Elemental affair

Written by EXPRESS FEATURES SERVICE

July 2, 2011 02:28 AM IST

4 min read

The pristine and quiet interiors of this eatery is a distinct relief from the maddening rush of the main Ahmednagar highway that it overlooks. Elements,the in-house restaurant at the Mapple Hotel in Wagholi is a class apart. The restaurant has a comfortable feel to it. Boasting of an executive lunch buffet and an extensive ala carte menu,the restaurant has its target set on the employees of the surrounding industrial areas. Speaking about the same,Domnic Soans,Manager Corporate Sales,says,We began in October last year. Since we are located on the outskirts of the city,our main clientele is from the MIDC at Ranjangaon. Plus,there are a lot of BPOs near our hotel,where youngsters work and are willing to spend on good food.

Upon taking our seats,we tried both their buffet and their ala carte dishes. The buffet spread,which as of now is limited only for lunch,consists of two soups: one vegetarian and one non-vegetarian; two non-vegetarian and three vegetarian main course dishes; Four vegetarian and two non-vegetarian salads; two types of rice and four desserts.

To our surprise,there were no starters in the buffet,so we ordered the Kebab Platter,and the Kesar Paneer Tikka from the ala carte menu. The platter consisted of Chicken Tikka,Murgh Malai Kebab,Tandoori Chicken and Sheek Kebab. Among them, the Sheek Kebab stood out supreme. Very well cooked,the meat was soft and seemed to melt in the mouth. In contrast,the other constituents of the platter seemed pale in comparison,even though they were quite well made too. The Chicken Tikka was very well marinated and was well complemented by the onion slices dipped in vinegar that it was served with. The Murgh Malai Tikka was delicious,and left us licking our fingers. However,the tandoori Chicken came as a disappointment: it had not been properly marinated. The Paneer Kesari was an experience on its own and was the best dish among the appetisers. The combination of the paneer and the saffron was brilliant,culminating in an almost-divine taste experience.

For the main course,we took the Dum Ka Murgh,the Fish Mouli,Paneer Mirch Ka Salan and Kadai Vegetables from the buffet and the Mogewala Kurarh from the ala carte menu. As an accompaniment,we took the Shahi Khuska Rice and Naan. The Dum Ka Murgh was a thick,creamy gravy dish which went excellently with the Naan,with copious chucks of boneless chicken in it. The Fish Mouli,our favourite in the main course,was very well marinated and came with a lip-smacking gravy that was a perfect complement to the rice,which was like a vegetarian biryani. The Kadai Vegetables was very spicy,definitely not for the faint hearted. The Mogewala Kurarh,however,was a complete contrast,being slightly on the sweet side.

For dessert,we had the Carrot Cake and the Kheer. The Carrot Cake was excellent,akin to a sponge cake with flecks of carrot embedded in it. The Kheer too was good,though perhaps had too much of sevai in it.

In conclusion,Elements is a nice restaurant for one to get away to,away from the hustle bustle of city life. Stick to the basics,and it will turn out to be quite a delightful experience.

Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories

Tags:

MIDC