The Rooftop Project (TRP) — Restaurant in Pune

As you enter there is dim light settings and loud music, DJ playing, not deafening but loud; however the crowd seemed to enjoy it, the vibes were clear. Some songs were my favorites too, so swayed to couple of them.

There was a whopper bar counter, the bartender (mixologist as they are referred to nowadays), seemingly busy with making cocktails and drinks. Quickly motivated, we decided to settle for a Jack D and Cap'n Morgan, and a mocktail for the teetotaller.

Since we wanted a table with a view, requested for one which was turned down initially but with a promise that maybe after an hour once someone checks out.

The starters and how we finshed them:-

Korean Sesame Chicken caught my eye. After a considerable wait time it arrived, unceremoniously, presentation high average, I figured, squint eyed due to the dim lit ambience. It wasn't quite the taste of a Korean BBQ sauce, which I expected but nevertheless the dish was crispy, strewn with sesame and had a tanginess to it.

King Prawns in salt and pepper- well that's what we ordered and as murphy's law would've played it they bought something else. Normal prawns in butter garlic sauce- after considerable hand gestures and beckoning I could get an audience with the Manager who assumed me that the order is correct.. then I counterpointed to him that I have a confirmed certified palate and nostrils, my only force multiplier. He said he'll look into it and left, didn't turn up for an hour. However after three rounds of round table (our table was round, remember?) negotiations, with the manager,  the chef and the owner, they agreed to replace the dish with what I ordered. This time it was near-perfect, crispy fried king prawns sauteed in red pepper paste and a dash of oriental flavours, nicely de-veined,  well garnished. Boy... the struggles we faced for the dish was forgotten in the taste I guess.

Since we all are suckers for oriental Main Course, was unquestionably oriental too:- Burmese Khao Suey with prawns- This popular Bumese dish has won many hearts in the Indian culinary space. The dish was prepared in a thick, creamycoconut milk gravy, slight-yellow texture (turmeric), prawns lightly cooked, noodles done well. The flavours well balanced except a tad of acidity which would have taken it to the next level. I do wish they had garnished it with fried onions on top when presented but we made up from the condiments served alongwith. Also the boiled egg slices was missing as well. The dish, despite this was delectable.

Prawns in Thai Green Curry- This dish stole my heart and probably one of the tastiest I've had in my journey. The gravy was heavily laden with creamy coconut milk, infused nicely with galangal and thai basil, prawns cooked to near perfection. A straw or two of lemon grass and an upsized portion by a shade would not have hurt though but that's ignorable. Kudos to the chef. Very strongly recommended. ( Note that this dish comes with an accompaniment of a bowl of rice- jasmine rice is the authentic way)

Prawns in Thai Red Curry- Didn't appeal to my palate even though the gravy was thick. A darker texture,  a  generous amount of coconut milk, a thimble full of fish sauce, couple of more slices of galangal and a dash of crushed cilantro wouldve done the trick. Hope the chef takes a cue from this.

Braised Fish (Rawas/ indian salmon) in Oyster sauce- Remarkable salver of crispy batter fried sea fish tossed in Oyster chilli sauce, garnished with spring onion chops. Outstanding dish- strongly recommended.

The things which irked me was painfully obtuse service( many a times you have to leave the table and obstruct a steward enroute to grab his attention) and wait-time for a dish from placing an order till arrival at the table was nothing less than 40 mins at best. I grant them benefit of doubt here since it was a weekend, the place was thriving with hordes of people. The service staff was no doubt polite and well mannered, some etiquettes missing...

4.0 in Casual Dining / Bars (Pune)

Sipping on a delicious cocktail while a cool breeze ran through our hair, overlooking Pune city during the beautiful golden hour is the exact break we needed from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai City. Who would have 'thunk' we would get this little breather smack in the middle of the ever-so-busy M.G. Road.

Located on the 6th floor of Tej house, The Rooftop Project welcomes you with a mix of contemporary, geometric architecture and verdure placed around the restaurant. If you do manage to make it past sundown, the rooftop will change into a sea of candles that is ever so pleasing.

What we had:

Cheese Karari Roti: This one is a no brainier. A perfect starter to nibble on while you explore their vast menu. They have three variants Cheese, Laal Mirch Masala & Onion + Tomato Masala. If you are in for a Masala Papad feel then go for the Onion + Tomato Masala but if you take our recommendation, crispy roti bites with grated cheese just hit the spot.

Paneer Pudina Tikka: The Juicy cubes of Paneer give u a lovely mix of spicy and tangy flavours in every bite owing to its marinade of yogurt, mint, garam masala amongst other spices. Our favorite parts are the slightly charred bits!

Shahi Tandoori Mushroom: If we had to name a favourite of the evening, it had to be this dish hands down! Juicy button mushrooms stuffed with cheese and marinated in a delicious mix of yogurt, cream, ginger, and a number of spices; cooked in a tandoor giving it an irresistible smokey flavour! Now it may not be super gooey cheese like those very Shutterstock cheese stretch wala pics, but we guarantee you the burst of cheese and flavours in your mouth will make it impossible to stop at just one.

Smoked Adraki Chicken Chops: Overcooking chicken is like a mandate at most restaurants when it comes to the chicken thigh, thankfully TRP knew when to take it off the tandoor. The flavour of the moist meat really shines through especially when paired with the deliciously subtle marinade of yogurt cream and mild spices.

Chur Chur Paratha: This flaky, crisp paratha gave us another hit of nostalgia about our visit to the by lanes of Delhi. Sprinkles with a bit of spice, this paratha would be a hit with any dish on their menu, especially something yogurt-based.

Lucknawi Subzi Dum Biryani: We are one of the first ones to go ‘Hey! If it’s not non-veg, it’s NOT biryani’ but TRPs Lucknawi Subzi Dum Biryani certainly had us tongue-tied. Right from the unveiling of the dum-cooked biryani in the handi, the aroma that fills the air to the visual delight and flavour in each bite, this fare is a treat for every one of your senses. Paying ode to the city of the Nawabs this biryani is filled with a medley of vegetables tossed in aromatic herbs, attar, saffron, and their signature biryani blend.

Covid Care: TRP makes sure their staff members have a mask on at all times along with regular temperature checks. They not just clean but sanitize their cutlery as well. They have sanitizers placed around and ensure a hygienic & happy environment for all their customers.

We would like to thank our attendant Omar Ali and Chef Gopal Singh for the wonderful time. We are certainly...

🚩 THE ROOFTOP PROJECT 🚩 This place is a hidden gem which pune has been blessed with , its right in the heart of the city and That's pune camp, Mg road.. This is an ideal place for couples, family, teenagers, friends and group. Had visited this place few days ago and i cannot stop praising it how beautiful this place is, would love to share my feed back with all of you!! So lets begin with the same.. 🔱FOOD🔱 1⃣KARARI MASALA ROTI This is basically a crispy huge rumali roti made in the form of Papad sprinkled with nice masala, lal mirch, chaat masala and etc.. 2⃣HARI MIRCH THECHA NAAN As the name goes its for sure having a nice spicy and chatakdaar taste naan, its for the first time i ever heard of something like this, the standard naan is all spreaded with green chilly thecha with added butter , and it was delish, we could just eat this as our starter... 3⃣GREEK SALAD Salad is healthy living it was beautifully presented and dressing of salad was quite impressive and tasted well having fresh exotic veggies .. 4⃣PANEER LABABDAR PLATTER It was beautifully presented main course platter having paneer lababdarr sabji accompanied with dal makhani with any kind of choice as per taste buds, roti, naan etc , also little bit of salad and 2 rolls of papad.. It was delish and nicely garnished with cheese having a perfect taste and nice spicy which met my taste buds perfect.. 5⃣AMRITSARI SOYA CHAAP Soya Chaap is a dish originating in South Asia It is traditionally small pieces of soya baked using skewers in a clay oven called a tandoor after marinating in spices and yogurt ..added with nice veggies, spices and herbs.. ⚛️MOCKTAILS ⚛️ 1⃣VIRGIN PALOMA Its one of the best mocktails i ever tried.. Has Pomogrenate, rock salt and few of the secret ingredient.. ✳️SUPER RECOMMENDED ✳️ We also tried classic Virgin mojito, monkey's kiss its mango flavour based mocktail. ⚛️DESSERTS⚛️ 1⃣ DECADENT CHOCOLATE MUD PIE this was was really delish in taste but would be better if would be a little baked more, felt like dough in middle, ths mudcake had balanced sweet and bitter choco taste it was accompanied with vanilla icecream!! 🔱AMBIENCE 🔱 when it comes to ambience this place truely deserves a 5 from my end, it is like a gem for puneites, firstly situated in heart of the city, after decades there has been a place like this opened on mg road, otherwise mg road was only famous for shopping, street food, marzorin, pasteurs or say budhani wafers, probably this is going to be one of the famous too in upcoming days being so pretty and peaceful ambience because of its rooftop, and ama, ing view of the city.. It feels so relaxing at late eveningz and nights.. The place is divided in two parts one is open side view of the city having standard high bar table chairs seating arrangements, because bar is on the same side Nd the other one is covershed, family crowd having standard normal chairs and tables seating.. They also have a separate PDR for capacity of 35-40 people.. ⚛️SERVICE⚛️ service is quick, gentle, polite, courteous and awesome.. ✳️OVERALL RATINGS ✳️ FOOD - 4⃣▪5⃣⃣ AMBIENCE -5⃣⃣ TASTE AND...