Purepur Kolhapur

Purepur Kolhapur - Pune

Situated opposite Abhishek restaurant near Mehendale Garage, Purepur Kolhapur is a small place .. almost of shop-like dimensions .. converted into a restaurant. I must say the name had me intrigued (and salivating). [Also .. the milestone .. with "Kolhapur - 0" is an innovative touch].

My office was walking distance from this place .. so whenever me and my colleagues had an urge for a spicy Kolhapuri style meal .. we would land up here. Beats the office catering any day. [Also a couple of cold beers from Abhishek opposite helps tremendously.. perfect for hot, sweltering afternoon lunches] We had decided to try and lug the beers across the road to Purepur Kolhapur itself .. but our company changed offices before we could put that plan in action.

Anyways .. back to Kolhapur. The menu is simple .. gives only a few choices. There are some 3-4 types of thaalis [they call it taaT .. ताट.. meaning thaali] .. and a few more chicken/mutton dishes. I always opt for the mutton ताट ..with suka (dry) mutton. Service is ... instant. a large plate is placed before you .. raita, onions, lemon wedges instantly appear on it . as if out of thin air. The smell of the mutton has already made my tongue water .. so I start spooning the cool raita in my mouth .. waiting until I can get started on the mutton sukha. Also... the suka-mutton taat comes with a non-descript item .. which I dont like .. and dont care to describe. I opt for the mutton kheema in its place instead. The chapatis are piping hot .. and grabbing a chunk of the mutton, dipping it in the tambda [red] rassa [curry] and devouring it hot is just too satisfying. Kolhapuri (non-veg) food has two types of rassas. Tambda [red] and Pandhra [white] .. made from different spices and mutton stock. I actually like the Pandra rassa more .. but Purepur Kolhapur doesnt know how to make a mean pandhra rassa which can really make your mouth water. They come up with a version which has a lot more coconut milk in it than God intended. So here, I go for the red one. The meal is over as quick as they serve it. The kolhapuri flavour is retained in most of the dishes .. its mainly simple chicken and mutton .. with none of the punjabi style heavy gravies, made with basic spices with thin curries. Its not supposed to be very hot or very spicy as most people think. And Purepur Kolhapur just about gets it right.

Food: *** Ambiance: * Price: $$
Last visited: mid-2007

Lovely Sweets

Lovely Sweets - Sunnyvale, CA

Lovely sweets is a small dhaba-like place on El Camino Real .. near the intersection of El Camino and Wolfe. It compares easily to the dhabas back in India .. earlier more so .. with old plastic chairs, a dirty (and overflowing) trash can, and yummy food. I would have said its the Bay Area version of Punjabi Tandoor from San Diego .. but I am not going to say it .. as Lovely Sweets is pure vegetarian.

As far as I know .. its family owned. They have simple fare on offer .. a couple of thaali varieties, a choice of parathas, chaat and sweets. The rasmalai is probably the best you will get in the Bay Area .. or even in the States. Recently they have added a pani-puri wallah outside .. kinda reminiscent of the chaat wallahs back in India .. and the pani-puri was pretty good. More on the spicy side than sweet, which was good. Else most of the chaat available in the US tends to be on the sweeter side. Also recommended is their paneer-tikka sizzler, available with a paratha on the side.

Lovely Sweets also have sweets and namkeen for sale. Prices are decent.

Food: *** Ambiance: $ Price: $$
Last visited: late 2007

Trials Pub

Trials Pub - N 1st St, San Jose

English pub atmosphere, friendly banter, tables which beg you to play cards on them, good selection of beer, typical British food .. mash n bangers, fish n chips, shepherd's pie, curry chicken .. the cajun chicken s/w is highly recommended as is the Banger plate. It comes with 2-3 different types of sausages cut up in slices .. a perfect accompaniment to some good old Newcastle or Harp. Great atmosphere to come in with friends .. sit down and just while away the time. The beers on tap are pretty much standard .. what you may expect from an english pub .. Guinness, Bass, Harp, Boddingtons, Stella, Newcastle .. (not as exhaustive as O'Briens).

I have a reason to like this place .. I'll just say it has to do with their quality of service. The bartenders are nice enough, so are the waitresses. The food, though good .. comes in portions I wish were larger. And it closes at midnight.

Overall a great pub with laid back atmosphere, decor to match, and good beer, food and service. What more do you want?

Food: *** Ambiance: **** Price: $$
Last visited: mid 2008

Rannoosh

Rannoosh - Hillcrest, San Diego

Searching for some good mid eastern cuisine one weekend night, we came upon Rannoosh. Its made up to give off an exotic feel, with rich vibrant fabrics decorating the walls, small artifacts and hookahs reminiscent of the arab world placed here and
there. They have a limited wine selection (try the Lebanese wine), and a exotic sounding drinks like Lebanese coffee and Mint tea. I liked the Rannoosh cocktail .. a mixture of milk, bananas and honey (3 of my favourite substances to eat).

The menu is similar to what you'd find in any other Lebanese / Mediterranean restaurant .. hummus, pita, baba ganoosh, kababs, falafel, shawarma and gyros. The food might take some time to arrive and all of it is worth the wait. The Chicken Shawarma plate and the Mjadara (rice mixed with lentils and sauteed onions) are worth a mention, so are the lamb kababs that come with some kind of garlic sauce. Rannoosh also offers a well sized selection for people preferring vegetarian stuff, and which it turns out is quite delicious too.

The prices are okayish .. not too expensive, but not on the cheap side either. Overall a very pleasing experience.

Food: **** Ambiance: *** Price: $$$

Glass Window

Glass Window - Deccan, Pune

Glass Window is an upscale dining restaurant in the Deccan Rendezvous hotel, off Apte Road, Pune. Deccan Rendezvous is the new name of the erstwhile Hotel Surya. Its back with a bang with new ownership and classy new restaurants.

I had heard a lot about this place .. namely that the food and ambiance is good and that its expensive. The restaurant is on the ground floor .. which rather disappointed me .. somehow I was expecting it to be on the top floor .. or at least ground+. Its bang in front of you as you enter the hotel. Not too good a place for an upscale dining experience. Anyways, the seating area is well spaced and has simplistic but tasteful decor. They have managed to pull off an upscale sort of ambiance, though not on the romantic side. The service is courteous, and the crowd is almost dressed for the occasion. Weekends should be packed.

The menu is good, with selected contents. They do try to offer something from everywhere (Indian, continental, Asian) .. something I am not a big fan of ... but they haven't gone overboard with the culinary breadth of their chefs unlike other places. (read Flags). Each item is explained which is essential, considering they are serving European and East Asian cuisine in Pune. Wine and cocktail prices are outrageous.

We settled for a soup and some vegetarian Ravioli. Service was surprisingly quick, and our soup arrived in minutes. The French Onion soup was one of the best I have ever tasted. I used to think the coffee shop from The Blue Diamond had the best French Onion soup .. but I probably have to revise that ranking now. The ravioli was excellent .. though I had hoped for a larger quantity. For dessert we had the peach-chocolate pie .. which was just perfect. And apparently so is the cointreau sorbet.

A delightful experience, definitely recommended for the special occasion.

Food: ***** Ambiance: **** Price: $$$$