The Quick Wok – Authentic, Fresh Asian Food on FC Road! — Reviewed!

The authentic, pocket-friendly Asian food is here at The Quick Wok. With around 3 outlets in Pune – Baner, FC Road, Hinjawadi, I preferred to visit the one at FC Road. Located in the quiet lane just behind the popular Vaishali, The Quick Wok offers you the fresh, healthy, hygienic and affordable Asian food.

Parking is on the main road and not in the lane. Of course, you would want to walk a bit to relish the scrumptious food and sure it is worth it! The small place offers indoor and outdoor seating. Though the menu includes soups, starters, wok box, combos, and beverages what caught my attention was the Make Your Own Wok Box. At the entrance, one can see the counter of base, veggies, and proteins, yes that is what the wok box is made up of. I tried the following from the menu....

• Thai Spice Soup (4.5/5)
• Classic Fries (4/5) 
• Sweet Chilli Potatoes (4/5)
• Kung Pao Paneer (4/5)
• Spring Rolls (3/5)
• Veg Dimsum (3/5)
• Green Thai Curry and Rice (4.5/5)
• Veg Wok Box (4/5)
• Burmese Khow Suey (4.5/5)
• Iced Tea and Cold Coffee (3.5/5)

P.S: The portion size was for tasting only! 

The coconut base with the hint of lemongrass, galangal of the Thai Spice soup was soothing and flavourful. I love the punch of spices and freshness of veggies. A perfect way to start a meal. Must try!

Next was the crispy fried, medium thick classic salted fries served with the ketchup while on the other side was the Sweet Chilli Potato Fries. The crispy fries were tossed with the honey. chillies and peppers topped with sesame seeds. The sweet and medium spiced fries were addictive. So, those who like both sweet and spicy flavors must try this.

Kung Pao Paneer was served next. Crispy coated paneer was sauteed in Chinese sauce, bell peppers along with crushed peanuts for the crunch. The dish was completed with the garnishing of Spring onion. Overall the Kung Pao Paneer was delicious.

Spring Rolls and Dimsums were good but somehow lacked the flavours. Maybe it was not the right day to order those. Have given the feedback so need to try some other day for the honest write-up.

Being a huge fan of Thai Curry, had to try the Green Thai Curry and Rice at The Quick Wok. Both were mixed, garnished with caramelized onions and served to us in the box. You can customise garnishing. The aroma, flavour, and taste of the Thai Curry were excellent. Bit Coconut, with few veggies and aromatic rice. No compromise there on the ingredients and spices. Loved it!

Now came the interesting fun part. Make your own Wok Box. It is an easy process....

• Select your base (Rice/Noodles)
• Select the protein (Tofu/Paneer)
• Select the Veggies 
• Select the sauces and garnish
• and done! 

The base can be rice/brown rice, noodles/flat/wheat. I went with the basic, easy to eat white rice, paneer and a few of my favourite veggies with the combination of two popular sauces – Mongolian and Taiwah. It was delicious. I would, however, recommend asking the staff about the combination of sauces which pairs well with the choice of base and protein.

One of the most economical yet lip-smacking Khow Sueys I had was at The Quick Wok. The rich aromatic coconut flavoured Burmese curry with the flavoured noodles had different contrasting toppings that took this dish to another level. The pre-loaded garnish gives a burst of amazing flavours.

I paired my meal with the Iced Tea and refreshing mojito which both were on a sweeter note. The cold coffee was a nice idea to conclude the fantastic experience.

On a quick note, you can also get BOGO (Buy One Get One) free on any dish till 30th September 2018. Please do let me know about your experience. Would love to read from you all.

1441 Pizzeria – Make your own gourmet pizza! — Reviewed!

Newly launched pizza chain in Pune – 1441 pizzera is the latest talk of the town. Why the name "1441"? I was curious to know until found the explanatory frame. Well, it represents the co-ordinates of the origin of pizza –the 14°E 41°N.

Located on the second floor in the happening Seasons Mall, Magarpatta, the concept of the place was to offer traditional, authentic italian wood fired pizza made in the wood oven. The smoky taste says it all. The place modernises the classic combining both traditional pizza making technique with the new flavours. The thing that set apart 1441 pizzeria from other pizza chains is that here you can make your own gourmet pizza. Select the size, sauce, toppings, cheese and voila!

Visited the place on a lazy weekend. The pizzeria was spacious with the brick wall texture to create the themed ambiance. Red, black chairs, wooden tables is quite basic yet comfortable. As soon as you enter, the staff will guide you about the concept and help in customising the order. We had the following....

• Veg Salad (3/5)
• Jalapeno Poppers (4/5)
• Stuffed Cheese Mushrooms (4.5/5)
• Smoky Cheese Dough Balls (4/5)
• Gourmet Pizza (5/5)
• Tiramisu (3.5/5)

Started our lunch meal with the Veg Salad. The color and texture of julienns of peppers, cabbage, carrots and olive was nice however the honey-vinegar dressing failed to create the magic! I wish the seasoning was done right to up the salad game.

More like the cheese balls, the Jalapeno Poppers were crispy from inside and gooey cheesy inside. Wish it had more of jalapenos but that's a personal choice. No complaints. The spicy jalapenos could have balanced the cheese. But, still I liked it.

One of the best mushrooms I had. The Stuffed cheese mushrooms were heavenly and highly addictive. Usually the stuffed mushrooms are filled with cheese and baked or fried but here it was more like mushroom cheese balls. The mushrooms were stuffed with cheese and coated with flour and bread crumbs and deep fried for the crunch. The flavour packed starter was loved by one and all. The earthy flavour of mushroom and cheese were to be felt. Overall a subtle must have starter.

First time I had the dough balls. The smokey cheese stuffed doughballs were soft, pillow bun like starter and had the smoky aroma and taste apart from the cheese inside and garlic oil to top it. Each bite was heavenly and did not feel dry at all. Tastes best when consumed immediately after serving.

And the fun part was I made my own gourmet pizza. Donning the chef toque, I was excited to go behind the counter and prepare the pizza from the scratch. Started with the rolling of pizza to applying of gourmet sauces and veggies and then putting it to bake, I enjoyed it to the core.

The pizza was baked and ready in less than 10 mins. The earthy, smoky flavour, crunchy loaded toppings and the crust distinguishes it from the regular pizza. Me made loaded veggies pizza was wiped away in minutes. I am surely in love with the concept. Price wise it might be bit on a higher side but the taste is surely worth it. The hand rolled, wood-fired pizzas are worth every penny!

Last but not the least had the Tiramisu served in the small jar. It was rich and creamy but the strong coffee flavour was missing. Can be tried once though.

Have you had the wood-fired pizzas? Where and how was your experience? Would love to read more about it. Please do share your views in the comment box below.