Say M for... 

Say M for... 

It takes two minutes to cook, is found everywhere, pocket-friendly and DELICIOUS! No prizes for guessing, we can hear a huge a shout-out for Maggi. As a six year-old I had written a poem dedicated to my favourite noodles, which was much appreciated by my family, friends and teachers at school. I have an eternal and an inseparable bond with the swirling, hot and delicious snack. At 27, although I have made a few modifications to that poem, the feeling and my love for the instant noodle remains. 

Whether you are a five-year-old or in your 20s, a busy working professional or a grandparent in your 60s, most of you must have been touched by the charm of Maggi. The noodle snack has immense popularity which has seen the emergence and growth of Maggi points cooking it in different styles to suit the taste buds of Maggi lovers.

Relatively new in the city, my love for Maggi took me to different parts of Pune to dig out the best places serving the lip-smacking dish. From simple Maggi to Masala, Egg, Chicken, Mutton, Cheese, Schezwan, Curry and other exciting variants, the flavours just blew me away. You can take your pick: 

EVERY STUDENT’S DESTINATION
When you talk about Maggi joints, how can you not talk about Good Food’s located at Law College Road? This humble joint is perhaps one of the most visited and best Maggi places in the city and everyone, from students to professionals, rave about the number of variants they offer. 
Under the vegetarian section they have Masala Magic, Schezwan Magic, Masala Vegetable, Cheese Masala Magic, Buttter Magic, Schezwan Curry, Veg Atta Magic, Double Cheese Magic Butter and so on. And if you are a non-vegetarian, you are in for a real treat here because right from Chicken Masala, to Chicken Cheese, Chicken Butter, Chicken Double Butter, Chicken Cheese Curry, Chicken Schezwan Cheese, Chicken Schezwan and so on, they have everything you crave for.  
Varsha Goel, a law student, says every time she misses home, she heads to Good Food’s as the flavours and tastes remind her of how her mother made Maggi at home. “No matter how old you grow or which city you live in, your love for Maggi remains unchanged. My mom makes 20 different types of Maggi and Good Food’s makes more than that and that’s the reason I keep coming back to it. Each flavour is distinct and each style yummylicious,” says Goel. 

The place is open between 10 am and 8.30 pm. All the dishes are priced between Rs 50 and 150 with Rs 20 for extra butter and cheese.

A PARADISE FOR IT PROFESSIONALS
“Apni Maggi sabko bahut pasand hai (everyone likes my Maggi),” claims Akash  Gondte, who, along with his wife Nanda, runs Akash Catering and is known for making some amazing variants of Maggi. Located on Bhau Patil Road opposite Pune IT Park, his cart has been serving Maggi for years. Right from 8 am, you can see groups of IT professionals, students and even residents of that area flocking to his cart. While some like to sit there and enjoy it with a cup of coffee or with an omelette, those in a hurry take parcel and relish it at home. 

Says Gondte, “I have kept the price nominal and the portions are big, so it is equivalent to having a heavy breakfast. Those working at IT Park are my regular customers, but people from Khadki, Pimpri, Dapodi and Aundh also come to enjoy my Maggi. Although the different variants are Egg, Vegetable, Cheese and Double Cheese Maggi, but Masala Maggi has a huge demand,” says Akash who is in the catering business for the last 40 years and also sells Bread Omelette, Pav and other snacks. 

Next to Gondte’s cart is another Maggi stall named White ‘n’ Yellow  run by a South Indian couple in their late 40s. About White ‘n’ Yellow, Sourabh Dasgupta, a software developer working at IT Park, says, “Their Maggi is the best I have ever had, even better than what we get in Salt Lake (Kolkata). I love the Cheese Maggi which has the right balance of Maggi Masala and the flavour of additional masala added to it. The cheese enhances the flavour and makes it more heavenly.”

Both the stalls remain open from 8 am to 11 pm, and their starting price for Maggi is Rs 30 a plate. 

KOLHAPURI VARIETY ANYONE? 
Just like a traveller’s story is incomplete without photographs, a Maggi lover’s search for the best Maggi eateries in  Pune is incomplete without relishing a plate full of the delicious snack served at K Anna Maggi Point near Ragvilas Society in Koregaon Park and posting pictures on Instagram. 

One of the most famous Maggi points in the city and also listed in Zomato, it serves almost 700 plates Maggi a day. Run by Narsimha Panmore, who is fondly called Maggi Anna, this place has been the Mecca for Maggi lovers for more than 15 years now. If you want to enjoy a humble roadside meal and have a hearty conversation, Anna offers both and if you are a regular, he’ll remember your name. The speciality of Anna’s Maggi is that it marries the flavour of Maggi Masala with Indian spices to create magic with flavours. 

“He serves all varieties of Maggi which you would get at other centres, but not having Anna’s Kolhapuri Maggi is a sin. It is something you wouldn’t find anywhere else in the city. If you love spicy food with a twist, this is a real treat for you, but those who cannot consume hot food, can request for cheese,” says working professional Sayali Ranade. 

The place is open between 7 am and 6 pm, and the starting price for Maggi dishes is Rs 60. 

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