food – Page 3 – baconbaba

Double Roti – Reinvented!

Double Roti is a rather popular name in Gurgaon and Chennai, known for its wide offerings of “Awesomeness between breads” – sandwiches and burgers. Last Wednesday, they unveiled their ‘new avatar’ with the launch of their bar menu at their Viman Nagar, Pune outlet.

The place itself is designed beautifully, with al-fresco as well as closed seating. Wooden tables, colorful stools and a beautiful decor make up an excellent venue

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Sporting some very interesting GoT themed cocktails like Wildfire,Winter is coming Kings landing and my personal favorite, Danaerys’ Charm, the restaurant is also introducing delicious bar snacks, that will complement the cocktails and other range of spirits, wine and beer offered.

screenshot2016-11-29-14_48_57-double-roti-menu-menu-for-double-roti-viman-nagar-pune-zomato — Game of Thrones inspired cocktails!

As #FriendsOfTheBTeam were invited for an exclusive tasting, here are some of my favorites:

Chicken Meat Balls – Chicken mince with paprika,worcestershire,onion powder,oregano,thyme and pepper – These had a definite kick! Perfect for the spice-loving Puneri palette!

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Bruschetta: The caramelized onion and feta bruschetta was my favorite vegetarian starter. The sweetness of the caramelized onions along with the tart feta cheese had me going back for more – extremely rare for a vegetarian starter to do that to the carnivore in me!

20161123_190710 — Caramelized onion and feta Bruschetta

20161123_190309 — Tomato and Basil Bruschetta

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Mushroom bites – deep fried battered mushrooms topped with a spicy mayo – another perfect vegetarian bar snack!

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Chicken tikkas coated with masala, served on a skewer – moist, tangy and easy to eat

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Their specialty ‘Awesomeness with Bread’ items were also pretty damn good. I LOVED the Mobster pizza – loaded with bacon and pepperoni, on the perfect hand rolled thin crust base – I was in heaven!

20161123_195450 — Mobster pizza – pepperoni heaven!

20161123_200757 — The Sicilian – chicken and basil

20161123_201515 — Cheesy Bacon Fries. Those 3 magic words. Sigh.

Their Chipotle Chicken Burger – Juicy,spicy,flavorful chicken burger served with melted cheese,lettuce and mayonnaise was absolutely gorgeous!

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And to round it all off, desserts included Blondies and Brownies served with Vanilla ice cream, caramel and chocolate sauce. While the flavor of coffee in the blondies was top notch, I would have liked the blondies to be gooey-er. The brownies were pretty damn good, best eaten warm!

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They’re also offering a 2 plus 1 on all drinks through the day and a special combo offer for lunch.

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The outlet has live music on most evenings, paired with affordable prices, making it quite a destination for a lazy brunch or a chilled out evening with friends. Doors are open 9 AM – 11 PM on weekdays and 9 AM – 1 AM on weekends

Panchvati Gaurav, Baner

Panchvati Gaurav, Baner
In a complex filled with pubs (5 is the current count) PG is the lone shuddha shakahari thali restaurant. The decor is predominantly done up in a typical Jodhpuri theme with a blue color palate.

The food is a Rajasthani / Gujarati fare with Bataka nu rasa valu shak, Gatte ki sabji, Paneer, Bhopla dry, Dal baati, Choorma, Chapatis, Dal, Kadi, plain Rice (with an option for Khichdi in the evenings), dhokla, Thepla, Salad, Chutney and Butter milk.

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The food is very homely – tummy filled without feeling too heavy – none of the items were swimming in oil. Sabjis aren’t over the top spicy. The kadi tastes authentic, with a hint of sweetness. Chapatis were served quickly, hot and coated with ghee.

20161126_123539 — Potatoes, Gatte ki sabji, Paneer, Kadi, Dal; Papad, Choorma

20161126_123601 — Gatte ki sabji, Kadi, Dal

20161126_123551 — Dhokla, Chutney, Salad, Chapati

20161126_123545 — Bhopla dry, Coconut Barfi

On the downside, the dal was a bit bland – a tad watery, and the choorma seemed dry ; i guess that was due to the cold weather and the ghee dried up.

Overall its a wholesome meal, and for 330/- bucks, its total VFM.

Welcome to baner, PG! 20161126_123716

Maratha Samraat, Baner – Mutton Madness!

My favorite Maharashtrian mutton joint Maratha Samraat finally opened up in my neighborhood.

The location is bang in the middle of baner road, there’s ample parking space along the road. The decor is similar to the Kothrud branch, yet it is open, airy, and can comfortably fit about 20-25 people in the upper and lower sections each.

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The food… Oh the food! They have maintained the same quality of food that they serve at the Kothrud branch. Here’s a glimpse:

Mutton Ukkad: alani soup (mutton stock) with huge pieces of mutton – light, flavorful and absolutely delightful.

Kheema Prawns fry : This is a new addition to the menu. The preparation is slightly spicy, and lip-smackingly delicious! Who knew mutton kheema and prawns are such a match made in heaven!

Kala Mutton : Arguably the best item on their menu, the kala mutton masala is absolutely mind blowing. Not too spicy, thick dark masala, jam packed full of flavors with chunks of tender juicy mutton. Pairs well with bhakri, chapati or rice. This is a ‘must-have – either as an ala-carte dish or in the thali version.

Chapatis, bhakris were served quickly and hot. Service in general is amazing – everyone right from the owners to the waiters payed personal attention to each guest. Quantity of each dish was generous enough for 2.

On another trip, we tried the Surmai fish thali which consisted of :
-2 medium sized Surmai fry : well coated in masala, very fresh, really tasty. However it lacked a bit of proper seasoning , sprinkling a bit of salt on top helped.

15326485_10154143499616463_9204484178905727585_n — Surmai Fish Fry

-Prawns curry : typical maharashtrian flavors, this gravy was medium spicy,suited my palate well and had about 4-5 good sized prawns.

15284194_10154143499671463_3348815814729597983_n — Prawns Curry

Sukat chutney : this was something i tasted for the very first time. Dried tiny prawns stir fried in a spicy chatakedar masala. Liked the taste, however, people with a spicier palette will surely love this thing!

15391163_10154143499706463_4570242136781565523_n — Sukkat Chutney

Solkadi : A small bowl of this blissful drink was already a part of the fish thali, however I always need more of this, so ordered another glass separately. A perfect palate cleanser that compliments food here so well. A must have with whatever you end up ordering at this joint

15338735_10154143500026463_7381497827414338877_n — Solkadi

The thali has ultra soft chapatis/bhakris in option and prawns biryani to end the meal.

15439757_10154143499581463_5261445152270978938_n — The fish thali

This time, we also tried Mutton Maratha, again a superb mutton preparation , sure worth trying out. On the spicier side, with a generous amount of red chillies, this dish is going to be a hit with the spice loving Puneris!

15326461_10154143499921463_2520964928258122935_n — Mutton Maratha – check out those red chillies!

We tried out a light and yummy Alani fry preparation (succulent mutton pieces cooked in very light masalas and stir fried in garlic), which our 2 year old relished on.

15439774_10154143499981463_7039728352069382800_n — Mutton alani fry

Welcome to Baner, MS! You are here to stay!

The Breakfast Cafe, Bavdhan

Quite a popular joint in the area, running full capacity almost across all meals, The Breakfast Cafe (TBC) has recently shifted to the back of the building. While the move itself maybe slightly detrimental compared to the prime spot it originally enjoyed on the main road, this has done nothing to impact the quality of food served. It remains, as always, top notch.

If you’re in for breakfast, then you can happily opt for TBC’s Special Set Breakfast. A TBC Special omelet (3 eggs, onions, chili, pepper, garlic – definitely one of the best items on the menu), 1 boiled egg / fried egg, a chicken sausage / 3 nuggets, a hash brown, 2 slices of generously buttered toast and a cup of tea or beautiful strong filter coffee.

Definitely a superb breakfast place, at par with the best out there. With Sangeeta working just across the road, TBC might just convince me to pick her up more often, just so i can hop in for a quick cup of filter coffee or a TBC special!