Eating out in Pune : The good, the bad, the ugly...: August 2011

Sunday, 7 August 2011

Cream Centre @ Cypress hotel

Very few places have bowled me over with their vegetarian food.

Cream Centre is one of them (Kebab Factory is the other). These two make up my top two places to eat veg. food. The food here is simply delightful. The experience is also delightful.
Cream Centre is pure veg. by the way, Kebab factory is mixed veg. and non-veg.

Ambience
The ambience at Cream Centre is new age and swanky. More over the restaurant is also very clean and the service is awesome. You can go here anytime with family, friends and dates too!

Cream Centre sets the Gold Standard on service. The waiters were good and courteous and also orders were served in record time, with very little waiting. The tables were also cleared of used cutlery almost as soon as they were done with. Kudos to the staff! Curry on the roof needs to learn very quickly from these guys!

Main Course
Starters :-
I tried the "Three-in-one starter", which consists of batter fried baby corn, batter fried onion rings and American cheese balls with corn. The baby corn and the onion rings were simply mind blowing. The red sauce served with them was also amazing. The onion rings and baby were however rather oily so could not be eaten without the sauce. The cheese balls were completely avoidable. No like.
The onion rings if ordered solely, is served on a steel pole. Nice concept.

Burrp.com has rated the Nachos at Cream Centre as the best Nachos ever. They were definitely good.
Tortilla chips with melted and thin cheese and salsa sauce. Very nice. The salsa sauce seemed to be made in house as it did not have the kind of sourness that the bottled variety has. The tortillas were masala tortilla. Basically the Nachos were "Indianised". A must have!

The Tandoori Paneer Tikkas were also amazing. The Paneer pieces were very soft and lightly flavoured.
Cream Centre sets the gold standard for how fresh and soft Paneer should be served. I don't think I have had Paneer like this in Pune before.

The Channa Bhatura served is in Punjabi style where there is a hint of the taste of tea in the Channa. A little spicy but tasty none the less. The best part was that the Bhatura was less oily unlike other places were you can taste and get sick of the taste oil in the bhatura. Their bhaturas can be eaten plain, straight away. Another A+ for Cream Centre.

They also have the chota sizzlers, and believe me, they really are chota. Quarter the size of a regular sizzler, and packs a tasty punch. The paneer chilli sizzler is mind blowing. It consists of Chilli paneer gravy served with rice on a sizzler plate. Of course, the paneer was awesome again. Another must try.

The drinks are also served in large glasses which makes it worth the price. Also the iced teas are not the packet Nestea kind and are made in-house. Usually, the peach flavour iced tea is better than the Lemon flavour however, the reverse was true this time.

Price
Three-in-one : Rs. 150
Sizzling Paneer Chilli : Rs. 210
Channa : Rs. 120
Bhatura : Rs. 45
Nachos : Rs. 195
Lemon Iced Tea : Rs. 110
Peach Iced Tea : Rs. 110
Fruit Punch : Rs. 155
Tandoori Paneer Tikka : Rs. 190

Place is certainly not cheap, but great value for money as the taste is worth it.

If only they had non-veg. also.

The next day I got a "Thank You for visiting" email from Cream Centre. I also got a call about my comments on the feedback form about the baby corn and onion rings being oily and that I could have got it changed.

Now that is what I call service.

[Please note. it may sound like they bribed me for such an awesome review; I assure you I was not. Try it out for yourself!]

Address : Hotel Fern Survey No.2081 Lane No.10,
Near Kalpataru Residency Opposite Solaris Gym
Kalyani Nagar Pune - 411 014
Tel: +91 (20) 40180000
Timings: 11AM to 11PM

Their website.

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Puran Da Dhaba @ Hotel Pride Executive [Buffet]

After hearing much praise for the North Indian food at Puran Da Dhaba, a visit by yours truly was a must. On my visit it turned out that they had buffet dinner that night and not a-la-carte.

Ambience
The decor is very nicely done. A replica of the dhabas as seen in the north complete with baithaks, the look a feel of low lying brick walls, the vessels used to serve food and drinks, the vessel used for the tasty preparations on buffet table, the mutka glasses etc, all add to the originality of the concept of Dhaba. The entrance area is also made to look like a road with a sabzi mandi, baithaks, and road signs. For entertainment there is a live band playing (at least on a Saturday night), a mehendi designer for the ladies and also an Astrologer. The live band sings old Hindi songs, some ghazals and they even take requests.

A very nice place to sit with family or even friends for a long duration whilst having dinner, slowly and steadily.

Dinner
Starters :- Aloo tikki, Chicken tikka, Fish tikka, tandoori banana and pineapple. Th Aloo tikki was very nice. The chicken tikka was standard, kind of like how you get it every where else. The second batch of chicken tikkas however, were not boneless. This was a bit annoying. The fish tikka had a very strong fish smell, hence I did not like that. The tandoori kela was really good but the tandoori pineapple, really BAD!.

Main course :-
Shorbas available were dal and Palak Shorba, chicken Shorba. I am not a very big fan of shorbas since they are very watery and usually tasteless. The dal palak shorba however, was better that the chicken shorba.
--> Benarasi Dum aloo :- very nice with the roast flavour and masala.
--> Lasooni Paneer : very weak taste and thin gravy. Not impressed.
--> Moong Dal : I did not like this at all. Too thin, watered down.
--> Benarasi Kukkad (chicken) : Nice chicken gravy with soft chicken pieces.
--> Sweet Lassi : very nice.
--> Chai : Awesome chai. Just needed to be a little warmer.
--> Gosht Biryani : Overall I did not like the Biryani. I think there was some more flavour required. I think I got something from the bottom of the vessel which was slightly burnt. The mutton pieces were quite soft though. I have had better.

Desserts
--> Doodhi halwa : Brilliant! To kill for.
--> Gulab Jamun : So-so. It was the sugar coated type. A little more sweet than required.
--> Kesar Barfi : Not worth a special mention.

Price

Rs. 575 per head + taxes
Coke Rs. 75 + taxes
Cocktails in the Rs. 250-325 range + taxes.
Service tax also charged.

Roughly Rs. 800 - 1000 per head with drinks.

Overall not very impressed with the buffet dinner. I hope a-la-carte is better. Will find out soon enough. Will post about it then

Puran Da dhaba on the Web.

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Breakfast at Vohuman cafe [Next to Jehangir Hospital]

Parsi and Irani cafes in Pune are very well known and loved. Especially for their chai.
One such Parsi cafe is Vohuman Cafe next to Jehangir hospital.

It is a small place with limited seating and resembles the canteens of most colleges in India, albeit quarter or less than quarter the size. Plastic chairs and tables, people sitting at tables placed anywhere there is space, is the typical layout of the cafe.

There can be quite a wait for getting a table as well.

There is not much you can expect here from service. Usually one guy takes the orders and you have to call him at least 5 times before he responds. There are some other chaps who just stand around and do not take orders, and always re-direct to the the ever so busy order taking guy.

Orders once placed also take a heck of a long time to reach you.
Chai and Bun maska are the only things that reach you instantly, but as for anything which is prepared with eggs, it takes a while, enough to drive you crazy. Especially so, if you have come there for breakfast after playing a couple of hours of Badminton!

The breakfast I tried here was :-
1) Cheese omelette made with one or two eggs - Wow this is awesome and tasty. A real heavy one too. It is a must try.
2) Egg bhurji made with one or two eggs - Okay. Some like it, some don't. I was not very impressed with it.
3) Chai - Nice tea. The tea is NOT like the strong, boiled for hours type that you typically get at Vaishali/Madhuban/Shiv Sagar/Tapris etc. The best part is that it is perfectly sweet.
4) Egg fry made of one or two eggs - This is the sunny side up eggs. Very little can go wrong with this one, so not much to say here. Salt and pepper to add taste.

The bun maska and buttered toasts (both with a very generous helping of maska) are really good here, but still a few points away from the kind that you get at Good Luck Cafe on F.C. road.

Pricing

1) Two eggs cheese omelette - Rs. 60
2) Chai - Rs. 15
3) Bun maska/buttered toast - Rs. 15 /Rs. 20
4) Two egg bhurji - Rs. 30

If you can tolerate the wait for the service the omelette with cheese is a must try.

I would really think twice before I go there again, because of, and only because of, the wait involved.

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Shiv Sagar @ Aundh [Mexican Snacks]

If you are in Aundh, and feel like having some quick Mexican snacks, DO NOT go to Shiv Sagar.
It was quite disappointing. It used to be very good earlier but don't go there for Mexican. Try them for Indian and South Indian food instead. After waiting there in line and then being disappointed by their Mexica,n is not the way to go.

Shiv Sagar used to be the first and only place where mexican (of course Indianised) used to be available...circa 10 years ago.

I tried the following that evening at around 5'o clock as a snack.
1) Taco Special - 6 mini tacos(bite sized). Nothing special about it. The bean filling was also not good.
2) Nachos roasted with Capsicum and cheese - Bad! Bad! Bad! The tortilla chips were soft and felt a bit ... "old". The cheese was not soft and had hardened. It was not served warm and we had to ask for it to be re-heated. There was no taste and the Salsa sauce served with it was the only good thing and saving grace of the Nachos. Even the capsicums were not helping.
3) Coffee - Okay.
4) Tea - The tea was not strong but something was wrong. An instant acidity trigger.

Price
Taco Special - Rs. 140
Nachos roasted with Capsicum and cheese -150
Coffee - 20
Tea -30

Must avoid Mexican here.

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Polka Dots @ Kalyani Nagar

Polka Dots serves up a mean mix of continental and some Asian food. Beware when having Indian food at their restaurant (applies to the Aundh branch). Their Indian food can sometimes leave you sadly disappointed. To make up for it, their continental usually is outstanding.

Ambience
A small elevated restaurant with one side open to the road over a low wall, rather than having windows, the decor is not much to speak about. Also the desserts are on display in a centrally located glass display.
The chef's area is completely visible through a large glass window.
Not much to say about the ambience.

Dinner
1) Vietnamese Garlic pepper chicken - This was is kind of like a Chinese Manchurian with lots of ground pepper and sweetened soy sauce gravy. It was okay, not great. The sweetness can get to you after a while. Not something you have have on it's own (as I did) and some noodles or rice accompaniment is recommended (recommended by me, they never mentioned it).

2) Chicken Lasagna - The chicken lasagna was chicken Kheema with cheese in a brown "Lasagna sauce". The layers of the Lasagna were not well defined and it all seemed to be almost mashed up together. There was a lot of Kheema and less of the Lasagna layers. The Lasagna came with an outstanding garlic bread which was lightly herbed. The garlic bread was so good, that I ordered a plate more and told them to make it exactly like the previous one. Sadly, they did not do that. The second order or garlic bread was not herbed and not as good the initial one.

A light dinner which left me half happy.

The virgin Caprioska was well made (ordered by my wife and not me, in case you were wondering).

Price
1 Virgin Caprioska
1 Chicken Lasagna
1 Vietnamese Garlic pepper chicken
1 portion garlic bread.
Rs. 737 /- ( all incl.)

Must haves at Polka Dots
Veg. Lasagna.
Bruckwerst.
Schnitzel

Polka Dots is a must visit, although this time was not the usual great.

Address : Kalyaninagar, Near Ramwadi Naka, Next to Bishop's School
Phone: (020)-6561 1739 .
Timings : 11 am to 11pm, 7 days a week

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Mainland China Buffet (Lunch)

Buffets are generally a good idea for foodies. A wide range of options, right from starters to the desserts and unlimited quantity, all for a fairly reasonable price.
Mainland China is easily one of the best Chinese restaurant chains in Pune. A-la-carte dining at Mainland China is always a delight, however only one of their outlets in Pune, the one on Boat club road, has a lunch buffet. After many years of wanting to go there for the lunch buffet, finally I did venture there, and as always, was delighted.

Ambience
The ambience in Mainland China is very fitting with the Chinese theme. Chinese lamps dangling from the ceiling and large chinese paintings on the wall blend very nicely with the overall ambience.
A nice place to go for dinner with the family and also maybe on a date. Not very romantic lighting or even mood lighting but then the food will make the date all the more splendid. There was quite a din in the place but that did not make having your own conversations difficult, and not unnoticeable.

A quick run through of all the dishes and how they were.

On the Menu that day
Starters
-- Chicken Siumai - steamed chicken dumplings. Very nice.
-- Jiang's chilli chicken - Amazing fried chickens pieces in a chilli sauce. Also very nice. My compliments to Jiang!

-- Veg mini roll - mini Veg. spring rolls. Strictly so-so. Avoidable.
-- Crispy potato - A must have. Potatoes, fries and crispy, the best formula as always.
-- Veg. Basil dumpling - I myself did not like this very much; not a basil fan, the vegetarians around did seem to enjoy this.
-- Eight treasure soup(Veg. and Non.Veg.)- Worth having for sure.

Main Course
Veg.

-- Tossed Veg. dumpling chilli soya -
-- Sapo tofu veg. - A must have. Never has tofu been made in such a spectacular manner!
-- Mix. Veg. in hot garlic sauce - How can any Chinese veg. meal be complete without a hot garlic sauce dish. Pretty neat.
-- Okra egg plant in black pepper sauce. - Did not try this. Hey! I have limited room in my stomach!
-- Four treasure veg. fried rice- Not comparable to their Lotus rice, but good taste none the less. If you can eat the rice with any gravy and love it, that my friend, is a good rice, and that is exactly what this is.

Non. Veg.
-- Lamb in Peking style sauce ~ Awesome. Soft lamb pieces in a brown sauce. Loved it. However, if you do not like the inherent lamb flavour/fragrance, you may not like the taste of the lamb chunks.
-- Crab in garlic butter sauce ~ Not a fan of Crab. Crab piece was okay, gravy not extraordinary.
-- Chicken in Sichuan chilli sauce ~ Pretty good, especially in front of the other dishes.
-- Prawn in Chilli oyster sauce ~ Prawn pieces a little chewy. Could have been better. Overall not bad.
-- Fish in Yellow bean sauce ~ Strictly okay, not very impressed.
-- Mixed meat fried rice ~ Second only to their Lotus rice, and good to have without gravies too.
-- Chicken hakka noodles ~ Not extraordinary.

Drink
A choice of mock-tail or a glass of beer.

Desserts
Tart
Pastry
Mousse
Fresh fruits

Not a wide range of choices in the desserts section, however some of the chocolate mousse and pastries are worth having. Avoid anything which is mango/musk melon flavored. Some of the fresh fruits were tasty, especially the pineapple.

Price
Rs. 595 + taxes per head. A very reasonable price taking into account that there is an option for beer and seafood included. I want to say that the buffet was extraordinary, but can't since not everything was awesome, as I would have liked it to be.
Recommended none the less. It is a must try.

A-la-carte dining at Mainland China is very expensive, on average Rs. 800-1000 per head.

A-la-Carte must haves
In case you go to Mainland China and have a-la-carte, then you must try their crispy fried vegetables, Lotus rice, and the dumpling they serve with a thin brown sauce (the name escapes me at the moment).

The management at Mainland China do seem to be very particular about their image and dedicated to their work. We had put in a comment in the feedback form about their manager and the Senior manager immediately came to us to discuss the feedback. Such prompt response from management or corporates is very pleasing to see and experience.

I saw a placard behind the toilet door when exiting. The placard mentioned that if we wanted anything, we could ask the management for it and they would arrange for it. For e.g. if you wanted a sewing kit while dining there. There were a few more interesting examples which I can't seem to remember. This is a very unique and nice gesture. Kudos to them.

Mainland China website

Address : City Point,
               Gr. Floor, Dhole Patil Road,
               Boat Club,

Tel :      (020) 66013030, 30463605 , 30463606
Email : mlcpune1@speciality.co.in
Timings : 12:00 pm - 3:30 pm & 7:00 pm - 11:30 pm

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Curry on the roof @ Prabhat road

Curry on the roof is a rooftop restaurant on Prabhat road. It also has a non-rooftop level which is completely enclosed, however, the roof level is nice to sit on.
I went here with a bunch of friends on Friday evening after work. I have been here 4-5 times in the past and have always liked to food there. However this time there were some differences. The roof top section was closed. the waiters mentioned it was because of renovation. Anyway, so I decided that the 8 of us could sit on the lower level.

Being with with a fairly large group of friends did not allow me to fully review or pay attention to the food, however, my and the overall opinion was that the food was not great. This makes me not want to review that at all.
I never felt like this about Curry on the roof before but this time it was sorely disappointing.

So, a quick a rant about the place and a sign-off. Maybe next time I would have a better post, if I go there again that it.

AMBIENCE
The restaurant is done up fairly well with wood work and carvings . All the chandeliers and lamps are decorated with multi-coloured mosaic glass. The decor is pretty neat, a little hard to describe but not out of this world. The chairs are fairly comfortable.
The men's toilet was a little funny. The wash basin was in a narrow corner between two walls.
The wall left had a wall mounted hand dryer. The right wall had a paper towels dispenser. While washing my hands, my elbow would repeatedly set off the hand dryer. A small annoyance.
The wash-basin and the toilet were in separate areas; the toilet door had a small glass clear window at the top left corner. If you were tall enough, you could look inside the toilet rather clearly. I am still baffled with this design! This is a rather odd feature according to me, n'est pas?

The menu is a spiral bound menu with the front and back cover made of plywood and a rectangle protrusion on the front cover (kind of like sticking a portrait, rectangular picture frame on the front face) to make it look like a window. I found this a very nice way of presentation for a menu, until I saw another copy of the menu. In this copy, the second side of the front plywood still had the plywood manufacturers print on it! C'mon guys, a little more effort to polish and remove the print on the wood, would have been nice! The first page describes Pune city briefly. Nice Touch

One thing that stuck out from the evening was that, there was quite a din in the restaurant. With the restaurant full and a lot of people talking, it was not easy to ignore the overall sound. However, it did not make it difficult to speak to the others on the table. Not a place for a quite dinner for sure.
There was soft Hindi music in the background which did not disturb but was difficult to hear because of the surrounding noise. Not an issue at all since you don't go to a restaurant for its music 90% of the times.

Not a place to go for having a few drink evening, where you might want a bit of exclusivity.

SERVICE
The service was pathetically SLOW. They set the gold standard of how slow a service should NOT be. It took at least 20 minutes for anything ordered to be served. ANYTHING. Nothing came quickly. As a result of the waiting, a couple of us ended up drinking quite a few glasses of water. Not something to look forward to in a restaurant! (I don't know if they realise this also reduces their business as the number of items ordered would reduce). The waiters were okay and could use a little more training. Also the waiters were talking amongst themselves rather loudly adding to the overall aural content.

Cost was about 600 per head.

Alternate reviews at Zomato.com

I would surely think 4 times before going back here!

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Sunday, 7 August 2011