Indigo Deli in Kp

From the house of deGustibus Hospitality the first ever deli to open its door to Pune and how. After the tremendous success and love that it got Indigo Deli has now opened its second outlet at the bustling Koregaon park, Lane no 6 with aplomb. 

This all day cafe with an European bistro feel keeps up the tradition of enticing its patronage with its simple yet comforting menu designed with fresh and local produce which pulls at the right strings of the heart and belly. 

Chef Tushar Deshpande is the same man responsible for this epic journey of the taste buds at this second outlet too.

Done up in warm cozy hues with chocolate brown interiors, bold ceiling and lovely huge glass windows looking out on the busy street and the small but quaint outdoor section. The candles, setting, a bar which takes a centre stage, to the dessert counter which calls out your name,everything literally tugs at your heart.

Though this place is smaller than the one in phoenix, I personally love it more due to its setting.

Love sitting at the window in the candle light watching the world pass by whilst sipping on some wine.

Coming back to the tasting ...

I was presented with the day's special menu and even sampled some of their bar nibbles.

Lets get started then .. we have a long delicious way to go.

Cream of Peas and Broccoli

As the name suggests it was a perfect creamy soup. I am a pea lover. So I loved it even more with flavour of peas intertwined with those of the broccoli. 

This warm soup on cold nights with especially their in house yummy bread basket which i can have all by itself with some generous butter.. 

Lovely comforting soup. 

Guava and Sriracha Margarita

For the guava lovers with spicy masala. 

This baby is tequila shaken with guava juice, Thai chili sauce and a rim with the in house BBQ rub.

Kale salad 

This fresh, healthy delicious thing. 

I could have it almost every other day without complaining. 

Sliced fennel, apple batons, dried cranberries, candied walnut, feta... 

Soooo good 👍

Must Try!

Beer Batter Cajun Spiced Prawns with Aioli

If you ask me I am a complete prawns girl and whenever i get my hands on some yummy prawns I cant help but a do a little Prawns dance and for this one I was dancing hard to rhythm of prawn dance... prawn dance ... prawn dance .. prawn dance...

Loved these crispy prawns with the garlicky aioli dip. Somehow the combination of beer with prawns is always kick ass and this was no different. 

Perfect Bar Nibble 

Must Must Try ! 

Spinach, Corn and Mozzarella croquettes with BBQ sauce... 

Yummy nibble for the veggies in the house.

Bite into this crispiness to experience the flavourful croquettes with a cheesy pull. 

Highly addictive. 

Creamed Spinach, Roasted Mushroom and Scamorza 

Half and half 

No one does thin crust like Indigo Deli.

Wafer thin crust so good. 

I loved this veggie delight with such flavours coming together it was party on the house in my mouth 😋

I never knew creamed spinach and mushroom can have such a magical combination paired alongside scamorza. 

Brilliant 

Must have! 

Roasted chicken with cheddar. 

Simple and minimal combinations are the best and most flavourful.

This pizza, this deli is the live example of the same. 

All their pizzas are top notch, you really need to try them out. 

Bloody Mary Linguini ❤

Such a delectable plateful of slurpy pasta in a smoked chili tomato sauce with roasted aubergine, fried capers and fresh mozzarella. So juicy and flavourful and yet so simple.
Must have ! 

Red Wine braised Lamb Ragout

Wine when added rightly takes the taste notches higher and red meat when cooked to perfection nothing can taste better.

Can you even imagine then the flavours of this  perfectly seasoned, spiced Ragout served along with grilled beans and a perfectly charred ciabata. 

This simple yet heavenly meal was surely meant for angels. 

Spinach Risotto 

I am sure Popeye grew up on this stuff. 

This creamy risotto made up of caramelized onion, charred corn, feta and candied pecan nuts. 

Again simple food at its best. That touch of those candied pecan nuts - a bit of sweet in every creamy bite once in a while just created another drama altogether.

So glad they didn't hold back. 

Must Try ! 

Raspberry and Rosemary Mojito 

Saffron Tagiatelle

Queen scallops, shrimps, crab meat, Arugula 

For the sea food lovers definitely. 

They ran out my favorite whiskey pate 🙁 

You really need to try out this boozy dessert. 

So I had my other favorite their home made ice creams which are a bomb. I wanted to have them all but alas pet hain kuva nahi.... so I settled for pecan butter and Belgium chocolate.. if sin could be anymore sinful. It would be this.. 

Brownie vs Cheesecake 

Delectable combination of rich creamy cheesecake paired with gooey brownie...yummmmmmmm

Love the vibe of this place - like sitting in an English cafe having all that comfort food by the window as you people gaze or are just lost in your own thoughts.. romance with your date or just have a good time with friends and family.

Thanks a lot for inviting me Svetlana (carpe diem ) and team Indigo Deli Kp for hosting me.

Disclaimer : This was a food tasting on invite however the views and review is completely based on my experience that day. 

xoxo
Bhakti 

A little Meraki in the busy city.

meraki [may-rah-kee] (adjective) This is a word that modern Greeks often use to describe doing something with soul, creativity, or love — when you put “something of yourself” into what you're doing, whatever it may be.

So my post today is about a little bit of 'Meraki' in this busy city. 

A little place with a soul, where you will get a feast for your soul made with love, for you and your loved ones. 

- does this sound cheesy to you... too lovey dovey perhaps, don't believe me ?

Then let me take you ...

On the bustling street of Koregaon park is the newly opened Meraki.

A small place inside Atelier. I forgot to mention a small place with a soul and a beautiful one at that.

A place perfect to de stress, unwind or just be with your loved ones.

I have always adored cute nature places like these where you feel one with nature especially in this man made concrete we call home. To peel of layers of pretences', gadgets, technology and listen to the beauty of nature to eat with our eyes; food cooked with love and let the robust aroma control our senses.

To sit with your loved ones holding hands and not mobiles - in short simple ways of the heart with love.

Candles, Bonfires, Barbecues, open sky and twinkling stars - well they have it all.

They serve Middle Eastern, Indian, Italian cuisine and they are doing a pretty well job.

The service is good, the staff is well informed about what they are serving, the portions are good and the prices are completely, totally vfm.

They still are in the process of securing the liquor license and it will be in place shortly.

We started our evening with -

Peru pyala

and don't you underestimate the power of common peru ka pyala ... it made me fall in love with its super spicy rim and the sweet nectar juice ... every sip was a balance of this eternal love affair there after. 

Honestly, I tried this peru mocktail at other places reminiscing of this one and wish I hadn't ... nothing minutely close. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 

What better on chilled nights than warm mugs of soup to keep you company..

One pot Minestrone

Laden with winter veggies and that lovely fresh tomato broth infused with basil - healthy much ...

Caramelised fennel onion and Kale

Oh how I loved those creamy notes with blanched kale and sweet farm onion.

It was like soupy cream and onion (chips).

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

OA Chicken Ceasar Salad 

Perfect !

Those crispy croutons with the fresh iceberg and Romaine lettuce with roasted garlic. The dressing was perfect and so was the chicken.. 

Recommended 

Greek salad and watermelon 

Well one of my favorite salad is watermelon and feta - i never miss having it. 

I enjoyed this salad and it was almost perfect with all its fresh ingredients, sweet watermelons, feta and other veggies. 

The dressing too was yum what witheld it back was the quantity. 

They can be a bit generous with the watermelon, feta and balsamic vinegar dressing . 

Still - Highly recommended! 

Request them earlier when you order to be generous in the above department and you have a winner. 

Sweet Corn & Mozzarella Fritters with Chilli Jam 

Another crowd favorite ...

Cheese and corn - corn and cheese and that too gooey mozzarella with flavorful Jalapenos stuffed in them and that jam - literally omg - so good, so spicy with hints of sweet notes... totally addictive.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 

Market fresh veggie sliders

These are falafel and feta with dill tzatziki, bulb onion and plum tomato spicy sauce with cheese and lettuce between sliders. 

Jhinga Mirch Espetada 

Espetada means meat on stick (portuguese) with a rub, barbequed. 

This was my star of the night .... 

Prawns marinated in green chilli  thecha and garnished with fresh coconut.

So hot, so spicy, so me ... 

The marathi mulgi in me was happy with the proper justice done to my all time favorite green mirch thecha ( not toned down) and prawns my love - i will always chose you no matter what. 

I was doing a happy thecha prawn dance in my head whilst everyone ate. 

BHAKTI DIARIES RECOMMENDS THIS HIGHLY. 

Statuary warning :  not for the faint hearted at all.

Lebanese Chicken Shish Tawook Espetada

Grilled chicken marinated in spicy yogurt, mustard and fresh herbs.

Juicy, succulent chicken mildly spiced. 

It was beautiful. 

Highly Recommended 

Lamb Kibbeh Espetada 

Minced lamb with spices grilled to perfection and chilli tzatziki. 

It should have been more juicy though lovely middle eastern flavours. 

Jalapeno Margarita Nanza

For the nanza lovers. 

Crisp base with generous toppings. 

Tomato and basil sauce base topped with jalapenos and mozzarella and drizzle of garlic olive oil. 

Yumza 

Rosemary Potato Nanza 

Pesto base rosemary, potato wafers, sun dried tomatoes, steamed kale, jalapenos and olives... 

Quite a feast happening there haan. 

Lamb Bolognaise Pizza 

I am not such a bolognaise girl but this definitely was a table favourite with generous topping of home spiced minced lamb bolognaise, Turkish flat bread baked in a wooden oven with generous mozzarella topped on. 

Lovely flavours. 

Philadelphia cream cheese and chicken pizza

Plum tomatoes, onions , Mozzarella and generous amount of ricotta drizzle with cream cheese sauce. 

Those who love Margarita pizza will definitely love this. 

I completely loved it. 

Subtle flavours making such a huge impact.

Their pizza base is thin and crisped lovely. 

Highly Recommended. 

OA Ravioli

Ravioli not many get it right however they got it bang on. Perfect thin raviolis cooked to perfection stuffed with farm tomatoes and fresh ricotta (oh so good) basil and Parmesan. It was tossed in that super yummy creamy sauce made up of cheese fondue cream and sage, garlic butter.

Its the chef's favorite. 

Highly Recommended 

Tomato Basil and Ricottta Risotto 

Italian Khichdi - Risotto

In house Pomiodoro sauce with Italian ricotta, grilled fresh vegetables and herbs.

So filling, so comforting and creamy, so yummy. 

No wonder i love khichdis 😉

Highly Recommended ... 

Jaipur koftas and Lachcha parathas

The koftas were made of corn, green peas and dried figs with cardamom scented gravy. Something like malai koftas. Rich creamy flavours on the sweeter side. You can eat it with steamed pilaf as well. 

Recommended 

Salli Chicken 

Boneless chicken in a tangy gravy topped with crispy potato salli (potato straws or batatyacha chivda) served with butter naans. 

Nice non veg main to have. 

Lal Maas Bunny Chaw 

A very quirky combination. 

Cant comment a lot about this dish cause It was an off day for it. The salt was a bit more though it tasted quite flavourful. 

Their breads are a bit on the toastier side to my liking. 

I was really looking forward to this dish anyway I got to know from others that it was fabulous when they had it. Will definitely give this another try.

Surmai Darne 

Darne - (french) a thick cut from the middle of the fish.

So there were two thick cuts from a soft surmai which was rubbed with a Moroccan spice and pan fried.  The fish was bland but the curried sauce accompanying it was a bomb and completely full of robust flavours. Wish they were generous with that sauce. Creamy mashed potato served with it was perfect and smooth and the sautéed vegetables all of it together made for a big tasty mouthful. 

The food was completely awesome and blew me away. Almost every other dish was recommended. Coming to the desserts, now they really had to meet some high expectations. They definitely fell short in that aspect. 

 Cardamom Pannacotta and honeyed figs

I love Panacottas.

This failed to impress me to the hilt however this was the second best dessert of the night.

OB Mandarin Crepe Suzette 

Classical sweet crepes in caramelized sugar, orange liquor and butter sauce. With Malta orange segments. 

Overtly sweet for me- i found it nothing special. 

Coconut Bread Pudding 

Warm soft pudding drizzled with red current and caramel rum sauce. 

Very subtly sweet perfect for those who like it that way. 

Tiramisu

This takes the second place on my dessert list for the night alongside the panacotta. 

First place goes to Orange chocolate fondant.

Warm dark chocolate baked to perfection with a very subtle hint of Malta orange. Served with vanilla ice cream. 

This finished no sooner than it was served. 

Highly Recommended 

And that was the sweet end to this soulful journey.

Still don't believe me .. you need to check it out yourself.

Thanks to Svetlana for introducing me and inviting me to Meraki and what lovely time I had.

Until we meet again

xoxo

Bhakti 

Texas Tower - Kharadi, Pune

The first thing that comes to your mind or really blows your mind when you think about this place is its location. 

Located on the 9th floor of the Stellar Spaces in Kharadi, Pune. Its a beautiful and really huge restaurant and being on such a height the views you get are awesome from all the sides. Watching the lights below and cars pass while sipping on your drink after a long days work is really relaxing. 

A perfect place to unwind with friends, family or collegues ; they have it all.

The ambience is warm with big plush cozy couches and pretty chairs. The seating is completely comfortable and relaxing. 

The bar though steals the show. I loved it and am guilty of one too many snaps over there.

This place sure is pretty.

Getting to food.

This place sure serves a storm and how. 

American Corn Cheese Balls 

Little bland to my taste but i loved that cheese sauce would have gone so well with nachos.

Fried Mozzarella 

Fried cheese... oh yessss... 

Wok Tossed Paneer 

I loved it from the word go. The flavours just kicked in and hit the jackpot. The paneer was so soft and the flavours were bang on.

Must have! 

Paneer Kerara Kebab 

Paneer stuffing inside the crispyness.

They sure were karare as hell.

Cheese Fries 

These guys are lovers of fries and how. They serve fries with so many of their dishes and this was cherry on the top. 

Bring them on we ain't complaining, the more the merrier. 

Beer and fries ..... 

Must try ! 

Their fries are really good.

The array of drinks and each one was yum.

Mine had to be the pink one.

Long island beach tea - yum.

Drums of Heaven 

Classic Fish N Chips 

As the word said .. it was classic.. Basa nicely fried to perfection with crispy fries and that yum tartar sauce. 

Must try! 

Loved it . 

The fries literally had to be pushed off as i was busy polishing them off. CALORIES 🙈

Hot and Crispy Joe's Shrimps

Fried Prawns with fries. 

I would give this a miss. It was bland and the prawns were fried too much msking them oily and chewy. May be it was one off times.

Nachos

My favorite.

The portion was huge and I was looking forward to them with all veggies and all.

I honestly love my nachos with cheese sauce and beans or salsa; both of which were missing making them a bit dry for my taste.  

Texas Hot wings

Lovely starter to enjoy your drinks. 

Wings lover wont be disappointed. 

Paneer Shashlik Sizzler 

I couldnt try it but my vegetarian friends were definitely enjoying it.

Farm Fresh Pizza 

Loaded with veggies, having this pizza will be a less of an guilty affair 😉

Raan 

This shredded Lamb Raan was so tasty and yummy. Full of flavours. Everyone loved it.

Must try!

Chicken Steak

I love my steaks and these guys sure did deliver. Another table favorite and rightly so. The chicken was tender and grilĺed to perfection. The sauce was generous and tasty like crazy. The potatoes ever so soft and creamy and buttery veggies.

I wish i had more place in my stomach. 

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Must Must Try!

Sizzling Brownie 

This one is my all time favourite.  

I just am crazy for this. 

I would give it a 6/10 over here. 

The brownie was a bit hard and not heated enough. The nuts should have been more and same with the chocolate sauce. Heat was less. 

I finished it . I love this dessert like crazy..

Call me anywhere just to have this and I will come.

Fambe Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamun flambed with alcohol.

In case you want to get a little more tipsy after that last round of drinks.

And with that we called it a night. 

We had a lovely time with our tummies bursting and chatter never ending. 

Thanks a lot for inviting me Hatim and hosting me with such good food Team Texas Tower. 

You should give these guys a try. Definitely a place to look out for when in Kharadi. 

xoxo

Bhakti