Food Code - Flavors of Punjab in Karjat

Food code - Flavors of Punjab - is a refreshing change compared to the limited number of restaurants in Karjat.

Located on the College road in Dahivali, Food Code has a spacious dining area overlooking the Karjat-Murbad highway and they serve Tandoori, Indian and limited Chinese dishes. The restaurant has a nice ambience with music playing in the background and comfortable seats. We tried out Paneer Handi (Rs 140) and Butter chicken (Rs 130) with Butter rotis (Rs 12 for one), and it turned out to be tasty, nothing beyond great but good.

Although the food is better than other restaurants like Royal Garden or even Raj Cottage (although their South Indian breakfast is very delicious). Since the restaurant had just opened, the manager offered us a complimentary Kheer, which could have tasted more authentic.
 
I was particularly impressed with the location - away from the main road - and the ambience of the place, which seems to be a world apart from other restaurants and has an urban vibe to it. Food Code also has an outlet in Navi Mumbai and plans to open one in Lonavala, Vashi, Chembur and various places in Mumbai.

Contact: 8888829401/02

Karjat King ~ A Treat for the Veggies

Vegetarian restaurants seem to be a trend in Karjat, here comes another that proclaims itself as the king, Karjat King!

After sampling their dishes three times, I think its safe for us to put a review up. Although we have eaten at the restaurant only once, the other times we took a parcel. The best part about the restaurant is that it serves Mushroom dishes.Their Mushroom Tikka Masala, is quite yummy and so are the other dishes they offer. Compared to Raj Cottage and Royal Garden, Karjat King's quality of food and taste are better, since its a new restaurant I guess this is the only way it can make a name for itself.The time we ate over there or even taking a parcel, service is a little bit off and the coffee cups were not as clean as you would want them to be :( That was a little bit on the downside. The other downside there were so many dishes on the breakfast menu that were not available, dosas, sandwiches, the only thing that was available was the medu vada and idli sambar.Apart from that the dishes were nice and new, there's no ambiance, seating is fairly simple but the food cost is not really cheap or too expensive. Part of the menu is placed below for you to judge, its approximately the same cost as Raj Cottage and a bit more expensive as compared to Royal Garden. The restaurant is located at the corner of the Karjat to Khopoli road.

Update December 1st, 2012

This restaurant has closed down probably because of less customers.

Lucky's Korner

Just before the Neral phata there are a string of restaurants that one comes across, one of the well known restaurants is Lucky's Korner. Aptly named for its location Lucky's churns out some interesting dishes from various kinds of cuisines, not limited to Indian, Moghlai, Chinese and Sea Food.

Prior to getting to the food talk, the restaurant has a car park with steps leading to the middle, you can choose to sit either on the left or the right, both sides overlook a lawn dotted with geese or chicken for entertainment. They also have two, not so well maintained fish tanks but nice open space with limiting ambiance inside.

The steps and path leading to the restaurant are dotted with plants and lotus pots. Lucky's Korner not only has a huge menu list, it offers friendly service with good quality food.

The Tandoori Chicken is what I call real value for money here, priced at Rs 180 for a full chicken its good quantity and quality in a single package. We also got a change to try Lucky's outdoor catering recently and enjoyed the Bombil Rawa Masala Fry, Prawn Curry seemed a little thin but tasty.

Over all the food is good, so is the vegetarian food, the only down side is they do not offer beer or alcohol which would compliment the wide range of appetizers they have to offer.

Lucky's Korner Contact No's:
9921841414
9881764964
9273127314

Dada's Grill: Pizzas, Pastas and Curries

Although there are a variety of places to eat in and around Karjat, sometimes the need arises to have a cuisine that is not spicy, unlike most of the food served in this region. Dada's Grill, which is located beyond Takve village on the Karjat-Murbad road while going to Kashele, offers a welcoming treat for taste buds.
The à la Carte is something that can be really tantalizing, Dada's Grill in Karjat churns out some of the best pastas that can be compared to few restaurants in Mumbai. The food is a tad bit overpriced (since its main clientèle includes weekend hoppers from Mumbai, Pune, etc.)

They also serve Indian food, we would recommend Chicken Masala a delightful starter, as compared to Garlic Cheese bread which is made out of sliced bread. The Biryanis and Butter Chicken too are sumptuous, good quantity but don't be surprised if you dig into a neck.
For the vegetarians, Veg Kadai and Paneer Mutter is a good bet, around Rs 90 onwards. A Veg Pasta costs around 240, while a Chicken Biryani will set you back by around Rs 170. They do serve Pizzas as per the menu but that's only if its a big group and you would have to place the order in advance.

Dada's Grill overlooks a well-maintained lawn that's surrounded by trees and vegetable patches, you can go for a stroll on the sprawling property :) The only downside to it is the low roofing, making the place extremely hot during summers. The aesthetics and ambiance of this place is soothing which makes Dada's Grill a fun place to dine at.
They also offer accommodation which is patronized by weekend goers. For the prices of rooms you can contact Pandey Ji on 9823429987. The per day inclusive of all meals, which is served via a buffet system. Although it may sound steep the cost is competitive to other hotels and resorts in Karjat.
Whats even better is that it has only a couple of rooms, a swimming pool and acres of land for you to get lost in.


Dada's Grill Contact:
Murbad road, Chowk-Karjat, Raigad - 410201 Tel - 9823429987

Dada's Grill Location:

Baba Dairy in Karjat

Baba Dairy has become a must stop for us on our way to Karjat. Situated few kms before chowk in Vavarle village, the dairy churns out some mouth-watering food and milk products.

Baba Dairy has come up recently in the past 6-7 months, and since its away from Karjat city you get a good view of the mountain range from there.
Each time we visit the place we find ourselves sipping on the delicious thick lassi (Rs 15) or gobbling up the delectable paneer parathas. The Paneer parathas are stuffed with Paneer mixed with Coriander and Chilli, making the filling inside greenish in colour. The soft Paneer is made at the dairy itself and it literally melts in the mouth, and its served with Curd and Pickle. All it comes for just Rs 35.

We have tried all the sweets available there and can vouch for the Malai Sandwiches, Chum Chum, Milk Cake and Rabadi, which is my favorite. The thick Rabadi is rich, heavy and definitely affordable. Priced at Rs 10 for 50 grams we end up bringing it back to Bombay to have it as a dessert after meals. If you want to binge and don't mind eating rich Indian sweets, then try out rabdi with milk cake, its a delicious combination. All the Baba Dairy products are priced at a very reasonable rate, that's why we like to eat there often. The other sweets like Malai Sandwich etc. cost Rs 10 per piece. The Pedas are unique, they are milkier than any other Pedas we have consumed, its kind of an acquired taste and you may not like it instantly. This was the fourth time we had visited Baba Dairy, and we were really keen to visit the huge tabela (cow shed) behind the eating area and shop. So we asked the manager there, and with a friendly smile he gave us permission to stroll through the premises that holds buffaloes and prepares these delicious sweets from fresh milk.

The bovines were huge as you can see, all of them had tags on their ears and they occupied two sheds, placed in a row. There were other rooms as well, in some the workers were sleeping while in others they were making sweets.
Next time you go to Karjat, make sure you drop by to have some fresh lassi and paneer parathas!

Meher Bakery: Karjat's Oven Fresh Bread

Well there is no major bread manufacturer that supplies bread in Karjat, not because they don't have the reach but perhaps due to this little bakery that floods Karjat with not only bread, but a range of edibles like Nankaties, Khari Bisucits, Toasts, Pastries, samosas etc.

Not only does this generate work for the locals but also provides an interesting variety to the tourists who come on the weekends. Meher Bakery has an outlet that sells the produce of the bakery in the city, just before you cross the bridge next to the rickshaw stand, around 10 meters towards the station.
While the produce is made Tiware a couple of kilometers away from Kadav. The outlet here is adorned with a lot of portrait's of people and gods and also has a video camera, perhaps to keep track of the person at the cash counter.

You do not need to go to the bakery itself to find the soft bread as its available in most of the shops in every major village like Kashele, Kadav etc. In Kadav village, Sachin Pan Shop is the one that keeps the most products of Meher and in general as well.

We recommend you try the chocolate nankaties and the special toast, both make a wonderful tea time snack. Meher has opened up a new outlet opposite the police station ground in Karjat where you can get veg pizzas, rolls and sandwiches apart from a range of dairy sweets and cakes. Their products are very economically priced and are definitely tasty :)

Karjat Dhaba, Good Food at Low Cost

Eating at a roadside dhaba is always fun, the food tastes more homely and its affordable too. One of the oldest eating joint (dhaba) here is the Karjat Dhaba, which came up way before Karjat got commercialised and small joints sprung up at every nook and corner.

This roadside joint is situated after the Neral-Karjat junction on the stretch leading to Karjat Chowk.

Few years ago the place was like a proper dhaba, it just had a roof with few tables laid, and it much more open and airy. Now with more restaurants coming up in the surrounding area, it has transformed into a proper place with a permit room.

Karjat Dhaba use to serve beer earlier too, except that now steel glasses have been replaced by beer mugs, and its served more openly. You will get Indian and Chinese cuisine here, although we wouldn't recommend Chinese food. Many restaurants have Chinese on their menu, it isn't really the place to eat Chinese. Better to have the local delicacy, vada-pav, instead.

While the Indian fare was delicious, almost all the vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes are available. We had beer first then followed it up with Paneer Masala and Aloo Mutter along with hot chapatis, and were quite happy with the food. So we ordered for rice and dal fry, to have a complete, delectable meal.

The place wasn't crowded, so the service was quite prompt. The bill came up to Rs 240, good enough for two people. Next time you visit Karjat, drop by the dhaba for some good food.

Places to Eat in Karjat

Food Code - Flavors of Punjab in Karjat

Food code - Flavors of Punjab - is a refreshing change compared to the limited number of restaurants in Karjat. Located on the College road in Dahivali, Food Code has a spacious dining area overlooking the Karjat-Murbad highway and they serve Tandoori, Indian and limited Chinese dishes.

Raj Cottage

Located on the Chowk-Karjat Road, the restaurant churns out local delicacies like Vada pav, misal pav, tasty South Indian cuisine and Indian fare as well.

Lucky's Korner

Just at the corner prior to Neral phata lies Lucky's Korner, specializing in a variety of dishes at a good price. Lucky's has probably the best chicken tandoori at a good price!

Dada's Grill: Pizzas, Pastas and Curries

Although there are a variety of places to eat in and around Karjat, sometimes the need arises to have a cuisine that is not spicy, like most of the food served in this region. Dada's Grill, which is located in Takve village on the Karjat-Murbad road while going to Kashele, offers a welcoming treat for the taste buds.

Baba Dairy in Karjat

Baba Dairy has become a must stop for us on our way to Karjat. Situated few kms before chowk in Vavarle village, the dairy churns out some mouth-watering food and milk products.

Meher Bakery: Karjat's Oven Fresh Bread

Well there is no major bread manufacturer that supplies bread in Karjat, not because they don't have the reach but perhaps due to this little bakery that floods Karjat with not only bread, but a range of edibles like Nankaties, Khari Bisucits, Toasts, Pastries etc.

Karjat Dhaba, Good Food at Low Cost

Eating at a roadside dhaba is always fun, the food tastes more homely and its affordable too. One of the oldest eating joint (dhaba) here is the Karjat Dhaba, which came up way before Karjat got commercialised and small joints sprung up at every nook and corner.