SOUK by Cafe Arabia — Restaurant in Pune

Souk by Café Arabia is a new venture by Kunal and Ranjit, their first dine-in restaurant after the grand success of their QSR – Café Arabia. A lovely outdoor ambiance with comfortable seating with the shawarma carousel for company provides an apt setting for a fun dining experience.

Mocktails The Lebanese Sunset [Rs. 120] had mango crush mixed with lemon and ginger and topped with soda. The idea of a fizzy mango drink didn’t quite appeal to me.

The Watermelon and Cucumber Mojito [Rs. 120?] is a yet to be launched addition to the menu and the team at Souk was kind enough to prepare a sugar free version for me, considering my diet. The watermelon was naturally sweet enough to not miss the additional sugar and the cucumber added to the freshness and vibrancy of the drink. A perfect drink for the summers. #HighlyRecommended

Salad Bowls The Grilled Chicken Greek Salad [Rs. 230] with oregano and creamy Greek dressing was a delight to have on a hot summer afternoon. The Fattoush [Rs. 170], tossed with Sumac and herb vinaigrette dressing had crunchy pita chips for company. Again, a light option for the summers. #DeliciousDelicious

Out of the Pan The Souk Fries [Rs. 120] had a lovely flavor profile thanks to the sumac dusting on top however didn’t go too well with the garlic dip provided.

Arabia Platter Hummus Platter with Pita Bread [Rs. 250]. The plain and za’atar crusted pita breads painted a pretty picture on the plate with the original, basil pesto, jalapeno & harissa and beetroot hummus. While all the hummus were made perfectly and drizzled generously with olive oil, I particularly loved the jalapeno and beetroot variants. #YumYum

The Falafel Platter [Rs. 200] had chickpea roundels golden fried and served with garlic toum, harissa and pita bread. Loved the crunch of the falafel. A perfect dish for a chilled beer or mocktail.

Kebab Plates The Harissa Chicken Skewers [Rs. 240] were spicy but lacked overall taste. A dash of salt ensured the flavors shine through. On the other hand, the Skewered Mushrooms [Rs. 200] were extremely juicy with a slight char on the outside. Loved the earthiness of the shrooms. #YumYum

The Chicken Black Pepper [Rs. 200] was chicken chunks marinated in cream cheese and crushed black pepper. Lovely flavors although would’ve personally preferred a finer grind on the black pepper.

Turkish Pides / Flatbreads The Peppy Paneer [Rs. 200] and Pesto Mushroom [Rs. 200] half-and-half flatbread was delicious with a lot of confusion over which we preferred over the other. At the end, it was a tie.

The Spiced Mince Lamb [Rs. 280] curried lamb mince topped with cheese and a fried egg. The egg on top was an inspired stroke, bringing a whole new level of flavors to the dish. #DeliciousDelicious

The Za’atar Chicken [Rs. 250?] was yet to be introduced on the menu however Girija was kind enough to have us sample it. Za’ater rubbed chicken morsels topped with olive oil and feta cheese is a lovely combination, one that we thoroughly enjoyed. #YumYum #HighlyRecommended

Shawarmas & Wraps The very dish that catapulted Café Arabia into culinary stardom, the shawarma was the most anticipated dish of the tasting. The Chicken Shawarma [Rs. 120] had sliced chicken breast, a smattering of salad, tahini, toum, and hummus wrapped in a pita bread and topped with cream. A perfect blend of flavors however something crunchy was sorely needed to balance the flavors.

Sweet Endings Baklava with Ice Cream [Rs. 150] is the dessert that Café Arabia is famous for. Light and flaky phyllo pastry that melt in your mouth with some vanilla ice cream for good company. The only grouse – the filling to pastry ratio wasn’t balanced. But overall, good flavors.

The Dark Chocolate Tart with Mediterranean Sea Salt [Rs. ??] is yet another creation which isn’t on the menu yet [as on date of the tasting]. A wonderfully crumbly tart with decadent dark chocolate filling, the sprinkling of the Mediterranean sea salt on top was sheer brilliance. The saltiness was a perfect foil to the sweetness of the chocolate. #YumYum...

I had heard alot of positive reviews of Souk and finally had a chance to visit it. The place is beautiful , they have only outdoor seating and one table for indoor seating . Every corner of the restaurant differs from other , everything is very well done which makes it a great hangout place . Well coming to what i had here -

MOCKTAILS ❄ Lebanese Sunset - Great presentation and very lively colour. Summers are incomplete without mango and this is a perfect mango mocktail to have . Consisted of sabja , cherry and mango

❄ Pink Lady - Pretty pink mocktail which consisted of cranberry juice , pomogranete , lemon soda . Rejuvenating one.

❄ Blue Butterfly - I was in love with the colour of the mocktail , beautiful presentation .Very refreshing . I was halfaway refreshed when i first saw it 😍 .It consisted of pineapple juice , blue curacao and soda . Loved all the mocktails

FREAKSHAKES ❄Salted Caramel Banana Shake - M more of a choco rather than caramel person . The shake was good but it had tasted a bit salty if the proportion of salt could be less than it would have tasted much better .

❄ Strawberry Cheesecake Shake - Oh! this was a great concept , a must one to try . Biscuity layer at the bottom and strawberry cheesecake shake loved it .

MAINS ❄ Zaatar Chicken Salad - Presentation was on point , Chicken was tender and scrumptious , salad was moist too . The best part was i loved the dressing used over the salad it was way too delicious 😜

❄ Mix Mezze Platter - Complete Platter of happiness . Every element had its own taste and every component tasted too delish . Right from the sauces to pita bread to hummus and chicken each and everything served in this platter was made to perfection .

❄ 4 cheesy fries - Fries served in mayo , salsa sauce , with loads of olives . Who can say no to fries , well after a time it becomes soggy but i.e because it stays in the mayo i would love to taste it when its more crunchy .. This tasted good too

❄ Chicken Black Pepper - A great starter dish to have , it stays true to its name . It does contains black pepper which makes it more delectable to have . Presentation was on point and taste too.

❄ Turkish Pide - This was served in half and half one side containing spiced minced lamb and other fiery chicken . Chicken was amazing i felt having a thin crust pizza , the chicken used was soo good and yes it was a bit fiery tasted great. Though i don't eat mutton but my friends said it was the best one they had and everything went well with that 🙂

DESSERTS ❄ Baklava with Icecream - Had a heard a lot about this , gave a shot and tried this . This i can say layer by layer perfection with sweet filling in it . Glad to try it out here

❄ Rose Panacotta - Simple yet beautiful . The dessert was very appealing as it is rose pink colour and ofcourse a panacotta . It stays true to its name , each bite feels having rose its just soo rosy .. it was garnished with pistachio , trust me rose + pistachhio a combi you wont regret.

❄ Skillet baked chocolate chip cookie - Choco lovers this ones for you.. just imagine a big choco chip cookie served with vanilla icecream and as soon as you take a bite of the cookie ,splash of chocolate 😍 Heaven right? . Yes i used to try the same with small cookies but its just dream come true .. Tasted chocolatilicious 😜

My Recommendations - I would definitely recommend everything i had here , they were extremely good 🙂

Should You Visit This Place - No Doubt best place in pune to revive the middle...

Souk new venture started by cafe arabia,after the humongous success of cafe arabia,this is the first venture by cafe arabia and team which is outside the mall with outdoor seating and beautiful lights,the place has an adorable ambiance which will definitely make you fall in love. Let's take a look at the food and drinks which i had here:

1)MOJITO:The mojito consisted of fresh mint,soda and muddled sugar,this mojito wasn't like the regular one,it had a different taste and was really refreshing.

2)LEBANESE SUNSET:This drink was basically a mango based drink,it consisted of mango crush with a hint of ginger,lemon,ice and soda,another superb drink,the mango flavor just made the drink too good and the taste was out of the world.

3)GREEK SALAD:The salad consisted of lettuce,tomato,green pepper,cucumber and grilled chicken garnished with feta cheese and oregano a healthy way to satisfy your tastebuds and stomach as well.

4)SUMAC CHICKEN TIKKA:Boneless of pieces of chicken marinated in sumac spices,the chicken was so perfectly cooked and marinated that it literally melted in the mouth and had a perfect balance of spice.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

5)CHICKEN BLACK PEPPER TIKKA:Boneless chicken marinated in cream cheese and crushed black peppers,the marination was so perfectly done that the cream cheese went deep inside the chicken piece and again the chicken melted in the mouth.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

6)PESTO MUSHROOM TURKISH PIDE:This dish was basically a flatbread with a lovely combination of cheese and mushroom,the mushroom were sauteed in garlic,the bread was little pesto base,this dish turned out to be a really good one, a must try for vegeterians.

7)SPICED MINCED LAMB TURKISH PIDE:A flat bread topped with boneless lamb,fried egg and parsley,the lamb had a bit spicy taste and came really good on the palate.

8)CHICKEN SHAWARMA PLATTER:A plate full of pit slices of chicken,served on salad with garlic toum,harissa and pita bread,this dish was really good,the slices of chicken came really good with the garlic toum,harissa and pita bread.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

9)DEVIL'S CHICKEN:This was basically a pita wrap filled with ground spice chicken,jalapenos,harissa,toum,lettuce,this wrap was really spicy,the spiciness of the wrap was so high that it can literally bring tears in your eyes at the same time a spicy lover will simply love this dish.

10)BAKLAVA WITH ICE-CREAM:Freshly baked baklava crown with warm center filled nuts,topped with vanilla ice-cream and drizzled with caramel,the baklava had a nice crispy texture and came really good with the ice-cream.

11)ROSE PANNACOTTA:Rich creamy pannacotta with rose and cardamom flavor,topped with pistachio and garnished with rose...