Steak Out!

Zamu's Place, Pune

• The Basics - Bar. Non-veg. 800-1000 for two. Friendly staff and quick service. Outdoor seating. 11am-3pm; 7pm-11pm. Continental, sizzlers and steaks, Parsi food. 
• The Address - Dhole Patil Road, opposite Chutney's and next to Kareem's. Or call 020-26163610 if you're lost.
• The Verdict - Do not miss. 

It's old school and it's brilliant. Tucked away on Dhole Patil Road, Zamu's Place may be a little difficult to find as most auto-rickshaw drivers have never heard of it. Your closest landmark would be Ruby Hall. The staff at Zamu's are friendly and are always willing to make suggestions and help you chose your best meal with them. 

Probably among my favorite restaurants in Pune, I could never do enough justice to it with this review. Owned by a Parsi family, Zamu's is one of Pune's oldest restaurants. Perhaps best known for it's steaks, sizzlers and typical Parsi delicacies, it is hard to go wrong here. However, if you're a vegetarian, I would strongly suggest not going here - unless of course, mashed potatoes are good enough for you! 

Speaking of their mashed potatoes, they are in fact, perfectly made, with lots of butter to fill your heart's artillery(s). Having said this, when ordering your steak/sizzler, make sure to order mashed potatoes on the side.   

For starters, their bacon wrapped prawns are undoubtedly the best I've ever had. In America, I remember having bacon wrapped chicken, and if you thought those were good, you have no idea what you're missing out on! The prawns are not mushy and the bacon is crisp and the BBQ sauce that comes with it is the cherry on top. Their lamb chops are not bad and their garlic mushrooms are crispy on the outside, soft and steaming on the steaming - just perfect for your insatiable appetite. The rest are alright, but it wouldn't hurt not to try them out. Yet, I would go to say that Zamu's Balls of Fury can be given a try. I usually however do not come here for their starters as much as I do for their steaks and sizzlers. On Sunday afternoons, I like to spoil myself silly with their Parsi food. 

Coming to the steaks/sizzlers, Zamu's is pretty friendly and flexible in the sense that it gives you a choice to make your own or pick from one that they already have and amend/modify it to your liking. Pick from their Classic Sizzler's or make your own. If you're picking, I would suggest the Special Mix Grill for all you meat lovers. It comes with sausages, grilled beef, chicken and succulent pork chops. If this still does not sound exciting enough for you, their pork and chicken shashlik's are good too. The down side is that their steaks are usually always rare, which is not always a good thing. If you tell the chef you would prefer it medium-rare or anything else for that matter, chances of getting what you requested for are very slim. Nevertheless, if you're topping off your steak with some red wine or a mug of beer, you're good to go!

If you're opting to make your own sizzler, enjoy the 3-step process. It's pretty simple - you choose your meat, choose your sides and then pick a sauce! Drunken, Gregory, masala and chops of your favourite meats are good options to chose. All sauces come on the side, and you can pour as much of it as you want and on whatever you want! I love it.  

If you're at Zamu's for their Parsi food then you're at the right place! Although, their menu is quite limited, sali boti and mutton dhansak are probably their best. Having tried biryani from the "home of biryani", Hyderabad, Zamu's is not entirely bad, but I've had better. 

Alors, Zamu's offers great outdoor and indoor seating with good music soft enough for you to have a conversation. The outdoor seating is simple with squared tables and chairs, umbrellas covering them. The indoor seating is booth-like, and takes me back to diners in America. Zamu's is reasonably priced and their quantity decent and makes for a perfect visit both in the afternoon for lunch and evening for dinner. If you've chosen to go for lunch, remember their sandwiches aren't so bad! 

Finally, top off your meal with beer pitchers either on tap or order a pint or quart or a glass of wine. Good for a date or with a bunch of friends and reasonable on the pocket too! If you like, beware, because you'll keep coming back.

Your Foodista.