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