God Save Maharashtra.
Must say, it was a disastrous adventure!
I came to Mumbai on a 5 days business trip and was missing home food on Dussera, that is why I decided to head to this place which promises high on Royal Maharashtrian cuisine. As I stepped in on the food trail here, the ambience caught my attention which was trying to rub shoulders with some historical place like Pune’s Vishrambaug Wada.
After taking a good look around the interiors of this place, I settled in a cozy corner and started my first chapter, attempting to study the elaborate but worne out thick menu book - the contents of which were very commercially elaborated to woo the non-maharashtrian foodie.
Finally, I decided to settle with my all-time favorites:’mattha’, ’waala chi usal’, aambya chi daal, tandula chi bhakri, hoping to be swept off the floor and already starting to drool over the fare.
Once the food was served(must add here - service wins all 10 points) I couldn’t resist n decided to dive in.
And banged head on!
The’Mattha’ was the 1st disaster with heavy overdose of ginger and just NO coriander n sugar. I had expected the ubiquitous’mattha’ which is served when you have’jilebi’(Jalebi) as god pakwanna(sweet dish/ desserts) during our typical maharashtrian marriages.
A so, so be it!
I decided to move on with my fav:’Aambya chi daal’ which was totally devoid of any amba/ kairee. eeee! it was kacchi daal! no chilli. no salt. no taste. The’waala chi usal’ was the 3rd stab in the back, more so because it was made in a typical’hotel gravy’ - Punjabi ishtyle. The’tandula chi bhakri’ was decent, though. But since I had decided to be adventurous today, I ordered for the’baajri chi bhakri’ - which ended up to be the poor step cousin of the tandoori roti.
Repenting heavily by now, I then ordered for an’Aamboli’ - against which they planned to upgrade me(read "downgrade") to a’Plain Uttappa’ - now South indian ishtyle.
By this time, my corrected ’mattha’ had made a re-appearance through a’wild card entry’ - which was laced with tadka with cumin seeds? It’s believed in our Maharashtrian food culture that food is "Poorna Bramha" and you ain’t supposed to speak crap about it. But my only mistake was, perhaps a biggest crime, that I expected this commercially driven place to live to it’s promise.
I nearly got goosebumps when I was asked for desserts. My adventurous instinct had already died a peaceful death. on Dussera.
One friendly advise I have for the owners, who I was told during my course of’Royal Maharashtrian Dinner’ here, that they have plans to open franchises in Pune.
AVOID!
Puneri connoisseurs are hard to satisfy. And we know very well what to expect. when we’expect’. Do not try to fool the’Khaadad Puneri’.
For those who’ve not been here yet - you ain’t missed nothing!
Eat Well!