Fish O Fish, Kothrud, Pune Seafood

Restaurant Name: Fish O Fish, Kothrud, Pune
Phone: 020 65008800, +91 8600255256
Address: Shop 7, Rohan Chambers, Near Karve Statue, Rahul Nagar, Kothrud, Pune, Maharashtra, India
Time: 11:30 am – 3 pm, 7 pm – 11 pm
Meals for two: Rs. 700
Cuisines: Seafood, Maharashtrian
Facilities: Home Delivery, No Alcohol Available, Outdoor Seating, Indoor Seating, Table Reservation Not Required

Located in Kothrud, Fish O Fish is a sea-food restaurant where the recipes are inspired from two different regions on the western coast of India – Goa and Karnataka. In operation since 2013, Fish O Fish has been a favorite when it comes to serving the freshest seafood in town.

Fish O Fish, Kothrud, Pune: Decor

Fish O Fish is a small, cozy place with seating available on the ground and mezzanine floors. The décor is no-frills and simple with the walls adorned with food photos of the dishes on offer. A section on the ground floor is taken up by an open kitchen where you can see food being cooked by the team led by owner and Chef Ajinkya Bagade.

Fish O Fish, Kothrud, Pune: Food

Once you have gone through the extensive menu which comprises mainly of thalis using a variety of fish right from the popular surmai (Kingfish), pomfret and prawns to the more adventurous and lesser know bangda (Mackerel), bombil (Bombay duck) and rawas (Indian Salmon).

We started with the Special Seafood Thali which features a diverse range of fish recipes. This wellbalanced thali is made up of Goan prawns curry, Karwari bangda curry, bombil and prawns fry, pomfret tawa fry (surmai is also an option), accompanied by tandalachi bhakri or chapati, indrayani rice, solkadhi, tiwal and sukkat chutney. The mild Goan prawn curry which uses green chilies and coconut milk perfectly balances the slightly spicy Karwari bangda curry which is made using dried Byadagi chillies, fresh coconut and tirphal (Sichuan peppers). The bombil and prawns fry were great accompaniments to the curries, but the rawa coating of the bombil fry was a bit oily.The highlight of the thali was the pomfret which was well marinated and was pan-fried delicately to perfection. We ordered another portion of the pomfret tawa fry. I believe that all fish curries taste better with tandalachi (rice) bhakri and a local variety of rice. So make sure you ask for the bhakri over chapati and indrayani rice over basmati. Along with the delicious solkadhi, the thali also had the unique tiwal which is a type of drink made from kokum and spiced with jeera (cumin) and hing (asafoetida). This Seafood Special Thali was probably one of the best seafood thalis I have had in Pune.

We were keen to try the things which were not a part of the thali. The server promptly suggested the Rawas Pulimunchi which is one of their best sellers. Pulimunchi is a Mangalorean recipe where the fish is pan-fried with the spicy and tangy masala made from coriander seeds, tamarind, Byadagi chilies and other spices and tempered generously with curry leaves. After seeing the photos, we simply couldn’t resist the Chicken Sukka which was cooked using kala masala which is made in-house. This rustic recipe comes from Chef Ajinkya’s hometown of Ahmednagar. We paired the chicken sukka with bhajaniche wade (Deep-fried multigrain pooris). This combination might seem odd, but it is a match made in heaven.

We ended our delicious meal with another glass of the tart and tangy tiwal which is great for digestion and is advisable after a seafood meal.

Fish O Fish, Kothrud, Pune: Plus & Minus

The decision to stay away from the more popular Malvani style of cooking seafood and including Goan and the lesser known Karwari style to cook is what sets Fish O Fish apart from the other seafood restaurants in Pune. The attentive and courteous staff along with the freshest produce cooked using home recipes and masalas, makes Fish O Fish one of the best places to enjoy seafood. With limited seating space, it might get a bit uncomfortable particularly on busy days.