A new concept of Tiki Bar in Pune !

Rating – 4/5

It is always a little funny for me to approach the tastings of places that are pre-dominantly pubs/bars as I have always been a teetotaler all my life. However the friends I have had right from later years in School, College and now in professional life have that affinity for alcohol big time. So Yes I am “that guy” who hangs out with my friends in bars/pubs with soft drinks/mocktails however I still go out for the love of food and finishes the “chakhna” & starters in a jiffy to face the wrath of my talli folks 😉

Therefore when I get invited to Bars/Lounges I go with great expectations towards the quality of food.

The Ambience – This concept of Tiki Bar is pretty new to me and as per the information I got from their owner Mr. Kaustubh Coladas is inspired by TIKI culture from tropical regions of Hawaii, Caribbean & Polynesia. This TIKI culture theme shows its influence in the form of Bamboo interiors, tribal graphics & Tiki masks. The drinks are mostly rum based with some innovative glassware and tropical skewers and some delicious pub food.

The Food – The food is a varied affair here ranging from your usual cheese-cherry-pineapple to some exotic skewers and tropically influenced drinks. The best from the usual chakhna was the Makad Meva which is a combination of Cashew nuts, ground nuts and other salty bits that go well with alcoholic drinks. Following is a brief on some of the top picks I liked while I was here:

Sindhi Nachos – Easily the most innovative Nachos I have ever had with the Sindhi popular dish Dal Pakwan being the nachos bit here served with an equally impressive cheese sauce. The best part – even after 45 minutes of serving the nachos didn’t become soggy at all and I liked it.

Kung Pao Chicken – The Kung Pao Chicken was like your usual chilly chicken and was pretty decent albeit a little dry. A bit more tanginess and a richer marinade would make it even a better dish.

Jerk Chicken Skewers – One word – “perfect”, this preparation had this mild flavor with a tenderness that went really well and could easily give a mild chicken tikka a run for its money. I totally loved it, #highlyrecommended

Potato Cafreal – A lovely take on the famous Goan delicacy “Chicken Cafreal”, this was the best preparation of the evening for me. Baby potatoes tossed in a green marinade was enough to remind me of this wonderful Goan delicacy. definitelyrecommended

Murgh Sholay Tikka – I have to admit this looked far more delicious than what I felt after the first bite however the taste grew on me and was one of the best preparations of the evening. This is a spicy category chicken tikka covered with egg batter which makes it a little different from your usual Chicken tikka preparation. #highlyrecommended

Narsi Goreng – The most popular dish of Indonesia, I can’t say how close it is to the authentic version as I don’t quite have a precedent to compare it against. However it required a few tweaks definitely where the Rice was a bit dry than what I would have liked but the accompanying chicken skewer & gravy (quantity needs to be increased) saved the day for me.

Chicken Saoji – Saoji Chicken is a speciality from the Vidharbha region (especially Nagpur) and I believe this preparation did a fair amount of justice to the rich spicy preparation that Saoji Chicken is supposed to be. To top matters the chicken was cooked well and is an ideal partner to a Tandoori Roti/Naan/Chapaati and equally with Rice. #highlyrecommended

Sizzling Chocolate Brownie – It was a good Brownie preparation with the  brownie chunks filled with chocolate sauce and came across as a chocolate lava cake that sizzled and sizzled how. The brownie was soft and since it was filled with chocolate sauce it further enhanced the preparation. #highlyrecommended

Nutella Spring Rolls – This was an innovative bit for sure with the white & dark chocolate filled spring rolls served with Vanilla ice-cream landing up on our Table and after the mandatory clicks this just disappeared in thin air as it was so tasty and delightful. The crunchy spring roll filled with soft chocolate filling worked wonders and this was the best way to finish a delightful meal.

The Verdict – This is a good addition to the already happening scenes at WTC. With reasonable pricing for drinks and a delicious spread of finger food to go with the fair enough mocktails this is one option party-goers in the IT dominated area are bound to notice and there’s a chance they might enjoy it as much as I did !