The Gastronomic Delights of Pune
Chris’ boss, Michael thinks the beer in Pune makes you lose weight and as unlikely as that sounds, I believe he may be correct. While we feel very full for most of the time and are constantly enjoying the offerings of Pune’s many and varied eateries, our clothes suggest we’ve “called Jenny”. The first hint that Michael’s theory had some substance was seeing Chris at Mumbai airport. From what he had told me about how much he was consuming and how little he was exercising, I was expecting to be greeted by a cuddlier version of the husband then I had farewelled a month earlier. Instead a tanned, leaner Chris ran up to greet us and I was struck be how incredibly good he looked, especially by comparison to us. So far I have had the very rare experience of constantly eating and watching my clothes get baggier by the day. Wacko!
Of course I am probably kidding myself and once we settle into the new climate, my appetite will return in full, followed very closely by my expanding waistline. Until that happens, I intend to sample all the edible delights Pune has to offer.
The fruit and vegetables are outstanding in their quality. The mangoes are, quite frankly, unbelievable. The flesh is a deep orange and they are bursting with juicy flavor. Every time I eat one, I am astounded by the intensity of their taste and texture and a part of me is a tad sad that once I leave India, every mango I consume thereafter will be a complete disappointment. The pineapples are sweet and tender and completely edible, including the core. The bananas are fabulous and you can buy 16 for under a dollar. Limes are plentiful and when juiced, they are tangy and delicious, as are the mosambis (type of orange). The apples so far are very average and floury and we tend to avoid them. Tomatoes are everywhere and full of flavor and most other vegetables are readily available at the multitude of roadside grocers, as are fresh herbs such as coriander and spices like ginger and green chilies which are just lovely and soooooo cheap.
We eat out for at least one meal each day and to date no one’s stomach has objected to the menu. We have been to plenty of places (Chris has been to more) and everything we have consumed has been outstanding in quality and flavor. In case you haven’t guessed, I am a huge fan of the Pune eating scene.
My favorite place, in terms of ambience, is called Shi Sha. This is a delightful Iranian/Indian restaurant nestled within ABC Farm at Koregon Park. To get to Shi Sha, you walk down a lane with other equally attractive restaurants dotted along the way. The trees are strung with fairy lights and couples and families promenade down the pretty causeway enjoying the balmy Pune evening en route to a yummy meal. Koregon Park reminds me very much of the Byron Bay of 20 years ago, prior to its modern gentrification. It is probably the influence of the hippies at the nearby Osho, many of whom have no doubt frequented both places over the years. It has a tropical, laid back feel and most of the restaurants take full advantage of the lush surrounds to enhance their appeal. Shi Sha is an elevated hut with no walls to hinder the prospect of its leafy environs and twinkling lanterns. You can either sit at a table or lay back on low Iranian timber sofa strewn with cushions enjoying an intimate meal with someone special. Thanks to Cam, Chris and I enjoyed a child free evening at Shi Sha a couple of days after I arrived so we chose a sofa booth. The food is terrific and a couple can eat and drink their fill for less than $20 in total. (Mains at expensive restaurants like Shi Sha tend to be about $5; at a standard eatery you will pay no more than $2 for a main). After dinner, Shi Sha transforms into what looks like an opium den as many diners order ‘hookahs’. A Hookah is best described as a huge Indian peace pipe that bears a striking resemblance to an elaborate bong. The waiter delivers the hookah to a sofa and then loads it with a presumably legal stash of tobacco and herbs (I am speculating here because I really have no idea what they contain). The occupants then proceed to take turns in drawing back on the pipe and chatting seriously about matters of consequence. Hookahs can be ordered at many places, including cafes, and are very popular with the modern, groovy, young locals. No one looks twice when a hookah is produced, but the first time I saw one I kept half expecting the place to be overrun by a raid of zealous police.
The German Bakery is also located in Koregon Park and while lauded in the travel guides for its terrific food and coffee, it is very basic, hot and stuffy and possibly overrated. However, if you are feeling homesick and want to see a western face, this is the place to go. I haven’t tried the coffee at the German Bakery but Chris says it is ‘reasonable’. It is a good place to get a tasty veggie burger and a huge plate of fresh, safe, salad. The kids ate everything up and enjoyed high fives with the young male hippies who grinned at them from under coiffed dreadlocks and played peek-a-boo with Eliza while the burgers were cooking (there is something about this country that transforms everyone into doe-eyed child worshippers –we are loving this aspect). I was approached by a young hippy chick who opened the conversation by remarking, “You look like you know something about pregnancy.” She then went on to tell me she had just discovered (happily it seemed) she was pregnant and wanted some advice of foods to avoid. I was dying to ask her if it was an Ashram conception and I suspect she was dying to tell me all about it, but our children were present and all ears as usual so I stuck to the straight and narrow. We chatted about the usual danger foods and then she mentioned that she had heard local women consumed papaya if they wanted to miscarry. I said I knew nothing about the potency of papaya (personally, I think it smells a bit like sour milk so I don’t eat it) but I suggested she avoid it to be safe. She looked at me very seriously and said, “I am so glad I ran into you.” She then returned to her friends who conferred and looked over at me nodding with grave reverence. Everyone’s a Guru in India.
Our children especially enjoy dining out at Malaka Spice and Prems. Malaka Spice is primarily a Thai Restaurant but it does a fantastic Tempura chicken and the kids wolf this down with a serve of Chinese fried rice (apparently “not as good as Nan’s”). We tuck into the best ever Thai green curry – the awesome flavor of the green chilies here must have something to do with the wonderful taste of this curry, it is superb every time. Prems is a middle range Indian restaurant with a huge outdoor eating area, not unlike a leafy beer garden. The tables are widely spaced so it is particularly child friendly and our children particularly like the fact the only soft drink on the menu is Pepsi!
Soham is an extremely basic vegetarian café located at the top of our street. Prior to the arrival of the McNamara spouse and children, Chris and Cam ate here regularly. Libby refers to it as the “Truck Stop” and I must admit when Chris first told me this I did seek clarification on whether this was actually the case. However it is a café and you will pay no more than $1.50 for the most expensive meal on the menu. The food is delicious if a little spicy for young ones (the veg bhuna and the channa masala are excellent) and it is far preferable to eat here after dark when the decrepit state of the plastic chairs and tables is not so apparent. Another favorite haunt of the ex pat staff is a place they affectionately refer to as the “Rat Restaurant”. Apparently when they were dining there one evening, a rat fell from an awning onto the head of one of the patrons eating el fresco. Chris assures me the rat had nothing to do with the restaurant and their food is exceptional as well as completely safe. As you can imagine, I am not exactly champing at the bit to go there.
The Great Punjab is a top of the range restaurant with décor and silver service befitting an establishment of fine dining. While not expensive by western standards (mains are about $7) it is pricey for Pune, so on the night we dined there, Chris and I had about 8 staff attending to us all evening due to a lack of other patrons. Chris ordered a bottle of local red. At $30 it cost more than our 2 course meal and pre-dinner drinks put together and it was truly awful. Of course, we drank it anyway and after a while, we got used to its youth and it didn’t seem so bad. However wine is not something the Indians appear to do well and their choice of imported wine is equally appalling. Apparently this is on the improve with the increase in middle class in India. Not far from here is a region called Nashik which is well known for its wineries. Presently, top restaurants showcase dubious Australian wines with unfamiliar labels at outrageous prices. You get the feeling the Indian wine market is currently comprised entirely of poorly made local product and otherwise unmarketable Australian rejects. There is surely a market in this country for the drinkable and well priced Crocodile Creek. Anyway our meal was wonderful and the gulab jaarman (hot dumplings in syrup) was one of the best deserts I have had in a long time.
Beer is the drink of choice in India and is available everywhere. At about $1.50 for a long neck, Kingfisher beer is reasonable priced but varies markedly in taste and consistency. You must ask for beer to be served “thande” (icy/cold) or you risk having a glass of tepid beer being place in front of you. The boys are also quite partial to another local brand called London Pilsner and at $ 1.10 for a long neck; they believe they are on to a winner. Lolly drinks such as Bacardi Breezers are readily available and cost about the same as beer. I had a cranberry breezer the another night and my teeth were aching from the sweetness of it. Sally found a 750ml bottle of Seagram’s gin for about $9.00. She said the local gin was also available at about $3.00 a bottle but we are all a little dubious about its safety, let alone quality. The local soft drinks are lovely and refreshing are come in a range of flavors, the best being lemon and mango.
Coffee is surprisingly good and consistent in quality. There are two coffee chains operating in India and both produce a reasonable coffee for well under $1. Our preference is Café Coffee Day, but the Barista in Pune is also very good. You can also get a tasty snack for about $1 at these places and our children are particularly partial to the CCD brownies. Chocolate treats, especially from some of the bakeries, are just divine. We happened upon some amazing cupcakes that are basically a very rich chocolate mousse encased in a dark chocolate cup. At around $1.70 each they are extraordinarily expensive but if you enjoy chocolate, these cupcakes alone almost justify an airfare to Pune.
Despite the amazing eateries available, we are also turning our hand to some home cooked Indian fare. We have splurged out on a pressure cooker and a Tava (Indian griddle). We have also purchased some cook books written by India’s answer to Stephanie Alexander. So far we have reasonably successfully produced a Bengali Khichdi and a Paneer Tikki Pasanda. We also do a pretty good roti on the Tava. The ingredients are so fresh and readily available here, it is hard to go wrong, but Indian meals are tricky and time consuming to produce. When Chris mentioned this to Jai Shreree, one of the local staff, she said, “Well, now you know why Indian women hate cooking!”
Of course I am probably kidding myself and once we settle into the new climate, my appetite will return in full, followed very closely by my expanding waistline. Until that happens, I intend to sample all the edible delights Pune has to offer.
The fruit and vegetables are outstanding in their quality. The mangoes are, quite frankly, unbelievable. The flesh is a deep orange and they are bursting with juicy flavor. Every time I eat one, I am astounded by the intensity of their taste and texture and a part of me is a tad sad that once I leave India, every mango I consume thereafter will be a complete disappointment. The pineapples are sweet and tender and completely edible, including the core. The bananas are fabulous and you can buy 16 for under a dollar. Limes are plentiful and when juiced, they are tangy and delicious, as are the mosambis (type of orange). The apples so far are very average and floury and we tend to avoid them. Tomatoes are everywhere and full of flavor and most other vegetables are readily available at the multitude of roadside grocers, as are fresh herbs such as coriander and spices like ginger and green chilies which are just lovely and soooooo cheap.
We eat out for at least one meal each day and to date no one’s stomach has objected to the menu. We have been to plenty of places (Chris has been to more) and everything we have consumed has been outstanding in quality and flavor. In case you haven’t guessed, I am a huge fan of the Pune eating scene.
My favorite place, in terms of ambience, is called Shi Sha. This is a delightful Iranian/Indian restaurant nestled within ABC Farm at Koregon Park. To get to Shi Sha, you walk down a lane with other equally attractive restaurants dotted along the way. The trees are strung with fairy lights and couples and families promenade down the pretty causeway enjoying the balmy Pune evening en route to a yummy meal. Koregon Park reminds me very much of the Byron Bay of 20 years ago, prior to its modern gentrification. It is probably the influence of the hippies at the nearby Osho, many of whom have no doubt frequented both places over the years. It has a tropical, laid back feel and most of the restaurants take full advantage of the lush surrounds to enhance their appeal. Shi Sha is an elevated hut with no walls to hinder the prospect of its leafy environs and twinkling lanterns. You can either sit at a table or lay back on low Iranian timber sofa strewn with cushions enjoying an intimate meal with someone special. Thanks to Cam, Chris and I enjoyed a child free evening at Shi Sha a couple of days after I arrived so we chose a sofa booth. The food is terrific and a couple can eat and drink their fill for less than $20 in total. (Mains at expensive restaurants like Shi Sha tend to be about $5; at a standard eatery you will pay no more than $2 for a main). After dinner, Shi Sha transforms into what looks like an opium den as many diners order ‘hookahs’. A Hookah is best described as a huge Indian peace pipe that bears a striking resemblance to an elaborate bong. The waiter delivers the hookah to a sofa and then loads it with a presumably legal stash of tobacco and herbs (I am speculating here because I really have no idea what they contain). The occupants then proceed to take turns in drawing back on the pipe and chatting seriously about matters of consequence. Hookahs can be ordered at many places, including cafes, and are very popular with the modern, groovy, young locals. No one looks twice when a hookah is produced, but the first time I saw one I kept half expecting the place to be overrun by a raid of zealous police.
The German Bakery is also located in Koregon Park and while lauded in the travel guides for its terrific food and coffee, it is very basic, hot and stuffy and possibly overrated. However, if you are feeling homesick and want to see a western face, this is the place to go. I haven’t tried the coffee at the German Bakery but Chris says it is ‘reasonable’. It is a good place to get a tasty veggie burger and a huge plate of fresh, safe, salad. The kids ate everything up and enjoyed high fives with the young male hippies who grinned at them from under coiffed dreadlocks and played peek-a-boo with Eliza while the burgers were cooking (there is something about this country that transforms everyone into doe-eyed child worshippers –we are loving this aspect). I was approached by a young hippy chick who opened the conversation by remarking, “You look like you know something about pregnancy.” She then went on to tell me she had just discovered (happily it seemed) she was pregnant and wanted some advice of foods to avoid. I was dying to ask her if it was an Ashram conception and I suspect she was dying to tell me all about it, but our children were present and all ears as usual so I stuck to the straight and narrow. We chatted about the usual danger foods and then she mentioned that she had heard local women consumed papaya if they wanted to miscarry. I said I knew nothing about the potency of papaya (personally, I think it smells a bit like sour milk so I don’t eat it) but I suggested she avoid it to be safe. She looked at me very seriously and said, “I am so glad I ran into you.” She then returned to her friends who conferred and looked over at me nodding with grave reverence. Everyone’s a Guru in India.
Our children especially enjoy dining out at Malaka Spice and Prems. Malaka Spice is primarily a Thai Restaurant but it does a fantastic Tempura chicken and the kids wolf this down with a serve of Chinese fried rice (apparently “not as good as Nan’s”). We tuck into the best ever Thai green curry – the awesome flavor of the green chilies here must have something to do with the wonderful taste of this curry, it is superb every time. Prems is a middle range Indian restaurant with a huge outdoor eating area, not unlike a leafy beer garden. The tables are widely spaced so it is particularly child friendly and our children particularly like the fact the only soft drink on the menu is Pepsi!
Soham is an extremely basic vegetarian café located at the top of our street. Prior to the arrival of the McNamara spouse and children, Chris and Cam ate here regularly. Libby refers to it as the “Truck Stop” and I must admit when Chris first told me this I did seek clarification on whether this was actually the case. However it is a café and you will pay no more than $1.50 for the most expensive meal on the menu. The food is delicious if a little spicy for young ones (the veg bhuna and the channa masala are excellent) and it is far preferable to eat here after dark when the decrepit state of the plastic chairs and tables is not so apparent. Another favorite haunt of the ex pat staff is a place they affectionately refer to as the “Rat Restaurant”. Apparently when they were dining there one evening, a rat fell from an awning onto the head of one of the patrons eating el fresco. Chris assures me the rat had nothing to do with the restaurant and their food is exceptional as well as completely safe. As you can imagine, I am not exactly champing at the bit to go there.
The Great Punjab is a top of the range restaurant with décor and silver service befitting an establishment of fine dining. While not expensive by western standards (mains are about $7) it is pricey for Pune, so on the night we dined there, Chris and I had about 8 staff attending to us all evening due to a lack of other patrons. Chris ordered a bottle of local red. At $30 it cost more than our 2 course meal and pre-dinner drinks put together and it was truly awful. Of course, we drank it anyway and after a while, we got used to its youth and it didn’t seem so bad. However wine is not something the Indians appear to do well and their choice of imported wine is equally appalling. Apparently this is on the improve with the increase in middle class in India. Not far from here is a region called Nashik which is well known for its wineries. Presently, top restaurants showcase dubious Australian wines with unfamiliar labels at outrageous prices. You get the feeling the Indian wine market is currently comprised entirely of poorly made local product and otherwise unmarketable Australian rejects. There is surely a market in this country for the drinkable and well priced Crocodile Creek. Anyway our meal was wonderful and the gulab jaarman (hot dumplings in syrup) was one of the best deserts I have had in a long time.
Beer is the drink of choice in India and is available everywhere. At about $1.50 for a long neck, Kingfisher beer is reasonable priced but varies markedly in taste and consistency. You must ask for beer to be served “thande” (icy/cold) or you risk having a glass of tepid beer being place in front of you. The boys are also quite partial to another local brand called London Pilsner and at $ 1.10 for a long neck; they believe they are on to a winner. Lolly drinks such as Bacardi Breezers are readily available and cost about the same as beer. I had a cranberry breezer the another night and my teeth were aching from the sweetness of it. Sally found a 750ml bottle of Seagram’s gin for about $9.00. She said the local gin was also available at about $3.00 a bottle but we are all a little dubious about its safety, let alone quality. The local soft drinks are lovely and refreshing are come in a range of flavors, the best being lemon and mango.
Coffee is surprisingly good and consistent in quality. There are two coffee chains operating in India and both produce a reasonable coffee for well under $1. Our preference is Café Coffee Day, but the Barista in Pune is also very good. You can also get a tasty snack for about $1 at these places and our children are particularly partial to the CCD brownies. Chocolate treats, especially from some of the bakeries, are just divine. We happened upon some amazing cupcakes that are basically a very rich chocolate mousse encased in a dark chocolate cup. At around $1.70 each they are extraordinarily expensive but if you enjoy chocolate, these cupcakes alone almost justify an airfare to Pune.
Despite the amazing eateries available, we are also turning our hand to some home cooked Indian fare. We have splurged out on a pressure cooker and a Tava (Indian griddle). We have also purchased some cook books written by India’s answer to Stephanie Alexander. So far we have reasonably successfully produced a Bengali Khichdi and a Paneer Tikki Pasanda. We also do a pretty good roti on the Tava. The ingredients are so fresh and readily available here, it is hard to go wrong, but Indian meals are tricky and time consuming to produce. When Chris mentioned this to Jai Shreree, one of the local staff, she said, “Well, now you know why Indian women hate cooking!”
posted by Celia @ 7:55 AM
1 Comments:
At 1:44 AM,
Anonymous said…
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