Journalism of Courage
Located just adjacent to the sports stadium in Balewadi,right on the highway,Hotel Vits is visited by travellers travelling along two major roads the Pune-Bangalore Highway and the Pune-Mumbai highway. The hotel sells itself as a budget 4-star establishment,and thus expectations ride high. We take our seats in the restaurant,The Atrium,and browse through the extensive menu.
The first thing that hits the eye is the list of coolers. First up,to wet our throat,we order the Fruit Punch,and the drink is a delightful one. Made up of any three fruit juices,with a vital ingredient being orange juice,the Fruit Punch is a great way to start ones dinner. Next,as hors d’oeuvre,come the Murg Ki Chaap and the Sunheri Khasti. The Murg Ki Chaap is an interesting dish. Marinated first with vinegar and then with a combination of hung curd and cheese,this appetiser is a brilliant marriage of the orient and the occident. The Sunheri Khasti,on the other hand,is more of an Indian version of the spring roll. A Rumali Roti,coated liberally with vermicelli is fried,and stuffed with potatoes,green vegetables,and to make things interesting,sliced olives and cheese.
Next come the desserts. First up is the innovative Chocolate Gulab Jamun. The gulab jamun is coated with chocolate sauce and it turns out to be a unique combination. The gulab jamun however gets slightly tough because of the chocolate sauce. The Apple Rabdi is served next and this dish is something that grows on you. It has chopped apples in a bowl of rabdi and the fruit quite adds to the taste. The final dessert,just to finish the meal on a high,is the Apple Pie,which comes,interestingly coated with a mango paste on top. The mango paste delightfully adds to the flavour,complementing the taste of the pie quite well.
All in all,The Atrium is a great place for appetisers and desserts. The main course may need a bit of work but the food,on the whole,scores good points.
