Café Peter
Café
Food: 3.25 | Service: 3 | Décor: 4
DÉCOR
The NIBM branch of Café Peter is located in Mohammad Wadi, a bit beyond Wanowrie, off NIBM Road. The café is spacious with a sprawling outdoor section and a cozy indoor section. You are welcomed by a black horse statue right at the entrance. The outdoor space is well decorated with light-posts, hanging lamps and a lot of ornamental potted plants. The vibe is very chic and contemporary. The indoor section is decorated with signature red, white and black colours. The seating is comfortable with a mix of red leather sofas and black and red wooden chairs.
FOOD
Café Peter is named after a Korean national who travelled to India and fell in love with the country. In 2010 he started the café in Aundh, and now Café Peter has become a home-grown and thriving brand with more than nine outlets across the city. The menu offers appetizers, sandwiches and quick meals and is a mix of Continental, Korean and Japanese cuisines.
From the menu, we decided to try the Korean and Pan-Asian dishes which the café is famous for. We started with Diced Chicken Bell Pepper. The chicken was batter fried and tossed in a dark soy sauce with diced bell peppers. This combination is ever dependable and never disappoints. We accompanied our chicken with Hot Garlic Fries. The spice and garlic flavor was on point but the fries were soggy, which was a slight let-down. The Soup Bowls are very popular at Café Peter. We tried the Trio Clear Soup which was a large, hearty bowl of clear soup with spinach, mushrooms, carrot and chicken Mandoo or Korean dumplings. This piping hot bowl of goodness is perfect for the winter weather and is a meal in itself.
The café opens at 7 am and features a wide range of breakfast item including an impressive list of omelettes from across the globe. These are available all day long and we decided to give the African Open Face Omelette a try. This is a double sunny-side up omelette topped with spicy minced chicken and served with hash browns, beans, grilled tomato and garlic bread. The combination of the spicy minced chicken and the runny egg yolk was delicious and the garlic bread was perfect accompaniment to soak this mixture. This one is definitely my top pick from the omelette menu.
A recent addition to their menu is the Japanese section, which features dishes popular in Japanese homes and on the street-side joints. We tried the Chicken Katsu Curry, which is a Japanese curry with Indian flavours served on a bed of rice with crumb-fried and diced chicken breast. The description sounded great, but this was a complete miss. The chicken was cooked, but the outer crumb was thick and stodgy. The flavours in the curry were confusing with an overpowering taste of turmeric.
The desserts didn’t disappoint and we ended our meal on a high note with the simple and delicious Belgian Waffle with maple syrup and a sinful dark chocolate donut.
PLUS & MINUS
The ambience and vibe is excellent thanks to the beautifully decorated indoor section and a large outdoor section. Café Peter is the perfect place to spend time with friends, family or colleagues through the day. The menu has something suitable for each meal of the day and the food served is great. Having tried many other outlets of Café Peter, some popular dishes here could not match the taste at the other outlets.
Must Try Dishes: Diced Chicken Bell Pepper, Trio Clear Soup, African Open Face Omelette, Belgian Waffles, Donuts
Meal for Two: Rs. 700
Address: Nine Hills Arcade, Shop No 9, Off NIBM Road, Mohammad Wadi, Opposite Voyage to the Stars, Pune - 411048
Contact: 8484043823
Timings: 7:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Photo Courtesy: Café Peter
Note:
This review was first published in Pune Times on 6 December 2019.