Metro Mall - Kalyan

Not the first time I am visiting this mall, but with past experiences on a crowded day this time the visit was very strategically planned. If you don't want to be part of crowd, then your intention shouldn't be roaming around but shopping. Of the masses, only few are buyers rest are either window shoppers, big bazaar fans or just AC enjoyers.

I had a precise list of buy so wasn't a big challenge finding my way in the crowd. Had a great shopping day with family. Enjoyed good food!

Some Do's and Dont's for anyone going on a expected crowded day:

• Enter through level 1 gate and not level 0 gate
• Avoid Big Bazaar or go before 1 pm and get out before 3 pm
• Use the McDonald at food court on Level 3 rather the one on Level 0
• First identify the items you want to buy, then watch out at other outlets, then finally buy at the last. Advantage, you explore options, get best buy and moreover no rush at payment counters
• If you see rush at counters, don't be in rush or stand in queue unless you have need to sign out from the mall. Come at a later time
• Card payers ensure that all systems are working, else you may land up paying cash and if you don't have one you may lose your time of shopping
• If you need an auto, don't take it from outside the Mall - They are big looters (Rs 70-80 for Dombivli!). Instead come towards Dombivli and at the junction you get share autos (Rs 15 per person)
• If you have done lots of heavy baggage(then it has to be from Big Bazaar!!! You didn't listen to me, right) then try to get auto from the one that is not standing in the auto stand. You will have to stop a auto coming from Kalyan side and willing to go to Dombivli. You can negotiate and get it to Rs 50-60
• The lastest one - Future group and Tata group are charging for carry bags, so in case you don't want to pay for that carry your own carry bags. (Although I don't agree to this way of going green. If you cannot give plastic bags, why don't you give jute one's or pass on the saving advantage to customers!!)

Joshi Wadewale and Pune Bakery

My recent visit to pune and on the way back I tried these two known entities. Along the highway is Joshi Wadewale. Known for his famous bata wada and misal - I tried both. Disagreeing to the masses, I felt its just an average food. May be the location is what made it famous. The founder shares his surname with me, but still I am unbiased!

Bought few items from Pune bakery. Not yet tried any of those items yet. Will blog later on this.

Kayani's Shrewsbury Cookies from Pune

I loved it the first time. Not many times could I grab it during my visits to Pune. Let me see if I can during this visit. I wanted you to know more about it and found this article. Copy pasting from http://thecookscottage.typepad.com/curry/2005/10/_kayani_ki_kaha.html

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Kayani Ki Kahani-Shrewsbury Biscuits

Pune has always been the retreat of Bombaywalas. For the weekend, for the races, to party and to 'chill'. And anyone who goes away, must come back, most importantly, bearing gifts in hand.

Almost all visitors who come to Pune from Bombay have to take back gifts of one of it's specialities....and what could be more special than Shrewsbury biscuits from Kayani Bakery.

Shrewsbury Biscuits

Packed in familiar ,square, patterned, carboard boxes they are sold out in a few minutes everyday.People fight over them, there are near stampedes in the anxiety to get hold of at least one of those precious boxes.If you pass by at that critical time when the batch comes out of the oven you will wonder what event has occured to create such excitement.

Kayani Bakery was started by Hormuz and Khodayar Irani in 1955.They had emigrated from Iran before 1947, along with a group of people, many of whom settled in Pune and began the business of bakeries.

Kayani still makes a sourdough bread, with a starter made from hops. The yeast, even now, is produced in large wooden vats, and the bread is baked in a huge, wood fired, brick oven. The firewood is from the babul tree, a quick growing, almost weed like tree, and its unique characteristic is that it is smokeless during burning, This makes it a natural choice, for cooking on open stoves, by both city and country dwellers many of whom have no access togas or electricity.

 
 

The famous shrewsbury biscuits are also baked in this oven, morning and evening , one loading being 40 large baking trays. Parvez Irani tells me they make around 200 kilos of these biscuits a day and they are almost always sold out!

Well, quite understandably, they wouldn't share the recipe with me but here is a good recipe for Shewsbury biscuits  that will make between 40-4 dozen .

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