DON GIOVANNI - PUDUCHERRY

After strenuous exercise and a moderate breakfast we were looking to load up on pizza or pasta calories and Don Giovanni seemed to be the apt choice for lunch. It is situated on the roof top of a very non-descriptive building, on a busy street in Puducherry. The interiors are a mix of traditional Chettiar house-style pillars and red checkered table cloths. The general feeling is very relaxed, in fact the owner (supposedly an Italian chef) seemed very chilled out, walking around in shorts, taking orders and sipping on beer on the side. Wine and beer was available along with the food there.

We ordered some home-made orange drink which was quite refreshing for the Puducherry heat and humidity followed by an appetiser of Crostini with ham and tomatoes. The tomatoes were a mix of sauteed onion, tomatoes and mild herbs. My friend did say it reminded her of a tomato subzi made in her folk's place that was served with chapathis!!

For the main course we ordered a pizza with sun-dried tomatoes, pesto ravioli and Chicken Cacciotore. The pizza was quite good. It seemed to have been baked in a wood-fired oven. The crust was thin and cheese was stringy and of good quality.

The pesto ravioli tasted good but was rather heavy on the cheese. The raviolis were filled with only cheese and then tossed in basil pesto. I wish the filling had some ricotta in it, it would have made the raviolis taste lighter. The pesto was fresh and flavorsome.

The Chicken cacciotore was a stew of chicken with olives, tomatoes and onions. It was a very homely dish with no great airs about it, just the way it was supposed to be. The meat was well cooked and was literally falling off the bones.

The dessert selection did not look very attractive and we were already very satisfied after a good lunch, so we skipped dessert. The owner had this weird habit of walking up to every table and asking his customers how the food was, by just shaking his head and making eye contact. And he would do that more than once during a meal. We found it funny but it may make some customers uncomfortable.

The overall experience was good. For a seasoned traveler who has eaten in many good Italian restaurants, Don Giovanni may come across average. Nevertheless, it is a decent option for a meal in puducherry which is scattered with cafes and restaurants serving spin offs on European cuisines.

DON GIOVANNI,
Italian Restaurant,
Roof top of Hotel Corbelli,
170, Mission Street,
Puducherry.
Ph # 98948 97955

BAKER STREET - PONDICHERRY

I was recently in Pondicherry on a brief weekend trip. Although the purpose of my trip was for other reasons, I had taken my camera along and hoped to click some pictures of food and write a blog post or two. Boy! was I thrilled when I came across this true French bakery by the name, Baker Street! The name may not sound very French but every other aspect of it was definitely French. There were even south Indian native Pondicherry staff conversing in fluent French to their French customers. Thanks to a friend from Coimbatore who had recommended this place!

They had an array of breads that included Baguettes, multi-grain loaves, whole wheat loaves and dinner rolls. The pastries included butter croissants, almond croissants, pain au chocolate and pain au raisin. The breads and pastries looked as authentic as it would in any bakery in the streets of Paris. I tasted the butter croissant and the almond croissant and I must say that its the best I have tasted in India and would come really close to the Parisian ones.

There was also a variety of sweet pastries that included strawberry tart, almond tart, chocolate tart, chocolate mousse, brownies, cheesecake, mille feuille, cookies, meringues and macaroons.

To top all this off, the Baker street bakery is also a great option for lunch or dinner. They had a range of healthy and mouth watering salads. There was also a buffet pasta counter where you could choose from a variety of pastas and sauces.

The pizzas, savoury quiches, grilled sandwiches and croque monsieurs looked very tempting indeed.


There was also a separate section with counters full of gourmet chocolates and special edible gifts for Valentine's day.

The Baker street looked impressive and the pastries and bread from there tasted very French and authentic. The Manager at the bakery was very helpful and was full of information. Now we all know where to stop to pick up authentic French baked goodies on our next trip to Pondicherry.

BAKER STREET,
123, BUSSY STREET,
PUDUCHERRY - 605001.
PH # 0413-6458888
www.baker-street.in
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