The Asian Box, Koregaon Park

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.

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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.

Cafe Infinito, Bandra Kurla Complex

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. 

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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

Kalaghoda Cafe

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

A Thought for Bread

Taking a bite from Julia Child's famous quotes - “How can a nation be called great if its bread tastes like kleenex?” which sometimes is true to our nation where bread is considered only as an element of the morning chai table or an early evening grub and where the average bakery product is far from being a lovable piece of dough. Roti or Chapati in different forms dominate our cuisines from North to South and East to West, thus bread always plays a second fiddle. Our national crowd is distinctly divided into two sections when it comes to bread; One eats a sliced loaf (white, brown or multigrain) and Second eats the ladi pav, gutli or brun. While loaves of Multigrain bread are popular among the middle class families and youngsters, the more traditional pav or brun is a mandatory element of the grown-ups, particularly muslim and christian families.

The 'Brun' or 'Kadak' Pav is one of the fundamental product to come out of any average bakery. A bread which starts life as a slightly tougher version of the average ladi pav, Brun Pav sees the bright flames of the stone oven twice in its daily life cycle before it is let to cool and develop the hard crust; Hence the slang 'Double Bhatti'. In Mumbai, There are pockets where you can find some good old crusty bruns; Bandra West, Andheri, Byculla, JJ & Colaba tops the list with Bandra's A1 Bakery being the most versatile of them all providing all sorts of variations from the regular pavs to Bruns, Dinner Rolls to Sausage Rolls and Sweet Buns to Burger Buns. 

Variety of artisan breads from 'The Bakers Dozen'.

Since a few years, the metropolitan cities have seen a change in bread and baking scenery with the introduction of artisan breads like the Sourdough, Brioche and many others. While many home bakers and startups have lend a hand in this movement, a young learned baker 'Aditi Handa' led company 'Baker's Dozen' has played pivotal role. Baker's Dozen with its strategy and tryst for international quality breads has outlets in the heart of city and mostly manages to get sold out by early evening. Fresh batch of Pain Au Levain, Brioche, Baguette, Focaccia, Ragi Bread and lot more arrive at each outlet every morning. Daily consumers vary from locals to expats while few third party internet vendors collect their batches from the closest store. As a lot more people get educated about the availabilities of such artisan breads, the trend can only be seeing an upwards mark. 

While new startups and independent bakers are exploring new avenues of this industry, legends like Britannia, Wibs and few others have also adapted to the health oriented trend with its brown, ragi & multigrain loaves. Many households claim that while the move is appreciated, the fancy breads barely add any nutritional value and seem like a mere colored variation of the original white bread. Similar loaves of bread from smaller startups justify the expensive tag with its shorter shelf-life and more important 'unrefined texture' that indicates an authentic product. While local bakery sells a loaf of brown, whole wheat or multigrain bread in the range of 35-45 rupees, the upper crust bakeries manage to price them higher than 50 rupees. 

Long gone are the days when a customer said, "ek Britannia ya Wibs dena'. The instructions are now more bread specific and not brand specific "ek Brown Bread with Whole Grain dena". There is a change in mindset of the people who are not just marrying bread and butter, but elevating it ranks by pairing with rich wine and gourmet cheese.

Bombay Blue - New Menu Review

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.

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A Mumbaikars eating out guide to Pune

My childhood memories of Poona (not popularized 'Pune' back then) is of travelling in the White-Green MRSTC  bus starting from Dadar bus stand passing through carved ghats and arriving at Pune station. Dad always made us stay at a certain 'Dreamland' hotel close to the bus station. Mornings were spent sitting in the balcony enjoying the chaos at the busy junction while lunch was a cab ride to Camp Area, specifically 'Dorabjee' for their Dhansak, Salli Ghosh and Bheja . Evening meal at times was at the generic restaurant in the hotel or only if we felt adventurous, then some good diner in Deccan or Camp.

A lot has changed since those days; Poona has transformed into a vibrant 'Pune City', I've got a set of thick friends, cousins who belong there and my two wheel wandering has enabled me to navigate through some unknown lanes and satiate my high to find a new route to every destination. The past few trips have only made me incline more towards this city than Mumbai for various reasons. The culinary scene is on a tremendous rise with almost all giant eateries making their way into the malls while some better home-grown eateries & breweries have exploded in Pune and then made their way to Mumbai. A deeper analysis will only keep me favouring to this concentrated, well organized conurbation than it's neighboring megacity. 

Here is the list of a few of my explored eateries from this city. I'm sure these are not even half of what Pune has to offer, yet making an effort to put these eateries on the social media map.

(CA - Camp Area, KP - Koregaon Park, AU - Aundh, BG - Bund Garden, SR - Sasoon Road, VN - Viman Nagar, KR - Kothrud, SV - Salunke Vihar, KN - Kalyani Nagar, NIBM - NIBM Annexe)

• Marz-o-rin (CA) - My first love in the city and the best place to catch up on friends for a quick chat with Chutney Sanchwiches, Baked Bean Macaroni, Slushes & Burgers.
• Dorabjee (CA) - That old school favourite from childhood. Legendary Parsi delicacies liike Mutton Dhansak, Kheema Bheja, Saali Ghosh, Akuri & Traditional Parsi Biryani's creates that perfect nostalgia.
• Cafe Yedzan (CA) - Good old irani cafe known for a cuppa Chai, Bun Maska and Cheese Toast.
• Vohuman Cafe (SR) - Known for their legendary breakfast. Don't miss the Double Cheese Omelette, Bhurji, Bournvita & Chai.
• Olympia Restaurant (CA) - Kathi Kebab Rolls while on the stroll.
• German Bakery (KP) - Of Course ! For the buzzin crowd, location and all day cafeteria food.
• Flour Works (KN) - A piece of Bandra but situated in Kalyani Nagar. Scrumptious breakie, sandwiches & continental mains. 
• Smiley House (AU) - For that quaint vietnamese soul food.
• Habibi (KP) - Hearty Mezze & Kebabs in an open air middle eastern ambiance.
• High Spirts (KP) - To experience the famous 'Cookout' sessions.
• Independence Brewing Company (KP), Flambos Brewpub (BG) & Doolally (NIBM)- Brilliant Craft Beers straight from their Microbreweries.
• Chopsticks Malabar Spice (VN) - Not much popular for their Chinese preparations as for their Kerala Thalli, Parotha, Chettinad Curries & Biryani.
• Tiranga (KR) - If you've an appetite for a true Maharashtrian cuisine and like your burps blazing like a dragon then their Gavran Handi, Rassa, Sukka & Thallis are for you to devour. 
• Kayani Bakery (CA) - Pack some of their world renowned Shrewsbury Biscuits & Mawa Cakes.
• Yumme Tumme (SV) - Very underrated, dirt cheap eatery but serves some idiosyncratic food. Must try their Shawarma & Afghani Burger. 
• Jashn (SV) - For that unexpected generous mouth watering late night meal. 

Shrewberry Biscuits, Kayani Bakery (Image Courtesy : CNN.com)

High Spirits (Image Courtesy : Zomato)

Some other good old places may have been missed out, nevertheless there are a few more trips left to be made and it'll surely bring out those names along with new hidden gems. 

With such a breezy pleasant weather right now in the summers, i'm surely contemplating a temporary move to this city. All these meals & hanging out would not have been possible without the help of a city insider, Ms. Jehan Thanks for bearing with the random visits, early breakfast calls & late night hopping.

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Here are the three episodes we produced in collaboration with Novus Pictures. The series is called 'I Was Here' and these three episodes are based in Pune.

In this premier episode of #IWasHere Assad takes us on a trip down memory lane to some of the places from this satellite city that he frequented back in his childhood days. Salli Ghosh at Dorabjee, Irani Chai & Bun Maska at Cafe Yezdan and Husseny Bakery on Taboot Street that bakes some flawless 'Brun Pav'.

Episode Two starts off from the ever popular and rustic 'Vohuman Cafe' and then shifts to the suburban area of Aundh where Assad experiences traditional Vietnamese cuisine at 'Smiley House' curated by two sisters in a garage sized quirky eatery.

In the final episode, We travel to Viman Nagar to enjoy some original and yummy Keralite Paratha's and Appam's at Malabar Chopsticks, meet 'Meeta Makhecha' the owner of Kalyani Nagar's famous European eatery 'The Flour Works' and finally make one last stop at this year's Times Food Award winner 'The Asian Box' in Koregaon Park for the delightful South East Asian fare and specifically their Burmese Khao Suey.