Friday, October 16, 2015

Hotel Veg and Nonveg, Aundh, Pune

This little place is one of many - all over India - but most especially in Pune where eating out is a ritual obediently followed by many. 
Tall Order They serve Breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner. The cuisines they claim to serve are Punjabi, Chinese, Indian and Biryanis. My husband always laughs when he reads this - as if Punjabi is not Indian and Biryani is a nationality!
It is a delight to see this kind of place hold its own when, on the opposite side of the road there are many fancy places. Though those are also small and most of them also have outdoor seating, they all cater to the upper middle class. Youths with guitars love such hangouts.
The Verdict Judging by the poha, I feel that it is honest home made food. Simple fare. The dish was not too spicy and the groundnuts were fresh. The poha was served with a small sprinkling of sev on top and a small side dish of sweet sambhar.

Poha may seem simple to prepare but I’ve had some truly awful ones and, since I also tried to make it, I find it’s not that easy. Good poha is light and easy to digest. There is relish in eating honest food served without fuss in a clean setting. 
Though it is difficult, it is good to find such places wherever one goes. Especially in Pune such joints are usually run by a family. Since there are not many hired hands, one is a bit more sure that the food will be untainted by the mood of the server whereas, in many places, the workers are treated badly or are unhappy for some other reason. I always find that I’m suspicious when it is like that.

With a Pashankar Honda Authorized 2 Wheeler Service Centre to its right and Croma to the left, this cute little place is usually busy feeding employees from these places. But it also attracts other passersby like us.
This Sunday we decided to give it a try for a late breakfast as Croma which we had come to visit was not yet open.
There is indoor as well as outdoor seating and though the restaurant is tiny and humble, the place is very clean.
Cheap, Clean, Wholesome Hubby had Misal pav and I had poha. Both were quite light and fresh and tasty and filling. It was very pleasurable to sit in the open and eat together. Sarjaa Road is very beautiful, tree lined and leisurely.

The bill came to Rs. 58.

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