UNO Street Foods – Surprisingly Good!

It was one of those days when mum and I were out for chores and hadn’t eaten lunch. We were ravenously hungry by the time we finished our outdoor chores. Luckily, we spotted UNO Street Food at Koregaon Park and, on the spur of the moment, decided to walk in for a bite.

UNO Street Foods has two sections. One section serves churros and desserts and the other, salads and pizzas. We wanted something savoury which is why we walked into the salads and pizzas section.

Of course, the carnivores did not choose a salad. Our choice was the Mad Dog Pizza. Tomato Sauce, Chicken Pepperoni, Smoked Sausage, Roast Chicken, Crushed Meatballs, Chicken bacon, Yellow Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Mozzarella, Fresh rocket leaves and, In-house Barbeque Sauce; this was one loaded pizza. The only meat they serve is chicken, so don’t go there expecting other meats.

We were about to place the order, when we were told the pizza would be made from scratch hence would take a minimum of 15-20 minutes to arrive at the table. We thought a few extra minutes of wait wouldn't harm us, which is why we went ahead and placed our order.

A piping hot pizza made its way to our table within the stipulated 15-20-minute time frame. Thin and crisp base, the tangy tomato sauce and the sweet-spicy barbeque sauce, all, added that perfect oomph to the pizza. The toppings were more than adequate. The pizza was topped with lots of meat and was oozing with ample cheese. This spur of the moment meal turned out to be delicious.

I’m not a goat, hence I shall not try anything leafy (read: salads 😜) but, I would like to more pizzas from their menu. I’d also like to visit their dessert counter to check out the churros. If you happen to be at Koregaon Park, do check out this eatery. I merely tried one pizza, but, I have a sneaky feeling the other pizzas won’t disappoint either.

They make pizzas in one size only and this huge 13-inch baby cost me 700 buckaroos (all inclusive). For the loaded pizza they served, it was well worth the moolah spent.

Address: A-6, Ashiyana Park North, Ragvilas Society, Main Road, Near Lane 5, Koregaon Park, Pune

Tel: +919309844889

The Urban Foundry (TUF) – Delightfully Delicious Food!!

A few weeks back, a few friends suddenly decided to catch up for dinner. We were looking for vegetarian options that night as one friend was vegetarian that particular day. We were okay with veg food, but we wanted to dine at a nice hep and happening place. We decided to go to The Urban Foundry. We’d been to TUF for a pre-launch tasting and tasted quite a many of their non-veg and a few veg dishes. It had been a good tasting; we were looking forward to another good meal.

For starters we ordered, Krispe’ Lotus Stem Ki Bhel, Tilwala Paneer, Mushroom Tunday On Toast, Magik Mushroom Dumpling, Malai Broccoli Dumpling and Paneer Cheese Balls.

The Krispe’ Lotus Stem were one of the best I have ever had in Pune. They were beautifully crisp and even the ones that were eaten last, hadn't gotten soggy. Fabulously sweet and spicy; more spicy than sweet, these babies are so moreish. Put this dish on your ‘must-try’ list.

The Paneer Cheese Balls were soft and delish; very nicely done. 

The Mushroom Tunday are toothsome, melt-in-the-mouth babies and the crisp, thin toasts that the kebabs are set on, provide the crunch factor. 

The dumpling wrappers for the Magik Mushrooms and Malai Broccoli Dumplings are delicate and silken. The fillings for both dumplings are a velvety delight to the palate. 

The paneer used for Tilwala Paneer is of excellent quality, or then, I’m guessing, they make the paneer in-house. This dish has a lovely spicy zing, but not overly so.

The Tilwala Paneer, Magik Mushrooms, Malai Broccoli Dumplings and Mushroom Tunday were repeats. We liked them when we’d had them at the tasting, hence decided to re-order them. Trust me, guys, all these are ‘must try’ dishes!

We were quite full by the time we finished the starters, which is why we decided to order one main dish and share. We chose the Dal Baati Khow Suey.

They haven't fidgeted with the dal or the baati; it’s the real deal. This Dal-Baati, though, is served with accompaniments similar to the ones used for Khow Suey, which is why it is named so. I was anxious to dig into this dish because I'd eaten only one bite of this during the tasting. The reason being, I’d eaten too much food that evening. The ghee soaked Baati and the Dal was delish, and the accompaniments simply took the dish to a new high! We all loved it!

Our dessert was The Foundry Cheesecake. Once again, a repeat from our tasting event. This is a fusion dessert, read: Gulab Jamun Cheesecake. I’m a food purist! I am not very fond of fusion twists on food. This dessert, though, felt gorgeously delicious to my palate. 

Cheesecake for me, is a new-found love. The crumb base was a touch savoury, the stuffed Gulab Jamuns were sweet, while the cheesecake lent that lovely, light tang to the dessert. As the restaurant theme is ‘urban foundry’, there was a huge chocolate nut-bolt dug into the cheese cake. So darn quaint! This dessert, in totality, was perfectness on a plate!

The manager came over to ask us if everything was nicely done that night, as it was during the tasting. With a very stern and straight face, I said, "NO!" (pause) The poor chap looked aghast! With a hint of smile, I continued my sentence and said, "It was better than the tasting. At the tasting we had suggested you make a few small changes to improvise, and you’ve done just that. The food you serve is no longer good; it’s great!" He burst out laughing. More with relief, I’m guessing, than at the mischief I’d just put him through. *I can be very angelic at times – evil grin* I kid you not, the food served was absolutely superb! Had it not been so, this hardcore carnivore wouldn’t have bothered writing a full review for an all vegetarian meal. TUF also serves stellar non-vegetarian cuisine, but that’s a write up for another day.

Damages for the evening, including mocktails, soft drinks and taxes was INR 3440. 

Team TUF, please do keep up with the quality and deliciousness! I promise to return to TUF, time and again, if you do. 😊

Please note: The quality of photographs is not very good as the Urban Foundry is a dimly lit restaurant. We had to use the camera flash to click photographs. ☹

Address: B-3, Ground floor, Cerebrum IT Park, Near Marigold Complex, Kalyani Nagar, Pune.

Tel: 020 71967421

Kabana – Pune’s Most Romantic Rooftop Location!

This happens to be one of Pune’s most beautiful location for a meal, a get-together, a party or an intimate wedding. A serene blue pool, a perfectly manicured garden and depending on the season, a perpetual, or an intermittent, cool breeze blowing your way. 

This place, in the evening, is adequately lit and yet, the lights are dim enough for cozy, romantic meet-ups. Of course, the food here is stellar! The place I am writing about is the pool-side restaurant, Kabana at Conrad, Pune.

Everyone is entitled to their ‘me’ time and I’m no different. I usually drop in at Kabana to chill for a while when I need my solitude. A peaceful ambience, a cup of tea (always Assam), a cookie and some French fries; ah! works perfectly to soothe and rejuvenate my urban soul. You should try it, truly works really well. 😉 

I’ve been there by myself and I’ve been to Kabana with friends. This write up is about all the things I’ve/we’ve eaten there.

Kanda-Batata Bhajias: It was pouring that evening. What better then, then garam chai and bhajias. Bhajias are not on the menu but the chef was kind enough to make this for us. These bhajias, though, were a tad different. The onions were sliced kekda bhajia style, mixed with thickly grated batata (potatoes); both were mixed together with the right amount of spice (specially ajwain/carom seeds) and batter fried like regular kekda bhaji. Crisp and divinely sinful, exactly as bhajias should be.

French Fries: I order this quite often and they’re always fried perfectly crisp and golden.

Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese in Bagel with Caper Berry: The bagel was beautifully toasted, and the smoked salmon and cream cheese were of supreme quality. 

Anyone who loves smoked salmon is going to fall head over heels in love with this one. Let me also add, they aren’t at all stingy with the salmon or the cream cheese; that so delighted the ‘bhukhad’ in me! :P

Homemade Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Peperoncino: I’ve tried Aglio Olio, and, at most places, it usually turns out to be a dry pasta preparation. That is precisely why I was a tad apprehensive about ordering it. My bestie loves it hence I went along with her choice and oh boy! I am ever so glad we ordered this. 

The perfect al dente spaghetti was tossed in garlic and fresh red chili, sautéed in olive oil. There were two versions of Aglio Olio on the menu; vegetable and prawn. We, of course, chose prawn. Adequate olive oil had been used hence this wasn’t a dry preparation and the basil, parsley, prawns and grated Parmesan elevated the dish to a ‘theobromic’ level. I’d go back for this dish time and again… Well, I actually did, and do, go back for this time and again. *greedy grin*

The first time I tried the Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese Bagel and the Aglio Olio at Kabana, I requested to meet the chef. I was told his name was Ashish Gutal. He came over to meet us. For both these dishes, I could have kissed his hand, but I had a feeling it would’ve embarrassed the crap outta him, hence, all I did was shower him with high praise. Both dishes were wonderfully moreish… you definitely wanted more!!  

Chocolate Mud Pie with Caramel Ice Cream: Rich, delicious, decadent and a must have for chocolate lovers. The portion is big enough to be shared by two.

Superb ambience and excellent food, that’s what Kabana is all about. As for the service, the servers are attentive and yet respect your privacy and give you the space to relax and enjoy the atmosphere that surrounds. Kabana is a restaurant that you will want to visit for all these reasons and more. Step in to experience the luxury!

Posted below is a video taken at Kabana, in hyperlapse camera mode, on a very breezy afternoon. 

Cafe New York (Hughes Road-Mumbai) - Stellar Kheema Pau !!

For some weird reason (if you ask my friends they're gonna say, 'because you are weird' 😏), when in Mumbai, I was craving Kheema Pau. I put up a post at FB groups for info and reccos for the best Kheema Pau in Mumbai. I'd gotten lots of replies, but one reply had held my attention.

I did try the Kheema from Delhi Durbar; it was quite good.. but.. i was still craving Kheema Pau that bordered or went straight to 'excellent' level.

It was my last day in Mumbai and I had put my feet up for the day. I was so not budging from my hotel room hence, requested a cousin to bring me a portion of Kheema Pau from Cafe Newyork; a restaurant suggested by Chetan Dukle, co-member of a food group. Yes, this was the place that had held my attention.

The Kheema was perfect! The Pau was flattened, buttered and tawa grilled to a nice crisp (the pau bhaji way) and served with a fried egg. Ideally, had I gone to Cafe Newyork, I would've requested a sunny side up version of the fried egg but, as this was a parcel order, I had to have it double fried. ☹

While the egg was 'meh' (my fault entirely coz I requested a double fry - parcel order tha - koi aur chara nahi tha 🙄) and the bread was very nice too but, it was the mutton kheema that shone bright! It was exactly what I was looking for! That mince-fat ratio, the oil floating on top and the spice level; it was all perfect. I had finally found the 'excellence' I was looking for.

I would recommend the Kheema Pau at Cafe Newyork (Hughes Road-Mumbai) in a jiffy. I would advise, though, don't be lazy and order in. It's so worth a trip to the restaurant. That Kheema-Pau-Egg deserve respect; it should be had piping hot. It had gotten a tad cold by the time it reached me and yet, it was yum. I cannot begin to imagine how delicious it would be had I eaten it at the restaurant.

Please note, the kheema gets over by mid-morning hence go to the restaurant before mid-day or call ahead (022-23632876), speak to Mr Irani and reserve the kheema portions you wish to hog on. 😋

I'm not too fond of the Mumbai humidity and traffic but, I can't wait to go back for more! 🤤

The bill amount was within 200 bucks (total VFM). Apologies for the crappy pic. My hotel room was bathed in yellow light (bulb), also, I was ravenous hence took a quick pic and began chomping. *greedy grin*

Pssssstt: I'm a teetotaler but I do know Cafe New York serves beer. Ab socho, chilled beer aur saath mein Kheema Pau mil jaye toh.. of course, baat ban jaye. 😉

Pizza By The Bay - So Wanna Go Back For More!

I rarely pen a long write up over one dish but sometimes the food served is so good, it makes me want to bawl with happiness. This was 'that' kind of meal!

On my recent trip to the (Indian) city that never sleeps, aka Mumbai, I happened to catch up with a friend. We met up for lunch and pizza it was, at Pizza By The Bay.

We wanted a light lunch hence we ordered a small eight-inch Pizza Lombardia. The description of the toppings made an interesting read. We wanted to find out whether the pizza would be equally interesting to eat.

Walnut Pesto, German Bratwurst Sausage, Organic Honey, Roasted Peppers and crushed Black Peppercorns.... I told you, interesting, eh?

The pizza bread was thin and beautifully crisp. The pesto wonderfully nutty in flavour. The Organic honey was very faint and rightly so. I say this because the roasted peppers also lent a smoky sweetness to the pizza. Peppers emit this smoky sweetness only when roasted correctly. These were perfect! The crushed peppercorns and the pizza sauce balanced out the sweetness with their robust zing. Among all these ingredients, that gorgeous German Bratwurst sausage played its meaty part to perfection and held its head up high. As for the cheese, they weren't stingy at all. The photographs say it all. 😉



The chef had gotten each ingredient to play its role brilliantly. I've been eating pizzas all my life. From the cheapest to the expensive ones served in restaurants and I have to say, 'this is the BEST pizza I've ever eaten!' We polished off this eight-incher and we were so amazed by the flavours that we decided to stick around and order the same pizza again. Yes, it's true, we did. 🙈😁 Only this time we requested... a twelve-incher! Light lunch be damned!

If, ever, you are heading over to PBTB, do not miss out on their Pizza Lombardia! 🤤

Chana Na Atta No Poro - Besan Omelette

I'd never heard of this until I got married (which seems like eons ago). If I'd murdered someone instead of getting married when I did, I would've been set free 16 years ago. Here, damn, I'm still in shackles. 😏 :D (If Grumpy ever reads this, he’s gonna hit the frikkin' roof :P ) For those of you who don't understand Gujarati, Channa na Atta no Poro translates to Chick Pea Flour/Besan Omelette. My mother-in-law used to make this for the family and I learnt this from her. I have to say, it does turn out yum! 🤤

Ingredients:

½ cup besan/chick pea flour/chana no atto

2 green chilies; finely chopped
1 onion; finely chopped
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon Kashmiri or Deghi Mirch chili powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon salt
Few stalks coriander leaves; finely chopped
Oil, as required
Water, as required

Method:

1. Take besan, cumin seeds, chili powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder, in a large glass bowl and gradually add water to it to make a semi-thick, lump-free paste. 
2. Add the chopped green chilies, onions, salt, coriander leaves and mix well.
3. Heat oil in a non-stick pan and add 1 or 2 ladles of the besan mixture and swirl the pan to spread the mixture as you would for a regular egg omelette. Lower heat immediately. 
4. Cook on low heat until one side of the omelette is cooked and crisp. Flip the besan omelette and allow to cook and crisp up on the other side. 
5. Remove from heat when done and serve with toasted bread and butter. 

Chef Notes:

1. By semi-thick I would advise, the paste be slightly on the thinner side rather than thicker. That, at the cooking stage, will ensure fast, even cooking. Having said that, please, do not make it too watery.
2. Feel free to use a whisk or a beater to ensure a smooth, lump-free paste.
3. I’m not stingy with oil when I fry this; I’m the type who believes, ‘fat is flavour’. Bite me! :P :D If you are the health-conscious type, please adjust the quantity of oil as desired. 
4. Always cook this omelette on low heat; that ensures that it cooks through and does not remain uncooked from within. 
5. Depending on how many ladles of batter you use at one time, this will make 1 big or 2 medium omelettes. 
6. The buttered toast lends a lovely flavor to the omelette so do butter the toast nicely.😉
7. You may share the direct 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.

Maratha Samrat – Undoubtedly, excellent!

Yesterday mum’s CA (Kiran uncle) was in town and mum wanted to take him out to lunch. Kiran uncle loves seafood and he was in Pune for merely a few hours hence I needed to choose a place close by. What better than Maratha Samrat! I made reservations and we landed there at around 13.30 hours.

We began the meal with Sol Kadi. This was chilled coconut milk laced with a faint tang (lent by the kokum used in it) and a slight hint of spice that brushed at the back of our throat without causing irritation; it was spot on in flavour!

For starters we chose Kheema Papad, Rawa Fried Prawns, Rawa Fried Pomfret, and Tawa Fried Surmai (King fish).

The Kheema Papad was excellent, as always. The kheema was deliciously spicy; the papad and onions added the crunch, while the chopped tomatoes gave it the right amount of tanginess. Do eat this as soon as it's set at your table; the papad tends to get a tad soggy (naturally). Usually, with us, the papad never gets soggy. Why? Because we dive in, to eat, as soon as it's given to us. *greedy souls* 

The prawns were scrumptious! Plump, beautifully crisp from outside and perfect in texture from within. Not overcooked in the least bit.

We ordered two whole pomfrets as all three at the table are gluttons for seafood. The pomfrets were fried crisp and yet they had retained their juiciness from within. The chefs hadn’t allowed these babies to dry out. The pomfrets were quite big in size and supreme in quality!

As we had ordered two ‘rawa fry’ dishes, the server suggested we opt for a tawa fry option with the surmai. It turned out to be yum! Once again, the fish was gorgeously ‘tawa’ fried. Absolutely no reason to complain.

For mains we ordered Mutton Varhadi, Indrayani Rice and Pandhara Rassa but by the time we finished the starters we were so full that I had to have the mains parcelled. 

It was my dinner last night and my lunch this afternoon. The mutton was succulent. There were ample amount of mutton pieces in the gravy (8 to be precise) and they were not entirely bone-y. Each piece had a good amount of mutton on it. As for the Varhadi gravy; it was robust and spicy. Not for the weak-hearted. I’m guessing, they may tone down the spice level if requested but I haven’t ever done that, and I don’t plan on doing that in the future either; I love spicy food.

The Indrayani rice with the sajuk tup (fragrant clarified butter) and the Pandhara rassa were also fabulous! Yes, I did request then to pack that tiny vati of sajuk ghee for me. *greedy grin*

I have been to Maratha Samrat quite often and be it food or service, they never disappoint, and this time was no different. We paid INR 3423, inclusive of 5% GST. They levied no SC hence we did the needful with regard to that.

Team Maratha Samrat, thank you for keeping up with the quality of food and service. Just one request, though; please do try and add more seafood to the menu; mandeli, bombil, bangda, crabs and lobsters. We’d love to see these on your menu. 😉

Some more photographs to drool over...