Your thali cravings in Pune should end here.
Gone are the days in this country when Asian cuisine was represented by two sauces; The Red Schezwan and the Black Manchurian. For long we Indians have relished these two dishes and it's multiple 'Chindian' (Chinese-Indian) variations. The coming of age for this Pan-Asian cuisine has seen a rather long curve with growth of Black Bean based dishes, use of Lemongrass and Shrimp Paste and the burst of Dumpling outlets at very nook and corner. More recently in the first half of this decade, the South East Asian cuisine has brought a wide array of flavours that also somewhere inside of it has shown mild hints of Indian influences. The Burmese Khao Suey / Kaukswe, Thai Papaya Salad, Tempura based appetisers, Sushi and Sashimi are a few dishes that can be now seen on the menu of almost all mainstream Chinese eateries. While many have opted to introduce a few of these iconic dishes into their regular menu, only a few have managed to keep the authenticity intact. Pune is in the middle of a similar Pan-Asian storm where dying eateries are refreshing their menu with new offerings while a handful of start-ups are building a strong base with authentic provincial dishes from almost all of the South East Asia. One such example of a budding startup offering an attempt at South East Asian dishes is 'The Asian Box' located in Koregaon Park, Pune.
Bowl of Seafood Khao Suey
The owner couple - Dheeraj & Priya Mahtani who shifted to Pune from Singapore also brought with them their experience and flavours of the Singapore street food. More importantly they believed in the concept of a humble street food joint where ambiance and decor was secondary while tang was primary, thus came the birth of 'The Asian Box' which offers dishes from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, China, Japan and Burma. In both of our dining experiences at the outlet (a dinner followed by the next day lunch), the food was consistent & uncomplicated with straightforward flavours. Regional favourites like Malaysian Kway Teow, Nasi Goreng and Burmese Khao Suey were ordered along with contemporary dishes like Kung Pao Chicken, Roast Hainese Chicken Rice and Chilly Bean Chicken.
The 'Roast Hainese Chicken Rice' came with a cautionary advice about it being on the bland side of the palate and needed a heavy dousing of the side chilli sauce. Nonetheless, one spoonful mix of the humble rice brightened by the soup, one fork full of Chicken strip dipped in Chilli Mix and you experience the ultimate amalgamation of fundamental Asian flavour. Period !
Our 'Nasi Goreng' bowl of fried rice was topped with a fried egg, crackers and two skewers of Chicken Satay. Yet again a generous dish with heat derived from the chopped Red Chillis and briny flavours from the long grain rice coated in Oyster Sauce. The Singapore and Indonesian favourite had already wooed us and got us confident enough to indulge into a bowl of the pinnacle of Burmese culinary craft - The Khao Suey. Going for a seafood variation was only a matter of trusting the kitchen to deliver an intense Coconut Milk broth deepened by chopped Basa fillets and handful of Prawns. It's a dish not for the voracious eater, but someone who understands how to tackle two large bowls of curry and noodles combined into one and ornamented with fried garlic, onions, chopped spring onion greens and red chili. This Khao Suey could have easily toppled Busago's version had the celery not been missing from the accompaniments. While it is tiny little addition, the celery brings a zing that stops the repeated flushing of palate with coconut and seafood meat flavours. Vastly on all fronts this Khao Suey is a bowl to be reckoned with.
The Penang favourite 'Kway Teow' flat noodle dish too was deeply enjoyed across the table. A little dry in nature, but was well accompanied by the slightly curried Chili Bean Chicken. The presence of Sambal Paste in the Kway Teow comes out quite distinctly in the dish, though they do offer the dish minus the sambal paste for people who are intolerant to fish sauce or shrimp paste.
Although they offer a few known desserts for the end of a meal, we're lucky to be offered bowls of a unique 'Pandan' flavoured Panna Cotta with a touch of dark sugar syrup on top. The Panna Cotta was a bit firm, though what intrigued us was the simultaneous presence of an interestingly nutty and grassy flavour caused by the infusion of the Pandan leaves. Top marks for simply bringing the leafy flavours into a Panna Cotta.
In conclusion, the hospitality of the owners, their presence and effort to educate the patrons on their order are some of the highlights of this humble eatery. The quality of food and restricted Pan-Asian menu is a conscious yet brainy move that plays to their strength, which has also build its thick set of loyalists. Not only has all of this earned them a top spot in the Pan- Asian list of eateries of Pune but also bagged them a title of "Best Pan-Asian (Casual Dining)"during the Times Food Guide Awards 2015, held in Pune. It's an appreciable testimonial for honest cooking, humble beginnings and resolute road-map to success.
Location : Ground Floor, Shahinsha Building, Lane no. 6, Koregaon Park, Pune.
A year or more back, Otto Infinto - the Mediterranean eatery was rebranded into a Cafe style eatery with a menu that was more widespread and befitting its new name - Cafe Infinito. With the rebranding exercise came a slight change in seating arrangement that is more communal and open as opposed to the previous diner style enclosure. Since then it's been more approachable to the neighbouring corporate and consulate crowd that at times also consists of a few foreign nationalities down for official work, thus making it a corporate lunch favourite and also a post work hangout.
The menu here was already diverse and drew a good enough caricature of the known European dishes. The new menu adds a huge slice of sub-continent ingredients & flavours while the European fare is more experimental in nature now. Medium&Rare along with a few more influencers were invited to experience a selection of items from their new menu. The simple yet delicate filo wrapped Brie and earthy SriLankan Prawns Curry were surely our pick of the afternoon followed by an array of largely satisfying desserts like Baked Yoghurt & Philadelphia Cheesecake.
Hooters style Chicken Wings and Baked Brie came right away to compliment the quenchers. As mentioned previously, the Brie was absolutely adored by everyone for its uncomplicated overall taste and fresh cheesy goodness inside the pastry. This is one dish to please even the most ardent of meat munchers. The battered Chicken Wings were high on sheen and an equally gloopy mess in the hands, while the crackling appetizer "Firecracker Prawns" (from the permanent menu) provided the crispy cover and soft meat inside which we expected from the hooter style dish. Almost pushed to the sides of the table were Jalapeno & Cheese Poppers; Probably made to feel overwhelmed by the presence of its gourmet cousin 'Baked Brie'.
Bacon & Banana inside a Baguette may sound outright illegal, eerie and experimental at first, but if the word of mouth from the table is any true it's a valiant effort that may entice someone with a progressive palate. The open face - Aglio Olio Mushrooms on Focaccia should be easily appealable to everyone with its well sauteed mushrooms and melted cheddar mix and microgreen garnish.
The selection of salad - Cypriot Mix and the Crispy Asian Salad; both weren't received well by almost everyone. The Asian Salad was a visual disappointment with its pale palette of colors, also the textures though varied - nuts, crispy lettuce strips and those tiny bursts from pomegranate never tied together the entire dish at any point of our few spoonful attempts. Cypriot Salad Mix of Flax seeds, Lentils, Pomegranate & Honey Yoghurt had a better visual play than the previous salad, but only mildly tasteful while on a good note incorporated heaps of healthy calories. The salads vastly remain a breakfast accompaniment or a late afternoon grub.
With the meal graph fluctuating between ground zero and soaring high peaks, it was time for the actual indulgence - Mains. The Lineup was Chicken Roulade, Chicken Cafreal, SriLankan Curry & Rice, Mushroom Timbale & Cottage Cheese Moussaka. Separating itself from the lot was the gratifying SriLankan Curry & Rice (Prawns variation was effortlessly natural as compared to the Chicken variation). From its bright orange color to the soul food like comforting taste and creamy texture of Coconut Milk, it is an absolute winner for a European subjugated eatery. One spoonful mix of Rice, Curry & Prawn and we were ready to erase all the previous shortcomings.
The Roulade, Mushroom Timbale & Moussaka were some of the well plated dishes. Vastly, these dishes fared above-average in taste and generous in portion size. The Mushroom Timbale is certainly notch above the two with its complex layers of taste and the beaming orange curry that accompanies it. The only dish of desi origin was the Goan favourite 'Chicken Cafreal'. It's quite a risky dish to emulate, due to the complex masalas that build its curry base and coats the chicken pieces. Anyone who has experienced the famous Cafreal at Florentine's in North Goa will find Infinito's mimic a little subtle and lacking pungency of the black peppers. The Goan Bread is deeply missed here, which is meant to soak the soulful curry and marry the entire dish.
Baked Yoghurt & Philadelphia Cheesecake were definitely the picks from the dessert section. Both came plated with a complimenting fruit compote which brings a bit of relish to the creamy texture of the yoghurt & cream cheese. Both of the above-mentioned desserts are much recommended at any given hour or meal, even breakfast ! Sadly the same cannot be said about the Tiramisu which was unanimously unsatisfactory across the table.
The experience of the new menu has been more a of rollercoaster ride with alternating high climbs and gentle slopes. Excluding a few dishes, the new menu experience in general was a proof of largely competent cooking with occasionally diffident flavours.
Recommendations : Baked Brie, Aglio Olio Mushroom on Focaccia, SriLankan Prawn Curry, Baked Yogurt & Philadelphia Cheese Cake.
Location : G Block, Raheja Tower, Bandra Kurla Complex
In an area governed by art, eateries from Kalaghoda should be nothing less than quaint habitats for creative souls. On the contrary, This one square kilometer patch of Kalaghoda features some of the most chirpy and versatile spaces. From rustic Ayub's to the grandeur facade of Cheval and from expats packed Nutcracker to this exhibition room like white brick wall and ebony wood snuggery named 'Kalaghoda Cafe'.
Its rectangular area carves out space for five tables squished closely together and another additional table at the mezzanine. Keeping up with the spirit of the neighborhood there is pretentious display of paintings on the exposed walls. Due to the space constraint, securing a table at lunchtime means a minimum half an hour waiting under the scorching sun while contemplating a plan to instead dine at the next door 'Mamagoto' or 'Trishna'.
The fare is compact, highly european yet features only a handful of red and white meat based dishes. We called for a KGC Special Sandwich, Waffle with Dark Chocolate Sauce, Mint Cucumber Cooler (from the summer menu) and a Cold Coffee. While the Cooler and Coffee arrived in quick succession, we were devoid of a basic glass of water until we asked for it. The Mint & Cucumber Cooler turned out to be more of a health-oriented juice and sans any lemon or honey. Our KGC Special Sandwich (with Chicken) arrived sooner with some well seasoned chicken, rocket lettuce and melted 'Padano' all squeezed between a tightly pressed Ciabata. No whatsoever complains on the sandwich; A perfect plate and well priced. The culmination of the meal was indeed a disappointment in the form a rather average tasting, not at all warm block of Waffle. The Dark Chocolate Sauce was lacklustre in flavour due to its dilute viscosity. While the plate appears appetizing enough when one pours chocolate sauce over the waffles, sadly it only remains nothing more than a moment of food pornography.
Left : KGC Special Sandwich & Right : Waffle with Dark Chocolate Sauce.
The damage to pocket for this summer lunching was 750 bucks, which is not a bad deal, but considering the unsatisfactory level of our stomach and palate, it could have been much elevated had more importance been levied to quick service and consistent quality of dishes. With the positive word of mouth about this place, it seems like a much elaborate visit needs to be considered next time around to verify if it's all buzz and no show.
Location : 10, Ropewalk Lane, Kala Ghoda,Fort
It rarely happens that the name of a brand precedes the food on offer. Bombay Blue has been into the culinary scene of Mumbai since more than a decade now. There's a partial menu revamp in order to match pace with the many budding eateries, the fare is now more inclined towards the tex-mex side of world cuisine.
We were invited to its Market City outlet that ran packed on a Saturday afternoon lunch hour. The service was prompt and within minutes of us grabbing the high stools our table was packed with a fresh Kiwi & Crushed Pepper mocktail, a mountain of Nachos with an avalanche of cream cheese, a Chicken Tikka Salad and portion of Masala Makai Bhel. The 'Maha Nachos' was plated such to enclose a center of mexican beans and surrounded by shards of Nachos and drizzled with cheese sauce. While the visual gimmicks take a good score, the practicality is zero as one ends up consuming the Nachos and only to later discover the beans in the center. Tikka Salad and Masala Makai Bhel both were average affair and should work better as a side snack with the 99 bucks beer on offer.
We sampled almost all the summer mocktails on offer. Each of the mocktail flavour came with a generous addition of its respective grated fruit flesh. The Orange & Green Apple variations won unanimously over the remaining lot.
While we sipped on our refreshments, half a dozen more plates arrived at the table. Namely, a portion of Peri Peri Chicken, Onion Rings & Cheese Balls, assorted Sliders, Chicken Tacos, Peri Peri Chicken Pizza & Moroccan Grilled Chicken. While the food generally looked vibrant with its colorful ingredients, the flavours were largely suppressed and kept begging for more seasoning. Chicken was overcooked across the board and thus rendered dry in the case of Chermoula marinated Moroccan Chicken. Onion Rings, Cheese Balls & Sliders were yet again average accompaniments while the Tacos fared a notch better.
The rather humdrum main course routine was uplifted with a decadent triangle of 'Irish Cream Chocolate Cheesecake'. A full ten-on-ten cake for its dark crumbly crust and flawless cake center
Bombay Blue has seen may tides of restaurants arrive and depart in these many years. The coming of age of its menu should have been more inspiring and impactful than what was showcased to us. With that said, it may just strive ahead considering its loyalist still enjoy the food without any fuss while ones with a better palate will have surely moved on to the newer city favourites.
There’s little that needs to be done when you have a successfully running pizzeria on Mumbai’s most enigmatic corniche. With a few new additions, the menu here is slightly more evolved yet classic at large and true to the South Bombay taste. There's only one - 'Pizza by the bay'.
At a recently held bloggers & influencers meet, the restaurant served us that new fare. Starting off with the Butter Garlic Prawns which were not too heavy with the usual garlic concentrated sauce unlike other places; This one was rendered light with succulent prawns. Immediately next up was the fabulous 'Ravioli di Formaggio'. These golden fried ravioli pockets with the four cheese filling gave a more unified taste unlike its Pizza variation and are seriously addictive. They repeated a few more of the Ravioli basket which got empty after a passing a few hands.
Chicken Lasagna
Next to arrive were the neatly stacked 'Lasagna'. This new entrant on the menu is certainly a looker of a plate with its contrasting crude tomato & mellow béchamel sauce base followed by a quad of lasagna, salad & slice of buttered baguette. The lasagna with minced chicken itself is flavoured well so the sauces just add a new dimension to your palate. The dish is easily a wholesome meal by itself due to the presence of multiple components. The Spinach & Mushroom Risotto arrived almost simultaneously with the lasagna and had to be kept waiting until we finished ravaging the former. Couple of spoons and it feels wholesome in the mouth & comforting in the stomach. The barely cooked spinach plays a decent low-key cameo while ensuring that the Risotto remains memorable.
Being at a pizzeria and quite less has been said about dough and toppings; That's because the pizza section here has been strong since forever with a little need for addition or subtraction. We were offered a few slices from the new 'Classic Pizzeria Quad'(veg) and 'Porker Quad'. Sampling the former and one will find a few hits and misses. The Jalapeno one was my pick for the night. Cannot comment on the latter since it was out of my palate range. Also to reminisce the good times, almost everyone unanimously called for the famous 'Bombay Masala' which has maintained its fanfare and taste quite literally since a long time.
The new addition to the dessert section - 'Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice-Cream' was an average fare. I suggest sticking to the reliable Baked Citrus Cheesecake or Sticky Toffee Pudding.
Overall the new additions bring some variety and flare to the good ol' pizzeria menu card. The Formaggio Ravioli, Lasagna & Mushroom Risotto are definitely recommended and should work well with its townie loyalists. If you've been coming here since many years then you're ought to miss the chirpy 'Pizzeria' and the noisy karaoke at 'Jazz by the bay', else for newcomers it still weaves a serene by-the-bay magic.
*Medium&Rare was invited by Chandni Tolani (Boomerang Media) & Mars Hospitality for this dinner.