Page 167 - UpperCrust e-Magazine Third Quarter 2024
P. 167
SIMPLY SAHYADRI | METRO
is not just their own history but also that
Mutton biryani Fried pomfret
of Panchgani that Prospect Hotel is a
custodian of.
What sets the place apart from its old-
word charm is the amazing food that is
offered. Four times a day. A hearty breakfast,
sumptuous lunch, evening tea in your own
cottage and a generous dinner. They have
it all. Chicken, mutton, fish and loads of
veggies. Indian, Parsi, Persian, Continental.
Though it is a non-vegetarian’s dream-
Mutton Dhansak with brown rice come-true kind of place, the vegetarians are
and kebabs
also looked after, abundantly well.
The dining hall which becomes the hub
at meal times, is the meeting place. Bathed
in a warm glow contributed by the red
laterite stone walls and polished furniture,
it is delightful. As much for its cosy feel
as for what lands up on the table. Fare
which is both substantial, wholesome and
delicious. My favourite dishes are Dhansak,
Dhan Dal Patio, Fish Fry, Sali Boti, Kheema
Salli Chicken
Pav, Berry Pulao. And every Conti soup they
ever make! For some reason one eats well
in Panchgani. It’s something in the air that
gets you hungry.
The kitchen comes under the purview of
the mistress of the house, Parvaneh. That’s
one good reason the place never slackens
in its pace. Parvaneh runs the kitchen, as
well as keeps an eye on the administration,
a tough job no doubt to look after all
those acres of land. Reserved and retiring,
Parvaneh will not be led into believing she
is responsible for all the compliments that
guests are gushing. “I am just a back room
girl,” she says.
Shahram, the boss, is a hardworking
man. An avid collector of antiques and all
things old, he is totally proud of Prospect.
“To most of our guests, this is a second
home. They are mostly regulars who come
every year. In fact, now it’s the second and
third generation guests who we welcome,”
says Shahram who studied at the prestigious
hotel management school, Les Roches
in Switzerland and who also worked in
banquets at Taj Mahal, Bombay. His young
son Adip, totally groomed in hoteliering
with an Oberoi Hotels background, now
runs shoulder to shoulder with his dad in
The antique gramaphone Table fans that still run
assuming charge.
JUL-SEP 2024 | UPPERCRUST | 165
