Disclaimer: I do not endorse or support any particular brand, nor do I claim one is superior to the other. I have no interest in getting into arguments over pav vs bread, Kolhapur vs Pune etc. The review below is strictly my opinion. No conflict of interest.
I eat because I enjoy it, I write because I enjoy it. As simple as that!
Legend has it that Vaidya Upahar Gruha is Pune's oldest misal. (Source: Jayesh Paranjape and his Peth Food Walk😊). Located near Phadke Houd chowk, this April, they successfully completed 111 years of service!
The story thus goes that the Peth areas were the main business hub for Pune during that period in time. A lot of businessmen, farmers, traders would visit in horse or cattle- driven carriages, finish their business of the day and return by dusk. The 'tangewalas' who would accompany these businessmen would carry bhakris from home, but would need something filling to have with their bhakri. That's where the Vaidyas came into the picture. Established by Shri Ragunath Vaidya, the joint was frequent by men and women of all socioeconomic classes.
Now run by the fourth generation, Mr. Deepak Joshi, a software consultant by profession, and the great grandson of Shri Vaidya, the point is to keep the legacy alive.
When it comes to misal, I've found that the tastiest ones are found in the most 'kalkat' of places 😀
An old- style place with a small faded board, one can easily miss it while driving past (enter Google maps for help!)
The interiors have large slanting mirrors with olden- style glass paintings, wooden chairs and tables. Even though kalkat in appearance, the place is very clean. There are no flies hovering, tables are cleaned diligently by their staff, who are polite and eager to serve.
We were the first customers of the day. The staff were amused to see us clicking pictures 😀 of the place and food.
Between the six of us, we tried their legendary misal, pohe, shengdana ladoo, kharvas and batata bhaji.
The distinctive feature of their misal is the usage of green chillies and ginger rather than making a masaaledaar fiery red rassa which burns your intestines! The taste of the tarri is akin to the matar usal we make at home during winters.
The misal contains matki, pohe, shev- chivda (pattal pohe chivda and bhavnagari shev) and tarri. It is served with a couple of fresh bread slices rather than pav, and a bowl of tarri for the table, which gets refilled once it runs out. The tarri is a bit watery than the ones we're used to having. The taste of the tarri is sweetish yet spicy- and by the end of it my nostrils were watering! (Which warranted a plate of shengdana ladoos)
The shengdana ladoos were truffle sized, priced at Rs. 5 a piece. Excellently made- quite like the ones we make at home.
We also ordered a plate of batata bhajis- piping hot deep fried fresh potato fritters. I personally would've preferred a bit more salt in the batter, but it was good.
We also tried their kharvas, served in a small wati, which was decent but not exceptional.
The total bill for the five of us turned out to be Rs. 530/-, which was super reasonable for the filling meal we had. They open at 7:30 am, and serve till 11:30 am, and in the evenings between 3 to 7 pm- again timings set in the 1960s by Mrs. Sushila Vaidya, who also needed to run the house alongwith the business!
Post misal, we walked a couple of shops down to Khomane gulacha chaha, and also a Tamil guy with a hand cart on the corner, freshly frying medu wadas and dal wadas.
Overall, a morning well- spent! 😊
