KROSTINI

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

OLENT

The oil spill certainly hasn’t deterred the consumption of seafood at least thet’s the scene in Pune restaurants. The initial reluctance that lasted for the first few days, has been replaced by people flocking to places serving seafood, reminding me of the commonly believed theory amongst non-Puneites, that seafood served here is not of exceptional quality. The over-flowing crowds at sea food restaurants on weekends, however, manage to suggest the contrary. The substantial demand and easy accessibility to raw materials has set the seafood business booming. Olent, meaning scent or fragrance is a new place that not only serves seafood but the regular spread of veg-non and veg items as well. It’s an idea that could pay off as most places serving the regular family dinner fare have few seafood options and here, non-seafood favouring family members can enjoy their meal too. I’ll focus on the seafood, as the menu is quite vast. They have segregated the preparations fishwise, so you have Malvani, Manglorian, Tawa, Masala, Goan, Maratha, Kalwan and some Southern Coastal styles. In seafood, pomfret, rawas, surmai, bangda, kane or lady fish, crab, halwa, prawns and tisre or shell fish are all on the list. Lobster, squid and other varieties are missing and so are regional styles of preparation other than the south- Indian ones. This seems to be the only drawback of the place. The Achari Surmai Tikka (Rs 220) comes in good portions. The tangy masala is well coated around the meat. The same goes for the large Tandoori Pomfret (Rs 220) served with an amazing beetroot carving, as well as the Crab Soup, the base of which, is similar to sweet corn soup but has generous portions of crab meat to flavour it. You can ask for your choice of seafood to be used in your Biryani (Rs 150) which makes it different from other places. Lastly, one should try the Prawns Puli Munchi (Rs 210) with Appam or Neer Dosa (Rs 30) — it is absolutely delicious. There was no room to manipulate the gravy. The flavours of tamarind, mustard seeds, curry leaves and the spice of red chillies blended perfectly. It tasted fresh as if it was prepared upon order. The good things about Olent are the quality of the seafood, value-for-money quantities served and the availability of the non-seafood menu as well. Every family member’s gastronomic desires are fulfilled under one roof. The ambience is simple yet trendy. Now, when most seafood places are packed on the weekends, you know where to take the plunge!

1195, Sushila

Apartment,

Shivaji Nagar,

Ghole Road,Pune

Phone: (020)

65012244, 65000874

BY THE WAY - FC road

Fergusson College Road is one of my favourite streets in the city. The fact that several new places keep opening here, just adds to the attraction. By The Way, which has recently opened up, manages to steal a few glances. This could be because of its bright white exterior, or then perhaps it’s the name. It looks like it’s an old British establishment, what with waiters that accessorise with suspenders and a typical flat cap. The morning menu goes very well with this theme. They serve omlettes, waffles and pancakes, but after noontime, they have a desi twist going for them. The attire of the waiters remains the same but not the menu. The lunch and dinner menu has a little bit of everything including Thai, continental, Oriental food, pastas and Indian cuisine. I visited in the evening and decided to try their continental menu. The Veg Ceasar Salad (Rs 130) and Italian Bruschetta (Rs 90) were the first on my list. Surprisingly, what I received didn’t quite fit the description mentioned in the menu. That was followed by an exhaustive series of events that included checking, re-checking, apologising and replacing the dish. Out of all the choices I had, I decided only to inform the manager about the absence of romaine lettuce from the Ceasar salad and that the bread of bruschetta had not been grilled (as was promised in the menu). But it was the Indian food that brought back my joy of dining here. The Cheese Murg Tikka (Rs 140) stuck to its description, while the Paneer Makhani (Rs 150) and the naan were delectable. The naan is unbelievably soft right until the last bite and the makhani gravy was doused with heavy cream, khoya and butter. By The Way also serves an Arabi Chicken Biryani (Rs 170), which is according to them is supposed to be the original biryani. The description read layered biryani but at the moment of truth I found it to be a mixed pulao variation of the biryani. However, the taste did hold up—with a sweetish tinge and generous sprinkling of slivered almonds. For dessert it was the Chocolate Bomb (Rs 150) that I decided to try. Melted chocolate inside a spongy cup cake, I wondered about the taste of chocolate sauce for a bit, but then found that it did go very well with ice cream.

11991A, F.C. Road,

Pune-4. 020-25531511

96 K

Pune has several restaurants that cater to your appetite for the regional cuisine — be it the small eateries or lavish fine dining places. 96 K (earlier known as Radhika) on FC Road, is one such place where you can drop by to taste some select Maharashtrian cuisine, which is typically supposed to be spicy. To add to the effect, the interiors of the place are done up like the palaces of the Marathas. The menu has select delicacies from the vast Maharashtrian food items. Aperitifs include Solkadhi — that comprises Kokum, a coconut flavoured spicy drink and Kokum sherbet. For starters you have the option of choosing from Kothimbir Wadi — made of fritters of coriander
leaves and besan, Onion Pakoda and then there is Golden Fried Babycorn, Prawns and Fish mixed with spicy batter. For main course, in vegetarians, there are options like Masoor Masala (lentils cooked in a thick gravy), Vangi-Batata Rassa (made with brinjal and potato) and Kadhan (a vegetarian variant of famous spicy mutton preparation).
The non-veg menu includes fish, mutton and chicken — all prepared in special spicy masala. You can order Bhakari to go with it. For desert, there is Caramel Custard and cardamom and coconut flavoured Lapshee (similar to wheat porridge).
The food preparation is simple but unique. The curries taste different and are spicy.
For those who relish spicy Maharashtrian food, a visit to 96K is a must. It is a nice blend of the ancient settings with a contemporary touch. The staff has their professionalism intact. They maintain good hygiene standards and have separate kitchens for veg and non-veg preparations, so even if all you are a staunch vegetarian, you can enjoy your meals without having to worry about the mutton being cooked in dishes used for preparing your preferences.
If you want the food to be less spicy, don’t forget to mention it while placing the order. But I suggest don’t if you wish to have an authentic Maharashtrian meal. And yes, do not forget to carry your handkerchief!

MY OVERALL RATING: 7/10

96 K
Sanas Memories, 927 FC Road, # 020 25679669