Asian Harbour - Vivanta Pune

DrAnupam Potdar

7 years ago

5.0

VIET : NOM Festival. #WanderDriveEat The Asian Harbour, at The Gateway Hotel by Taj (Hinjewadi) is hosting a Vietnamese Food Festival - 'VIET : NOM' - from 21st to 31st March. Chefs from the Vietnamese restaurant Blue Ginger (Taj West End, Bangalore) are coming over with their delicious recipes, ingredients, expertise and flavours. The food is amazing, slightly modified to suit the Indian palate (minimal use of pungent fish sauce) and it is a wonderful experience. Prices though, are definitely on the higher side. I was invited for a pre-launch food tasting to experience this wonderful cuisine which is refreshing, simple and healthy. It has influences from China, Thalilad and most importantly from the French, along with a bit of Pondicherry. (Both Vietnam and Pondicherry being former French colonies). APPETIZERS Vietnamese Rice Paper Summer Rolls - Delicious, refreshing and light. The inherent flavour of the rolls with minimal seasoning was amazing and clean. We were served Water Chestnut and Vegetable roll (Rs 500) with tangy, sweet and slightly pungent tamarind and hoisin sauce. And Shrimp and Vegetables (Rs 650) with sweet spicy chilli sauce. The sauces just added a great punch of flavour. Raw Papaya Salad (Rs 500) - Tangy and refreshing, with loads of lemongrass, chilli and peanuts adding crunchiness. Crispy Lotus Stem with butter garlic sauce was uber delicious. A great respite from the heavily sweet honey chilli variants most places serve. (Rs 500) Grilled New Zealand Lamb Chops just blew everything away. Super high quality soft juicy meat, beautifully Frenched with the amazing caramelly, umami, nutty and peppery Sesame Barbeque sauce. Just crazy good stuff. (Rs 1950) Wok Tossed Soft Shell Crab was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside with the amazing butter garlic sauce and load of onions and green peppers. (Rs 900) VIETNAMESE GRILLS Delicious Grilled Chicken and Tofu marinated in lemongrass, garlic, ginger, anato oil and curry powder. Absolutely amazing flavour, smoky and grilled to perfection. I preferred the chicken over the tofu, definitely. The way of eating it adds to the fun. You place the chicken or tofu in a lettuce leaf, with some noodles, herbs and then top it off with some special Vietnamese Grill spice mix and a squeeze of lime. The taste is so refreshing and delicious. Very healthy too! SOUP Spiced Prawn and Lemongrass soup was really flavourful and filling with loads of sprouts and vegetables. It had a real hit of spice, though! (Rs 300) MAINS The Rice Noodles with Vegetables were super tasty, with garlic and deep fried onion. The Trio of Mushroom in Green Pepper sauce was just incredible. Meaty, juicy mushrooms in a peppery soy based sauce. The Grilled Vegetables in Saigon sauce was delectable too. The sweet, tangy and juicy Prawns in Tamarind Sauce just hit the spot. (The Mushroom is my pick) Cari (Rs 550-650) - Vietnamese curries are like cousins of Thai Curries. Not as thick with a milder more refreshing taste. The use of Madras curry powder is another distinguishing factor. The Chicken and Okra Red Cari was spicy and creamy. The Tofu Yellow Cari was so light and soulful, almost like an Asian version of Kadhi. The local 'made in Pune' silken tofu was mindblowingly melt-in-the-mouth. The curries can be scooped up with - crisp on the outside but fluffy and soft on the inside - Baugettes (French Influence right there!) or with Jasmine Rice. I definitely suggest, go for the baugettes, though. Superb stuff! DESSERTS (Rs 400) Coconut Caramel Custard was really creamy and soothing. The coconut, kiwi and dragonfruit adding the Vietnamese touch. The local dessert, Che Chuoi, is perfect in this summer heat! Like an Asian falooda! Sago pearls, shaved ice and banana in coconut milk and flavouring syrups. Just perfect! BEVERAGES - I had the Flower Cooler, elder flower mocktail, which was refreshing and delicious. We absolutely loved the Vietnamese Cold Coffee too, but when we ordered a second round it was very watery and had no flavour. Rest of the mocktails too aren't that great. VERDICT I definitely think this 'VIET : NOM' festival shouldn't be missed. If you like Vietnamese cuisine or really want to give it a try for the first time, this is the perfect opportunity. The food is close to authentic, but palatable for our taste as fish sauce isn't used in most dishes. Even if used, it just gives a subtle flavour without the pungency. All the dishes I tasted were simply delicious. Vienamese cuisine, in general, is very fresh, healthy and simple. The refreshing and soulful aroma and flavour of lemongrass being a constant companion. Plus food prepared by talented chefs specializing in Vietnamese cuisine, who have learnt their craft in Vietnam, not just from chefs but also on the streets - where the real flavours lie. I had a blast, you should give it a try too!

+6

Arth Malviya

6 years ago

5.0

I visited this place a week ago and trust me they have amazing food menu.  Cooks are experienced in making Chinese food very well, they have vast and variety of food in their menu. I have tired dish listed below - Shanghai Noodle - This noodle is prepared well and wok used were tossed with vegetable in supreme soya sauce. Cantonese Fried Rice - I love the softness in rice and veg used were fresh and chopped well, burnt garlic increased the taste. Stir-fried Lotus stem -  Its was Sichuan peppercorn spiced lotus root with Thai red chill, chestnut, and mushroom, I love the presentation. Wok-fried Prawn - the Best part is prawn were cleaned properly and it can be eaten till the end, it contains crunchy garlic, chilly and spring onions. Sichuan Chicken - Its was small pieces of chicken ball shape, it contains garlic, lantern chili and spring onion which makes it a perfect Chinese dish.   Triangular dim sum - I love the presentation it was served on a banana leaf and softness in dim sum it was amazing, it comes with water chestnut, green beans, and baby corn dumpling. House special Spring roll - They have this amazing new spring roll which is unique it contains taro, sweet potato, snow pea, black fungus, and mung bean noodle. I have all the dish which they presented even the drinks they served were presented well. This place and accommodated 50+ people in one seating. Must recommend the place for the Chinese food lover.  They have an amazing Chinese food festival from 11th - 22nd Sep 2019.

+19

Abhishek Gupta

6 years ago

5.0

Ming yang An asian cuisine festival in action here serving delicacies from around the Asia . Vivanta has always been the best when it comes to hospitality and ambience apart from food. The interiors and vibe of this restaurant in the hotel is posh and has a nice aura . The bar is pretty litt 🔥 and repertoires some nice and fancy bottles. Coming to the real deal - FOOD We had plenty on our table wok fried prawns stire fried lotus stem Tofu, Shimeji and shitale stire fried lamb cantonese fried rice shanghai noodle triangular din sum Sour pepper soup Lotus root fitters From soup to the starters to mains everything felt gourmet and i could taste the perfection. For me the triangular dimsums were a break through . Hot and packed with flavours , they really blew mind . Shanghai noodles had an authentic flavour to it . House special spring rolls were crispy and damn tasty . My favourite was Tofu , shimeji and shitake . It had imported mushrooms and silken tofu which is rare and really good on taste . . In the desserts , we had a very unusual yet very tasty , Pandan sago , a very rich dish containing sabudana and tender coconut icecream . Loved it. Do try out this place for some amazing food and check out my blog on inata @whatscookinginindia for more feed .

+25

Aditya V Gujar

6 years ago

5.0

Visited this place to try their authentic Chinese items. Asian harbour Vivanta have Chinese food festival from 11th sept-22nd sept. I really liked the ambience of the place as the lighting was perfect and the seating was comfortable. Here's my quick review of the place:- Drinks- We had their Asian delight which was a coconut-based drink and it was so good, like everything was perfect in it ie the sweetness, consistency etc. We also tried their kiwi fizz and golden sunrise. Food:- In dimsums, we had their triangular dim sums which had green beans, water chestnuts and baby corn stuffing. We also tried their lamb dim sums were so flavourful. The appetizers we liked the:- Lotus root fritters(lotus root and potato fritters) House special spring rolls(taro, sweet potato and other veggies) Wok-fried prawn(lots of garlic, chillies and spring onion) highly recommended. In mains, we had their Cantonese fried rice and Shanghai noodles. The noodles were cooked in soya sauce. I felt that the diced chicken was a bit dry and wasn't that spicy. Do visit this place if you are craving for authentic Asian Chinese food.

+6

Ajay Khare-Khot (Photowala Punekar)

7 years ago

4.0

VIÉT : NOM Food Festival at Asian Harbor (TAJ Gateway) Taj Gateway brings us Vietnamese Food Festival (21- March to 31st March 2019) for all the Puneties at its restaurant Asian Harbor at Hinjewadi, Pune. The chef from Blue Ginger, Bangalore is coming to Pune especially for this festival. That is India's only exclusive Vietnamese Restaurant. So you can imagine the authenticity of the flavours of the Vietnamese cuisine that you are going to experience here in Pune. ✓Appetizers: • Vietnamese Raw Papaya Salad ₹500/- It was very cooling in nature, best to have it in this hot weather. It's very refreshing and crushed peanuts were adding crunch to the salad. • Rice Paper Summer Rolls ₹500/- These rolls are very mild in flavours and contain water chestnuts and veggies along with rice noodles. It tastes delicious with the dip that served with it. • Crispy Lotus Stem with Butter Garlic Sauce ₹500/- This is again one of my favourite recipe from this. It was crispy and with a perfectly balanced taste of the spices. Normally in Pune, we get to eat Honey Chilli fried Lotus Stem but this butter garlic sauce version was better too. • Grilled Tofu in Vietnamese style: It is very commonly found preparation in Vietnam. The tofu was grilled in mild flavour and served with lettuce and thin rice noodles and homemade masala and lemon. ✓Soup: •Spiced Lemongrass Soup ₹300/- It was a soup which made in spicy broth added with lots of vegetables in it. For my palate, it was very spicy. ✓Main Course: (₹250/- to 550/-) •Trio of Mushroom fresh Green Pepper Sauce This was the best dish I had, as I love mushrooms it has to be my favourite recipe. Chef made it with 3 types of mushrooms and in a very subtle and mild sauce. •Grilled Assorted Vegetables in Saigon Sauce This is also a very nice dish. The sauce was not very strong in taste that so that you can have the veggies without the rice or anything. •Vietnamese Yellow Cari - Silken Tofu This dish was tasting like our Indian daal rice, again mild in flavours and silken tofu was so delicious and melt in the mouth. •Rice Noodles with Vegetables Rice noodles were very flavorful having fresh and crispy veggies in it and topped with burnt onion chops. It was going well with the curries. ✓Desserts: ₹400/- •Che chuói: Banana with Sago Pearls and Sweetened Coconut Milk It was very light in taste dessert. It's made using a banana as the main ingredient and mildly flavoured sago pearls in rose water and added coconut milk. •Coconut Caramel Custard A regular caramel custard with added coconut flavour and served with fresh and exotic fruits and fresh Cream topped with fresh coconut swirls. ✓Drinks: •Vietnamese Coffee ₹450/- It was very dark and perfect when we ordered for the first time but it wasn't that good when we asked for the second time. It was more watery and mild in taste. •Asian Delight: ₹450/- It was a mocktail made with the base of Butter Scotch ice cream added with kiwi syrup and coconut milk and hit of pineapple juice. It was very creamy in nature but for me, it was very sweet in taste. ✓Apart from above-mentioned preparations, they have huge a la carte menu as well as TDH menu with 2 options which are as follows: *Option I Veg @ ₹900/- ++ NonVeg @ ₹1200/- ++ Option II Veg @ ₹1400/- ++ NonVeg @ ₹1800/- ++ It's a food fest that you can't miss if you love Vietnamese Cuisine or if you love to experiment with other cuisines. The food is fabulous and value for money. Asian Harbour by Taj Gateway located in Hinjewadi, Pune. As Hinjewadi is an IT hub of the Pune City, Asian Harbour offers a fusion of the Asian and Indian Cuisines in many unique ways to satisfy your taste buds. I was invited for the tasting at Asian Harbour, we tried different dishes which was recommended by the Executive Chef Mr. Dinesh Dadlani of the restaurant. We had the following items: √Starters: •Young Papaya Salad with haricot beans, sweet & spicy dressing This salad is prepared from raw papaya which is semi cooked in haricot beans with sweet and spicy dressing. It is good to start with such a tasty salad. It helps to boost your tastebuds. •Tofu and Shitake Crystal Dumplings Dumplings are the favourite part of the tasting for me. Dumplings were stuffed with exotic veggies and served hot in a basket. •Gobhi Manchurian This is one of the most popular food in Indian Chinese. It gives you desi feel and absolutely amazing in taste. Soft gobhi stir-fried in soya sauce and diced garlic, onion, ginger and chillies in a dry form and served hot. •Todman Kha Phod Corn Cakes flavoured with red curry paste and Thai herbs. It's a bit spicy in taste and this is heaven for all those who love Thai food. √Soup •Malacca Laksa It's a coconut milk based soup. Rice vermicelli served in medium spicy coconut milk based soup and with added veggies and served along with toppings like burnt garlic, fried onion, chopped spring onion etc. √Main Course •Crunchy Haricot beans Sichuan style haricot Verde tossed with chachoy and shaoxing wine. This was light in taste, people who love spicy food not like it but it was good to start the main course. Mind flavour of the wines and the crunchy fried Haricot beans was one of my favourite coz I love this kind of less spicy taste. •Mushroom Caramel Pepper Sauce Assorted mushrooms prepared in a Vietnamese style curry added with crushed paper and caramel. It tastes amazing sweet and spicy taste takes you to a different level of the foodgasm. It goes well with pan-fried noodles. •Chilli Paneer Everyone's favourite chilli paneer. It is at it's best. Cottage cheese prepared with soya sauce and chilli garlic. A perfect Indo Chinese fusion. •Chow Mein Stir-fried noodles with golden garlic and green chili sauce in a desi style. You can have it as it is, means you don't feel that you need to have it with any gravy. It is mouthwatering for all the people like us who are a fan of Indian Chinese. √Desserts •Toffee Banana and Apple Banana and Apple fried till golden brown in sesame spicked golden caramel and served with scoops of creamy rich vanilla ice cream. •Thab Tim Krob This is one of the exotic desserts that Asian Harbour offers. Water chestnuts pieces soaked in a rose syrup and dipped in a coconut mile from koh Samui. They serve it in a tender coconut cavity. The presentation was absolutely lit. And the taste of the dessert is to die for. Creamy coconut milk and pieces of water chestnuts dropping a mind flavour of rose on your taste buds. The meal cannot be complete without this delicacy. The team Asian Harbour was very happy to host us and making sure that we can get the best of the hospitality and food of course. The ambiance of the restaurant is totally different from a typical restaurant. Vibrant colors of abstract paintings were mounted on the white colored wall and the warm-toned lights were making it absolutely perfect low key to experiencing luxurious dining in. They have specially curated Indo Chinese menu so that everyone can enjoy the food over there with reasonably priced food and bar menu. This is the best place for all who love Chinese food, Asian food, and mainly Indo Chinese fusion food. Make your next visit here and enjoy the food that speaks itself!

FitFoodieMegha

7 years ago

4.0

Vietnamese Food is quite under-rated and not much popular in Indian restaurants. Asian Harbour at The Taj Gateway, Hinjewadi, Pune is hosting a Vietnamese Food Promotion –"Viet:Nom" for a limited period (21st March 2019 to 31st March 2019). To provide unique authentic gastronomic experience to the aficionados of Pune, Chef from Taj West End, Bengaluru has been brought in to the city. He hosts one of India's first Vietnamese Restaurants – Blue Ginger where the cuisine is done with perfection.

+4

Rohan Save

6 years ago

4.0

Had been here for the Chinese food festival. totally loved the food, both Veg and non veg. the prawns were fresh and crisp. silken tofu was melted in the mouth. the place has a good Asian vibe, the menu consists of food from various asian countries. the food presentation could have been alot better i think. service was polite and decent. also loved the kiwi based mocktail. it's a perfect place for classy Asian fine dine experience. suitable for families, couple, groups, etc

+6

Cnt Zeeshan Jivani

6 years ago

3.0

I had great expectations from this place but it lacked that spark. The food was okayish, place is small, we could here the kitchen staff talking so loud that it was heard in the service area. We ordered quite a lot of things but the best was Jasmine Rice, Thai Red Veg Curry n the soups. They are quick in service recovery but the service needs to be brushed up. The Vivanta Hinjewadi staff should be sent to the Taj Blue Diamond to see what staff standards are. Anyways it was good. U Guys can do much better.

Sreekanth Iyer

3 years ago

3.0

Service was top notch. But the food quality was average. The good: 1. Asian delight 1. Pho Vietnamese soup was good but served cold (unless it’s a cold soup) 2.Disappointed with jasmine rice- was sticky. 3. Dessert - Honey Darssan was good but the honey fried noodles were too hard and stiff. The touch of Tajness on the taste was missing this time.

Pooja Patil

2 years ago

3.0

We recently dined at Asia Harbour in Vivanta, Hinjewadi. Compared to other 5-star hotels where the food is amazing, the food here was just decent. The service definitely needs improvement to match the restaurant's ambiance and culinary offerings.