Navratra - Fast to Feast - Day #2

There are three types of meals Vegetarian, Non-Vegetarian and then Navratra. Navratra meal is no challenge, when people dont prefer to eat Pulses, wheat flour, rice, onion, garlic, egg plant. Some even avoid tomato and turmeric. So what is left to consume? With the limited list of ingredients available, chef doesn't even need a creative hat instead a magical hat and wand to create something palatable.
Chefs at Punjab Grill does this so well.
More to follow on Day 3
Happy eating... 😊

Navratra - Fast to Feast - Day #1

Navratra fast to feast. Snacks specially prepared for fasting. Navratra fasts over time has changed to eating sumptuous meal instead of abstaining from food. Every year, some new innovations are visible during navratra. With choice of just few ingredients acceptable during navratras, chefs have traveled miles and curated some masterpieces. 
Plan is to travel and explore a new place this navratra each day. Lets navratra fast be feast this time. 
This place Manohar Bikaneri, Kamla Nagar, Delhi is a bakery cum sweet shop cum gift shop. They prepare special navratra snacks during this time. Aloo wafers, navratra bhujia, navratra cookies are few to name. They 2-3 outlets in Delhi, one is at Ghanta Ghar, Kamla Nagar. Another also at Kamla Nagar, opposite Lehnga Singh Market and one is near barfkhana, Delhi.

Happy eating...😊

Kayani Bakery - A Legacy

Heritage was the first word that punched my mind when I saw this bakery. Curvy refrigerators, elderly parsi uncles at the cash counter, wooden display racks, handwritten menu on blackboard using chalk, ceiling fan resembling to mace with wings hanging from the ceiling. Hey, are you also back to 19 century? Come back, we are at Pune in 21 Century and the name of the place is Kayani Bakery.

From outside it seems that as if some free distribution is going on. Everyone is rushing to get inside and then coming out happily with a packet in hand as a prized possession. Hard-earned money cannot buy you anything; instead, you have to do some hard work by standing in the rush and queue to get your mawa cake. So much is the rush at any time of the day. Bakery opens up early in the morning around 7, and is closed for few hours in the afternoon and then open in evening. It is not sure, that even if the bakery is open you will get what you want. They turn out of stock like anything, quickly after opening, especially mawa cake.

All the products tried were simply awesome. We commonly hear the term bakery fresh or straight from the oven. However, this is one place, which put life to these words. I tried cream rolls, mawa cake, Shrew berry biscuit, butter jeera and many more. All were to the best of their taste.

If you are in Pune, do not miss to visit this place. Shrewsbury biscuits and a mawa cake is a Pune souvenir, you can buy for anyone whom you are meeting within a week or 10 days. Products taste great, it is tried by myself, and I am still alive and writing this Post… J. Even, if you are visiting a local, not sure what to buy. Grab a basket, stuff it with few mawa cakes, shrewsbury biscuits and lot more to choose, get it wrapped and gift it, they will love it.

Location: 6 East Street, Opposite Victory Theater, Pune - 411001, India.

  

Happy Eating… J

Ice Pan Creamery

Simplest recipe for ice cream? Mix milk or cream, fruits, chocolate chips or any other ingredients of your choice in a bowl and freeze it in freezer. I take away freezer and give you a pan, now make it. You must be thinking stupid of me. Yes, you have your own reasons for that but I have mine. Go and have ice cream at any of the ice pan Creamery outlets and now think stupid of me. They make your ice cream live in front of your eyes on pans and then serve them as ice cream rolls. Interesting? These pans are super cooled pans at temperature between -30 to -45 ° C. Fresh ingredients poured into pans, crushed, and seeing them freezing and articulating into rolls is a visual celebration and what an art. Flavours are definitely good, as the ingredients are fresh, authentic and natural. No trace of preservatives. 

They offer quite a choice of flavours in each category namely vanilla, sorbet and chocolate. They have an extensive menu, and lot to choose from shakes, and other choice of beverages like Ice Tea, cold coffee, mock tails. Also on the menu are the combos with sandwiches, drinks and ice cream rolls.

USP of the place is freshness and authenticity. They veggies in the sandwich are fresh and crunchy; it may take a bit longer to get your sandwich, as the veggies will be chopped as per the order. However, I do not mind waiting 5 minutes longer when the freshness is guaranteed. 

They have given London circus downtown theme to the place and it makes the ambiance a chic look.

All in all a nice place to enjoy the cooked ice cream.

Happy eating... :) 

Anjlika Pastry Shop | Karol Bagh | Quick Review

I am in love with the place as for this is the safest option to have a quick snack while shopping through the bustling streets of Karol Bagh. By safe I mean, 'the taste', a bad one spoils the mood and day and can be harmful... :) In summers, it is one of the best place to take shopping break. 

Sip your cold coffee with a burger, roll, pastry or sandwich and review your shopping tasks or next target shops. At least this was my first, second and Everytime experience. They have a place in basement and upstairs as well. It is a self service joint and have an option of eat there as well as take away. They do not serve any thing exceptional, yet they are good and best from the rest. Simple fresh food of good quality and taste, in a neat and clean ambiance at genuine price is their USP

Happy Eating... :)

Standard Burfee | Karol Bagh | Restaurant Review

Think of the angel and devil is here, is something that happened with me at Standard Burfee, Karol Bagh. I love this place for the authentic Indian Sweets, purity, hygiene and tasty food preparations in Desi ghee. Another high point is, it is one of the no onion- garlic shops. So, an ideal place to hang out with Jain friends or at the time of navratras, when most of us those who are not fasting at least try to avoid onion and garlic.


I have been visiting this place quite often for delicacies and snacks. Prices are normal, it is neither a fine-dine nor a cheap eat. They have a nice comfortable sitting, where can also see most of the preparations live, like bhature, jalebi and tikki. It is a value for money place. A good place to have Indian snacks like Chole Bhature, Tikki Chaat, Ram laddoo and and and…

Ok, so where are the angel and the Devil? I always have vote for the chole bhature at this place; one reason is it is desi ghee preparation and minimal usage of soda in chole which palate cannot easily detect. In my recent visit, when I being optimistic felt otherwise. Chole, bit uncooked this time and had a hard texture. Though place is very hygienic but somehow a hair strand made a way in my aloo tikki. I know this is not the place where I expect this, as I have been eating since long and never seen any compromise on hygiene. It also felt bad.


However, I had to inform the management. I called for the person cooking in the open kitchen and shown him the mess, by pointing at the plate. He was apologetic that was clear from his body language and expressions, as this being a place of repute from ages it is a matter of shame. He immediately called for a cleaner, asked him to dump the serving in garbage outside the shop. Then he asked another waiter to serve us a fresh, said sorry to us and left. This was not more than a 30-second long story and only exchange of word that happened was “Sorry”. He never tried to justify, took a quick decision without any hesitation and resolved the issue. Mistakes happen and how you handle them is important. Some time you are completely put off from eating and this was one such incident.

An incident, which would have made me not to look at this shop anymore, instead earned appreciation. I felt bad, but that was for an instant. I made my purchase of sweets as usual, tried some more food. Moreover, it was not too bad experience in total… 😊 

Good hospitality is necessary for food to taste tastier.

Happy eating… 😊