Bite by Bite

A year in which quiche and falafel became common knowledge, 2008 was defined by Puneites acquiring a brand new palette, one which had been exposed to a range of cuisine in the past and was now hungry for newer fare.

Though familiar with gourmet cuisine from around the world, Puneites were hungry for newer, more specific dining concepts in the past year

A year in which quiche and falafel became common knowledge, 2008 was defined by Puneites acquiring a brand new palette, one which had been exposed to a range of cuisine in the past and was now hungry for newer fare. Here8217;s a rewind to what made mouths in Pune water in 2008.

Get the concept right!
A popular trend that made its debut in the eighth year of the millennium in the city was concept dining 8211; its USP being a hitherto untried idea played up to perfection. One such very popular concept dining restaurant which opened shop in 2008, came up with rectangular niches carved right in the centre of the table, where foodies could grill kebabs and garnish them with a variety of sauces/chutneys, right in front of them.

Also, there8217;s a growing tribe of epicureans who appreciate a stand-up comedy act while munching on their favourite grub or do a waltz and a twist, while savouring the choicest a la carte fare on offer.

Entreacute;e
To say that Puneites have been exposed to almost every cuisine in the world would be an understatement. Whether it8217;s Greek, Lebanese, Japanese, Thai, Mexican, Italian, French or Central Asian, they8217;ve been there and done that. And as regards the good ol8217; Chinese, South Indian and Punjabi cuisine, there were options galore in the year gone by.

There is merit to the argument that Japanese, Mexican and Lebanese grub is yet to move out of five-star kitchens and make a niche for itself in middle-class circles. Yet, dishes such as sushi, sukiyaki and dotenabe from Japan, empanadas and enchiladas chipotle from Mexico and kafta and kharoof mahshi from Lebanon have been tried and appreciated in the city and by next year-end, they8217;ll hopefully be part of everyday conversation in foodie circles.

Sweet endings
The humble dessert called pudding, funnily enough, eons ago saw a makeover and graduated from just being something gooey and sugary to edible works of art. The jalebi was rediscovered, what with it being made with pineapple and apple flavours. So were phirni, gulab jamun and malpua. But what took the cake literally! was the way the strawberry cheesecake and orange souffle were replaced by tarte medievale, tarte au Fromage Blanc, cherry clafoutis and mille Feuille, all of it on popular demand, of course.

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As Chef Kiran Patil, head chef, Post 91 puts it, 8220;The popular mood of 2008 was that of experimentation. Whether it was making roomali roti in beetroot and spinach variants or jalebi with pineapple and apple flavours, tired-and-tested fare was passeacute;. The emphasis was on unexplored victuals.8221;