The Guide dropped in with a Puneri friend at a 73 year old Landmark city restaurant serving authentic Maharashtrian food
The Guide dropped in with a Puneri friend at a 73 year old Landmark city restaurant serving authentic Maharashtrian food
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Laxmi Road is known as the hip place to shop in the city. But in the bylanes of this busy stretch lies a quaint eatery that has been serving traditional Maharashtrian cuisine for more than seven decades now. The place was strongly recommended to us by our Maharashtrian PR professional friend, Arundhati Bansod, who swears by its cuisine.
The Poona Guest House was built in 1936 by writer, actor, filmmaker Narhar Damodar aka Nanasaheb Sarpotdar.
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It was later taken care of by his actor son Charudutt Sarpotdar and now, his son Kishore Abhay Sarpotdar, takes care of the business. Thanks to the filmy connection, it has been a favourite among senior theatre and film artists like Dada Kondke, Lalita Pawar and Durga Khote.
Located in the heart of Laxmi Road, the Guest House may seem ordinary from outside, but don't let that deter you from visiting. The three-storied guest house has a restaurant on the first floor that is open for all. When we visited at 3 pm, the place was choc-a-bloc with working professionals and businessmen working in the area.
At first glance, it strikes you as being very neat and clean with whitewashed walls and wooden tables and benches dotting the eatery.
They offer a wide spread of Maharashrian dishes like Kanda Pohe, Dadpe Pohe, Misal Pav, Masala Bhaat, Thali, Parathas, Thalipeeth and Puran Poli. The staff serves with a smile and the story of the eatery on their lips. The Thalipeeth (Rs 35) was deep-fried and served with curd and homemade butter and tasted delicious. Arundhati described the ingredients that go in making the dish, such as rice, moong dal, chana dal, dhania and masala; after which the dough is made by hand, deep-fried in a tawa and served hot.
The Dadape Pohe (Rs 20) is a favourite snack among Maharashtrians. "It tastes divine and is very easy to make as well. You just mix the poha with onions, spices, coconut water and dhania," added Arundhati.
Since they were out of Pav, the spicy Special Misal Pav (Rs 30) was served with bread instead. Arundhati observed that the overpowering taste of the spices practically drowned the subtle flavour of the dish.
The Methi and Aloo Paratha (Rs 35 each) was thick but not stuffed and tasted yummy as well. The Aloo Paratha however was a big letdown as it lacked salt and spices. The Grahmin Thali (Rs 70) looked tempting and offered Bajre ke Roti, Chauli ka saag, brinjal curry, Pitla, dal, raita, rice and papad. The Chauli ka Saag and Pitla were delicious while the Brinjal Curry had a very strong coconut taste and flavour. Overall, Arundhati was satisfied with the meal. We finished our meal with the Puran Poli which was petty sweet but tasted great. One glance at the bill and we couldn't believe our luck. This festive lunch had just cost us Rs 210!
At: 100, near Dagdu Seth Ganpati Chowk, Laxmi Road. Call: 24455679. OPEN: 10 am to 10 pmu00a0
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