It's been a while since I have been actually floored by food at a joint. Desensitized food bloggers will understand. But an afternoon meal at Asanjo took us by surprise when the amazing food just wouldn't stop.



Chef Saif took upon the role of what I can perfectly describe as a 'tour guide' as he took us on an epicurean journey through continents. Tasting the food with the chef telling us about the background of the dish, its origin and its ingredient was an experience in itself. That the food was as cracking as this just made it better.

The place is small but cozy. It's on a busy street of Aundh right beside McDonald's and across the street from Reliance Mart. We walked in unsuspecting of the awesomeness that was to follow.
Chef Saif was prepared and he knocked us off our feet starting with just the mocktails. Mocktails! Who'd have thought?!



SWEET SOUR AND SPICY PUNCH hit all the sweet spots on that particularly hot afternoon. So refreshing and rejuvenating. It was a perfect mix of pineapple, cilantro, jalapeno and chillis. The glass was rimmed with these incredible spices which made sure I ordered it twice.

CUCUMBER MARGARITA would be my next pick. Chilled cucumber mix with a good sprinkle of cayenne pepper. I also loved my PINEAPPLE MOJITO with delicious chunks of pineapples.

When we were suitably refreshed and hungry as ever, we moved on to the appetizers. The chef had planned an unbeatable line up starting right with HARISSA MINCED CHICKEN SKEWERS. These fat, pudgy and delicious kebabs had us asking for more. The kebabs were made with spiced, minced chicken fingers and grilled to glory. It came with a side of Harissa mayo. That's what sorted means.

PAPA ALA SAIF

We moved on to PAPAS ALA SAIF which is named apparently after the chef. Of Peruvian origin, this dish consists of potato discs fried to crunchiness, doused in a creamy, cheese sauce and topped with boiled egg slices and olives. Simple as it comes, yet it tasted like a thousand bucks.

FISH CAKES

Another one of my favorite was FISH CAKE WITH ROCKET, CAPERS IN LIME DRESSING AND SERVED WITH HORSE RADISH MUSTARD MAYO. It was a delight and the fish was fresh. A winner in my books.

KOREAN NACHOS

The KOREAN CHICKEN NACHOS came refreshingly different with a base of beetroot nachos. I for one really liked it not only because it was healthy but also because it tasted quite nice. The topping had gochujang spiced chicken, cheese and salsa mixed together in a glorious mess that hit the taste buds just right.

Bandeja Paisa

The show-stopper was perhaps the huge platter of BANDEJA PAISA. A sizzler, that looked too beautiful to eat. But eat we did and boy, was it good. The sizzler is a must try and very share-friendly. It has carefully spiced chicken chunks, sausages, plantains, beans and rice, grilled veggies and a sunny side up on top! So much fun!



By this time I was stuffed and happy and only thing I cared for were desserts. I was glad I saved some space in my tummy for the dessert shakes. We tried the RED VELVET SHAKE and the CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER AND PRETZEL SHAKE. Each one a beauty to behold and just as yummy. Whipped cream, the chocolaty garnishing, the creamy smooth shake....we were in love. Plus the Red Velvet shake actually came with a hunk of cheesecake with red velvet base!!
Yay to that!

I'm mostly happy that something like Asanjo exists in this part of the town. And the red velvet shake only means I'll probably live there on the weekends.