Leave a Comment

Posted on April 2, 2020 by Sameer Ranade

La Sicilia Bistro & Patisserie


La Sicilia Bistro & Patisserie , a casual dining restaurant situated at  Kothrud , Pune brings to you an array  of delicious delicacies from different cuisines. To add to that the classy ambience and decor enhance your dining experience and helps you enjoy your meal to the fullest. One has a choice of indoor as well as outdoor seating. 

The menu consist of Italian, Continental, Mexican cuisine with variety of desserts. They serve appetizers, salad, sandwich, burger, pasta and pizza. 

We ordered: 

Grilled Cottage Cheese Steak: Cottage Cheese marinated in cilantro sauce, served with spaghetti zucchini and topped with almond flakes. Head to this place for this amazing dish,

Pizza Sicilia: Topped with artichoke, olive, cottage cheese, jalapeño and basil. It was really tasty with perfect crisp base and cheese topping.

Ceaser Chicken Salad: Ice berg, mix lettuce, croutons and garlic mayonnaise. This mixture tastes delicious with the chicken.

5 Spice Grilled Chicken: Marinated grilled chicken tossed in BBQ sauce, served with mash potato and lemon butter sauce. People who love spicy chicken, should definitely try this dish. 

In desserts we had Tiramisu and Caramel Chocolate Tart which were equally good in taste and dressing. One should also try their Panacotta of the day and Banoffee Pie. 

Overall, if you are looking for Italian and Mexican food in and around Kothrud area, this is the perfect place.

La Sicilia Bistro & Patisserie Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Leave a Comment

Posted on March 19, 2020 by Sameer Ranade

Lately there has been a sudden boost in restaurant with novel concepts and experimental menus, and The Basil Deck is a great place for all vegetarian foodies!

After it’s success in Bibwewadi , The Basil Deck has opened its second restaurant at Prabhat Road. The restaurant has a vibrant, brightly lit interior with cosy seating, ideal for family dining. The menu is a wonderful amalgamation of Indian, Chinese and Italian vegetarian cuisines, and boasts of a lot of other experimental dishes like Muradabadi Dal Shorba, Tandoori Salad, Babycorn Tempura, Caribbean Kebab, Fire Sizzler, Blama Veg and Paneer Baloucha. The place is sure a paradise for vegetarian lovers!

To start off, their selection of soups was delicious! The chef-recommended Cream of Broccoli and Cream of Mushroom soups were a perfect rich and creamy start to a delicious meal. The Veg Tandoori Platter was a standard platter, with perfectly marinated paneer and broccoli, potatoes and mushrooms grilled to the perfection in a tandoor. The Cheese Bulletto was a revelation. It came with stuffed jalapenos and vegetables in a cheesy lemon sauce, and had the perfect amount of zest to it that had us craving for more. This was instantly satisfied by the Sangrilla Sizzler. The dish had veggies tossed in a spicy sauce, served on a bed of fried rice, with a side of fries. Their Pasta Classiques, arrived with a delectable pink sauce in a generous portion.

As it is said, it takes a good dessert to complete a hearty meal. Similarly, The Basil Deck aced at desserts. Their Lychee ki Tehri had lychee cooked in condensed milk and served in a traditional kulhad was an instant hit! The Chocolate Fantasy, as the name suggests was something anyone with a sweet-tooth would love. It had a dense sponge chocolate layer with rich chocolate mousse, and was plated to the perfection. Lastly, their Chocolate Fondue was the perfect way to end the meal.

The Basil Deck stands out in offering diverse cuisines to all vegetarian foodies, and is surely a place meant to be frequented again and again!

The chic interiors of the eatery
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Cheese Bulletto
Sangrilla Sizzler
Chocolate Fantasy
Lychee Ki Tehri
Chocolate Fondue
The Basil Deck Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Leave a Comment

Posted on March 13, 2020 by Sameer Ranade

  • Itss Yummyy
  • Ambiance
  • The artistic interior of the cafe

‘Eat Healthy and Stay Healthy’ is the motto of Pune’s newest travel themed eatery, and surely, they live up to it. “Itss Yummyy”started off as a traveler’s cafe about 10 years ago in Katraj and has now newly opened its second branch at Nal Stop, Erandwane. With its aesthetic and good food, the place has become increasingly popular among avid travelers, bikers and foodies who share their experiences of travel and food from around the world.

The theme of the cafe, travelling, is reflected in everything in it, be it the interior, the food or the people who visit it. Every corner of the cafe has been decorated with memoirs and souvenirs from distant places, desi quotes, artsy wall-hangings and huge dream-catchers. A few of these tall walls have been painted from top to bottom by artists from around the country. The seating arrangements boasts of tables made from cycle rims, chairs made of brightly painted tires and couches made of drums. The most surprising thing of all is that the cafe doesn’t have a roof! Since everyone now prefers to experiment with their food, Itss Yummyy is the perfect place to try something new.

The cafe’s menu consists of a wide range of mouthwatering vegetarian and non vegetarian options, from Paneer Burger to Tandoori Chicken. Itss Yummyy’s Minto Mini Lollypop are bite sized pieces that are succulent with just the right blend of mint on the inside and spices. Their Barbeque Chicken is perfectly marinated and crispy and without an overuse of spice. The Chicken Jamaican pasta there is pretty standard and makes for a perfect cheesy addition to your meal. Their Chicken Crunchy Roll with its generous amount of tender and juicy chicken filling with just the right amount of mint makes for a great ‘quick-bite’. The highlight of the meal, however is the Baba Butter Chicken and Rice combo, which is a mild-flavored yet rich butter chicken served in a generous helping. It perfectly captures within the bowl all the flavors of the north and is a great example of the best comfort food.

The cafe also holds open mics, live sessions, art workshops and special full-moon events to celebrate the traveling spirit within us. It is the perfect place to share your memories of travel, relax and be transported to places, all while you grab a bite at Itss Yummyy.

Not only that, but the cafe stays open till 3 a.m.!

  • Minto Mini Lollypop
  • Baba Butter Chicken and Rice
  • Chicken Jamaican pasta
  • Chicken Crunchy Roll
Itss Yummyy Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Leave a Comment

Posted on March 12, 2020 by Sameer Ranade

The culinary museum in WGSHA has been listed in Limca Book of Records as India’s First Living Culinary Arts Museum. Chef Thirugnanasambantham, Principal of WGSHA, MAHE and ITC Leadership for extending all support towards instituting this museum in Manipal and WGSHA, appreciated and thanked all those who have directly or indirectly helped towards setting up this museum in Manipal. Chef Thiru said ‘the process for WGSHA’s culinary museum to make an entry into the popular Limca Book of Records started almost six months back and after validation by LBR recently, has been listed in the book of records.

On the background of having the museum, Chef Vikas Khanna, the founder and curator of this Museum, donated thousands of kitchen tools and equipment worth millions of dollars to this museum for preserving history of India’s rich tradition of culinary arts and to educate the future generations.

Chef Thiru said, ‘This Museum’,  has placed WGSHA in global culinary map and we are proud to have joined all such efforts to preserve the history of cuisines and cultures across the world. The culinary arts academic block housing the museum was opened in April, 2018, spread approximately over 25,000 sq. ft., and is shaped in the form of a giant pot very similar to the ones found in Harappa. There are historical as well as regular household items such as plates made by the Portuguese in India, a 100-year-old ladle used to dole out food at temples and bowls dating to the Harappan era, an old seed sprinkler, an ancient Kashmiri tea brewer known as ‘samovar’, vessels from the Konkan, Udupi and Chettinad regions, apart from a large collection of rolling pins, utensils of all shapes and sizes, tea strainers of different types etc.

Leave a Comment

Posted on March 12, 2020 by Sameer Ranade

  • Ambience
  • Ambience
  • Artisanal Kombucha
  • Curry and Cauliflower Rice
  • Paneer Shawarma
  • Tomato Basil Soup

Located bang opposite the well known Hotel Sea Princess on Juhu-Tara Road , Kale and Kaffee dishes out a range of diet friendly dishes for the health conscious including some amazing keto food, salads and gluten free desserts . The Menu consists of breakfast items for the morning , Keto Menu , Super Bowls, Sandwiches , Wraps , Salad , Smoothies , gluten free desserts , juices and coffee.

We tried the healthy Shawarma Wrap available with Chicken or Paneer with lettuce, red onions, pickled beetroot , hummus and spinach tortilla. The Avo Toastie with mashed avocado , feta and sourdough is a great option for vegetarians. But some of keto items are a must try , especially Thai Curry and Cauliflower Rice with or without Chicken. Cauliflower Rice is in the form Quinoa with a slight overdose of peri peri, the dish is worth trying again.  End your meal with gluten free Keto Cakes , mousse or brownies.

The ambience is pleasant with an open kitchen and fresh green hue , cane chairs and a glass windows . Overall a nice place to hangout for the health conscious. 

Kale & Kaffé Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Leave a Comment

Posted on March 5, 2020 by Sameer Ranade

Cultures and traditions bring Indians close, strengthen their bond and hence are an integral part of their lives. Starbucks has always focused on innovations that celebrates diverse cultures and taste preferences. This spring season, Starbucks celebrates Holi with their latest limited-edition beverage, Frappuccino of Colors. As vivid as the festival of Holi, the Frappuccino of Colors comes in striking layers of pink, topped with the fluffiest whipped cream and finished with rainbow sprinkles.One look at the drink will take you back to your childhood memories of playing Holi. The Frappuccino of Colors comes with the goodness of cocoa-vanilla which is accompanied with another secret ingredient called happiness. Apart from being eye-catchy and delightful, this flamboyant drink is also highly Instagram worthy. So, grab your phones and rush to the nearest Starbucks store along with your dear ones to enjoy this delicious symphony of flavours. Available across stores in India from 28th February to 10th March, 2020 Price: INR 360 onwards.

Leave a Comment

Posted on February 21, 2020 by Sameer Ranade

Raviraj Forever

Hotel Raviraj located on Bhandarkar road and now identified as a budget hotel, was literally one of the leading star hotels throughout the 90’s. People use to identify this place with various business and banquet functions. In last three decades Pune has seen a surge of number of business and budget hotels and therefore people with their natural instinct have moved on trying various new hotels that seem to open every now and then. Though the conferences and banquet functions do keep happening at hotel Raviraj, what has remained constant is the food and its taste. This is probably because, it appears the hotel has managed to retain most of the staff especially those in the kitchen. 

The reason to go to this hotel primarily remains food. One might feel the service is little laid back, and the décor not very funky but what is important is that you can take your entire family to enjoy the consistency of taste here. Surya Mahal Restaurant has been welcoming and treating guest with multi cuisine food for over three decades now. The multi cuisine restaurant includes Continental, Chinese and Indian cuisines.  Our recommendations would include there famous Manchow and Minestrone soups to start with followed by Veg spring rolls, Veg Manchurian for vegetarians. But the highlight is Chicken Sukha which comes with bones as a boneless starter accompanied by just about adequate masala/dry gravy. The Chicken Tikka here is probably one of the best tikkas you will get in Pune. For mains our suggestions would include Green peas Masala, Veg bhuna, Veg Manchurian, Malai Kofta (Non-spicy) in veg. Again the best dishes in mains one can find are non vegetarian. People specially come to this restaurant to try chicken adraki which is spicy Mutton Kheema and their famous Butter Chicken.  Egg curry and various types of Indian fish preparations are also worth trying. Kheema Naan and Garlic Kulcha can make perfect breads while Chicken Biryani has been one of the most popular dishes served here. Some of the baked continental dishes, Chinese food and Sizzlers are also worth trying. Though not very huge centric the ambience is decent and perfect for a family get together. The location can’t be better with an influx of modern and international cuisine restaurants the people of Pune may have high expectations. But Hotel Raviraj has remained the same with highlight being its food. The fact that we find repeat customers at this restaurants reflects the legacy and popularity of the restaurant.

Chicken Tikka
Tandoori Chicken
Suryama - Hotel Raviraj Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Leave a Comment

Posted on February 5, 2020 by Sameer Ranade

Celebrate All Things Valentine with Starbucks!

Love is in the air, and Starbucks is presenting various indulgent delicacies and gifting options to celebrate this season of love.

Starbucks introduces two new beverages for this season. Chocolate Berry Kiss Frappuccino, a perfect treat with white chocolate mocha and strawberry blended to

perfection and accompanied by mocha and strawberry whipped cream topped with chocolate wafers. For the ones who prefer hot beverages, Starbucks offers My Valentine’s Hot Chocolate, handcrafted with a hint of hazelnut and strawberry in your favorite hot chocolate topped with chocolate wafers

My Valentine’s Hot Chocolate: INR 310 onwards

Chocolate Berry Kiss Frappuccino®: INR 360 onwards

Starbucks is bringing in the fan favorites Dutch Truffle and Red Velvet with a heart-shaped twist for the season. What better way to surprise your loved one than with a heart-shaped cake.

Heart Shape Dutch Truffle: INR 280 onwards

Heart Shape Red Velvet: INR 285 onwards

For the first time, Starbucks introduces Macarons in various flavours including Rose, Pistachio, Chocolate Coconut, Passionfruit, and Salted Caramel. Gift Starbucks Signature Chocolate Boxes to your Valentine with the unique assortment ranging from white caramel to red fruit.

Macarons: INR 390 onwards

Large Chocolate boxes: INR 990 onwards

Small Chocolate boxes: INR 590 onwards

To add a twist to All Things Valentine, Starbucks introduces the concept of Starbucks Date!

Upon the purchase of 5 Valentine Special offering or sharing their special Valentine’s moment on our social platforms using #StarbucksDate, a customer stands a chance to win a Starbucks

Date: Available all along the month of love from 1st Feb to 29th Feb.

Leave a Comment

Posted on January 31, 2020 by Sameer Ranade

Dineout’s Great Indian Restaurant Festival brings the Joy Of Dining Out to Pune

Dineout, India’s largest dining out and restaurant tech solutions platform is back with the 5th edition of their Great Indian Restaurant Festival (GIRF) from 31st January to 1st March. With GIRF India will experience the #JoyOfDiningOut (JODO) with the biggest discounts on total bill, food, drinks, buffet and more, at 10000+ restaurants across 20 cities namely Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Goa, Jaipur, Indore, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Nagpur, Kochi, Surat, Agra, Udaipur, and Vadodara. Users can also additionally avail 20% cashback on their restaurant bills using Dineout Pay. With GIRF, Dineout aims to provide maximum savings for diners with exclusive partner offers from HDFC bank and bonus miles from Intermiles (formerly JetPrivilege).

Dineout has also released a digital film around the festival focusing on “No Drama, Only Khaana” as a solution to diners who want value for their money without any drama, excuses or influences like birthdays, anniversaries and more, often used by people to get the best deals at restaurants. The full brand film can be watched here: https://youtu.be/yKw6z2CAljE

To further encourage the dining out culture in the country, Dineout also coined the new millennial lingo JODO which is similar to FOMO and YOLO.

Commenting on the latest edition of GIRF, Mr. Ankit Mehrotra, CEO & Co-founder, Dineout said, “GIRF over the years has gained an unparalleled reputation of being one of the largest restaurant festivals in India. GIRF’s popularity affirms that Indians love dining out and are no more restricted to just occasions. With the biggest discounts and offers, we want to extend the #JoyOfDiningOut in the truest sense to our users across 20 cities, especially millennials who will resonate with the language of #JODO.”

Dineout has successfully organized 4 editions of GIRF since 2017. Last year, GIRF was introduced twice in the same year in the months of February & August, seating close to 2.5 million & 4 million diners respectively. It also helped its participating restaurants garner revenue higher than the usual days during both the editions. The participating restaurants witnessed 3x rise in their revenue in their most recent edition. GIRF deals for all can be bought starting 25th Jan for dining between 31st January to 1st March 2020 at restaurants like Westin Pune, Hyatt Regency, Effingut, Ministry of Barbeque, Fly High, The Number Game, Thikana& more.

Speaking on the association, a spokesperson from HDFC Bank said, “We are happy to be associated with Dineout’s Great Indian Restaurant festival for 3rd consecutive year. The festival in a short span of time has been instrumental in driving change towards the dining culture of India. The festival’s popularity has helped us build a strong connect with our customers also as they look for offers & cashbacks. While GIRF offers great deals, HDFC Bank customers can additionally enjoy exclusive deals & cashbacks during the festival.

VikasChandak, Senior Vice-President, Strategic Business & Partnerships of InterMiles, said, “We, at InterMiles, are committedto building strong partnerships that drive significant value & enriching experiences for our members. Our long-standing partnership with Dineout is immensely popular with our members and we witness a remarkable increase in engagement during the Great Indian Restaurant Festival. We are happy to participate in the 5th edition of GIRF as Food Sponsors & Reward Partners. We are confident that this year, once again, our members will enjoy the GIRF deals and the additional benefits brought to them by InterMiles.”

So, get ready to experience a month full of dining out at great discounts with no hidden agendas. Enjoy hassle-free experiences and without stressing about over-budget bills.

Leave a Comment

Posted on January 18, 2020 by Sameer Ranade

Indulge in 174 unique handcrafted beverages across all Starbucks stores in the country

Taking its commitment to delivering the iconic ‘Third Place’ experience to new heights, Starbucks is bringing back Barista Pride with the simultaneous launch of 174 new beverages. Starbucks partners from all stores across India conceptualize and create an innovative beverage unique to their respective store.

This year, Starbucks introduces Starbucks Crawl, a rewarding experience that takes you on a beverage exploration trail around the nation with innovative Barista Pride beverages. With every unique beverage, collect stamps along the way on the Barista Pride passport. Post the seventh beverage, customers will receive the eighth beverage for free as a completion and reward token. Additionally, customers can share their own Starbucks crawl journeys and stand a chance to win free Starbucks beverages for a month!

Based on the idea of customization and personalization, while celebrating the heart and soul of the signature Starbucks experience, Starbucks Barista Pride, demonstrates the partners’ passion and pride for coffee and celebrates their skills. The wide range of unique beverages includes Cocoa Vanilla latte available at the DLF promenade store in New Delhi – It’s a delicious combination of vanilla, mocha with our rich espresso shot topped with whipped cream mocha drizzle. Marble Mocha Macchiato, a combination of white mocha topped with a rich ristretto shot and finished with chocolate and caramel drizzle, available at the Chapel Road outlet in Mumbai.

“Starbucks is dedicated to delivering an unparalleled experience for all our customers. We are constantly innovating to meet the varied coffee preference and flavor profiles of our customers. We are delighted to reintroduce ‘Starbucks Barista Pride’ – a coffee forward initiative which highlights the coffee skills and a deep understanding of coffee that our Starbucks baristas possess, and bring to our customers a wide range of artisanal beverages,” said Navin Gurnaney, ceo, Tata Starbucks Pvt. Ltd. 

Barista Pride Beverages will be available across all Tata Starbucks stores from 8th January to 31st January, 2020.

Twitter
Social
Follow me on Zomato
View my food journey on Zomato!
View my food journey on Zomato!

No upcoming events

Blog at WordPress.com.

%d bloggers like this: