Review - RAWAT Restaurant, Jaipur

          Rawat is a vegetarian restaurant opposite Hotel Maharani Palace and Kanchi Mishthan Bhandar. It is, by far, the best restaurant in Jaipur, when quality of food is considered. It has a large cuisine, but there are only some main items which are their speciality.

The restaurant is divided into three parts – an A/C dining hall, an outdoor dhaba area and a sweet shop having tables. I’m going to explain about the ambience of the A/C hall, because that’s the part you’d like to go in. Then we’ll look at the food.

The ambience of the A/C hall was not all that good. It was, well, average. I was expecting the tables and chairs to be covered with cloth and all, but it was just simple. Too simple for an A/C hall. Rawat has to improve its ambience, so that the hall could really be called an A/C hall. The kitchen is adjacent to the hall, with a glass wall separating the two. So you could actually see what’s going on in there. I don’t know whether the A/Cs of the hall actually work or not, but they have two TVs, for entertainment while dining.

Before we move on to the food, let’s look at the prices. I assure you, the food is horribly expensive. Now, where do you get to eat a ₹175 plate of Poori Subji (fried flat bread with cooked vegetables)? You might want to run out of the place after looking at the menu card, but the food is worth the money.

I tried the ₹175 plate of Poori Subji, thinking whether ordering it was a mistake or not. I dug into the food. It. Was. Awesome. Nothing like it. One of a kind. This has to be the best traditional dish of this place. Delicious. Sumptuous. Tasty. Mouth-watering. Yes it is. The poori has an incredible taste. The aloo and gatte ki sabji have amazing flavours. The raita is fine, just as an extra touch. So, this is one dish you must have if you’re dining in Rawat.

The general favorite of the Indian public – Chole Bhature is also available here. The Bhatura part is good, but the chole part has a bit more cinnamon for my liking. You may try it, but it’s much better if you order the bhatura part separately, not the chole. You could order something else along with it, such as paneer or aloo ki sabji.

Speaking of paneer, it was, as usual, great. The Dal Bati Churma Thali contained a bit too much churma instead of the bati and dal. There were only three batis, each with a 2 inch diameter. So the main course was less, whereas the dessert churma was overflowing from the plate. The plate contained three types of churma – White and Yellow churma, both tasting almost the same, and Rose-flavoured churma. Still, the white and yellow churma were fab, not the rose one. My suggestion-order the mini dal bati churma, you’ll get the white one at least, and that’s all you need for a dessert

This is all I know about Rawat. There is value for money. This is the place for high quality high cost food. If you are a foodie, and have the money, visit Rawat, the best middle class restaurant in Jaipur. I’d give four out of five stars to Rawat and hope that it will continue serving its delicious food forever.

 

-         Manas Trivedi

Rawat Restaurant Pure Veg.
The part of the building above ground is the sweet shop and the part underground is the A/C dining hall

The inside view of the A/C Dining hall of Rawat restaurant



The ambience of Rawat restaurant
Too simple for an A/C dining hall

Rawat's Thali

A view of Rawat Mishthan Bhandar, the sweet shop famous for its Kachori

The outdoor dhaba area of Rawat

Hotel Rawat

Review - SHIV SAGAR Restaurant, Aundh, Pune

           Shiv Sagar is a vegetarian restaurant located in Aundh, Pune in Maharashtra, India. It is one of the best restaurants for the middle class in Pune, where you can find dishes ranging from the traditional Dal Tadka to Paneer Butter Masala to Manchurian to Mexican Pasta Sizzlers. No other place having such a large cuisine.

          First, we will have a look at the details of the place. Then I will introduce you to some of the best and famous dishes of the restaurant.

          The restaurant has two storeys, the ground floor which is non A/C, and the first floor which is an A/C hall. The first floor has cloth covers on the tables and chairs, preferred by those dining in premium hotels, while the ground floor has normal chairs, tables and fans. The difference between the two is that the ground floor has a normal temperature, while the first floor has a cold temperature. It just means that food becomes cold within a few minutes in the A/C hall, while on the ground floor, it doesn’t. So, first recommendation, dining on the ground floor is better.
 

          Tables can be reserved on phone. Tables are available for two, four and six people, but for more people, the staff can join two or more tables, so that they can have a great party. The time taken to serve the food after placing the order varies from ten to fifteen minutes during normal hours and half an hour during peak hours. It also depends upon the type of dish you order.
 

          The cleanliness is fine. There is a wash basin, and after eating food, a finger bowl is provided. The tableware is neat. Till date only once in my 250+ visits have I encountered the problem of some material being present in my plate and glass.
 

          Now let’s have a look at the cuisine.
 

          The Pav Bhaji is breathtakingly incredible. It is probably the best Pav Bhaji you could ever have in this world. You have to try it before it’s too late. Though it is a bit expensive, it is a must-eat. I hereby declare it as the best dish of this place.
 

          Chole Bhature – the bhature part is fantastic (and oily), but the chole part, not so much. The chole are, well, I never was able to understand their flavour. I’d recommend Shiv Sagar to possibly make them a bit softer, so that it would be more enjoyable. The bhatura part is shockingly amazing. It is almost bewildering. Biting into one feels like walking through heaven, or more accurately, eating heaven. Believe me. You can order exclusively the bhatura part, without the chole.
 

          Manchurian and all the types of Paneer served here are satisfying. If you have the money, you can buy a nice sizzler. It will result in people coughing around you, due to the hot vapours coming out of it. But it has a taste of its own.
 

          Now for the South Indian part. The masala dosa is remarkable. There have to be better restaurants that make better dosas, but till date, of all dosas I've eaten, the Shiv Sagar dosa is the best. The original masala dosa with the red chatni is crisp and less oily, while the rava masala dosa is oily and crispier, and the one suggested by me.
 

           The Utthapam and Idli are okay. The Medu Vada is nice and crisp. Along with all these South Indian dishes, Sambhar and coconut chatni is served. Both are nice and add to the flavour.
 

          As for the dessert, if you visit Shiv Sagar in winter or spring, order Strawberry with Cream. Big pieces of real strawberry are topped with cream. Dig into one, and you’d never want it to end. I’d call it a khatta-meetha combination. But along with the brilliant taste comes a higher than normal price tag. You can also try the strawberry milkshake. It comes in a big glass, again with real strawberry pieces.
 

          This was all about the Shiv Sagar restaurant. On the whole, the place is excellent for moderate price high quality food. I would give the restaurant four and a half out of five stars and I wish all the best to Shiv Sagar to continue its future endeavours.
 

-         Manas Trivedi

 

Shiv Sagar Vegetarian Restaurant

Masala Dosa with Red Chatni - Shiv Sagar

Utthapam - Shiv Sagar

Strawberry With Cream - Shiv Sagar