pune | the food

As a person who's self-professed preferred foods are "anything but indian", this trip has certainly been interesting to my palate. I've had a chance to experience the good, the bad, and the downright weird food. I can say that I have found something I almost can't live without, and I've found many things I'd be perfectly find with never tasting again. But for the most part, it's been a positive experience.

Of course, having such a weird working schedule (5pm-4am), it's been challenging finding a place where I can settle down and get some good food that doesn't involve room service. Of course, since I sleep during the day, the majority of my culinary experiences have been here at the hotel. Breakfast is usually my favorite meal of the day, and here is no exception. I enjoy a masala omelette every morning, and it is basically eggs and salsa, which is always a good combo, and that would be followed up with some fresh juice and fruit (and maybe a pastry or two). Lunch/dinner (depending on when I wake up) has generally been room service (depending on my mood, it could be anything from lamb lasagna to garlic butter naan). Then a midnight meal would be at the work cafeteria, where they have a bajillion types of curry and usually naan or rice to eat with.

And of course, the other foods at work have been quite interesting. There was the mystery food that was handed to me on greasy re-purposed printer paper. There was samosas served in newspaper from one of the street vendors outside. I distinctly recall the first day at the office, having to do the initiation of as many fried green chilis as I could handle. That was quite the experience. While I found a technique for getting them down, it was not exactly pleasant on the outbound.

On the weekends, the culinary adventure begins. I've had the benefit of being able to venture out on the weekends and sample some of the local cuisine while also being able to sight-see a bit. Some of the food I've had have been quite interesting. I'm starting to get used to the fennel-seed taste (though I still don't prefer it), but I absolutely love garlic butter naan. omg that stuff is amazing...basically thin bread with butter and a liberal dosage of garlic, which is then baked. How could I resist??

Then there was the other amazing food item...the chicken tikka pizza. omg tandoori chicken with some cheese on a thin crust...it was awesome. How do you say no to something like that?!