Kothrud is going from strength to strength and becoming one of the hot spots of Pune. We always thought of KP or Baner when we even remotely thought of gourmet cuisine, great patisseries or high end desserts. Now probably the folkof those areas are going to start piling into Kothrud!
Midnight Kakery was started by Shruti Kapre, an ex-IT professional who always had a penchant for baking and desserts. The name ‘Midnight Kakery’ carries a lot of meaning, as she would burn the midnight oil to make desserts or complete cake orders after working a full day at the office. One day, something snapped, she quit her job and enrolled herself at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu London Culinary School to learn and perfect her craft. She finally opened the Midnight Kakery last year, with her husband, Prasad Kapare.
They served wonderful high end desserts and beautiful customized cakes for a year and now finally have opened a full blown cafe. Wondrous croissants, gourmet sandwiches and amazing baked dishes and some interesting drinks to go along with their already amazing cakes and desserts.
FOOD
Puff Pizza
A beautifully flaky, buttery and crisp puff pastry absolutely brimming with gooey cheese, bell peppers and olives. It’s like having a pizza in tart form! So good! The crisp and gooey textures and the cheesy buttery flavours with tangy olives cutting through was just perfect!
Pesto and Mozzarella Croissant Sandwich
First of all, let me tell you the croissant was bloody amazing. So delicate, crisp, uber buttey and flaky. One of the best in Pune no doubt. Very few places get it this right.
Then, the innards of the sandwich were so delicious too! Tomatoes, gooey creamy buffalo mozzarella with a perfect fresh basil pesto! This sandwich is a perfect example of how basic, simple but very well put together ingredients can produce magic!
This sandwich was served with spicy and tangy Sriracha sauce. First I thought it was ketchup and was going to have a fit! But one taste and I realised how good the combination of the sandwich and sriracha tasted. Polar opposite characteristics adding a wonderful zing.
Has anyone else noticed something strange? Yes, I haven’t tasted anything non-vegetarian yet, but still I’m raving about the food! That’s how good it is. But don’t worry, they serve chicken and eggs too!
Cajun Chicken Sandwich
Crusty soft baguette with some grilled chicken, some simple but wonderful cajun spices, finished off with some mint mayo. Wow! The creaminess, the freshness of the mint and heartiness of the cajun infused chicken was amazing. Really cozy, feel-good sandwich.
DESSERTS – Prepare yourself!
After the savouries, I felt a childlike excitement when Shruti and Prasad said, you can go in and choose your own dessert! Peering through the cabinet, with my enormous nose poking at the glass, we ordered 2 desserts and 2 macarons. But then, Prasad came back with their Mango Rose Cake as well in tow!
Black Forrest Entremet
If you’re wondering why the photo doesn’t match the “Black Forrest Cake’ description, it’s because, they just took the ingredients of a typical black forrest cake and build their own crazy twisted version!
Beautiful grey exterior, so luscious, so sinful! Bittersweet chocolate mousse on the outside with fresh cream and tangy berry compote layers inside just made it into a different experience all together! I’m hooked!
Tiramisu
Oh wow! Creamy, light and fluffy tiramisu unlike most places that make it with a sponge cake, instead of ladyfinger biscuit! Perfectly sweet, cremy and slightly bitter with loads of coffee! I first had Tiramisu in Palolem (Goa) at the Magic Italy Pizzeria, which is run by an Italian family and I’ve been trying to find something as good as that ever since. Finally, I’ve found a contender. This is hands down the closest to the original authentic Tiramisu! The talent and hard work shows!
But I do have one thing to say, the ladyfinger biscuits surrounding the tiramisu, look good, but feel a bit dry. We kept taking them off and going for just the stuff inside. This could be fixed.
Macarons
Really nice crumbly, light and airy with perfect fillings! The Caramel Sea Salt and Coffee macarons were just on point! Intense flavour and amazing texture! May be not the best in Pune, but up there!
Mango Rose Cake
I have to say, I’m not a huge fan of this concept and I’ve never had it before, but I loved the cake. So light fluffy and the artistically arranged fresh mango cannot be beat! It’s a perfect little dessert for summers!
VERDICT
There is no doubt this place is one of the best patisseries and cafes of Pune. Great open air ambiance and just exceptional food and desserts! It’s a perfect place to hang out, have some delicious coffee, chill with a croissant sandwich and a dessert! That too in the all too familiar setting of Kothrud! The hard work and dedication of Shruti and Prasad just shows in the quality of the food!
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