Five Fat Monks

“Monks are not expected to speak about themselves; the message is important, not the person.” – Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Seems this was the philosophy in mind when Abhir Khanna launched the brand of Five Fat Monks, where the focus was more on the food they offer. After having tasted splendid success in Mumbai, the Five Fat Monks are finally in Pune at two of its most happening suburbs. At Five Fat Monks, they are inspired by the bold flavors of Southeast Asia, drawing upon the lively street food culture – but with a twist. The interiors at the Balewali outlet, where we decided to go try the food, are extremely well done with abundant use of whites and oranges with some creative décor on the walls. Beverages Being on a no-sugar diet, I ordered the Fresh Lime Water Salted [Rs. 80]. Never my first choice anywhere [salted, ugh!] but well-made and overall a good drink to go with your spicy SEA dishes. Silky Dim Sums From the Dim Sums menu, I tried the Steamed Chicken Dim Sums [Rs. 255]. While the chicken was well-cooked and the dim sums had a good flavor, I could find no cohesion between the wrapping and the stuffing with the stuffing actually slipping out of the covers when you try to cut into it. Bites The Fish Chilly [Rs. 235] was a well-cooked dish but felt a little underwhelming on the palate. The Bow Wow Chili Bombay Chicken [Rs. 235] too did not impress me with its overcooked and chewy chicken. On the other hand, the Wasabi Prawns [Rs. 290] and the Butter Garlic Prawns [Rs. 290] were both excellent dishes. Impressed us enough to re-order them. #YumYum #HighlyRecommended Specials – Noodles The Slurpy Suey [Rs. 300 / Rs. 320] is the Five Fat Monks take on the traditional Khao Suey. Extremely salty the first time over, the revised version tasted so much better. However could do with a little spice kick, maybe some more green chilies? Specials – Rice The Curried Away [Rs. 300 / Rs. 320] is the Five Fat Monks rebranding of the Thai Red Curry which was served with steamed rice. Again, very salty the first time, it tasted delicious once corrected. #DeliciousDelicious Dessert of the Day The dessert on offer that day was the Coconut Pancakes [Rs. 165]. Generous quantity of the sweet desiccated coconut stuffing, it went well with the vanilla ice cream served on top. #YumYum Five Fat Monks still seems to be finding its feet with some definite improvements needed however my firm belief is that like a cat, they will land on their feet. Delicious food, efficient service and a relaxed ambiance certainly can take one far.