Cafe Bay Leaf: Great spread but average taste

We tried the lunch buffet at Cafe Bay Leaf at Holiday Inn, Pune last weekend. The spread was very impressive at first glance. However, when you read deeper into it, there were disappointments. There was no beverage offered in the price of the buffet, even non-alcoholic - rather strange and uncompetitive, I thought! Both the soups on offer were 'spicy' and I could not try either.

But what was totally unexpected and therefore a complete spoiler was the poor taste of the food - especially compared to the visual appeal. The crunchy fried vegetables were literally sticking to each other and simply awful. The thai chicken yellow curry and the paneer korma were totally tasteless. The saag chicken was the only thing I loved. Desserts were ok, nothing extraordinary there, apart from may be the fruit pie. The savior was the number of dishes - you were full just by trying a bit of each.

Overall, the service and ambiance were more than satisfactory, but I am unlikely to give the fare another chance!

Biryani @ Ruky's

Ruky's was recommended to me by a good friend. Situated in Kothrud, they are a take-away and delivery non-vegetarian eatery. The last weekend after visiting both parents we decided to carry dinner home. We needed something quick, filling and both of us wanted to eat chicken.

Ruky's had the standard fare - tikkas and such that is an integral part of non-veg places. My boneless chicken biryani was delivered in under 5 minutes, packing was standard. The good part was that they provided a rather spicy and chilly curry separately, so we could just omit the spice. The biryani itself felt like a combo of grilled chicken pieces and pulao, the making of which in fact I witnessed in their open kitchen - a large plate of pulao went in to the microwave and 2-3 plates of different made-to-order biryanis got concocted for people waiting for their orders. Quite an idea!

The only thing I didn't approve of was watching one of the cooks smack something out of his hand from a huge kadhai, apparently to taste it! I would've pointed it out to the man behind the counter if I weren't so tired or hungry. And again there was that very sleepy baby waiting in the car with her daddy. Back home, I tried to forget what happened and ate up. The taste was strictly ok. No big awards to be given out, but no eliminations either.

Anyway, I hate to think of what goes on in the kitchens of restaurants after this - I guess ignorance can really be bliss.

The boxed up Indian

Notes from the fence is "back" for the nth time - so much so that I have decided to stop announcing my (imminent yet unpredictable) return to the blogging world. This time the rather long hiatus was thanks to this new addition to the family, which is currently rolling away to glory as her mother rolls up the new post in her old blog.

This time I think I am going to come up with an array of reviews on restaurants that provide home delivery, for reasons that need no further explanation. "Indian in a box" deserves to be congratulated for one simple reason - saving me the trouble of cooking up a meal on a saturday evening after the new Smokin Joes in the area declared that they work only from 11 am to 8 pm. Recommended by the Mr.'s colleagues, we decided to order Chicken biryani.

I had several reasons to "like" what we got:
1) It came in a record fifteen minutes.
2) The food was piping hot when delivered.
3) It came so well packaged that we almost felt bad to unwrap it.
4) The biryani was delicious, flavored very well and had just the right amount of spice and chilly factor to suit our palate.
5) The pricing too suited the pocket well, though I think I may have easily agreed to pay a few more tenners.
6) The menu provided along with the food was tempting enough to go for another order.

Indian in a box already has three outlets in Pune (or let me say the non-Pune Pune if you know what I mean), and are reportedly take-away specialists. With only Indian and Chinese on the menu the choices could well run out for a regular, but there is still quite a lot of fare to try out for at least a few times. They apparently also have a few offers running. This time we opted out of the 'spicy' IPL offer but could try another some other time.

Portico restaurant at Sayaji - Good Buffet

We'd planned to go to Barbeque Nation at Sayaji (Wakad) to celebrate my sister's birthday. But we had a rather disappointing experience. The terrace restaurant was really cold and seating terribly cramped. The decor (that looked a bit hotch-potch what with the overal ambience like Puran da Dhaba at Pride, but with Maharashtrian Warli art splayed on the terrace sides, and Ghazal music on) was nothing like BBQ Nation at Kalyaninagar. Our family was offered a table right next to the bar. To add to that and the biting cold winds, we actually had rain water splashing on to us. Obviously it was impossible to spend a couple of hours like that and we walked out.

Back to the lobby, we decided to try the dinner buffet at Portico restaurant on the ground floor. We got a table in about ten minutes even though they claimed to be full and were even served lemonade while we waited in the lobby. The seating was tad uncomfortable, since the table and seats could not be moved and therefore us short people had to lean forward to eat.

Anyway that apart, the buffet was quite good though there was nothing really that was extra-ordinary. Yet it was attractive fare, well prepared and well laid out. Starters - both veg and non-veg - were tasty. The 'multi-cuisine' claim was rather far-fetched as there wasn't much global stuff apart from the usual Chinese and Italian. The desserts were varied and yummy.

Service was satisfactory and quick. You didn't have to wait with a plate full of main course for the bread basket to arrive, nor did you have to signal to get your glass of water refilled. The staff seemed to be used to the large crowds and were managing well.

For the price (425+4% tax) I thought the buffet was worth it. However, the drinks that the men ordered proved to be exorbitantly priced. The beer actually came with two lime wedges (?!?).

To quote my Dad's favorite saying - Dane Dane pe Likha hai, Khane wala ka Naam... Portico was meant to host our dinner last night. Meanwhile, I doubt I'll go back to try BBQ at Sayaji.

Copacabana - Full of variety

It must have been the lure of adequate space at a reasonable price that made the owner set up this restaurant at Vishal Nagar, Wakad. Else you could have easily imagined this joint in a plush area in Koregaon Park or Kalyaninagar. Our sole reason to get there for lunch was its proximity to the residence. But everything about this place turned out to be a surprise!

There is ample of parking space, which is an immediate winner. The ambience is lively and youthful, the decor impressive. There is a lounge in the evenings and expansion is still in progress, with Cabanas planned behind the restaurant.

The menu is so long and so varied that it really takes a while to go over it peacefully and actually put a finger to some specific item. From Korean to Mexican, Chinese to Malay, there is a vast array of cuisines to choose from, including most of the familiar and global delicacies - be it the Spanish Paela or Mexican Enchiladas. Despite the long-list of items, the food was served quite quickly and turned out to be passably tasty. But the real icing on the cake was the spread of desserts on offer. Not just that, they actually HAD whatever was listed on the menu - an all too common disappointment at a lot of restaurants otherwise. The blueberry cheesecake, caramel custard and kulfi we ordered were simply superb.

We all thought that the 'concept' is a bit too early for Wakad despite its density of the 'IT crowd'. This was confirmed when I overheard an oldish man tell someone on the phone that he'd come to have lunch at 'Copablanca'... wonder what the owner (or whoever named this place) will have to say to that!

With some aggressive marketing, Copacabana has the potential to become a 'hub'. I would recommend it not just to people who live around the area, but to people who don't mind driving a bit for a good dining experience. After all most of us criss-cross to Koregaon once a while, don't we?

Flavors, Wakad - Unexpectedly good

I'm saying unexpectedly because I didn't particularly think that a restaurant situated in kaspate vasti, wakad would resonate of class. But as it turns out I was unreasonably biased. This is a restaurant situated on the roof top of a 6-storey building near Kalewadi phata. The ambiance is decent and the food was good. We went along with some friends on a Saturday evening and even then there was relative peace. We in fact there spent quite a long time and were left to enjoy an unhurried dinner with IPL cricket on a big screen for company. I quite liked that about the place. No one to bother you, but even then good service without asking twice for anything.

We ordered a couple of drinks and a veggie platter for starters. The platter was standard, but I must make a special mention of the delicious mushroom. On the other hand we didn't think the cauliflower (which was too big to be counted in the category of aesthetically pleasing) or the paneer (too chewy) was that great.

For the main course, we ordered a vegetable jalfrezie and daal. A standard order, but well cooked and tasty. We stuck to vegetarian that day since our company was mainly vegetarian, but the sea food and the chicken dishes on the menu sounded quite good. We didn't taste any desserts that day so I'd do that too if we went back.

My verdict: A standard place with good food and reasonably priced too. If you are in the area and are looking for a decent place to have a quiet dinner, this is a good find. May not be a place you would especially seek out, though.

Post-91 - the attraction begins post the main course

Yes - desserts are among the few praise-worthy things about this restaurant - they have the choicest spread of cakes, mousses and Indian sweets in the lunch buffet. The rest of the stuff in the restaurant has nothing particularly unique to offer, but let's say it's not bad either.

Post-91 is located in lane 6 of Koregaon Park, opposite Kapoor's Yellow Chilly. I believe the name has something to do with the post-liberalization era in India - the relevance beats me. Anyway!
I've visited them 3-4 times as they are conveniently located from my office, have a buffet which makes for a quick working lunch and is generally not that crowded on a week day so it's peaceful. The ambience is decent, service is just about acceptable (though out of the 2-3 times I've been there, I've witnessed a couple of goof-ups), food is ok. I've generally liked the soups they've served, especially the carrot-tomato coriander soup I had there the last time I went.

Even then, I think there are plenty of things that can be got right in this place. First, the buffet spread is a bit hotch-potch. I mean multi-cuisine is one thing, but having too many dishes on board can get quite... err... confusing. For example, what do you eat a chinese stir fry with if the rice items include plain rice and an Indian biryani?

Also, some of the preparations are not exactly what you would call authentic. Sample this, there was an attractive looking salad bar the last time, but unfortunately whatever you asked for (the choices included three different dressings), you would get the same concoction. The cook manning the salad bar was adding whatever was available in front of him and the end result was not very exciting.

These and other experiences reduce the potential of the great place that Post-91 can aspire to be! For the price range (Rs.300 onwards - plus there are at least 2 pricing options in the buffet), let's say its value for money.

My verdict: You could try it out sometime, grab a quick bite if you work around the area and want to take someone out, but don't build too many expectations.

Prathamesh Holiday Homes Resort - You can find better in Diveagar

I booked this hotel after reading extremely good reviews about it all over on the internet. When we arrived first at Prathamesh, we could see nothing overtly wrong with the hotel. In fact, our first day there was great. The manager helped us out with sightseeing information and the staff appeared friendly. 

The trouble began on the second evening when we came back to the room and saw that several cockroaches had crept in through a window left open by the housekeeping staff! Our desperate calls for the staff yielded nothing but a bottle of insect repellant which my husband had to spray on the roaches himself. It didnt stop there. Throughout the night, we had cockroaches entering into our room from the gap below the door. Further searches in the room revealed tons of eggs in the horribly maintained furniture. By morning we had had enough and decided to check out. The staff had no explanation to provide, with not much resistance to our decision! 

It spoiled our beautiful experience of serene Diveagar. I could've easily excused the hotel for the cockroach incidence in a rural place like Diveagar, but the attitude of the staff simply didnt deserve this. 

There are several better places in Diveagar I am told. In fact, it would have been better if we'd left behind our urban compulsion to have an AC hotel and tried a home-stay instead.

Some other problems: The restaurant attached to the hotel is terrible. We had only one meal there and decided never to eat there again. If you do not have a car, this place is far away from the central area with the temple and eateries and walking at night doesn't exactly make you comfortable. Beach access is at least ten minutes away.

Mainland China - Never Disappoints

This is a restaurant I have gone back to several times in the last few years and it has never let me down!
We dined at the Senapati Road branch for our anniversary. The ambience gets it just right and the service is impeccable. Our visit coincided with a food festival they had on the occassion of the Chinese new year, and we tried some delicacies from the special menu.

The starter we ordered - Drums of Heaven in Hong kong sauce was juicy and tasty. In the main course, we tried out braised chicken in orange and black bean sauce and whole wheat noodles with leeks and shiitake mushrooms, again fantastic stuff. The chicken portion I thought was a little small, just about adequate for two people.

My experience with desserts at Mainland China in the past has not been up to the mark and I've indicated that in the feedback forms I've filled over there. This time, we didn't have to order any dessert at all. While making the dinner reservation, they had asked me if there was a special occasion and accordingly, presented us a nice cake after the main course. The gesture was touching and made our evening, and will make us go back for our next special meal.

The best part of this restaurant is the quiet service. You never have to ask for anything, it's as if they know exactly what you are going to require the next moment. Yet, it never seems as if you are being watched or excessively fussed over.

My verdict: I just love this place, and despite the relatively high price tag, I feel like I derive good value out of the money that I spend. A meal for two a la carte including a drink each can cost from Rs.1000 to Rs. 2000 depending on what you order.

Their branch on Dhole Patil road has a lunch buffet, which is more value for money. Besides, you get to sample a variety of dishes in the buffet.

Panchavati Gaurav – Mediocre stuff

It's hard for me to consent to eat at a thali restaurant these days, simply because I feel like a waste going out and eating the same food that you can cook (sometimes better) at home. I'd rather pick from some specialty, multi-cuisine options from which I can derive a unique experience. I was even more convinced after our experience at Panchavati Gaurav, off Bhandarkar road last week. We had to choose this place because we had people with us who don't particularly enjoy experimenting with their food, but then Marwadi seemed like a good change from the normal Maharashtrian Thali.

I tried to reserve a table in the morning, but the restaurant does not take reservations, which is disappointing because there is always the anxiety (for hyper people like me) about whether you will get a table and the likelihood of having to wait. Fortunately we got a table without a wait. The place has adequate parking and the ambience is ok.

You are of course served as soon as you choose your table. The preparation was aesthetic - no large chunks of sloppily cut vegetables or uncut coriander drooping down from your katori. In fact, the mini-puran poli which was served out of a kadai full of ghee both looked and tasted great. The undiyo and jal jeera with mint were also decent. However, the rest of the fare was run of the mill. The dhoklas were too dry, the mutter kachori was tasteless, rasmalai was rubbery and the vegetables were not even worth a mention. All in all, nothing unique about the Thali here that you would not get anywhere else – in terms of the spread as well as the taste.

Even more annoying was the service. I simply hate it when waiters messily thump food into your plate, spilling and splotching it all around (and over) you. We had to call for items like roti and rice several times before we were served. Moreover, they started gathering our plates the minute we were done and even started cleaning the table. I could not find a single reason why that could not have happened after we'd left the table, considering that in a thali restaurant that typically happens as soon as everyone has finished.

I often wonder why Thali places cannot create a nice, relaxed ambience and have to seem like low-end "khanawals" (lunch homes). Do they really need to loom over you and compel you to stuff your food, pay your bill and leave? I think 7 of us finished lunch and were out of the place within some 30 minutes. Hardly the sort of Sunday afternoon you would envisage with extended family! The price at Rs. 195 per plate too is far more than that charged by some of the better Thali places in town. I doubt I will ever go back!

My verdict: 2 out of 5 – for the total lack of differentiation and the poor service.

Kothrud gets a respectable restaurant – Asian Melange

I’ve often wondered why the densely populated Kothrud with its fair share of the wealthy does not have good restaurants. The relatively better ones in the area are always overflowing, and the chances that you will end up meeting your neighbour at a restaurant in Koregaon Park are very high.

Anyway, the owner of Asian Melange, near Karve Statue in Kothrud seems to have sensed the gap and seized the opportunity. The three-storied multi-cuisine restaurant complete with an open to sky terrace barbeque is a decent place to take your family. The restaurant is more than a year old I hear, but the word of mouth is spreading, and I heard about this place from a lot of people before I decided to try it.

The menu is more Indian than multi-cuisine but the spread is pretty good. Portions are standard and prices are reasonable. The non vegetarian barbeque was definitely better than the vegetarian platter we ordered. We didn’t like the potato and the baby corn that they served was very spicy.

I saw the seating on the lower floors only on my way up but it seemed ok. Even on a cold winter evening, the terrace seating was cozy with just enough light. The service was good, and the attendants were well informed about the fare. The food took a bit long to come which is generally a problem if you are taking kids along. I found the tables a bit cramped and what with the barbeque set in the middle of the table, space is left a bit lacking. Better to opt for a place that has more chairs than the number of people you are taking along.

Parking is adequate and they also provide a valet, so taking your car is not a problem. I suggest you call and reserve in advance given the demand-supply equation in Kothrud.

My verdict – 3.5 out of 5 for the barbeque, but scope for improvement in general. May not be the place to plan a really special occasion, but you can target it when you feel bored of driving to the other end of town and don’t feel like a take-away.