It's unbelievable... I went to the shop where I generally buy drinks from.
Was picking up a bottle of Budweiser and just happened to ask the shopkeeper if he has got anything new. He mentioned the word 'Stella'
I asked him again ..."Are you sure it's Stella Artois"? He said yes. I was amazed. This is a famous lager beer from Belgium.
Then I asked him what else does he have. He mentioned that he has got 'Hoegarden'. That stunned me! I asked him to get it out immediately!
Hoegarden is a very famous Belgium beer and it's primary content is wheat unlike typical barley beers. It is spiced with coriander and orange peel. It is kept unfiltered and therefore cloudy in appearance. So its a very unique beer and it comes from the village of Hoegaarden. It has a rich history and has undergone a lot of transitions. Most recently its production was moved out of Hoegarden amidst loud protests, national coverage...After few years, it returned back to the town of Hoegarden with many public cheers
An entire Wikipedia link is devoted to it
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoegaarden_(beer)
It was the surprise of Year 2009! I have enjoyed Hoegarden but never ever could get access to it in India! And now it's in Pune
The small pint bottle costs Rs 160 because it was imported (as compared to Rs 55 to Rs 60 for standard beers manufactured in India). But inspite of 3 times the cost, I had no second thoughts in buying the pint bottle and enjoying it on Saturday evening
So the day ended so sweetly!
India has truly arrived and there is no looking back... Pune rocks...It always has and will continue to be the city that evolves constantly. Now I have my own Belgium beer corner in Pune!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
A relaxing trip to Bali, Indonesia
Just returned back from a short but very relaxing trip to the island of Bali in Indonesia. With my earlier trip tour getting cancelled, I badly wanted to atleast go on a short break and finally managed to get that.
The island of Bali is very famous among Australians and Europeans. The tourism in Bali got badly hit because of the Bali terrorist bombings. But it is slowly recovering.
I stayed at a luxury resort in front of one of the most famous beaches in Bali at Kuta (where the bombings happened and were targetted at the Western tourists).
So all the evenings were reserved for walks on the beach watching the sun go down or just sitting on the beach.
Hard to do that because you are surrounded by bikini clad European women and beer drinking men with hunky bodies and all sorts of things happening on the beach among men and women. But neverthless it was very very relaxing. It's hard being single in such places and walking around as you get approached by prostitutes, pimps, women wanting to give you massages...
Lot of amateur surfers trying their hands at surfing. The tidal wave was not very strong and hence even amateurs were comfortable surfing.
Bali is strongly Hindu. It follows all the customs of Hindu culture. So there are lots of old temples spread in every corner of Bali dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva
I saw statues of Ganesh, stories from Mahabharat and more
Visited some of the famous temples including Tanah lot. My Indonesian guide was explaining all about Bali culture, the belief in Trimurti, Ramayana, Mahabharat. Hindus went to the island around 7th century and Hindu culture spread rapidly
Bali continues to be a romantic place. My guide kept on reminding me that I need to get myself a girlfriend again and bring her to Bali next year OR Marry someone and take her to Bali....
I enjoyed the hotel where I stayed. It was the Hard Rock hotel with plenty of facilities for relaxing(spas, bars, many fine restaurants, largest swimming pool in Bali, sports facilities) and more importantly bang in front of the most popular beach in Bali called Kuta beach. The town of Kuta was commericial with the famous fashion brand shops around, restaurants, bars and more. It was safe...and great to walk around. Out of nowhere suddenly I would bump into an old temple.
So my impressions of Bali (beach, sunsets, beer, honeymooners, bikinis, a lot of sex, Hindu temples, rice fields, culture and simple local people)
Since I have turned vegeterian, there is very little choice. Pork is a stable diet along with rice. So naturally ended up eating mostly continental vegeterian stuff. Ofcourse the popular Indonesian fried rice (Nasi goreng) was enjoyed
Had a lot of beer. Just a lovely time with a glass of Bintang (Indonesia beer) pilsener.
Best moments in Bali...Probably when I was sitting in the Starbucks coffee house in the open air, enjoying coffee and watching women...who were out there to show their bodies and those many moments when I just watched the vast ocean especially when the sun went down creating beautiful coloured sunsets in Bali.
The island of Bali is very famous among Australians and Europeans. The tourism in Bali got badly hit because of the Bali terrorist bombings. But it is slowly recovering.
I stayed at a luxury resort in front of one of the most famous beaches in Bali at Kuta (where the bombings happened and were targetted at the Western tourists).
So all the evenings were reserved for walks on the beach watching the sun go down or just sitting on the beach.
Hard to do that because you are surrounded by bikini clad European women and beer drinking men with hunky bodies and all sorts of things happening on the beach among men and women. But neverthless it was very very relaxing. It's hard being single in such places and walking around as you get approached by prostitutes, pimps, women wanting to give you massages...
Lot of amateur surfers trying their hands at surfing. The tidal wave was not very strong and hence even amateurs were comfortable surfing.
Bali is strongly Hindu. It follows all the customs of Hindu culture. So there are lots of old temples spread in every corner of Bali dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva
I saw statues of Ganesh, stories from Mahabharat and more
Visited some of the famous temples including Tanah lot. My Indonesian guide was explaining all about Bali culture, the belief in Trimurti, Ramayana, Mahabharat. Hindus went to the island around 7th century and Hindu culture spread rapidly
Bali continues to be a romantic place. My guide kept on reminding me that I need to get myself a girlfriend again and bring her to Bali next year OR Marry someone and take her to Bali....
I enjoyed the hotel where I stayed. It was the Hard Rock hotel with plenty of facilities for relaxing(spas, bars, many fine restaurants, largest swimming pool in Bali, sports facilities) and more importantly bang in front of the most popular beach in Bali called Kuta beach. The town of Kuta was commericial with the famous fashion brand shops around, restaurants, bars and more. It was safe...and great to walk around. Out of nowhere suddenly I would bump into an old temple.
So my impressions of Bali (beach, sunsets, beer, honeymooners, bikinis, a lot of sex, Hindu temples, rice fields, culture and simple local people)
Since I have turned vegeterian, there is very little choice. Pork is a stable diet along with rice. So naturally ended up eating mostly continental vegeterian stuff. Ofcourse the popular Indonesian fried rice (Nasi goreng) was enjoyed
Had a lot of beer. Just a lovely time with a glass of Bintang (Indonesia beer) pilsener.
Best moments in Bali...Probably when I was sitting in the Starbucks coffee house in the open air, enjoying coffee and watching women...who were out there to show their bodies and those many moments when I just watched the vast ocean especially when the sun went down creating beautiful coloured sunsets in Bali.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Darshan restaurant at end of Prabhat road
Darshan is a nice cozy restaurant at the end of Prabhat road (near the Police Chowki). It's been around for many many years (atleast 30 years I think)
It's probably among the first restaurants in Pune to start the multi-cuisine culture.
It serves a delightful combination of continental, snacks, Mexican & some typical Indian popular snacks
Darshan is not authentic. You can't expect an authentic Italian pasta or pizza here. But whatever Darshan serves tastes very good, is reasonably priced and it remains unique to Darshan
Their menu revolves around sandwiches, burgers, augratins, pizzas, pastas, Mexican favourites (like tacos), & really nice milk shakes
Their popular starter is baked beans on toast prepared in a sweet & tangy way. It's very unique to Darshan and this dish is very very popular. Don't expect the very British baked beans on toast, but eat without any bias and enjoy the dish
You can order their Darshan special snack dish which has sandwiches, cutlets, chips etc.
Darshan sandwiches are delightful. They have unique fillings (e.g moong & french beans)
Veg Augratin will not dissappoint. Their grilled sandwiches are nice too. Don't forget the variety of milkshakes (dry Anjir, Sitaphal (seasonal) & more)
Darshan Chana Bhatura is also extremely popular
Go there anytime (for lunch, afternoon snacks or evening dinner). Believe me you will not get dissappointed.
It's probably among the first restaurants in Pune to start the multi-cuisine culture.
It serves a delightful combination of continental, snacks, Mexican & some typical Indian popular snacks
Darshan is not authentic. You can't expect an authentic Italian pasta or pizza here. But whatever Darshan serves tastes very good, is reasonably priced and it remains unique to Darshan
Their menu revolves around sandwiches, burgers, augratins, pizzas, pastas, Mexican favourites (like tacos), & really nice milk shakes
Their popular starter is baked beans on toast prepared in a sweet & tangy way. It's very unique to Darshan and this dish is very very popular. Don't expect the very British baked beans on toast, but eat without any bias and enjoy the dish
You can order their Darshan special snack dish which has sandwiches, cutlets, chips etc.
Darshan sandwiches are delightful. They have unique fillings (e.g moong & french beans)
Veg Augratin will not dissappoint. Their grilled sandwiches are nice too. Don't forget the variety of milkshakes (dry Anjir, Sitaphal (seasonal) & more)
Darshan Chana Bhatura is also extremely popular
Go there anytime (for lunch, afternoon snacks or evening dinner). Believe me you will not get dissappointed.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Speciality beers have arrived in India!
Finally the real beers have arrived in India!. Currently one distributor in Delhi seems to import the famous Belgium & German Beers and distribute it to beer enthusiasts across the country (if ordered).
I recently came across their advertisement in "Sommelier India", India's only wine magazine (which I always buy). In that advertisment were shown photos of the most exquisite Belgian trappist beers (Beers brewed by Monks for centuries involving wild yeast fermentation)
They have launched a website http://www.craftbeer.in/ but it's incomplete
It shows photos of "Schneider Weisse" (German Wheat beer). But there is nothing more apart from the photos on the website. They have also provided a contact number.
I need to check with my regular beer shop if they can order these beers from this distributor.
But this is the beginning of something very special! I have waited for such a long time for this to happen.
The wine scene in India and especially Maharashtra is fantastic (because of the Nashik winery revolution) but when it comes to beer most people don't even know anything beyond standard lager and neither do beer shops.
But this announcement is just the beginning of the beer revolution.
Ofcourse I am probably one of the very few who regularly buys the Indian wine magazine and must be one of the very few in the country to even have spotted the advertisment. But its a 'spark', fire will follow!
I recently came across their advertisement in "Sommelier India", India's only wine magazine (which I always buy). In that advertisment were shown photos of the most exquisite Belgian trappist beers (Beers brewed by Monks for centuries involving wild yeast fermentation)
They have launched a website http://www.craftbeer.in/ but it's incomplete
It shows photos of "Schneider Weisse" (German Wheat beer). But there is nothing more apart from the photos on the website. They have also provided a contact number.
I need to check with my regular beer shop if they can order these beers from this distributor.
But this is the beginning of something very special! I have waited for such a long time for this to happen.
The wine scene in India and especially Maharashtra is fantastic (because of the Nashik winery revolution) but when it comes to beer most people don't even know anything beyond standard lager and neither do beer shops.
But this announcement is just the beginning of the beer revolution.
Ofcourse I am probably one of the very few who regularly buys the Indian wine magazine and must be one of the very few in the country to even have spotted the advertisment. But its a 'spark', fire will follow!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
In search of authentic Thai in Pune
The search for authentic Thai/Malaysian food in Pune ends at "Spice Island", Le Meridian
"Whispering Bamboo" in Blue Diamond comes close but I would give thumbs up to "Spice Island".
It certainly is one of the most romantic ambience restaurants in Pune
Most recently I enjoyed Penang vegetable curry (Thai-Malaysian) which was so perfect...absolutely fresh coconut milk and the freshness of brocollis, beans and more.
I also had a classic braised eggplant in yellow bean sauce. The egglant was so delicately fried and it's texture was perfect.
The nice part of the meal was the option to go for half portions which effectively means you pay 50% of the price as compared to the normal portion and you can opt for 2 different varieties of vegetables.
It's a highly rated restaurant. They have a limited menu but whatever they have is high quality. The claypot menu is also very good and is a speciality of the restaurant.
The service is excellent. Even the chopsticks are perfect!. And they have a live band singing very romantic love songs.
All in all it's a wonderful experience. It should be reserved for very special occassions but for food enthusiasts, they have to go to this place for the perfect Thai food experience
"Whispering Bamboo" in Blue Diamond comes close but I would give thumbs up to "Spice Island".
It certainly is one of the most romantic ambience restaurants in Pune
Most recently I enjoyed Penang vegetable curry (Thai-Malaysian) which was so perfect...absolutely fresh coconut milk and the freshness of brocollis, beans and more.
I also had a classic braised eggplant in yellow bean sauce. The egglant was so delicately fried and it's texture was perfect.
The nice part of the meal was the option to go for half portions which effectively means you pay 50% of the price as compared to the normal portion and you can opt for 2 different varieties of vegetables.
It's a highly rated restaurant. They have a limited menu but whatever they have is high quality. The claypot menu is also very good and is a speciality of the restaurant.
The service is excellent. Even the chopsticks are perfect!. And they have a live band singing very romantic love songs.
All in all it's a wonderful experience. It should be reserved for very special occassions but for food enthusiasts, they have to go to this place for the perfect Thai food experience
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Peppinos on F.C road
Situated at Cafe Goodluck chowk at the starting of F.C road, 'Peppinos' brought in the trendy concept of serving healthy snacks (sandwiches, salads, pastas, juices & smoothies) to Puneites.
Their menu card is simple. Its split into 4 sections,
Option 1 caters exclusively to grilled sandwiches with a choice of brown/white bread. They have some nice options including one which serves a Mexican grilled sandwich with beans and sour cream
Another section is for Salads. They even have options of Greek salads and a German potato salad. (expect a generous dose of Mayo)
They have few Italian pasta options and even serve Nachos with refried beans (to bring in a Mexican flavour)
Among the smoothies and juices, they are large number of options. Guava is among the novel varities. They even have mix of pomegranate, watermelon juices
This small joint caters again to the F.C road cosmopoliton crowd.
It has limited seating arrangement but does brisk business. The restaurant is clean and well maintained and the staff works hard.
The crowd entering the place is the type who embrances the healthy sandwich + salad + juice options.
Many young 'couples' (boys & girls still in college) are seen frequenting this place
Go for it. It's a nice place and will not dissappoint. Among the very few places in Pune offering this type of food, it will also remind one of the small cafe/restaurant joints in the U.S & Europe
Their menu card is simple. Its split into 4 sections,
Option 1 caters exclusively to grilled sandwiches with a choice of brown/white bread. They have some nice options including one which serves a Mexican grilled sandwich with beans and sour cream
Another section is for Salads. They even have options of Greek salads and a German potato salad. (expect a generous dose of Mayo)
They have few Italian pasta options and even serve Nachos with refried beans (to bring in a Mexican flavour)
Among the smoothies and juices, they are large number of options. Guava is among the novel varities. They even have mix of pomegranate, watermelon juices
This small joint caters again to the F.C road cosmopoliton crowd.
It has limited seating arrangement but does brisk business. The restaurant is clean and well maintained and the staff works hard.
The crowd entering the place is the type who embrances the healthy sandwich + salad + juice options.
Many young 'couples' (boys & girls still in college) are seen frequenting this place
Go for it. It's a nice place and will not dissappoint. Among the very few places in Pune offering this type of food, it will also remind one of the small cafe/restaurant joints in the U.S & Europe
Cafe Goodluck
Situated at the Bhandarkar road & F.C road junction is the old Irani Cafe joint of "Cafe Goodluck". It's been there for years and years (since 1935) and the chowk is named after this cafe.
Many people call it a "Bachelors adda". It typifies the Irani cafe culture which spread across Mumbai, Pune in the late sixties.
Goodluck prices are very very reasonable and hence it is extremely popular among the college going crowd.
Here you can sit down and have a superb "Bun muska" or a luscious "Bun Omelette" with chai ofcourse. The bun is so fresh. You can smell the baked yeasty aroma of the bun and the muska (butter) is spread generously inside.
You can order some nice grilled sandwiches (cheese tomato grilled...sounds so very English) or you can dig into the many non vegeterian specialities (kheema pav, mutton curries, egg curries, chicken dishes etc)
I am Cafe Good luck's loyal customer. I happen to get something or eat something at 'Goodluck' virtually once every week. Although I have turned vegeterian, I eat eggs.
So 'Goodluck' continues to be on my list of places that I make it a point to visit.
You can have excellent lunch, breakfast, afternoon snack, or dinner. It's open whole day and it is packed. The waiters are warm, friendly and efficient
Goodluck in my opinion serves the best Jeera rice in town. The rice is perfectly cooked and dry, they spread friend onion on top of the rice with coriander. Have it with their simple dal fry
Sure it's not an upscale restaurant and rarely will you find families sitting there but it's a fantastic place to sit down and experience the real Pune. Young people move in & out. You can find the Irani owners sitting there. You will hardly hear marathi being spoken because its so popular among especially people staying in hostels...
Vegeterians do find it hard to sit in 'Goodluck' because most people order the famous non vegeterian dishes and to see meaty & greasy food moved around can be a difficult sight.
Many families opt to take parcels because they just find "Cafe Goodluck" food delicious but find it difficult to seat there (especially Maharashtrians:))
The other 2 nice Irani cafes in the Deccan area "Cafe Sunrise" and 'Lucky' have dissappeared and I sincerely wish "Cafe Good luck" stays there just like it has for many many years
Many loyal customers swear by the tastes of non veg food in 'Goodluck'. I did that too when I was eating non-veg. But as often, there are so many good vegeterian dishes that one can also enjoy... (or you can say 'eggaterian' dishes around)
To enter the Cafe and smell the fresh buns is a feeling that cannot be described.
To bite into a 2 egg omellete placed between the bun folds and then dig into the soft smooth bun cannot be described...It can only be experienced.
You don't need to be dressed well to go to Goodluck. You just gotta to be there, being yourself...
Pune is changing constantly and the new crowd who visits 'Goodluck' are young ladies from college. They come in groups and go away in Groups
It's a delightful place to experience the young cosmpolitan city
Many people call it a "Bachelors adda". It typifies the Irani cafe culture which spread across Mumbai, Pune in the late sixties.
Goodluck prices are very very reasonable and hence it is extremely popular among the college going crowd.
Here you can sit down and have a superb "Bun muska" or a luscious "Bun Omelette" with chai ofcourse. The bun is so fresh. You can smell the baked yeasty aroma of the bun and the muska (butter) is spread generously inside.
You can order some nice grilled sandwiches (cheese tomato grilled...sounds so very English) or you can dig into the many non vegeterian specialities (kheema pav, mutton curries, egg curries, chicken dishes etc)
I am Cafe Good luck's loyal customer. I happen to get something or eat something at 'Goodluck' virtually once every week. Although I have turned vegeterian, I eat eggs.
So 'Goodluck' continues to be on my list of places that I make it a point to visit.
You can have excellent lunch, breakfast, afternoon snack, or dinner. It's open whole day and it is packed. The waiters are warm, friendly and efficient
Goodluck in my opinion serves the best Jeera rice in town. The rice is perfectly cooked and dry, they spread friend onion on top of the rice with coriander. Have it with their simple dal fry
Sure it's not an upscale restaurant and rarely will you find families sitting there but it's a fantastic place to sit down and experience the real Pune. Young people move in & out. You can find the Irani owners sitting there. You will hardly hear marathi being spoken because its so popular among especially people staying in hostels...
Vegeterians do find it hard to sit in 'Goodluck' because most people order the famous non vegeterian dishes and to see meaty & greasy food moved around can be a difficult sight.
Many families opt to take parcels because they just find "Cafe Goodluck" food delicious but find it difficult to seat there (especially Maharashtrians:))
The other 2 nice Irani cafes in the Deccan area "Cafe Sunrise" and 'Lucky' have dissappeared and I sincerely wish "Cafe Good luck" stays there just like it has for many many years
Many loyal customers swear by the tastes of non veg food in 'Goodluck'. I did that too when I was eating non-veg. But as often, there are so many good vegeterian dishes that one can also enjoy... (or you can say 'eggaterian' dishes around)
To enter the Cafe and smell the fresh buns is a feeling that cannot be described.
To bite into a 2 egg omellete placed between the bun folds and then dig into the soft smooth bun cannot be described...It can only be experienced.
You don't need to be dressed well to go to Goodluck. You just gotta to be there, being yourself...
Pune is changing constantly and the new crowd who visits 'Goodluck' are young ladies from college. They come in groups and go away in Groups
It's a delightful place to experience the young cosmpolitan city
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