The Great Kebab Factory

Kebabs are becoming more than just a starter. Ordering them is now a trend. After all, they fulfill the need for variety, taste and fill you up — everything you look forward to in a meal and The Great Kebab Factory is a place where the kebab rules. There is a fixed menu which comprises six kebabs, one vegetable, one biryani, dal makhani and desserts. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options are available. Once you are seated, waiters dressed in jumpsuits (to fit in with the theme of a factory) start off right away, serving you one piece of each starter at a time. That way once you’re served each starter, you can decide which ones you want refills of. However, the vegetarian options are very few. There was Veg Galouti Kebab, Adraki Kebab, Paneer Tikka, Creamed Broccoli, Aloo Tikki and Tandoori Fruit. However, none of them were memorable. As for the non-veg, the house specialty Lamb Galouti Kebab was the one to remember. Along with that were Grilled Fish Steak, Lamb Sheek Kebab, two types of Murg Tikka, and a Tangdi Kebab. The vegetable served that day was mushroom — tangy and tasty. The Dal Makhani was perfectly done. The biryani was not the way I had expected, the rice wasn’t soft enough for a Mughlai Biryani. Another house specialty — Sheermal (sweet naan) — was served along with the mains. In dessert there were options of Kulfi, Gulkand Gulab Jamun and Gajar Halwa. The kulfi on a stick was also one of the best I’ve eaten. All of this is available for Rs 699 + taxes per person. The style of service is different. The taste is good. The quality of meat used is also good, but the vegetarian options disappointed us that day as most of the kebabs were cooked in one particular way — minced and shallow fried. But if you’re a kebab lovers, the meal here is a steal, especially if you’ve arrived on an empty stomach!

MY OVERALL RATING: 5.5/10

The Great Kebab Factory
Radisson Hotel
Nagar Bypass Road,
Kharadi Pune 14.
Contact: 27060606

PREGO ITALIANO!!

A new day of a new year and a very new restaurant’s review to start it off with! What more could we ask for? The place reviewed today has definitely raised the bar, when it comes to Italian cuisine in Pune. Whenever I think of Italian cuisine, select ingredients, preparations and serving techniques come to mind. Where those thoughts stop; this particular menu kicks off! I was astounded after going through the menu available in both Italian and English. Apart from the wood-fired pizzas, the homemade pastas rule here. There is a wide variety of homemade pastas which I consider imperative to an Italian kitchen. Of them, the Cannelloni was what I tried. And it was the best I’ve ever eaten! I was unlucky that day because I couldn’t try the pizza. For some technical reasons with the oven, the pizza was not available, but I’m sure that a pizza will also be the right choice here, as they have a wide variety of sauces to choose from. For the main course, the Mix Seafood Risotto also turned out to be a good option. It had generous servings of prawns, clams and shell fish. The ambience is spectacular, spacious and lively. The service is classy and polite. The only reason to avoid this place would be if you have a particularly Indianised palate. For those who have one, will not agree with me, that it’s an experience to dine at such a place. Most of the food served here — olive oil, fresh herbs, lots of cheeses, truffle oil, homemade pastas, wine sauces and al dente ingredients — could be acquired tastes. However, don’t expect such a classy experience — with the use of these ingredients — to be light on the pocket. There is a price to pay! With the food and ambience of this place, a visit is an experience in itself. With the opening of Prego, Italians have surely arrived and in style!

MY OVERALL RATING: 7/10

The Westin Pune

36/3-B Koregaon Park Annexe

Mundhawa Road, Pune 1.

Contact: 67210000

YOKO

With the temperatures dropping gradually, we decided that some heart-warming food was the order of the day. And what could be a better than sizzlers? I wished to head straight for a sizzler place however, there are only a handful of places to choose from. I decided to mix business with pleasure...now, while the menus at all the places are similar, one place stands out in a unique way - quantity. That made me remember Yoko. Yoko sizzlers has been in Pune for over five years now. Apart from chicken, mutton, beef and fish sizzlers, they also have burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, soups and desserts in the menu. Initially I had thought of trying the starters, mains, a side dish and the dessert. But it seems my memory had failed me and I had forgoteen the amount of servings at Yoko. And I could not go beyond the main course. We had the seafod mix grill and mushroom, cheese and noodles. The dishes were sumptuous. The quantity of mushrooms and noodles was plentiful, so were the boneless pomfret pieces and prawns. While we are talking about sizzlers, I recall that many people have asked me the recipe for one. And the answer is there is none. Because of the simple reason that anything served on a sizzler plate qualifies as a sizzler! Originally, steaks would be served accompanied by vegetables or starchy preparations like rice or mashed potatoes. The food would be served on a plate and later doused with butter and sauces to give it the ‘sizzle’. Eventually, this took on a specific form and we have categorised it as a separate preparation. Coming back to Yoko’s, the taste lingers even after leaving the place. The service is efficient as two servers managed the 50-people outlet - filled to two-thirds of its capacity even on a Monday - with remarkable ease. For me, personally, I think Yoko has the best sizzlers to offer in Pune. P.S.: You need not worry about digesting the huge quantity of meals provided here. The sizzlers are piping hot and you need to take breaks between two bites. This makes a sizzler a great meal if you have skipped lunch and want a hearty dinner that warms up your heart.

MY OVERALL RATING: 8/10

Yoko Sizzlers,

G3, 5th Avenue, Dhole Patil Road,

Pune 411001. Call: 020-26111389/30521400

POST 91

Sunday is the most sought after day in the whole week. Plans are made for days in advance. So what happens when there are no plans, or if like the best-laid ones, your’s go downhill too? Simple! Get yourself pampered by indulging in a Sunday brunch. To experience the most unique and mouthwatering delicacies and unlimited drinks late on a Sunday afternoon seems like a dream come true. Many of the restaurants, that you can visit foe a Sunday brunch, also offer you a free dip in the pool. So what makes a Sunday brunch so special? Well apart from the fact that food and the drinks are unlimited, your kids can enjoy the afternoon in the company of cartoons or mimics, and the wives can look in on some or the other exhibition or fair, which is going on. All this while you soak up the sun,chill and relax till late afternoon! To indulge in at his experience first hand, we visited this place which offered food and unlimited wine @599 all inclusive. Well it was surely a steal. The starters were abundant and tasty - be it chicken nuggets, crispy vegetables, cheese balls, sheek kabab, paneer tikka or oriental fish. The food seems like it was just pouring in along with the wine for the first half-an-hour. Deciding to take a break, we checked out a jewellery exhibition, which was on at the hotel. After a few more intervals, we again dug into live counters of chaat and pastas. Though the chaat was not the better option, the pastas surely won hands down. Having asked the chef to prepare a customised pasta, we sat and enjoyed the live band. Our few suggestions were readily honoured too! And when it came, it was worth the wait. To give full justice to the plethora of food options available, we kept taking breaks in our gourmet journey. The array of main courses baffled us so and left us guessing as to which one to try out first. After having dealt with the main course, it was time to indulge the sweet tooth. The display of the desserts was so tempting and inviting, it was a ‘bitter’ choice to make indeed, as we decided on the ones to sample. After the whole experience was over, we thought that three hours were in fact less to embark on such an amazing culinary journey. The service was attentive, though there was a lot of running around the table to satisfy the wishes of those present. The ambience and weather were also good. Only thing to note - be sure to call and reserve a table as soon as you get up in the morning. With the hordes of people trying to get in on the Sunday brunch experience, be sure you are not left out. After all, Sunday comes only once in a week!

MY OVERALL RATING: 8.5/10

Post 91, Lane 6,

Koregaon Park

FOODLINK

I had spoken earlier about how hard it is to find good lounge experiences in the east side of Pune. I guess my complaint was heard by one more authorities. This time it wasby the Foodlink restaurant at the ICC Trade Centre B Wing. Don’t confuse the place for the one that was previously well-known here. Foodlink is in the new wing. Giving you a complete bird’s eye view of Pune, the ambience scores very high. Foodlink also has a well stocked Sky bar and grills. There is a party deck area overlooking it with a DJ console, where already a party was in full swing. For walk-in guests, there are two restaurants — one serving Indian and the other Italian cuisine. We chose to check out the latter.

Though the menu is limited, it promises variety. The cream of asparagus soup was really good as they were extremely generous with the quantity of this exotic vegetable in the soup. Minestrone also lived up to our expectations. Pizza Mama Mia (cottage cheese with spicy tomato sauce, Italian herb, onion, capsicum, coriander topped with mozzarella) was also good. But again, I found the base very crispy and hard. The toppings and quantity though, were sufficient. Pasta Farfalle Fresco and Lasagne Bolognaise were both perfect, and very close to the authentic. Grilled Salmon Steak with asparagus and cherry tomato in a saffron white wine sauce, seemed perfect for the chilly atmosphere. For desserts, we tried Choclate Budino (pudding in Italian) and

vanilla Crème Brule. The latter was better, while the budino reminded

us of a brownie.

The service is courteous and attentive. The guest relations themselves escort you to your place, thus putting the service standards at high. Having pampered us with this hospitality it would be not a good idea to grouch on looking at the left side of the menu. But once again, the location and the ambience have scored upon. One can’t argue about the feeling you get when you dine-in here. Strongly recommended for couples. If you are going on first time date, you have

won half the battle!

MY OVERALL RATING: 8/10

The Foodlink Court

‘T’ Floor, B Wing, ICC Trade Tower,

Senapati Bapat Road, Pune 411016

Contact: 66239999 / 01

SALSA

No one could have done better than The Corinthian Hotels to introduce a restaurant dedicated to Greek cuisine. You will be fascinated by the view at the entrance, especially the life-size sculptures of racing horses. Even if, I feel, the interiors do not compliment the cuisine, it’s spectacular to dine in. Okay, to move forward and coming to the point, we have experienced Greek cuisine in Pune. To name a few, tahini paste, chickpeas, hummus, tzaziki or slouvaki. Many of them must have spotted these names among appetizers on the menu. But now we can experience an entire meal, rather have the whole cuisine! We started on with the most known name – Greek Salad. It was great as ever with imported Feta cheese to give it full flavour. It was followed by Chickpeas Cakes (similar to falafel but here they add dill) and Minced Lamb Rolled In Vine Leaves. Both were good, but the latter would have been better had the portion of minced lamb been bigger. They had also added some Indian preparations to balance customer preference, I guess. So, when we tried Chicken Kasturi Kebab, it was really great! So succulent, it didn’t give the bitterness of fenugreek at all. We also tried Curried Fish Fingers (made of betki) - fresh and tasty. For the main course, I was eager to try my favourite Greek preparation – Moussaka. Made from eggplant, zucchini, potatoes layered with pungent tomato sauce finished with cheese and baked. I ordered the vegetarian version, and it didn’t turn me down. We was suggested their Paneer-Bhindi Korma, it too turned out to be well prepared. The Orange Mousse Cake gave it a sweet ending. The number of dishes on offer might be fewer, they haven’t compromised on taste. It’s difficult to prepare these dishes with local ingredients, so they use imported stuff which makes it expensive. But yes, a visit here is truly satisfying.

MY OVERALL RATING: 7/10

Salsa, The Corinthians

Nyati County Nibm Annexe,

Off Nibm Rd, Hadapsar, Pune - 28

THE HIDDEN PLACE

This week we hunted down a place that is typically not included as a restaurants or a food outlet. It’s more of a hangout joint and despite it’s name, the place is not exactly hidden. When I entered, it reminded me of the many places that have sprouted up in Mumbai’s western suburbs. Then gradually, I got convinced the Hidden Place is different and much better. There are cricket matches playing on big LCD TVs, chartbuster songs on in minimal volume which means you don’t have to scream for your order, and the bottle keepers and coasters all bear hit Bollywood dialogues. Imported spirits, including beers, rule the bar menu. Also superb are the cocktails, martinis and muddlers. Their chocolate frappe was good too. So, after trying some of these, I was waiting for the main event – the tasting of the food.

When I was told about this place, I wondered what I could possibly write about. But now, after tasting the food over here, I planned (in vain) to write about the food only. The starters are very good. Especially the Lucknowi Galouti Kebab,Malai Kabab and Tandoori Hariyali Prawns. Even the Tacos with Tomato Salsa and Garlic Bread were fine!

But still, what is a review if there’s no criticism at all. For instance, the Fish Biryani we had was not as nice as the rest (with uncooked rice and a slight lack of flavour), the normal bread used in the garlic bread or extra béchamel sauce in the cheese dip. But who’s complaining? I hadn’t expected the quality of food to be so high! Even the service is splendid and super fast. Well, I don’t want to fail to mention other reasons to recommend the place. There’s no entry charge, however, on the weekends you might have to arrive early to secure a good place where you can relax, enjoy a drink and the starters too!

Even lone patrons can enjoy the place just by looking around and reading the stuff put up on the walls. And now, as to why I said this place is good for Pune, is because we get good quality, a variety of food at more than just ‘reasonable’ prices.

MY OVERALL RATING: 9/10

The Hidden Place

Near German Bakery

North Main Road

Koregaon Park