratha experience. There would be very few people daring to beyond 1 paratha, and yet the taste so enchanting that it would tempt them to do so. Thats what keeps people bring them back there. The owner is from Agra, the foodie paradise of North, so he knows what paratha stuff is actually about.
went to this place near Inox called Only Parathas last weekend. Nice ambience, and since there was lot of traffic on the roads, managed to find the place empty. by the time we finished, there was the regular waiting queue which is a regular stuff on weekends in pune.
ok, now for the food stuff.
the sheer variety of parathas or better still, the combinations are huge. but nothing outlandish.
Single filling for abt Rs 81 and Double filling abt 92. they also have a basket of mini parathas 4", 4 in number for Rs. 200-270. You can also have your own combination with upto 4 filings.(Rs. 104) and also Low Cal Tandoor paratha. But then, why will anyone go for an oil-free paratha ?
As, for starters, they have the regular chaat stuff and tandoor . So, we ordered a mini platter (Rs. 162) which had 2 pieces of 4 types, i.e. 8 in all (As it turns out, it was a wise decision). It was pretty ok, Paneer, Gobi, Potato, Paneer. Also, some Mocktails. (Rs. 99 each). Now, the one I ordered, Honey Bucnch was, simply to put, unpalatable. Too sweet. it was suppose to be with vanilla icecream, which i could never see or taste. i literally had to force it down with water since I dont like wasting food.
The Parathas arrived after sometime. I was kind of surprised at the size of them. They were smaller than the ones I had at similar joints.The parathas are served with dal, chana masala, raita, onions and achaar. We had ordered 3 parathas of mix combinations and managed to sample all 3. But, as I found out, nothing exquisite about them. The chana was too salty, the stuffings were less than filling. The parathas in themselves would have been insufficient if we had not had the tandoor platter earlier and the mocktails.
Did not order any sweets.
The ambience is nice, spacious and well lit. The service decent. Surprisingly, no finger bowls. Now, you are eating parathas, not pizzas. Got to use fingers, else it wont taste the same. So finger bowls should have been there.
Meal for 3 would cost in range of 600-800, including taxes.
Finally, as i said earlier, the size of the parathas was dis-appointing and so was the filling, (tastewise and quantitywise). So, what else is there in a paratha ? The tandoor platter, i believe, was highly priced and mocktails ( at least, mine) unpleasant.
In all, a below par experience.
Now, I am comparing this with one I had at Real Parathas, Nr. Vasant Vihar, Thane(W). That is what I would call a real north indian paratha experience. There would be very few people daring to beyond 1 paratha, and yet the taste so enchanting that it would tempt them to do so. Thats what keeps people bring them back there. The owner is from Agra, the foodie paradise of North, so he knows what paratha stuff is actually about.
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