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

CASA LOLO - Kamal Nehru park

Street food has always been popular, no matter what part of the world the cuisine is from. The taste of these quick-moving items is unbeatable and cannot be recreated in lavish kitchens. In Pune too, street food from across the world is available in different parts of the city. This week I decided to take a look at Casa Lolo, which specialises in Lebanese street food. As Haka noodles are to Chinese cuisine, shawarma is to Lebanese. I have always loved this vertical barbecue, for the way the spit whirls the meat around non-stop. The grilling apparatus itself is a nice display; it’s fresh and gives the feeling of (relatively nutritious) fast food and the flavours that waft through the air with the smoke, immediately ignite hunger. There’s not too much to choose from the menu. Your options are basically the Shawarma Roll, Falafel, Grilled Arabic Chicken (similar to the tandoori chicken but marinated with different ingredients) and Hummus Plate. Casa Lolo also serves pizzas which are made made home-style, but it has a thick, toasted base. Maybe the reason behind this is the double cooking that the base undergoes in a makeshift electric tandoor. Anyway, the place is best visited for its shawarma, hummus and pita breads. The taste of the meat here is mild, with the flavour of onion and tomatoes. It also tends to cool pretty fast, making it a bit chewy. The day I visited, the machine was not revolving properly, which resulted in the same meat being cooked at different temperatures. This also holds for the pita breads, as they are held in front of the fire merely for few seconds and tend to become hard soon after they are placed on the table. The base of lettuce or cucumbers or cabbage (the way other joints make the shwarma) was missing. This is substituted with pickled beetroot and carrots. If there’s any vegetable you’re used to in your shawarma that this place doesn’t serve, don’t worry — the hummus and garlic mayo fills up all gaps. Falafel here is well flavoured with coriander and garlic along with raw chickpeas which are deep fried. And the hummus (which is made from chickpeas blended well along with tahini paste), I felt was lacking olive oil and tinge of lemon. Casa Lolo is a good place to grab a wholesome middle-eastern experience at any time of the day. Not at all heavy on the pocket (average price is Rs 60 for a meal for one) it is definitely a fulfilling experience. The best part of this street food is that you don’t have to rub shoulders with the crowd while eating — you can sit back and savour it!

CASA LOLO

Off Bhandarkar Road

Opp Kamala Nehru Park

Also at Aundh DP Road and

off NIBM Road

SIIIP- Prabhat Road

Pronounced ‘Seeeeep’ with 3 I’s, this is a hatke bar among many in the city. The coffee fever seems to mellow down as, this season demands fruits first. Firstly, the concept of juice started years ago, with senior citizens stopped to sip on unheard of ‘health juices outside parks early in the morning. Now, juices have become a ‘healthy’ trend and have found a place in small eateries with vibrant decor. Juice bars are slowly making their presence felt in the city, almost par with the many cafés. Allergic to hot beverages, Siiip is not only a juice bar, but a salad bar too. This makes it a new concept. However, it doesn’t have an option of helping oneself to a salad mix one would like, as done in bigger hotels, where we can make our own salads. Maybe, it’s in a testing phase as it wants to judge the mindset of the customers and how the themeis welcomed. That’s why included in the menu is this unique saviour, which safe bet to give them definite business — the grilled sandwiches! Then there are freshly squeezed juices with no addition of sugar, power boosters, shakes and freshly p u l p e d smoothies. Everything here is fresh. No pre-pulped bottles or squashes. You can see this as the kitchen is across the counter and almost fully visible. There are interesting combinations such as carrot and orange salad, walnut and fruit pasta salad, banana and jam sandwich, hot apple and cinnamon sandwich and mixed fruit grilled sandwich. The seating is low, compact but comfortable. The infusion of vibrant lighting and dark black upholstery gives the place a classy look. Finally, the critic’s verdict — the salads are the best. Among them, the crunchy sprouts and Caesar Salad is filling. Apart from the moist croutons (on top of the Caesar Salad) nothing was wrong. There is a good variety in the types of sandwiches, but as this is a salad bar, expect lettuce in every sandwich. Again, the desserts have fresh fruits accompanied bycream or ice-creams.Average prices for the health boosters which include aloe vera, tulsi, bitter/bottle gourd, is Rs 30, while the opther items are priced between Rs 60 and Rs 110. So, next time you think of having some salad, juice or fruits, try taking a siiip of this!

SIIIP

Ghodke Plaza

Near Prabhat Police Chowki

Off Prabhat road

ANGELS and DEMONS - NIBM

The other day I had a discussion with a friend about the growing number of cafés in Pune and how each new one has the scope to flourish. It’s not just that new places are opening up so often, but also that these new joints come with newer, never-seenbefore (at least in Pune) themes. I have observed the menu is some what monotonous at most places — it’s the ambience or theme that makes these newer places memorable. The Angels and Demons cafe is one such place. The name itself (Angels and Demons) does not directly connect to the menu, but does leave a good impression. Every wall has superb art posters of angels and demons. This gives the ambience a

\ slightly different look, compared to other places in town. The upper level serves hookahs, while the lower level has a seating area with an open kitchen. Once there, you can also can also witness all the World Cup action on a large LCD screen. The menu has an allday list comprising of sandwiches, panini’s, appetizers, pizza-burgers, eggs to order, baked jacket potatoes, cakes and pastries, and lots of coolers and shakes. Getting rid of thirst seems to be their top priority here, mainly because they have more quenchers than fillers. The list is good and resembles an American deli. In particular, the Nachos and Barbecued Chicken Sandwich were quite filling. The most interesting dish on the menu is the Pizza-Burger. This is a huge bun with the patty placed on a bed of tomatoes and lots of mayonnaise gratinated with cheese. The name was good, but I found the proportion of the size of the bun to the patty rather odd. The coolers and shakes such as the Devilled Asmoday (a chocolate and coffee shake with lots of ice cubes) A&D Special (strawberry and blue curacao with soda) are nice and so are the desserts — Deviled Chocolate Brownie and the A&D Chilli Dessert. Each was different than what I have come across before, but in particular, the A&D Chilli Dessert something definitely unique. To round it off, the theme for me is a hit! I was curious about whether the theme was intended to reflect in the menu as well. When I enquired, I found that there was no such intention. However, I did find a relation possible though — the sweeter may resemble angelic tastes while the hotter spices gives way to a more demonic side. To know on which side you fall, make a visit!

Angels and Demons

Bhagyasheela Apts, Row houses no 18, 19

Off NIBM Road, Kondhwa

JUICE LOUNGE

Being healthy and staying fit is the mantra of any generation today. So, it comes as no surprise that lots of health sessions and workshops keep cropping up in newspapers, television shows, cookery programmes, magazines, etc. Even larger corporates have taken stock of the need for a healthier lifestyle and are making a killing in the market with a wide range of health foods and energy boosters. Today’s review is about latest trend of healthy eating in the form of specialty eat-out cafes. Juice Lounge, on Dhole Patil Road, opposite Kapila Hotel, is the latest entrant in the world of healthy food outlets. The ambience is vibrant, cool and inviting. As the name suggests, a score of fresh juices are up for grabs on the menu. All these juices are sugar, ice and water free along with being 100 per cent natural and freshly squeezed. As you flick through their selection, there are several bannered under power juices, energy boosters, super boosters and even a gym freaks special. The fruit protein shake was good, so was the memory booster thanks largely to the spinach-beetroot in it. In their selection of eats, they offer salads, soup pots with assorted toppings, sandwiches, pastas and pizzas. The sandwiches could do with some improvement. The pizzas are up to the mark, with the base being prepared by wheat-refined flour, thus making it a healthier option. I wondered about pizzas, known for their high calorie content, being served in a health juice bar. I probed a little deeper and found that they added this selection to the menu after reducing the extra carbohydrates. Low fat butter and cheese is the key. When first I learnt about this place, I was sure that it had something different to offer. The name indicates exclusivity and high prices. I was pleasantly surprised with its very reasonable and pocket friendly rates. Recommended for everyone. But if you’re a fitness freak, this is just the place for you!

MY OVERALL RATING: 6.5/10

Juice Lounge

Nalin Chambers,

173 DP Road,

Opp Hotel Kapila

65007974 /26051016