Belly matters

Thousands of foreigners visit Pune every year and most of them extend their visas to devour the warmth and love the city offers. And as they say that the belly rules the mind,the city seems to rule them. To find food-to-your-taste is not much of a mind-boggling exercise in Pune,which has many noteworthy restaurants with wide variety of food preparations taken from different parts of the world.

Yogi Tree is one such place located in Surya Villa building,Koregaon Park,started by late Osho sayanasi Maa Anand Usha in 2007. This is a baristo-cum-restaurant where you can come in your crumpled payajama s on Sunday mornings with a Jeffery Archer book to read and spend good five to six hours eating wholesome food. “Yogi Tree is like my family kitchen and here,I can eat five meals in a day without annoying my belly,” says Gordana from France who can be seen in Yogi Tree everyday without a miss.

“We take special care for hygiene and use Ozone machine which is highly scientific and destroys all the harmful bacteria to clean all the vegetables and fruits. I have trained the cooks myself and I still try to hang about in the kitchen whenever possible,” says Sanjay Bharti who runs the restaurant after Maa Usha passed away.

Nestled in lane number seven,Koregaon Park,Il Fungo Magico,is a treat for Italian and Mexican food lovers. Launched by expert Italian chef Adriano Ticozzelli in 2004,this place has earned quite a name for its authentic Italian cuisine. Il Fungo Magico has an ambience of a coffee house and the dishes are served in generous proportions at a very reasonable price. “Simifreddo Al Limone’ a lemon cheesecake filled with cream is worth dying for,” vouches Francisco Pinna who came to visit India in 2002 and stayed in Pune for good.

For foreigners who enjoy Indian cuisine,Madhuban is the place. Situated on Dhole Patil road it is a two-storey family restaurant where many foreigners can be seen relishing paneer makhhanwala and dal tadka with butter naan. Mallika Luice who visits India every year for her spiritual quest tells us,“Madhuban is one of my favorite eateries in Pune,the food here is delicious,it’s neither too spicy nor too bland. I am a hard core aficionado of Indian cuisine and Madhuban does justice to my devotion,” Mallika adds with a grin. Mudhuban serves Indian vegetarian cuisine and it is also light on your pocket as on your belly.

Polka Dots,as the name suggests is a small,cute little eating joint on DP road,Aundh. The open cooking area affirms the cleanliness of the food prepared and the aroma establishes the appetite. It’s is a multi-cuisine eatery and loved alike by both desi and vedesi,who came here to grab a quick bite. “If you love a potpourri of cuisine from around the world,try the place; you may find it a bit expensive,but it’s okay once in a while. The crowd is young and the ambience is lively,” says Vikram Karve a foodie by passion and a teacher by profession. For wholesome,nutritious and delicious food,Polka Dots is the place.

Last but not the least is the famous German Bakery parked on the North Main Road of Koregaon Park. This place is packed from morning 6 am when it opens till 11 pm when it shuts. With the non-stop hustle bustle,this place may seem like a family gathering to you because everyone seems to know each other!