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Nisarg
One of the best Konkani/Malwani restaurants in town, Nisarg, with its ‘aquarium’-décor, has been around for the longest time — relentlessly catering to seafood cravings of Puneites on the West side of town.
Though prices are slightly steep, the quality and taste is top-notch and worth the money. The Butter Pepper Garlic Prawns here are undoubtedly the best ever! I like that the three primary ingredients form a sort of gravy, so the flavour becomes one with the prawns.
| pics: Rajesh Nirgude |
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| Courtesy: Nisarg |
The prawns here were literally drowned in the thick, creamy sauce. You could opt for a small, medium or large portion, also related to the size of the prawns. I ordered the medium, which was quite heavy and filling.
Other must-haves include their yummy Seafood Manchow Soup, Tandoori Pomfret and Prawns chi Khichadi!
Location: Opp Padale Palace, Nal Stop
Price: Rs 600 (medium)
Coconut Grove
Though technically a Mangalorean and Keralite eatery, the menu here is an interesting mix of global and desi seafood preparations. The dizzying varieties and innovative dishes on the menu are a welcome change. I was curious to see if this place had spun the BPG Prawns as they have included it under the main course, when it’s essentially a starter.
But it was the same, good ol’ BPG Prawns. Again, the sauce was liberally poured over the prawns, and the overall dish was tasty. However, the quantity was a little less, considering the high price you pay.
Location: Ambedkar Bhavan, Camp
Price: Rs 425 (medium)
By The Way
 I love the leafy, dimy-lit setting of this place replete with charming pastel walls and lilting instrumental music playing softly in the background. The food they dish out has also always been up to the mark.
The BPG Prawns here bring along a pleasant surprise: fries — something no other place offers. They serve the full body of the prawns here replete with the tail, which made the eating process slightly tedious.
But I loved the fact that the soft, tender prawns were absolutely soaked in butter pepper garlic sauce, which was so delicious that I finished every single drop. The hint of parsley is a brilliant add-on. Also do try their Buffalo Chicken Wings — delectable!
Location: Tukaram Paduka Chowk, FC Road
Price: Rs 350
Asian Mélange
Drop in here if you are around Dahanukar Colony, for this is one of the best restaurants in that part of the town. The retro wooden interiors are inviting, and in the evenings they even arrange snug candle-lit tables on their terrace. Also, their Pan Asian food is lovely.
Here, a divine mix of smashed garlic and prawns shallow-fried in butter is served with yellow and red bell peppers – making the dish look as colourful and mouth-watering as it tastes! The quantities here are very generous.
Once you’ve wolfed down the prawns, do try the Chicken in Ginger Honey Sauce and delicious Burnt Garlic Rice to go with — slurp!
Location: Adjacent to DS Kothrud Bus Stand, Kothrud
Price: Rs 320
Mad House Grill
A cosy, quiet place, Mad House Grill is testimony to the fact that all good things come in small packages. In the simple but tastefully-done ambience, BPG Prawns are served shallow-fried in butter with yummy veggies like mushroom and broccoli. They have a strangely mild flavour, which is quite unique though.
The prawns were well-cooked but not exactly ‘dripping’ with butter. The pepper, though not spicy, was quite overpowering, and the garlic was conspicuous by its absence! But like every other thing on their menu, MHG has put their own spin to this dish, making it different in a good way.
Location: Lane 6, North Main Road, Koregaon Park
Price: Rs 280
Hidden Place
At this cool, funky place, it’s not just the booze or crazy, fun ambience, but the fact that they still care enough to serve up awesome food despite knowing that it is not their actual USP! The BPG Prawns here, served with salad, were decent.
They hadn’t peeled off the tails but I liked the tang of lemon they’d given to the dish. The prawns seemed to have been very lightly tossed in pepper and garlic, as all the components didn’t intermingle as much as I’d have liked them to.
Overall, it’s a decent starter to accompany your beers. A couple of brownie points for the extremely friendly staff!
Location: Gera Legend, North Main Road, Koregaon Park
Price: Rs 210
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06:34:52 PM