Malaka Spice, Baner
#friendsofpeo

We visited the Baner outlet of Malaka Spice after a long gap this time and were in for a wonderful experience. Since the visit happened during Ganeshotsav, we restricted ourselves to only vegetarian selections from the menu. We ordered some of our favourites from the menu here and also tried a couple of things that we hadn’t tried earlier.

Madurasi had a delightfully flavorful broth with pepper, cloves, lemongrass, galangal, bird’s eye chilli and kefir lime and some vegetables. It was perfect to whet the appetite and just what I needed to clear my sinuses on that particular day.

Thai Spring Rolls: we had a small portion of these crisp spring rolls, stuffed with minced vegetables and rice noodles; they went well with the peanut sauce served alongside.

Lotus Stem Tango: crisp fried lotus stems tossed in a tangy, spicy, sweet sauce. This one was largely polished off by the toddler

Veg Top Hats: A Malaka Spice must have and I don’t remember ever leaving this place without a portion of top hats, but I definitely prefer Chicken Top Hats over the vegetarian version.

Ended the meal with a delicious cashew nut and coconut-based Kari Kapitan, paired with Roti Jhala for the adults and steamed rice for the little.

Another thing that I noticed on the menu was that they have given recommendations for seafood based on seasonality and time of breeding for different fish species. As someone who is trying to make small attempts at sustainable living, their efforts at helping diners choose right are truly appreciable. They already reduce their carbon footprint by including seasonal food and farm-fresh produce on their menu, and this additional effort towards ocean resources shows their commitment towards the cause. I only wish they also include more diverse options in seafood beyond the limited 5-6 species that I could spot in the menu.

Service was impeccable as always. Debashish, our host for the afternoon made some excellent recommendations and was very efficient with the service. He along with the other hostess who helped us getting seated were extremely helpful and co-operative with the child.

This post is taken from Nitali Tadkalkar in Pune Eat Outs.

#manasiVirenReviews #saladGrills #fPEO #weWereInvited #ghaasPhoosJustGotInteresting #deccan #longPostAlert

There was a time when having a meal comprising of a ‘salad’ was a privilege reserved for the niche upper class, snobbish women starving themselves, concerned about fitting into their Yves Saint Laurent outfits, or basically people with a ‘chemical locha’ in their वरचा मजला.
Yeah, right! Who in their right minds would choose a pile of ghaas phoos over a hearty meal of roti- subzi- dal- rice?

And then came Salad Grills…
The brainchild of Dr. Suhas Shelke, (who holds a PhD in Molecular chemistry), it quite literally has been balancing the equation between ‘ghaas phoos’ and ‘taste’ since half a decade.

Located bang opposite the legendary Bipin snacks (or Sahyadri Hospital) on Karve road, it’s a small place that could easily skip your attention if you’re too busy trying to evade the gang of policemen who stand on the road just outside the outlet, stopping unwary bikers who’ve been flouting the recently upgraded traffic norms (which again, provides a great source of entertainment as you await your salads!) 😉

Parking is a huge concern, primarily because it’s located on the main road (half of which is blocked due to the ongoing metro work).
Pro tip: Take a rickshaw/ cab here, or park your car on Prabhat road, opposite Darshan and walk the rest of the way.

Salad Grills is a small outlet- there are just four small tables seating 2 each, so at a time, a maximum of eight diners can be seated inside. However, the bulk of their clients are served through delivery portals like Swiggy and Zomato, where they seem to be quite popular, as in the hour and a half that we spent there, we noticed at least 20 delivery executives who’d come to collect their orders.

Prof. KM Gokhale, the legendary Sadashiv Pethi chemistry teacher I learnt from, would often say, if you’re good in the chemistry lab, you’d undoubtedly be good in the kitchen! (Which answers all questions regarding Suhas’s recipes!)

The decor is vibrant and quirky- has bright greens, reds, yellows and blues- sets the mood right for the riot of colours on your plate. The menu comprises basic and premium salads in vegetarian and chicken options. They also have iced teas in some interesting flavours- with your quintessential lemon and litchi, there’s also pomegranate, apple, and believe it or not- guava and chilli! The latter is absolutely brilliant! Super refreshing, with the unmistakable flavour of ‘tikhat lawlela laal peru’. #mustTry
What I really appreciated about their iced teas was that they weren’t super- sweet, unlike the ‘machine wale’ or ‘powder wale’ iced teas. They were quite reasonably priced too, at Rs. 65/- a glass.

The team at Salad Grills makes their own dressings.. and that’s why each salad is unique.
A good salad comprises a good balance between veggies and greens, with dressing in the perfect proportion- which imparts its unique flavour, while, at the same time, doesn’t overpower that of the basic ingredients.
The cuts of the vegetables in each salad was different- few were julienned, few cubed or diced.

Another thing one often worries about while having salads is the freshness of the ingredients. (I can hear my Mom’s voice in my head, as she’d comment about my Subway obsession in my college days- कधी चिरून ठेवले असेल कुणास ठाऊक!) I didn’t visit the kitchen at Salad Grills, but by some basic tricks of deduction (inspection of the julienned apple slices from all sides- they weren’t browned by oxidation), came to a conclusion that they were freshly chopped! (Elementary, my dear Watson!)
Moreover, they do have a good turnover with regards to the delivery portals, so it is unlikely they would be able to store processed ingredients for too long!

Viren and Suhas discussed at length about the nuances of salad- making (the former having made them for five years at the PBC kitchen at JW). Suhas’s recipes have greatly evolved over the five years he’s been operational (from Kalyaninagar and now Deccan)- from the initial classic cookbook recipes, to something more suited to the Indian palate, and to take- aways and deliveries… For yes, it’s true, the food trend in Pune hasn’t still evolved to a point when a family plans to go out for a meal, and says ‘Chalo salad khaane jaate hain’! The recent dressings Suhas has introduced includes a creamy tandoor dressing and a dilli masala chatpata dressing- which we would be easily able to identify with!

Coming to the salads we tried-
Roasted mushroom pasta salad: Al dente fusilli and farfalle, in a bed of roast mushrooms, julienned bell peppers, apples, romane lettuce and raisins with a Balsamic black date vinaigrette dressing- this one was sweetish, but did the job for me! (Yeah, I can’t make a bhaaji without adding sugar in it!)

Italian chicken salad: Grilled chicken chunks with julienned bell peppers, apples and zucchini, sliced black olives on a bed of Romane lettuce in a creamy Italian dressing.

Asian noodle salad: Tossed noodles in a tangy Asian ginger vinaigrette, with grilled mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, red cabbage and micro- greens with a dash of pepper- I found this one very very different compared to the first one, and was a welcome change in taste!

German Chicken salad: This one had tomatoes, lettuce, apples, micro greens and jalapenos with grilled chicken in German yoghurt dressing.

The basic salads are priced between Rs. 130/- to 180/-, whereas the premium veg salads start at Rs. 175/-, to a maximum of Rs. 350/- for a premium chicken salad with some specialized ingredients.
The portion size is quite enough for a light meal for someone with a decent appetite.

They also serve garlic breads- plain, cheese, olive and mushroom. They’re quite decent, though not exceptional.

They have recently introduced salad cups- which is more of a light bite for ‘Shaam wali chhoti bhook’ (इति Ankita and Sameer) 😉
So these cups are layered with the dressing at the bottom, and the veggies one over the other on the top- enabling one to carry them around without spilling. When you wish to eat it, you just shake it, and have a freshly tossed salad ready!
Unique concept, and reasonably priced at Rs. 60- 90/-.

Plus, they’re on Friends of PEO!!! The deal includes between 20- 50% off on dine in, and 25% on takeaways!
Would surely recommend Salad Grills as a worth- trying place, and a salad as a worth- trying meal for the days when you wanna eat out, but don’t want to regret a pizza! 

This post is taken from Manasi Naralkar‘s post in Pune Eat Outs.

Paul John ‘Nirvana’: The Rs.2950/- single-malt! (Now in Pune)

Paul John known globally for their peated editions of Brilliance, Edited and Bold, have now launched their first unpeated whisky and gotta admit, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! Being unpeated, you don’t get the smokiness that’s generally associated with this distillery. What you get though, is a flavor profile that is very very similar and almost half the price of one of my other favorites, Jack Daniels ❤️

Nose: Opens with Vanilla, honey and gentle toffee notes followed by spices and fresh fruits gently to balance it out.

Palate: The spices are there with cinnamon, ginger and a touch of nutmeg but again it’s the fruity side that shines through.
Finish: Loooooooooong, richly flavored with honey, barley and vanilla.

ABV: 40% / 70°
Cask: Ex-Bourbon for the 1st and 2nd fill.
Filtration: Chill filtered and naturally coloured.
Age: I’m guessing can’t be for more that 2yrs considering the angels share is almost 8-10% every year.

Closing thoughts:
This is by far the best bang-for-buck single malt out there. Checks almost all the boxes at the price. However, if robust whiskies are your thing, then please stay away from this one.

Lastly, let this particular whisky breathe. Add just few drops of water (anything more and you will kill it) and let it rest for a few minutes.

Cheers! 🥃

This post is taken from Kartik Ganesh‘s post in Pune Eat Outs.

Idliwale , Baner

Who travels from VimanNagar in these rains to Balewadi do eat Idli ?? We did and of course there was a reason . This place that opened yesterday , plans to make Idli Great again and give Pune what needs more of .

And why not ? The menu has 4 main Dishes .. the place loves you standing and eating ( remember the legendary Bangalore outlets ?) and projects Idlis as not just breakfast and meals as well .

Here is what we finished between 2 of us 🙂

1) Kundapur Chicken Curry with Idli – Mildly spiced curry with native spices you would associate with the region and good hint of coriander seeds with perfectly cooked steaming hot chicken curry with Idlis and Radish and Groundnut slaw .

2) Idli Chutney – Rather chutneys . There is a Green Coriander , Daala ( डाळ्या) ,Coconut one like you would get at Brahmins in Bangalore .. they proudly mention it’s inspired . You also have a very Maharashtra inspired Daalya and groundnut one and a third one is a Podi but pumped up version than the texture laden , low on flavors one you will have with Ghee.
Not to miss the drops of Curry leaf oil and chilli oil.

When was the last time you had idli like this ????

3) Idli Sambar – Finally well spiced , freshly made without any ready masalas and with a LOT of vegetables Sambar in Pune. Note for me a good sambar is not sweet , spicy or tangy it’s somewhere in the middle with all notes present .

4) Meatball Chettinad Style with Idli – Yo , it’s mutton and idli . Juicy keema balls , almost melt after a few bites in a spicy Chettinad curry is what I call a dream dish :)) please keep that spoon back , use your hands , crush the idlis and let your food fantasies fulfill..

In all these combos , do not miss the Hero ….The Idlis…. Right coarse , non sticky , porous , non dense idilis served hot or warm depending on your choice of combination.

Next time….. You think of eating something new …Yet something native , original and comforting … think Idliwale…Do yourself a favor and try it out soon.

Location –
Near Amar Paradigm,
The lane of Patang / 1 BHK
Baner – Balewadi

Level 5, Kothrud,

Porky awesomeness in K-Town!

They say that Pork and Apple is a match made in heaven. Well, Heaven is what I tasted when I dug into the Pork Belly with Apple Sauce at Level 5 Bistro & Bar! PERFECTLY cooked pork belly, with beautifully rendered down fat, served with apple cinnamon sauce, a barbecue sauce and a hot sauce, this pork belly is to DIE for! So soft, you can cut it with a spoon. Yes, I am gushing, coz I week after I tried this at the #foodtasting, I took my family and a couple of other pork-premi friends to eat this again!

Giving solid competition to the awesomeness that was the pork belly was the Ham and Cheese Croissant. The Croissant is baked in house, and is airy, flaky, and oooh so buttery – so good that I bought 3 plain croissant to eat on my way home! The Croissant is sliced and stuffed with slices of ham, cheese and a half fried egg, so when you cut into it, the egg oozes out. Bite into it, and you get the buttery crunch of the croissant, followed by the gooey egg and cheese, with the ham nicely rounding off this beautiful meal.

Rounding off the trifecta of Pork, were the Pork ribs. Cooked so beautifully, that lifting the rib made the meat fall off! Coated with a spicy african spice rub, the ribs were a stark contrast to the Pork belly.

Well, the menu does contain a bunch of other items as well, including the delicious “Mahim Kheema Cutlet” – a very Bombay-ish dish (i wish they served pav with it) and the Asian Mutton Chops – a gorgeous plate of mutton cooked in sweet n spicy sauce.

End the meal with the Rum n Raisin ice cream to get a solid hit of Old Monk!

Love it!

#ConradSundayBrunch
#Surreal
#Foodgasm
#notareviewbutanexperience

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲:

The Sunday brunch at 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐊𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐧- 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐫𝐚𝐝 is mind-blowing in truest sense. An extensive mix of Indian, Asian, and Transatlantic menu, this brunch surely qualifies as one of the best brunch buffet spreads in Pune. The desserts are literally the icing on the cake and will satiate your sweet cravings to the tee! Although priced at a steeper range, this brunch is a must-have if you don’t mind spending some extra bucks for phenomenal food!

𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭, 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝:

What is the perfect way to end your weekend? Of late I have discovered that mine is a late Sunday morning followed by a lazy brunch!

A huge fan of Anthony Bourdain, it was almost blasphemous of me to attend a brunch since it’s only been a couple of days that he has gone to a better place. No, not because I am mourning incessantly after his demise, but because the man’s thoughts on a Sunday brunch are extensively known. And they are not particularly flattering.

Although I read it a long time ago, Bourdain’s “Kitchen Confidential” has had a substantial influence on my culinary habits. The man in his book has emphasized that how Sunday brunches are nothing but a marketing gimmick that the restaurants deploy to recycle their past week’s leftovers and give their B team some kitchen time.

Marred by this ideology, I refrained from attending Sunday brunches for almost a better part of my food journey. We’ve all watched Carrie and the Sex and the City girls do their Sunday brunches over Champagne and a bowl of muesli. Maybe an exorbitant breakfast once a week gives us a taste of that allure and makes our lives a little less humdrum than they might really be. Precisely for the same reason, a part in me always wanted to break the shackles and try brunching with an open mind.

And boy was I glad that I took the leap of faith and decided to join my husband and a friend couple for the posh and eclectic Sunday brunch at Coriander Kitchen-Conrad.

The moment you enter the buffet lounge you are greeted with the choicest of desserts arranged exquisitely to entice and congratulate you on deciding to embark the remarkable gastronomical expedition. It’s almost phantasmagoric to find yourself surrounded with cakes, strudels, pies, pastries, chocolate delicacies, cheesecakes, Indian sweets, puddings, brownies, and the works. The sight surely reminded me of my childhood dream of being on a dessert mountain and gorging on the delicious sweets to my heart’s content.

The fairy tale continues to some of the most striking delicacies you can fathom: exotic cheeses, assorted cold cuts, scrumptious sea-food, the ubiquitous but delicious breakfast items, live pastas and pizzas, the ever-present chaat items, assortment of sides like papads, pickels, and condiments, the worthiest of Asian fare, the multifarious hors d’oeuvres, the delectable main course, the most potent of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, the artistically expurgated and adorned fruits, the salubrious salads, the decadent desserts, one-pot-meals such as ratatouille, biryanis, baked vegetables, and so on.

In past I’ve experienced that things that are vastly imposing are seldom inviting. But not with this spread! Each item is presented beautifully.. .so enthralling that it becomes almost sacrosanct and inviolable. But then sense prevails and when the reverie is broken you do nothing but keep on stuffing your mouth with more and more food.

My top choices:

1: Red Wine Poached Pears with Mascarpone and Candied Walnuts: red wine poached pears with, rosemary, sweet honey mascarpone, and a sweet crunchy walnut on top.

2. Crab meat Salad: Most often the crab meat salad you get is of imitation crab meat. That is a small white fish pulverized, shaped, and cured to represent the real deal. Not this one though! Sumptuous to the core!

3. Litchi Basil and Ginger Ravioli: This one is the show-stopper. A truly eccentric combination of litchi permeated with basil leaves and ginger strands. All the flavours blend congruously to create a party in your mouth.

4. The Chocolate Truffle Cake: Adore Chocolate? Then this luxurious, rich, and creamy chocolate truffle cake is for you. With a bittersweet chocolate ganache filling, this truly is an indulgence you shouldn’t miss!

5. Pistachio Chicken Terrine with Beetroot Glaze: A great and simple dish! It is perfect to change your palate considering all the other rich fare going around.

6. Prawns Cocktail: A classic never goes out of fashion! There is a strange comfort in eating prawns in a glass bowl on a bed of lettuce and tossed in with some mayonnaise and pepper. A winner all the way.

7. The lobster preparation: Forgot the name coz by the time I had it, I was surely high on food. A sure try preparation, the lobster was cooked and seasoned perfectly.

It’s almost improbable that you will be able to taste each and every item on the spread in one go. At that moment like a sudden epiphany I could make sense of the famous song by Paul Kelly “keep on coming back for more”. There is no way that you have tasted this epic spread once and you won’t desire to come back for more.

I remember watching an episode of “No Reservations” featuring “El Bulli”. In that episode Anthony Bourdain uttered a now very famous line: “I like being wrong about things”. I truly believe that the Sunday brunch at Conrad has the potential to annihilate Bourdain’s ideology for Sunday brunches.

Such a fantastic evening we had at Brasserie Cinq.

We were a group of 6 of us and I booked through the app and received the confirmation in a jiffy. It was a lovely evening last week on Friday, where it was raining steadily but not too heavily.

We were welcomed with a warm smile and the setup felt nice and comfy. 2 in our group who were vegetarians chose the 3 course meal and the rest of us non vegetarians went for the a la carte option.

Trust me, each and every dish that we had that evening, was excellent. All dishes highly recommend.

We had a lot of dishes that evening but to name a few, we had the Goat Cheese & Spinach Souffle, Jumbo Grilled Prawns, Salmon Roulade, Red Snapper, Hay Smoked Chicken Leg, Pan Fried King Fish, Tiramisu, Dark Chocolate Semifriddo and the Creme Brulee.

If you haven’t been to this place, you are seriously missing out on a gem and a fantastic experience.

Thank you so much Ambar Rode and special gratitude to your service team for being patient and helpful with suggestions to us.

Thank you Aniruddha Patil for giving such a special experience to us PEO members. Also big thank you for putting up a post the every same day earlier which helped us choose Brasserie Cinq.