Amalgam, Camp Area, Pune

Restaurant Name: Amalgam, Camp Area, Pune
Phone: +919028195222, +917715803376
Address: 665, Rajayoga Building, Ground Floor Shop-2, Next to Matruseva Clinic, Quarter Gate, Camp, Pune, Maharashtra 411002 India
Time: 12:00 Noon – 11:00 AM
Meals for two: Rs. 350
Cuisines: Salad, Desserts
Facilities: Delivery Only, No Seating Available

Launched in August last year, Amalgam is a delivery kitchen that delivers modern, new-age Indian cuisine. Chef Rohit More has managed to put together an eclectic and innovative menu, that uses local produce, creative cooking techniques and unusual food combinations.

Amalgam, Camp Area, Pune: Packaging

Having tried (and loved) their packed deli items previously, this week I decided to order from their a la carte menu. I ordered directly from the website. The food was delivered on time and was packed impeccably. They used recyclable paper containers for curries and soups and bagasse containers for the drier salads, appetizers and mains. All containers were labelled perfectly, including those with accompaniments. These containers came in brown paper bags which had the name of the person who prepared the food, packed the food and their body temperature.

Amalgam, Camp Area, Pune: Food

A few months back, I had ordered their delicious tomato chutney and garlic toum along with my personal favourite charoli, raisin and fennel biscotti from their deli products. This week, for a house party of four, I ordered food from their a la carte menu. One glance through their menu and you will notice the creative use of local produce and ingredients, Indian and global dishes and unique cooking techniques. We started with the tangy and creamy white tomato soup. A hearty soup made with gavran (rural) red tomatoes infused with coriander, curry leaves and ginger and topped with cream. The basil and coriander savoury ghewar that was mentioned in the menu as an accompaniment was missing, but we did not miss it. With the laal maath and ambat chuka salad, chef Rohit has managed to make two leafy vegetables, you never ate as kids, delicious. This Indian mesclun salad of sorts had red amaranth (laal maath) and green sorrel (ambat chuka) tossed with cherry tomatoes, slivers of bhavnagri chillies, crispy fried lotus stem, feta cheese and a herby, sweet and tangy vinaigrette with jaggery and black cardamom. Mighty impressive. The ingenious use of local ingredients continued with the pumpkin shikampuri. The non-vegetarians did not seem to mind all the vegetarian dishes we consumed so far and enjoyed immensely. Next were the lemongrass and tofu baos. These were equally exceptional as all the other dishes we tried. Soft baos were generously filled with a tofu bhurji with lemongrass along with pickled cucumber and fried onions. The spicy and tangy marinade on the pork spare ribs was tasty and the meat was cooked well, but the pork was too fatty for my liking. The glaze on Malabar chicken wings had the intense flavour of freshly ground spices and the wings were elevated to another level as they were stuffed with chicken mince. This made them extra meaty and succulent. After that impressive line-up of appetizers, we were super excited to try the two mains we ordered. The veg ishtew pot rice was a one-pot dish with rice and veggies cooked in a rich and delicious coconut gravy with spices. But the nalli nihari stole the show. Two perfectly cooked Iamb shanks cooked perfectly with a delicious nihari gravy. This was served with pita bread and garlic toum, but the Maharashtrian in me enjoyed it with Indrayani rice without cutlery. As per the menu the cauliflower and chocolate mousse is their signature dessert. This was one combination I was sure would fail and was dreading to try. My misgivings vanished with the first bite. The dark chocolate mousse was soft, intense and incredible. It was served with citrus buttermilk and mint oil. With all the different flavours, it is a complex dish, but it all simply worked.

Plus & Minus:

All through the meal, I kept waiting for Amalgam to drop the ball. But each and every dish we tried was excellent. This rarely happens. The portion size was right and the packaging was impeccable. There are quite a few dishes I missed the first time and I am eagerly waiting for a chance to order again.