If you are in search of authentic Maratha cuisine, pay a visit to 96k, where good food meets great ambience

If you are in search of authentic Maratha cuisine, pay a visit to 96k, where good food meets great ambience

96k
Food: Authentic
Service: Prompt
Ambience: Elegant

Located on the busy stretch of FC Road, we spotted an elegant eatery tucked inside a street corner. It's name, 96K, is inspired by the Maratha concept of shahanya kuli or high class, which refers to the quality of food they serve on the premises.
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Enter a Maratha haveli
The interiors remind you of havelis of yore, thanks to the wood-panelled roof and traditional wooden wall decor.
The colour scheme is predominantly black and white, from the tiles on the floor to the tables and chairs. Rural landscape art dots the walls and the entrance. Soothing yellow handi lights add a relaxed vibe to the eatery.
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You can dine inside the restaurant or outdoors while watching the traffic and people passing by. Like us, you may find yourself escaping into a lost world, while listening to the melodious beats of the tabla and the dhol.

96K on FC Road. Pics/ Nikhil Ghorpade

Au00a0taste of Maharashtra
The menu offers a range of Maratha cuisine. Non-teetotalers can rejoice as from next month, they will introduce wine and beer on the menu as well.

We started off with a chilled Solkadi (Rs 40) made from coconut milk and kokum extracts. It was slightly spicy and looked refreshingly pink. For starters, we tried the Mutton Sukka (Rs 175), Patra Fish (Rs 180), Kheema Patties (Rs 45 for 2 pieces) and Kothimbir Vadi (Rs 60). The Mutton Sukka was yummy and consisted of six small pieces of mutton mixed in black masala with onion salad. On the recommendation of the attendant, we had them with the Vade (four pieces for Rs 50), which turned out to be an amazing combination.

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Mutton Curry and Vada and Kothumbir wadi

Fish does not happen to be one of our favourites due to the profusion of bones. But we still went for the Patra Fish, which has an easy to remove single bone. The dish was succulent and had just the right proportion of green chutney in it. We loved the attention given to presentation, as the two steamed fishes came wrapped in a banana leaf and filled with green chutney.

Keep space in your tummy for their special Kheema Patties as they are made from a unique recipe and cooked in homemade masala. The Kothimbir Vadi included 10 fritters and since they weren't too oily, we didn't feel apologetic about devouring them all.

They serve complimentary Thecha, a preparation made from green chilies and garlic peanut chutney, with any dish you order. We suggest you try the fritters with Thecha to set your tongue on fire.

For the main course, we ordered the Wanga Batata Masala (Rs 90), Pithala (Rs 60) and Chicken Curry (Rs 160).
The Wanga Batata Masala is a typical dish from rural Maharashtra. It comes with a thick red gravy and consists of brinjal and potatoes. The brinjal is stuffed with jaggery to give it a slight sweet taste and groundnuts. We had it with bhakri and it made for a finger-licking meal. The Pithala Bhakri, made from gram flour, onions and chillies, makes for a spicy addition to any meal as well.

Non-vegetarians can dig into Chicken Curry, which is made from chicken cooked in a spicy gravy that is a blend of coconut, onion, ginger and garlic. The sheer aroma of this dish can make your mouth water.

For sweets, we opted for the melt-in-your-mouth Lapshee (Rs 50), which is a Maharashtrian delicacy made from wheat, daliya, jaggery and pure ghee and is topped with coconut shavings.

The service gets full marks from us as well. The attendants were prompt and helped us select dishes that would suit our palate. The presentation was impeccable. All in all, a thoroughly satisfying experience.