A few weeks ago our girl gang decided to visit the newly opened branch of Krusty’s Bistro & Bar for our monthly AGOG meet. For those of you who are wondering, AGOG stands for Angelic Gang Of Girls. (Evil grin)
Krusty’s was not a new restaurant for us. We were regulars at their Mundwa branch before it relocated to the World Trade Centre, at Kharadi. Via an exchange of messages with Rohhan (owner of Krusty’s) we made our reservation and on the decided day set off for our meet.
As we stepped into the bright and sparkling interiors of the restaurant we couldn’t help but notice how nicely the natural light washes over the entire restaurant giving the place a beautiful, open feel. The restaurant displays a collection of curios selected by Rohhan’s charming mom, Vidhya. The bright yellow sofas near the window lend that perfect ‘American Bistro’ charm. The details of the decor all come together in wonderful harmony.
Once we sat our butts down, we ordered our drinks and starters. The mocktails we ordered were: Muddled Orange Fresh Lime, Orange Passion Fruit, Kiwi Green Apple, Pomegranate Iced Tea and Orange Basil. I tried a sip from each of them and they were all great-tasting and refreshing. I have to admit, I am a tad partial to citrusy drinks hence of the entire lot my favourite were Muddled Orange Fresh Lime and Orange Passion Fruit. I loved them!!
I need to make a mention of something special that I noticed when the drinks were served. All the garnishes used for the mocktails, sliced fruits or mint leaves, were fresh. Not once through the entire afternoon did I notice even one drink with wilted mint leaves. I think that says a lot about the attention they pay to tiny details. I truly appreciate restaurants that do that. I’m one of those people who notice these fine details when I dine out.
For starters we ordered, Herbed Garlic Bread with Cheese, Potato Wedges, Nachos with Bean Chilli & Mexican Salsa, Assorted Tapas Platter, Panko Crusted Prawns, Stuffed Potato Skins and Crusted Chicken & Corn.
The Panko Crusted Prawns were the kind that I could have made a whole meal of. They were gorgeous prawns; plump and juicy from within with a beautifully crusted exterior.
The Stuffed Potato Skins, Nachos with Bean Chilli & Mexican Salsa and the wedges were also very decent plates of food. The only starter that did not shine as bright as the others was the Crusted Chicken & Corn. The chicken within was succulent but the cornflake coating was simply too heavy on the palate. The dish did not work for any of the carnivores at the table.
The Herbed garlic Bread was warm, fresh and cheesy. Just perfect! What I especially loved was, the manager, Atish, remembering, from our last visit, that we enjoyed the bread with cheese. When we said, ‘One Herbed Garlic Bread’, he, with an all knowing smile, completed the sentence for us by saying, ‘with Cheese, right?’ For him to remember our choice after an interval of so many months was amazing.
We politely chatted a while before placing our order for the mains. Emphasis on the words, ‘politely chatted’. (Trying an angelic smile) Oh, eff it! Who am I kiddin’? :P After a while, we decided to order the mains. We chose Cheese and Buttered Onion Stuffed Seared Chicken, Shepherd’s Pie, Barbeque Ribs, Vegetable Au Gratin and Smoky Mushroom Risotto.
Of the mains the only dish that did not work for most of us was the Vegetable Au Gratin. The white sauce was perfect but the vegetables were a tad too crisp for a ‘gratin’. The dish also simply did not come together as it should have.
My friend and I are crazy about pork which is why both of us attacked the Barbeque Ribs as soon as we finished clicking photographs of it. The Barbeque Ribs were delicious morsels of full-flavoured pork! Soft succulent meat, falling off the bone and melting on the palate is how I would describe the dish. Have you ever tasted something so beautifully made that it moves you to tears? This was that! Numero Uno!
Another clear winner was the Smoky Mushroom Risotto. The Arborio rice was cooked to perfection: creamy without being gluggy and with the right amount of bite to it. The smoky mushrooms lent the right amount of flavour and texture to cut through the constant creaminess of the dish. It was sublime!
I tasted the Cheese and Buttered Onion Stuffed Seared Chicken and Shepherd’s Pie. Both the dishes were good and flavourful but they lost out to the two beauties we checked out earlier. The ribs and risotto had long stolen my heart. Sigh!
One would think, having had so much food, we gals would skip dessert. Ah well, think again. There is not a hope in hell of that! We ordered Tiramisu, Eight Textured Chocolate Cake, Panna Cotta, Belgium Chocolate Fudge, Hot Chocolate and an Espresso.
What’s to not like about desserts? ;) They were rich, decedent and everything that correctly depict the words ‘food porn’. My favourite of the lot was the Panna Cotta. It had a ‘spot on’ wobble on the plate and a velvety texture on the palate. It was perfect in every sense of the word!
When the people you eat with are the fabulous kind (touch wood); the hosts, caring and attentive without being intrusive and when the food touches the very core of your ‘foodie soul’; one cannot help but look skywards and send out a humble ‘THANK YOU’ His way.
I don’t write about them every time I visit but I have been to Krusty’s many times and I can honestly say that Krusty’s never disappoints! They serve their patrons with a passion to please! Rohhan, Vidya and Atish: Thank you ever so much for your generous hospitality!
Food: 4.5/5
Ambiance: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Address: Ground floor, City Hub – Tower 3, World Trade Centre, Kharadi, Pune
(They also have a branch at Kothrud)
Tel: 020 30162209
Some more photographs and videos...
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