Sachin Soman Bhojnalay — Restaurant in Maharashtra

Date of Visit 29th sept 2024

The long and awaited visit to this famous establishment made possible on a fine morning of the sept 2024 😃

I generally go visit the temple and take darshan of Shree Nrusinh Saraswati often. But even after planing for so many times I couldn't have gone to Soman Bhojanalay.

What can I tell about this place to people or visitors? First thing I would tell is, this is not a restaurant or a hotel. This is a Bhojanalay (भोजनालय) and that too a strict, typical and authentic Brahman Bhojanalay. The daily menu of the thali is fixed. The food here served is made in pure maharashtrian Brahman style and even served in the same fashion. Generally devotees either go to the prasadalay in Temple premises or they come here for clean and satvik (सात्विक) meals. Second thing is there are many same named Bhojanalays in same neighbouring vicinity. So choose Sachin Soman bhojanalay.

Atmosphere/Place (3/5): Important note for devotees/tourists from outside or new to place, You will have to park your vehicle outside perimeter in a designated multistorey parking lot. From there, it is 2 min walk distance. As Shree kshetra Nrusinha wadi (नरसोबाची वाडी) is mostly busy with devotees and tourists alike always. You always have average waiting time of 15 minutes minimum and sometimes 30 minutes too. Waiting area is always busy. Sitting is very basic and minimal and yes a bit congested too. May be due to lack of place. But surely they have a large scope of improvement in sitting, decor, waiting area, facilities for patrons etc. I hope management/proprietors will take this constructional suggestion.

Food (5/5): The food will make you forget about the rest of the things like waiting time, sitting , the rush etc.

The food is proper and perfect Maharashtrian Brahman style feast! Taste pallette will be a bit on sweeter end notes. And serving style is also same traditional full course meal!

The thali includes pickles, chutneys, seasonal ones too, koshimbir (type of marathi salad) varan-bhat-tup, tomato saar, mataki sprout usal, mix bhaji, masala vanga (masala brinjal), poori, chapati, papad, masale bhat and basundi(locally produced and a famous sweet), and tak (buttermilk). And to your wonder this all will not burn a hole in your pocket. The whole unlimited thali for ine person would costvyou 160₹!

Left side of the thali (पानाची डावी बाजू) is flavourful like it is supposed to be, in small quantities. All the pickles and chutneys and koshimbir are exceptional. ( डावी बाजू सुद्धा उजवी ठरली !!).

You start your meal with mildly flavoured varan (marathi preparation of Dal) poured over soft and perfectly cooked white rice and desi ghee. Second course came with 3 must have marathi veg preparations i.e. mataki usal, mix veg and bharla/masala vanga (भरली/मसाला वांगी), and in breads you get soft and hot pooris or soft chapatis. Also You get a small bowl of basundi for sweets. Fried papads are also served in thali. All the veg preparations were exceptional and authentic too. The third course comes with masale bhat and saar. And you end your meal with last course of taak bhat (ताकभात).

Except that small serving of basundi, everything is unlimited and the servers would serve you insisiting like we insist our guests to enjoy the meals. Like family members. At the end they serve you sweet paan to finish it off.

Only suggestion I would make here is, please increase the size of the serving of basundi. If needs be increase the price of the thali accordingly. It is very small. The basundi is great, not so much sweet, not chunky. The basundi has perfect amount of sweet and smooth texture.

Service (5/5): The servers are great. They are equally responsible for growth and fame of this establishment as much as the management/proprietors and cooks! They are clean, keep the establishment clean. They are quick, and attentive and will serve you with a smile. They will treat you like you are a guest and a family at the same time in a very positive way by insisting and explaing the menu and how it should be consumed and...

A small nondescript eatery in Narsoba Wadi famous for its traditional Maharashtrian veg thali. It serves only thali for lunch and dinner...no other dish. It is housed in three small rooms on the ground floor of a simple village type building next to Vitthal Mandir. While the ambience is just average, it is more than compensated by the food they offer. The meal is served in iteration of batches - 18/20 persons per batch. The thali is completely filled by over 12-14 varieties, served in quick succession by the staff....they keep on coming until you say "enough" and politely decline their hospitality. The fare is purely traditional Maharashtrian viz. Koshimbir, bharit, sandge, metkut etc. all of which is delectably tasty. The pinnacle is their Basundi, which (I learnt) is famous all over Maharashtra. Except Basundi, everything else is unlimited.... you get up only when you are filled to the brim....and all this delicious fare for a modest charge of 180/-....I can see profit is not their prime motive. It was a very satisfying experience and I would say, anybody visiting Narsoba Wadi should have atleast one meal at Sachin Soman...

Visited this place just yesterday, although they serve fresh food, the service and taste is not upto the mark.

Just for the sake of homemade how can someone waste time and money for tiny quantity... Their service n Quality of Food has downgraded.

No improvements..

No online Payments..Only Cash...

The ladies who clean up the tables also serve the food without washing their hands.. So it seems very shabby and unhygienic.

Serving food with tiny Bowls n Table spoons makes not to eat too much... Very small quantity they serve..

They seem to be in a lot of hurry that one batch of guests windup their eating at the earliest so that the others can take up their place. We had not finished our eating and the ladies serving there were in hurry to take up our plates.

Basically they had used just one masala to cook up all the vegetables and Dal, so we couldn't identify the difference in their tastes. The vegetables were watery and no taste as such.

Even the Sweet dish- Basundi is mixed with Milk...

Felt so Bad

Will not visit this place again.. It's unhygienic and the service has...