True Tramm Trunk
Resto-Bar
Food: 3.75 | Service: 4 | Décor: 4
True Tramm Trunk, a popular resto-bar from Mumbai opened their first Pune outlet in February at Aundh. The quirky and innovative name is the drunken version of the words Too Damn Drunk.
DÉCOR
True Tramm Trunk occupies the sprawling rooftop on the eighth floor. The alfresco section offers excellent panoramic views of the surrounding areas and is blessed with continuous breeze. This makes for a perfect ambience throughout the day. The seating is a mix of regular tables, some highchairs and lounge seating for larger groups. We recommend you choose a table by the terrace banister from where you can enjoy the view of the city. The indoor section houses the bar and is beautifully decorated. The most eye-catching feature is the contemporary and quirky 3D block tiles used on the floor. The in-house DJ played great music and elevated the experience. In fact, to keep the vibe lively and hip, they have live bands performing and other gigs and events throughout the week.
FOOD
True to its name, the bar menu is extensive and along with the regular spirits and cocktails, it features an interesting collection of Goti soda and Tharra cocktails. Inspired by the desi hooch across the country, the Tharra cocktails boast of 90 ml alcohol and have unique flavor combinations. Among the lot, our top picks were Laila (Gulkand and mawa infused vodka & sprite), Jagadhari No. 1 (Whisky infused with Indian spices and coke) and Badi Saunf (Aniseed infused gin and Sprite).
The food menu is well curated and complements the bar menu. It plays homage to their signature dishes from Mumbai. With our drinks we ordered for the mandatory ‘chakna’ – Masala Peanuts and the crunchy and spicy Chinese Dragon Bhel. There are a lot of great options in the Nibbles section. We started with the scrumptious Tipsy Onion Rings with Gunpowder which were served with a mayo dip. The Mezze Platter was perfect in size and had hummus, falafels, labneh and baba ganoush served with pita bread and lavash. From the Charcoal Grills, we tried the Smoked Chicken Tikka Pot. The tikkas were served in an earthen pot and the signature smoky flavor was evident when the server opened the lid. The tikkas were perfectly smoky, spicy and delicious. As compared to the tikkas, the Mutton Seekh Kebabs were a tad disappointing. The kebabs were spiced right and tasted fine, but the consistency of the meat mince was not right and the kebabs fell apart when served. We were pleasantly surprised with the Mumbai Vada Sliders served with green chillies. The chef managed to capture the perfect taste of the wadas as they are served at roadside carts.
After a rather lavish round of starters, we decided to order a lighter main course and chose two of the most popular items on the menu – The One-by-Two Chicken Makhanwala and the Bloody Hell Pizza. Served with a portion of butter garlic naan, the chicken makhanwala was smooth, silky and the taste was bang-on. The bloody hell pizza with Barbequed chicken, mushrooms and roasted peppers was tasty and loaded with cheese.
With only four classic dessert options, we picked the Philadelphia Cheesecake and the Molten Lava Cake. It turned out that the cheesecake was not a great choice as it was a bit undercooked and quite low on the sweetness. This disappointment was turned quickly into delight thanks to the warm, gooey and sinful Molten Lava Cake.
PLUS & MINUS
The food is good and there were definite hits and some misses. The alfresco rooftop setting is the USP and the vibe and ambience nearly make up for some minor inconsistencies with the food. Over the past months, the place has become one of the most frequented rooftop restaurants in the city. The service is excellent and the staff is courteous, prompt and helpful. I would love to see the place operate throughout the day, as opposed to its current evening-only timings.
Must Try Dishes: Tharra Cocktails, Mezze Plater, Tipsy Onion Rings, Smoked Chicken Tikka Pot, Mumbai Vada Sliders, One-by-Two Chicken Makhanwala, Molten Lava Cake
Cost for Two: Rs. 1500
Address: 8th Floor, NSG Building, Sahil Park, Sanewadi, Aundh, Pune - 411007
Contact: 9168034040
Timings: 5 PM – 1 AM
Photo Courtesy: True Tramm Trunk
Note: The article was first published in Pune Times on 30 August 2019.