C'est La Pondi!

It is often said that the best way to judge a person’s character is to observe how he travels. I couldn’t agree more with that. Apart from revealing hidden facets of an individual’s personality and giving the mind a well-deserved break, travelling also gives one an opportunity to have a first-hand experience of a place, particularly its culture, people and most importantly for me- FOOD.

A couple of weeks back, Mridula and I decided to give the idea of our long overdue  trip a serious thought. After close to two years of convincing and cajoling her, our very own Ms NRI finally agreed to go on a short vacation to Pondicherry (now Puducherry) in the last week of 2011.Both of us were over the moon with just the thought of it and were determined to make it special and memorable for a long  time.

          Here is a list of restaurants that we dined at in our two and a half days stay at Pondi.This is not going to be as detailed as my previous posts, considering I will be reviewing 5 restaurants at one go. Nevertheless, it will be able to give you a birds- view of the restaurants that you should visit if you decide to go to Pondi and the ones that you should definitely miss.

Champignons sautes avec frite

                    Le Vietnam: I was a little taken aback to find a Vietnamese restaurant in a French colony such as Pondi. On arriving at the place, however, we realised that it did serve French cuisine as well. I ordered the Chaiyo, that is fried paper rolls with chicken and shrimp. I wonder what oil it was fried in because I found the smell of the dish revolting. I somehow suppressed my olfactory nerves and managed to eat three of them. This unpleasant dish was more than compensated for by the Tiger Prawn in Cream Sauce served with rice. It was blissful. Mridula ordered the Champignons sautés avec frites, which is nothing but mushrooms with French Fries. The mushrooms were cooked to perfection and we devoured it within no time.

Non - Veg Lsagne

Le Café: Arguably, the most popular café in Pondi, this place should feature in your places-to-visit –in-Pondi list. The most striking aspect of this café is not the food, but the Pondicherry Harbour Beach along which is located. I recommend you go to Le Café post 6pm, because that is when the tides are strong enough to sometimes splash over the barricade that separates the Café from the beach. Mridula and I sampled the Veg Lasagne and the Non Veg Lasagne respectively. Trust me; we have eaten way better lasagnas in our lives. The Vanilla Milkshake and Cold Coffee tasted like what you would get across the street from your house. Le café could do a lot better in terms of food and service. (For some strange reason, the waiters seemed too tensed!)

Squid in White Wine Sauce

Satsanga: Our walk to this place was nothing short of adventurous! We dropped in at Satsanga for dinner and Mridula and I have conflicting views about the food in this place. The Cheese Omelette that Mridula ate made her not want to eat omelettes for the rest of her life. Was it that bad? On the other hand, the Squid in White Wine Sauce made my taste buds ecstatic. The ambience at first sight seemed appealing but on closer observation I spotted crow poop on one of the cushions and later had to go hunting for a poop-free cushion to place my bum on. Ewww! I would recommend you visit Satsanga at your own risk.

Carribean Style Prawns

Le Club: If there ever will be a competition among the restaurants in Pondi, then Le Club would win hands down. The Caribbean Style Prawns were simply out of this world. The Veg Pasta was superb, according to Mridula. The Apple Crumble that we relished as the dessert, took us to another world altogether. And mind you, all this comes at a cost; so, do not be shocked if you see an exorbitant price on your bill.

Roast Turkey

Bamboo House: In our case we had saved the worst for the last. Overpriced dishes, under sized portions , poorly cooked vegetables and sub-standard service made our dining experience  at Bamboo House pathetic. I had Roast Turkey for the first time in my life and didn’t quite like it. Mridula didn’t like the Macaroni any better. If I were to give my suggestion, then I would say that this place is best ignored.

I have heard that the liquor prices are the cheapest in Pondi. Since I didn’t visit any of the whole sale shops, I ended up paying the normal rates for the beer and the Mojito.

Pastries at Farm Fresh

On the whole, our culinary experience at Pondi was amazing. I must make a special mention here of the Promenade Hotel that we went to for a quick drink. This hotel is ultra-classy and romantic. Also, on our way to Auroville I discovered Farm Fresh, a pastry shop cosily cuddled up among the trees. One might argue that there are several restaurants in namma Bengaluru that serve way better food than any restaurant in Pondi. However, what makes dining at Pondi special is the very place itself. You somehow get the feeling that time is passing at a much slower pace than the rest of the world when you are in Pondi. No restaurant in Bengaluru has so far been able to replicate the natural old-world charm that is so inherent in Pondi. The food, the beaches, the people , the buildings : all of them make Pondi a place that one simply must visit in his or her lifetime. And till you do, as the French say ,Bon Appetit!