One of the delights of being a columnist at large is the (very) wide degree of latitude that this affords you in terms of topics to write on.
I have, in the past, made use of this latitude to speak about topics ranging from travel, to sports, to plants – and have also managed to touch upon the topic of flatulence, of which I’m inordinately proud.
Both, I should clarify, of the fact that I have touched upon it, and the fact that I’m extraordinarily good at it, but that is neither here nor there.
But today, I propose to use this degree of latitude instead of abusing it. I plan to talk about Pune, and about a very small, niche topic from within this great city.
I stay in the vicinity of Aundh in Pune, and have over the years witnessed its metamorphosis from a far-from-the-city-center suburb to a genteel, gentrified and mostly venerated area of Pune city.
It remains a very nice area to visit, with nice quiet by-lanes to walk through, a smattering of restaurants that are worth visiting and some shops that have stood the test of time.
Today, though, I wish to touch upon a small little stall that operates in the decidedly post meridian hours of the day, and that too only on the weekends.
La Kheer Deli is the name of the stall, and it specializes in providing outstandingly delicious kheer to patrons who can’t get enough of the stuff.
Run by two irritatingly young, but unfailingly charming men, it provides about three to four flavours of soul satisfyingly thick kheer in plastic bowls just large enough to satisfy the appetite, and just small enough to make you want to consider seconds.
The stall is sparklingly clean, the service is ever courteous and the prices are eye-poppingly pleasing. All in all, it is a place worth visiting after your weekend meal out. Now, the reason I bring this up is because I was out for lunch on Ghole Road the other day, and discovered to my delight that these intrepid young entrepreneurs have opened a little outlet of their own on this road, right next to Natural Ice-cream.
All of which is to say that you would do well to visit that place as quickly as possible, and try as many of their flavours as your stomach can possibly accommodate (if two is all you can go for, I’d plump for the dry fruit kheer and the coffee flavoured one).
Trust me on this, your taste-buds will thank you for it.
*This should go without saying, but for what it’s worth, there is no conflict of interest here whatsoever, apart from I hoping that they never go out of business so that I can continue to enjoy their kheer.
**This should also go without saying, but please feel free to get in touch if you know of other up and coming joints unique to Pune that are worth trying out. It doesn’t matter where in Pune they are, your columnist will trudge there to try it out.
***Unless, of course, they’re building the metro there. In which case, forget it.
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He doesn't expect the paradox to be resolved in his lifetime
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