A Snack at The French Loaf

Nov 15, 2009 Around Pune, Food

A friend and I were out for a drive earlier in the week, and as the morning gave way to afternoon, we started feeling hungry. After fixing on the area (Koregaon Park), the next thing was to decide the place.

Neither of us was in the mood for a ‘proper’ lunch, but more of a quick snack kinda thing. Several names popped up like Post 91, Italicks, Mocha, Prems et al, when she suggested ‘French Loaf’, as she’d been there before.

Located near The Great Punjab restaurant in Lane 5, the entrance is simple enough, and once in, it seems like any other bakery / confectionery shop. As you enter, the section on the left has the usual breads and loafs that people walked in and bought. As far as eating was concerned, there was an array of veg and non-veg stuff, neatly separated by a section which had cakes and desserts. The one thing that surprised me was that most of their non-veg creations had chicken sausage rather than chicken itself. I opted for a Chicken Delight, she chose a Veg Delight, and I had a look around the place as we settled down at our table.

I found the ambience of the place quite warm and cosy without being obtrusive, allowing people to talk comfortably without being overheard or eavesdropping on others either. I also liked the cutlery, which was ‘properly’ sized, unlike that at Yana’s !! :-p

The food was good and we enjoyed it, especially with loads of ketchup and mustard which both of us are quite fond of ! We also ordered coffee and chocolate, though keeping my sore throat in mind, she ‘mothered’ me by advising I have it hot rather than cold, but very graciously allowing me to have ‘just a sip, not more’ from her drink.

The conversation of course flowed on and before we knew it, over an hour had passed by. I was wondering whether to eat something else, knowing that such ‘breaded / baked’ stuff is not really fulfilling. She said she wasn’t hungry, so I went on to have a dekko, settling on the Chicken Quiche. This had actual chicken and was made well, except for the crust which was a little too brittle than what it should have been.

We also ordered a Walnut Crumble, but didn’t eat it completely there, asking for it to be packed so we could eat it later. During this entire time, I didn’t click any pics at all as my cellphone was in the car and I didn’t feel like going out and getting it, even though she was keen on clicking a few. My point about a single dish not being sufficient was also proved when she pinged me later in the day to say she was already hungry again and wished she’d eaten a bit more.

I still have the box which had the Walnut Crumble, and it lies in the glovebox of my car, carrying memories of a lazy, idyllic and pleasant afternoon spent driving through the leafy lanes of Koregaon Park and the splendid ambience at The French Loaf……