Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Mouthwatering Pune Memories - A Romantic Foodie Date

MOUTHWATERING PUNE MEMORIES 
A Foodie Date
A ROMANTIC LUNCH
By
VIKRAM KARVE

From my Foodie Archives: memories of a romantic foodie date in Pune a few years ago 

Which is the best place for a foodie date, a quiet romantic lunch, near Deccan Gymkhana in Pune?
 

Khyber?

Good food, but it is always crowded.
 

Poona Coffee House?

It has disappeared!
 

Good Luck?

Not quite the ambience for romance.
 

Vaishali?

The whole world will come to know and by the time you get a place to sit the romance will be over...!  

I'll tell you what – just head down Bhandarkar Road to Raviraj.

It has the right blend of ambience, food and service for you to enjoy your snug heart-to-heart (romantic?) lunch in undisturbed serenity.

By the way, I am talking of lunch – at night the place is quite crowded with those who want to tipple, talk and eat.

Tell me is there such a thing as a "romantic meal" ... ?

As far as my experience goes, my attempts at so-called romantic meals always ended in unmitigated disasters ...!

Whenever the food was terrific, the romance was a disaster; and when the romance was memorable, the food was forgettable  -  so sometimes I wonder whether romance and food are mutually exclusive.

Maybe I am a mindful sort of chap who can focus only on one thing at a time.

I just cannot multitask eating and romance at the same time – One can either eat or one can romance, isn’t it ...? How can you combine the two ...?

Hey, I will tell you about my disastrous romantic meals later.

Like my most romantic meal where the pasta was so insipid that I had no choice but to accord my total undivided attention to my attractive companion!

Now let me tell you about the “romantic” lunch I enjoyed at Raviraj a few years ago.

Outside it was noisy, suffocating and scorching blazing hot. The sweltering summer heat in Pune is worse than the scorching summer of the northern plains now-a-days.

Inside it was tranquil, pristine and soothingly cool. We sat comfortably in the pleasantly muted, placid environment whispering sweet nothings to each other. No one disturbed us.

That’s the beauty of this place – they don’t disturb you at all.

You can sit for hours in peace, undisturbed, uninterrupted, and enjoy your cozy romantic tête-à-tête.

Should I say the service is discreet?

Subtle?

Nonexistent?

I’ll say it is inconspicuous, or better still conspicuous by its absence!

So if you are in a hurry, go elsewhere. Also if you are in such a hurry, it is better not to eat at all. 

We beckoned the waiter, placed our order and let it take its time.

The Tandoori Chicken was really good cooked just right, delicious reminded me of Moti Mahal Daryaganj Delhi – and let me assure you that I am not exaggerating.

On the other hand, the Mutton Masala was quite run-of-the-mill stuff – just about passable and certainly nothing to write home about.

Of  the vegetarian cuisine, the specialty of the place is the Malai Kofta -  rich, tasty and fulfilling. The Methi Malai Mutter (one of my favourite vegetarian  dishes) was quite heavenly, but not that delectable to mesmerize me totally.

Of course I made an effort and I tried to desist from eating too mindfully.

This enabled me to tactfully apportion my attentions between the food on the table and my charming companion sitting in front of me.

Luckily, the “romantic”  part of the meal was not a disaster.  

At Raviraj, they serve Mughlai, Chinese and Continental.

And there is beer, spirits and wine too for the spirited.

To sum up, Raviraj is a nice place to have a cosy romantic tête-à-tête or leisurely repast on a lazy afternoon.

Liked this article?
Want to read more such musings, recipes and go on foodie adventures with me?
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Happy Dating and Happy Eating!  

VIKRAM KARVE 
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2010
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

VIKRAM KARVE educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU, The Lawrence School Lovedale, and Bishop's School Pune, is an Electronics and Communications Engineer by profession, a Human Resource Manager and Trainer by occupation, a Teacher by vocation, a Creative Writer by inclination and a Foodie by passion. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles in magazines and journals for many years before the advent of blogging. His delicious foodie blogs have been compiled in a book "Appetite for a Stroll". Vikram lives in Pune with his family and pet Doberman girl Sherry, with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog - http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com
Academic Journal Vikram Karvehttp://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile of Vikram Karve - http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Email: vikramkarve@sify.com
Foodie Book: Appetite for a Stroll 

http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm

© vikram karve., all rights reserved. 

2 comments:

Purba said...

Loved reading this foodie adventure of yours. Romance can happen over a candle light dinner with a nice glass of wine :) And the music better be good.

Vikram Waman Karve said...

Thanks. Must try the candle light and wine route