ABC Farms Cheese Festival 2015 - A Cheesy Affair

People, who really know me, know I’m a ‘cheese’ person. My bestie and I, we could live on cheese. We attended the ABC Farms Cheese Festival 2015 last evening. Loved, absolutely loved, the cheese counter and the cheese dips/fondue counter. The people attending to the cheese counters were extremely helpful and friendly. That made the experience of trying the various cheeses, and buying it, a real pleasure. I did not enjoy the fruity cheeses but I ended up buying five varieties of other cheese (Black Pepper Boursin, Paprika Boursin, Young Cheddar, Jalapeno Cheese, Basil Edam Cheese) and two varieties of dips (Garlic Chives and Jalapeno Cheese). My bestie also bought some ‘stinky’ varieties for her husband.

I missed two of my all time favorite cheese as they weren’t at the cheese counter. I checked the ABC Farm menu to check if they manufactured them and it seems they don’t. The cheese I’m talking about is Brie and Camembert. I hope they add these to their list of cheese by this time next year for the 2016 Cheese Festival. That would make me a veryyyyy happy puppy. ;)

The event was very well organized, as always. They had various stalls for wine tasting too. I’m a teetotaler hence that section was not for me but a large number of people were sipping wine and having a wonderful time at the wine stalls. They had tons of stuff for children too. There were workshops, contests and much more for the kiddos to enjoy and participate in.

They gave out small wall calendars for the coming year (2016) with each of my bill. I doubt if any calendar will make it to the walls of their customer's homes, hence through this review I send out a teeny-weeny suggestion to organizers and the owners. Instead of the calendar it would have been fantastic had they given out a small discount coupon with each bill. It could have been of any denomination, a mere 5% or 10%, maybe valid for a fortnight or max a month. After all who does not like a discount? That way, they increase their sales even after the festival is over, and, customers also feel that they got a little something extra. It may also help to sell leftover stock, if any, from the festival. It could result in a win-win situation for ABC Farms as well as the customers. I have to say, though, all in all it was a fun place to be at on a Saturday evening. 

I was having such a good time that I completely forgot to click photographs at the fest but when I got back home I did click a picture of the cheese I bought and that’s the one posted with this review.

The festival is on until 11 pm / 2300 hours tonight (Sunday, November 22, 2015) so if you haven’t visited it yet get going. You won’t regret it! Are you still home reading this? Get off your b*tt and head to ABC Farms. Now!! Have a wonderful cheesy day folks! :)

Arthur’s Theme.. A melodious symphony of food!

Compared to the veryyyy long reviews I usually write, this one is going to be shorter. Not because the food wasn’t worth it, quite the opposite in fact, but because we (my friend and I) decided not be behave like ‘bhukkhads’. :D 

I went to Arthur’s Theme after years (over 5 years) and although I did remember that I’ve never had a bad meal at Arthur’s Theme, I did not remember any dish in particular that I’ve had there years ago. Also, because of the time gap it somehow felt like I was experiencing Arthur’s Theme for the very first time.

We ordered fresh lime sodas and they were a perfect balance of sweet and sour. For starters we order ‘Alexia’ (Prawns wrapped in chicken, grilled to perfection and tossed in a spicy sauce). It was to die for! The chicken wasn’t overdone and the prawns within were also perfectly cooked. As mentioned on the menu, the meat was truly ‘grilled to perfection’! The sauce slathered over the meat was spicy and had a fabulously light tangy hit as an end note. 10/10 is what I’d give this dish!

For our mains, my friend selected ‘Marie Curie’. It was a baked chuck of fish (Rawas/Indian Salmon – a wonderful change from the regular Basa served at most places these days) topped with basil enriched mustard sauce, served with potato croquettes and steamed vegetables. I did not try the fish but my friend, a food columnist, heartily tucked into her plate of food and had no complaints about the dish. My selection for the main course was ‘Danielle’. It was a grilled carabeef tenderloin steak, tossed in herbs, served with an exclusive pepper sauce and roast potatoes. I requested a medium rare steak and the gentleman (Kabir) taking my order, in all honesty, told me a medium rare could get slightly botched hence requested I go with rare, medium or well done steak. I chose a medium steak. The pepper sauce, the roast potatoes and the steak were spot on! There was no sinew in the steak. It was perfectly brown from out and pink from within. I could find absolutely no fault with this dish except that I would have liked a fatter steak with a few more roast potatoes. Just kiddin’!! The quantity was perfect but it was so darn delicious that I would have loved some more. Something like, ‘pett bhar gaya par neeyat nahi bhari’. ;)

For dessert my friend ordered a Chocolate Lava Cake with Mint Ice Cream. I was too stuffed to eat dessert but I did steal a spoonful of mint ice cream. It was creamy and delicious! I’m definitely going to have it when I go there again. Oh of course, I’m going back! Total damages for lunch was 1410 buckaroos. Total VFM and well worth the dough spent! 

Oh! Let me add, after the prawn-chicken starter, before they served the mains, they set a bread roll basket at our table with small butter containers. The breads were fresh, warm and so hearty. I don’t really need any more flesh (read: fat.. sigh!) on my body but besharam me smeared an indecent amount of butter on the rolls and hogged on them. Now that I think of it that is probably why I did not have any space in my tum-tum for dessert. *grin*

Service: 5/5

Ambiance: 4/5 (simple décor, nothing fancy yet neat)

Food: 5/5 (very rarely do I give this rating but this delicious meal truly deserves it) 

Address: 2, Vrindavan Apartment, Lane 6, Off North Main Road, Koregaon Park, Pune 411001.

Tel: 020 66032710 / +91 9158828020

Paasha – Quite Pathetic!

Please note: 

I do not have any food photographs to share with this review as I was dining with guests from Holland and I did not want to mar their dining experience by requesting them to wait for their food while I clicked photographs. Sometimes no matter how much I want do something, I just have to be ‘angelic’ and do the right thing. ;-) Also, very rarely do I trash eateries but this is going to be a review where I have very few good things to say.

My bestie’s is married to a tall, handsome, blue-eyed blond and her brother-in-law, Harry, another handsome, blue-eyed ‘eye candy’, was visiting from Holland. We wanted him to try kebabs and Indian food; we wanted to treat him to an evening where ambiance and food would be top notch. Which other place could have opted for but Paasha. I’d been there a couple of years back and the ambiance and the food did not disappoint. I wish I could say the same for the dining experience I am to write about today. Sigh!!

I had informed our hostess, Senthi, during reservation that I was bringing guests from Holland hence would prefer a table with a nice view of the city. As we walked in we were greeted by our hostess who took us to the terrace to show us to a table she had reserved for us but as it was drizzling we could not sit there. She informed us that she had another table with a beautiful view inside the restaurant, also reserved for us, in case of rain. That is where we laid our butts to rest, to relax and enjoy the evening.

Our server, Kumar, handed us the menu cards and we asked him for recommendations. We ordered for drinks (beer, virgin mojito/lime & soda) and read the menu while our drinks arrived. We wanted to try the batair (quail) but it was not available. We opted for kebabs with different types of roti/naan/kulchas. As everything we had ordered was on the dry side our server very wisely suggested that he would serve us a bowl of Dal Makhani with the kebabs. We took his suggestion and agreed to the same.

Now for the food we ordered. We ordered 4 types of rotis/breads. We selected a plain paratha, a phudina paratha, a kulcha and a garlic naan. All four were good, no complaints. The bowl of Dal Makhani was one of the best I have ever had. I used to like the one served at The Great Kabab Factory, Radisson, but this one was definitely better. Loved it!

Kumar, our server, suggested we try the ‘Barrah Kebab’ as it was the chef’s signature dish. *His words, not mine’ The dish was a platter of 5 ‘single-french-boned’ mutton chops with an inch and a half of meat on each of them. No, I’m not complaining about the quantity. I know fine dining places usually serve delicate portions of food and I’m perfectly okay with that. What I am NOT okay with is that with the price of the dish being 1250 Rupees, we had to struggle to cut the damn meat. Even though we used a fork and knife, we struggled to cut through the teeny-tiny bit of meat that was on the bone. Not just one, all five chops were rock hard and we all quietly struggled to cut it. If this is what an Executive Chef, of a luxury 5 star hotel, calls his signature dish, my advice to him is, change your bloody signature.. PRONTO! It felt like he had signed the death certificate of those mutton chops. Someone ought to remind him he’s supposed to be a chef; he’s not supposed to be an axe murderer or a coroner. Oh those poor, poor mutton chops. *Double sigh!!*

The other kebab we tried was Chatpatta Jhinga. One, there was absolutely NOTHING chatpatta about it and second, once again the chef had slaughter the prawns. Overcooked, rubbery and tasteless! I felt I was chewing on a piece of Ceat tyres. Not that I’ve ever chewed on one but I’m sure that is what chewing a rubber tyre would feel like in my mouth. One cannot abuse a delicate produce like prawns. To me, that is sacrilege! If you are an Executive Chef you may not cook the food yourself but when you see junior chef/s, who work under you, putting out a plate of overcooked prawns on the ‘pass’ that you are monitoring, I don’t see how, and why, you would allow such a badly cooked dish to get to the table of your customers. If you do allow that to happen then you do NOT deserve to be an Executive Chef and you do not deserve to be standing there at that ‘pass’. You need to start chopping onions and work your way up, all over again, so that you remember and realize how hard it was for you to get to where you got. Taking the name of your restaurant and your success for granted is a bad thing because that will lead to your downfall and also tarnish the restaurant and hotel’s name for which you work.

By the way, after the Barrah Kebab fiasco when we began to eat the prawns, even our ever so polite guest, who happens to know his food, could not help but mention the prawns were rubbery. We politely agreed and continued eating. *A question to the Exec Chef of Paasha - Can you ever begin to imagine the embarrassment we felt, can you??*

The other kebab we called for was Peshawari Murgh Tikka. It was really nice. Good flavor and the chicken pieces were not overcooked. They were succulent as they should be. Thank God for small mercies! We had selected the Lal Mirch ka Paneer Tikka. The paneer should have been softer, much softer. A nice melt in the mouth paneer would have been so much better than the hard paneer that was served. Flavor wise, it was okay. No complains but no great shakes either.

Had the meal been a memorable one (in a wonderful kinda way) we would have loved to try the desserts but with the kind of food they served us we just did not want to risk eating sub-standard desserts. We requested for a cappuccino and two espressos instead. Luckily, they did not mess that up.

You all may wonder why I/we did not send the food back to the kitchen, especially the chops and the prawns which were ridiculously cooked. That is because we were dining with out-of-town guests with the intention of having a very pleasant evening and dining experience. We were not out with the intention of screwing up a chef’s life and, in the bargain, screwing up our evening. Had this meal been a girl’s night out with my bestie, rest assured, we both would’ve have given the chef an earful for having slaughtered the beautiful chops and crustaceans. You cannot serve sub-standard food to people who know and understand food/produce and expect to get away with it.

I looked up the meaning of Paasha on the net. Paasha, is a designation of a high ranking Turkish officer. With the kind of food they served us they need to demote the bugger immediately!

Would I go there again to spend nearly 6.5/7K with important guests? Nope, definitely not! Not for a long, long time.

Ambiance: 5/5 *but what’s the use, it was not something we could eat*
Service: 4/5 *I would have given them 5/5 but for the recommendation of that wonky signature dish – Kumar/Senthi, blame the chef, not me*

Food: 2/5 *We did not go there for the Parathas and Dal, we went there for the kebabs, and except for the chicken, they were so disappointing*

Address: JW Marriott, Senapati Bapat Road, Pune

Tel: 020 66833333

Portobello - Un pasto perfetto!

Portobello - Un pasto perfetto!

Last week Zomato invited a few food bloggers for a meal at a small eatery, Portobello. I had heard good things about it but had never been there because it’s located at the other end of town. This invite seemed like a good excuse to check it out hence lazy ol’ me trudged all the way to Viman Nagar. As I entered the restaurant, four, from a crowd of eight were already at the table. We introduced ourselves and sat down to chit-chat and make small talk.

The restaurant is really small and has about 6-7 two-seater tables. It has an open kitchen and I loved that. They served me a lemon iced tea as soon as I plonked my fat a** down. It was really nice and very refreshing! 

The first ‘to share’ foods were Garlic bread and Zucchini fries with mayo. The Garlic bread was warm and hearty, everything bread should be! As for the Zucchini fries, to the hardcore carnivore that resides within me and growls at the mention of vegetarian food, that was the best surprise of the evening. In all honesty, I mentally grimaced when I heard what was going to be served and thought I’d try a fry or two and leave it be. Damn! I loved them so much, that I could have polished off the bowl if I did not have more stuff to try out. The meal had barely begun and I was stumped in the most wonderful kind of way. I need to clarify... They’re Zucchini 'fries' and hence they’re deep-fried so if you are calorie conscious, please avoid them. (Psssttttt! I'm not calorie conscious at all and I have my girth to prove it. ;-) ) Then again, no matter what, life is short, so enjoy the good stuff while you walk this earth. A MASSIVE A+ for the Zucchini fries. 

For starters we were served the most amazing and perfectly cooked Calamari with fried onion red chilies and garlic mayo. Superb! That’s the one word that comes to mind when I think of this dish. The calamari was cooked to perfection. There were Basa Fish cakes with homemade tartare sauce and soft boiled eggs. That, too, was delicious! The soft boiled eggs complimented the fish cakes perfectly, as did the Tartare sauce. 

They also served Zucchinni fritters, a mixed mushroom salad with ricotta and a poached chicken salad. I steer clear raw greens hence did not try any of them. I believe if God intended for me to have raw leaves he would have made me a goat :P *just kiddin’ – truly no offence meant to the vegetarians* The others who did try the salads, liked them, and specially raved about the mixed mushroom salad.

For the main course, I chose Bisteca with gorgonzola sage butter and fries. I requested the meat be kept medium rare and it was served medium rare. In a city where most chefs tend to serve ‘well-done’ or ‘medium’ meat when asked for medium-rare, getting a perfect medium-rare was, indeed, a pleasure! The Gorgonzola sage butter was to die for. Absolutely loved it! 

The other mains were Pan Fried Rawas with mint puree, Mushroom and olive stuffed chicken breast with tomato risotto, Spaghetti with zucchini mint oregano cherry tomatoes grana padano and we also had three types of pizzas. I loved the concept of rectangle shaped pizzas. :-)

I tried a bit of the Rawas and the risotto. I also had a slice of the chicken pizza. They were all very well made. If I did not need to leave a wee bit of space in my tummy for desserts I would, probably, have munched on one more slice of chicken pizza. I need to say this to the chef. Please, please, don’t drizzle tomato ketchup on the pizza/s. Please allow us to choose the flavoring, be it Tabasco, tomato ketchup, EVOO or chili oil. 

For dessert they served us a beautiful White Chocolate Panna Cotta. I’m not a fan of white chocolate but the panna cotta blew me away. It was served with plum sauce and it complimented the panna cotta beautifully. I also flicked a spoonful of the banoffee pie, the orange cake and the molten chocolate cake. 



The banoffee pie (that everyone raves about) did absolutely nothing for me, but the orange cake was fresh and hit all the right marks, as did the molten chocolate cake. After having eaten as much as I had, I just did not have any room to try even a tiny spoonful of the Chocolate and honeycomb semifreddo. Going by what I heard others say, it was really delicious. What’s not to like about chocolate, right? ;-)

The staff is polite and attends to you competently. We also spoke to the owner-cum-chef who is extremely passionate about what he's doing and that very clearly shows in the food he serves. A big thank you to Portobello Owner and Chef Swapnil. Also, thank you Zomato and Vaishali Meghe for a lovely evening and for that cute goodie bag. I’m crazy about mugs and that Zomato mug is now a part of my mug collection. A BIG thank you for adding to my collection. 

As I end this review let me mention....

I spoke of engaging in chit-chat/small talk at the beginning of this review. I now need to mention that as the meal and time progressed, that simple chit-chat went on to become a full-blown hearty and lively conversation about food (with the two vegetarians cringing a wee bit as the carnivores spoke of kaleji, paya, bheja, crustaceans et more *very evil grin*), books, lives, likes and dislikes. We met as strangers, we began the meal as acquaintances and we ended the evening as friends. Can there ever be a better way to spend an evening? I think not!

Ambiance: 2.5/5

Service: 4/5

Food: 4/5

Address: 108, Sukhai Corner, Above Sleepwell World, Datta Mandir Chowk, Viman Nagar, Pune.

Tel No: 020 30189792

P.S: The photographs coincide with the write up. I have specially posted them such so that the reader gets to identify the dishes as they read the write up. Also please click on the photographs to check out the food. The small thumbnail sized photographs really don't do justice to the beautiful plates of food.

Bistro – The Italian Experience!

Bistro – The Italian Experience!

I had been to a restaurant at Oakwood Premiere a couple of years ago. The experience is hardly worth a mention. We decided to give the hotel another try and we honed in on another restaurant at Oakwood Premiere. The restaurant we chose this time was ‘Bistro’. We opted for a 5 course limited menu option through a ‘fine dining experience’ website. 

Bistro is done up with candle light on the table, wine bottles, cute EVOO-Balsamic dispensers, salt-pepper mills and stem glasses. A very elegant set up! There were gourmet items for sale in a large display against the wall. The restaurant was not very brightly lit hence did not check out the stuff for sale but, from a distance, I could see huge jars of green olives, packets of prunes and more. Awesome stuff!

Our server (a beautiful girl from enchanting North-east India) handed us our special ‘limited option menu card’ and politely gave us time to make our selections.

For drinks we chose Fresh Lime Soda (I’m the eternal teetot) and they were served in Mason jars. I so loved the idea of drinks being served in them. The drinks were very well made. A perfect balance of sweet and sour with fizzy soda.

Fresh Lime Soda

Our first course was a choice between soup and salad. I won’t be caught dead chewing leaves hence I chose the Chicken & Barley Broth. My bestie who loves ‘greens’, and eats enough to make up for all the salads I steer clear off, chose the Chicken Caesar Salad. I ignored the greens and flicked a crisp crouton and a teeny-weeny piece of chicken from her salad. Both the soup and salad were well seasoned and flavorful. An A+ for both the dishes.

Chicken & Barley Broth

Our second course comprised of appetizers and our selections were Assorted Crostini and Grilled Paprika Chicken Kebab. 

Assorted Crostini

The Crostini’s were crisp and the toppings were tomato (which I steered clear off) and mushroom. I chose a Crostini topped with mushroom. It was nice but on the dry side. I drizzled a bit of EVOO and voila! It turned into an appetizer that I could not get enough of. The Kebabs, served on a skewer with potato wedges, were also very nice.

Grilled Paprika Chicken Kebab

Our third course was ‘Pasta’. While my bestie chose Penne Alla Sorrentina (tomato based with mozzarella), I chose Fussili with Chicken, Onion, Jalapeno in Alfredo sauce.

Penne Alla Sorrentina

We all have our quirks in regard to how we want our pasta cooked. My bestie prefers it ‘al dente’ with a wee bit of sauce coating the pasta and I am the exact opposite. I prefer my pasta two-three shades softer than ‘al dente’. I can see the gourmands rolling their eyes. *Oh! Bite me!* We mentioned our individual pasta preference to our server and the dishes served to us were spot on! The Penne in tomato sauce was quite the regular type but the Fussili in Alfredo sauce blew me away. Creamy, cheesy and oh! It hit all the right spots. I’m a Bawi (Parsee) who loves cheese; resultantly the Bawi in me experienced a cheesy gastronomic orgasm in the mouth. Ufff! That sounds very dirty! *evil grin* But it was not. It was sheer heaven! :-) 

Fussili with Chicken, Onion, Jalapeno in Alfredo sauce

For our main course my friend selected Chicken Scallopini, Capers, Olives, Spaghetti Aglio Olio E Pepperoncino, while my selection was Herbed Grilled Chicken Breast with Mushroom Jus. The Chicken Scallopini was very well made, no complaints at all.

Chicken Scallopini, Capers, Olives, Spaghetti Aglio Olio E Pepperoncino

The Herbed Grilled Chicken, though, was overcooked and very dry. I must mention, though, that the mushrooms served with the chicken were to die for! Beautifully sautéed and beautifully seasoned! I would have happily dumped the chicken and opted for a plateful of those awesome mushrooms.

Herbed Grilled Chicken Breast with Mushroom Jus

Our fifth course would have been dessert but by the time we finished our main course we were stuffed to the gills hence informed our server to skip dessert.

Our dining experience was priced 800 per person, all inclusive. They were kind enough to include a fresh lime soda for each of us hence we only paid for one extra drink (the third one).

All in all, it was a fantastic evening. It was an evening of great company, very good food and, intermittently, good music. We couldn’t have asked for more. Oh okay, there is one thing we could ask of them. They should stick to good retro music. ;-)

A Special Mention:

After I clicked photographs of both the mains, we requested the server to re-plate the dishes in a way that we could equally share both the mains. They were extremely accommodating and very politely agreed to do so. Agreeing to these small, though cumbersome, wishes of a customer to keep them happy is the making of a good restaurant. A BIG BROWNIE point to Bistro for customer service!

Ambiance: 4/5

Service: 4.5/5

Food: 4/5

Address: Oakwood Premiere, 81, Mudhwa Road, Koregaon Park Annexe, Pune.

Tel: 020 26747474 / 020 67257788

Shengdana chi Gavarfali – Cluster Beans cooked with Groundnuts

Shengdana chi Gavarfali – Cluster Beans cooked with Groundnuts 

You never know when you get to learn a new recipe. Vinita, Anu’s sister happened to stay with us for a couple of weeks last year. (As most of you already know by now, Anu is my daughter from another mother). When it comes to regular home cooked food, Anu cooks great food for my family but what I did not know was that her sister too is a fabulous cook. I’ve never been fond of cluster beans (Gavarfali) but Anu was craving to have some and requested her sister to make it the Maharashtrian way. When it was finally served Anu and Vinita, both, requested that I have one morsel and give it a try. I loved it! As I sat eating this deliciously cooked vegetable Anu and Vinita looked on, at gluttonous me, with a big grin on their face. Seriously, I was hooked! I'm quite sure you will be too. 

Ingredients:

250 grams gavarfali / cluster beans (buy the tender ones)

75 grams plain groundnuts

2 medium onions, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

2 teaspoons kanda-lehsun masala powder (onion-garlic masala powder)

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

Salt, to taste

2 tablespoons oil (a wee bit more, if you need it)

Method:

1. Dry roast the peanuts on a griddle, on a low flame. When done allow to cool and remove the outer covering of the peanuts.
2. Halve the peanuts with your hands or if you wish to have smaller pieces, pound them very lightly in a mortar-pestle or under a rolling pin. Keep aside.
3. Remove the end bits of the cluster beans and break into one inch pieces. Keep aside.
4. Heat oil; add the onions and fry till golden brown.
5. Add the tomatoes and sauté till soft. (Feel free to add a wee bit to water to help them soften quickly but ensure that the water dries up.)
6. Lower the heat to a medium flame, add the kanda-lehsun masala (onion-garlic masala powder), turmeric powder and salt. Sauté well but do not burn the spices.
7. Add the cluster beans and give it a good mix. Sauté on medium flame for about 2-3 minutes.
8. Add the halved / pounded peanuts (retain a few for garnish) and sauté for two more minutes.
9. Turn the flame to the lowest setting, cover and allow to cook till done. Stir carefully, occasionally.
10. Cook till vegetable is done but don’t allow the vegetable to turn mushy. If there is moisture in the vessel when the cluster beans are nearly cooked, cook the vegetable uncovered for a few minutes on low flame till done.
11. Garnish with remaining peanuts and serve with hot chapattis.
    
    

Chef Notes: 

1. Please use tender cluster beans because thick over-aged ones are bitter and aren’t good to taste.
2. I had used 75 grams peanuts because my family loves the crunchiness it adds to the dish but you may reduce the quantity to 50 grams or less depending on your preference.
3. Please do not allow the vegetable to go mushy. Dry up the excess moisture, if any, as this dish is of dry consistency.
4. Leave a few halved/pounded groundnuts for garnish, if you so wish, I did.
5. Groundnut and peanut are the same. Some countries call it peanut and some call it groundnut. The Indian names for groundnut / peanut is mungfali (in Hindi) or shengdana (in Marathi).
6. This vegetable also goes very well with plain dal and rice.
7. Kanda-lehsun masala (onion-garlic masala powder) is a spice blend that hails from the Maharashtra state/region in Western India. If this spice blend is not available to you feel free to go with regular spices like chili powder, a wee bit of garlic powder, a wee bit of onion powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. The taste will differ, surely, but that is as close you can get to the actual Maharashtrian spice blend.
8. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism. 

Legend ‘wait for it’ dary….. Vohuman, but of course!

Legend ‘wait for it’ dary….. Vohuman, but of course!

So much has already been said about Vohuman that I never felt the need to pen about it... until now. This time, though, was very special as I had gone to Vohuman with my kindergarten ‘chaddi-buddies’, hence penning the review.

I was a Mumbaite as a school and college going kid but now after 29 years in Pune, I am a total Punekar. This weekend when my school friends came down to Pune for a weekend reunion, where else would I take them (directly from the station) for breakfast, except for Vohuman. Except for one gal who was a Gujju we all were Bawis (Parsee) so ‘eda’ (egg) for breakfast was a given. As soon as we got out of the car the whiff of delicious omelets flooded our olfactory system. The gals were like, ‘Oh gosh! We can’t wait to dig in, jaldi se table dhundho’. Sab saale bhukkhad, me included. ;) 

As usual nearly all tables at Vohuman were occupied except for a big table at the far corner, near the back door, where two people were already seated. Hormuz Uncle told us to head to that table. We headed to our table where we plonked our heavy duty butts and with the amount of commotion we created with our ‘bak-bak’, the two guys sitting at the table quickly finished their brekkie and ran away. *very evil grin*
(For those of you who do not know Hormuz Uncle, he is the owner of Vohuman. Sit a wee bit longer to jabber and he will glare at you and tell you to push off once you're done eating. Then again, he is also the ever charming gentleman who when time permits walks over to your table to tell you a naughty joke *typical Bawa humor*).

Hormuz Uncle et moi!

We ordered bhurji/s, single anda cheese omelet/s, double anda-double cheese toast sandwich (mine, all mine.. sigh!), toast butter, bun maska and tea/s. My friends were aghast (in the most wonderful kinda way :D ) at the butter applied on the toast and the amount of cheese in my double anda-double cheese omelet. We troubled our server, Satish, every few minutes for more glasses of tea and our re-union weekend began with wonderful memories created at Vohuman.

Double Anda-Double Cheese Omelet Toast Sandwich

As for the prices, everything served is under a hundred buckaroos and our total bill for 5 people was approximately 640 rupees, if I remember correctly (tip for Satish, extra).

I’ve clicked a few photographs at Vohuman (posting old and new ones) and I expect you all to be very grateful (just kiddin’) that I took the time to click them because as everyone who has ever visited Vohuman knows, when at Vohuman, once the food arrives at the table one just cannot help but dig in immediately.

Bottom line: Vohuman truly ROCKS!!!

Ambiance: Seriously, with the fantastic food they serve, who gives a f*** about ambiance. I know i don't!
Service: 4.5/5 (Satish does his very best to run around attending to everyone)
Food: 5/5 (But of course!)

Address: Opp Ruby Hall Clinic, Next to Jehangir Hospital, Sassoon Road, Pune.

Fish Curry Rice - The Seafood Saga!

Fish Curry Rice - The Seafood Saga! 

Never have I ever heard so many good reviews about a restaurant. Be it in newspapers or food forums, everyone always has wonderful things to say about this eatery. I always wondered if the reviews were hyped. This restaurant is at the other end of town hence it had been on my ‘to visit’ list for a long, long time. Finally, on Tuesday night, I and my bestie trudged all the way to Law College Road to savor the food that we had heard so much about.

As we had traveled a long way we requested for a cold drink. We were told cold drinks were not a part of their menu. They only serve Mineral water. The server offered to bring us cold drinks from a shop next door but we turned down the offer as we did not want them to go out of their way. I must say, though, it was an extremely kind gesture. I really do wish they give the inclusion of cold drinks on their menu a thought. They did serve us a delicious kokum based welcome drink. Very refreshing!

We decided to order two different thalis and share them so we’d get a variety of fish and curries to taste. We ordered for the Crab Thali (Rs 500) and the Special Fish Thali (Rs 600).

Each thali consisted of two curries and one dry preparation. One thali had Surmai (King fish) curry and Bangda curry, while the other had Prawn Curry and Crab Curry/Masala. For the dry preparation one thali was served with crisp fried (boneless) fresh Bombay Ducks, while the other thali had fried Pomfret in it. As we were sharing everything and also because we gluttons were too busy hogging on the delicious food, I do not remember which thali served what curries. We love prawns so in spite of each thali being quite enough for one person, we order for a portion of Prawns Green Fry (Rs 350). They also served us three chapattis and a bowlful of fluffy steamed rice, with each thali, to go with the curries.

Okay, now for the positives and the negatives: I plan to state the negatives first because that is not what I want the readers to remember. The negatives have been penned by me only to bring the points to the notice of the management so that they may improve on the negatives pointed out.

Please note: The few small negatives that I am listing have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the AWESOME food they serve. FCR should have a small list of cold drinks on their menu. They should not charge the customer (Rs 20) for the Mineral water bottle kept at the table if it is unopened and unused. The servers need to be trained better. They should not lean over me (customers) to pick up cutlery from the table. They may request the customer to pass it to them or bring in cutlery from the kitchen to cut the Pomfret/fish at the table. They should also be taught not to take cutlery from one (my) table and use it at the neighboring table. (That one had me and my bestie stunned! :-O ). But, having said that, I clumsily tipped over a bowlful of Sol kadi, and two servers rushed forward to help me soak it up with tissue papers. The servers are EXTREME POLITE & HELPFUL! They just need to be trained better and need a bit of finesse in regard to table manners. I speak Marathi but my vyakarn (grammar) sucks big time and I end up making big boo-boos. :( Not a good thing at all, hence it would be nice if the servers spoke a bit of Hindi and English. They also need to make some arrangement for a washroom. People may need to use a clean washroom if they have traveled a distance to visit FCR. I ventured towards the washroom and immediately made a 180 degree turn when I saw where/how it was located.

Now for the positives: EXCELLENT - FRESH seafood. There were a total of four curries and each curry was different in taste and truly mind blowing. They were delicious and very flavorful. Not many restaurants can manage that with so many curries. Kudos FCR, you did! (y) They served two types of coconut chutneys (green and orange). Both were so darn good that I requested the server to bring me some more. The Bombay ducks were crisp, just as they should be. The Pomfret was flaky and fried to perfection! That extra order of Prawns Green Fry was brought to the table piping hot and the prawns were perfectly cooked/fried. Not at all rubbery and over cooked. A 10/10 dish! For all the food I ate, truly as an avid foodie, I give FCR a big A+. There was not a single food item that I could find fault with. Not a single item! I mean it! And let me add, the great reviews they get for their food are reviews they well and truly deserve.

As mentioned, there were a few small boo-boos in regard to the service so will I visit the restaurant again? You bet your sweet patootie I WILL!

Do not go to FCR for a ‘fine dining’ experience, if you do, you will come away disappointed. BUT, if it’s a ‘no frills’ FANTASTIC SEAFOOD experience you are looking for then, truly, look no further than FCR. I promise, you will not come away disappointed.

Ambiance: 2/5 (simplistic décor is perfectly okay but the washroom issue is a big NO)

Food: 5/5

Service: 2.5/5 (if the servers stop leaning over me at my table and if they stop using cutlery from my table at the next table, then next time I will give them a 4/5. In return, I promise I will do my best to talk to them in Marathi and hopefully they will understand the gibberish I mouth. :D )

Address: Law College Road, Intersection of Canal Road and Law College Road, Pune

Tel no: 9021101234

Batata Wada

Batata Wada

Anu (my daughter, of 24 years, from another mother) suddenly comes up to me and says, ‘Batata wada banna rahi hu. Aap khaoge?’ (Translation: I’m making batata wadas. Will you eat?) One of the silliest questions (sigh!) ever put to me in all of 46 years that I have walked this earth. :P Who in their right mind ever says ‘no’ to batata wada? I ate the first wada and immediately forgave her for having asked, ‘Aap khaoge?’ ;) Please, please don’t ask me how many I gobbled up. I don’t like mentioning (obscene) details that get me into trouble with my physiotherapist and I’m pretty damn sure that little rascal watches my blog like a hawk. :P :D There was a time when I used to frequent Pune’s most famous wada-pau vendor regularly because I love them. Ever since the day Anu began making them at home I hardly ever buy batata wadas from outside. This recipe of hers is a keeper. Go on; make these delicious, spicy babies at home for evening tea while the rain lashes at your window. It’s the perfect season for piping hot batata wadas! :) 

Ingredients for Wada:

½ kg potatoes, boiled and mashed (mash them but do not mash them smooth)

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

2 onions, finely chopped

5 green chilies, finely chopped

One sprig curry leaves

½ teaspoon mustard seeds

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

A few sprigs coriander leaves, chopped

Salt, to taste

1 tablespoon oil

Oil, to deep fry

Ingredients for batter:

1½ cup chick pea flour

Pinch of salt

Water, as needed to make a batter (not too thick)

Method: 

1. .Heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add green chilies; curry leaves, mustard seeds, garlic, coriander seeds and splutter (do not burn).
2. Add onion, sauté till soft (do not brown).
3. Add salt, turmeric powder to the onion and sauté for a few seconds.
4. Add the potatoes to the onion mixture and mix very well to ensure the spices blend well with the potatoes. Check seasoning.
5. Cook on low heat for a minute or two allowing the flavors to blend.
   
   
   
   
6. Cool the potato mixture. Take a bit of the mixture, shape into patties. (this mixture will make about 9-10)
7. Heat oil in a kadai / wok.
8. Mix the chick pea flour, salt and water to make a smooth batter (not too thick).
9. Dip the patties in the batter and carefully lower into the wok to fry. (Do not add too many all at once).
10. Fry till beautifully golden. Drain on kitchen towel.
11. Serve piping hot wadas with chutney of your choice or sandwiched between ladi pau (bread). 
    
    
    
    

Chef Notes:

1. Please adjust the green chilies to suit your taste buds. I love my batata wadas really spicy hence prefer using 5 chilies or more. ;)
2. IMPORTANT: Please make only one wada when you begin frying it. Check the batter covering once it’s fried; add water or chick pea flour to adjust if the consistency if the batter needs adjustment. If the coating of the wada is perfect then go right ahead and fry the others without any change in the batter.
3. Do not burn the batata wadas but please allow the batter to get to a beautiful golden color. Dull golden wadas look quite insipid and unappealing when served.
4. We in the Western region of India (Maharashtra) usually make batata wada in the patty shape as shown in the photographs on this blog but people from North India usually make round wadas. Another name for batata wada is aloo bonda.
5. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.