CAFE MAROO

It was the first time I felt like I wasn’t really entering a restaurant, but rather stepping into someone’s living room for dinner, in a wonderfully hospitable atmosphere. That’s what tops the list of opinions about Café Maroo. The word ‘maroo’ means a Korean living room, where Korean people traditionally eat, sleep, cook and gather, for it is an area which is cool in summer and warm in chilly winters. Frames and artefacts, household appliances, cooking utensils and a couple of dining tables to sit around, are what make up the decor of the place, and one gets the lovely aroma of Korean food being cooked right in front of you. It also has a traditional sit down area on the mezzanine, where you have to promptly take off your shoes to maintain the sanctity of the place.The menu has sufficient choices but very few for vegetarians. Koreans take their tea seriously and so there is loads of tea-variety on offer as well. Some preparations that stood out on the menu include the Korean Beef Steak (Rs 350), Veg Jjajang Myun (Rs 200), Dak Bulgogi (Rs 350) and Cheese Ggas (Rs 280). Koreans use ingredients like ‘doenjang’, which is a fermented soybean bean paste, as well as soy sauce, salt, garlic, ginger and spice it up with ‘gochujang’ — a fermented red chili paste. The beef steak is generally soaked in red wine for three weeks before they grill it to the done-ness of your choice. The soaking is pretty fruitful as it gives out a wonderful flavor to the meat. The Jjajang Myun are Korean noodles served with a light soy sauce in which mushroom, onion and potatoes are preserved for a while, giving it that particular woody flavor. Dak Bulgogi is chicken pickled in doenjang, which is a fermented soy bean paste that gives out a peculiar tangy, sour, spicy taste different from the gochujang sauce. Cheese Ggas are mozzarella cheese covered with an all purpose flour flown in from Korea, and then grilled. It is best served with Korean bread. The Honey ginger lemon tea (Rs 85) and Green tea (Rs 80) here are really good. What really matters is that this is not Indo-Korean cuisine. It is cooked by a passionate Korean national settled in Pune for the past 10 years. He gives you that original taste, un-altered for the Indian palate. That’s why you probably need to have the inclination to try out new stuff. If that is the way you feel, this is the best place for Korean cuisine. Personally I didn’t find the place pricey. The quantity is wholesome as well. I feel the efforts taken by a person to run a business and maintain all the overheads just to feed his community in a foreign land as well as friends and Indians is quite appreciable. Those who visit the place are asked to leave a comment and needless to say most comments are gushing praise. Do visit to sample some authentic Korean cuisine

CAFE MAROO

Westend Plaza,

Next to Rahul Hotel and The electronics store,

Nagras Road,

Aundh,

Pune

AHOY! - Aundh

Ihave mentioned the number of small eateries sprouting up in every corner of the city, however I didn’t mention how patrons are generally hesitant to trying out these. In dialogues with the owners and the customers, I found out that in spite of a fabulous concept, it still takes a lot of time to raise the footfall. Initially, customers often think twice before a first time visit, but a glance at the menu should clear all doubts about a particular outlet. Ahoy impresses with the contents of its menu. Though the list of items on it may sound familiar, the preparation is not. For instance, the potato skins served here are house-made with a crisp outer layer; the smooth, sof f e e l of melted cheese and the smoky buttery flavour is a surprise. Rest of the starters which are all deep fried, excluding barbecued chicken wings. Then there are the salads, pasta salads, hot dog, steak burger and even a BLT (bacon lettuce tomato) sandwich. The specialty here seems to be the pasta, as the vegetable lasagne was delicious — its sauce had the perfect tang, an even consistency and the flavourful veggies delicately layered between sheets of pasta were very filling. However, the minced chicken in the Bolognaise pasta wasn’t evenly incorporated in the sauce. lacked the even incorporation of the minced chicken into sauce. If the the chicken was finely chopped with a pair of choppers, lumps of cooked chicken in the sauce would have vanished. There are exciting options to choose from their entrees — Chicken Stroganoff, Chilli Con Carne (spicy Mexican minced lamb stew), Chilli Sin Carne (vegetarian version of chilli con carne). However there are few other options for vegetarians. The Carrot Cake with cream-cheese icing spectacular. The softness of the cake, richness cream and crunchy flavor is awesome. Ahoy is definitely a place to visit for the taste of its food, you’d probably rave about the price as well. I say with conviction that a meal for two including a starter along with a beverage, salad, two pastas and dessert would cost less than Rs 500. And then you’d probably have to take home the leftovers!

AHOY!

Shop No. 1, Madhav Memory, Next to Deluxe

Laundry,Kotbagi Hospital Lane, Aundh,

Pune 77988 26203

ESCA - AUNDH

Urban dining” is the first impression that one gets after taking in the interiors and the menu of the restaurant. The chandelier is a nice touch to add to the ambience of the place. There are two sections for seating: mezzanine, which is the more enjoyable one, and a bar, which is well-stocked with the best liquors and wine. I was very happy to find Dom Perignon here, as I believe that this is one champagne which defines the class of a restaurant. The food menu is divided into two cuisines, the European one and the Indian one. Both appear very varied yet there is repetition in the ingredients used for both the types of cuisine. For instance, prawns appear as a starter only in European cuisine and not in the Indian one. As for how it actually tasted, the Pasta Soup had the flavour of fresh herbs that balanced well with the taste of tomatoes. After enquiring with the waiter about the use of brandy as a marinade in the Brandied Prawns, I decided to give it a shot. Unfortunately, I found it a failed attempt to replicate the famous prawn cocktail, which is served in a martini glass on a bed of lettuce with cocktail sauce. This version, lacked the taste of brandy. It could have been better if the cocktail sauce was served in smaller quantities. However, the amount of sauce with this cocktail was extremely overpowering. The Pahari Machchli, however, was very good, very succulent and very tasty as it was prepared from Betki fish which is rarely used by restaurants. I would give the Paneer Tiranga and Gosht Roganjosh a pass as the rogan and the masala stuffed in paneer were less, even though the paneer and mutton were both very fresh and succulent. I was waiting to receive Pan Seared Turkey Medallion with Potato Mash and Cranberry Sauce which sounded very appealing to me. It was designed and presented very well, but the turkey meat didn’t hold on to its warmth and the cranberry sauce tasted like jam, which, I felt didn’t go down well. If it had been a bit more acidic, it might have been a hit. The trio of Indian desserts turned out to be a good ending as the Gulab Jamun, Rasogulla and Gajar Halwa, all in-house products tasted really well. Summing it up, the place sticks to its tag line. As expected, it is not light on pocket (Rs 1800 all inclusive for the dishes mentioned above). It has its ups and downs, but these would entirely depend on customer expectation. For me, I can’t deny the fact that from a culinary point of view, it is very good!

ESCA Ground Floor,

Centriole Mall,

ITI road,

Aundh,

Pune – 411029

Tel: +91-8805210001

MY OVERALL RATING: 7/10