First visit to the much spoken about Flying Duck in Pune and it was a good one. Had been hearing about this eatery for quite a while now, thanks to photos and reviews all over social media so a visit was in order.
The place
We planned to visit on Tuesday, only to realise they’re closed that day, so eventually Thursday it was. Flying Duck is quite a small joint with 6 tables and a seating capacity of around 24. It’s better to make a reservation regardless of weekday/weekend. You’re likely to be disappointed if you just land up there hoping to get a table.
On the flip side, a small joint also means personalised attention from the owner, as was the case here. Alakesh was quite enthusiastic and forthcoming with suggestions.
A delightful meal
The Pork Chops here come highly recommended, so that was a no-brainer – also the main reason we’d come over. They don’t serve alcohol yet, so Lemon Ice Tea seemed as good a drink as any on a hot summer day in May.
We also ordered the Smoked Pork with Bamboo Shoot which was a good change, and tasty. We ended up nibbling at it through most of the meal.
The Quail with Sauce and Butter Rice was next, and this was the first time I’ve tried quail, so it was quite an interesting experience. The meat was good and tender and our already messy hands got messier as we got to work on it.
All the dishes were superb, and we could see why the Pork Chops here are such a hit. Ticked all the right boxes though could’ve been a tad less spicy. However, all of us unanimously agreed the highlight of that particular evening was easily the Duck with Rice and Legume Sauce.
Even Alakesh seemed somewhat surprised that anything could surpass the Pork Chops, but that’s how it was. The second time I was having duck, and it was cooked beautifully and that legume sauce only made things better.
Pricing was VFM
Best part – the prices. For all this food, the cost worked out to just ~ Rs. 500 per person, which is absolute bang for the buck! There are several other interesting dishes on the menu so we will need to plan a visit again for sure. The quality of food and the prices together easily make Flying Duck one of the must-try places in the eating out scene in Pune.
What to keep in mind
If you’re looking to head there, just remember:
a) they’re closed on Tuesday
b) there are only six tables so make a reservation to avoid a long wait
c) they don’t accept credit cards (yet), luckily we had enough cash to cover the tab
The last bit is especially important since there don’t seem to be too many ATMs in that area, so carry sufficient cash to avoid doing the dishes later 😉
Update: Things have changed since our first visit and they’ve moved to a bigger and better location (next to IBC), so there are no seating or payment issues now 🙂
Flying Duck
Shop No.12/13, D, Park Grandeur,
Balewadi High Street, Balewadi,
Pune, 411045
Tel: 78755 90666
