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| Interaction with Renae Smith |
As I entered the elegantly decorated interiors of the
Classic Rock Coffee Ltd in Kalyaninagar, the sweet waft of freshly-brewed coffee
bowled me over. The pleasant aroma was enough to turn anybody into an earnest
coffee aficionado.
The décor of the place will transport its visitors back to
the grunge era of the 80’s: guitars of various sizes, shapes and colours deck
the interiors, along with pictures and paintings of rock artistes that girls
swooned over 30 years ago.
A blue scooter at the
entrance and an ambassador doubling up as a barbeque keep the old world charm
of the place intact.
A rendezvous with one of the best chefs in the world in such
a setting is something one would cherish for life. After I chatted with Renae
about her experiences with the Indian fare, I got the opportunity to watch how the
master brewers at Classic Rock Coffee Ltd brew their best coffees.
The Rasberry Beret coffee, for instance, was a winner in
both—taste and size. One sip and you are transported to a fruity world of
flavours, packed with the characteristic zing of caffeine.
Add to this some live music performances by local musicians
at Classic and you have an unbeatable recipe of weekend frolic.
This place would have been a real winner, if it wasn’t for
the food and liquor here!
The Sunday live brunch was organized in the outdoor area of
the Classic Rock Coffee Ltd. The outdoor lounge however was dampener. It had
half-constructed walls and was visually displeasing. The brunch started with drinks. The sangria
was over-diluted, while the red wine in it tasted sour. The Caprioska wasn’t
any better either.
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| MasterChef Australia Finalist Renae Smith launching the Sunday Live Brunch. Owner Avinash Agarwal ( Left) |
You also would not want to bet on the food served at the
barbeque section here. Non vegetarian barbeque comprised of Chicken wings, legs
and breasts. Though the chicken looked good, it was not marinated enough and
was a bit hard. It lacked the seasonings as well as flavours, proving to be
quite bland for my taste. The peri peri sauce accompanied with the chicken is
supposed to be very hot, and the person serving the sauce cautioned us about that.
Unfortunately, it was anything but hot. The paneer tikka again was not well-marinated
and had less salt. They also served barbequed mushrooms and grilled vegetables
such as tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, bell papers, among others.
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| Barbequed veggies and Paneer Tikka |
|
| Chicken Barbeque |
The main course however was much better: Thai chicken red
curry and veg green Thai curry with rice. I liked the taste of Thai red curry.
It looked quite good and one could taste the classic flavours of coconut, galangal
and basil leaves in the curry. The Thai veg green curry with its green beans,
chilly and corn, on the other hand, was way too sweet for my taste.
Finally, it was time for that sweet pallet of yumminess
served at the end of a meal: dessert! We expected something a little more exotic, much
more than ice cream and brownie! Most guests were disappointed when they saw
that the only dessert in the offing was the clichéd vanilla ice cream with brownie.
Too predictable! The brownie tasted like a chocolate cake.
Later I got the opportunity to have a word with the owner of
Classic Rock Café, Avinash Agarwal. When I asked him about the measly variety of
non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes, he explained, “Since it was a soft launch,
we served only chicken barbeques. However, soon we would serve fish, prawns,
lamb pattice, hot dogs, and crab too.”
He said that leisure brunches are very popular in Pune, one
reason why he started a barbeque brunch resto in the city. “We wanted to try
something more experimental to take advantage of the open space we have. Also,
these days, many expats who are in city are looking for an eatery which can serve
authentic barbeque.”
Conclusion: The barbeque brunch is average both in terms of taste and menu. Plus,
the brunch seems too expensive, considering the less variety the restaurant
offers. What makes this proposition even more unappealing is the fact that many
five star hotels / top city restaurants offer decent buffet lunch/brunch within
Rs 500 to 800 per person.
Ratings:**
*-:Poor
**-: Average
***-: Above Average
****-Good
*****-: Excellent
Address-Mulik capital,next to Mulik Lawns,Kalyani nagar Pune
ddress: Ground Floor, Mulik Capital, East Avenue, Near Mulik
Palace, Kalyani Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411014
Phone:077190 63338
Hours:
Open today · 9:00 am
– 11:30 pm
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