Yes, so I know I've been talking about Bombay for the longest time. I reluctantly need to switch cities now; under duress, I will state.
So not too far from Bombay, we have Pune. It's not half bad. Food-wise, in fact, I'd say it's pretty good. A little more varied than Bombay. And there have been some gems that I have found here...
The first, in random order, of course, is this place very near the Pune Railway Station. It's in a tiny, slightly sidey-looking corner, just as the road turns off towards the station. Every visit since childhood that I have made to Pune, I have seen the green sign towering above the trees "Coconut Grove" and I have been dying to see what exactly you get here.
I managed to go very recently, and I was pleasantly surprised. It's quite the amazing little discovery.
A warning, though. This is not the place for vegetarians. Honestly, if you can't eat chicken, mutton and fish, then don't bother going to Coconut Grove. I'm sure the vegetarian food is good too, but really...
Anyway. You get here some fantastic Indian coastal cuisine. Goan, Keralite, Andhra, and Maharashtrian; or some mix thereof. Another warning, at this juncture: When they say 'spicy' in the description, I'd suggest you take their word. Order something mild. And I mean MILD; because if you aren't a spice-eater, then you're in severe trouble, if you don't.
So... Order anything sukka... Prawn, clam, mutton... I've had them and they're unequalled by anything I've tasted. Order any seafood, and it'll be good. We had the bombil fry twice and it was amazing both times; melt-in-the-mouth stuff, that bombil...
The stew was good as well. Too mild for me, but I loved what others needed two glasses of water to swallow... The stew is well spiced, mild, full of that wonderful stew-taste, and pretty great with appams. Yes. Appams. And neer dosa. Fantastic stuff. Order one at a time, and ask them for another the second you get the first. This ensures that your food doesn't get cold and your appams won't sit on your plate, waiting for you to eat the first.
The meat is all very nicely spiced and cooked. There is just the right amount of coconut and gravy on every dish, the service is friendly and prompt and the ambience is homely and comforting.
I suggest you have the sol kadhi as well, it's refreshing and goes well with all the food.
Another suggestion is that you stick to the Indian food and not divert to other cuisines. Not because I doubt the quality, but because the coastal fare is too good to be side-tracked for anything else.
A definite win in my book, I'm recommending this to everyone I meet. Give it a shot, if you're in the area. The prices are great as well. You won't regret it.
So not too far from Bombay, we have Pune. It's not half bad. Food-wise, in fact, I'd say it's pretty good. A little more varied than Bombay. And there have been some gems that I have found here...
The first, in random order, of course, is this place very near the Pune Railway Station. It's in a tiny, slightly sidey-looking corner, just as the road turns off towards the station. Every visit since childhood that I have made to Pune, I have seen the green sign towering above the trees "Coconut Grove" and I have been dying to see what exactly you get here.
I managed to go very recently, and I was pleasantly surprised. It's quite the amazing little discovery.
A warning, though. This is not the place for vegetarians. Honestly, if you can't eat chicken, mutton and fish, then don't bother going to Coconut Grove. I'm sure the vegetarian food is good too, but really...
Anyway. You get here some fantastic Indian coastal cuisine. Goan, Keralite, Andhra, and Maharashtrian; or some mix thereof. Another warning, at this juncture: When they say 'spicy' in the description, I'd suggest you take their word. Order something mild. And I mean MILD; because if you aren't a spice-eater, then you're in severe trouble, if you don't.
So... Order anything sukka... Prawn, clam, mutton... I've had them and they're unequalled by anything I've tasted. Order any seafood, and it'll be good. We had the bombil fry twice and it was amazing both times; melt-in-the-mouth stuff, that bombil...
The stew was good as well. Too mild for me, but I loved what others needed two glasses of water to swallow... The stew is well spiced, mild, full of that wonderful stew-taste, and pretty great with appams. Yes. Appams. And neer dosa. Fantastic stuff. Order one at a time, and ask them for another the second you get the first. This ensures that your food doesn't get cold and your appams won't sit on your plate, waiting for you to eat the first.
The meat is all very nicely spiced and cooked. There is just the right amount of coconut and gravy on every dish, the service is friendly and prompt and the ambience is homely and comforting.
I suggest you have the sol kadhi as well, it's refreshing and goes well with all the food.
Another suggestion is that you stick to the Indian food and not divert to other cuisines. Not because I doubt the quality, but because the coastal fare is too good to be side-tracked for anything else.
A definite win in my book, I'm recommending this to everyone I meet. Give it a shot, if you're in the area. The prices are great as well. You won't regret it.
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