Desi Delights

Sweet lovers have not had it so good in Pune. You have several sweetmeat sellers that conjure up the most delicious classic Rajasthani and Bengali sweets. From expertly made burfis to an authentic ghewar, from fluffy roshogollas to palm sugar sandesh and kheer kadam. You no longer need to trouble friends travelling from Delhi and Kolkata; you can have them all - right here in Pune. For those with a taste for Western delicacies, say a cheesecake or a creme brûlée, you have several great choices too. However, this post is not about these classic desserts, but the ones that have been  crafted and perfected by our street vendors over the years.

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A Tale of Two Bakers

German Bakery in Pune has been a favourite haunt for foreigners, hippies, and expats ever since the early 90s when most outsiders came to this city to get away from the stress of modern urban life.  When I first visited this place at the turn of the millennium, it was teeming with maroon robed inmates of the nearby Osho commune.  And so it continued until that fateful day in February 2010 when terrorists exploded a bomb here killing 17 and injuring over 60 people.

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Fish Curry Rice and Nisarg

I have heard of Fish Curry Rice for so long and yet been unable to try it due to its location and the lack of parking. This week I was finally able to sample what many say is the best seafood restaurant in town. Fish Curry Rice brings local coastal cuisine to its patrons in its real form  without the adornments and embellishments of the typical restaurant fare. This is in fact the next best thing to home-made food!

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Kapila Kathi Kababs

During my college days, I did my summer internship at Kolkata. Among the many things I remember from those days are the street food that were not only easy on the pocket but also a gourmet’s delight. The most popular of them the Kathi Kabab and Muglai Paratha.  When I came to Pune several years back, I discovered Kapila Kathi Kababs, a small ‘hole-in-the-wall’ outlet on Dhole Patil Road that recreated the deliciousness of the Kolkata Kathi rolls and have been addicted ever since.

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Where Else in Pune?

Where Else Cafe & Bar is another of the new generation cafes that have sprung up in Pune. We got here on a weekday during lunch hours and found the place mostly bereft of customers, but from the large number of bags being readied for home delivery indicated their popularity with patrons that live and work in its vicinity.  The cafe has a bright, youthful vibe and give you an option of outdoor or indoor dining.

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Beetroot and Krusty's

Beetroot and Krusty’s are a new generation of Western-style restaurants that are becoming increasingly popular in a city that was dominated by North Indian and Chinese food until recently.  Clearly food lovers in Pune are finally beginning to experiment and cast their net wider when hunting for a new place to eat. Italian pastas are no longer the only European food they want to try!

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