Parsi bhonu hits Balewadi at Rustom Batliwala!

Rustom Batlivala, Balewadi high street

Rustom Batlivala is a cosy little joint – opened right where Cafe Mestizo used to exist. A brainchild of Chef Deepu. G. Alamchandani (of the mestizo and Bombay Diaries fame), they attempt to dish out some authentic Parsi cuisine.

On Monday, I landed up here with my team for office. We were 3 non vegetarians and 2 vegetarians. And we pretty much ploughed through the entire menu! Here’s what we enjoyed

Mutton Berry Pulao

Mutton Berry Pulao

Glistening red berries sparkling in mounds of fluffy basmati rice, their brilliant color offset with the hue of saffron rice flakes and the white cashew slivers. Layered rice and mutton topped with Iranian Zereshk Berries and cashew slivers – this is a dish fit for the persian kings. Do NOT miss this when at Rustom Batlivala.

Dhansak with Brown Rice – Mutton

Mutton Dhansaak

RB does justice to this Parsi delicacy. The masala is thick and creamy and ruch and has that slight sweet after taste that you associate with dhansak. The mutton pieces are perfectly cooked. My only request was to serve mutton balls alongside, to make it more authentic. The veg variant of the classic was just as delicious as the Mutton one. Well, almost 😋

Mutton Biryani

Mutton Biryani

The Chef seems to have carried over this classic from the Mestizo menu. Delicious, rich, well cooked mutton – soul food.

Bhutta Karari Tikka

Bhutta Karari Tikka

Made from a mix of fresh American sweet corn and crushed up corn flakes, topped with pink salt, the combination of sweet n salty, crunchy and gooey makes it a fab starter.

Naram Dil Kabab

Naram Dil Kabab

Heart shaped deep fried crusted kababs wifh a soft paneer filling. These were more on the sweet side with a strong flavor of elaichi. Unique flavor, but may not go down well with everyone due to the sweetness.

Kheema Pav

Kheema Pao

The veg version was pav bhaji that tasted like mutton kheema. Super delicious, the vegetarian folks ordered this twice! The Mutton kheema pav was yummy, medium spicy, just perfect.

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Total bill for the above food came to ~2500 (for 5 people). They have an upto 100% cashback offer going on. You enter your number and you get an sms telling you how much cashback you win. I, luckily, got a 100% cashback. So I ended up visiting again, last night, where Sangeeta and I gorged on some delicious dhansak and berry pulao.

Yep. 2 visits in 5 days. Thats how great it is. Loved it!

Ps: the quantities are small-ish. Each dish is about a single person serving. Prices are decent, so you can happily order 2 mains 🙂

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Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc – A boozy brunch at Euriska

Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc

The Beer

They say that beauty lies in the eyes of the beer-holder! Packaged in a lovely 330 ml blue glass bottle, this is one beer that truly catches your eye.

Kronenburg 1664 Blanc is a light (4.5% ABV) and smooth Belgian witbier style, brewed in Alsace, France.

As you pop open the cap, a lovely herbal and spicy aroma of coriander, clove, rosemary, lemongrass, and orange peel greets you. It pours a fine yellow liquid with a little foamy head. Strong citrus flavor – Lime / Lemon rind taste is fragrant and obvious, with some subtle spicy notes.

Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc

The light head and carbonation makes it very easy to sip. Its very light on the palate, with a lovely citrus after taste. The result – a very  enjoyable, very summery drink.

Chatpata Corn Aranchini

Chatpata Corn Aranchini

Giving this beautiful beer company, are the Chatpata Corn Aranchini. This desi take on the Italian dish results in total spicy-gooey-awesomeness!

Achari Marinated Chicken Skewers

Achari Marinated Chicken Skewers

Spicy, well cooked, chicken tikkas. Yum.

Smoky Chicken Pizza

Another desi twist – super yum, thin crust desi pizza.

Overall, all the dishes paired well with the beer, making it a very enjoyable brunch session for us.

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I was part of blogger’s table. The Usual Disclaimer applies.

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“K” – Authentic Korean in Pune!

Korean Food in Pune!

“K” – Korean Restaurant has recently opened up in Aundh, behind Medipoint restaurant. Serving authentic Korean cuisine, they sure bring some exciting flavors to our palate. #baconbaba was invited for a tasting to this tiny cosy little place.

Here’s a quick run down of my experience.

Tangsu

Tangsu with Fried Mushroom

A dish with Korean-Chinese origins, the Tangsu consists of Batter fried mushrooms with Mixed vegetables and a sweet and sour sauce. The highlight was the thick sweet sticky golden sauce, characterized by the flavor of pineapple and vinegar. Fresh pineapple slivers added to the overall sweetness of the dish.

Tangsu with Fried Chicken

The Fried Chicken Tangsu had very similar flavours as the mushroom variant. The Red garlic chilly sauce and pickled radish served on the side add a much needed salty/spicy kick to this overall sweet dish.

Jampong (Veg)

Jampong (Veg)

Jamppong is a Korean-Chinese noodle soup with red, spicy broth flavored with gochutgaru (chili powder). The veg version is loaded with vegetables and mushrooms. While this had quite a hit of spice the strong flavor of mushrooms in the broth was noticable.

Nagasaki Jampong (Sea Food)

Nagasaki Jampong

A form of Korean Ramen, the Nagasaki Jampong is a lovely sea food broth – prawns, mussel, squid with mixed veggies and pork. Super light, super delicious – a must have for all you sea food lovers!

Clear Noodles Chicken soup

Clear Noodles Chicken soup

Like the name suggests, this is a simple, clean broth with mixed vegetables and chicken. The strong flavor of the chicken stock shines through.

Jajang (pork)

Jajang (pork)

A thick Black bean paste based gravy with chopped Cabbage, Onion and minced Pork on a bed of noodles. My first taste felt rather bland – the flavors just didn’t work. But mix it all together, and it results in porky noodle awesomeness! The flavor is rich, lightly spiced, minced pork and onions. Most noteworthy was the flavor profile – its different from anything I have tried before.

Best experienced with chopsticks!

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K is a great new addition to the ever growing food culture in Pune. A host of new flavors, this brings authentic Korean cuisine to our city. Looking forward to more trips here!

The menu is rather cryptic, so feel free to ask the waiters for advise. And, if you do land up here, be adventurous! Its a great experience.

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I was invited to be part of blogger’s table. The Usual Disclaimer applies.

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Souk by Cafe Arabia – Mediterranean Flavours

Souk by Cafe Arabia

Cafe Arabia is known for their multiple QSR counters in malls across Pune. They are known for dishing out some of the best Lebanese cuisine in the city. Souk is Cafe Arabia’s first standalone dine in restaurant, taking the Cafe Arabia legacy to the next level.

Salad Bowls

The Grilled Chicken Greek Salad

Grilled chicken, feta cheese, oregano and fresh veggies makes this a lovely summer salad. The freshness and crunch of the veggies, creamy feta cheese and the oregano based dressing go perfectly with the perfectly grilled chicken.

Souk Fries

Souk Fries

Crunchy french fries dusted with sumac powder – the sumac gives it a lovely Mediterranean touch adding a bit of spice to the golden fried fries. That being said, the garlic dip didn’t go too well with the fries though – I would love to have these with some ketchup instead!

Lebanese Platters

Hummus Platter with Pita Bread

Hummus Platter with Pita Bread

Cafe Arabia is known for their hummus. This platter adds a dimension, serving four avatars of the delicious creamy hummus –  original, basil pesto, jalapeno & harissa and beetroot. The pita bread is coated with za’atar dressing, and that did over-power the delicate flavor of the hummus. Be sure to ask for only a light coating of za’atar next time around.

Falafel Platter

Falafel Platter

Falafels (chick pea balls, deep-fried) topped with a bit of garlic yogurt and olives, served with a garlic dip. Beautifully cooked, tasted delicious.

Kababs

Harrissa Chicken Skewers

Harissa Chicken Skewers

These looked delicious, but were a bit of a let down. The harissa gave it an overall spicy heat, but these were under-seasoned. A dash of salt helped make it more palatable.

Skewered Mushrooms

Skewered Mushrooms

The best part about this dish was the fact that it was very lightly spiced, allowing the natural flavor of mushrooms to shine through. The gentle char on the top really added a beautiful dimension to the flavor and mouthfeel of the dish

Chicken Black Pepper

Chicken Black Pepper

A take on the more popular malai tikka, these were rich and creamy. Would have helped if the black pepper flakes were not as massive.

Flatbreads

Peppy Paneer and Pesto Mushroom – Half ‘n Half

Peppy Paneer and Pesto Mushroom Flatbread

The paneer was delicious. Pepper, oregano, red bell pepper and grilled paneer – this had the makings of a delicious ‘desi’ pizza. The pesto mushroom didn’t work for me personally – the pesto didn’t work with the mushrooms, leading to a confused palate.

Spiced Minced Lamb

Spiced Minced Lamb Flatbread

An absolutely gorgeous looking plate of food, this was the highlight of the meal. Lightly spiced minced lamb blended beautifully with the cheese and tomato sauce, leaving us going ‘yummm’ with every bite. The fried egg on top was like a ray of sunshine, taking this spectacular plate of food to another level.

Chicken Shawarma

Chicken Shawarma

Cafe Arabia is famous for its shawarma. This one, however, was not up to the mark. Over stuffed with the garlic sauce, and the lack of crunch lead it to be totally unbalanced. The pita bread too wasn’t toasted enough, leading to a very ‘meh’ mouth feel.

Shakes

The Peanut Butter and Jelly Shake

Peanut Butter and Jelly Shake

If you like peanut butter, you will LOVE this!

Chocolate Mint Shake

After 8 – Mint Chocolate Shake

I, personally, am not a fan of mint chocolate. That being said, this ticked all the boxes for a  good chocolate mint shake.

Desserts

Baklava with Ice Cream

Baklava with Ice Cream

I have been a fan of the baklava made by Cafe Arabia. The pastry is crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and is rich with the flavors of honey, cinnamon and nuts. This one is a slight variation of the one they serve at their outlets, shaped like a cup to hold the ice cream. Its good, but felt a bit dense at the inside base of the cup. I prefer the one they serve at the outlet.

Baklava with Ice Cream

Dark Chocolate Tart with Mediterranean Sea Salt

Dark Chocolate Tart with Mediterranean Sea Salt

An absolute masterpiece of a dessert, this one is to DIE for! The tart is beautifully crumbly, and the dark chocolate filling is so gooey, it should be a crime! With just the right amount of bitterness creeping through, it makes this such an amazing dessert.

However, the coup de grâce was the sprinkling of the sea salt. That salt cuts through the chocolate like a hot knife through butter, leaving you salivating for more!

Sinful, decadent, major win!

Dark Chocolate Tart with Mediterranean Sea Salt

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Overall, a great place to chill if you are in the NIBM area. Great stuff!

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I was invited to be part of blogger’s table. The Usual Disclaimer applies.

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Roghandaaz – Kababs with a legacy

Roghandaaz

Friday night, “bachelored” friend (bhabhiji ghar pe nahi hai) and 6 friends craving = house party!

The Menu

Started thinking of food options, and since the house was located at NIBM, the first name I thought of was Roghandaaz by Aliya Nada Saifi aka LobsterPastaLady. I hadn’t tried her food yet, and I was looking forward to it. Gave her my requirements – 6 “good eaters” kababs, biryani and, maybe, a bit of dessert. She immediately suggested Kebabs. Nihari. Biryani. Sheer Sewai. Dude…..

Guler Kababs

Guler Kababs – PC: Roghandaaz

The Guler kababs were medium sized deep fried balls of minced meat,stuffed with mint and raisins. Crunchy on the outside,and buttery soft inside, these were absolutely phenomenal! Never have I tasted anything like this – mildly spiced, with hints of sweetness from the raisins and the freshness of the mint – perfectly balanced, absolutely delicious.

Shami Kababs

Shami Kababs – PC: Roghandaaz/CityShor

Shami kababs were as shami kababs are supposed to be. Light flavor of cinnamon, melt in the mouth mince meat. We should have heated it though as it had dried up after going cold. Completely our fault.

The Chicken Koftas did not match up to their mutton cousins – ended being a bit dry and dense.

Biryani ❤

The biryani was spectacular. Generous amount of soft mutton, layered saffron and white rice and a lovely sprinkling of fried onions. Rich, smoky, addictive – exactly what the doctor ordered 🙂

Dessert – Sheer Sevai

Sheer Sevai – PC: Roghandaaz

For dessert she sent a dish called Sheer Sevai. I can’t even begin to describe the dish. Thick, creamy, loaded with dry fruits and roasted sevai, with hints of saffron without being overly sweet – the Sheer Sevai was a revelation. Reminiscent of the Sheer Khurma associated with Eid, every single one of us went ‘oooh’ and ‘aaah’ with pleasure upon eating this. Yum. Yum. Yum.

Nalli Nihari – Love at first bite!

Nalli Nihari – PC: Rohandaaz

As a surprise ‘tasting’ Aliya was kind enough to also send a bowl of Nihari. As I opened the box, I saw a layer of oil. But as i dipped my ladle in, the oil parted to reveal a lovely thick velvety stew, loaded with gorgeous mutton shank pieces. My first spoon and i got a fantastic smoky flavour with the slightest bit of throat hit – the sign of a perfect slow cooked broth. Rich with ghee, and the mutton bone marrow, this was a perfect accompaniment to the biryani.

Total cost for 2kgs Biryani, 60 kababs, and dessert ~5k. An absolutely spectacular meal.

Roghandaaz – #baconbaba is now a #jabrafan!

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Roghandaaz is a delivery only restaurant operating out of Kondhwa, Pune. They deliver all over Pune. Order online from their Zomato page or call them at 098346 38402

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Disclaimer: All the pics used here are from the Roghandaaz Facebook Page. The images are owned by Roghandaaz and/or by the respective photographers. Due credit provided. I was way too hungry to click!

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Shalom – Baconbaba eats his way through Israel!

Shalom!

Last year I had the pleasure of visiting Israel, thanks to a business trip, and pleasurable it was! Israeli cuisine is all about freshness – Fresh fish, fresh salads and fresh bread. #Baconbaba takes you on a culinary journey across this land of beautiful food.

Breakfast in Israel

The day starts with a lavish breakfast. The typical Israeli breakfast is a grand affair with eggs, dairy, fresh fruits, salads, and of course, hummus

Breakfast in Israel – Shakshouka, Quiche, Pita, Hummus, Cheese, Scrambled eggs, Fresh fruit juice

Hummus

Hummus is pretty much synonymous with Israeli cuisine. It’s versatile, delicious, filling yet super healthy. Made from a chickpea flour, there are several versions served across Israel, and no meal is complete without hummus. As an accompaniment with the famous Pita bread or the larger soft pillowy Lafa bread, a side dish with meat of fish, or simply as a meal in its own right (topped with salads, olive oil, a boiled egg, boiled chickpeas and spices), hummus makes an appearance at every meal!

Hummus with Lafa bread

Falafel

For the vegetarians

The other contender for the ‘national dish’ is the very popular Falafel. This fried delicacy has made its way across the world and can be seen in almost every middle-eastern specialty restaurant. It’s now elevated from its street food origins and is seen in various avatars in restaurants and malls. Nothing beats a falafel when eaten hot and crisp, wrapped in a bun or pita bread, with – you guessed it – hummus!

Falafel

Shakshuka

Eggy delights!

One specialty egg preparation that I particularly loved is called Shakshouka – a dish of eggs poached over a bed of tomatoes, onions, capsicums, eggplant, spinach and spices. Typically cooked and served in a cast iron pan, this breakfast dish of Moroccan origin proves to be an Israeli favorite.

Shakshouka

Fish frenzy

Israel being majorly a coastal country, there’s no dearth of fresh fish. Fresh fish is served whole (Mediterranean style!) grilled or fried, dressed only with freshly squeezed lemon juice. My experience was so amazing – felt like the fish had just walked out the ocean behind my table and jumped onto the grill to land on my plate!

Grilled ‘David’ fish

A gorgeous grilled fish meal with salads at ‘The Old Man and the Sea’, Jaffa, Israel

Salads

Freshness galore

A major part of Israel is the sea cost or desert leading to water and land shortage for agriculture. To counter this, Israel is now a world leader in cutting-edge agricultural technology. And as a result, the array of fresh fruits and vegetables is beyond compare.

Israeli salads are fresh, delicious, and are served with an array of dips and dressings. No worry for vegetarians here – a lot of healthy options are on offer!

Here’s how a typical Israeli salad buffet looks. (Notice the hummus? 😉 )

Salad ‘platter’ at ‘The Old Man and the Sea’, Jaffa, Israel

Kosher foods

There’s an entirely different ‘kosher‘ (abiding to Jewish laws) and ‘Shabbat‘ (the holy day – Saturday) cuisine, which, unfortunately, I couldn’t experience. However, it is something on my wishlist on my next trip there!

I must also mention the amazing meat dishes like Chicken with couscous, Mousakka (Potato, eggplant, meat) and of course kababs. There’s no pork since it isn’t ‘kosher’ (i.e., not abiding to Jewish laws) but the beef and chicken dishes are right up there with the best – all with Turkish / Mediterranean / middle-eastern flavors.

Baked Goods

There is also a strong tradition of baked goods here. Streets are lined with bakeries serving cakes, pastries, breads and cookies with some very interesting flavors, owing to the middle-eastern influences. My personal favorite was the Sambusak – a soft bread stuffed with cheese, mushrooms, onions, meat etc – served hot out of the oven!

Sambusak – stuffed with cheese, onions, mushrooms

My trip was rather short – 5 days isn’t nearly enough to truly experience a new cuisine, but the glimpse that I got was nothing short of wonderful.

Shalom!

Orion Baner – A galaxy of awesomeness!

Orion, Baner

One of the swankiest pubs to hit baner in recent times, Orion certainly has what it takes to make it big in the competitive food circuit. With a formidable cocktail menu, Orion brings a whole lot of gorgeously plated food to the table. #thebaconbaba was invited for a bloggers’ tasting table, and man, did I have an amazing time! Here’s a quick run down:

Three Mushroom Liquid with Melba Crisp

This was a fabulous start to the meal. This is a lovely thick, creamy mushroom soup, lightly seasoned, allowing the flavors of the mushrooms to shine through.

Indian Spiced Pumpkin veloute

Probably one of the prettiest looking pumpkin soups I have had in a long time, this one tasted absolutely delicious. Roasted pumpkin seeds added a bright little bite to the overall mouth feel.

Chicken Shorba

This tasted more like a butter chicken gravy, than a soup. I would have happily lapped it up with a butter naan. However, I believe this is the type of shorbas served in the Kolhapur / Vidharbha area. It was delicious, so no complaints!

Garlic Bread with Red Onion Jam

This has the potential to be a kickass dish. However, it was let down by the lackluster jam, and the soft bread. The toast needed to be toastier, and the jam needed so more ooomph. A bit of salt and 30 seconds more on the grill maybe?

Orion Special Kabab

This was a good indian chicken kabab. Order this if you are looking for a “chicken tikka” or a chicken reshmi kabab”. Good flavors all round.

Country Style Maple Wings

While these look absolutely gorgeous – that perfect sticky shiny coating, it ended up being way too sweet for my palate. It definitely needed more zing. The gentle coating of chilly flakes didn’t help.

Makhmali Roll

These caught our eye the moment it landed on our table. The pink foam on top is truly a wow factor in the dish. It turned out to be a perfectly rolled chicken roulade in a beetroot foam. Beautiful textures, lovely presentation, an all round great dish.

Bangkok Chicken

This one is for all the ‘tapri’-Chinese lovers out there (your’s truly included!) A crisp fried chicken in a crispy noodles “nest” – a wacky take on the ever-popular Chopsuey. Super yum – perfect for munching with drinks!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

A standard chicken pizza on a hand rolled base. Nothing to write home about.

Black Lasagne

This was another dish that really got our imagination running. The lasagna is black in color. While it looks super theatrical, and funky, it does not add much to the flavor. A normal tasting, cheesy, gooey lasagna. Not that it’s bad by any means!

Mezze Platter with Baba Ganoush , garlic Hummus & beetroot Hummus

A gorgeous looking dish, mezze platters are the current craze of the city. Every chef worth his salt is serving up some form of hummus/pita dip combo contraption. Does Orion do enough to stand out from the competition? Maybe the addition of the chicken and paneer fingers does add some level of difference to the over all presentation, as does the baba ganoush. Honestly, the Baba Ganoush tasted a lot more like baingan ka bharta. They do need to tone down their spices, if they plan to make it more authentic.

Chocolate Cigars

Do NOT leave this place without ordering up a plate of Chocolate Cigars (or 3, like we did). The cigars are freshly fried, and dipped in vanilla ice cream, coated with a lovely hot chocolate sauce. We asked for ours to be customized with chocoloate shavings, instead of the colorful stuff you see in the pic above, resulting in an absolute chocolate mouthgasm! The crispy outer layer, the hot molten chocolate inside, the cold ice cream and the bits of chocolate shavings on top – absolute pleasure. You HAVE TO HAVE TO HAVE TO order this!

Cocktails

They have a formidable list of cocktails. Each one we tried stood out from the previous one. their freak-shakes are worth a try as well. you can’t really go wrong there – go, get sloshed, have fun!

Overall, Orion is a great place, with super chill vibes. Great food, killer cocktails, and ample parking (yes that’s important!) Totally worth the trip!

#baconbaba khush hua!

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Omlette Festival – Egg-stacy at Cabaret, Baner

Cabaret, Baner, Omlette Festival

Omlette! Perfect breakfast, ideal lunch or a light dinner – the one size fits all meal!

Cabaret, with its slick interiors and black n red furniture screams class. Its diverse menu with an emphasis on east asian food has been taking baner by storm over the past few months since its opening.

They have started an Omlette Festival this month to add a few interesting eggy delights to their menu. I was invited with my family to try out some of these preparations.

Baked Western Omlette:

Baked Western

In all honesty, this was a regular cheese Omlet, with all the bells and whistles. A generous amount of cheese, topped with veggies, the baked omlette is fluffy, and delicious. Served with garlic toast and baked beans, this is one Omlette that you can’t go wrong with.

Morroccon Omlette:

Moroccon Omlette

A sunny side up, topped with cherry tomatoes, this does have a hit of spice to it. Chilly oil and chilli flakes made it spicy. Not one for the faint hearted, this one a definitely worth a try.

Japanese Omurice:

Japanese Omurice

The Omurice at Cabaret consists of Chicken fried rice topped with an omlette and barbecue sauce. The bbq sauce was a bit too sweet for my palate, but the fried rice was yummy, leading to this being an excellent brunch item.

Opening hours for Cabaret Baner are 7am daily, making this the perfect breakfast place. Priced at 200/- a pop, the omlette Festival items are at par with all other similar joints in the area.

Definitely one to visit in the near future. The Omlette Festival is on till 28th of Feb. This menu is available at all the Peter Donuts outlets as well.

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I was invited for the tasting event. The Usual Disclaimer applies.

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Brunch Feels – Many Funs, Much Chills at Hoppipola!

Brunch!
The word evokes feelings of a chilled out, lazy, long meal, filled with fun, laughter, booze, and copious amounts of food! How else can you define combining two meals into one – BReakfast+lUNCH! And Friends, Food, Fun – These three words define the experience I had at Hoppipola, Aundh a few weeks back, as I tried out there new brunch menu with #TheBTEAM fam.

Drinks for Brunch?

No brunch can be complete without the ‘happiness’ of alchohol. And Hoppipola pulls out all stops with their exhaustive cocktail menu. Some ingenious, yet potent cocktails later, you can’t help swaying to the awesome music playing in the background

The Bull Frog

My personal drink of choice, this Redbull-Vodka concoction definitely pulls no punches. If you are a Redbull fan, this should be your first choice!

The Long Island Iced Tea

LIIT!

The LIIT is the usual choice of beverage for those looking for a delicious, potent option. Spiked with a multitude of ‘white’ drinks, this is one is no slouch in the ‘kick; department!

The White Wine Sangria

Sangria

The quintessential brunch drink, wine lovers will be happy drinking this by the gallon

Starters

The Mezze Platter

Mezze Platter

Mezze Platter

A beautiful combo of breads and dips, the Mezze platter provides multiple options to munch on while sipping.

Cheesy Nachos

Nacho!

Can’t really go wrong with Nachos – available in both Veg and Non-Veg versions, Nachos are the perfect snack. You can’t really stop at one. I do wish these were a bit more loaded with cheese and toppings, since the ones at the bottom were left dry.

Railway Canteen Chicken Cutlets

Railway Canteen Chicken Cutlets

These are basically chicken nuggets with a fancy name. Crispy outer layer, minced chicken inside, these are little bundles of deep fried goodness. Still can’t figure out the name though. Is it a reference to the heart shaped cutlets you get on the Indian Railways trains? They may need to reshape the cutlets to evoke those memories 🙂

Cajun Rubbed Grilled Fish

Cajun Rubbed Grilled Fish

Fish filet with a cajun spice rub, grilled to perfection. Whats not to love? Served with a spicy mayo, these are brilliant.

Paneer Pita Pockets

Paneer Pita Pockets

I didn’t quite get the concept of these. Dry pita bread, dry stuffing, with virtually no sauce to speak of. This one was a miss.

Barbecued Chicken Wings

Barbecued Chicken Wings

Chicken wings in barbecue sauce are usually a delight to eat. However, the sauce did feel a bit too sweet for my liking.

Grilled Chicken Pizza

Grilled Chicken Pizza

A delightful thin crust pizza, with chicken tikka, bell peppers, & jalapeno, the pizza was something we reordered. Thrice. Loved it.

The veg version wasn’t too bad either

They also have a live pasta station, where they can prepare your choice of pasta, in your choice of sauce. Good stuff overall

Mains

If you do have the space left for mains, they have a couple of options, including veg/non-veg biryani and Bhurji Pao. I was a bit surprised at seeing bhurji pao for brunch. I mean, seriously?

Bhurji Pao

Chicken Biryani

Desserts

You can’t miss out desserts now can you? Sadly, the choice of desserts was very limited

Chocolate Mud Pie

The Chocolate Mud Pie felt more like a brownie than a mud pie. A delicious brownie, nonetheless.

Vanilla Pannacotta with Berry Coulis

This one missed the mark. It didn’t have the trademark jiggle – felt over set and too gelatinous.

Vanilla Pannacotta

Would I go there again?

Desserts apart, the brunch at Hoppipola is great. Priced at 555/- for food only, and 444/- for drinks (unlimited), you can’t really find a better deal. The food is good, the vibe is great, and the drinks are boozy. What more can you ask for?

Definitely worth a revisit!

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I was invited for the tasting event. The Usual Disclaimer applies.

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Sarjaa, Aundh – Face-lifted Classics

The Classics

Sarjaa – The name evokes memories of a hotel straight out of the 90’s – waiters in white uniforms, white and red checked table cloths, dim lighting, good Indian comfort food (read: butter chicken) and ghazals playing in the background. So you would pardon my surprise when I received an invite from Radio One to visit Sarjaa for a food tasting.

The Facelift

But much to my astonishment, Sarjaa is no longer the establishment it was. Flanking the entrance is a board that proudly says “Indian Fine Dine”. This definitely piqued my interest. As I walked in through the beautiful wooden doors, I immediately noticed the change to the overall decor – gone are the checkered mats and the liveried waiters. Instead, you see clean white lines, bold colors, and a sharp bar. the al-fresco dining area now is lined with a lot of greenery, while the all day cafe section has a chic vibe – definitely a place you would like to chill with friends over a coffee or a beer (they have Bira on tap!)

The Food

The food, on the other hand, remains the same. The classic dishes that Sarjaa is famous for, still feature in the new and improved menu card. They have added some dishes to the Chinese menu, however, I would stick to the classics.

Starters

We started off with the Mutton Boti kabab. A version of a mutton sheekh kabab – this was a great way of starting off the meal. Soft, tenderized mince meat, rolled into sheek kababs, these were as near perfect as you could get in this area.

Mutton Boti

We also tried the Kharda Kolcha Kombdi – a form of chicken tandoori coated with Thecha – a green chilli chutney popular in Maharashtra. The spice of the green chilli definitely hit the mark, and for lovers of spicy food, this is a go!

Kharda Kolcha Kombdi

For the vegetarians, we ordered a Kothimbir aur Cheese ke Chapete. The name is self descriptive – the cheesy center was gooey as ever.

Kothimbir aur Cheese ke Chapete

Mains

For mains, we could not possibly miss the Sarjaa’s Butter Chicken. A slightly spicier version of the classic, the version dished out at Sarjaa is absolutely mind-blowing. Super rich, creamy, yet not overwhelmingly sweet, the bite of green chilly makes its presence felt. Coupled with a soft butter naan, the SBC is a must have when visiting this place.

Sarjaa’s Butter Chicken

The mutton Rogan Josh and the Daal Makhani are two more dishes that we truly relished. Perfectly cooked, melt in the mouth mutton pieces, in a gorgeous brown gravy with hints of ginger-garlic and black pepper, the Rogan Josh was our next favorite after wiping off the Butter Chicken. The Daal Makhani was well cooked and creamy, with an undertone of a slow cooked smoky flavor that a great Daal Makhani must have.

Mains

Desserts

They have limited options for desserts – we had to cheese between Gulab Jamun, Ice Cream and Malai Kulfi – we chose the Kulfi. This was a bit of a let down, as they outsource the desserts. Definitely room for improvement here. I would recommend finishing off mains here, and taking a walk down the road to check out the other dessert places in the vicinity.

The Verdict

Overall, the face-lift definitely makes this classic establishment feel fresh and clean. The Al-fresco area is a delight to dine in. The food maintains its classic feel. The only downside here is the plating. I would definitely like to see them work on the presentation, particularly since they are now re-branding themselves as “Indian Fine Dine”. You do eat with your eyes after all!

That being said, you can’t really go wrong here. Step in to the new and improved Hotel Sarjaa and relish the glory that it is.

The Usual Disclaimer

I was invited for the tasting event as part of the Radio One Pune Food Trails. The Usual Disclaimer applies.

Find them on Zomato

1 day. 2 hours. 3 cups of Taak. 4 intestines of steel. 5 Misals.

The Misal Trail takes off

Last week at the 11 ESB PEO tasting, Prashant Kunjir and I caught up, and he proposed going out on what he likes to call a #MisalTrail. Plans were drawn up, and Pashan was selected as our first hunting ground. D-day arrived, and we met at sharp 9:30 AM (to be perfectly honest, the agreed time was 8:45 AM, but, well IST), and set out taking down some amazing joints in the area. Here’s a quick run down

1. Tapkir

The Special Misal. About a year back they shifted to Pashan from Sus-gaon, but they continue serving the same “thali”. Its an elaborate setup with taak, dahi, misal, pav, and a gulab jamun. Not too spicy, quite tasty.

2. Shrimaan

This one is at the other end of the road, with its entrance tucked away in the corner of a grocery shop. The tarri here is quite tasty, though I found the ratio of matki to farsaan off. Wayy too much farsaan in the initial serving. Also, the tarri and the matki had clashing flavors, so adding the matki later didn’t work out. Totasted pav added some nice flavors though.

3. Avdhut

I had tasted this at the Misal festival a couple of months back. However, trying out the fresh batch early in the morning, right off the gas was amazing. Very delicious, with just the right amount of burn around the lips. Toasted pav. Full marks for this one.

4. Someshwar

This on was on Pashan main road, on the way from Sai chowk to the highway on the left side. Another delicious medium spicy misal, served with toasted pav. This is literally an ‘everyday’ misal, i.e., I would be happy to eat this everyday!

The tarri had a nice bit of zatka, and a flavor of star anise was noticeable, adding a lovely flavor to the misal.

Someshwar

5. Shiv Malhar

Located across the highway towards Sus gaon, this is quite a “well developed” place with a large variety of misal types. With a lot of indoor and outdoor seating, this place has a nice view as well. Coming to the misal, we had options of Puneri and Kolhapuri Misal. We quickly figured out the only difference between the 2 was that they added som spicy tarri on top of the sampal for the Kolhapuri one. Wel,, names aside, this was also superb. We were full with the previous 4 places, but couldn’t stop lapping up some more. Definitely worth a weekend visit – lots of space for kids to run around, and the Puneri misal is low on spice.

Shiv Malhar

PS: This is not an attempt at ranking any misal place. Each place had its own flavor, and we just want to appreciate each of them, while trying to understand what sets them apart.
More to come 🙂

Spuds in a Pub! Murphies launches a new bar!

Murphies, Koregaon Park, Pune

I have waxed eloquent about how Murphies, KP, Pune is elevating the humble aloo-bataka in one of my previous blog posts. Recently, they did up their upstairs section, converting it into a swanky, yet chilled out bar section. #TheBTeam was invited to sample some of the offerings on the bar menu

Coconut Prawns

With a new bar, comes new food! Well, to be honest, the Coconut Prawns is not a new item – they did have the Coconut prawns on their menu. And if I remember correctly, the original recipe tasted more like a coconut ‘peda‘ wrapped around a prawn.

Well, the chef at Murphies seems to have got it spot on this time. Coconut shavings, and a mustard sauce lend themselves beautifully to the dish – making the prawn shine through. Reminded me of the Sorse Bata Chingri – a Bengali preparation involving prawns and mustard sauce. Absolutely delectable!

Fried Chicken Murphs

Not to be left behind were the Fried Chicken Murphs. Bits of fried chicken (similar to popcorn chicken from a KFC, if that makes sense), drowning in melted cheese and the potato jacket – doesn’t get any better.

Barbeque Pork Crisps

And my favorite dish from this bataka menu – Barbeque Pork Crisps: A dish that had me drooling like the pig! Beautiful slivers of barbeque pork, with sweet sticky sauce, over crisp salty potato crisps, served with a tart yogurt dip. Sweet, sour, salty, crispy, gooey… Flavor and texture heaven. Perfect balance. Spectacular dish.

Mushrooom Rissotto

The vegetarian side of things isn’t too bad either. the Mushrooom Rissotto is arguably the best variant of this Italian dish (often described as the death dish in Masterchef Australia) Al-dente rice, loads of cheese and cream and butter, and that lovely delicate flavor of mushrooms with parsley – this dish was so good, we reordered it – correction – I reordered a veg dish! Its a buttery, cheesy, creamy, flavorful, mouthful of ecstasy!

Also, worth a mention were the Beef quesadillas and the Chicken Strips.

The Grilled Fish served to us was pretty good – though I personally preferred the prawns. There was a disagreement at the table on which was better. Its up to you I guess – if you prefer mild lemon butter sauce flavors of the fish or the strong mustard-coconut flavor of the prawns.

As this is a bar, drinks are a given. Do no miss the Chocolatini! A chocolate based liqueur cocktail, this was so damn delicious! All you Baileys lovers out there will trip over this one for sure!

The new Murphies menu has a lot going for them. They add on to an already impressive line up, and continue taking the humble aloo to the higher echelons of gastronomy!

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I was invited for the tasting event. The Usual Disclaimer applies.

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