Good Luck Cafe (reviewed in 2012)

This was drafted almost 3 years ago....so not sure if its true anymore. 
Proves that Mr.Not-So-Perfect was wrong about The Mighty Underachiever. Now we need to learn more about them (and their author).
http://themightyunderachiever.blogspot.in/

Its one of the most prolific restaurants in Pune, kind of a landmark for anyone who wants directions in-around Deccan Gymkhana. If you don't know Good Luck Cafe at Deccan Gymkhana, you might as well make a trip back to the place you came from. Good Luck main nahi khaya toh kya khaya...!!!!

It was the go-to place to have biryani when I was in college (in '90s). Its still very much the same. Most of the crowd that comes to Good Luck is from nearby places and FC college (I love it when people call it FC College 'coz FC stands for Fergusson College...lol). Then there are the usual customers who will travel across the river to get there (Punekari asal tar nadi palikadun yene kiti kastache aahe hey tumlala mahitach asel).

Restaurant:
Good Luck is an Irani cafe (established in 1935 I guess).
The ambiance is laid back and the decor is retro (very much what it used to be 10-20 years back). The waiters will serve at their leisure 'coz they have their hands full...!!!

Cuisine:
Irani, Punjabi.

Timings: 8am to 11pm)

Cost: 150-250 (biryani+bread pudding).

Must eat:
Biryani - Good Luck has been known for their biryani for a long time and it is still a good bet if you are high on nostalgia. If you are a sucker for mutton biryani, go there on a Sunday and order the Hyderabadi Dum biryani. I love their use of pudina in the biryani which gives it a different taste. The curry served with the biryani is also good (a bit of a lucky draw i might add which is sad 'coz it used to complement the biryani very well).

My favorite:
Bread Pudding - its one of the best 'home-made' style bread puddings you will get around Pune. Remember, I said 'home-made' style. If you are looking for a perfect bread pudding, you might as well visit a 5 star hotel. And if you absolutely love bread puddings, ask for the side piece....!!!! Its the one from the edge wherein the crust is a caramelized. Its tastes yum and you immediately feel as if you are committing a sin by eating the whole thing...!!!

Structure of a food review

Reason #23: Bhul lagli aahe tar khava lagelach (I guess one has to eat if one is hungry)


Now that I've decided to write about the food I eat (very excited), I need to decide on a structure on how to represent the information in a readable format to my readers. It doesn't make sense to put too much information which is already being passed around. But then there would be lot of people who would still want to know where the place is, when is it open, when is the best time to go and what to order and most important - how is the food?


So this is what I feel I need to try and capture when I go out to eat (even though it might be repetitive in nature when compared to other sites/blogs).


a) Restaurant's name & location (obvious piece of info). Kidhar khana hai? Kuthe khaycha?
b) Type of food/cuisine I'm eating (some people love to categorize) Kay khaycha? This is important when everyone says - mala kahi pan chalel or kuch bhi chalega (and then these people crib the most when you pick a restaurant.
c) Timings - its very important to know when food is served, especially if you are not a planner and tend to follow your call of duty (bhuk lagli) at the 11th hour. Some places don't server food after 11pm (which is sad).
d) Cost - a lot depends on the cost 'coz we all are not crorepatis...! The first thing most of us do when we open the menu is follow the right to left approach. Check the price, then check the name of the dish...or even if its left to right we still check the price before we order. Budget constraints (jeb main kitna paisa hai). Its only when we go for a treat and/or if someone else is paying and you are not really concerned about this wealth - you tend to order without looking at the price. But then some people still follow RTL (right to left) approach - lets order the costliest dish 'coz I'm not going to pay attitude. Usko paisa bharna hai...mujhe nahi...(mere baap ka kya jata hai...!!!).
e) Must eat - there is always that 'ONE' dish which you should eat in a particular restaurant....their specialty. I hope to get a chance to eat that in all the places I visit.
f) My favorite - there will always be one dish that would be my favorite (could be the same as the must eat). I'll try to do equal justice to both.
g) Comments - there r quite a few things you always like to know about an eating place...the ambiance, the name of the friendly manager who can get you early seating, the places to park your vehicle, the bar menu, payment options via credit card, home delivery, etc. I hope to add as much info as possible to make your choice easier.


This structure is subject to change based on your comments and my understanding of your requirements (which could be flawed).


Bhuk lagli...??? Khate raho....!!!!

Introduction

The question itself is a contradiction when people ask you if you live to eat or eat to live? I'm one of those who live to eat and feel that people who struggle with this question either haven't had the chance to eat good food or don't love food. As per my understanding of my up-bringing (and again I'm stressing that its my interpretation of what my parents might have tried to imprint on my brain) food should be eaten slowly and enjoyed to its fullest. And my god (from all religions) say that I should eat what I want, when I want (though with age - one might not agree to this).


So with the utmost love for food (part of my DNA), I guess it was time I too jumped into the foray of writing about food.


This will probably help me justify my craving for good food (changla khana...khana aacha honga mangta hai) and help me elevate my war cry 'bhuk lagli' (english translation - i'm hungry, hindi - bhuk lagi hai...!!!)


Whenever I utter these words, my wife instantly asks me 'kay khaychay?' (what do you want to eat) and my answer is always the same 'kahi pan' (anything/kuch bhi). But as soon as she starts giving me options, I say no to most of them. Its not 'coz I don't want to eat (and for the record - i absolutely love her cooking) but it due to my lack of decision making when it comes to food, coz I want to eat everything...!!!


So here's the plan....
Since I currently live in Pune, I'll try to cover the places I normally eat at and from there on, move on to other places (depending on everyone's comments, interests, requests and obviously also depending my financial dependency). If you want me to visit a particular place, do comment with your suggestions. 


I'll try to cover the geo details of the location where the food in question is being served and a few other details on its financials etc but the focus will be on the food itself. If I can get other people to comment on the food when I carry out my surveys, it would be good.


Also, this will be a personal opinion about food, so if you don't like what I say, do ahead and eat it with a pinch of salt.


So cheers to good food! Keep reading.
Bhuk Lagli...!!!!