KRRC Ride 227: Exploring Kumbhe Falls and Varanda Ghat

My maiden ride with the legendary Knight Riders Riding Club had me super excited (and tadbit nervous too, considering the offroading aspect and the potential difficulty level of the ride). But the first briefing at Chandni Chowk at 6:15 AM (the start point for what was going to be an absolutely beautiful ride) put my mind at ease.

Pre-ride briefing by RP: Sid and Ride Leader Shohrat

Pit-stop

We started off at 6:20 and hit Tamhini ghats quickly. After quite an exhilarating ride in the twisties (interspersed by a few quick pit-stops to ensure the new riders were comfortable and to pass on some riding tips and corrections), we reached Kumbhe tunnel around 1:00 PM. After multiple photo ops near the tunnel with some Gangnam style performances by the gang members, we trooped off to part 2 of the journey – crossing over Raigarh.

The Kumbhe Tunnel

The Kumbhe Falls PC: Shrikant

Part 2 was where the adventure really took off. One the routes that was pre-decided didn’t seem to have a motorable road, thus we went off exploring. Speaking to a couple of locals, Shohrat bhai decided to take us on a ride through corn fields right up to a brilliant river crossing. All 18 riders made it across with some tips and tricks from the seniors. The next 1 hour or so was a pretty intense off-road experience, as we trudged up the hill on what seemed like no more than trekking paths.

River Crossing PC: Shrikant

This part of the journey took a toll on some of the riders, as dehydration and exhaustion hit hard. A couple of villagers helped with matkas of water. We got respite after hitting tarmac near Vagheri, as we saw the first shop in hours. Several liters of water, jaljeera and aerated drinks were consumed as the group gave a much-needed break to their bums.

But there was more to come. As we were about to hit the Varandha Ghats, one of the bikes caught fire! Fortunately, we had just stopped for a break and Sid Sharma’s sharp eye caught the mishap before things went bad. A ruptured fuel line dripped petrol on the hot engine, causing flares to start. A bit of M-Seal, electrical tape and a whole bunch of jugaad technology was all it took to get the bike back in running condition.

the bike! the bike! the bike is on fire!

What followed was an exhilarating night ride across the Varandh Ghat. It was pretty much non-stop on the heavily potholed roads. Once again, the discipline of the KRRC riders, under the leadership of Shohrat bhai and Sid dada got us through in one piece at a pretty decent pace. Finally, after 15+ hours of riding, we hit the Katraj highway, bringing this most epic ride to a fitting end.

PS: This was my first (long) ride on my Thunderbird 350x. It got me closer to the machine, giving me an understanding of her limitations (or lack thereof) and made me push both the bike as well as my body. Made me hungry for more of these in times to come. Hoping to have the patience and perseverance to keep logging each ride as it happens.

I present to you – “StormTrooper”

Presenting: “StormTrooper”

1 BHK Superbar – Bar Haute’ Kitchen!

1BHK is an uber-chic upscale restro-pub just off Balewadi High Street. Immaculate designs, ultra-modern interiors and funky decor is what really gives it the ooomph factor.

We started off with a round of cocktails. The Long Island Iced Tea uses premium spirits, making it very smooth. The Liquid Paan has all the flavors of a meetha paan, with a solid kick of vodka. 1BHK Bartender’s Special Vodka Cheesecake Fusion was a delicious liquid version of the cheese cake. Served with a Philly Cheese Cake, its a beautiful dessert cocktail.

LIIT

LIIT

1BHK Bartender’s Special Vodka Cheesecake Fusion

Liquid Paan

Garlic Mushrooms with Pita Bread was a hit. The garlic mushrooms were in a cheesy sauce, with burnt garlic sprinkled over the top. The Pita Bread goes perfectly with this.

Garlic Mushrooms with Pita Bread

The Shepherds Pie was an absolute revelation. Baked dish with minced lamb, chock full of flavors – this is one of those dishes that you cannot stop eating.

Shepherds Pie

The Butter Chicken Nazza – the original version of Naanza, one bite of this feels like a naan and butter chicken in your mouth. Their butter chicken is delicious (more about that later) and the naan base is soft, overall, an excellent dish.

Butter Chicken Nazza

Zaatar Marinated Roast Chicken is a lovely roasted chicken breast with Arabic flavors. Served over a bed of quinoa, this is a delicious, healthy dish.

Zaatar Marinated Roast Chicken

While I am not a fan of Paneer Steaks, the 1BHK Cottage Cheese Steak in JD Sauce is a revelation. The JD Sauce is absolutely delicious. A sweet and spicy barbecue sauce infused with Jack Daniels takes a puny paneer steak to the upper echelons of gastronomy.

1BHK Cottage Cheese Steak in JD Sauce

Grilled John Dory with Almond Rosemary Dressing is the perfect example of respecting the produce. The Grilled John Dory fish is beautifully cooked, and very lightly flavored. The almond and rosemary adds a delicate layer of flavor without overpowering the flavor of the fish itself.

Grilled John Dory with Almond Rosemary Dressing

The star of the meal is the 1BHK Butter Chicken Platter. Arguably one of the best butter chicken I have eaten in Pune, this is absolutely delicious. The pickled onions (sirke waale pyaaz) served along with it adds a lovely crunch to it. What really sets it apart is the curry is thick, not overly sweet, tastes a lot like the butter chicken in Chandigarh and with huge chunks of tandoori chicken, this is a win!

1BHK Butter Chicken Platter

With a 2BHK, 3BHK and hopefully, a 4BHK coming in, this is one excellent spot to eat out or party.

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

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Unwind, Pune – Chill scenes

The latest entrant to the KP night-life scene – Unwind, Pune, brings with it a superb experience for patrons. Located right next to Hard Rock Cafe, Unwind spreads over 3 different areas, an open-air AL fresco/live music area, a night-club and a bistro, with wooden tables, high chairs, sofas and an overall chill vibe.

I was invited for a tasting at the Al fresco area with #TheBTeam.

We started off the evening with a few cocktails. Once that truly stood out was The Hugo. Traditionally made with Prosecco, Elderflower and Mint, this version at Unwind uses white wine. Truly a delicious concoction, this is one drink you must order when in this neck of the woods.

The Hugo

They also make a pretty good Cosmo. And you really can’t go wrong with Mojito!

Cosmopolitan

Mojito

Brocoli isn’t something you would see very often on my plate. Surprisingly enough, the Malai Brocoli makes it to my must-order list at Unwind! Perfectly grilled broccoli, with the soft cream – super delicious!

Malai Broccoli

We tried 2 different types of sheek kabas, Murg Anari Sheek and the Indo Thai Sheek. I personally couldn’t detect much difference in either – given a choice – I would take the Anari Sheek – purely for how pretty it looked.

Murg Anari Sheekh

Indo Thai sheekh

The Barbados ka Zhinga are grilled prawns with a dark rum flambé. While the theatrics were impressive, the result of the flambé was a dry and overcooked prawn in a pool of watery-rum.

Zafrani Murg Tikka are a good option, a simple no-nonsense chicken tikka – well cooked, served with a cream sauce topped with zafrani spices.

Zafrani Murg Tikka

We were also served Chilli Garlic Fish as a starter. The dish that appeared had a lovely sweet and sour sauce – I would love to dig into this dish as part of the mains, along with a serving of Butter Garlic Fried Rice

Chilli Garlic Fish

Among the mains, I particularly loved the Thai Red Curry. Perfectly balanced curry with a generous amount of prawns.

We ended the meal with a Chocolate Mud Pie. Sadly, this was more of a cake than a mud pie – it was dense and was missing the crumbly chocolate crust you would associate with a mud pie.

Chocolate Mud Pie

Overall, the place has good vibes, great cocktails, and a decent array of food to go along. Open air live music, partying in the club, or chilling with friends, Unwind has it all.

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

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212 All Day Cafe and Bar, Viman Nagar – New Menu

212 All Day Cafe and Bar has launched a number of new items on their exhaustive menu. #TheBTeam was invited last night to try out some of the brilliant stuff on offer.

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We started off with a round of mocktails. The Good Morning Bombay – a teetotaler’s  version of the Bloody Mary, packed a punch. This chilled tomato based drink was loaded with pepper and Tabasco – to the point of tasting more like a Gazpacho than a mocktail. Delicious and refreshing, nonetheless.

Among the other mocktails on the menu, the R&R – a strawberry lemonade, was particularly good.

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First up to our table were Mrs. Beaton’s Eggs – masala scrambled eggs on a buttered bun pao, with potato slivers and a tomato hollandaise. Scrambled eggs and buttered pao is a match made in heaven, and the cheesy hollandaise added a lovely creamy note to this pairing. A must have, if down here for a snack!

Mrs Beaton’s Eggs

Curried porridge, (aka dalia khichdi) was well made. The garnish of peanuts and edible flowers did add some sophistication to this homely meal.

Curried Porridge

The Egg Plant Bruschetta was definitely the highlight of the vegetarian fare at 212. Caramelized onions merged beautifully with the egg-plant mash, with the figs and brie adding some lovely overtones of sweet and sour flavor.

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Giving us company through this whole tirade of food were two innocuous looking dishes – the 3 Hummus Pita and the Trio of Chips and Salsa. The huge bowl of tricolored chips with the array of dips was munch heaven, and the three types hummus (Beet, edamame and burnt garlic) with the crisp pita was just perfect. Definitely order one of each for a nice long chat session here. You wont be disappointed.

3 Hummus Pita

Trio of Chips and Salsa

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One dish that you MUST NOT MISS is the Poutine. 212 dishes out an absolutely fabulous version of this French Canadian street food. Cheesy french fries, topped with sour cream and a delicious lamb mince gravy, corn and peas (or caramelized onions, mushrooms and corn for the herbivores) was easily my favorite item on the menu. I could eat buckets of this. BUCKETS!

Shephard’s Bowl Poutine

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There were two versions of prawns served to us. The Grilled Tiger Prawns were highly Instagrammable, though the tangerine sauce could have used a bit of oomph. It was underwhelming, at best. The Chettinad Prawns, on the other hand, were a revelation. The crisp coating had hints of chettinad masala. Fried with red chilli, and served with a spiced mayo, this is another highly recommended dish at 212.

Chettinad Prawns

Grilled Tiger Prawns

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They have also added to their range of burgers and pizzas. While the Monster Chicken Burger is a sight to behold, the Chettinad Cottage Cheese Pizza with its combination of basil, curry patta and chettinad masala was quite unpalatable. The Roast Chicken Sandwich (Panini) was rather lovely, with a generous amount of melted cheese and caramelized onions.

Chettinad Cottage Cheese Pizza

Roast Chicken Sandwich

Cajun Spiced Chicken Pizza

Monster Chicken Burger

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For dessert we thoroughly enjoyed the Tiramisu Eclairs. The choux pastry topped with the airy Mascarpone and coffee dust proved to be an absolute masterful dessert for coffee lovers. Its deceptive – this dessert is one of the lightest I have ever had.

Tiramisu Eclairs

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Overall, the new menu items add some lovely Mediterranean and Latin influences to the already diverse menu at 212.

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

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Check out the lovely Bellydriven’s take on 212 here.

Taste of South India – Courtyard by Marriott, Chakan

A South Indian Buffet spread with an array on Non-Veg dishes is something that appeals to the senses. The on-going “Taste of South India” festival at Courtyard by Marriott, Chakan is just what the doctor ordered to bring in the monsoons.

The hotel itself is located at the Chakan MIDC (Click here for the Google Maps Location) – at least a 45 minute drive from Baner. However, the route is a scenic one, as it takes you through the Dehu cantonment area (or the old Mumbai Pune – Dehu – Talegaon – another unexplored route). Planning a long drive with your significant other? This is the place to go to 🙂

Starters

The food makes the drive more than worth it. My personal favorite was the vegetable stew. Yes, I LOVED the Kerala vegetarian stew – arguably one of the best in Pune. It was a bit runnier than usual, but the abundance of carrots, beans, cauliflower, with the coconut milk and a hint of red chilli resulted in a broth that was both sweet and umami at the same time. Dip in some hot steaming appams and you are at God’s own dinner table.

Vegetable Stew and Appam

The pepper chicken and the chicken curry is no slacker either. The masalas used seem to be freshly roasted and ground, giving the dish a rich flavor. The base flavor of coconut and tamarind cuts through the spice, leaving behind a lovely sweet n sour after taste. The whole bits of coconut and red chilli give it the much needed kick.

Pepper Chicken

You can’t have a south indian meal and not have rasam. Here, the chef presented 2 varieties of rasam, including a chicken rasam. The Chicken version was basically a chicken broth with the Chef’s home-made rasam mix. Spicy, yet light, this was a revelation.

Chicken Rasam

The fish lover in me went gaga over the ‘Meen’ dishes. The meen varuval – a batter fried fish starter, was gulped down by the dozen, with a variety of chutneys and gun powder to give company. Even the fried idlis were crisp and on-point.

Podi Idli

Dessert was a slight disappointment, as I would have preferred seeing a few more south indian inspired sweet dishes here – maybe a Payassam or a Kesari. The Sevai on offer seemed out of place, and was diluted way too much, to the point if being watery and bland. They had a lovely coconut water, tea and filter coffee stand that made up for the lackluster end to the meal.

The Chai and Filter Coffee Stall

The service was a bit of a miss, thanks to the long wait for the appams and porrottas. Also, the first few appams were charred from the bottom and raw on the top – possibly due to an over-hot pan or an over-eager sous-chef. Place your order in advance to avoid waiting for these. They did have bisibele bhaat, steamed rice and a passably fragrant chicken biryani to keep you going till the porrottas hit the plate.

Overall, an excellent meal – for 1000++ it definitely hits the spot.

The festival is on till the 16th of this month – you know where to go this weekend!

PS: I was invited as part of blogger table. The Usual Disclaimer applies.

 

Bingsu – Snow in Pune!

“Patbingsu (팥빙수, sometimes anglicized as patbingsoo, literally “red beans shaved ice”) is a popular Korean shaved ice dessert with sweet toppings that may include chopped fruit, condensed milk, fruit syrup, and red beans. Varieties with ingredients other than red beans are called bingsu (or bingsoo).

Source: Wikipedia

Now that you know what it is, here’s a quick glimpse of what CAFE Peterdonuts – Aundh has done to this classic Korean dessert. Available at their Aundh and Viman Nagar outlets, these frozen bowls of awesomeness can very easily be mistaken for mutated X-Men versions of our local “baraf ka gola”!

Fruit Bingsu

The shaved ice, condensed milk and coconut milk provides the perfect base for some crazy experimentation.

 

My personal favorites? The Pat Bingsu – a version of the “original” bingsu, the soyabean powder, cornflakes, icecream and red beans provide an amazing, not so sweet, jaw-chilling experience. The coconut / milkmaid flavored snow, the red bean chocalatey mess, and the crisp honey cornflakes provide an amazing range of textures in each bite.

Pat Bingsu

 

Another one I particularly loved was the muskmelon Bingsu. Completely constructed in a muskmelon shell, the flavored snow is topped with muskmelon balls – super fresh, and surprisingly healthy (apart from the ice cream of course 😀 )

MuskMelon Bingsu

They have a few other variants as well, including an ultra-desi Paan Bingsu with gulkand toppings, and a super sinful Oreo-Choco Bingsu.

Oreo-Choco Bingsu

Paan Bingsu

Each bingsu is filling enough to be shared between two. All the variants are priced at 180/- , except for the Premium Cake-Fruit Bingsu, which is served up with a delicious cheese cake resting on top of the snow.

Premium Cake-Fruit Bingsu

Be-warned : You will be left with a frozen jaw!

PS: I was invited for a blogger’s table, where I tried all the 8 variants. I went back the next day with my family, where I paid for the PatBingsu, since I liked it that much. The above write up is a collective experience of both the visits. However, for all intents and purposes, The Usual Disclaimer applies.

The Happiest Burp : Pune’s Top Food Bloggers Recommend The Dishes That You Absolutely Must Try

A collection of recommendations from some of the finest food bloggers in the city…!

The Pune I Love

If you’ve always thought food bloggers are a spoilt lot, you’re right. Perhaps the most rewarding kind of writing (gastronomical pleasure trumps all, doesn’t it?), food blogging is also the most sought after content these days. But it isn’t all pancakes and parathas. Food bloggers have to be brutally honest and go down to the minutest detail when judging their plate. And in this profession of making everyone hungry, having a perpetually full belly is the only way to be relevant!

We got in touch with Pune’s top food bloggers and asked them the dish that has been the most memorable in their culinary journey. A dish that according to them, is an absolute must try for every foodie. The results were amazing and have left us wagging our tongues!

Here are the top picks from Pune’s most celebrated food bloggers:

1. Monalisa Mehrotra, @bellydriven. This self…

View original post 1,142 more words

Sunday Brunch at the Burrow – Playboy Beer Garden

When you hear ‘BRUNCH’ you visualize eggs and toast, biryani and pizza, fruits and salads, grilled meat and veggies and paneer, beer and wine, and a forest of desserts. Everything one can imagine from breakfast to lunch.

Well, take all that, add a magic show, a foot massage, sprinkle some amazing music coupled with a super chill ambiance, and you get the Sunday Brunch by Playboy Beer Garden.

As I entered, the seductive fragrance of sweet sticky barbeque sauce on thick sexy pork ribs pulled me right in.

Pork ribs on the grill

Pork ribs, loaded with bbq sauce!

Flanked by chicken sausages and basil chicken thighs, the grill section is certainly the highlight of the brunch.

Grilled meats

Right next to the grill section is the Mimosa bar. A Mimosa is a cocktail composed of champagne (or other sparkling wine) and chilled fruit juice, and these are absolutely delectable! With orange, apple, and cranberry options, I just couldn’t stop at one!

For the uninitiated, here’s the 1-2-3 of the Mimosa bar:

• Pour the bubbly (champagne ftw!)
• Add some juice (Fresh fruit juices – Apple, Orange or Cranberry – take your pick!)
• Top with fruit (Cranberries, kiwis, Orange, etc) #DoNotMiss

As you walk into the plush indoor section, you are greeted by a vast selection of salads, cheese, fresh fruits, cereal (yes there’s breakfast too, remember?) and breads. I particularly relished the Tenderloin Roulade – A beautiful roll of meat with sultana and rosemary inside.

The Tenderloin Roulade with Sultana and Rosemary

An array of salads

They also had some delectable kebabs, springrolls, pizzas and starters served at the table.

The main course included a veg khow suey (they made a chicken one for me on request) which was surprisingly good, though a tad spicy due to the green chilli – that being said – this is entirely customizable; just ask for the condiments to be served on the side!

Khow Suey, made to order

Chicken biryani, thai red curry, and chicken macaroni were nothing to write home about, but the Chicken Fricassee with mashed potatoes was nothing short of excellent.

Chicken Fricasse with mashed potatoes

When I was taking break from the hogfest, i sat at the foot massage chair, and got a complimentary foot massage – much needed for my sore feet due all the walking around the buffet counter  An illusionist impressed us with some surprising card tricks as we were chilling with the mimosas

The Magician – AP (Image courtesy Facebook – Playboy Beer Garden)

I could go on and on, but this just turns out to be the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Chill, drink, listen to some good music, eat some great food, relax and just have a good time over all with friends and family.

Amazing live music by Jameer from #theStage2

Packages (All prices are inclusive of taxes) –

1. Only Food = Rs.1073
2. Food +Beer+ Sangria = Rs.1480
3. Food + IMFL + Mimosa Bar is Rs.1829 – Highly recommended: the Mimosas are worth the extra $$

A big shout out to Ashutosh from TLND for inviting us and Team PBBG for hosting us. #TheBTeam loved the entire experience!! #TheBTeamRecommends

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Note: This review is a combined experience of three visits to the PBBG Sunday Brunch, which include two blogger invites and one self sponsored family visit, over a period of four months. Surprisingly, all the experiences were equally good, however, for all intents and purposes, The Usual Disclaimer applies. 

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A few more drool-worthy pics here:

Mimosaaah!

Croquettes

Pizza!

Bread counter

Custard shots

Mango tarts

Waffles

Doodhi halwa

Mango cupcakes

Chocolate roulade

Khowsuey

The kids loved it

Japanese Festival at Baan Tao: Sushi Supremacy

Baan Tao, Hyatt Pune is hosting a Japanese food festival all this week, till the 26th of March, featuring celebrity Chef Shohei from Japan. They organized a Masterclass with the Japanese culinary expert last weekend, where he demonstrated some amazing techniques.

The array of sushi presented is never seen before in Pune. Fresh beautiful cuts of meat in exquisite little rolls resulting in explosions of flavor in your mouth.

Here is a little glimpse of what’s on offer

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We started off with a couple of asian inspired mocktails, including a Dragonfuit flavored ice tea

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Nigiri Classic: Perfect cuts of salmon, tuna, yellow tail with cooked vinegared white rice

Nigiri Classic

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Sashimi :  A beautifully curated seafood platter

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Smoked Salmon roll: Smoked Scottish salmon, cream cheese, cucumber

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California maki: Crab stick, cucumber, avocado, tobiko

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Crab Cake Sushi: Arguably, my personal favorite of the evening!

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Apart from the Sushi, we were also presented with a couple of his signature dishes.

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Teriyaki chicken: Chicken breast, teriyaki sauce, grilled eggplant and leeks : a sweet sticky sauce, succulent pieces of chicken and the seared eggplant gave this dish a unique umami flavor – nothing like I have ever had before.

Teriyaki Chicken

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Cotton tofu in mushroom sauce: Something for the vegetarians. I am personally not a fan of Tofu, but the sauce it was served in was mild, yet well seasoned.

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Matcha Tea Cheese Cake: Matcha is finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea, characteristic of Far East Asian celebrations. This cheese cake not only looked breathtaking, but tasted absolutely heavenly.The Matcha Cheese cake paired perfectly with the coconut icecream and the sugar mesh.

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The Japanese food festival is on till the 26th March at Baan Tao, Hyatt Pune. The sushi dishes are available as AlaCarte, as well as part of the Sunday buffet.

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I was invited for a blogger’s table tasting. For all intents and purposes, The Usual Disclaimer applies. 

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A few more pics to leave you drooling!

Sashimi

Sashimi

“Upwaas” – The religious absense of food

Upwaas or Fasting is a willing abstinence or reduction from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. Fasting is synonymous with most religious festivals in India.

Today marks the holy day of Maha Shivratri – an annual festival celebrated in honor of Lord Shiva. A lot of people around me (including my wife) are fasting today, mostly from sunrise to sunset. Some are fasting completely – ie, only water. Some are on a ‘fruits-fast’ i.e., once fruits and water to be consumed. Others have different modes – only vegetarian food or “Upwaas special” food like sabudana khichadi and suran chips.

Sabudana Vada – Image courtesy google images

Sabudana Khichadi – Image courtesy google images

We see a similar divergence in customs during Navaratri / Durga Pujo. While both the festivals are synonyms of each other in all intents and purposes – both being celebrated in honor of Maa Shakti (called Maa Ambe in Gujarat and Maa Durga in Bangal), the food habits are poles apart. Navaratri sees nine days of complete abstinence from non-vegetarian food, Durga Pujo sees people hogging down some of the best chicken moglai, kosha mangsho, and other bengali non-vegetarian dishes at the stalls lining the puja pandal itself.

Kosha Mangsho

This lead me to question – who decides this? Who decides the time of the day to start and end the fast? Who decides what can or cannot be eaten? What defines “upwaas ka khana”?

Usually, its your parents. Who were instructed by their parents. And so on. Rituals, while being religion specific, are also mended by each family.

Unlike other religions, Hinduism doesn’t really have strict rules per se, its pretty open to interpretation. Traditions vary from region to region, family to family. They usually trickle down the generations, morphing their way through time. I’m sure our grandparents couldn’t even dream about pre-packaged upwaas khakhras and farsaan!

Image courtesy Google Images

However, there is a scientific basis to fasting as well. This was explained to me by the priest who officiated my wedding.

So, when we eat, our natural digestion process takes over. Obviously, gases are passed, from both the orifices. Some may be loud, some silent, some are odorless, while others may have the power of a tear gas shell. But I digress.

The idea is to maintain an aura of cleanliness. Passing gas halfway through a prayer ritual or a satyanarayan katha, or on the wedding alter isn’t the best idea. That is one of the primary reasons to fast on the day of an important ritual.

Another thought suggested by a wise man (my father-in-law, hello!) is health. Upwas is a necessity for the body for detoxification.Giving it the name of a ritual, faith, Dharma and service to God helps in ingraining this very valuable bit of advise into people’s minds. It has also been observed that maintaining a fast does result in higher concentration and health.

Seeing the number of fad-diets around detox and liquid diets these days, I think our ancestors had it down!

That being said, it isn’t always an ‘abstinence’. For many, a fast does turn into a FeAST! See below an example of an “upwaas special thali”, image courtesy desijam.in

Navratri Vrat Thali

Like everything else in faith, there really is no right or wrong. This holds a lot of meaning for a lot of us. Ladies fasting during Karva Chauth for the health of their husbands do so with a lot of happiness. Those preparing for the Sabarimala pilgrimage are expected to follow a Vratham (41-day austerity period) prior to the pilgrimage, which includes a lacto-vegetarianism diet and teetotalism. And those who return from the successful pilgrimage believe it helps in personality development which will synchronize and control the body, soul, mind and diet.

At the end of the day, do what your heart tells you to. Eat to your hearts content, and fast as per your personal values and beliefs. Or when you feel like. Or when mom tells you to. Coz, you know…….

PS: I do not mean to hurt or insult any religious or personal sentiments here. These are my personal thoughts, and I hope to hear from you about what you feel. If, by chance, I did end up hurting your feelings, I apologize. I assure you I did not mean to.

PPS: Apologies for the overuse of memes! It’s too much fun!

Happy F(e)ASTING!

Barbeque Ville – Barbecue on a Budget!

Barbeque Ville opened their doors at Kaspate Vasti, Wakad on Valentine’s Day. In just 1 week, they have managed to capture the imagination of food lovers in the area.

Location: Kaspate Vasti, Wakad, Near Hotel Ambiance Excellency (Google maps)

#baconbaba was invited for an exclusive tasting last night, and the sight of a jam-packed restaurant on a Wednesday evening was testament to the fact that BV has tasted early success.

Barbeque Ville, in their words, is a ‘Grille-on-table’ restaurant. We have a few other examples of these restaurants, where you have a coal-pit on your table, with meats brought on skewers and grilled right there. What sets them apart, is the competitive pricing – the Non-Veg buffet costs a very reasonable 550/- INR! This includes all taxes, service tax, VAT etc.

The decor follows more or less the same ‘template’ as other similar barbecue restaurants. Large open space, grills on the tables, bright lighting, and excellent service. At this price point, this place is perfect for corporate parties and team outings – it should fot most corporate team budgets.

The grilled section includes Chicken, Fish (basa), Prawns, Mushroom, Paneer and my ‘guilty pleasure’, skewered Pineapple 🙂 All the grilled items were delicious, my favorite being the basa fish. Crisp on the outside, soft inside – perfectly cooked.

On the downside, I found the prawns slightly overcooked. Also, apart from the green chutney, the dips served along with these didn’t really go with the Indian flavored barbecue meats. I wish they had included a couple of more Indian style chutneys to compliment the kababs.

The Maratha Tangdi is a rather innovative way to serve the Tangdi kababs. The chicken legs are served, skewered across a sword! Juicy, beautifully coated with mild spices, perfectly grilled.

Maratha Tangdi

Maratha Tangdi

They also have a chat ‘thela’ serving pani-puri, dahipuri, sev puri, bhel and spdp. Once specialty is the Pineapple puri – pani-puri with pineapple juice inside. I personally found it way too sweet.

Pani-Puri

Pineapple Pani-Puri

The starters also included a Chicken or Veg sizzler. I didn’t really care too much for this as the chicken just missed the ‘sizzle’. It was more of a pan tossed chicken starter thrown onto a leaf of lettuce on a sizzler plate. The steamed veggies served along-side were delicious though!

Chicken Sizzler

By the time we were done with the starters, we were almost full! However, we moved on to the mains. And I was captivated.

The Mutton Paya Shorba was quite tasty – lightly flavored mutton stock, with a nice spice hit – exactly how a shorba should taste! The Malwani Fish curry and the Chicken Kadai – overflowing with pieces of fish and chicken respectively and the mutton Rogan Josh with bien cuit chunks of mutton went perfectly with the soft naans.

Chicken Kadai

Mutton Rogan Josh

Malwani Fish Curry

But the magnum opus of this gastronomic symphony was the Mustard Crabs. Aaah, the mustard gravy – exactly like a bengali ‘shorshe-bata’ curry. The mild spice hit of the ground mustard sauce along with the generous amounts of crab was just sublime.

Mustard Crab

The mains also had Barista Pulao, Steamed Rice, Veg Mushroom Noodles, Salads, Dal Rajma, Dal Palak, Thai Yellow Curry, Aloo Lasooni, Paneer Badashahi, Veg Makhani and Veg Garlic Soup

Paneer Badshahi

Veg Makhani

Aloo Lasooni

Salad bar

Rice / Noodles

Barista Biryani

The Aloo Lasooni and the Dal Rajma were my personal picks among the veg items

Aloo Lasooni

By this time, we had almost no space for desserts! But I simply cannot pass up a gulab jamun or caramel custard. Ended having 2 of each, and bits of the other desserts.

Caramel Custard

Punjabi Phirni

Besan ke Laddoo

Chocolate Barfi

Assorted Pastries

The Dessert Range

Overall, Barbeque Ville provides an excellent dining experience, at almost half the rate of other more ‘established’ chains. To serve such good quality sea food at these prices is what gives this restaurant a super-duper-double-decker high-five! Definitely a must visit if you are in this part of town!

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I was invited to try the buffet. While the buffet I was treated was the same as that provided to the general public, The Usual Disclaimer applies. 

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#baconbaba super khush hua!!!

Pineapple Puri

Pani Puri

Punjabi Phirni

Salad bar

Pani Puri

Punjabi Phirni

The Dessert Range

The Urban Foundry – Industrial Awesomeness!

The Urban Foundry, Balewadi High Street

We girls were to catch up over a nice long chilled out Saturday lunch. All of us were badly fixated upon trying out a place we hadn’t visited before. Narrowed it down to The Urban Foundry, Balewadi High Street. And I must say, we were not disappointed at all.

Beautiful,rustic,edgy setup. Bar & food menu, both super interesting!

Ordered the Long Island ice tea for myself, my personal favorite. Boy, it was served up in a really tall glass. Looked super-cool. Tasted delicious. And was potent!

LIIT, Knuckle-Up, Hoegaarden

We also ordered a knuckle up (vodka based) and a Hoegaarden. Good start I must say. Then the order for an array of starters started, we being the bhukkads that we are 😀

1.Soya chaap – Fantastic. Loved the flavours. And the soya tasted more like a non veg than a veg 🙂 #HighlyRecommended

Soya Chaap

2.Chicken Vadapao – Interesting concept, chicken sliders, but I found it pretty average taste wise.

Chicken VadaPao

3.Patrani machchi- Insanely fresh fish, cooked perfectly, this was yummy. Wish the portion was a little more. #Recommended
4.Cheese Mutton Boti kebab- Succulent, flavourful, Boti kebabs with cheese tucked in here and there. #Recommended
5.Oink Oink Naan – Oh so good this was! Pork keema/bacon stuffed naan=heavenly. #HighlyRecommended

Oink Oink Naan

6.Bacon Thecha – I was a bit worried that this would be too spicy, but thankfully it wasn’t. Mushrooms wrapped up in bacon, in a thecha based sauce, yummy again. I guess you can never really go wrong with bacon! #Recommended

Bacon Thecha

7. Prawn Cocktail – Grilled Prawns served with lettuce salad and a decent southwest kinda sauce. Good, but nothing great about it.

Prawn Cocktail

Enough starters hogged. Drinks done. Moved to the desserts straight.

1. Lababdar red velvet duet kulfi- Shaonli had her eyes on this one since she saw the menu. Glad we ordered. 2 yummy kulfis served in a plate. The red velvet one was really different. Actually, it was kulfi coated with a red velvet cake!

Lababdaar Red Velvet Kulfi

2.Caramel Brulee- Classic Creme Brulee. Liked it.

3.Cookie dough with Bailey’s shot- This was out of the world. Payal picked this one, and how we enjoyed it with oohs and aahs 😀 Warm gooey cookie dough,ice cream,bailey’s..what’s not to love! So much so,that we ordered another one of this. No regrets. 😉

Cookie Dough with Bailey’s shot

Super fun afternoon, spent with girlfriends and some real good food and drinks. Would want to visit soon to try their other stuff on the menu for sure!