VIKRAM KARVE ON FOOD » author

A CLEAN WELL LIGHTED PLACE – MOMO Cafe Courtyard by Marriott Hinjewadi Pune

Vikram Karve — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:04:38 +0000

A CLEAN WELL-LIGHTED PLACE

“A Clean, Well-Lighted Place!”

That’s the first thought that instantly comes to my mind the moment I enter Courtyard’s MoMo Café on Saturday afternoon.

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place is the title of my favourite Ernest Hemingway Short Story – the phrase depicts the café where the story is set.

Well that’s what MoMo Café is – a Clean Airy Well Lighted Spacious Friendly café with wonderful feel-good ambience and superb food, tasteful décor and pleasant aesthetics which make you feel fresh, cheerful, comfortable and relaxed. Yes, the bright vibes of the place certainly lift my spirits and make me feel good the moment I enter the lobby of Courtyard.

We walk in the spacious “courtyard”, past MoMo 2 Go, the “to go” grab and go deli, stocked with tempting baked delights, for those in a hurry.

Well, I am not in a hurry, so I leisurely stroll past the spic-and-span counter adorned with tempting goodies and the appetizing buffet spread. There are pickles, in traditional jars, a mix and match and toss your own salad counter, and soups and broths. Everything is so visually pleasing that I can sense the appetite being built up inside me.

It is heartening to see the immaculate open display kitchen – it always feels reassuring to see your food being cooked in front of you with impeccable standards of hygiene and quality.

I look around. MoMo Café is a happy place and the seating is comfortable, ample, user-friendly and well-designed.

It is a leisurely Saturday afternoon cosmopolitan crowd comprising a delightful assortment – joyful families, young IT executives, couples, singles, friends, business guests, eager foodies, relaxed tourists and cosy friends spending a leisurely afternoon over a chilled beer, a tasty bite and snug conversation. There is plenty of space, there is plenty of light, freshness in the air, and everyone, the kids and the adults, seems to be having a pleasant time, enjoying the food and the friendly atmosphere.

A discerning yet innovative menu features an imaginative choice of select dishes from a variety of cuisines, from the Orient and the Occident, ranging from starters, soups, salads, sandwiches, pizzas and pastas to Kebabs and an astute selection of traditional Indian dishes, sumptuous main course delicacies, and exclusive desserts to round off your meal. Despite the impressive array of multi-cuisine, it is a short and sweet uncluttered concise well thought-out menu – a sure sign of a restaurant that takes its food seriously.

We are wondering what to order, when Subhash, the Executive Chef, joins us, so we leave it to him to do the honours. He asks to select anything we fancy from the impressive array of dishes laid out for the lunch buffet and then we’ll try his recommendations from the a-la-carte menu.

I pick up some Seafood Broth – it’s non-spicy with a combination of seafood and lots of vegetables and nourishing, just like a basic Seafood Broth ought to be. The buffet seems to be very popular perhaps because the spread is so elaborate and I wonder what to sample. I start off with some bhuna gosht – it is excellent – succulent flavoursome pieces of mutton in luxuriant gravy. The scrumptious Mustard Fried Fish and Stroganoff tempt me to try out the whole buffet lunch but Subhash has already ordered a pizza from their wood fired pizza oven – I’ll only say this: The thin crust pizza is probably the best pizza I have ever tasted – it’s light, the crust melts in the mouth and allows the tongue to fully relish the taste of sauce, cheese and delectable toppings.

“Let’s have a Momo,” I say, harking back to mouth-watering memories of my Shillong days when I first relished the yummy wholesome Momo. At first I thought that maybe MoMo Café was a Momo place but Vyshnavi and Subhash educate me – the name MoMo Café exemplifies the concept of Modern Living and Modern Eating. But surely, isn’t it apt that MoMo Café has Momos on its menu – maybe next time!

Subhash orders Nasi Goreng for me and Conchiglie Pasta for my darling vegetarian wife. There is an interesting choice of wines, spirits and cocktails, but we prefer freshly squeezed orange juice as an accompaniment.

We are indeed fortunate to have an opportunity to interact with Subhash who is a veritable human encyclopaedia on wining and dining and all things culinary. The enlightening “foodie” conversation is sheer delight and Subhash’s sincere love of food, passion for cooking and impressive repertoire of culinary knowledge enhance the eating experience and make our meal even more appetizing and intellectually stimulating.

The Nasi Goreng, Spicy Prawn Fried Rice with soft fried egg and Chicken Satay, is lip-smacking and fulfilling. I have a bite of the vegetarian Conchiglie Pasta too, savouring its inimitable taste of spinach in basil flavoured sauce, as Subhash explains the intricacies – the foam and the way this delicate dish is made.

For dessert, we have Tiramisu, the pièce de résistance of the meal. MoMo Café’s inimitable signature Tiramisu is marvellous – a fitting climax to a splendid meal. Subhash tells us it is a non-alcoholic Tiramisu, to cater to children and local preferences, but let me tell you that it is the best Tiramisu I have ever had and the delightful symbiosis of delectable tastes lingers within me for a long long time.

I will cherish mouth-watering memories of this lovely Saturday afternoon forever. I am sure MoMo Café is going to be a hit, a boon to the foodies of Pune, due to its unique location, superb food, vibrant ambience, impeccable standards of hygiene and quality, and the warm and friendly service.

I am certainly going to eat at MoMo Café again. And this time I am going to check out the Indian Cuisine. I’ll start with melt-in-the-mouth dissolve-on-your-tongue Galawat Kebab, savour a Nalli Nihari – let’s see how it compares with the authentic versions of this luscious fortifying breakfast dish I’ve relished in the heart of Delhi and Mumbai. Then I’ll try some Dum Biryani and end with a soothing Kulfi Falooda.

A true Foodie eats twice, first in his mind’s eye, and then with his taste buds. So whenever a Foodie ventures out to a new place he builds up some expectations – MoMo Café certainly exceeded my expectations in all aspects and we thoroughly enjoyed the overall dining experience.

VIKRAM KARVE

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

Dear Reader, if you enjoyed reading this, and want to relish more such delicious foodie adventures, do read APPETITE FOR A STROLL

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

vikramkarve@sify.com

http://www.indiaplaza.in/finalpage.aspx?storename=books&sku=9788190690096&ct=2

http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm

APPETITE FOR A STROLL – A Hearty Meal from the Heart of India – MOUTHWATERING KOLHAPURI MEMORIES

Vikram Karve — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 16:54:13 +0000

A Hearty Meal from the Heart of India

It is really hot in Pune and this afternoon I had a real “hot” Kolhapuri meal which brought back mouthwatering memories of a similar “hot” meal I had relished two years ago.

Here is a excerpt from my Sulekha Blogprint Series Foodie book APPETITE FOR A STROLL

http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm

Purepur Kolhapur

Mouthwatering Memories of a Hearty Kolhapuri Meal

by

Vikram Karve

It’s a hot Sunday afternoon in Pune. I am voraciously hungry and am pining for a fulfilling meal. And what can be better than a wholesome authentic Kolhapuri meal to blissfully satiate my pangs of hunger?

So I proceed to my favourite Kolhapuri restaurant called “Purepur Kolhapur” near Peru Gate, the food district, in the heart of Pune City. It’s a Spartan no-nonsense eatery; the only thing conspicuous is the ‘Kolhapur zero-milestone’ outside the entrance which makes it easy to locate.

I saw a similar zero-milestone somewhere in Kothrud the other day and wonder whether a branch of “Purepur Kolhapur” is coming up there too!

There are just three main items on the menu – Mutton Taat (Thali), Chicken Taat, (which cost Rs. 75/- each), and Purepur Special Taat for a princely Rs. 120/- (I am told that the ‘Purepur Special’ contains everything the place has to offer!).

There is a flurry of activity and a large stainless steel taat is placed in front of me almost instantly.

The Purepur Special Thali comprises the following:

· A large bowl of thick chicken curry with four generous pieces of chicken.
· A plate of appetizingly crisp dark brown pieces of fried mutton liberally garnished with almost burnt deep fried onion strips.
· A Kheema Vati (Katori)
· A vati of Tambda Rassa ( Red Gravy)
· A vati of Pandhara Rassa (White Gravy)
· Kuchumber salad made of onions, ginger, coriander, green chillies and curds
· Lemon pieces
· A fresh piping hot chapatti (You can have bhakri if you want, but today I’m in a mood for a crisp hot crunchy chapatti splattered with pure ghee)
· A bowl of jeera rice garnished with crisp brown fried onion strips and cashew nuts.

I sip the pandhara rassa – it’s invigorating.

Next I spoon into my eager mouth a generous portion of mutton fry. It’s not melt-in-the-mouth stuff (I think it is the inimitable Bolai mutton).

I chew slowly and savor the sweetish taste of the fried onions blended with the lively spiciness of the crisply fried mutton.

I dip a piece of the piping hot chapatti into the tambda rassa allowing it to soak in, place it on my tongue and chew it to a pulp until it practically swallows itself savouring the flavour till the very end. Exquisite!

Now using my right thumb and two fingers, I lovingly pick up a small piece of chicken from the gravy; delicately place it on my tongue and roll it against my palate.

I close my eyes, look inside, and focus on the succulent boneless chicken release it’s zesty juices and disintegrate. Yes, unlike the crispy fried mutton which need a vigorous chew to truly relish its deliciousness, the chicken is soft and tender, almost melt-in-the-mouth.

I sample the Kheema Vati – it’s totally different from the Kheema I’ve tasted at Irani and Mughlai eateries. The Kheema has an unusual taste I can’t exactly describe – a bit sweet and sour– a counterbalancing contrast, perhaps.

Now that I’ve sampled everything in it’s pristine form, I squeeze a bit of lemon on the mutton and chicken and embellish it with kuchumber to give it the right tang, and from time to time I sip the wholesome pandhara rassa.

I thoroughly enjoy the confluence of contrasting tastes. In conclusion I mix everything with the rice and rejoice the riot of zesty flavours.

At the end, as I always do after all hearty spicy meals, I pick up a wedge of lemon and squeeze a bit of lemon juice into my glass of water and sip it down.

Believe me, it improves the aftertaste and lightens the post-meal heaviness sometimes caused by spicy Indian cuisine.

It’s an exciting, invigorating meal which perks me up and the sheer epicurean pleasure I experience makes up for the crowded, hassled ambience and indifferent service. Purepur Kolhapur is worth a visit for the quality and authenticity of its food.

For most of us “Kolhapuri” food has become synonymous with the “chilli-hot” self-styled, purported, ostensible Kolhapuri fare served in both high falutin and run-of-the-mill restaurants whose menus often feature dishes called “Chicken Kolhapuri” or “Vegetable Kolhapuri” which masquerade as Kolhapuri cuisine.

Kolhapuri cuisine is “spicy”, not “chilli-hot”, not “rich” and “fatty” – nothing exotic about it.

A Kolhapuri meal, unique in its simplicity, comprises a variety of lip-smacking, earthy, flavorsome, nourishing dishes and is so complete that it creates within you a inimitable hearty wholesome sense of fulfillment, and is a welcome change from the ubiquitous fatty and greasy-rich Makhanwalla, Masala, Kadhai, Handi, Naan, Biryani, the popular Punjabi and Mughlai fare you eat day in and day out. There is a world of a difference between pseudo- Kolhapuri and authentic-Kolhapuri food.

I do not know where you get genuine Kolhapuri cuisine in Mumbai, Delhi or any of the Metros.

When we visit Kolhapur, we eat at Opal.

I walked all over South Mumbai, experimented, tasted, sampled, but there was no joy. No Kolhapuri Taat anywhere, and even a la carte, nowhere was Mutton or Chicken Kolhapuri the signature dish – it appeared they had put it on the menu just for the sake of it, maybe to gratify the dulled taste buds on the alcohol soaked tongues of inebriated patrons who probably were in no state to appreciate the finer aspects of relishing good food. When queried, the waiters invariably said that Kolhapuri was synonymous with fiery chilli-hot food.

I was disappointed to find not even a single authentic Kolhapuri restaurant listed in various Good Food Guides to Mumbai. If you, dear fellow Foodie, know of an authentic Kolhapuri restaurant in your town or city, will you be so good as to let us all know?

Happy Eating!

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2009
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

If you want to learn of such yummy places in Mumbai and Pune and read about some really mouthwatering foodie adventures and lip-smacking recipes why don’t you get a copy of my Foodie Adventures Book APPETITE FOR A STROLL?

Just click the links below to know morecre:

http://www.indiaplaza.in/finalpage.aspx?storename=books&sku=9788190690096&ct=2

http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm

Remember – There is no love greater than the love of food.

Happy Eating

Vikram Karve

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

vikramkarve@sify.com

APPETITE FOR A STROLL Foodie Adventures, Simple Recipes, Musings on The Art of Eating and Vikram Karve’s Authentic Guide to Value For Money Food in Mumbai and Pune

Vikram Karve — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 09:10:41 +0000

APPETITE FOR A STROLL

[Foodie Adventures, Simple Recipes, Musings on The Art of Eating and Vikram Karve’s Authentic Guide to Value For Money Food in Mumbai and Pune]

VIKRAM KARVE

I have recently written a Foodie Adventures Book – Appetite for a Stroll.

Please click the link and read the review of Appetite for a Stroll titled Food for Soul in the Indian Express [Pune] Sunday 7th September 2008

http://www.indianexpress.com/story/358363.html

expressonline book review

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Food-for-soul/358363/#

If you want to get a copy of the book just click the links below:

http://www.indiaplaza.in/finalpage.aspx?storename=books&sku=9788190690096&ct=2

http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm

I am sure you will enjoy reading the book, the delicious food at all the value for money eateries and cooking the recipes.

Happy Reading and Happy Eating

VIKRAM KARVE

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com

HOW TO MAKE TEA

Vikram Karve — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:16:18 +0000

HOW TO MAKE TEA

VIKRAM KARVE

I love tea.

You too love tea but don’t know how to make a good cup?

Let me tell you how to make tea.

Get some good Assam CTC Tea [CTC is an acronym for Crush, Tear and Curl]. CTC teas have a granular appearance and the fact of the matter is that if you are really interested in a Stimulating, Refreshing and Invigorating cup of traditional Indian Tea, Orthodox Leaf Teas [the OPs, the BOPs, et al] just don’t fit the bill – you need CTC tea to brew your strong, bright and full-bodied cup of milky Chai which looks deliciously appetizing – a lively reddish orange colour, not the dull muddy brown colour you get when you add milk to tea made from leaf teas the orthodox “teapot” way.

Take two cups of fresh water [one for you and one for me!] in a stainless steel vessel. Add four teaspoons of sugar. Put on the stove, cover with a lid and boil. Once the water starts boiling, remove the lid and boil for one and a half minutes – yes, exactly one and a half minutes!

Now briskly add two teaspoons of CTC Tea leaves, one teaspoon for each cup – the boiling water will suddenly erupt, and surge up, like a volcano, so smartly switch off the flame before it spills over and quickly cover tightly with the lid. Brew for five minutes till the liquor is full-bodied and the infusion is complete.

Have ready some freshly boiled full cream buffalo milk – yes, fresh creamy buffalo milk is a must – in Pune, I prefer Chitale’s. First pour in some hot milk in the cup, and through a strainer, pour in the rich tea brew and till you get beautiful reddish orange colour. Remember – always pour tea into milk, never milk into tea. This is the secret of the appetizingly attractive bright lively carroty red colour as it facilitates the perfect blending of the strong rich full-bodied intense tea liquor tea brew with the creamy white milk without producing any bitterness.

Now, go ahead, relish every sip, and enjoy your cup of ambrosial divine rejuvenating tea.

And do tell us how you liked it.

VIKRAM KARVE

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

vikramkarve@sify.com

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

Bhagat Tarachand Pune – Delicious Vegetarian Cuisine

Vikram Karve — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 06:19:01 +0000

A HEARTY MEAL IN THE HEART OF PUNE

VIKRAM KARVE

The first thing you notice in the contrast in ambiance – unlike the hustle-bustle, hurly burly, hurried eating in a hot, humid, crowded atmosphere you are overwhelmed with in Mumbai, here, in Pune, the mood is set for serene, tranquil, relaxed, leisurely dining. Also, there is no “beer bottle” of chilled chaas (buttermilk) to quench your thirst and soothe your parched throat, and there is a stylish menu card, not the Mumbai-style wall-menu. I read the menu – quite expensive – now in this aspect Pune’s Bhagat Tarachand is different – certainly not frugal Value for Money dining! But then Pune is an expensive place, especially for food.

There isn’t must choice as far as Thalis are concerned – there is only one type of Thali on the menu and it’s called the Deluxe Lunch Thali [there is no ordinary thali for an “ordinary” foodie like me!]. The Thali costs a steep 120 rupees and we order it.

The food is plentiful and very tasty. There is melt in the mouth delicious Paneer Bhurji, flavoursome aloo methi sukha, a tangy samosa, nutritious dal fry, three special ghee-rich rotis, rice, papad, and rabdi. We leisurely savour the substantial meal in relaxed ambience. The food is as good as the one served in their Mumbai restaurants – what disappoints is the Chaas – they serve only a tiny glass of chaas and when I asked for a refill the waiter rudely told me it would cost me an extra eighteen bucks – now that’s not fair as it is the accompaniment of the lip-smacking chaas that truly enhances the enjoyment and eating experience of this type of cuisine. Also the chaas here lacked the soothing zing of the “beer bottle” chilled chaas they serve in Mumbai. And as for the service – I suggest they send their staff down to the Mumbai restaurants to imbibe some of the down-to-earth businesslike warmth.

If Bhagat Tarachand wants to carve a niche for itself in Pune [like Shreyas or Mayur for vegetarian thalis] it better focus on its specialities and uniqueness of cuisine – what’s the point of having things like Bread-Butter-Jam, Sandwiches, Pav-Bhaji and Chole Bhatura on the menu when there are so many good established places for these in Pune? Remember, it’s those matchless varieties of rotis, unique taste of vegetable and paneer dishes, the inimitable lip-smacking soothing chaas and most importantly the tasty wholesome Thalis which are going to attract foodies and save this restaurant from becoming one of those run of the mill eateries one sees proliferating all over Pune. And please make the food more affordable, especially the thalis and have some variety too – a common man’s thali should not be more than fifty rupees.

If you happen to be in the heart of Pune City, do have a hearty meal at Bhagat Tarachand, and tell us if you liked it. We’re sure going to visit the place again – and this time we are going to focus on the variety of rotis, the rich paneer and mouth-watering vegetable gravies.

And if you want to read about my delightful experience at Mumbai’s Bhagat Tarachand just click on the links below:

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/12/food-travels-in-mumbai-a-veg-foodie-day.htm

http://foodiekarve.sulekha.com/blog/post/2006/10/the-best-value-for-money-vegetarian-food-in-mumbai.htm

Happy Eating!

VIKRAM KARVE

vikramkarve@hotmail.com

vikramkarve@sify.com

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

http://www.ryze.com/go/karve

Bhagat Tarachand Pune

Vikram Karve — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 19:38:25 +0000

A HEARTY MEAL IN THE HEART OF PUNE

VIKRAM KARVE

My wife is a pure vegetarian. So when we eat out together we prefer a pure vegetarian restaurant. And when you are really famished there’s nothing better to satiate your hunger than a sumptuous wholesome vegetarian thali. When we were in Mumbai our favourite Value for Money Vegetarian Thali guaranteed to satisfy the most voracious appetite and discerning taste buds was the Thali served by Bhagat Tarachand near Zaveri Bazar. Both taste-wise and price-wise, Bhagat Tarachand is unmatched – it’s the best value for money vegetarian food in Mumbai. So this afternoon, finding ourselves famished and thirsty on Laxmi Road in Pune we decided to have a hearty meal at Bhagat Tarachand’s Pune restaurant in the heart of the city. The first thing you notice is the contrast in ambiance – unlike the hustle-bustle, hurly burly, hurried eating in a hot, humid, crowded atmosphere you are overwhelmed with in Mumbai, here, in Pune, the mood is set for serene, tranquil, relaxed, leisurely dining. Also, there is no “beer bottle” of chilled chaas (buttermilk) to quench your thirst and soothe your parched throat, and there is a stylish menu card, not the Mumbai-style wall-menu. I read the menu – quite expensive – now in this aspect Pune’s Bhagat Tarachand is different – certainly not frugal Value for Money dining! But then Pune is an expensive place, especially for food. There isn’t must choice as far as Thalis are concerned – there is only one type of Thali on the menu and it’s called the Deluxe Lunch Thali [there is no ordinary thali for an “ordinary” foodie like me!]. The Thali costs a steep 120 rupees and we order it. The food is plentiful and very tasty. There is melt in the mouth delicious Paneer Bhurji, flavoursome aloo methi sukha, a tangy samosa, nutritious dal fry, three special ghee-rich rotis, rice, papad, and rabdi. We leisurely savour the substantial meal in relaxed ambience. The food is as good as the one served in their Mumbai restaurants – what disappoints is the Chaas – they serve only a tiny glass of chaas and when I asked for a refill the waiter rudely told me it would cost me an extra eighteen bucks – now that’s not fair as it is the accompaniment of the lip-smacking chaas that truly enhances the enjoyment and eating experience of this type of cuisine. Also the chaas here lacked the soothing zing of the “beer bottle” chilled chaas they serve in Mumbai. And as for the service – I suggest they send their staff down to the Mumbai restaurants to imbibe some of the down-to-earth businesslike warmth. If Bhagat Tarachand wants to carve a niche for itself in Pune [like Shreyas or Mayur for vegetarian thalis] it better focus on its specialities and uniqueness of cuisine – what’s the point of having things like Bread-Butter-Jam, Sandwiches, Pav-Bhaji and Chole Bhatura on the menu when there are so many good established places for these in Pune? Remember, it’s those matchless varieties of rotis, unique taste of vegetable and paneer dishes, the inimitable lip-smacking soothing chaas and most importantly the tasty wholesome Thalis which are going to attract foodies and save this restaurant from becoming one of those run of the mill eateries one sees proliferating all over Pune. And please make the food more affordable, especially the thalis and have some variety too – a common man’s thali should not be more than fifty rupees. If you happen to be in the heart of Pune City, do have a hearty meal at Bhagat Tarachand, and tell us if you liked it. We’re sure going to visit the place again – and this time we are going to focus on the variety of rotis, the rich paneer and mouth-watering vegetable gravies.