I visited Paashh, the new restaurant located in Kalyaninagar recently for lunch; this was an invitation from Celebrity Chef Ajay Chopra. Paashh is located in an old bungalow converted into a unique place which houses a café, a store that sells clothes, ceramic ware and a lot of other lifestyle products which promote an eco friendly lifestyle.
The food served in this eclectic Café is made with organic ingredients and often sourced from local farms to provide a unique freshness and flavor that comes only with the best quality produce.
The fact that the menu comprises of the best of two worlds- traditional local food with its age-old benefits fused with modern flavours and global ingredients makes dining in this café a unique experience unlike any other I have experienced in Pune so far.
Cafe Paashh’s food menu is exclusively created by MasterChef Ajay Chopra. Chef Ajay Chopra is a man of many talents. He is a renowned head chef and has hosted a variety of TV shows like Hi Tea and Northern Flavors.
He has also appeared on Master Chef India as a judge and has worked for multiple renowned establishments around the world such as the JW Marriot in Mumbai, The Mint Leaf in London, The Westin in Mumbai and the Kandahar at The Oberoi, New Delhi.
He also got involved in the consulting business under the brand of Zion Hospitality and took on the role of a “chefpreneur” when he created the Burgundy Box, a do-it-yourself meal kit, in 2014. When he is not cooking or hosting shows, he likes to indulge himself in music. He also enjoys travelling and experimenting with local cuisines.
While in Paashh, we tried a number of interesting items listed on the menu starting from a refreshing drink called Immune which is made of beetroot, spinach, carrot, cucumber and carrot.
This was followed by an interesting mango basil soup. I was delighted to try the healthy version of paani poori which was stuffed with quinoa salad, sweet potatoes and chick pea.
Flower power is a colouful and refreshing salad made with lavender oil, parmesan crisps, parmesan chewy chips, mixed leaves, dried fruits and fresh blooms which was a perfect accompaniment to the mango basil soup and the quinoa methi tikki.
For mains we ordered the sattu ka paratha served with smoked potato chokha and white butter textures of moong (moong hummus, sprouted moong salad and crispy moong with khakhra and tamarind gel), the zucchini and spinach ravioli, the mixed leaves saag served with wheat bhakri.
Dessert consisted of the yummylicious mango tart and the mango cheesecake which was garnished beautifully so that it looked like art on a plate. We ended a fabulous meal with a pot of TWG green tea served in elegant cups.
I highly recommend Paashh for its fabulously healthy and delicious cuisine, extremely efficient service and eclectic ambiance, all in all which combine to create a remarkable dining experience for every guest who visits!
