Team-BHP - A Guide: Eating out in Pune

Quote:

Originally Posted by selfdrive (Post 3259870)

No boasting, but I can fix up my own mean filter kaapi and 'gunpowder' (though I dont call it that!) but will go there for checking out the other food stuff

Given your last name, you better be able to fix your own near perfect filter kaapi :D. And the gun powder.. whatever the real name of that is.

There's a very small joint on Law College Rd that serves, what can be termed as authentic South Indian, at least as per Pune standards.
Its called something.. but cant remember the name. Just before Pastry Corner, is a dilapidated building. The 'outhouse' of that building, is where this joint is located.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajay_satpute (Post 3259656)

Mr Balaji,

Have you been to Idlicious (Do Say Idlicious)on Baner road? I think its one of the very few true South Indian restaurants in Pune. No fuss, no ambience, but pretty good food I say. The butter Rawa Masala Dosa and the Bisi Bele rice are the highlights. The filter coffee is near to perfect. The menu is not huge and all, but whatever is served, is tasty.

Its dirt cheap compared to all Udupi restaurants which try to serve South Indian food.

Here's the map: https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q...ed=0CAgQ_AUoAg

Make sure you order the 'Gun powder' ghee poured on top, with anything you order. Must have.

I agree with most of the points mentioned by Ajay. Just that they have become a little more snobbish these days ! ;) I have been going there ever since it was opened in Aundh. And the quality of food is more or less still as good ! Gun Powder is awesome too !

Well, to put it short, I have been going around the city looking for good southie breakfast joints, especially those that have their basics correct - good chutney & sambhar (to go with the idlis & dosas) and authentic filter coffee.

Can't really say a lot for the former two, but here's my shortlist on the filter coffee stuff.

Rank 1. UpSouth - Pheonix Market City (G floor), opposite Blue-O bowling arena. Excellent Bangalore based coffee. Also serves a lot of southie food items, but found them okiesh.
Rank 2 (Passable mentions) Coffee house, Camp. Shri Krishna Restaurant, Viman Nagar. But both places make it extra sweet (marathi style :p), so do mention in advance.

Quote:

Originally Posted by selfdrive (Post 3259870)

No boasting, but I can fix up my own mean filter kaapi and 'gunpowder' (though I dont call it that!) but will go there for checking out the other food stuff

+1 to this.
Spoken like a true southie! Can't disagree, after several searches for over a year, I follow the same approach (partially). Where do you get your coffee powder?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajay_satpute (Post 3259656)

Mr Balaji,

Have you been to Idlicious (Do Say Idlicious)on Baner road?

Thanks for that. Is this the same owner as the shop that was near Delhi Kitchen in Aundh about 2 years back? I believe he had the same name (or maybe "Simply Idlicious"). Will check it out for the coffee atleast.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar (Post 3259901)

Given your last name, you better be able to fix your own near perfect filter kaapi :D. And the gun powder.. whatever the real name of that is.

We call it 'Molga podi' :)

Quote:

There's a very small joint on Law College Rd that serves, what can be termed as authentic South Indian, at least as per Pune standards.
Its called something.. but cant remember the name. Just before Pastry Corner, is a dilapidated building. The 'outhouse' of that building, is where this joint is located.

Aha - Another one for the to-be-checked-out list. Will do.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar (Post 3259901)

Is it Padma Foods that you are talking about? Last time I checked, they opened at 11am, a bit late for me to have breakfast! :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninjatalli (Post 3259962)

Where do you get your coffee powder?

Ninja, there's a place in Deccan (Goodluck Chowk) that serves coffee powder by the kilo. Its in the same complex as Maharashtra Stores/Raymond.
To put it simpler, if coming from Deccan, on your right is Champion Sports, next to which is a petrol bunk. Right next to that, in a very small lane you would find that coffee shop. The aroma of freshly grounded coffee makes it very easy to find it :)

Quote:

We call it 'Molga podi' :)

Aha! I knew it was something like that, but always got confused between this, and the name of a dance form (Kuchipudi) :D

EDIT:
@sschivate: Yes! Padma foods it is. Thanks for reminding me the name. Yes, they open pretty late.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninjatalli (Post 3259962)

Spoken like a true southie! Can't disagree, after several searches for over a year, I follow the same approach (partially). Where do you get your coffee powder?

rasta peth, near KEM. Seems like ages since I have been there though. Dont try to look for 4 wheeler parking, better to just take your bike. get to Apollo theatre and follow your nose. It is probably one of the couple of old Tamil areas in town.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar (Post 3259982)

Aha! I knew it was something like that, but always got confused between this, and the name of a dance form (Kuchipudi)

Molga podi literally translates to chilly powder. Podi is powder
11am is nearer to lunch time for me!

As far as Vardayini is concerned, I prefer to go 5km away to Rupali for dosas rather than have here which is less than 500 m from my home. (and I hate to drive - odd for a car forum but true..in traffic that is.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by selfdrive (Post 3257618)

Thanks Abhay!
Santosh bakery - done. for some reason when I eat those veg puffs steaming hot they are very 'tupkat' (not sure if oily is the word). still looking for better
Bipin - I am there every saturday morning. khichdi is good as is their veg pattice (the bread slice fried one). again I am looking for something like Appa's canteen level of khichdi (the one behind PYC). Not sure if it is still open
charan sweets - no idea where this is. will have to find out. I usually stay away from these sweet shops
The Place, touche near Westend? Done that too. there is also Bounty opposite Gold Adlabs Kalyaninagar. decent enough

Let me add more
Chole Bhature - monafood, still little competition there
Bhel - Kalyan bhel, off Law college road
Pani puri - ?
Pav bhaji - there is a place in karvenagar, forgot the name
Sandwiches - looking
Grilled sandwiches - Grubshup is half decent
Idlis, dosas, other south indian food - not found yet. I dont like the udupi places. and if someone says Vaishali, you dont know either me or your dosas well enough. Most probably both :)

I must seem like some perenially hungry person!
We do have a meet at Grand on the 12th. See if you can make it, check out the next tapri meet thread

Appa is still open and has the best no doubt (apart from my home which you are welcome to try!)
Sandwiches - there was a shop opposite Croma in Aundh which did a good job but extremely slow
Udupi - Rupali is the best in Pune for me atleast (but most South Indians do not like it)
It probably is a Puneri dosa to them...

crap...I put myself as tentative but it is a big fat NO on 12th! My son's 1st b'day and I forgot it when posting in that thread :\

Perhaps we can also do a mini food meet sometime soon?

Quote:

Originally Posted by selfdrive (Post 3257618)

Pani puri - ?
Pav bhaji - there is a place in karvenagar, forgot the name

Head over to the top floor at Phoenix Mall. You will get both these items there (cannot remember exactly where, but try a few places just before some pizza joint.
Only downside is the cost.

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Idlis, dosas, other south indian food - not found yet. I dont like the udupi places. and if someone says Vaishali, you dont know either me or your dosas well enough. Most probably both :)

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Originally Posted by selfdrive (Post 3259171)

Good, someday some true Southie will start a true southie place with real idlis and dosas.

Again, same Phoenix Mall, but on the ground (or is it lower ground?) floor - Up South.

Good variety of south Indian items, but expensive as is everything else in the mall.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abhay (Post 3260104)

Udupi - Rupali is the best in Pune for me atleast (but most South Indians do not like it)
It probably is a Puneri dosa to them...

Rupali? You are kidding, right? :)

For biryani, there is one person in Synagogue street - cannot remember his name. I had ordered vegetarian biryani a few years ago for a party - it was very good.
So, I expect non-veg biryani to be even better.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abhay (Post 3260104)

Udupi - Rupali is the best in Pune for me atleast (but most South Indians do not like it)

It wont be long before someone mentions the other hotel on the same road ending in 'li' :deadhorse

Quote:

Originally Posted by S_U_N (Post 3260132)

Head over to the top floor at Phoenix Mall. You will get both these items there (cannot remember exactly where, but try a few places just before some pizza joint.

For biryani, there is one person in Synagogue street - cannot remember his name. I had ordered vegetarian biryani a few years ago for a party - it was very good.
So, I expect non-veg biryani to be even better.

Pani puri with clean water does not taste so good!
Also, your logic for the biryani does not usually work that way. Maybe it works the other way around.

Our preferred place for burgers, sandwiches and all that junk called 'Linger On' on Baner road has moved to a new location near Balewadi phata.

So last week, when we felt a hankering for this junk stuff, we went to a place called ZODIAC. The place is near the LG showroom and opposite the DHL courier shop.

The menu has good spread and lots of variety of sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs and stuff. The mocktail menu also has plenty of options. The service is excellent and quick. It is a pricey place though.

I had ordered SPICY SOUTHERN STYLE FRIED CHICKEN as an appetizer and BOY! it was super. There were about 12-14 pieces (good for 2) and the dip was really good too. Then I ordered the PEPPER POT burger, which the waiter recommended me to be a spicy burger. But pepper spicy is not we Indians call as spicy. But still, I liked the patty and the size of the burger. The french fries served with the burger were also garnished perfectly.

At the end, I had the PINK PANTHER shot, which was nice.

Overall, 3.5-4 / 5 rating from my side. :thumbs up The place is small and the ambiance is OK types.

More info here: http://www.zomato.com/pune/the-zodia...ad/info#tabtop

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar (Post 3259982)

Ninja, there's a place in Deccan (Goodluck Chowk) that serves coffee powder by the kilo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by selfdrive (Post 3259992)

rasta peth, near KEM. Seems like ages since I have been there though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb (Post 3260004)

Kumaradhara traders. It's a good place pick up a large variety of pickles too.

Thanks guys. Also there is a good coffee powder place in Aundh, near the petrol pump. Haven't been there, but my boss recommends it a lot.

As for me, I get my coffee doses from Matunga - considering how frequently I go to that area, I doubt I'll be needing any other alternative.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abhay (Post 3260104)

Udupi - Rupali is the best in Pune for me atleast (but most South Indians do not like it)

Add me to that list.

And there is a reason - how would you like if you go to Chennai/Bangalore/etc and find Misal Pav in a completely different form - instead of the Misal, you have spicy Rasam and banana chips in pieces (instead of the sev) and with rice instead of the pav :uncontrol

That's how screwed up the "southie" items are at Rupali & Vaishali IMO (yes @selfdrive I mentioned the-Name-That-Shouldnt-Be-Named)

P.s. I know that is a bit of exaggeration over there. But I always find it really ridiculous when people consider these two restaurants as THE place to go for southie snacks. And this is nothing against you - most of my current/ex colleagues are die-hard fans.

Quote:

Originally Posted by selfdrive (Post 3260150)

It wont be long before someone mentions the other hotel on the same road ending in 'li' :deadhorse

I know how different it is from what you get in the South. But the fact remains that I probably ate my first ever dosa/southie food more than 20 yrs ago in Rupali/V. So that taste has always brought back good memories. Other places in Pune might be more authentic but most aren't and of the non-authentic ones these are really the best. Not having lived in the South, I probably have no clue - but from my travels I have enjoyed the food in the South as well. As I said earlier, perhaps we need to have a meet to discuss food :D

Having lived in Mumbai for 5+ years, there are plenty of good southie places there but unfortunately Pune lags behind in any sort of authentic regional cuisine - even the local cuisine is nowadays catered towards the non-locals!

edit: tbh the roadside idli in hampi and another tapri deep into Tamilnadu (in a town whose name slips me rt now) are the places where I have eaten the freshest and best southie food ever. In pune? I can't see past the aforementioned and a couple of other places.

Perhaps it is like that.
Non maharashtrians flock to places like Potoba and Bedekar and rave about the food when any local knows they are now utter crap.