Pandora denotes gift or a box of happiness. And that gift is now unboxed in Pune at Yerwada. Well, Pandora, in this case, is an interesting gastro bar concept restaurant which is craft fully curated by passionate Masterchef Ajay Chopra.
Location:: Easy to locate the restaurant is set up on the ground floor of Niyati Unitree, Yerwada. The rustic, raw, geometric patterns and shades of grey surely make the interiors appealing. Indoor and Outdoor seating is available to enjoy a quaint meal. Pandora is a place with a thought to give its patron an enticing meal experience wherein they can come with family and friends and enjoy their leisure time.
Menu:: As I mentioned the modern food menu is designed by Chef Ajay Chopra whose experience and culinary creativity is evident in the dishes served. He brings modern Indian food with a focus on a refreshing, enticing and innovative palate to Punekars. The menu is a mix of North-Indian, American, Thai and Chinese with the sub divided into Tapas, Soups, Salads, World Plate, Dimsums, Sandwiches, Mains, Side-orders, and Desserts. While some dishes are authentic, most are a beautiful surprise on the plate. With his twist on the main dish, still keeping the authentic taste same, Chef has done justice to the dishes on the menu.
Food:: I was pretty excited to be there at the pre-launch tasting and got to taste some scrumptious signature recipes. Following are the dishes I tried...
- Root, Vegetables and Kale Salad (4/5)
- Sundried Tomato and Falafel Pockets (3.5/5)
- Trio of Paneer Tikka (4/5)
- Desi Quesadillas (4/5)
- Philadelphia Ragda Pattice (4.5/5)
- Crusty Puneri Misal (5/5)
- Sichuan Pepper and Vegetable Dimsum (3.5/5)
- Gnocchi Ala Funghi (4.5/5)
- Linguine Alio Olio Pepperoncino (4.5/5)
- Sri Lankan Curry (5/5)
- Jalebi Mille Fuille (4/5)
- Phirni Parfait (4.5/5)
- Japanese Cloud (4.5/5)
Mini pita pockets were filled with delish crispy, spicy, falafels and some veggies. A bit dry for my palate. Bite sized pockets were good though.
A trio of Paneer Tikka was a nice one plate serving with three different types of flavours. The small syringe of chutney was new age presentation. My personal favourite was Malai and Achari Tikka. Paneer was soft and fresh. Loved it!
Quesadillas with a twist filling of perfectly spiced chholey! I totally loved this 'desi' version of the Mexican dish. The soft textured quesadilla was easy to bite in and the chholey were making it a filling dish. It was served with pineapple salsa and sour cream. Yummy!
Ragda Pattice is not a new name and loved by almost everyone. There was nothing fancy apart from the name. Tikkis were nicely placed over the bed of ragda and tamarind chutney, topped with dahi, sev and some pomegranate seeds. The taste was tangy, sweet and mildly spicy. Loved it!
Crusty Puneri Misal presentation was out of the box. Scooped bun crusty bun was filled with potatoes, sprouts, farsan, onions and served along with rassa and dahi. Pour those over the bun to enjoy the 'twisted' version of misal. As I mentioned earlier, no matter how it is presented, the taste will always be untouched. With one bite, the flavours just burst in your mouth. The crust is crunchy yet easy to dig in. Highly Recommended!
From the Asian, we tried Sichuan Pepper and Vegetable Dimsum. Envelope shaped dim sums with the powerful hint of pepper. The cover was nice and thin while the filling was strong and peppery.
Gnocchi Al Funghi from the Italian section was lip-smacking. Soft potato pillows were super cheesy with subtle balance of rich and hearty porcini mushroom sauce and truffle oil. Melt in mouth Gnocchi is a must try! Highly Recommended
One more classic Italian dish, simple, elegant, fresh and flavourful was the Linguine Aglio Olio e Pepperoncino. Cooked al dante with the mild hint of garlic oil, herbs and chilli were gorgeous taste enhancers. I loved it.
I was about to have Sri Lankan Curry for the first time and was bit skeptical but am glad I tried it. Lip smacking curry was made as per Indian palate and it was tasting more like a Thai curry with strong coconut flavours. With the first sip, the taste buds are tantalized and leave you wanting for more. Chunky veggies were adding texture. The spicy curry paired well with the cabbage coconut rice.
Next was the time to gobble the master pieces we were waiting for - the desserts! I was excited to try Jalebi Mille Fuille! Alternate layers of jalebis and chocolate topped with rose petal ice-cream were nice. However, chocolate bar was bit thick but Jalebi was crispy and fresh.
Phirni Parfait was an epitome of dessert gastronomy. Rose petal phirni presented in the martini glass, decorated with rose pearls. The eye-appealing texture had perfect texture and mildly sweet taste. A must try.
Japanese Cloud was an art on the plate. A beautifully presented plate was not only had visual appeal but had loads of taste and texture. Small Japanese cake was topped with raspberry jam, raspberry culis, and fresh fruit salsa. It was a taste extravaganza. One spoonful of each element and you are sorted for desserts. No wonder this had to be my favourite.
Hazenul and Salted Caramel Moelleux was one of the best chocolate desserts I had in recent times. So sinful. Chocolate and caramel is tempting combination. Highly Recommended!
Japanese Cloud was an art on the plate. A beautifully presented plate was not only had visual appeal but had loads of taste and texture. Small Japanese cake was topped with raspberry jam, raspberry culis, and fresh fruit salsa. It was a taste extravaganza. One spoonful of each element and you are sorted for desserts. No wonder this had to be my favourite.
Hazenul and Salted Caramel Moelleux was one of the best chocolate desserts I had in recent times. So sinful. Chocolate and caramel is tempting combination. Highly Recommended!
So, what are you waiting for? Pandora has opened its door on 13th August 2017 and ready to surprise its patrons with delicious and eye-pleasing dishes on the plate. Share your experiences in the comment box below.
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