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

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

SOY

Oriental cuisine, I would say, is served in many variations — the very authentic Indo-Chinese preparation and the street food style. The very authentic ones will have duck, chicken, pork and seafood — not for an average Indian palate. One ingredient serves as an imitation meat: Soy Bean Curd or as we know, Tofu. This place is inspired by this essential ingredient of Chinese cuisine, soy. Though conceptualized on soybean, not much focus is seen in the menu. The menu is full of variations, is descriptive, but remains only for starters and mains. The rice and noodle section is not descriptive, making it tricky to order. We had Teppan Soba (noodles served on a sizzler platter) which turned out to be over-done and the noodles were simply cooked with tomato sauce! (I hate to write negative stuff, but there are certain things an average diner expects. And it’s a critic’s job to think from their view-point.) As for starters, the dumplings are the best option. Prawns Sui Mai tasted amazing, so did Dragon Rolls (similar to spring rolls). The preparation is done well with essential additive ingredients such as bok choy, shitake mushrooms, bean sprouts, corn, etc. They serve Thai varieties too. The taste is authentic but inclined to Indo- Chinese style, because, vegetarian versions are consumed in only 1/4th part of China. Pork or duck may not be served here, but lobsters always find a place. Date pancake with vanilla ice-cream was the winner for the day. The ambience is good too. The service is quick and polite. The quantity is very good; priced reasonably. This place is best suited for couples and for those who want to enjoy semi-authentic Chinese dishes with proper use of additive ingredients. Don’t forget to read your fortune in the bites served at the end.

MY OVERALL RATING: 6.5/10

Soy— Le Royce

Bund Garden Road

66289999

TRIKAYA

I had mentioned in an earlier review how the west-side Puneities, like me, hate to travel to the east for a fine dining experience. I feel my detestation was being heard by Trikaya. The ambience itself is so spectacular, even normal water would be enjoyable. I felt great positive energy when I entered the place. Maybe, it’s for the mystic Buddha statues. Both the outdoor and the indoor sections are magnificent! Coming to the food part, Trikaya serves flavours from the East. They have incorporated some Indian preparation too! The bar is well stocked with international brands of both spirits and beers. The menu reflects artistic compilations very well thought of and presented. The preparation is familiar, but I thought the quality of seafood, and the meat used is distinctive. It is impossible to comment on the preparations at one go, but the stir-fries seem to be good. What I enjoyed the most are the starters, and that too prawns! Wrapped chilli prawns, crab claw lollipops are juicy, crispy and tasty as well. The vegetables and glass noodles stuffed spring rolls are different, as they have used readymade sheets for the covering, which actually make the difference. Having got stuffed with the starters, I ordered what an average diner would in an Oriental restaurant – stir-fried noodles. Though being over-cooked, they had the best possible accessories added to it making it crunchier and tastier. Also the manchow soup had excessive cornflour, but we made it palatable by adding some sauces. To end on a sweet note, corn pudding with cinnamon kulfi and fruit skewers were the winner of the day. Wish I knew why they were so miserly with fruit skewers (only one piece)! Make use of the seafood the most; the pricing is above average but satisfying.

MY OVERALL RATING: 7.5/10

Trikaya

Aditya Shagun Mall,

NDA Pashan road, Pune-21

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