fish – baconbaba

Authentic Gharghuti style Maharashtrian food at Wakad, Pune!

I had been craving for some authentic Maharashtrian mutton since the day Shyam bhai posted about his weekend gorging session. So the moment Rajdeep Dalvi called me to invite me to his newly opened restaurant Dakkhan Spice at Wakad, I jumped at the opportunity.

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The restaurant itself is a humble little place. Clean and well lit, the seating is basically wooden benches. The overall ambiance is simple and very homely, much like the food.

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We started off with Surmai Fry (250/-). The fish was fresh as ever, and was lightly coated with a crisp layer of masala. Even my 3 yo daughter Pihu freaked out on this.

The Prawns Masala (180/-) was a mind blowing dish. Our collective reaction was “WOW”. The onion-garlic based masala was perfectly balanced, felt like something we would happily cook and serve at home. This was deserved to be re-ordered.

I ordered the Mutton Thali (325/-) – and the mutton masala was spectacular. Again, non-spicy, but beautifully balanced flavors. the mutton was cooked so tender, I ended up ordering another plate of the same. The rassa served with the thali had a good hit of spice for the burn-chasers out there.

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We ended with Milk Pudding, aka Kharvas. They lightly flavored the kharavasache milk with saffron and cinnamon, giving the delicious dessert a lovely twist.

The food at Dakkhan Spice is cooked by Mrs Dalvi, and she brings her Kolhapuri roots to the plate. Overall, the food, unlike popular belief, is not burn-your-mouth spicy, but instead, extremely balanced, with freshly ground, slow roasted spices, balanced by hints of sweetness. Gharghuti style food does not get better!

Loved it!

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I was invited for a complimentary food tasting. 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.

Japanese Festival at Baan Tao: Sushi Supremacy

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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

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

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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.

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.

IMG_20170317_211757-01 — Teriyaki Chicken

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.

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

A few more pics to leave you drooling!