Mamagoto Pune: Food Review

Written for: Urbane Magazine Mama, Where to?

Your one-stop shop, fine dine restaurant for everything that is Japanese, Thai and Chinese can be unearthed at the newly launched Mamagoto.

Having established more than fifteen plus restaurants in India, they are more likely to keep up spurting more than ever due to their growing popularity. I was ready to jump on to the bandwagon and give my taste buds an awakening like never before. On a fine Thursday evening, I made my way towards the fourth floor of the Pavillion Mall, where the signage of Mamagoto, was placed ever so strategically, it grabbed my attention right away.

The staff was quite prompt in taking the food orders swiftly. As I was striding across the restaurant, the place was nothing less than a dream for all the Manga lovers. Every space on the wall was occupied with absolutely quirky conversational prints. The things to look out for were the framed pictures of women in police uniforms, an abundance of tigers and pandas leaping on clouds and a poster of a woman sitting on a chair, smoking a cigar. Once you are done admiring these posters, the open mock tail bar that looks stunning in the night, well light, will ensure that it entices you furthermore.

The menu was quite extensive with all the food being in tune with their niche, Pan Asian style cooking. To begin with, I ordered a Cranberry & Kaffir Lime Mocktail that served as a great palate cleanser. If I were to choose two more tall glasses of this goodness to beat the heat, I would recommend the Virgin Mojito and the Passion fruit and Orange Juice mocktail that I absolutely loved. Before I could finish slurping on the last sip, I was already looking forward to the rest of the courses. For this next one, I prepared to shove my Indian taste palette under a rug because I was going to be taken aback and I already knew it. My prophecy came true when the scintillating dishes arrived. Exceptionally plated, I see the ‘Thai Puchka bite’ and the ‘Vegetable Basil cups’ waiting to be devoured. Although the ‘Puchka bites’ were brilliant in terms of innovation, it’s safe to say that I was not immune to handling such unconventional flavours. Let’s keep it to that because I continue feeling overwhelmed. Second to none are the ‘Vegetable basil cups’ that are iceberg lettuce filled with mushrooms, corn, soya in a traditional basil and chili oil dressing. The ‘Java grilled tofu in banana leaf’ with a mound of sticky rice came as another shock, but quite a good one. The marinated Indonesian sambal on the tofu was truly exceptional.

If you are a stickler for basics, you should definitely try the ‘Thai crispy vegetables’. Did anyone call for main course? Of course I did. The ‘Traditional Peking Dumplings’, comes sitting in a traditional Bamboo Steamer. One can never go wrong with dumplings and this dish is a testament to it.

If we were to shift our focus from the dumplings and the ever so lovely stir fried noodles, the rice options were waiting to be validated. Sticky rice with a choice of your own ingredients, vegetables and sauces make for a great end to the main course. Let’s talk desserts now. The ‘Homemade Mama’s Chocolate Cake’ was down-to-earth and delicious. A Banoffee Pie came up next, with whipped cream and caramelized bananas. There were no new elements that could possibly elevate this simple dessert. I wished for a sleek slice of pie to show up instead of it being placed in a simple glass bowl.

Nonetheless, Mamagoto gets a thumbs-up from my side. If you care to notice the most intricate details, their triumph clearly lies in following their specialty to the T. From the lotus shaped plates to the trays with Japanese cartoons, not only does it take you on a journey of new, untapped and unknown flavours from the Oriental, it also dishes out a modern take on traditional dishes.

Put Mamagoto on your go-to list today!

Srishti Hemmady