Thukpa at Shaolin in Pune

When we moved to Pune from Hyderabad, we were quite apprehensive about the food. While Mumbai and Hyderabad are considered food heavens with choices to die for, Pune was known to be low key without many options, and most of them vegetarian. While we’re strictly non-vegetarians and big foodies, we did eat in vegetarian restaurants (mostly when other options were sparse)!

After relocating to Pune, we began house hunting. It was a tedious job and we looked for places to eat in Pune after toiling whole day visiting apartments for rent. Since our areas of target were in the outskirts, it was more difficult to find restaurants of our choice. Hyderabad had literally spoilt us crazy with its food platter and spice buckets. Pune seemed more toned down and traditional. Though the traditional Maharashtrian food is far from bland, it’s spicy and blazing hot. While M loves the Misal Pav, I’m more for Pav Bhaji and Vada Pav. The idea of slathering dry sev into the spicy gravy and mopping it up with buns, somehow didn’t appeal me.

While it has its own Misal Houses and Ghar ka Khana places, there is also multi-cuisine food in Pune. Areas like Koregaon Park and Bund Garden are loaded with small joints to posh restaurants offering food even from Africa! The malls in Viman Nagar and alyani Nagarh had few of the different and newer restaurants like Chillis. If you want to look out for the best restaurants in Pune online, search through Ask Me and they will offer you unlimited choices from burger joints and giants to quaint little cafes and German Bakery, where you can try your taste buds.

One of my favourites was also one of the best restaurants in Pune, Mainland China in Hinjewadi. It had opened newly after we moved and was superb in food and service. The lunch buffet was immaculately designed and laid out, both for vegetarians and meat-eaters. We went there for the shrimps and crabs, beautifully cooked and plenty in quantity.

Pune has expanded to outskirts like Pimple Saudagar and a huge office population in Hinjewadi, who are always searching for food. There are new restaurants sprouting up each day, offering new and exclusive range of food and beverages. Pune has truly grown beyond what it was, with one of the restaurants even serving Nadru ki Gullar (Lotus stem kebab), a dish which Mr. Modi had in menu for Mr. Obama.

Need I say more?