Lavasa Visit Aug 2009

Looks like Hindustan Construction has finally seen the light. After hyping Lavasa as a very upper class resort, the realities of creating a township are catching up with the promoters. Lavasa is facing flak from various activists including Medha Patkar for everything from questionable land acquistion deals to diversion of water from Khadakvasala dam. These PILs are finding their way to the Supreme Court.

Be that as it may, the work at Lavasa is going on at a brisk pace with hardhats all over the site. Speaking of hardhats, portions of the roof of Hotel ITC Fortune have flown off. You'll need a hard hat visiting that hotel!

An American Diner, Waterfront Shaw has opened up in the Porto Fino lookalike promenade. Obviously they are banking on people wanting to dine on a burger looking over the water. Their service apartments are also ready. Rs. 5,000 a night. To eat at ITC Fortune, you have to book in advance.

We booked a table for 13 at Ekaant for lunch on Sun. 26th July. Always dicey booking a table when a buffet is on. We got to ours at 3.15pm and there was hardly any food left. Lots of dissatisfied people in the group. But Xavier D'Souza, the new F&B Manager and the Chef Vikram Ambike apologised profusely. Obviously the people ahead had big appetites. But the non veggies got their fill of prawn curry, a very tasty chicken and super mutton sukkha (tho it was not really very dry). The jalebis were hot but the rabadi was too much like basundi. Mindful of the bad mood of our group who felt shortchanged, Xavier took a decision which will stand his restaurant in good stead for years to come. He offered to waive the entire bill including food and drinks. We protested that while generous, it was not called for. We offered to accept a discount. Finally we settled midway. The lunch was free and we paid for the liquor.

I've always been impressed by the food served at Ekaant and this particular gesture on Xavier's part turned a bad situation into a win win for them. Had he not given the lunch free, we'd have gone back with bad memories and passed the word around. Instead, while not excusing the lack of food, we are more understanding of their difficulties. And none of the 13 would hesitate to recommend Ekaant. My advice to Xavier was that he should never accept a booking of more than 4 persons. I still think it's the best buffet in Pune.

Lavasa in it's full page ad in the 4th Aug 2009 issue of Times of India have announced apartments for rent from Rs. 500 to Rs. 3,000, sale of apartments from Rs. 5 lacs to 15 Lacs and villas from Rs. 50 lacs.

I hope all legal issues will be resolved and Lavasa will happen. If it does, it'll be the best township in India. Of that I've no doubt. It'll be the only township without garbage lying on the streets, illegal constructions, jhuggies and jhopdies, polluting industries and the other banes of urban living.

Come 2012, I look forward to moving to Lavasa.

If anyone needs a caretaker for their villa, I'm available :)