A Fine Food Story

Food Story located on Dhole Patil Road, gets its food right. It surely is one place to try out Hyderabadi, Mughlai & North Indian Cuisines in style.

Different regional & international cuisines are now offered on platter for the discerning Puneri. Amidst all the eating a joint jostling for space, an interesting eatery aptly named Food Story was sort out by me. Suitably located at Dhole Patil Road, it offered Hyderabadi, Mughlai & North Indian cuisines as authentic as possible. I decided that I should try out the food at the interesting award-winning eatery.

The moment I entered the restaurant, I found the place to be quite casual, despite its rather formal appearances. Spaciousness was the keyword here, with tables kept at neat distance to avoid crowding & chaos. It would have helped if the music was a bit mellow and on lower volumes. Nevertheless, one assumes that one could request for lowering the volumes and being able to have good chitchats with friends and family.

I love starters to the core and so had to begin the meal with some good ones. Hyderabadi, Mughlai & North Indian cuisines are filled with some amazing kebabs & other starters. Amongst the vegetarian options, I loved the Aloo Ki Katliyaan (Rs. 210) which is simply mashed potato with pepper & coriander. Despite its appearance of an Aloo Tikki, the delicate taste tantalized your taste buds. The Subz Navratan Kebab (Rs. 275) is an acquired taste, as it happens to be an combo of chopped veggies & nuts with saffron. Despite its heavy ingredients, the smoky flavour allows it be light. Another acquired taste, according to me, would be the Malai Broccoli (Rs. 275) which has the oft-hated veggie marinated in cream, cheese and cooked in tandoor. I personally like the crunchiness of the broccoli, which went well with the great combo of cream & cheese. The overall mildness complemented each other. The Bharwa Kumbh (Rs. 275) which is mushroom filled with cheese, spinach & nuts, was a good choice as despite the odd combo, the flavours were not overwhelming.  The Paneer Dudhiya Kalmiyaan (Rs. 235) was just about decent.

The non-veg starters are what intrigued me a lot. The Murgh Seekh Gilafi (Rs. 350) turned out to be just the perfect kebab I was looking for. It has chicken mince coated with bell peppers & boiled eggs. Tender and well spiced, it allowed you to savour it delicately. The Seekh Barkhasi (Rs. 450) turned out to be tangy & spicier kebab, which I am sure, is quite a popular option at the restaurant. This kebab made of minced lamb with 25 Indian spices cooked over charcoal, creates a tantalizing smoky taste, which is unlike others. The mild Shikampur Kebab (Rs. 250), which is pan-fried lamb & lentil cutlets are a meal by themselves. It is another winner here. I personally loved eating the Patthar ka Gosht (Rs. 450) which happens to be their specialty. It is lamb, which is flavoured with pathar ka phool  and has been shallow fried on a special stone. The tender meat dish is a must-try here.  

Coming to the main course, I happened to try out the ever-popular Nalli Nihari (Rs. 525) & Haleem. It was worth the wait as both the dishes were as perfectly authentic as possible. The meat in Nalli Nihari just comes off the bone and has rightly spiced gravy, while the Haleem was the kind one could find in Hyderabad. Though the Gosht Kachi Akhni Biryani (Rs. 435) was a fine attempt, it did not click with my taste buds as I found it to be more like a pulao than a biryani.

Overall, visiting Food Story located at Dhole Patil Road turned out to be a good choice as it managed to stay true to its promise of serving authentic meals at good prices. The good service meant that food was served on time with a smile. Attentive is the keyword here. Try out the cocktails here which are quite tempting & perfect for the food served. Whatever your mood or event, feel free to try out Food Story but do not assume it is for budget seekers. Even though being reasonable than most five-star restaurants, it is not your roadside thela to go with Rs 500 in your pocket. Go figure!

ADDRESS: Ground Flr, City Point Bldg, 17 Boat Club Rd, Dhole Patil Rd, Pune

CONTACT: 020 41216576, +91 9021831119

TIMING: 11:30 AM-3:30 PM

                  7:30 PM-11:30 PM 

Mumbai street food marked...

The month-old The Bombay Bronx at Dhole Patil Road gets it street food and ambience right for the young crowd. However, will it be enough? It will be a challenge, indeed!

I have been an almost Mumbaikar (living in Thane does count as living in Mumbai, to some extent) and now I call Pune my home. I love both the cities and hate it too for reasons, which I prefer not to share now. While eternal battle continues between the two regarding big & silly issues, the food holds a separate issue. Each city has its distinct culinary mark and do not mind sharing it with each other. Sharing of restaurants has been taking place in recent times and one of the recent Mumbai eateries to be seen around is The Bombay Bronx. It opened around few weeks back.

The Bombay in its name suggests the food type to be seen at the eatery. Bronx, on the other hand, is the street-smart area of New York. Therefore, this eatery located at City Point on Dhole Patil Road represents the street cuisine of Mumbai. Most would question as to the reason behind opening an eatery around street food when one can get it anywhere. The answer I found lay in the fact that most want to taste their favourite Mumbai street snack in an eclectic atmosphere complete with relaxed interiors, good music and great company.

What I appreciated on entering this place was its spacious yet young ambience and interiors. It reeks of Mumbai, in the furniture to the colours. You see reference to the trains, pan stalls, Bollywood and more. I found it quite an ode to the city that never sleeps. The Amitabh Bachchan-Deewar reference with his painting on the wall is a stunner. Even the menu has reference to places and Mumbai lingo. How fun is that? What itched me was the fact that the outdoor seating could do with cover, in case of rains. In case of wind, things can get out of hand. Minor hiccups could land you in major trouble one day.

It is the food, which counts the most important at any eatery. Duh! Street food is The Bombay Bronx’s forte and it does a neat job of it. Neat... not mind-blowing awesome. One can say it is a limited but decent menu covering almost some important food items from amchi Mumbai. While a separate detailed page comes for drinks, the food section attracts you with stuff, which is tempting. You have the ‘Vez’ section and the ‘Non-vez’ section. The Bombay Bronx Fries (Rs 150) tempted you with it spiciness and crispiness. Winner, surely! The Butter Toasted Vada Pav (Rs 100) did make a dent with the exact flavour one finds on the street. I totally loved the Basa Tikka (Rs 250) with its delicate yet tangy flavouring and delicately melt-in-your-mouth. The Pizzas –veg & non-veg – were typically cheesy, tasty and not very Indian. Quite the fun thing to pair with your drinks! While the Masala Fish Fingers (Rs) got our interest with light & extremely delicately tempting, the Chilli Garlic Mushroom (Rs) did not go well with our palette.

For the interested, the Thalis might be an attractive option, if famished. There is the veg Thali – Chowpatty Fast Food Thali (Rs 300) which consists of all chat items. But what interested me was the non-veg Thali called Dongri Galli Thali (Rs 450) which had Chicken Roll, Mini Chicken Baida Roll, Dongri Mutton Sandwich & Bhuna Mutton served with Paratha. The choice was perfect. While the chicken roll was spicy and enticing, the Baida roll too mustered towards perfection. Ignore the sandwich but definitely pick the Bhuna mutton, which was as authentic as it gets.

The best news is reserved for the last. For those who wish to hang out with pals sharing some easy-on-budget drinks, this would be a great pick. Most of the drinks are decently picked and only a few go over 500. This includes the imported stuff. If you want to choose the wines, it is a different case. What you could also select would be the Signature Cocktails like Pani Puri Caipiroska, Kalakhatta, Kokum Sour, Iced Peru, and Jaljeera Sour and so on. Each just adds zing with their unique combination. The service is excellent here with most of the staff friendly and eager to suggest the fare.

While it is nothing spectacular to speak about, The Bombay Bronx does not fall into the okie-dokie category. The decent food & good drinks section fits your pocket. The ambience with the Mumbai reference and good music allows you to casually sit with people you want and spend your time with ease. It is slightly above mediocre and little short of greatness. For those not too hung on hi dining, heading here would be a good option. Come here to just relax & eat respectable budget food.

RATINGS:

FOOD 3 out of 5

AMBIENCE 5 out of 5

SERVICE 5 out of 5

VALUE FOR MONEY 4 out of 5

TOTAL 15 out of 20