Recently, on the occasion of Diwali we had a family lunch at
the Great Punjab in Koregaon Park, Pune. We have been regularly visiting this
place over the years and in our considered opinion it probably offers the most
authentic north Indian / Punjabi fare among standalone restaurants in this
city.
With winter approaching, sarson
ka saag was back on the menu, served fresh and piping hot accompanied by gud(jaggery) and pure ghee and of course makki di roti. On non-veg we opted for the mutton rara, which is boneless lamb in a kheema based gravy along with chicken bhuna. The veg selection was rounded off
by the standard aloo-gobi in thick
gravy, one of my favourites at this place. They also do an excellent dal makhni though we decided to give it
the skip this time.
For starters we tried the kadak roomali which is a variant of the popular masala papad but instead of the fried papad as base they use a roomali roti
which is baked firm in the shape of a large bowl and served with the usual
topping of onion, tomato, coriander etc. Needless to mention the two portions
were polished off in double quick time.
The décor and ambience in this outlet has remained more or
the less the same and the service level continues to be above average. Being
early birds as usual we didn’t have to wait too long and the food was up to its
usual standards. We ordered laccha
parathas to accompany the meal with masala
chaas to wash it down followed by the phirni
for dessert, a not so common preparation and they do a good job of it.
One observation
however, this time I got the impression that the portions have become somewhat
smaller. This was especially so in the case of the aloo gobi and the mutton
rara, when compared to our earlier experiences, and it’s something the management
needs to review, given the fact that prices continue to be revised upwards at
regular intervals. Still, at Rs 4000 without alcohol for seven of us, it
remains a good alternative to the numerous buffet options available around town,
allowing you to focus on specific a la carte selections.
Here’s hoping that they continue to maintain the same standards
of quality and service with the right sized portions as before !
