TURQUE - SAYAJI

Hospitality in Hinjewadi has boomed in the last five years. While only a few choices were available earlier, now, retaining guests seems to be the top agenda for ‘established’ establishments. In tune with this phenomenon, Sayaji Hotels has opened a poolside lounge bar for guests with a calm ambience and subtle lighting — for those who don’t want to shake a leg, but enjoy some music, with live bands that play jazz, retro, etc. It’s the kind of place you might want to catch up with your colleagues minus the office atmosphere. There is a wonderfully stocked bar here and the food is quite satisfactory. Given the nice décor and proven hospitality record, I had high expectations. The menu comprises of Oriental, Continental and Indian delicacies. There are plenty of one pot meals like Lasagna, Moroccan Wrap, Stir-fried Noodles and Rice etc. They also have some interesting options like the Tenderloin Medallions, Linguini pasta, Paneer Shashlik in gravy, Rum-flavored Lamb Barra kebab etc. All the Indian main courses are served with a Dal Makhani, naan, papad and salad. Amongst starters, I tried the Po Pia Thod (Rs 185), the Balinese Barbecue Fish (Rs 325), while for the main course we had Stir Fried Veggies (Rs 265) and Rum-flavoured Lamb Barra kebabs (Rs 325). The Po Pia Thod were similar to spring rolls, except for the addition of a tangy sauce — the only difference. The Balinese Barbecue Fish was not exactly barbecued, but coated and fried and then mounted on skewer sticks doused with a sauce resembling barbecue sauce. The Stir Fried Veggies had the addition of garden greens such as zucchini, broccoli etc. The Rum-flavored Lamb Barra kebabs were a major disappointment, for the overpoweringly pungent masala was not going down well with the rum marination. What was great was that this concern of ours was noted down fastidiously by the manager — a rare quality. Till date, in my experience, if a particular taste is not suitable for your palate and you notify the manager, he generally informs you ‘this is the way it is served here.’ But that’s something you won't have to experience here — the manager is a great listener. Desserts like brownies, Apple Strudle, gulab jamuns and rabri are available here. Apart from the food, the drinks are noticeably taxable. With the addition of some liquor to your meal, the overall cost easily crosses the 1k mark. Nevertheless, time spent in such a lovely ambience with colleagues, friends or family alike is unique and satisfying.

Turque,

Sayaji Hotel,

Mumbai-Bangalore

Bypass Highway,

Wakad,

Pune — 57

SOUTHERN SPICE

Many places serving global cuisine have come up in the last few years, with many more filling up the scene in recent times. In all this galore, we somewhat fail to understand and promote our regional spread. So only the favourites like tandoori chicken, dum aloo, dal baati, khandvi, goan curry, chicken kolhapuri, Bengal fish curry, besi belle huliyana and even momos are showcased. But there is much more than these representatives that lie in India’s regional gourmet treasure. Similarly, beyond the universally popular idlies, dosas and appams, a spectacular and exotic gourmet cuisine blended with age-old spices exists in god’s own country — Kerala. Even though, Keralites are known fish eaters, the vegetarian spread is fascinating too! I was pretty sure that yet again a seafood specialty had to be covered, which will have a similar tried-and-tested taste. But when I glanced through the menu and found an equally balanced vegetarian spread — I was happy to be proved wrong! A glass full of Rasam (Rs 25) as a starter gives you a peppery feeling much needed in these unforeseen weather conditions. Drumstick Soup (Rs 65), a black channa Kadala Curry (Rs70), Avial (Rs70), Vegetable Stew (Rs 85), a small onion-tomato-coconut subzi Ullytheeyal (Rs 85) and a seasoned buttermilk curry, Kachiya Moru (Rs 45) proves this place hasn’t opened only to attract customers by its theme. They keep their promise and really serve regional spread. Although the squid preparation, especially in the starters is avoidable as it tend to be chewy if not prepared with care. Even the Lemon Rice wasn’t exactly the way it should be (it should have had red chillies, roasted split black gram, chana dal and peanuts). The Mutton Pepper Fry was too hot for my palate but was flavourful! Nevertheless, expect lots of coconut, curry leaves, pepper, cloves, cardamom and Kodampuly (similar to kokum) in various combinations. The main courses are excellent both in fish and mutton. The Malabar Prawns Curry (Rs 160) was incredible for the curry was made from roasted coconut paste and finished off with thick coconut milk. Also the Fish Moilee (Rs 150) was too good for its preparation made in coconut oil and having an optimum use of spices. The flaky Malabar Paratha (Rs 10) and perfectly fermented rice appam (Rs 10) goes well with the main course. The place is a small sit down restaurant, but promises original Kerala cuisine. Not the entire region is covered (noting the limitations of getting regional raw material). So savour true Indian regional cuisine as the trip down south is exciting and given the prices, absolutely worthy

MASEMARI

The name ‘Masemari’ (which means ‘fishing’ in Marathi), draws customers in to try out the seafood here without actually ‘fishing’ for it. The décor is fantastically done. A mention is needed of the 10- foot tall light house at the entrance, which would suffice as a landmark to locate the eatery. The food served here is close to homecooked food, which makes even the cramped seating facility worth ignoring. They do not overuse masalas, sauces and seasonings for the preparations, another sign that literally denotes ‘home-cooked’ food. This proves that there is a mix of authentic preparations, experimental inventions and derived taste. Let’s face it; you can’t criticize homemade food, as every household has its own versions! What matters is the satisfying taste and the fresh quality of the fish. All the preparations are simple but unique. Every type of fish is listed individually and recommendations for accompaniments are mentioned. Your choices here are deep fried, shallow fried, rawa fried, tawa fried, tawa masala, Konkani masala, goan curry, gassi, malvani, vindaloo and some Mongolian curries. There are no tandoor preparations so asking for a fish tikka or a kebab would be inappropriate! A complimentary authentic welcome drink called ‘tival’ — a pure kokum juice tempered with ghee, jeera and coriander was something I really appreciated! The house specialty, the Burnt Garlic Crispy Squid (Rs 160)and Bombay Duck Fry (Rs 130) are good options. The covering (flour) was not needed for the squid, as it would had been more enjoyable without the coating. There was no excess covering for the Bombay duck, so the softness and freshness came through.Till your order comes to you, a Poppadum Platter (Rs 60) — which has 4- 5 varieties of deep fried papad — is provided for you to munch on, which is a wonderful change compared to the usual masala papad. For the main course, Prawns Konkani Masala (Rs 240) doused with chillies and coconut goes very well with the recommended bhakri. Even the Goan Curry (Rs 240) is silky smooth, balanced with sour, spicy flavours and a slightly creamy texture. It went well with the Rice Bhakri (Rs 20) too. Not to mention the Solkadhi (Rs 30), drunk before or after the meal, which was good as well, except for the fact that it was one of the dishes amongst others I had there, that had garlic in them. If you hate ‘typical’ fare one generally finds these days, you must try this place. If you are trying fish for the first time, this is a good option, as not only is the catch fresh but is truly prepared in a ‘home-style’. Do not forget to mention your threshold for spiciness before ordering, as it can be adjusted. Happy fishing!

Masemari,

2132,Trimurti Complex,

Near Abhinav College,

Off Tilak Road,

020-24328631

GRAPPA GARDEN

Grappa Garden could best be described in my book as a bistro, which usually is a small restaurant serving continental food accompanied by wine and coffee. It definitely serves the typical bistro cuisine. The table set-up encourages you to try an interesting mix of their domestic and international brand selection, in an open yet classy ambience. The mood here, is perfect for a chilly afternoon brunch or even a cozy evening dinner. The food menu here is seasonal and as mentioned, changes accordingly. Also going by the theme, the preparations are made from fresh, local produce — that’s why you’ll find lots of winter vegetables used inpreparations around this time of the year. Typical to bistro cuisine, there are quite a few interesting preparations on the list. Apart from the soups, salads, pizzas and pastas, some preparations that caught my eye include the Devils on Horseback (prunes wrapped in bacon) and the Brazilian Rib Eye Steak to name a few. Also, as a diehard whiskey man, I always wondered why it’s not used regularly in restaurants for culinary sauces, as it tends to give an excellent flavour and zing to the dish, especially with meat. Here, you can get several such items, such as their Whiskey Pork Ribs, Orange Whiskey Ham and Chicken Bit-o-Whiskey. This season’s menu is quite flavourful. The Roasted Vegetables and Pasta soup, Barbecue Chicken Wings, Homemade Cannelloni stuffed with Garden Fresh Veggies are all musttries. The stuff here breaks the myth related to continental preparations — that the use of herbs, coloured peppers and thick sauces qualifies as a ‘continental preparation’, which is sadly, yet unintentionally practised and copied just about everywhere. It is good to know that here, they differentiate themselves as soon as you take the first bite. The roasted vegetables have that balanced smoky taste with the optimum use of herbs. The Barbecue Chicken Wings have this extra meaty chunk over the bone and the Homemade Cannelloni promises a wholesome meal. The Tiramisu or the Black Forest Bavarios are both equally delicious to top it all. This place breaks another myth as well — that every restaurant in that vicinity (Koregaon Park) can be assumed to be exorbitant.A four-course, shared, filling meal for two, would be less than Rs 1,000, something that is worth every penny for the quality of ingredients used, service, ambience and rather satisfying taste. Of course the wine list per bottle starts from the mentioned amount and it does not encourage wine served by glass. Nevertheless, this bistro’s food is absolutely fantastic!

Grappa Garden

Above Post 91,

Lane No 7,

Koregaon Park, Pune