Cafe Paashh – Organic tasty treats! — Reviewed!

There are some places where you visit for food and some for experience and then there is PAASHH, a destination where one can visit for not only scrumptious food but a memorable experience as well. On the lines of healthy food craze across the country, Paashh, an organic cafe, opened its door to Pune almost a month back. What makes this place different from the contemporaries is its balance of organic and sustainability.

Located in the quaint lanes of Kalyani Nagar, an old bungalow is turned into Sustainable fashion boutique on downstairs and Cafe on the upstairs. The brand Paashh believes in connecting to nature and sticking to the roots. All the raw ingredients are sourced from the local farms around 100 km from Pune.

The wonderful menu is the best blend of two worlds – traditional recipes and modern flavours and is created by the Celebrity Chef Ajay Chopra who also has Nine Square and Pandora Gastronomy in his kitty. Fresh Juices, Smoothies, Teas by TWG, Pearl Barley Risotto, Sattu Stuffed Parathas, Tartines, Quinoa Methi Tikkis, Charred Pumpkin Kebabs, Bikaneri Khichdi, Buddha Bowls, Artisnal Ice-creams and desserts will definitely give you Sukoon! Chef Vikrant was kind enough to explain us the concept and menu. Following are the dishes, we tried....

• Vegetable Consomme (4.5/5)
• Mushrooms and Crispy Puy Lentils Tartines (5/5)
• Smoothie Bowl (4.5/5)
• Baby Beet and Citrus Salad (4/5)
• Pongal Rice Cakes (4/5)
• Taco (3.5/5)
• Charred Pumpkin Kebabs (4.5/5)
• Saffron Poached Pear (4.5/5)

A warm bowl of comforting Vegetable Consomme with umami-rich vegetable extract and cute beetroot ravioli cones was a perfect way to start the lunch meal. So flavourful and soothing that I could not stop sipping.

One of my favourites of the day was the Mushrooms and Crispy Puy Lentils Tartines. A wonderful choice for light lunch. Five-grain sourdough bread slice was slathered with mushroom pate, mushrooms crisp and charred spiced dust. Oh so yum! The crunch, the flavours, the mushroomy texture is enough to tantalize your taste buds. Highly Recommended!

I had to try my favourite smoothie bowl. One of the most delicious smoothies I have tried. A must-have for a summery day. A perfect blend of seasonal fruits, roasted almonds, mixed seeds, and rolled oats. How healthy and delicious can it be! Highly Recommended!

How can one not eat when the salad – Baby Beet and Citrus looks so pretty! Thin radish slices, micro greens, orange slices, tzatziki on the bed of flavourful Quinoa Tabbouleh. It had crunch, sweetness and also tangy flavours. The Mediterranean salad is not only full of textures and taste but also healthy!

Next were the Pongal Rice cakes. A popular Tamil delicacy Rice and sago are mixed with spices, shaped into tikkis, cooked with ghee and placed over the fried sago pearls. The rice cakes are topped with the molagapodi and tomato chutney.

Taco was served next. After relishing all delicious stuff until now, I had huge expectations, but somehow Tacos failed to reach up that high. However, the presentation was so beautiful. Methi whole wheat soft taco was topped with fried okra, diced tomatoes, onions, raw mango, micro greens, and edible flowers. The tacos were placed in a plate full of raw Rajma. Pretty!

I was tempted to try Charred Pumpkin Kebabs. Something unusual and power-packed. The Mediterranean-Asian Red Kuri Pumpkin Kebabs is a masterpiece. Served with the local Kodo Millet along the splash of three bold-flavoured chutneys/sauces. The sauces served are Morning Glory and Jalapeno, Pumpkin and Raw Mango dust and Miso honey glaze with Kodo millet tabbouleh. The smoky effect of pumpkin was lip-smacking! A must try!

From the sinful alternatives of desserts, we tried the Saffron Poached Pear. Gently simmered, the tender, poached pear was one elegant dish. Served with the blue cheese ice-cream, on the chocolate base, this dessert was just perfectly sweet. Recommended!

Paashh, is a place where you can eat, sit, relax, work or shop. Quiet, peaceful cafe to indulge and connect with nature. Loved the vibes.

Mineority By Saby – Class apart Miners Theme based restaurant! — Reviewed!

Mineority by Saby, a multi-cuisine dining restaurant, located in Kalyani Nagar, is a venture by celebrity chef Sabyasachi Gorai. The theme, wall decors, paintings, ambiance, seating of the place is inspired by the miners from the Asansol and near-by areas. The pulley-inspired bar, funky quirky coasters, hanging lamps, canary yellow birds, lively roof-top seating are some of the attributes of the vibrant place.

The menu itself is very much Indianised featuring primarily North Eastern cuisines. It includes some interesting dishes like Coal Grilled Soya Chops, Mushrooms Shoe Roll, Spiked Ghugni, Miners Nacho Pile, Miners Ortolano Pizza, Litti Chokha, Kasundi Veg Jhal, Jurassic Cheesecake to name a few. We tried some of the signatures....

• Kalimpong Chilli Cheese Rolls (4/5)
• Coal Grilled Soya Chops (4/5)
• Latin Queso Fondido (4/5)
• Miners Masala Papad (4/5)
• Everybody loves Jhalmuri (3.5/5)
• My Litti Chokha and Ghugni (4.5/5)
• Chanar Dalna (4.5/5)
• Tres Leches Cake (5/5)
• Jurassic Cheesecake (4.5/5)
• Miners Dark Devil Cake (5/5)

We started our evening with the refreshing Watermelon and Pomegranate based mocktails. Kalimpong Chilli Cheese Rolls were served first. Deep fried wafer-thin spring rolls sheets were filled with the Kalimpong cheese, hill coriander, mayo and served with the robust-flavoured kasundi dip. Tad greasy but the cheese steals the show.

One of its kind Soya chaaps were the Coal Grilled Soya Chops. Black marination done to the soya chunks were quite indicative of the miners theme of the restaurant. The smoky flavour, rich marination are the features of the dish. Served with the refreshing green chutney and onions by the side, Soya Chops are one of their signature dishes.

Latin Queso Fondido was served next. Rich, creamy, silky molten cheese with mushrooms was accompanied with croutons and homemade chips. Scrumptious it was. Loved the texture of the Cheese fondue.

With the drinks, we also munched on the deep fried Miners Masala Papad made with Ragi flour and served with the lip-smacking Mango Salsa and Jalapeno Verde. It was really addictive! Also, we tried the Jhalmuri, the local favourite. Traditionally, Jhalmuri is prepared with puffed rice, an assortment of spices, tomatoes, potatoes, and mustard oil. Here, served in a jar with sweet and spicy chutney, it was the miners take on the regular Jhalmuri. The taste was good though.

Was quite excited to try the popular Litti Chokha and Ghugni. Served in the earthenware with the smoky flavour the coal smoked dumplings, the Litti (filled with sattu) was heavenly. So was the baingan chokha. Cooked in the mustard oil, the chokha tasted so good that one can eat it like that only. Also, the Ghugni (Black chana tossed in the Kasundi Sangrita Vinaigrette) paired with Litti was yum. The authentic way to relish this dish is to break the ghee-laden litti into pieces, mix some chokha and ghugni and eat with hand. One needs to develop the palate to enjoy Litti-Chokha. Totally Recommend.

We also tried Chanar Dalna, a cottage cheese curry based dish with homemade masala served with the soft triangle paranthas. Very rich, melt-in-mouth paneer balls and paranthas were loved by one and all.

One of the best Tres Leches Cake I had here. Ultra-light, three milk cake was rich, spongy and tender. I am not a fan of milk-based dessert but this one is Highly Recommended. From the desserts, we also tried The Jurassic Cheesecake, the inspired recipe of one of the oldest cheesecake from Orissa. Chenna Podda topped with guaja flakes was cheesy, smooth and bit too sweet.

Last but not the least, Chocolate lovers had to try Miner's Dark Devil Cake. All things chocolate, this mud cake was heavenly and so sinful. The luscious, chocolatey cake is a must try!

Overall, the vibes of the Mineority By Saby is lit. A perfect place to chill out with friends at the ground floor or the rooftop romantic dinner in the cosy ambience.