Have you ever been Really Confused about a Restaurant?

Name: The Place

Location: Before Main Street, MG road, Next to West End

Have you ever been really confused about a restaurant? Friends say it’s the best place for sizzlers in Pune, family exclaims ‘The Place’ is a big no, no. My brother says ‘The Place’ was his most memorable sizzler date. I trust his taste. Why did it take me this long to gather courage to try it out? The answer to that question dates back to 1993. The first time I visited ‘The Place’ was with my parents, when I was five. I have no recollection of that meal but since 1993 I have never been to ‘The Place’ again, until today. Why? I was told by them that the food here was, to quote them, ‘it was horribbble’. It has been almost two decades since. So, after mixed reviews, a lot of discouragement, many good reviews, I finally decided to find out for myself. Can you imagine the anticipation associated with this sizzler?

After an eighteen year long wait, I tried the sizzler at ‘The Place’. This is a small, in-room dining place with simple furniture and a practical setting, located in the heart of the city. Although the restaurant was full, it wasn’t noisy or chaotic, although, we did hear the occasional chittering-chattering of the sizzlers. Don’t you love that about sizzlers? They are so animated, such a happy, lively dish! When I look at menus, I get really excited, there is just so much food on that card, and it makes me want to eat everything. That’s why, I usually choose from the specials of the house or recommendations.

I was meeting two of my school friends, Roshan and Arjun, who frequent this restaurant and always order the same sizzler, ‘Piri Piri Chicken Shaslik’, they announced it like a song. It sounded very exciting. The best part, it was not long before my vibrant, Piri Piri Chicken Shaslik sizzler was brought to my table. The worst part about sizzlers, it is so hot, I either end up scorching my tongue a little or go crazy waiting for it to cool down a little. It smelled, well, alright. It was a safe first bite, since I had the fries without the sauce. Finally, I tried some chicken and the rice. My first reaction was, ‘Roshan was smart to have opted out of the rice’ because the rice was bland. But when the spicy chicken hit my tongue, I said, ‘thank God I have the bland rice to get me through this’, because the chicken was really, very hot and spicy.

I am an Indian and a true spice queen at that, believe me, I can eat very spicy food. Yet, the Piri Piri chicken in this place was something else. Piri piri is a type of chilli, it comes from South America and it is meant to be very spicy. I have eaten Piri Piri before but there were no fireworks in my mouth, I could not take it, this was exceptional and not in a good way. Arjun and Roshan were surprised too, they said, ‘It’s never so spicy!’ I could not even eat the last piece of chicken because the chilli had gotten into my head by then. The veggies were bland with no sauce but crispy, so they helped my palate in a way. The French fries, they were as good as any other French fries. The sizzler was filling and reasonably priced. In the end, I will not go with any of the reviews I had heard about ‘The Place’. It is not the best sizzler place in Pune city and neither is it the worst thing to do to your palate, well, at least not the worst if you don’t order the ‘Kill me with Chilli’ Sizzler.

Six Guidelines for the Next Time You Eat At Barbeque Nation.

Name: Barbeque Nation

Location : Sayaji Hotel, Hinjewadi, Pune

Contact Number: 020 - 42121212

Barbeque Nation, the World on a Grill. A Non-vegetarian Buffet for Five Fifty Rupees (as on date) and vegetarian for five hundred is a steal. That is the weekday price inclusive of all taxes. I bet you cannot get a better deal for such a wide selection of good quality and great tasting grills, main course items and desserts. This is probably why there is a long queue of patrons waiting patiently for a table in the Hinjewadi BBQ Nation, all seven days of the week. So, keep that in mind, which leads us to the first tip.

First Tip: If you are planning an evening at BBQ Nation, for two or for twenty, make a reservation. Even for a weekday booking at BBQ Nation, Hinjewadi it is important to make a reservation at least a day or two prior to get a confirmed reservation. If you don’t make a reservation, be ready with a picnic basket and crosswords to pass a couple of hours outside the restaurant. If you call early on the same day for a reservation, especially on a weekend, more often than not, you will not get a confirmed reservation.

I am telling you, because I have spoiled an evening. I called on Saturday morning to book a table for the same evening, did not get a confirmed table, got there at seven ten that evening and the restaurant was full with a long queue of people waiting outside. It seemed as though they were distributing free food. This time I was smart enough to make a confirmed reservation for my father’s birthday, two days prior to the occasion. They book in two slots only, 7:30pm and 10:15pm, confirm a bunch of times and nearly threaten you to get there in time if you want a table. Believe me, it all seemed pretty rude, pricey almost insulting to be told that many times to be in time, like a teacher would threaten primary school children.

We were on time, and considering the huge crowd waiting outside, the restaurant policy seemed reasonable. I would still prefer if they had toned it down a little though.

Second Tip: Be sure to starve yourself for a meal or two prior to stuffing yourself at BBQ Nation. Take my advice you will thank me for this even if you are a big eater. This place is heaven for foodies and you will be full just trying all the items on the menu.

Third Tip: This one is for the ladies only or at least I hope it is. Do not wear a tight dress to this dinner. I know we all love, to pull out those LBDs for a fancy dinner date, but choose one that is loose and forgiving. So that, while you are looking pretty perfect, you can down lots of those kebabs too since we both know we don’t want to miss out on the yummy food. As for the gentlemen, well, try not going for the tight trousers, buttons popping is not forbidden but frowned upon, like peeing while swimming in the sea.

Fourth Tip: Moving on, the crab claws in the seafood curry were gorgeous. Remember to ask for crab hammer or cutter to be brought to your table. They do not bring them on their own and you don’t want to be in my shoes and wound your mouth or break your teeth while breaking the crab claws with them.

Fifth Tip: Don’t fill yourself up with the kebabs because the main course is worth a binge. Don’t fill yourself up with the main course because the dessert is worth a binge.

Sixth Tip: Vegetarians, on your own or accompanied by non-vegetarians, let not the word grill misguide you. BBQ Nation has a great selection of grills and main course for vegetarians as well. There is a wide variety of vegetarian items, marked efficiently apart from the non-vegetarian items, with great taste and quality. You don’t want to miss this.

Mutton seekh kebabs, were juicy and delicious in particular. The chicken grills, tangdi and the chicken main course, murgh lazeez were average in taste and quality. The chicken kebabs as well as curry made me believe that the standard of taste and quality has gone down at BBQ Nation. Apart from the chicken preparations, the buffet and grills were very good, in terms of variety, quality and taste. The service made the experience very special. There was a crispy corn, not mentioned on the menu but served on that day, it was crispy and amazing, taste-wise, the best among the rest. The gulabjamuns and white forest pudding were stood out in taste among the other desserts. The service was great. Value for money, awesome! It was an evening well spent and certainly worth the prior planning. My take, a little work on the chicken preparations, would work wonders.

Rating: Great Service +Good Ambience + Very Good Food + Great Value for Money = Excellent

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