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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.

1BHK Bartender's Special Vodka Cheesecake Fusion — 1BHK Bartender’s Special Vodka Cheesecake Fusion

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.

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.

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 Naaza — 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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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

OktoberFest at Classic Rock Coffee Co. India , Baner

Last Friday #TheBTeam was #invited to check out the ongoing OktoberFest at Classic Rock Coffee Co. (CRCC), Baner. This place has been creating quite the buzz, as they have successfully replicated the model from the long running Kalyani-Nagar branch.

While the feel of this hip place is substantially different from the super chill vibes of the older sibling, they have a pretty damn good setup here. Full with Rock n Roll memorabilia and a kick ass DJ, the mood here is always party time!

Coming back to the Oktoberfest, the menu curated for this isn’t really very Oktoberfest-y. I was expecting some super craft beers paired with Brockwurst, or currywurst or all those other -wursty delicacies, along with some schnitzels or sauerkraut, and ending with an Apple Strudel!

But, alas, that was not to be. We were presented with a beer menu with familiar names – White Owl, Bira, KF with some premium brands like Howgarden, Kronenburg, Stella and Corona (yes, Corona is premium – it’s expensive!). The only plus point here is the offers on the pitchers. Expect some good deals on the 1.5 liter pitchers, and the bucket of 10 pints.

The curated food menu had a couple of interesting standouts.

The Bacon Wrapped Chicken was my personal favorite (duh, hello #baconbaba!) – with the decadent bacon enveloping some gorgeous minced spicy chicken, fried together, creating quite an amazing bro-mance!

The California Prawns were literally a standout dishes – Beer battered deep fried skewered prawns – really difficult to mess those up!

Among the veg starters, the Corn cheese balls in all their oozy cheese crunchy glory, deserved a re-order, while the Jalapeno poppers were a bit of a let down.

The star attraction, or so they would have you believe by their promo video, was the Roast Chicken. A whole chicken (I kid you not – check out the photo below!), marinated in ‘chef’s special spices’ stuffed with chicken sausages, mushrooms, green peas, american corn, and rice, roasted in the oven, served with a butter vegetable and red wine sauce.

Phew!

The chicken? Perfectly roasted, down to the bone.

The red wine jus? Silky consistency, lip smacking, perfect to drench the chicken.

The stuffing? That’s the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s (or the chicken’s?) back. The rice was grossly overcooked, and with the ‘secret spices’ created a weird khichdi like consistency that was entirely avoidable. We just pushed the stuffing to one side and continued gorging on the chicken.

The desserts, while not quintessentially German, were spectacular. The Old Monk Chocolate Mousse was silky, boozy and absolutely mind blowing. The Baked New York Cheese cake was yummy to the limit. And the chocolate tart, while a little too cold and slightly hard, was much like a gooey chocolate eclair. Do not leave without pigging out on the desserts!

The Oktoberfest is on at CRCC Baner till Sunday, 01-October. Do check it out if you are in the area!

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

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. IMG_20170609_212249

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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.

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!

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.

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.

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

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

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

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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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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!

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

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.

IMG_20170821_202653 — Trio of Chips and Salsa

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!

IMG_20170821_203010 — Shephard’s Bowl Poutine

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.

IMG_20170821_205752 — Grilled Tiger Prawns

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

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.

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

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

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

Arthur’s Theme – Cryptic Names, Delicious Food!

Arthur’s theme has been the epitome of European themed food in Pune for over 10 years now. Last month they launched a few super interesting new items, with even more cryptic names. Here’s a quick look. IMG_20170722_151154

York: skewered, grilled prawns served with mustard mayo. Perfectly grilled prawns, with mayo – can’t go wrong there.

Sancho: Grilled calamari with herbs. The calamari were not fresh, and the dish was overall bland

Constantine : Breaded roll made with hammered piece of chicken, chicken ham and smoked cheese. Definitely one of my favorite items from the menu. Crisp outer breaded coating, soft chicken, and gooey cheese. Served with a spicy sriracha sauce, this is absolutely fantastic!

Philip: A Cheesy creamy Quinoa risotto with mushrooms and bell peppers. Well cooked quinoa, delicious cream sauce, an excellent option for vegetarians

Angela: Perfectly cooked vegetarian lasagna.

Julien: Another delicious vegetarian dish – this was a crisp wafer like crepe stuffed with mushrooms, topped with mushroom sauce, served over a bed of mashed potatoes. The crisp crepe added the much needed texture and bite to this dish. The mushroom sauce, buttery stuffed mushrooms and mashed potatoes were perfectly seasoned, and went beautifully together.

Benedict: This herb crusted fish fillet served sriracha sauce and steamed vegetables failed to impress despite the Parmesan coating, mostly due to being dry and overcooked.

Stuart: On paper, Stuart looks perfect – Chicken ham and cheese stuffed in a chicken breast, topped with a spicy sauce served with rice. Sadly, another dry, overcooked piece of meat, and another disappointment.

Stephen: This was my favorite non-vegetarian dish among the new entries in the menu. Julienne carabeef, bell peppers, sauteed in garlic oil, in a mushroom and red wine sauce, served with rice. Red wine, mushrooms and beef are a match made in heaven, and the flavors were absolutely perfect. Hint of parsley added a nice dimension to the overall dish.

We ended the meal with the Affogato: a shot of arabice espresso served with scoop of vanilla ice-cream and brownie crumble brownie. The hot espresso with the ice cream tasted absolutely heavenly – so much so, tat I actually ended up ordering a shot of espresso, just to enjoy the lovely brew they serve at Arthur’s.

Some of the other new items on the menu we tried out were: Atlas, black olive mash and mushrooms paste on crisp toasties, Penda, chicken tenders cooked with bourbon whisky and Ronald, bbq chicken wings

We sampled some of the new pizzas, as well as Paul, crepe stuffed with gouda

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Ending the meal with some theatrics, was the Dark chocolate ball.

With the food, we also tried a new beer at Arthur’s, the 1664 Blanc Beer. This is a light (4.5% ABV) and smooth Belgian witbier style, brewed in Alsace, France. 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. It goes down easy. Very summery, very enjoyable.

As always, this was a very enjoyable meal at Arthur’s Theme. One of my personal favorite places in Pune.

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

Grills & Muse

A couple of weeks back I visited Grills and Muse – Alakesh Baruah’s newest brain child.

Situated right next to Flying Duck at Baner-Pashan Link Road, Grills and Muse is Alakesh’s take on North Indian cuisine.

We started off the meal with the Mirchi Malai Kabab. It tastes a lot like the popular Reshmi Kabab but the chopped green chili gives a beautiful light after-burn, leaving you salivating for more.

IMG_20170702_134226 — Mirchi Malai Kabab

The Chicken Butter Wings Tandoori is a lovely take on the Tandoori chicken. Coated with a glossy butter glaze, the tandoori chicken takes on a beautiful buttery flavor, giving it an almost baked-goods flavor.

IMG_20170702_134325 — Chicken Butter Wings Tandoori

I also tried the Quail Biryani. While the biryani rice and and salan accompaniment is delicious, the quail it self was slightly overcooked (probably due to the dum process). I would love to try out their mutton biryani, which, going by the flavor of biryani and the next dish i am going to speak about, should be spectacular.

(PS: Just noticed that the Quail biryani is now off the menu – speaks volumes of how the restaurant evolves)

Lamb Shank – This is a “must have” dish at Grill and Muse. The meat was so beautifully cooked, that it fell off the bone as I tried to pick it up. Delicious thick dark brown gravy, chock full of garam masalas, this is what North Indian cooking is all about.

While it is a polar opposite of the cuisine served at Flying Duck, you see the same care, service and impeccable attention to detail that we have come to associate with Alakesh’s brands.

Looking forward to more from the GnM kitchens!

I was invited for a tasting. The Usual Disclaimer applies.

On Fire!

A couple of weeks back I was at On Fire! for a lazy Sunday brunch. With the monsoons in Pune, nothing beats a lovely evening on a roof top restaurant. Cool wind, chilled out music, and a nice hot kabab on your plate. With a quirky roof top setting, Wakad’s newest star is, literally, a breath of fresh air.

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We started off the meal with a Tom Kha Gai – a Thai coconut soup. while the soup had oodles of chicken, the size of the diced chicken was way smaller than the baby corn and capsicum, leading to an overload of veggies in the mouth. Good flavor of coconut with a distinct hit of red chili ensured that I drank through the entire bowl.

The Texas Hot BBQ Wings were absolutely brilliant. The dark shiny color of the barbecue sauce coating the chicken wings got us salivating, and it didn’t disappoint. Chicken wings in a sweet sticky barbecue sauce – right up there with the best in Pune. The sprinkle of chili flakes over the top left a nice little bite at the end, leaving us asking for more.

IMG_20170626_143656 — Texas Hot BBQ Wings

The Asian Noodle Salad was a surprise for me. Made with crispy noodles, fresh vegetables, loads of shredded chicken and a tomato ketchup base, it tasted a lot like the chinese bhel you get at a chinese tapri. More specifically for me, it evoked a memory of the chinese bhel at Toons, Camp. This would a great accompaniment with a glass of beer!

IMG_20170626_142750 — Asian Noodle Salad

The Kai Ni Haar, Prawns wrapped in Chicken strips: Now, I am usually a fan of prawns wrapped in pretty much anything (my favorites being the Bacon Wrapped Prawns and Sausages at Effingut Baner, and the Bacon Wrapped Prawns at Zamu’s.)

Here, the mint sauce was way too overpowering. Another pressure point in any prawns wrapped dish is the cooking of the prawns with respect to the outer coating. The prawns were almost raw, with a well cooked chicken outer. I would give this one a pass.

IMG_20170626_144044 — Kai Ni Haar – Chicken Wrapped Prawns

The Irani Tangdi Kabab is an absolute delight for tandoori lovers. Juicy chicken legs coated with a Tabasco sauce, freckled with chili flakes. A fantastic twist on a desi classic.

IMG_20170626_144631 — Irani Tangdi Kabab

By this time we were full to the brim. The only main course we could have was Mutton Rogan Josh. Soft succulent mutton in a lovely medium spicy gravy. This is comfort food in its truest sense. Dunk a bit of butter naan and you are in heaven.

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We ended the meal with the fried ice-cream. If you haven’t had fried ice cream before, give this one a try. Its a scoop of ice-cream, coated with bread crumbs, and deep fried! A hot crispy outer shell coated with hot chocolate sauce, and a frozen ice-cream center is sinfully good. The two scoops were vanilla and chocolate. If possible, request the server to give you only vanilla scoops. Vanilla in the fried ice cream tastes much better than the chocolate, imho.

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We did try a few other starters from the menu, including the chinese and ‘continental’ ones. My personal opinion: Stick to indian. The chef is really good at indian dishes, both. kababs and curries, and with the roof-top setting, you really cant go wrong with a desi plate of food.

Overall, its a great spot to chill with friends or enjoy a lazy Sunday brunch. What;s even better is they have a Saturday AND Sunday brunch – a buffet spread for 475/-. A complete steal.

Baconbaba is super happy!

I was invited as part of a bloggers table. The Usual Disclaimer applies.

Mercure, Lavasa – The perfect Stay-cation!

8th of July marked my 33rd birthday. As my lucky stars would have it, Mercure Hotel, Lavasa approached me to cover their prestigious establishment for baconbaba.com for the same weekend. I grabbed it with both hands, and landed up at the doorstep for lunch.

An hour and a half drive from Pune, nestled away on the other side of the famous Lavasa lake, Mercure enjoys an amazing view of the valley. With a tiny bridge over the cutest brook possible, you CANNOT get a more picturesque spot for chai and bhajjis this side of the Mulshi valley

IMG_20170708_165410 — The view from Celebrations

The check-in process was smooth, and we were shown to our rooms. The rooms are spacious and fully stocked – just what you would expect from a top notch hotel from the Accor Hotels family

As we reached the hotel just after 3:00 PM, we were famished. After a quick freshen up in our rooms, we headed to Celebrations, the in house restaurant. As part of the monsoon special, we got to try out some of the chef’s specials on the menu.

Among the starters, we loved the Mongolian Fish. While there wasn’t too much ‘mongolian’ about the preparation, the batter fried basa was just perfect for the weather. This with a beer or a rum n coke is a match made in heaven!

Pihu, being a complete prawns fan, gobbled down the Golden Fried Prawns. Fresh prawns, crisp tempura batter, we asked for seconds of this dish.

IMG_20170708_162300 — Golden Fried Prawns

IMG_20170708_162313 — Golden Fried Prawns

My personal favorite was the Lamb Nihari – a chef’s version of this famous dish. Gloriously well cooked lamb, in a red gravy with a hint of cinnamon and saffron.

We also tried the samosa chaat and the chicken salad (as part of the monsoon tasting menu).

The coup de grâce of the meal was the Chef’s special Sundae. Cubes of chocolate brownie over a bed of fresh fruits, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, encased on a golden sugar net. As the hot chocolate melted the sugar net and cascaded down the melting quenelle of vanilla ice cream, it slowly coated the brownie cubes, gradually hitting the fruit at the bottom. Indeed, special!

IMG_20170708_174539 — Chef Special Sundae

We wrapped up the heavy meal and moved to the al-fresco area to chill. The spectacular view and the light drizzle made the perfect spot for chai.

After a brief nap in our room, and a walk around the promenade, we headed back to the hotel for the buffet dinner. The buffet, while not as spectacular as the ala-carte menu, is pretty decent, with quite a few options for veg and non-veg. Priced at 899/- AI, its an excellent deal for visitors to Lavasa to enjoy a lavish meal.

Ordered drinks from their bar and had a nice long session in their al fresco area, enjoying the fresh air.

The restaurant has a cute little children’s play area, where you can leave your kid and enjoy your meal! That, pretty much made our day!

Woke up fresh on Sunday morning feeling a bit older (I was 33 years and 1 day old!) Breakfast is an elaborate affair at Mercure. Apart from the regular fare (Poha, idly, vada, usal, porridge, eggs, etc – all good btw!) their made to order waffles and pancakes are absolutely superb. Served with maple syrup or honey, you couldn’t ask for a better start to the day. I could possibly make an early morning trip to Lavasa just to get this breakfast!

Overall, it was a fantastic experience at Mercure. Great hospitality, comfy rooms, amazing views, and fantastic food. A perfect weekend getaway.

Disclaimer: I was invited to enjoy the complimentary stay-cation by the PR. The Usual Disclaimer applies. A special shout out to Pamela Paul Mitra and the management of Mercure, Lavasa for hosting me and my family, and making my birthday extra special.

Kadar Khan’s Sheesha – The Dal Bukhara comes to Pune

In the words of a learned friend, the legendary Dal Bukhara at the ITC Maurya, New Delhi is like a bucket list item for every foodie worth his salt. And that is what the newly opened Sheesha at Ishanya Mall, Pune brings to the table.

A brainchild of the Ex-ITC chef Kadar Khan, inventor of the ‘original’ Dal Bukhara, one is assured to be served some truly authentic Nawabi cuisine here.

Dal Bukhara is a combination of urad dal (whole black lentils), tomatoes, ginger and garlic. Cooked and simmered over slow coal fires of the tandoor overnight for 18 hours at a stretch, the Dal Bukhara at Sheesha is simply luxurious. Dip in a butter naan into this dal, sit back, and relish the glory.

We tried the Chicken Tangdi Kulfi – a leg of chicken drowned in a white sauce made of milk and cream, embalmed inside a foil wrapper. The chicken is cooked in the cheesy creamy goodness, leaving behind a oozy, gooey chicken leg.

IMG_20170613_205523 — Chicken Tangdi Kulfi

A Mutton Sheek Kabab is something I can’t resist ordering anywhere I go. Juicy meat, lightly flavored, perfectly cooked – the long marination of the mutton shone through in this dish.

IMG_20170613_212430 — Mutton Sheekh Kabab

My only issue with the kababs here is the fact that they are served on a sizzler plate. They tend to overcook and go dry (specially when one is obsessed with photographing food before eating it!) So, dig in the moment the plate arrives!

The Mutton Rogan Josh is yet another magical mutton marvel here at Sheesha. The chef let us in to a secret method of cooking. The mutton is wrapped in layers of muslin while being slow cooked over a tandoor fire. The muslin cloth allows the flavors to soak through the mutton, while holding in the juices of the meat, leaving the meat moist and and delectable when opened. The stock that it is cooked in forms the base of this delicious curry.

For desserts, do give the Lahsoon ki Kheer a try. The mild flavor of garlic is an interesting twist on this classic dessert

An excellent addition to the slowly reviving Ishanya Mall, Sheesha is a welcome addition to the Pune food scene.

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

White Owl Beers – Brewed and Bottled!

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White Owl Beer is an extremely popular brand of craft beer, available On Tap at over 70 prominent restaurants and bars across Mumbai and Pune, with numerous establishments in the pipeline. White Owl Brewery will soon debut its two most popular craft beer styles in “Bottles” to cater to strong consumer demand in the retail market. The bottles will launch soon with ‘Diablo,’ a light Irish Red Ale, and ‘Spark,’ a citrusy Belgian Wit. #TheBTeam was invited to the uber-cool Raasta Cafe, Baner to try out these lovely brews.

Brewed in small batches under the leadership of a highly-experienced and internationally-trained brewing team and boasts crisp, complex flavors, distinct aromas, an alive, inviting appearance and smooth texture.

The Spark is a Belgium style wheat beer. Citrusy with mild orange undertones, it is a light-medium body beer. Perfect accompaniments include any medium spicy bites like chicken wings or pizza.

Diablo is a mild roast caramel Irish red ale. My personal favourite, the caramel after taste is absolutely lovely.

We also tried Ace – an apple cider, that is set to be an absolute crowd favorite. IMG_20170602_192345

White Owl Brewery’s current portfolio – in addition to Spark & Diablo – includes: Halcyon, a crisp German Hefeweizen; Shadow, a dark English Porter; Torpedo, a punchy American Pale Ale; Paulina, a refreshing German Kolsch; and Ace, a bubbly French Apple Cider.

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Shout out to Raasta Cafe, Baner for hosting the event. The food presented was absolutely spectacular. Super chill vibes, great music, and brilliant food to boot – this is one of the best places to chill out in Baner.

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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 🙂

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

IMG_20170610_133029 — 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”!

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.

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 😀 )

IMG_20170603_210355-01 — 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.

IMG_20170603_204034-01 — Oreo-Choco 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.

IMG_20170603_204744-01 — 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.