Casalolo

Although its been quite some time since I last blogged, doesn't mean I am not hunting out in city for food. Last weekend I discovered a Lebanese restaurant called 'Casalolo' near Kamla Nehru Park, Pune.

 The place doesn't have a lot of variety. The whole menu fits into 6" X 4" menu card. Still, whatever is served is delicious for sure. 

One dish that you _must_ try is the Shawarma. There are very few places I know that serve shawarma in Pune. This is one of them and probably the best. If you are non-vegetarian then YOU HAVE GOT TO TRY SHAWARMA. And if you don't, it would be like going to Springfield and not visiting Homer Simpson's place (I exaggerate sometimes, whatever). It is juicy and crispy piece of soft meat that melts in mouth. The best part is the hot mayonnaise that oozes out as you bite into the piece of heaven. God bless the chef and the owner of the restaurant. If you have got company, order a Shawarma plate instead. It is the same thing but it comes in a place with bread and a whole bowl full of mayo! I would recommend this instead of having 2 shawarmas. More meat, more mayonnaise.

Then I tried mutton seekh kebab roll. It took a while for the order arrive (About 20-25 mins) but still it was simply awesome... I really wish that the quantity of the kebab inside the roll was more though. But it was ok coz overall, I loved it. This place also serves a dish called  Arabic Chicken which looks like really spicy and tasty tandoori chicken. But my friend who introduced me to this place says that the chicken is exactly the opposite of what it looks like. It is bland and not very tasty. I am not sure about this as I did not try the dish.

Now for vegetarians. Although this is a Lebanese restaurant, it serves some really nice veg stuff too. Again, there is not much of a variety here but you should try veg falafel roll  here. Its a mixture of corn and other crispy vegetables stuffed inside a roll. Order extra mayonnaise and tomato sauce as they go really well with this one. I tried the veg cheese burger too which was not bad.

The best part about this place is that it is located right in the heart of the city. Hence, accessibility wins a lot of points. The ambiance is good if you sit in open air. Sitting arrangements inside are good but there is a weird odour that may make you uncomfortable. Try to get a table in the open air, if you don't, don't just keep waiting, get a palce inside because Shawarma gets over really quickly. The weird smell wont be a problem once the food arrives. Having feasted on 2 Shawarma rolls, 2 Shawarma plates, 1 Mutton seekh Kebab roll, 1 Falafel roll, 1 Veg Cheese Burger, 1 Coffee and 1 Litre of Mirinda, the bill came out be just 380 bucks!! Incredibly cheap!

Its now time for the report card - 

• Taste -  8/10
  
• Ambience -  5/10
  
• Service -  7/10
  
• Value for Money -  8/10

Dhundurmas

It is almost winter-time! Getting out of bed just got difficult! For those abhoring their jobs, wanting to abscond from abjecting work, school or their day-to-day duties, here is a reason to rejoice. But hey, let me admonish you that you gotta be a food lover for this. This "phenomenon" is an abstruce one however an absolute actuator for those who feel their hectic life is addling them. It is the perfect break one can have to uplift the abased spirit of life. This is "Dhundurmas".

It says that you gotta get up early in the morning at say 6 am during a winter holiday. Most of you would be thinking, "what the hell is this guy talking about? He just said that there was a reason to rejoice for those who find it difficult get out of bed every wintery morning!". Well, you gotta acclimate yourself first so that you can enjoy better. Thats the whole aim. Once you get up, the first thing you do after brushing your teeth is feast on mouth-watering, steamy-hot meal! The meal consists of Bhajra Bhakari, Aamti (Maharashtrian Curry), Stuffed Bhaigan with gravy, Papad, Chhas (Buttermilk), Lehsun Chatni and Khichadi.

Those who are new to Dhundurmas think that they are abnegating and throw in excuses just to abolish the whole thing. After a lot of abjuration, the lucky ones who make it to Dhundurmas often say, "I am here just to give you a company and I'll just taste the food, thats it", usually end of burrping on 2-3 Bhakris and 2-3 servings of Baingan Sabzi, Khichadi and Aamti. Trust me, it is acme of pleasure you can get from food. Even the abstemious ones love this. But one thing everyone acquiesce upon is that the factor that adherently adorns the feast is the thing that we normally find abominable. The factor that deserve an accolade is the wintery morning. :-)

The next thing you will do, probably the best part of the event, is hit the bed! You sleep like a baby. Its like a short term acquittal from your boss, from your whiny wife/girlfriend, from the traffic jams, from the acerbity you face in government offices, from bills and taxes, from all those things that make you feel as if you are falling in a deep abyss. I bet after reading this you would want to give this a try. Just make sure you invite other people too. Otherwise, you would feel as if you are having dinner and still there are about 14 hours to kill before your day ends! :P

Let me know how your Dhundurmas turns out.