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METROSCAPE
STACK UP
Who serves what in Pune's latest assortment of
eateries
Bombay Brasserie: The massive gastronomic
complex on Dhole Patil Road has five different restaurants but everyone
is heading for the dum pukht and tandoori delicacies of the Brasserie
Grill: for Rs 250-275, you can have unlimited quantities of five varieties
of kebabs plus dal, rotis and rice. Bulb-lit trees and the cheery campfire
ambience adds to the kebab experience.
Just Around The Corner: The "casual
American dining" experience finds an expression on Sasoon Road: pinewood
chairs have steel scaffoldings and there are wistful b/w pin-ups of Yank
icons Marilyn Monroe and Brooke Shields. The popular dishes, especially
with the hordes of hungry collegians, are chicken dishes both shredded
(with onions and gherkins) or steaks with sauces. The soups, salads and
hot meals keep changing every day. And it's okay if you want to eat alone-the
magazine rack is never more than a few steps away.
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| GOODIES
OF THE GRILL: Bombay Brasserie |
The American way: Just Round the Corner |
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| Seat and sour: Dosa Diner |
Dosa Diner: Dosa devotees at this sprawling
restaurant, also on Sasoon Road, can't have it any better: fillings vary
from regulation masala to exotic chilly paneer, chicken "jhatka",
"dhaba da omellette" and tangy fish chilli. Also good for some
simple coffee and complex conversation. Our suggestion: the benches, as
hard as rock, could do with a bit of friendly padding.
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| South meets north: Kurry Kourt |
Kurry Kourt: Holiday Inn's latest restaurant
serves both north and south Indian cuisine, but those stuck on staple
idli-dosa can prepare to go hungry ... this is not even listed. Here you
find more elborate and lesser known south Indian varieties of fried meats,
fish curries, appams and mixed vegetables. Popular north Indian favorites
(butter chicken and dal makhni) fill the rest of the menu. The brassy
five-star atmosphere is thankfully never overbearing.
-Kanchan
Apte
Removing Road Blocks
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| SIGN
OF THE TIMES: McDonald's has got it right with its hoardings; the
Flora Fountain, a part of the heritage stretch |
It's irony at its best. Dr Dadabhai Naoroji Road
in Fort, Mumbai connecting two major hubs-Fountain area and Chhatrapati
Shivaji Terminus (Victoria Terminus before the frenetic renaming drive)-
holds the distinction of being the only "heritage street in India"
declared by the Heritage Regulations for Greater Mumbai in 1995. But that
hasn't stopped hoardings from ruining its neo-Gothic beauty.
Fortunately all is not lost. Conservationist
and architect Abha Narain Lamba's brainchild, Heritage Mile Association,
has gathered conservation freaks as well as tenants and owners in the
area like Citibank, HSBC, Lawrence & Mayo, Satguru's and Capitol Cinema,
to restore the damage. Says Thomas Cook's Ashwini Kakkar whose company
has spent a few lakh rupees in the effort: "This is about seemingly
insignificant but crucial details like company names being put on the
flat portion of the building instead of on the arches." (McDonald's
is one tenant that has been aesthetically more considerate.) Problems
persist-some stubborn hoarding contractors have got a court stay order
court on the removal of their boards-but conservationists are in a mood
to fight it through. The other good news is that the Brihanmumbai Municipal
Corporation is on their side.
-Natasha
Israni
 BAY
WATCH: Nuclear terrorists sneak off an attack
helicopter from the deck of the world's first stealth warship, the French
La Fayette. Relax. It's only a movie, the 1995 Bond film GoldenEye. Well,
the ship's pilot still hasn't lived down that scene. "Nobody's going
to steal my bird!" Lieutenant Morel France backs up in mock seriousness.
The ship, the marine equivalent of the US Stealth
Bomber aircraft, spent a week in Mumbai ostensibly as part of a routine
deployment in the Indian Ocean. But the presence of brochure-wielding
executives from French shipbuilders DCN and electronics giant Thales suggests
it was part of a sales pitch. Now will the Indian Navy bite the bait?
-Sandeep
Unnithan
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