Sunday Brunch at Cafe Blu, Radisson Blu Pune Hinjawadi – Happiest Brunch! — Reviewed!

What: Sunday Brunch
Where: Cafe Blu, Radisson Blu Hinjawadi, Pune
When: All Sundays
Cost: Starting from Rs.949
Worth: YES

Sunday is all about a lazy day – a day to refuel your energy and pump up for the coming work week. So thought of exploring some lazy daisy brunches in the city. Came across the "Happiest Brunch in the Town" at Radisson Blu, Hinjawadi which gave me more than one reasons to visit them. The hotel makes sure that your Sunday is fun-filled with shopping, unlimited food, unlimited sparkling wine & unlimited beer starting at Rs.949 only!

After a long 45 minutes drive, we reached Radisson Blu, Hinjawadi and were excited to pamper ourselves on the special occasion of Friendship's Day. That Sunday was surely a memorable one for us. The place has its warmth and add-ons are the courteous staff, seating area in natural lights, colorful flea market, live pottery session and live food counters like candy floss maker, grill, chaat counter, live music and more. It makes the overall vivacious vibes.

We took our favorite seats and made comfortable near large windows overlooking the natural scenery. On a beautiful pleasant day, one can opt to sit outside. We were offered sparkling wine, but being a teetotaller we settled for some mocktails out of which refreshing Green Apple Mojito was the best!

A board with the starters names is placed near the lavish buffet. Those veg-non veg starters are served hot and fresh on the table. The day special veg starters were

• Zafrani Paneer Tikka
• Potato Corn Croquettes
• Veg Pizza

The Paneer Tikka was nicely marinated and grilled to perfection. The sweet and spicy taste of tikka was worth trying. Potato Corn Croquettes were heavenly. The cheesy gooey croquettes were crispy outside, soft on the inside were ultra satisfying! Thin crust veg pizza was loaded with cheese and veggies – a complete treat to the palate. It was nicely crispy, light and relishing. Loved the starters.

The salads, the main course was the good mix of Indian and International variants including cold cuts, sushi, fattoush, pita, chaat, cheese, bread to name a few. A good deal of the dishes had the richness of dry fruits. It had something for everyone. The dining experience was uplifted with the live band performance. The music, the food, the vibes elevated the mood.

After a small plate of classic Waldorf salad, we moved on to try the veg satay from the grills. The pre-marinated delicious spicy, soft paneer satay was grilled right in front of us. So delish! Then tried the papdi chaat, gol gappas from the live chaat counter. OMG! so flavourful. Also, when chef got to know about my love for sushi, he happily served me veg sushi! So generous of him to quickly dish out the paneer tempura sushi. The taste of it still lingers in my mouth. Super scrumptious. Then next was the freshly made bechamel sauce pasta

We could not resist trying our hands on the Jalebi Rabdi from the counter. Fresh Jalebis were made right in front of us. So crispy and perfectly sweet. A whole section of sinful desserts was waiting for us. From Apple Puff tarts to Rainbow Cakes to Chocolate Cake to Chena Toast, to mousse cakes, I was spoilt by the choices the buffet had to offer. We limited ourselves to chocolate cake only as Jalebis satiated our sugar rush.

After the soul-satisfying meal, I attempted to try pottery but failed miserably as it needs a lot of experience and skills. Co-incidentally it was Friendship's Day as well that day and the arrangements of props and frames were made to take some memorable photos. I could see kids enjoying pottery, candy floss, parents in lunching and shopping.

Truly an enticing and enduring Sunday. I would love to visit again soon! Have you been there? Pen down your experiences in the comment below.

Be a part of our Brunch-अ-Fair and get to witness a whole lot of entertainment!

Spice Temple – Shravan Special Menu at Malaka Spice! — Reviewed!

What: Spice Temple – Shravan Special Menu

Where: Malaka Spice, All Outlets

When: 23rd July to End of September 2018

Cost: A La Carte

Malaka Spice is an epitome of culinary innovation. Each time they surprise the patrons with the enticing dishes on the menu. Currently, they have come up the Spice Temple – Shravan Special menu which is a tribute to the temples of Southeast Asia. The all-vegetarian menu is not only a treat to the taste buds but overall an enriching experience of culinary and cultural evolution. 

Chef Vikram and Chef Shatrughan are the masters behind curating the menu. It needs a lot of efforts and creativity to explore and execute the age-old traditional recipes which also suits the Indian palate. When asked about the specialty of the temple cuisine, Chef Vikram shared that the main ingredient is the hero and the flavors are retained while keeping in mind that food is not overcooked. All the veggies and fruits are sourced in-house from their farms so one can actually feel the freshness and taste of the dishes.

Since it is the auspicious month of Savan, the Shravan special – Spice Temple is a perfect time to devour the scrumptious meal from Southeast Asia. The menu is a precise combination of Soups, Starters, Salads, Stir-Fry, Rice/Noodles, and Desserts. I tried the following from the menu...

• Katen Joshi (4.5/5)
• Swe Payon Hinjo (4.5/5)
• Thai Crispy Raw Banana (4.5/5)
• Sambal Goreng Tempeh (4/5)
• Sweet and Spicy Okra (4/5)
• Jaew Mak Khua (4.5/5)
• Tofu Quinoa Stir Fry (5/5)
• Malaysian Soya Tikka (4.5/5)
• Vegan Buddha Bowl (5/5)
• Guava Sticky Rice Pudding (4.5/5)

Out of the five choices from Tofu to Walnut to Veggies to Pumpkin, I tried the appetizing lentil soup, Katen Joshi which was flavored with Burmese ingredients. The protein-packed soup was ferociously filling with all the deep fried potato fries garnishing. The Burmese Lentil Soup was comforting in the monsoon! On the other hand, also tried the Pumpkin Soup – Swe Payon Hinjo. The fiber-rich soup was creamy, thick and fragrant. The Thai basil aroma and the taste were quite evident. Loved it.

Bananas being tropical fruit is used in abundance in southeast Asian cuisine. The Thai Crispy Raw Banana chips are deliciously divine. Deep fried Banana chips coated with corn flour were tossed in soya sauce with the right amount of crunch, sweetness and spice finished with chili flakes.

Next starter was the Sambal Goreng Tempeh. Indonesia originated soya based dish is protein packed and served with the spicy sambal. As I mentioned, the main ingredient is the hero so the tempeh is served aside the sambal sauce so that the flavor of it shines.

The Sweet and Spicy Okra was served next. The sticky deep-fried okra or ladyfingers were chewy, spicy and sweet at the same time. Topped with green onions, loved the textures and flavors. Simple yet delicious.

A very unique Salad was the Jaew Mak Khua or the smoked eggplant. It was served interestingly in an earthen pot with the smoked coal outside. The spicy aubergine mash had the prominent taste of it along with onions and chili. It was a party of flavors in our mouths. Each element was shining!

Never thought that the Tofu can be made in such a delicious way. Quinoa crusted tofu was soft and fresh from inside and crunchy from outside. Totally loved it!

Malaysian Soya Tikka or sort of soya chaap was the fiery red colored dish. The charcoal-grilled soya chaap is tossed in Malaysian spiced paste and coconut milk. The delicious, nutritious and healthy chaap was spicy and a must try if you love spicy soya dishes.

My most favourite complete meal in itself was the Vegan Buddha Bowl. The sticky rice topped with vegan Thai coconut curry, corns, carrots and chunky veggies. It was so bursting with flavours that taste still lingers in my mouth. Aromatic herbs, coconut milk, and taste of rice are worth mentioning. A Highly Recommended Dish!

Though, I did not taste this dish but it surely was tempting – Spicy Noodles with Farm veggies. The Buckwheat noodles is tossed with farm fresh vegetables and robust spices. 

Last but not the least, the only option in the dessert was the unique Guava Sticky Rice Pudding. It was indeed a delicious twist to the classic Mango Rice pudding. The seasonal fresh fruits from farms are utilised in a perfect manner.

Overall, it was a meal worth trying. Kudos to the chef and the team for the innovative dishes!