The French Connection

Arthur's Theme, Pune

The Basics - French and Continental, good food, quantities enough for one, good for lunch and dinner, date friendly, reservation recommended, bar, 11:30am-3:00pm; 7:00am-11:00pm.

The Address - 2, Vrindavan Apartment, Lane 6, Koregaon Park. Or call 020-26152710 if you're lost. 

The Verdict - If you're craving Continental/French, give it a try.

Arthur's Theme is a stylish restaurant offering decent French food catering to Pune's swish crowd. It's tucked away in a small lane, almost hidden from the common man's eye. It's small and cosy, reminding me of a den, and the waiters are friendly and well trained. Although they got my order wrong once, the owner, a lovely man, willingly agreed to replace it.

The dishes are creatively (or some might argue, not-so creatively) named after célèbre de française - famous French people. You have Don Quixote, Queen Marchell and Antoinette.

Queen Marchell - Broiled mushrooms stuffed with cottage cheese and herbs, cooked in an oven and served with Santa Monica salsa. It might sound boring, but simplicity is a good thing here. If you like mushrooms and cottage cheese, you can't go wrong with this. If not, Don Quixote might suite you better - it's a pure cheesy delight.

Alfredo - If you like your meat, this kalamiri starter will be your thing. It's marinated in tempura batter and is presented with grated cheese sprinkled on top. It comes with a chili garlic dip and that some of you might find too garlicy, but honestly, it was perfect for moi.     

Zola - Basa fish grilled to perfection and accompanied with Indonesian curry sauce and potato croquettes. While some of you may find the fish bland, the mustard flavoured Indonesian sauce makes up for it. The fish was crisp yet soft and melts in your mouth. Regardless, the dish would perhaps be better with a different selection of fish, especially for those of you who like a more flavourful dish. If not for this, I would suggest Konrad I, a lovely fish dish served with a deadly lemon butter sauce. 

Abel, Henry the VIII - If you generally like chicken, you can't go wrong with these two. The former is chicken cordon bleu and it's just as you would expect it to be. The latter might not sound very appetizing and the chicken-baby corn combination is rather schizophrenic, but the chef gets it right with the red wine sauce.

For dessert I stuck to the classic Crepe that came with chocolate sauce and honey. Sadly I was disappointed. This French pancake was slightly thick and chewy. I'm not sure if I'm ready to give it another try just as yet.

Overall, I was pleased with the courteous waiters and liked the fact that owner would walk around interacting with his customers, taking suggestions and hopefully, implementing them. In typical French style, each dish is made for one and sharing isn't recommended, unless you want to go home hungry. Top off your meal with red or white wine or some beer.

Would I come back next time? I would, just for the food.

What's hot - Alfredo
What's not - Crepe

Your Foodista

The Spicy Lure of Southeast Asia

Malaka Spice, Pune

The Basics - Quick service, helpful waiters, good food, expensive, known for cocktails, Southeast Asian cuisine, lovely ambiance. Rs. 1500-2000 for two.
The Address - Lane # 5, Koregaon Park, Pune.
The Verdict - Must go for Asian food.

If you want top-notch Asian food any time of the day, visiting the hugely popular Malaka Spice is probably a good start. It is a chic restaurant located in the happening Koregaon Park and sometimes doubles as an art gallery. Upon entering you are greeted by Southeast Asian spices and their aroma that fills the space. There is a lovely outdoor seating with trendy paintings, lamps, lanterns and plants surrounding you. The atmosphere is romantic with dim lighting and soft music playing in the background. 

We were promptly seated, but the later into the night you stroll in, the harder it is to get a table. We were quick to order our food and were happy that the service was good. A let down was the price of the food and drinks, but hey, it is an upmarket restaurant, seducing expats and Pune's high society. 

Prawn tempura with mango sauce

For starters we ordered the Prawn tempura, which was so light on the batter that the wonderful smell of fresh seafood reaped through it. The cold, orange-ish mango sauce that accompanied it was tangy, spicy yet sweet but tasted heavenly with the prawns. If you love seafood and especially prawns, I would highly recommend this dish for you. 

Next came the Steamed Basa fish in basil lemon sauce perfect if you're on a diet. All the way from the rivers of Vietnam, the fish was light, and the distinct lemongrass taste lingered on in my mouth. While most people might find this dish bland and the flavours too subtle, I personally liked it this way. 

If you don't like your meat from the sea, their mutton and chicken concoctions might suit you better. The Mutton pepesan, ground mutton parcels steamed in banana leaves, are a must have. The presentation is so beautiful it felt like Christmas on my plate with the nicely wrapped mutton in banana leaves. 

For those of you who like momos there's an interesting array of them here. Chose from vegetable, tofu, duck, prawn and chicken. While I'm not the biggest fan of their momos - I find them expensive and the sauce bland - they are usually on travelers' wish lists. If this is still not your thing, their pork and lamb chops are succulent and cooked to perfection. Chicken satay and vegetable tempura also score high on the "must have" list here. 

As for their rice, I dig their Pad Thai which was well made and the omelette on top was wonderful and craftily placed. Top this off with their lamb curries, Mutton and pok choy and chili or the red or green Thai curry, perfectly cooked with the right amount of natural coconut milk. 

I would skip deserts and concentrate on starters and main course. While the rest of the food ranked high on creativity, the deserts lacked originality and generally disappointed. 

While a lot of their food may not be absolutely "authentic" they try to keep it real, and generally do. I love the fact that their menu is well designed and provides you with "Goes well with" drink options for every dish you order. They are known for their cocktails and they live up to the hype surrounding them. Finally, there's no better way to sum up my experience here - If I was in Pune for a day, I wouldn't miss Malaka Spice for a thing!

What's hot - Mutton pepesan
What's not - Desserts in general

Your Foodista