The Flour Works is one of the less talked about fine dine restaurants of Pune. While their breakfast and delicious Hot Chocolate (more in this post later) is well admired, the vast selection of starters, pizzas, pastas and mains are also one of the best in town. A new outlet in Kondhwa (map link here) is just the kind of boost this area needed!
The new outlet is simply gorgeous. A spacious and beautifully crafted indoor section with a high ceiling is well complimented with the soothing shades and curtains adorning the windows. The super comfortable sofas will ensure you sit here for hours.
There is an al-fresco section as well reminiscent of the one at their Kalyani Nagar outlet. However, what I loved was how The Flour Works has used the first floor passage to create a working area complete with power sockets!
I had to remind myself that I was here for a food tasting and proceeded to glance through the menu. The menu is the same as the Kalyani Nagar outlet barring alcohol. They don’t have the license just yet however it should start serving alcohol soon. Here’s a run down of everything I had –
Vietnamese Iced Tea – this is not everyone’s cup of tea, pun intended. Vietnamese Iced Tea comes with condensed milk and has a unique taste. While this one was done right, I thought there was a little bit too much condensed milk making it a tad too sweet.
Snow Lemonade – a lovely, refreshing drink with lemon and orange flavours mixed in.
Mini Beef Burgers – this is how burgers should be done. Well done meat, little sauces and other additions. 3 small burgers work as an excellent starter and is one of the best dishes on the menu.
BBQ Goan Sausage with Broccoli and Potatoes – first bite and it was clear that these were not Goan sausages. While the dish was well made with pork sausages, the name could be misleading. It’s best that the ‘Goan’ be dropped from the dish name.
Prawns with Lemon Garlic Butter – this is always a tricky dish to make and to get the proportion of lemon and garlic right. Thankfully, this one was perfectly done and had a good portion size as well.
Smoked Salmon Carpaccio – raw meat is not something we eat often. However, if you do plan on trying it, here is where you need to start. The dish is so delightfully done that you won’t believe you’re eating raw salmon!
Fried Calamari with Sweet Chilli Sauce – it was crunchy and served with a good sauce but less batter should have been used. It felt more like the Koliwada style fried sea food which was not what I had in mind when I ordered it.
Prawn, Roasted Tomato and Fennel Pizza – this one turned out disappointing. Base was too crunchy and the sauces were not evenly spread on the base. Prawns on top lacked flavour as well.
French style Gnocchi with Bell Peppers, Squash and Parmesan Cheese – there are very few vegetarian dishes I order and/or like. This one is an exception – loved the overall taste, presentation and flavours. This was the first time I tried Gnocchi and I recommend you to try it.
Pork Spare Ribs with a Citrus Chilli Jam and Creamy Mashed Potatoes – the Citrus Chilli Jam enhances the flavour to the hilt. I always complain that we don’t get good Spare Ribs in Pune but I can put that thought to rest now.
Gorgonzola stuffed Beef Steak with a Rucola, Pear and Feta salad – a medium rare steak like it should be – soft, flavourful and pleasing to your taste buds. Gorgonzola or blue cheese takes getting used to but if you do like it, this steak is definitely for you.
Caramel Panna Cotta with Ginger Bread – a little too thick for my liking but the taste was nice. The ginger bread (served separately) was really good.
Dark Chocolate Mousse with Orange Caramel filling and Creamy Orange sauce – I’ve definitely had better dark chocolate mousse in Pune. Orange flavours were really mild and the mousse slightly too sweet for a dark chocolate variety.
Hot Chocolate (Orange) – This was the first time I tried the Hot Chocolate here and I regret not having this earlier. Served at a perfect temperature for you to gulp it down directly from the cup, it doesn’t leave any powdery residue in your mouth. It’s made out of real chocolate and a whole lot of it (probably a 10-1 ratio to milk). Hot Chocolate does not get any better than this!
The Flour Works is a proper fine dine restaurant and it’s priced accordingly as well. This place is not for those looking for a budget meal but for those who appreciate great food and flavours. Consistency has been found lacking at times (in the past) and I hope they can work around it quickly.
Their breakfast is legendary however their mains are equally great. Plus, this is the only place where you can end your meal with the best Hot Chocolate in town!
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