Pune has seen outlets for every street-snack, ranging from frankies to the sandwich combo and burger joints. There was a wave of dosa joints as well, which subsided, and I heard of biryani outlets too. The fast food market inspires such singular variable products to cash in on. But just because coffee proved to be a money spinner, it isn’t necessary the formula works for the rest too! Another place here to try their luck is Krostini — with a ‘K’. Crostini and Bruschetta are two Italian appetizers more or less defined as finger food. Bread is a staple diet of the region and reinvents itself in various avatars, of which bruschetta is well-known, while crostinis are now finding some identity. There is not much of a difference between the two, as one is consumed in central Italy while the other is sub-regional. At Krostini, on J M Road, 25 per cent of the menu is theme-based, while the rest is composed of salads, pasta, sandwiches, wraps, desserts and eggs, confusing me a bit about whether to go with the theme or order like it was a regular hangout. From the eight options available, I tried out the Exotica Krostini and Mushroom ‘n’ Basil Krostini. Both had a distinctive taste, in one the mushrooms were tossed in a basil sauce, while the other had thick long strips of zucchini and peppers topped with cheese. The similarities lay in the overthickness of the slice of baguette. You get three pieces of crostini a plate, averagely priced at Rs 59, all of which serve the topping and the bread in an almost equal proportion. Had this been a 70:30 proportion, it may have appealed more! The Krostini Special Salad was unavailable due to an expertise crunch, while the substitute ordered — the Greek Salad (Rs 59) was overpowered by onions against how it was described in the menu as containing bell peppers, black olives and feta. The wraps (Rs 69) needed some zest as the filling was bland and oily. Chocolates, muffins, teacakes and cookies are the saviours here. At the end of the day, it is a good concept, showcased nicely and just needs focusing on variety and more of a permutation-combination with ingredients. Currently, the demand is quick service and these changes will definitely light up the theme, which if implemented more tactfully, can give tough competition for other bread-based fast food places.
Krostini Restaurant
3, Anant Chambers,
Jangli Maharaj Road
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