Courtyard by Marriott being the fastest growing facility by the group, and now at 800 hotels worldwide, entered Pune a year ago. Since then, it’s quite a change for people staying around Hinjewadi, both residents as well as corporate professionals who many a times are found grabbing a quick bite over lunch or getting a shot of an Illy espresso to keep them up. The property is more than just its restaurant where many business travellers put up as well. Our photographers, Antriksh Jain and Bhanu Pratap Panwar capture the property on their lenses.

The 5 Oak Tree logo represents the first five Courtyard hotel that had opened. Here, Courtyard, Pune has made the use of pebbles atop their entrance to give a bird's view.

As you enter the lobby, your eyes set upon the clay tile installation inspired by the Jaipur culture.

Including 6 Courtyard Suites, the hotel has 153 rooms in 3 categories, with rates varying from 6,500 INR to 10,500 INR.

MoMo Cafe serves a balanced mix of Western, Oriental and Indian cuisines with a seating capacity of 88 pax.

Take a refreshing 5 feet dip in this swimming pool, which has a stretch of 80 feet. The pool is right outside the gym and the surrounding areas are visible from here as it's on the 1st floor.

From the treadmill to the vertical cycle, from the dumbbells to the medicine ball, give yourself a workout while accessing the TV on your personal LCDs.

Courtyard being primarily a business hotel, provides its guests with access to office facilities in their Executive Lounge where they can use the internet, be served tea and coffee during meetings and at evenings — cocktails and hors d'oeuvres as well.

For the quick and hungry, Courtyard also runs a 24x7 ready to go cafe called MoMo2Go. With instantly awakening Illy coffee and sandwiches and rolls fresh from the kitchen, it makes a good option for people on the move.

Verdict:

Address: Dario’s, Hotel Sunderban, Opp. Osho Int’l, Lane 1A, Koregaon Park

Being the non-vegetarian I am, I’ve always wondered what mouth watering options vegetarians have apart from the regular mix veg, daal and paneer. And to be frank, I’d be considered stupid if I ordered a vegetarian dish that’d be slightly blasphemous.

But, I think I found the answer to that query - Dario’s. Started by the person who’s also the man behind Little Italy, this quaint place is setup at the bend of Hotel Sundurban, opposite Osho in Lane 1, Koregaon Park.

The Siciliano and Dario Pizza combination.

A converted shed, the restaurant is spacious and quiet, with a kitchen that not only dishes out impeccable vegetarian Italian, but tempting desserts and in-house baked breads as well.

Start with a couple of drinks and check the art that adorns the walls while enjoying the breeze outside. The mocktails start at INR 120, cocktails ranging from INR 280-320 and of course, a lovely selection of wines. Fancy a Montalcino 2003? Got 14.5k?

With a definite liking for mushrooms, Funghi Dario’s which are roasted mushrooms with lemon, garlic and parsley made the obvious choice for warming up to the main course. Followed by the Caprigna Salad (melted goats cheese, croutons, pomegranate and a French dressing) and a glass of Virgin Mary’s, to which do add a couple of drops of Tabasco sauce, we tried the Dario’s Pizza (smoked eggplant, corn, potatoes, oregano and capers) and the Siciliano (sun dried tomato, bell peppers, garlic and mozzarella).

Ravioli Kamarina.

Compared to the Siciliano, the Dario’s Pizza’s taste was rather subdued. Supposedly we asked for the wrong combination of pizzas. While the Siciliano was spicy, Dario’s Pizza with the smoked egg plant gave a new edge to pizza but at the same time wasn’t enjoyable after a few bites.

When at an Italian restaurant, you tend to order a pasts or risotto and rarely make it to their second main course which, though generally consists of fish or meat, at Dario’s is a line-up of variations of pan-fried vegetables, mushroom, cheese, pancakes topped with asparagus, etc.

For the main-course, we had Gnocchi ai Formaggi (Italian cheese, white wine and thyme), which kind of felt like a mouthful of kneaded flour once cold and Ravioli Kamarina (stuffed with spinach, cheese, tomatoes, chickpeas and smashed peas). The combination of chickpeas and smashed peas did bring quite a flavor along with the cream sauce.

The sheer mountain of chocolat-i-ness.

It would be mistake not to order their chocolate mousse. A mountain of sheer chocolat-i-ness, on a base of cake, one would be pleasantly surprised that it’s quite inexpensive compared to the rest of the menu. Girls, your guy would definitely die for this dessert.

Waiting to take out time and try the breakfast menu there. Waffles and crepes can always make me go weak in the knees even in the morning. And, they’ve got porridge too!

[image courtesy: Nikhil Kumar Verma]

Every festival provides an opportunity to gorge on delicious food. The festival of Onam, a harvest celebration for Malayalis, it is just the same. Sadya is the traditional feast prepared on Onam to welcome the mythical King Mahabali back home.

The ‘Onasadya’ is an elaborate spread of various dishes and curries placed in a particular on a banana leaf. With the tapered end on the left, there are three servings of rice with one serving of sweet dishes. Banana chips, sharkaravarati and pappadam are located in the bottom left portion of the platter. Sharkaravarati is made up of chunks of bananas dipped in a mixture of molten jaggery and ginger, then fried till the jaggery gets locked in. Predominantly sweet, the ginger produces instances of tanginess while eating.

The Malayalis have a number of pastes which are eaten like pickles in the north, using small quantities to enhance the taste of the main dishes. Inji curry is a misnomer. Essentially it is a ginger paste, cooked and added in the platter to facilitate digestion. There are lime and mango pickles also. The first serving consists of their staple short brown rice over which parripu or dal is poured, with a dollop of ghee in it. In the second serving, sambhar is mixed with rice. The other accompaniment placed on the banana leaf a thick paste of vegetables. The third serving is of payasam which can be of different types i.e. of rice, semolina etc. The last serving is another helping of rice accompanied with rasam and mor.

For all the Malayalis in Pune missing out on the fun back at home, there are three places here which serve Sadya.

Chopsticks, Viman Nagar: A special feast prepared on Sadya, Chopsticks has their doors open from 11:00am to 10:30pm. With another branch in Kharadi, they serve the Sadya just the way it should be. This elaborate meal is made on the second day of Onam and even the non – Malayalis can make their way here to sink their teeth in to the goodness of Kerala.

The Pune Kerala Samaj is an association of many of the Malayalis in Pune. During the festival of Onam, they come together to celebrate with much pomp and grandeur. Sunday, 29th August, the celebrations will take place in Alpa Bachat Bhavan, opposite the Residency club, near camp. It start at 10:30 am with a cultural program ‘Thiruvadara’ one of the traditional dances of Kerala where girls dance around the lamp in off-white saris with gold border. The gatherings are of large numbers and non-Malayalis are also welcome.

Southern Spice, a restaurant near Ruby Hall clinic is yet another place to indulge in the delicious Sadya. Available only on 23rd August, they serve the banana leaf platter from morn till night at 11:00 am they are open till 10:30 pm.

So don’t be left out this Onam, walk into any of the above restaurants or maybe even all to indulge in the largest feast and celebrations of the Malayalis.

Verdict: With a laidback ambience, interactive chefs and pretty good food – you should try this place out once atleast. Repeating the task is up to you.

Rating: 3/5

Price: INR 150-200 (Meal for 2)

An unbelievably tempting smell of patties sizzling on the grill hits you as soon as you walk into The Burger Times. Viman Nagar’s ‘House of Homemade Burgers’ does live up to its name. The green Formica tables, yellow plastic chairs and unavoidable graffiti on the walls are in fact, very inviting. It took this little diner a mere 6 months to win over the hearts (cliché, we know) and the appetites (quite literally) of the student population. Although the clientele is in no way restricted to students, the laidback ambience and prices that seem to adore the pocket do tend to draw a certain crowd.

The endless scribbled comments in the worn out ‘Your thoughts about us’ notebook, the doodles on the walls and the very loyal customers who spend an abnormal amount of time hogging the burgers proudly proclaim their deep love for the place. The Burger Times has its very own TV, radio and the express freedom to browse the channels on either, or both. You can put up your photos on the walls, you can imagine that the blackboards with the colored chalk was meant to be your canvas and let your creativity (or lack of it, they don’t judge) run wild. You can do anything you want all the while gorging on the pretty awesome steak and hot dogs. As long as you don’t scare other customers away and offend Auntie, you’re all set.

Speaking of Auntie, the Burger Times’ USP, while giving full credit to the food, is the power couple that runs the joint. Toto and Sanjana are the life of Burger Times. These two people have succeeded in setting Burger Times apart from the regular indifferent restaurants. Their amiability, genuine delight in feeding people and creating a homely atmosphere has resulted in a strong brand loyalty. That, however, is only half the story. Food! Mashed potatoes and Hot Dog on a stick fight the battle for the top spot. Both are overrated – sadly. Move to the Burgers – homely, subtle, succulent and very filling. The Burger Times is a perfect breakfast place with sausages, eggs and toast that help start the day on a delectable note. Chocolate Milk Shake and Lemon Iced Tea top the charts when it comes to beverages, the former very satisfying and the latter extremely refreshing.

The joint caters to the health freaks with their exclusive ‘Healthy Menu- Eat right… Feel right’ consisting of wholegrain breads and all that organic stuff.  The Burger Times loyalists tend to rave a little too much about the food albeit it not being so amazing, but credit must be given to the place and its people to create such a love for itself with the customers. Through those rose tinted glasses, the food probably does look: Awesome! Unbelievable! Best Burgers Ever! (All comments can be found in the earlier mentioned Thoughts notebook, more often accompanied by graphic descriptions). We do admit, it is pretty good. With its multiple appeals, the Burger Times is a place you’d definitely like to try out.  And did we mention they make their own mayo, mustard and patty? Not likely to miss this place, are you?

Mannat Randhawa

Rasa Shiraz 2007 from Sula Vineyards was produced to be a limited collection. Only 600 cases in production – A Collector’s Edition Wine!!  Better known as the finest red wine ever to be produced in the Sula Vineyards, the bottle is economically priced in spite of being a collector’s edition.

Master Winemaker, Mr. Kerry Damskey, was in India recently. Mr. Damskey, a primary consultant wine maker for Sula Wines, India, is also one of the co-partner and pioneer of the company. Originally from San Francisco, he has years of experience behind him in the wine-making business.

“It is out best wine” says Mr. Damskey, “Top Dog.” A selected vineyard lot and selected barrels to make it special. Rasa Shiraz is made from their own Dindori Vineyard Shiraz.

Sula wanted to give India its first collectors’ wine made for aging in India. One that would compete against all wines in the world. Often regarded as a complex mixture, one with power and finesse, Rasa Shiraz is to look out for to add to your collection or to gift it to your father’s collection or a loved one.

The bottle is very economically priced for a collector’s edition. When asked the reason, Mr. Kerry simply said, “We wanted to make it available to India, so that people here can see how good wines from India can be.” Mr. Kerry also suggests that you can compliment Rasa Shiraz with anything and everything you eat!! “No really!” he exclaimed.

In conversation with Mr. Kerry Damskey to know him better and to answer your questions about  the crimson drink we all love to relish and cherish but know very little or nothing about.

TTS: How long have you been in the wine making business?

Kerry Damskey: I was trained at the University of California – Davis and graduated in 1976. So that’s a long time. I started out as a young 22-year old working in a laboratory and doing research in the central valley of valley of California. I have been associated with 14 vineyards in Napa, Sonoma, states of US and Nashik, India.

TTS: Was wine always your first love?

KD: Yep. Pretty much. I grew up in the Bay Area of California close to the wine country North of San Francisco. I was lucky enough to know that I wanted to be a winemaker at the age of 17 years and pursued it.

TTS: How long have you been associated with  Sula Wines, India?

KD: I first came to Nashik, India in 1995 to explore the possibilities of growing wine grapes in the area. I assisted a group bring the first wine grapes into the area. Rajeev Samant and I met in 1997 when he worked for me at one of my wineries in California for the harvest of 1997.  Rajeev and I then collaborated and built the winery in 1999 with that year making India’s first Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc wines.

TTS: How has the Indian wine experience been so far?

KD: I love India and being a part of this new industry has become a part of the centre of my life.

TTS: How is the wine making tradition and procedure in India different from the rest of the world?

KD: Well the tradition is similar, but growing grapes in India is completely different from the traditional Northern and Southern hemisphere wine growing areas.  Here in India, we deal with growing tropical grapes. Here, the vines never go dormant. To emulate a cooler growing area such as France and California, we prune the grapes twice and grow the grapes for wine in India’s winter months.

TTS: How developed is the wine making sector in India? As an internationally acclaimed winemaker, what would you say is the potential for growth in India for the industry?

KD: The industry in India is very young; just about 10 years old. Europe has hundreds of years on us; California and Australia, about 60 years old. India has great potential for making very good wines. It will take some time to foster, train and educate people, so that there are a hundred wineries that have the ability, as Sula has, to make great wines in India.

TTS: Would you let us in on a few little known wine traditions?

KD: I don’t know………..uh.  Two glasses of Sula Dindori makes you a smarter guy?

TTS: Could you suggest a few concoctions to go with Indian wines for our readers?

KD: Sula Sauvignon Blanc because of its great acidity goes great with sea food. Sula Chenin Blanc is the perfect cocktail wine in the afternoon. Sula Cabernet/Shiraz is great with non vegetarian food.

Your search for Haleem, the delectable, think, yummy mixture of pulses and meat, also known, as the Khichda in many places, in Pune will end with the Hyderabadi Food Fest at Golconda, ABC Farms.

Started yesterday ie 25th June, the food festival will last till tomorrow. On the menu you’ll also find

• Kheema ki Khichadi,
• Methi Tamatar Gosht,
• Shaami Kebab,
• Paya,
• Kachche Gosht ki Biryani,
• Dum Murg,
• Tamatar Cut
• and Methi Bheja.

Sit under the night sky; enjoy the Puneri breeze along with finger food and main course dishes from the Indian and Continental cuisine. And on Friday nights, don’t miss the live music session by Chris and Mike of Strange Brew.

Chef Ramesh brings years of experience to the menu at MoMo Alfresco, the open-air restaurant at Courtyard by Marriott at Hinjewadi. To keep the offerings fresh, the lineup is changed every six months, and to feed the never dying curiosity of its guests hosts food fests every three months.

Open from 7pm to 11.30pm, the menu serves kebabs, wood fire pizzas, pastas, seafood including imported meats like the New Zealand Lamb Chops in red wine stew.

Staying away from the Chef’s recommendation on the menu, we started with a Chicken Tikka wood fire pizza and a Margherita while we enjoyed songs being belted out by the duo musicians, requested by the other guests around us; and he usual Cranberry juice to keep the palate from loosing any flavor.

From the tandoor, we ordered the Dahi ke Kebabs and Ajwaini Machi Tikka. The Dahi ke Kebabs were soft and melted right away on the tongue and the fish tikka, which had a hint of being marinated in flavored yoghurt, was well done as well.

The Roast Chicken Quarter was unbelievably scrumptious. Tender, the meat was a bait of brilliance when had with the topped sauce and sweet paprika. Pasta Orecchiette, an Italian preparation, with nicely tucked in cherry tomatoes was passable though as it didn’t excite the taste buds. Probably with a touch of some black pepper, the pasta would have a more enjoyable presence on the table.

Though we didn’t dig in to the buffet, which a few foreigners staying the hotel confessed to having loved, especially the Chicken Stew and Dal Makhani, we did approach the very tempting desserts section. We picked up a helping of the Kiwi Tart and Strawberry Mousse. Do not, I repeat, do not miss the desserts. Not wrapping up the dinner in this manner would be gastronomic blasphemy.

And since it’s an open-air place, go there as soon as possible, in case you are planning to. Remember, the monsoons are fast approaching.

Sahil Khan

[image credits: Nikhil Kumar Verma]

What happens when one of the city’s best beef burgers becomes cheaper by a 100 rupees? You get the Happy Hours at Hard Rock Café.

Targeting young professionals, for end of the day meetings or even just to come and relax with this wee-bit pocket friendly offer, Hard Rock Café brings a selection of premium food and beverages to you from 4pm to 7pm every week from Monday to Friday.

With beers starting at 210 INR for three bottles, you can choose from various other alcohols based drinks, including a few imported drinks.

Although the chicken wings are missing from the selection for the Happy Hours, the Legendary 10 oz. Burger available at just 260 INR makes up for everything.

Click on the image below to check the menu offering available for this promotion.

Kebabs have become a rage these days in Pune. Past few months have seen a lot of them opening around the city. With Bighdey Nawab in Viman Nagar, Oudhiana in Model Colony and Sixth Floor on FC Road, which are a few favorites, comes Le Kebabiere at Stone Water Grill in Koregaon Park.

Though Le Kebabiere isn’t for the pocket friendly as it falls under the fine dining category, the place is definitely recommended. But beware; if you’re the one who likes the kebabs and biryanis at dhabas and from the street, this probably might not the place for you as Shailendra’s, the executive chef, signature style always tilts to a lighter palette.

With the right amount of spices and oils, a great taste is lent to the dishes, allowing you to savor the food and yet not sweat it out. Noteworthy were Ajwaini Jheenga (Prawn), Murgh Malai Kebab and Mushroom Galouti (yes, a vegetarian galaouti). On the vegetarian category, Dahi ke Kebabs have always been a favorite. And unlike the ones at Bigdhey Nawab, they are not crusty on the outside making them melt in your mouth the moment they touch the taste buds.

A long search comes to an end with the Kakori Kebab, not for the kebab itself but for the sheermal on which it is served. Sheermal is a sweet red-crusted bread consumed in Northern India along with Mughlai gravy preparations.

Dum ka Murgh

Though the curry tasted heavenly, the Lagan ki Boti and Dum ka Murg disappointed us, as we had to struggle with the meat portions. On enquiry, we were told that the missing tenderness was due to quality of the supplied meat. Sad.

But the Jheenga Kaffir, sautéed with garlic, lemongrass and fresh kaffir lime leaf was brilliant. The prawns were cooked well and the tangy tomato sauce in which they were prepared left a nice after taste. The Dal Makhani, a benchmark test of the chef, was well done. Shailendara piped “In our kitchen, we put the Dal Makhani on a low flame and forget about it for the next couple of hours lending its thick texture.”

Dal Makhani

Luckily the meat in the Hyderabadi Murgh Biryani was tender as expected. As mentioned earlier, the biryani wasn’t the way you’d get anywhere else and was light on the taste buds.

One thing I had learnt at Stone Water Grill a year ago was, never to consume water when you’re eating at such places. Since the food has very light spices and other flavoring, the water neutralizes the palette easily. Always order an alternate drink while eating.

Mille Feuille of Malpua

The Anarkali, or the custom version of the cranberry juice, went well with the food. Le Kebabiere has a wide selection of premium wines, both Indian and international. From the well-known varieties—Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, they also stock lesser known ones like Vernaccia, Trebbiano and Gamay. The servers are knowledgeable enough to suggest appropriate wine pairings with the food.

Badaam Kheer and Malpua are good choices to end your lunch or dinner. The silver foil screen on the kheer was a nice touch.

Sahil Khan