Hotel Wada By Gavran Tadka — Restaurant in Pune

I will not be able to forget this evening. The air humid, the sky dark with looming clouds. Destination was an hour away, so I engaged in an interesting chat with the Uber driver. I hadn’t notice when it had started drizzling. On reaching, I had to run indoors to avoid getting wet! Read untill last why I won’t forget this evening.

WADA- the Gavkar Tadka, a family restaurant, located on Pune Banglore highway. As you enter, the door opens to a square. To the left is a play area with swings/slides to the right is a garden patch. Further ahead to the main - a huge seating area with basic table/chairs. I observed 8/10 tables were already occupied at 7:30pm with customers.

The Jamale Brother's WADA, specialises in Marathwada style in cooking. Food cooked in the rich classic Kala masala from mid west region. Kala masala is a darkly roasted aromatic blend of 23++ spices. The ingredients increase, modify the recipe based on every family’s version that gets passed down over the generations.

Plenty of Veg and non veg items on menu. Let me share what I had. #Tangdi_Kebab : juicy, spicy, hot tandoori preps cooked to perfection. Super Perfect !

#Mutton_Sukka : Spicy and boneless mutton in signature Kala masala. Wow! Lip smacking!

#Gavran_Chicken_Kharda : again spicy Kharda mixture. Very delicious!

#Chilap_fishfry : Bland fish, bland, dry coating. Not to my liking.

#Veg_Crispy : Deep-fried, hard, flitters or pakodas. Not met my expectations.

#Paneer_Tikka : Succulent, tender marinade. Excellent! Go for it!

#Prawn_Banjara : charred, however not rubbery. Can enhance taste for betterment.

Mains: A thali can be shared. Most are Kala masala preps!

At 9:30pm, all tables was occupied. The rains lashing out in a non-stop down pour, thunder and lightning for 2hrs. With backup power mode, it was difficult to take good pictures. They offered portable lights.

#Masawadi_thali : One of the best massawadi. Crisp, delish and over in a jiffy! Gulab jam were yummy. Thali has dal, massawadi , Tak, rassa, raita, bhakri/roti,rice and gulab jam. Satisfy meal #mustmusthave

#Wada_Special_Mutton thali : Huge thali with kaleji fry, vajadi fry, mutton sukkha, mutton Rassa, alni egg, bhakri n rice. Ufff! If you are a hard core Mutton lover with big appetite ..go for it!!

#Special_Gavran_Chicken_thali: Chicken fry, Kaleji fry, Kheema ball, alni soup, rassa, boiled egg, rice, chappati/bhakri and solkadi. Delicious chicken fry, rich alni soup, Kheema ball tasty, cold solkadhi.

#Puran_poli : This was exceptionally good. One must try it here.

#Kharvas : Not made in-house. More of a China grass. Not recommended.

Different kinds of mocktails : Refreshments while you wait for starters. Met expectations.

The rains that night refused to exit. The Session was over by 10:30 pm. I booked thru app for a cab. Twice it was cancelled. Finally I booked one to my parent’s house which was closer. I got a cab ready to travel immediately. I reached safely around 12:30 am However that night, a bridge over a canal close to my home, collapsed around 11:30/12 midnight. Eight people died. While crossing this bridge, they were either washed away or stuck in a drowning vehicle! May their souls rest in peace.

Have a look at...

#tastinginvite

Wada by Hotel Gavran Tadka is extremely popular for their super human sized Wada Thalis. I've been hearing a few rounds of applause for this place, and was glad to have gotten an opportunity to try the food.

We reached by 8 pm at this hotel, situated opposite Rangla Punjab along the Bangalore Highway. By 8.30 pm, the place was beaming with families and groups of people wanting to try their Thalis. By 9 pm, the place was full!

The ambience is very very basic. The main focus, food, is a clear winner though.

Here's what I was served:

Colourful drinks: the usual works.

Tangdi Kebabs: Lived the soft succulent kebabs. These were wiped off in no time. The start of our meal was indeed a pleasure! #HighlyRecommended

Paneer Tikka Kebabs: I liked the veg variant too. The vegetarian food overall is great here, so do grab your vegetarian eaters to this place! #RecommendedForVeggies

Prawns Banjara Kebabs: These were surprisingly tasty. I liked a bit of char on the meat, so I enjoyed having this. However, I felt that the prawns were too small in size. A medium sized prawn should be a better option

Gaavraan Chicken Kharda: This was a delish! Not overtly spicy, the chicken was succulent and the marinated had well reached the bones! The garlic-ginger-coriander-chilly worked wonders! #HighlyRecommended

Mutton Sukka: a bit on the spicy side, but flavourful. #RecommendedForMuttonLovers

Wada Mutton Thali: the Thali could easily satisfy 3 to 4 regular appetite people. Large portion of Mutton Sukka, Vajadi Fry, Kaleji, and Kala Mutton Rassa dominated the Thali. Served with choices of Bhakri or Chapati, the preps were all well made. #Recommended

Wada Chicken Thali: The chicken variant of the Thali is a bit on the milder side. Chicken Fry, Kheema balls, Chicken Alni soup, chicken rassa, etc was included in the Thali. #Recommended

Our vegetarian friend opted for a Veg Thali, and I picked up the Maaswadi from it.

The Maaswadi was being excellence. It was slightly crisp textured on the outside, and melt in the mouth. Just have this wadi as a starter and I can bet you can't stop at one! #TooGoodMaaswadi

If you're ever lost on the highway and want to eat some Desi local food, head to Wada by...

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2 out of 5 stars)

I regret to say that our recent visit to Wada Hotel on the 22nd of July was far from satisfactory. Having been to this hotel three times before, we expected a pleasant experience, but unfortunately, we were left disappointed with the overall service and quality of food.

Upon arrival, we decided to order the Chicken Handi, a dish we had enjoyed on previous visits. To our surprise, we were charged for the Wada Special Chicken Handi, despite not being informed of any variation in the menu. The lack of transparency and communication from the staff was concerning, and it left a sour taste before we even began our meal.

Moving on to the food itself, we found the quality of the Rotis to be subpar. They were dry and lacked the freshness we had come to expect from a hotel of this caliber. The main dish, the Chicken Handi, did not meet our expectations either. The taste was mediocre at best, and it seemed like the Wada Special version offered little to justify the additional cost.

Another significant concern was the overall pricing. While we were willing to pay for a pleasant dining experience, the cost of the meal was simply not justified by the quality of food and service provided. Wada Hotel needs to reassess its pricing strategy to ensure that it aligns with the value offered to its patrons.

Furthermore, the staff's unprofessional behavior was evident during our visit. The lack of attentiveness and apparent disinterest in addressing our concerns were disheartening. In a hospitality-driven industry, it is crucial for the staff to be attentive and courteous to guests, making us feel welcomed and valued.

In conclusion, our latest experience at Wada Hotel left much to be desired. The lack of transparency in the menu, the disappointing quality of food, and unprofessional staff behavior have led us to question whether we will return to this establishment in the future. We hope that Wada Hotel takes this feedback constructively and makes the necessary improvements to provide a more enjoyable and satisfactory experience...