Anyone who loves oriental fare has definitely visited the House of Mandarin on their visit to Mumbai. Good news for Punekars! The restaurant has opened its doors in Pune and we foodies cannot be happier. Situated inside Hotel Sheraton Grand in Sangamvadi, The House Of Mandarin is an award-winning fine dining destination owned by renowned restauranteur, chef and author Rachel Goenka who also owns a string of popular restaurants in Pune namely The Sassy Spoon/Teaspoon, Baraza Bars, and Wicked China.
As for the food, HOM serves authentic oriental cuisine. We visited the place for dinner and got soaked into authentic eastern vibes. Right from the decor comprising umbrella lights to giant Eastern art, to hospitality - everything here is on point. The vibes are cosy and you can visit here for romantic as well as intimate family dinners.
Let's start with the signature cocktails that have an Asian influence. Some popular options include the Spiked Very Berry Khatta, Cosmic Bubble, and Green Tea Martini. They also have classic and molecular options. Teetotallers can try out the signature mocktails like Mandarin Virgin Berry, Lemongrass cooler, etc.
The soups are a treat to your throat. We tried the veg coriander and hot-sour trumpet mushroom chicken soup. Love dim sums? Choose from corn-water chestnut dim sums, Mandarin-style mushroom dumpling with pocini cream, prawn-chives, and truffle edamame. Another signature dish that was our absolute favourite was turnip cakes with burnt garlic and scallions. For entree, we relished the Mandarin-style crispy lamb and red snapper in pepper sauce while for mains, we tried the wok-tossed chicken with Jasmine and blue rice. The sushi here is a must-try. Enjoy the salmon sushi, avocado roll and asparagus tempura.
Our favourite dessert dish was the coconut & Yuzu mousse with Mandarin sorbet, hands down! You can also give their Mandarin yoghurt tart with lemon sorbet a shot. A meal here would take you back around INR 2500 with drinks, but it's totally worth every penny. Bon Appetite or as they say in the East 'Chi Hao He Hao'!
