Anandvan Gokhle Mala - A village feel in the city!

Some of my Maharashtrian friends highly recommended this place for an authentic veg thali. Today being a vegetarian Saturday(Read Saraswati Puja), we landed at this place in a group of 6 adults and a kid for trying out their lunch thali.  








It a huge sprawling dhaba style place, complete with a play area for kids, lots of 'khaats' to lie down and chit chat after a full stomach. Lots of greenery around and a huge farm of guava and tamarind trees(to name a few), this place has a village feel to it. 

The moment you enter it kind of soothes your nerves, such a refreshing ambiance, not very far from the city. It's about 12 km from Vishrantwadi chowk on Alandi road. Once you cross the Sai Baba temple, look out for this place on the left. Easy to find! Lots of parking space.

On your arrival, there is a counter to buy food coupons from. Rs 200 per head. There is a 'gram udyog' counter at the entrance to pick up some authentic handmade papads and pickles.

The place is huge enough to have at least 100-120 people dine at one go. It's a covered area with four sides open in the middle of a farm. Lots of women folk are seen doling out dishes from the kitchen and also serving food. They seem to have a kitchen and serving staff of not less than 30 people, mostly women(probably from the nearby village). @Feministas - Please read this as women empowerment in the true sense! ;) :)

The thali included - Vangi ki bhaji, pithla, palak wadi, bhakris(jawari, bajra), chapati, thecha, misal(matki), kadi, dal khichdi, assorted papad and gulab jamun. The greedy me did expect some more items on the thali. ;) It's an unlimited thali, so eat until you are completely satisfied and full. The palak pakodas(served hot) were very crisp and tasty. They had a hint of ajwain and seem to have the right mix of rice flour and besan to make them crispy and crunchy. The brinjal curry was very basic and didn't appeal to me too much. It was low on salt and masala, both. My home cook does make amazing vangi ki bhaji, hence I had a comparison in mind to make.

Pithla is a thick gravy sorts dish, primarily made using besan and spices. It was mildly spiced and went well with the bhakris. There was a choice of jawar and bajra bhakris to choose from. The matki was the usual run of the mill kinds. Nothing extraordinary about this one. However, my favorite was the 'kadhi'. Slightly sweetened with just the perfect balance of salt and spices, it had a great texture and taste. I downed at least 2 full bowls of the same. They served 3 gulab jamuns, just enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. The food is very homely and is served hot. That the forte of this place. The thecha is a spicy condiment, very commonly seen on a Maharashtrian thali. It is primarily prepared using green chillis, garlic, salt, oil and a tadka of cumin, sesame etc. It was very spicy, yet very tasty to tingle my taste buds. The sweet lemon pickle served was also very tasty. 

The ladies did serve a generous dollop of makhan with bhakris. The dal khichdi was a rice-moong dal one and was served with a huge spoonful of desi ghee. I loved this one! 

We also ordered some chaas to end the meal. Very basic, with just salt added to the butter milk. 

The overall experience was good. Go there with your families for a tiny outing on a weekend. Lots of 'khaats' to a take a nap after your meal - a rare luxury when dining out! ;)

Wish to see a better variety of food and taste too. :)

Baba Ramdev Dhaba - a culinary trip to Rajasthan, sitting in Pune!

A bit tough to find, we reached the place in a group of 12 on a Sat evening. To our surprise the place was choc-a-block with people and vehicles! With around 60-70 people already in waiting, we were a bit dissapointed to have travelled more than 30km from our homes and see such a long queue. However, after a wait of 35-40 mins, we got a table, much to our relief. 






They have tables placed very close to each other, with hardly any space to move around. Lots of waiters  scurrying across serving aromatic yummy food. A very basic seating arrangement, a bit too messy to be frank. However, my expectations on this front were very high either.

The menu is a very elaborate one, complete with a huge variety of authentic Rajasthani fare to choose from. 





We went for a thali which included Rajwadi dal baati churma, chaas, lassi, baigan bharta, sev, gatte ki kadi and khicha papad. We also ordered masala khicha papad, gulab jamun and rabdi. What a treat! The baatis were served in a clay pot, brimming with desi ghee. The 'baatis' were half dipped in ghee and were served steaming hot. 

The dal itself was very flavorful and served in a little bucket. Churma was yummy and was perfectly sweetened. The air was filled with the aroma of desi ghee and it made us hungrier. The quantity was sufficient enough to be shared by two people. The pot had 4 large baatis. The gatte ki kadi was also very yummy. Lassi was way too thick in texture and sweetened over the top - a let down. Overall it was a very satisfying authentic meal, which made my taste buds very happy! 

Service is very quick and efficient.

Going by my experience of similar food until now in Pune, I can say this is the most authentic dal baati in town. Go there for the love of authentic dal baati! Don't expect too much from the ambiance point of view. It's a dhaba, which is always brimming with hungry people, dining and in waiting :)

212 - Cafe and Bar

Chocotini

Another addition to the list of awesome joints in Pune. Once you enter the cafe, you hardly realize that you're in a mall. The staff is well trained and very courteous. I loved the place so much that I visited it twice in one single week, the first time on 5th Dec and then again on 8th Dec. 

Espressotini

They have an indoor as well as an outdoor seating area. The alfresco area opens into the central courtyard area of the Phoenix mall. Last Sat there was a Jazz music fest on and we're lucky to have chosen to dine there. Live music simply added to the overall experience.

I tried a Chocotini - Dark chocolate laden martini. Loved it!

Chicken skewers

We ordered a portion of Seared Chicken Skewers - It was a version of chicken satay served with a tangy tomato based sauce. The chicken pieces were very succulent and the flavorful sauce went very well with the chicken. 

Masala Omlette

For mains we went for a Masala Omlette with toast and a Chicken Caesar's Salad. Very basic items and very well done! Thumbs up to the salad!

Chicken Caesar's salad

Cajun spiced baby potatoes

Penne with Sundried tomatoes and Creme

The other day my vegetarian friend and I ordered Cajun Spiced Baby Potato and Penne with Sundried tomatoes and Creme. We loved the crispy jacketed flattened baby potatoes. Absolutely crunchy on the exterior and very flavorful.

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

Dessert - Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. This is the best carrot cake I've had till date. Well plated and taste equally well.

Ambience - 4/5

Food- 4/5

Service - 4.5/5

Value for money - 4/5

Verdict - Must try if you haven't.

Box8 - A new chain of fast food in town

Box8, a successful fast food chain in Mumbai has opened 12 outlets in Pune. Box8 packs fast food in neat boxes and delivers home, pretty much on time! It's rather interesting that they claim to deliver food in 38min flat! No complains on service and timely delivery.

Charcoal grilled chicken salad - A cold salad with generous chunks of charcoal grilled chicken pieces on a bed of fresh lettuce, tomatoes, onions, capsicum, baby corn, jalapenos, olives(lots of them) and an overpowering mustard dressing. I loved the salad, except that I wished the mustard dressing was a little less. The salad itself is quite filling and refreshing. All ingredients seemed to have been sourced fresh. Thumbs up to this one!

Chicken dum biryani - I really liked this version of the dum biryani. Must say I'm a bit picky when it comes to biryani. Nevertheless, I liked this one. I usually prefer the catering kinds of biryani, the more authentic ones. But given the comparison of this biryani with similar packed and portioned biryanis from other restaurants, this one is quite a value for money. For a price tag under Rs.200, I think it's quite good. There were generous pieces of chicken - well cooked and flavours well infused. The rice itself was also quite flavorful and overall, the dish worked for me. It came along with a portion of raita. Raita was thick, creamy and had hints of jeera powder, just the way I like it.

Chicked tikka biryani - This certainly didn't have the same bed of rice used in the previous dish (Generally restaurants reuse the same rice/curry as a base for similar dishes-quite a turn off!). This one had a distinct taste. Really appreciate this endeavor!! The tikka chicken was exactly what it was supposed to be. Very subtly spiced, yet very tasty. It also came along with a portion of raita.

Gulab jamun - several small gulab jamuns neatly packed in a tiny box. Looked too pretty to eat! They tasted quite ok and were delivered warm. Appreciate that they had bothered to warm the jamuns before packing the dessert for home delivery.

Moong dal ka halwa - I liked this one better. Not too sweet. Very flavorful and almost tasted home made!

Taste - 4

Portion size - 4

Service - 5

Value for money - 4(based on their menu. My dinner box was complimentary)

**Review conducted based on a promotional food parcel I received from Box8

Bhog - The temple cuisine of India at The Eatery - Four Points by Sheraton

India is a land of festivals and has a rich cultural heritage. This is reflected in the temple food served across various Hindu temples of India.

Vola! It's that time of the year when it's raining festivals in India. And what better way to celebrate than gorge on some delicacies, especially to usher into the festivities! FPBS presents Bhog-The temple cuisine of India for a limited period of 13th - 22nd Oct for dinner, all at Rs.675+ taxes. For the variety and the heavenly taste of this fare, I would say it's value for money.

Right from the decor to the presentation of food to the taste, all represent the festive mood of the season.

Matris, Karanjee, Patra, Aloo Kachori, Khandvi, Dhokla were some of the dishes that we started our dinner with. All being quite authentic in taste reminded me of the times I spend at my native place during this part of the year. My favorite pick out of these is Aloo Kachori and Patra. Dadhojianam reminded me of my roots in Andhra Pradesh. It's kind of tempered curd rice preparation, which is made using broken rice and is mildly spiced. The Dahi Wadas were quite fluffy and tasty. I added some tamarind chutney to my taste and it tasted even better.

As welcome drinks, we were served a portion of Papaya Panna and MuskMelon Panna. I liked the musk melon panna for it's delicate cardamom infused flavor and it's smooth consistency and light body.

A few warm starters were served on the table - Paneer Tikka, Hara Bhara kebab, Masala Potli. All this came with a tamarind chutney, green chutney and a dry fruit powdered chutney.

For the main course we had a choice of authentic curries to choose from - Delicately flavored pumpkin curry Elliserri from Kerala was my favorite. Loved the delicate flavors of coconut and mild spices. Methi Palak, Kache Kachalu(Loved this one too!), Thoran, Pakori Rassa, Moong Dal Khichdi are some other options. Patal Rassa and Aloo Dum reminded me of the kitchens of Odiya temples. Quite authentic in taste. We had these curries with a selection of Bajre ki Roti, Poori and Chapatis.

Desserts section was quite impressive and thank heavens I still had some room in my stomach for them. Nei Payasam, Battasha, Revri, Safed Pedha, Boondi, Besan ka Sheera, Jalebi, Besan Barfi, Modak were highlights of this section.  One has to try each one of these to appreciate the variety in the temple cuisine of India.



Each part of the country has it's own unique temple cuisine and this festival is just a reflection of the same. A must try for all who want to try some traditional food, inspired from the famous temple kitchens from length and breadth of the country.

International Beer Day at The Best Brews - Four Points By Sheraton

International Beer Day(8th August) was celebrated in style at Best Brews, FPBS. Lots of beer cocktails and a master class with Chef Sanjay Mitra and Chef Michael Swamy on doling out amazing dishes out of your kitchen, using beer! A few bloggers and people from the media were invited to the event.

It all started with their star bartender Abhishek presenting us with a welcome drink - Badge of Honor. It was quite yummy, considering that it was beer infused with Murphy's, passion fruit and caramel, with some vanilla foam, served in a shot glass. It was quite a bold attempt of adding vanilla and caramel flavors to a beer shot and it did work wonders!


We were later presented with some more interesting beer cocktails -some infused with fresh fruits, ginger, star anise and other spices. I'm not quite a beer person, so trying out these quirky cocktails shots worked for me, But I doubt if serious beer lovers would go for any these beer cocktails. :) Nevertheless, it's a good attempt by Best Brews to showcase their innovative side when it comes to serving beer and it's variations. My pick out of the ones we tried is The Bud Twist - Budweiser infused with some fresh orange, thyme and cinnamon. I loved the hint of orange and cinnamon in the drink. It was quite refreshing, to say the least.


The master class was started by Chef Sanjay Mitra cooking a dish called Drunken Beer Butt Chicken. The end product itself looked gorgeous. It had whole chicken, except the neck, marinated in some special seasoning mix. A entire beer can is used for marination and the empty can is shoved into the chicken, bottom up, before grilling it away to perfection. Vola! Drunken Beer Butt Chicken is ready to savoured with
some sauce.

Chef Michael Swamy illustrated another exquisite dish - Ale Cooked Lamb. Marinated lamb chops cooked and served with a colourful couscous of coloured peppers. The marination mix was quite an intersting mix of ale, garlic, grapes, pomegranate juice and some fresh herbs.

We also had some popular dishes from The Eatery - Ajwain Paneer Tikka, Chicken Kolhapuri, naan and some pasta. I savoured the paneer tikka in particular.

All in all it was a fun evening with lot's of conversations over good food and beer! Cheers!
(PuneFoodiez were invited for the event)

Hotel Gavran Kolhapuri

I must admit I'm not a big fan of Kolhapuri cuisine, thanks to my average experiences until I visited Gavran Kolhapuri. Some of my work colleagues highly recommended this place and I finally made it on a Friday afternoon.

As was advised, we booked a table in advance. It's a tiny home run joint, very close to the EON IT park. This place is quite a hit amongst the IT crowd of EON. A Kolhapuri family run this tiny joint from their verandah! The family is completely involved in the cooking process of all the dishes on the menu, hence the homely touch to all their food. The masalas are home made.

It's a tiny garden-verandah kind of alfresco area with 4-5 tiny tables, neatly and sufficiently spaced out. We went for a veg thali and a chicken thali. The chicken thali came with a choice of 2 'bhakris' or 3 'chapatis' and rice alongwith egg masala, Kolhapuri style chicken,' tambada' and 'pandhara rassa'. We were also served some complimentary onion-lemon salad. The veg thali came with a rustic style dal and a chana masala.



The chicken curry was quite impressive. The masala had a burst of Kolhapuri flavours but was surprisingly not too high on the chilli content. Lots of coconut and authentic Kolhapuri masalas blended into a thick gravy with lots of succulent chicken pieces. How I wish they had used country('gavran') chicken instead! 

All my previous experiences of Kolhapuri cuisine made me believe that Kolhapuri food means highly spicy, oily and hot food. But this lunch certainly changed my perception completely and introduced me to some authentic food from the region.  The 'Sol Kadhi' that we ordered for, was served chilled and went very well with the food. I loved the Sol Kadhi! The 'tambada rassa' was bright red in color and was quite rich in terms of flavors and spices. The 'pandhra rassa' was it's milder cousin - white in color and very subtle in taste. The egg masala was pretty average and tasted too much of masala. It consisted of boiled egg halves in a thick spicy gravy.

Overall the food was pretty good. For those who like Kolhapuri cuisine and work/live in this part of the city, do give this place a shot. For others, you may drop by only if you're in the area. It's not worth a drive from distant places. Nevertheless, once you're here, be rest assured of home cooked taste :)