What do you do when you are bored with the regular “Desi Khana” and want to have something different, something that is not so “Desi”? You list down the best restaurants in town that serves anything other than “Desi Food” and start planning to visit those places ASAP. So, last Sunday after a cancelled movie date in Season’s Mall, Pune, with nothing to do in hand, me my guy decided to have lunch somewhere nearby. This is when we came across TGI Fridays which is located at the 3rd floor of that very mall. My guy told me that the restaurant serves good American food and because I wanted to take a break from the regular “Desi Khana”, we both decided to give it a try.
What: T.G.I. Friday’s
Where: Seasons Mall, 3rd Floor, Magarpatta City, Pune
Pocket Pinch for 2: 2400 approximately (without alcohol)
Timings: 12 PM-12 AM
Must Try Dishes: Don’t forget to try out the newly launched “Born in the USA” Platters.
My experience: As we went in we were greeted by the manager Mr. Sumit who asked us where we wanted to get seated. There were both indoor and outdoor seating arrangements with separate smoking zone. We decided to sit outdoor because the weather was lovely. Few minutes later a guy came to us and introduced himself. He gave us the menu book and we decided to start with the cocktails. We ordered an “Ultimate Mojito” and a “Classic Signature Mojito”. Both the drinks had a perfect combination of lemon juice and soda topped with fresh mint leaves and ice cubes. The drinks were very refreshing.
Classic Signature Mojito
For starters, we ordered “Half Roasted Cayenne Pepper Chicken”. The chicken pieces were well seasoned with different herbs and spices and was roasted to perfection with the cayenne pepper adding a spicy twist to the dish. It was served with crispy French fries along with a side of sweet pineapple sauce.
Half Roasted Cayenne Pepper Chicken
The chicken was roasted to perfection from outside while the inside was quite tender and juicy. The sweetness of the pineapple sauce complimented well with the spiciness of the cayenne pepper chicken. We also ordered “Ultimate Friday’s Nachos”. The Nachos were crisp garnished with fresh veggies and cheese, topped with a dollop of sour cream. We found its taste to be bland. However. the dish looked great.
Ultimate Friday’s Nachos
Moving on, we ordered “Chicken Caesar Salad” which had shredded chicken tossed in tangy Caesar sauce and fresh Lettuce with a garnishing of Parmesan cheese served with side of bread toast.
Chicken Caesar Salad
To quench our thirst, we ordered another round of cocktails. This time, I decided to go with “Ultimate Margarita” for me which was a regular margarita topped with fresh-cut lime and orange. The drink had excess lime which turned it very sour in taste. The guy ordered “Bourbon Smash”. The Bourbon Smash was a combination of Jack Daniels and cranberry juice, topped with lots of crushed ice, fresh lime and mint leaves.
Left: Ultimate Margarita Right: Bourbon Smash
Finally, it was time for the main course, first we ordered “Crispy Jalapeno Stuffed Chicken”. It came with crispy fried chicken topped with Jalapeno with a side of mashed potatoes and broccoli au gratin. Though the chicken was quite crispy from outside but on the inside, it wasn’t so appetizing.
Crispy Jalapeno Stuffed Chicken
So, for the next order, we decided to give a break to chicken dishes and ordered “Alfredo Garden Fresh Pizza” which was the only veg item that we had there. I personally loved the crispy thin crust pizza which came with lots of cheese topping with finely sliced zucchini, chopped chillies, basil and olives.
Alfredo Garden Fresh Pizza
Next, we ordered a dish from their seafood menu, it was “Almond Crusted Fish and Jalapeno Shrimps”. This was my favorite dish among all. It came with almond crusted crispy sole fish fillet served with flavoured rice and a side of sautéed shrimp in a gravy of creamy jalapeno, garlic, red pepper and lemon-butter sauce.
Almond Crusted Fish and Jalapeno Shrimps, my favorite!
Next it was time for the much-awaited dish, which Mr. Sumit and other staffs of TGI Friday’s recommended us. It was a dish from the newly launched “Born in the USA” menu. There were 3 platters on offer: “the Boss Platter”, “Chesapeake Bay Seafood Platter” and “the Texas Platter”. We ordered the “Texas Platter” and no doubt it was huge.
Presenting: The Texas Platter!!
The platter consisted of Bacon wrapped in Shrimps in skewers, juicy sliced Fajita Tenderloin and fried chicken steak in country gravy served with garlic bread, corn cob with sides of TGIF signature sauces and Cajun Onion rings. One such platter can easily serve 3-4 people and the pocket pinch is between 1-2k which means when you go in a group of 4-5 people, it won’t be very heavy on the pocket but it’ll surly satisfy your hunger.
A meal is incomplete without deserts. So, we ordered a “Mini Dessert Platter” consisting of mini delights of Chocolate Oreo, Mocha Latte, Snickers Treat, Strawberry Parfait and Tropical Delight.
Mini Dessert Platter
To end with we ordered “Pineapple Rum Cheesecake”. The cake was baked to perfection from outside giving it a slightly crisp outer coating and as we spooned in, the pineapple flavoured cheesecake literally oozed out.
Pineapple Rum Cheesecake
After the cake, we had no place in our tummy accommodate any more food. We decided to ask Mr. Sumit to take us for a tour around the restaurant. Though it was a Sunday afternoon, we could see a lot of people coming in. Check out the pictures below to have an idea about the place.
The Decor
We really liked the funky décor of the place. It was a Sunday well spent and we are looking forward to another visit there soon.
Rating: 4/5
Final Verdict: We loved most of the dishes that we had there, right from the starters to the lip smacking desserts. The service was also prompt. We’d definitely recommend everyone to check out this place and try out the variety of dishes on offer if you haven’t already. T.G.I. Friday’s, has 11 restaurants in India operating from noon to midnight, so come in anytime in between.
*I was invited by the restaurant to try out their food menu, however, my views expressed here are honest and unbiased*
