SILK ROUTE

Silk Route
Lane no. 6 Koregaon Park, Pune
# 26135793

Serving authentic cuisine from the exotic Orient’ is what the restaurant claims. Located in Koregaon Park area would probably justify that it would be authentic! So I went on an inspection prowl.

THE FOOD
One glance at the menu card and I can assure you will not read the whole at one go, and neither end up having everything on the menu. They have approximately 304 items listed from six regions - Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Korean,Indonesian and Vietnamese. That again questions the authenticity, as I believe the taste is inversely proportional to the food items listed
in the menu. The less number of items means more assurance of the taste. So I mixed a few regions and selected some famous names. Magura Sushi (imported tuna), Veg Tempura (deepfried seasonal vegetables with ginger and radish dipping), Tom Yum (Thai
traditional sour and spicy vegetable soup), Yam Woon Sen (glass noodle salad), Kalbigui (Korean chicken barbeque), Nasi Goreng (Indonesian fried rice), Pho Saigon Noodle (flat noodles
with vegetables). Sushi was way too good with a promise of serving with shoyu, gari and
wasabi being fulfilled. Tempura was to the mark. Tom yum too was a close call. But Yam Woon
Sen was too spicy making it nowhere close to the authentic. The version of Kalbi Gui was different. I guess the chicken was shallow fried and not grilled. The mains Nasi Goreng
and flat noodles were disappointing. Some of the Far Eastern desserts were not available,
and the mango cheese cake could have been better. Service, however, is fast and polite.

VERDICT
As Indian cuisine is sometimes misleading in the foreign countries, vice versa for East Asian cuisine here. This place surely has dared to list an array of items in their menu,and serve them authentic but only for Puneites. Recommended to those who want to try out new things, first tastes and of course, to enjoy sushi!

MY OVERALL RATING 6/10

MAKKHAN MAAR KE

Makkhan Maar Ke
Ground Floor, Rituraj Apartments
Near Mauli Gardens, Baner.
Ph: 98234 43289

Iam always searching for restaurants with unique menus. Makkhan Maar Ke on Baner Road is one such place that serves contemporary north Indian cuisine. The name itself is inviting
enough! The restaurant is quite small, with seating options — dining area and lounge area — on the mezzanine floor. As such, it’s a bit congested.

FOOD & SERVICE
The food menu has typical soups, the only uncommon additions are a sea food soup and a Dal Palak soup. Their starters are quite impressive and unique. To name a few — Saunfiya
dhingri (mushrooms with fennel) Kurkure Paneer, Paneer Sheek Kebab, Dahi Ke Kebab. The last is a prepared just right, but the dahi was sour! Paneer Sheek Kabab would have been better if the binding agent was lighter than the paneer. Non-veg kebabs included Sharabi Kebabi (tandoori chicken marinated in wine), Patri Kebab (chicken breast stuffed with chicken
mince), Golmaal ( mutton mince) stuffed inchicken breast).Main courses are also very typical
except for Subziyon Ka Aachari korma or their special Makkhan Maar Ke
(combination of two gravies — white and red — served separately in one dish). They also serve
lassi, chaas, mocktails and an array of desserts. I often wonder why restaurants struggle with their dessert!

VERDICT
All praises to the food menu compilation, specially the starters. It’s expensive, given the ambience, space, service offered. They serve complimentary butter (as the names suggests), so not recommended for figure conscious people. But, the success of a restaurant lies in its taste, which I think they have to compete for.

MY OVERALL RATING : 6/10

PORTICO - SAYAJI

Portico
Sayaji Hotels, Mumbai-Bangalore
Bypass Highway,Wakad, Pune, #
42121212.

Portico is a treat for Puneites who were waiting all this while for a lavish buffet at a reasonable price. Added advantage is that they come with live cooking stations — with at least eight chefs at your service — at the ‘interactive buffet’.

THE AMBIENCE
Truly a business hotel, it comes with bright interiors. The ultra-comfortable chairs are worth a mention. But what steals the show is the grand buffet! They use magnetic heating units instead of chaffing dishes, omitting the use of fire completely.

THE FOOD & THE SERVICE
I should have fasted at least for one day to do justice to spread on offer. The chaat section is amazing — the imli chutney has khajoor in it which most other places fail to provide. The salad bar is well stacked with dozens of vinaigrette dressings, mayonnaise and condiments.Though the only option in lettuce is iceberg. The buffet consists of soups, four Indian vegetable preparations, biryani — both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, including crab, lamb
and prawns! At the live cooking stations, you could go for pastas or Chinese. A request for a special preparation was answered with
a smile from the chef. Prawns in Barbeque — too good! But the brownies are a bit too hard; Tiramisu is alcohol free, which is an insult to the dessert. It’s perhaps for the chocolate fountain that the rest of the desserts took a backseat! I dipped fruits in the fountain — to hell with table manners — and put them straight into my mouth.

THE VERDICT
At Rs 350 + taxes per head, it’s worth every penny! But it might not live up to the expectations
of those with developed tastes.

MY OVERALL RATING : 9/10