MOUTHWATERING MUMBAI MEMORIES FOODIE TRAIL PRAWN KOLIWADA

MOUTHWATERING MUMBAI MEMORIES

FOODIE TRAIL

PRAWN KOLIWADA

By  

VIKRAM KARVE 

From my Foodie Archives

Mouthwatering Memories of a foodie adventure I enjoyed three years ago in Mumbai

 

You must have noticed a dish called “Fish Koliwada” or “Prawn Koliwada” on the menu cards of many restaurants.

Recipe books too feature “Koliwada” recipes, and I’ve observed a few eateries featuring “Koliwada” in their names.

But have you gone to the one and only Sion-Koliwada (in Mumbai) from which these yummy seafood delicacies derive their names and actually tasted the genuine Koliwada style cuisine over there?

You haven’t...?

Doesn’t matter.

Come with me on a Foodie Trail.

I’ll take you on a gastronomical trip to Sion Koliwada in Mumbai and, together, let us sample and relish the authentic Koliwada seafood delights on offer.

 

To get there, just drive straight down Shahid Bhagat Singh Road from the Museum. Drive past Horniman Circle, Town Hall, Reserve Bank, GPO, Yellow gate, Dockyard Road Reay Road, Sewree and Wadala railway stations on the Harbour Line Stations. The road will keep changing its name – D’Mello, Barrister Nath Pai, RA Kidwai, Char Rasta – and when it ends at Sion, turn right before the flyover, drive past Shanmukhananda Hall, and when you reach a T-junction, in front of you will see Hazara Restaurant – our destination.

Alternatively take the Harbour line train to GTB Nagar, ask around, walk through the hustle-bustle and cacophony, and then let your nose guide you to Koliwada and Hazara.

 

At the entrance to Hazara you will find heaps of marinated prawns and various types of fish of the season, like pomfret, rawas, surmai.

You can have your seafood deep-fried in the huge kadhai of boiling oil or have it roasted on the coal grill or tandoor. You may see a few pieces of marinated chicken, but ignore them; at Koliwada you’re going to focus on seafood!

 

Every good eatery has a signature dish (unless it’s one of those ubiquitous run-of-the-mill eateries proliferating all over the place which serve such uninspiring pedestrian fare that they are certainly not worth visiting).

You must “plan” your “eat” and know what to relish in a particular restaurant and then “eat” your “plan”.

 

It’s comical to see people eating “Chinese” at Irani, Mughlai and pure vegetarian Gujju and Udipi Restaurants and vegetarian dishes at Baghdadi, Olympia and Bade Mian. I’ve almost split my sides seeing a guy trying to order a pizza at Mathura Dairy Farm when there are excellent pizzerias in the vicinity at Churchgate.

 

Whenever I go to a restaurant I make sure I eat the specialty cuisine of the place. If I don’t know, I look around to see what the regular patrons are savoring, and I ask someone knowledgeable, a connoisseur, or even a waiter!

 

The signature dish of Hazara is Prawns Koliwada. Legend has it that Prawns Koliwada was invented here. You order by weight, half a kilo for two is ample, and watch the prawns sizzle, crackle and dance in the hot oil. I love watching my food being made in front of me.

 

You go inside. You can either sit with the drinking types on the congested, crammed, smoky and noisy ground floor, but it’s best to sit comfortably in the “air conditioned” mezzanine floor where you can watch the goings on below while enjoying your food.

The lip-smacking prawns are crisp, crunchy, scrumptious and zesty – truly exquisite!

Once you have savored Prawn Koliwada at Hazara you'll appreciate the difference between authentic “Prawn Koliwada” and the stuff they serve you at various eateries.

 

Next, let’s have a roasted tandoori pomfret. It looks temptingly appetizing, and as expected, it’s excellent.

 

But the surprise piece de resistance is the succulent melt-in-the-mouth Rawas Koliwada. It tastes blissfully delicious. You close your eyes and let the generous piece of Rawas fish disintegrate, melt and dissolve on your tongue, and let yourself be transported to seventh heaven.

 

At Hazara, you eat only seafood – don’t make the mistake of ordering anything else unless you want to ruin your meal.

And don’t be tempted to order a “quarter” of booze or a beer, which you will find many others doing.

It would be sacrilege to dull your taste buds and “wash down” such magnificent ambrosial seafood delicacies, when you can mindfully savor each and every morsel.

 

Build up an appetite, and head for Hazara to enjoy exquisite incomparable authentic seafood, Koliwada style. I went there long back, more than three years ago, and I wonder if it is still the same. If you happen to be a Foodie in Mumbai, why don’t you try it out and tell us… Let us know how you enjoyed the eating experience and revive our mouth-watering memories…!

 

Happy Eating…!  

 

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2010

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

 An excerpt from my book APPETITE FOR A STROLL comprising my Foodie Adventures

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eating out in Pune - maharashtrian thali at Shreyas Siddhi

A Delicious Maharashtrian Thali in Pune

PUNERI MAHARASHTRIAN FEAST AT SHREYAS SIDDHI

By 

VIKRAM KARVE

 

 

 

On the 30^th of May, a Sunday, we celebrated our 28th Wedding Anniversary, and celebrated it with a sumptuous family meal, as always, for the past few years, with a hearty delicious pure vegetarian Maharashtrian Thali at Shreyas Siddhi, the airconditioned swanky branch of the original Shreyas on Apte Road near Deccan Gymkhana in Pune.

If you are a true-blue Punekar, I am sure you know all about Shreyas and have savoured the delicious dining experience I am about to describe.

Nowadays, I prefer their branch called Shreyas Siddhi near Swar Gate on Satara Road not only due to its proximity to my home but mainly because of the excellent ambience which facilitates relaxed fulfilling family dining in cool comfort.  

One of my notable marital achievements is that I have managed to transform my darling wife into an avid [or should I say voracious] foodie. Now this is quite a remarkable feat considering that she hardly ever ate anything or never even noticed what she was eating when we first met…in fact earlier she used to eat to survive, now saying that she lives to eat maybe “in extremis” but she certainly has developed a penchant for good food and relishes a tasty hearty meal.
  

Outside the restaurant, in the covered patio, hungry patrons wait patiently for their turn. Maybe they want to make you wait for your food and help build up an appetite and they believe in the adage that if you truly want to enjoy good food you must build up an appetite for it.

The moment you enter the cool confines of Shreyas Siddhi you are greeted by the glorious spectacle of devoted foodies enjoying their food with rapt attention and divine expressions of satiation.

You are guided to a table and you sit down. There is already a sparkling clean taat with vatis in front of you. There is no menu card and no need for you to waste your time and effort wondering what to order. The waiters will immediately start serving and filling up your plate. You go to Shreyas to eat their delectable and matchless thali, and if you so desire, you can have a sweet dish like Gulab Jam, Modak, Fruit Salad, Basundi, Aamras or Amrakhand to accompany.

 

The fare varies, and on our latest visit for lunch this Sunday, there was the inimitable ambrosial Aloo Chi Bhaji, excellent Matki Usal, Soothing Soul Kadhi, delicious Umti, zesty Batata Bhaji, Soft melt-in-the-mouth Surali Chya Wadya, Soft Chappaties, Puris, Veg Pulao, Rice with Waran and a liberal topping of pure ghee, Rich Masale Bhat, and the usual Koshimbir, Chutney, Papad, with cool refreshing taak (buttermilk) to wash down the meal.

My darling wife relished her mandatory steamed ukdi cha modak with pure ghee and my son polished off a lip smacking basundi - I tasted both - simply superb!

You can eat to your heart's content – “annapurna” as they say – as all the dishes, everything, is unlimited. And as a grand finale to the fulfilling meal they serve a very refreshing Vida (paan) to enhance the intoxicating sensation you will feel after relishing this magnificent meal.

Did I say “intoxication”?

Yes… intoxication…not the alcoholic kind, but non-alcoholic intoxication at its best. If you truly want to savor this delicious pure vegetarian cuisine, you must build up an appetite for it, and don’t make the mistake of ruining your experience by having a pre-meal appertif before you start off for the place. I think that’s true for all gourmet food, isn't it…?

 

I will not try and describe the delicious dishes. I cannot. Words fail me to recreate the pristine impeccable flavors, aromas, textures and tastes. It’s unmatched delectable top-quality authentic Puneri Maharashtrian cuisine at its best. It’s an “unlimited” meal and you can feast and satiate yourself to your heart’s content.

 

If you are in Pune, or the next time you visit Pune, have a delicious unforgettable meal at Shreyas. It is truly value for money authentic cuisine, a hundred and forty rupees for a thali (they give a discount for senior citizens too). Do have a meal at Shreyas. You will carry with you mouthwatering memories of the delightful feast for a long long time.

 

 

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2010

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work 

If you are interested in Good Food and believe in the adage: There is no greater love than the love of eating then I am sure you will like my foodie adventures book  Appetite for a Stroll

http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm

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TEA Pune Style

HOW TO "COOK" AMRUT TULYA CHAHA

 

By

VIKRAM KARVE

Pune is a Tea Town.

Yes, when I was a small boy, Pune [or Poona as it was known then] was a “TEA TOWN”.

During those days, in Pune, everyone drank tea, except some quirky upaas type aunts who always insisted on sweet milky jaiphal spiced coffee and were “fasting” most of the time on yummy delicacies like Sabudana Khichadi and Wade, Rajgire, waryache tandul, healthy fruits, nourishing milk, calorie-rich pure ghee sweets and similar lip-smacking upasasache padartha.

By the way DALDA, quite popular in those days, made from hydrogenated oils was quite mysteriously “permitted” for upaas as it was considered to be “ghee”.

At home, tea was made in typical Puneri manner as described in my previous blog post recipe  A Cup of Delicious Tea

Outside your home, there were chiefly two types of tea for the laidback discerning gourmet Punekar to relish – AMRUT TULYA CHAHA at the ubiquitous Amruttulya Tea Shops at every nook and corner of Pune, and the peerless IRANI CHAI served by the numerous Irani Restaurants all over Pune city and camp like Café Naaz, Lucky, Good Luck, Volga etc. Indeed Amrut tulya Chaha and Irani Chai are an important aspect of the culinary heritage of Pune.

Irani Chai is the most rejuvenating beverage I have ever had. They keep the steaming rich tea brew and hot milk in separate containers and mix it in just the right proportion to get the terrific inimitable gulabi Irani Chai.

Drench in a fresh soft bun-maska, place it on your tongue, and close your eyes – aren’t you in seventh heaven? Even a cup of piping hot Irani Tea by itself is sheer bliss. 

 

Of my favourite Irani Restaurants, Naaz, Lucky and many others have disappeared, and only Good Luck remains.

Amrut Tulya Chaha tea shops too are fast vanishing too like the one nearest to where I lived on Tilak Road in Sadashiv Peth in the 1960’s next to Ashok Bakery which also disappeared a few years ago. Further down the road past SP College towards Maharashtra Mandal there still exist the legendary Ambika and New Ambika Amruttulyas -- a friend of mine used to say that the morning tea was superb in one and the evening tea in the other.

It’s really sad. The culture of Pune is fast changing. The youngsters don’t drink tea anymore – it’s infra dig, isn’t it?

The young and the restless prefer Coffee. No, not the peaberry-plantation filter coffee served by the Udipi Restaurants which we used to love, but the expensive stylish international coffees served at posh Baristas, CCDs, and high-falutin coffee shops proliferating rapidly all over Pune.

Just imagine, the other day I couldn’t get a cup of decent tea in a multiplex, but there were plenty of varieties of coffee all around.

Hey, it seems I am rambling away and have gone off on a tangent, so let me not digress from our main topic – The Art of making Amrut Tulya Tea.

Amrut means Nectar, and Tulya means Comparable, so “Amrut Tulya” means “Comparable to Nectar” and indeed, true to its name, Amrut-Tulya Tea is comparable to nectar –  sweet, ambrosial, like the elixir of life!

I loved watching Amrut Tulya Chaha being prepared. Amrut Tulya Tea is not brewed in the traditional Tea service style. The Tea is “cooked” in front of you in a brass vessel and as the vessel ages it becomes “tastier” and tastier with time.

I love the “special” chaha.

Milk and water are boiled together, with plenty of sugar, masala [comprising crushed cardamom, ginger], and tea leaves, stirring continuously to make sure it doesn’t overflow.

Come, my dear Tea Lover, let me tell you how to make Amrut Tulya Chaha - The Art of making Tea – Pune Style. 

Assemble the following Ingredients for Two Cups of Amrut Tulya Tea “Special Chaha”.

If you live in Pune, get the famous CTC+OP “Family Mixture” Tea Powder from your favourite “Tea Depot” in the heart of Pune City. Or you may use some good Assam CTC Tea.

By the way, the acronyms are: CTC – Crush, Tear, Curl; OP – Orange Pekoe; BOP – Broken Orange Pekoe.

Full Cream Buffalo Milk [I like Chitale or Sane dairy]

Fresh Water

Sugar

Fresh Ginger Crushed [Better still you can crush the juicy fresh ginger with the chimta directly in the water-milk concoction to let the ginger juices flow out and blend in smoothly]

Cardamom – peel, crush and powder the pods

Before you start, dear reader, here is a note of caution: Please remember that Amrut Tulya Tea is not your traditional Masala Chai so please don’t add any Tea Masalas or spices like clove, cinnamon, black peppercorns or herbs like gavati chaha (lemon grass), tulsi leaves etc. and neither is it the “khada chamach” or “cutting” Chai so please don’t boil away to glory – remember, you must achieve Amrut Tulya Chaha of just the right consistency...!  

Now let us start “cooking” amrut tulya tea – we will make two cups, one for you and one for me.

In a brass vessel [or stainless steel, if you can’t get a brass vessel] mix one cup of water and one cup of milk.

Add four teaspoons of sugar.

Put on the stove on medium heat.

Squeeze in a bit of fresh crushed ginger and add a pinch of cardamom powder and the freshly crushed peel.

Lightly and lovingly stir the concoction, let it warm, and bring to a boil.

Smartly add two teaspoons of tea powder and keep stirring gently to ensure the boiling concoction does not spill over.

Keep boiling till the tea attains beautiful bright golden-orange colour – the moment you see a reddish tinge, give the heavenly brew a loving last stir, twirl the vessel, and sieve the Amrut Tulya Nectar Tea, your Special Chaha, directly into the cups.

You can drink it from the cup, or better still the saucer sucking and pulling in the yummy liquid with your lips and let it deliciously emulsify on your tongue for that heavenly elevating feeling.

Sip the delicious tea slowly and mindfully, roll it on your tongue, let it mingle in your palate, close your eyes, absorb, discern the flavour, the rich taste, relish every sip lovingly.

Amrut Tulya Chaha is truly lip-smacking tasty and soul-refreshing – blissful ambrosia, an experience of nectar – you can take my word for it.

Now you know why they call this refreshingly delicious and nourishing tea Amrut Tulya “comparable to Nectar” Chaha.

Cheers...!!! Enjoy your cup of special Amrut Tulya Nectar Tea.

VIKRAM KARVE

  

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2010

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

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Appetite for a Stroll

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How to make a Delicious Cup of Tea

A DELICIOUS CUP OF TEA

By

VIKRAM KARVE

I love tea.

You too love a cup of invigorating tea, don't you...?

But tell me... do you know how to make a good cup of delicious tea...?

Okay, let me tell you how...here is my time-tested simple way of preparing the best cup of invigorating tea.

Get some good Assam CTC Tea [CTC is an acronym for Crush, Tear and Curl].

CTC teas have a granular appearance and the fact of the matter is that if you are really interested in a Stimulating, Refreshing and Invigorating cup of traditional Indian Tea, Orthodox Leaf Teas [the OPs, the BOPs, et al] just don’t fit the bill – you need CTC tea to brew your strong, bright and full-bodied cup of milky Chai which looks deliciously appetizing – a lively reddish orange colour, not the dull muddy brown colour you get when you add milk to tea made from leaf teas the orthodox “teapot” way.

Take two cups of fresh water [one for you and one for me...!] in a stainless steel vessel.

Add four teaspoons of sugar [yes, sugar must be added before boiling the water].

Put on the stove, cover with a lid and boil.

Once the water starts boiling, remove the lid and boil for one and a half minutes – yes, exactly one and a half minutes...!

Now briskly add two teaspoons of CTC Tea leaves – the boiling water will suddenly erupt, and surge up, like a volcano, so smartly switch off the flame before it spills over and quickly cover tightly with the lid.

Brew for five minutes till the liquor is full-bodied and the infusion is complete.

Have ready some freshly boiled full cream buffalo milk – yes, fresh creamy buffalo milk is a must – in Pune, I prefer Chitale’s.

First pour in some hot milk in the cup, and through a strainer, pour in the rich tea brew and till you get beautiful reddish orange colour.

Remember – always pour tea into milk, never pour milk into tea.

This is the secret of the appetizingly attractive bright lively carroty red colour as it facilitates the perfect blending of the strong rich full-bodied intense tea liquor tea brew with the creamy white milk without producing any bitterness.

Now, go ahead, relish every sip, and enjoy your cup of ambrosial divine rejuvenating tea.

And don't forget to tell us how you liked your delicious cup of tea. 

VIKRAM KARVE

  

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2010

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

 
 

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Veg Jalfrezi

JALFREZI
A Colourful Spicy Sweet and Sour Stir Fry Dish
By
VIKRAM KARVE

At the customary sumptuous buffet lunch following my niece's engagement at Avion Hotel in Mumbai I was pleasantly surprised to see Veg Jalfrezi on the menu.

My mouth watered as I looked at this appetizingly colourful dish comprising crisp crunchy tempting panoply of vegetables – onions, tomatoes, capsicum, carrots, cauliflower, beans, green peas, potatoes, green chillies…

I placed a generous helping of Jalfrezi on my tongue, closed my eyes…the Jalfrezi was exceptional…the vegetables fresh and crunchy and the distinctive flavoursome, zesty, spicy, sweet and sour taste clearly coming through.

When I was a small boy, Jalfrezi, both the Veg and Non Veg version, was a regular feature on restaurant menus.

It was the onslaught of Punjabi and Mughlai Cuisines, the increasing popularity of the Kormas, the Koftas, the "kadhai" and "butter" makhanwala curries and gravies, the preponderance of the ubiquitous paneer, that gradually pushed Jalfrezi out of most popular menus and now one gets this unique dish only at select restaurants.

The stir-fry Jalfrezi method of cooking is different from the traditional Indian Curry Recipes… in fact, Jalfrezi is an Anglo-Indian dish…a relic, a culinary gift, of the Raj.

Jalfrezi is not a curry or gravy, it a stir fry dish which must look colourful and you must be able to identify the various vegetables (and meats, if any) which be of crisp consistency and taste lip-smacking yummy.
Jalfrezi literally means "hot-fry" but is probably better translated as "stir-fry". The term jalfrezi entered the English language at the time of the British Raj in India. Colonial households employed Indian cooks who would use the jalfrezi method of cooking to heat up cold roasted meat and potatoes. Some say that during the Raj, the British created this method of reheating left-overs, especially left-over meats.

Others say that Jalfrezi has its roots in the Calcutta region of India at the time of the British Raj. They credit the Governor General for the state of Bengal, Lord Marcus Sandys who enjoyed spicy Indian foods for inventing this dish. In Bengal, 'Jhal' means spicy hot. Jhal led to Jal, and to this they probably added "fry" and "jee" which probably became "zee" – jal…fry…zee.

It is easy rustle up a delicious jalfrezi. To put it in a nutshell - Jalfrezi is a simple dish…the Indian version of Chinese stir-fry made with curry spices.

Take a variety of vegetables… onions, tomatoes, capsicum, carrots, cauliflower, beans, green peas, potatoes, green chillies…yes, plenty of green chillies to make it zesty and spicy…cut the vegetables into small pieces…slice a few onions and grate a few onions.

Remember that this a stir-fry recipe so you have to keep stirring vigourously throughout the cooking process.
Heat oil in a pan…add cumin seeds…when they sputter add the grated onions and stir…when translucent stir in ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, a nice amount of red chilli powder and coriander powder…stir… if you want to the Jalfrezi to be a bit sumptuous you may add some rich creamy paste - roasted cashew-nut, almond and dry fruit paste. Stir the mixture till it starts separating from sides of the pan. Now add all the vegetables, chopped tomatoes, sliced onions and slit whole green chillies, stir continuously till cooked crisp and crunchy…the tomatoes will release adequate moisture but should the vegetables stick to the pan you may add a bit of water…not too much… otherwise the vegetables will lose their crispness and crunchiness.
Season with salt, garnish with fresh green coriander and eat hot with piping hot rotis, chapattis or with fresh soft buns or pav…

As I said earlier, Jalfrezi is not a curry or gravy, it a stir fry dish which must look appetizingly colourful and you must be able to identify the various vegetables (and meats, if any) which must be of crisp consistency and yummy zesty taste.

I prefer not to overwhelm my Jalfrezi with too many spices and chillies, but if you like it nice and spicy go ahead.

You can make this with meats too, but in deference to the wishes of my favourite vegetarian reader (who says that I always give Non-Veg recipes) this time I have given you the Vegetarian version of Jalfrezi.
Isn't the recipe breathtaking in its simplicity…?

Try it… relish the Jalfrezi to your heart's content…you'll love it…

Happy Eating.

VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2010
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

PS – If you liked this recipe I am sure you will enjoy reading Appetite for a Stroll

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Shrewsbury - My Favourite Midnight Treat

MY FAVOURITE MIDNIGHT TREAT
By
VIKRAM KARVE

From my Foodie Archives
Mouthwatering Pune Memories
Shrewsbury Biscuit

It’s almost midnight and I’m sitting in glorious solitude on my favourite sofa in the living room watching a film on TV.

Wife and kids are fast asleep inside; only my pet dog Sherry lies curled up fast asleep on her “bed” near the door.

I tiptoe to the kitchen, pull out a tin from its secret hiding place, open it, take out my favourite midnight snack, and walk back to my sofa.

I have in front of me a Shrewsbury Biscuit from Kayani Bakery.

I look at the Shresbury Biscuit.

Embossed is the emblem of Kayani Bakery with the words Shrewsbury Kayani Bakery written all around. I smell the crisp appetizing biscuit.

Yes, I discern that unique aroma – the first test of a genuine Shrewsbury.

I take a bite.

Crunchy, crisp, scrumptious – words cannot describe the tempting taste, delectable lively flavor and delightful sensation as the Shrewsbury Biscuit dissolves in my mouth.

A Shrewsbury Biscuit entices you, perks you up and leaves a superb ambrosial aftertaste, which tantalizingly lingers on your tongue for a long long time.

That is why you should never have tea, coffee, or anything else with Shrewsbury Biscuits. It will spoil the heavenly experience.

I’ve seen people hurriedly washing down a Shrewsbury Biscuit with tea, even dipping the revered biscuit in their tea – that’s sacrilege…!

Sit quietly in solitude, focus your attention, stimulate your tastebuds, and mindfully savor the Shrewsbury.

Absorb all its distinctive characteristics – the taste, the flavour, the fragrance – in their entirety, till you experience sheer bliss.

Relishing a Shrewsbury is similar to enjoying a good wine – you lovingly admire it, caress it, air it a bit, imbibe its fruity aroma, lovingly nurture it in your mouth, then thoroughly relish it, and, finally, rejoice in the glorious aftertaste, and you will feel stimulated to a higher plane of inner joy.

As compared to Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Lucknow, and many other places, Pune is way behind as a Foodie destination.

But there are some inimitable delights for which Pune is famous, which are unique to Pune and you don’t get anywhere else.

Like Kayani Bakery’s Shrewsbury Biscuit – it’s superb, unique, matchless, delicious – I don’t think you get anything like it anywhere else in India, or, maybe, in the world…!

There are many imitators, claiming to be Shrewsbury, but genuine Kayani’s is truly supreme.

No doubt about it.

If you’re dying for an authentic Shrewsbury Biscuit, you’ll have to come to Pune and head for Kayani Bakery on East Street…!

Dear fellow Foodie, the next time you’re in Pune, after you treat yourself to Shrewsbury from Kayani on East Street, try their inimitable Cheese papri, chocolate walnut cake, wine biscuits and other baked delights too.

And whilst you are in Pune, don’t forget Chitale’s Amba Barfi and Bakarwadi, Laxminarayan Chiwda, Budhani’s Wafers, Bhavnagri’s Shev Barfi, Dorabjee’s Biryani, Good Luck’s Mutton Cutlet Curry, Vaishali’s SPDP, Kayani’s Chocolate Walnut Cake, Marzorin’s Rolls and Sandwiches, Spicer’s Lamington, Hindustan Bakery’s Patties, Pasteur Bakery’s Macaroons, Shreyas and Durvankur Maharashtrian Thali, Sujata and Kawre’s Mastani, and genuine authentic Bhel (not the imitation pseudo bhel they concoct at Chowpatty!). Ironic, isn’t it? The way Bhel is associated with Chowpatty…!

But then, you get the best “Puneri” Misal in Mumbai, don’t you…?

To find out where, read my blog, or my book Appetite for a Stroll

Dear Reader and Fellow Foodie: For more such appetizing dishes do read APPETITE FOR A STROLL a treatise on The Art of Eating, Easy to Cook Recipes and Foodie Adventures in Pune and Mumbai. Click the links below to know more about this delicious book:

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Happy Eating

VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2009
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

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MOMO CAFE COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT HINJEWADI PUNE REVIEW

A CLEAN WELL-LIGHTED PLACE


“A Clean, Well-Lighted Place!”

That’s the first thought that instantly comes to my mind the moment I enter Courtyard’s MoMo Café on Saturday afternoon.

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place is the title of my favourite Ernest Hemingway Short Story – the phrase depicts the café where the story is set.

Well that’s what MoMo Café is - a Clean Airy Well Lighted Spacious Friendly café with wonderful feel-good ambience and superb food, tasteful décor and pleasant aesthetics which make you feel fresh, cheerful, comfortable and relaxed. Yes, the bright vibes of the place certainly lift my spirits and make me feel good the moment I enter the lobby of Courtyard.

We walk in the spacious “courtyard”, past MoMo 2 Go, the “to go” grab and go deli, stocked with tempting baked delights, for those in a hurry.

Well, I am not in a hurry, so I leisurely stroll past the spic-and-span counter adorned with tempting goodies and the appetizing buffet spread. There are pickles, in traditional jars, a mix and match and toss your own salad counter, and soups and broths. Everything is so visually pleasing that I can sense the appetite being built up inside me.

It is heartening to see the immaculate open display kitchen – it always feels reassuring to see your food being cooked in front of you with impeccable standards of hygiene and quality.

I look around. MoMo Café is a happy place and the seating is comfortable, ample, user-friendly and well-designed.

It is a leisurely Saturday afternoon cosmopolitan crowd comprising a delightful assortment – joyful families, young IT executives, couples, singles, friends, business guests, eager foodies, relaxed tourists and cosy friends spending a leisurely afternoon over a chilled beer, a tasty bite and snug conversation. There is plenty of space, there is plenty of light, freshness in the air, and everyone, the kids and the adults, seems to be having a pleasant time, enjoying the food and the friendly atmosphere.

A discerning yet innovative menu features an imaginative choice of select dishes from a variety of cuisines, from the Orient and the Occident, ranging from starters, soups, salads, sandwiches, pizzas and pastas to Kebabs and an astute selection of traditional Indian dishes, sumptuous main course delicacies, and exclusive desserts to round off your meal. Despite the impressive array of multi-cuisine, it is a short and sweet uncluttered concise well thought-out menu – a sure sign of a restaurant that takes its food seriously.

We are wondering what to order, when Subhash, the Executive Chef, joins us, so we leave it to him to do the honours. He asks to select anything we fancy from the impressive array of dishes laid out for the lunch buffet and then we’ll try his recommendations from the a-la-carte menu.

I pick up some Seafood Broth – it’s non-spicy with a combination of seafood and lots of vegetables and nourishing, just like a basic Seafood Broth ought to be. The buffet seems to be very popular perhaps because the spread is so elaborate and I wonder what to sample. I start off with some bhuna gosht – it is excellent – succulent flavoursome pieces of mutton in luxuriant gravy. The scrumptious Mustard Fried Fish and Stroganoff tempt me to try out the whole buffet lunch but Subhash has already ordered a pizza from their wood fired pizza oven – I’ll only say this: The thin crust pizza is probably the best pizza I have ever tasted – it’s light, the crust melts in the mouth and allows the tongue to fully relish the taste of sauce, cheese and delectable toppings.

“Let’s have a Momo,” I say, harking back to mouth-watering memories of my Shillong days when I first relished the yummy wholesome Momo. At first I thought that maybe MoMo Café was a Momo place but Vyshnavi and Subhash educate me – the name MoMo Café exemplifies the concept of Modern Living and Modern Eating. But surely, isn’t it apt that MoMo Café has Momos on its menu – maybe next time!

Subhash orders Nasi Goreng for me and Conchiglie Pasta for my darling vegetarian wife. There is an interesting choice of wines, spirits and cocktails, but we prefer freshly squeezed orange juice as an accompaniment.

We are indeed fortunate to have an opportunity to interact with Subhash who is a veritable human encyclopaedia on wining and dining and all things culinary. The enlightening “foodie” conversation is sheer delight and Subhash’s sincere love of food, passion for cooking and impressive repertoire of culinary knowledge enhance the eating experience and make our meal even more appetizing and intellectually stimulating.

The Nasi Goreng, Spicy Prawn Fried Rice with soft fried egg and Chicken Satay, is lip-smacking and fulfilling. I have a bite of the vegetarian Conchiglie Pasta too, savouring its inimitable taste of spinach in basil flavoured sauce, as Subhash explains the intricacies – the foam and the way this delicate dish is made.

For dessert, we have Tiramisu, the pièce de résistance of the meal. MoMo Café’s inimitable signature Tiramisu is marvellous – a fitting climax to a splendid meal. Subhash tells us it is a non-alcoholic Tiramisu, to cater to children and local preferences, but let me tell you that it is the best Tiramisu I have ever had and the delightful symbiosis of delectable tastes lingers within me for a long long time.

I will cherish mouth-watering memories of this lovely Saturday afternoon forever. I am sure MoMo Café is going to be a hit, a boon to the foodies of Pune, due to its unique location, superb food, vibrant ambience, impeccable standards of hygiene and quality, and the warm and friendly service.

I am going to certainly going to eat at MoMo Café again. And this time I am going to check out the Indian Cuisine. I’ll start with melt-in-the-mouth dissolve-on-your-tongue Galawat Kebab, savour a Nalli Nihari – let’s see how it compares with the authentic versions of this luscious fortifying breakfast dish I’ve relished in the heart of Delhi and Mumbai. Then I’ll try some Dum Biryani and end with a soothing Kulfi Falooda.

A true Foodie eats twice, first in his mind’s eye, and then with his taste buds. So whenever a Foodie ventures out to a new place he builds up some expectations – MoMo Café certainly exceeded my expectations in all aspects and we thoroughly enjoyed the overall dining experience.


VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2009
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

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