Loved The Food and The Food Loved Me Back

by Palak Sharma

George Bernard Shaw was apt right when he said "There is no sincerer love than the love of food." I've always loved to eat, and yet some food I've eaten linger in my memory long after I've licked the last speck from the plate. Why? I'm not exactly sure but that the spices tuck under my tongue and it's taste move in ways that long intrigues me. One such memory still afresh in my mind is an excursion to Udaipur- The Venice of India, that unearthed a plethora of tastes before my tongue, the food destination being UPRE. Since 1559 A.D. , the rooftop restaurant overlooking lake Pichhola is a real treat to watch. And add to it the poetry in recepie, music in spices, the whispers of garnishing and the regal splendour of ghee. This sense of completeness is truly amazing. UPRE has an ambience that lights you up instantly as you enter. 

I'm a vegan and a nonalcoholic too, so there wasn't much exploration for me to be done but the vegan's delight "Paneer" was something I would relish forever. The intricately woven spices in the gravies and the finely made ginger naan were seemingly the food of Gods themselves. The view overlooking the food made me realize that food isn't just food. Food is a thing of beauty. That preparation, that fragrance of spices, that wafting aroma-that just sweeps away depression, tiredness and name what you may. Jay Leno greedily said " soup is just a way of screwing you out of a meal." But food doesn't seem food without a bowl of soup. The tomato cream soup in the restaurant was the exact example of what one calls scrumptious. A taste to savour literally. The starter of Paneer Platter, followed by main course-Butter Paneer Masala, Veg Kofta, Malai Paneer, Butter and Ginger naan. Now if it comes to dessert I would go with Graham Kerr when he defined dessert as the perfect women: subtle, a little bittersweet, not blowsy and extrovert, delicately made up, not highly rouged, holding back, not exposing everything & of course with a flavor that lasts. And nothing is better than the all time delectable and yummy, the King of Indian Desserts-Gulab Jamun. Adding a little pinch of exotic sense to our Great Indian Diet was a cup of coffee the nectar of angels. Coffee has been fuelling us for centuries, pulling men and women into its embrace and never letting go. The Biker's Cafe Lounge at Chand pole, very near to UPRE, had the most pleasant-tasting Café Mocha in the world for sure. Black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, sweet as love, coffee is best defined by Sheikh-Abd-al Kadir as " common man's gold" where " like gold it brings to every person the feeling of luxury and mobility". Hence wrapped up our exploration of the deepest tastes and flavors of the Lake City on an indeed very happy note. Perhaps there could be a single taste that missed our hearts but on a complete note we found a mine of peppery, saporous, piquant, salty, gingery, toothsome and robust meal. After all Virginia Woolf was too honest when she said " One can't think well, love well, sleep well, if one hasn't dined properly".

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CHUSKI CHAI KI

by Neelima Jain

As a teenager I have always loved being woken up by the aroma of my favorite ginger tea. Tea was a platform where I bonded even closer to my parents. CHARCHA CHAI PAR became a daily routine before the day began. Never thought that growing up would mean separation from such small pleasures of life. Never thought that the daily hugs would turn into occasional visits to my own parents and CHAI ki CHUSKIYAN will never be the same. Things like such I always missed while working in Mumbai; just homesick and a longing for the morning tea and chatter with my mum. However, never know that there will come an event of SERENDIPITY. On an almost rainy day, while coming back from work, I saw something that not only was enticing with what it had to offer but also where it invited. A rooftop tea cafe called Almond Flower built in Andheri, Mumbai. I stopped my auto in the middle of the traffic and took my friend to the place. It had a nice soothing ambiance with old songs being played in the background. It evoked all my memories of how I used to enjoy listening to Dev Anand songs with my dad. My friend and I took off our footwear and sat on what was a comfortable floor seating. With the wind blowing through our feet, it added even more positive vibes as we scanned through the menu to order. Relaxing and soothing as the place was, the tea served to us was no less. I just relived my moments of a playful banter and a long chatter over my favorite cup of tea.

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The Day When Dosa Killed Rats.

by sneha amruth

I was doing normal until those cravings in me to eat Dosa doubled that evening. My taste buds felt deserted and waited to be savoured by scrumptious food. I couldn't go out to eat Dosa that evening because i knew the best Dosa i would get won't be available at that time. So, what i did was, i set my alarm to 2:30 AM and no i didn't have those multiple alarms set to wake me up as I'm not a morning person. That night i struggled hard to sleep and i ended up getting dreams in which world was made of Dosa. The alarm rang when i was about to savour a bite of Dosa( in my dreams ofcourse). No snooze required, i was instant to awaken my eyelids. I took a shower and woke my brother with two strong kicks. We both drove to Nampally station which is in Hyderabad, only a few kilometers away from my house. There is karachi bakery near Nampally station, and opposite to that is lane where my heart skips a beat and it is called Ram ki Bandi. We finally reached Ram Ki Bandi. The air was cold and stiff, my heart thumping in my ears as if it was to burst out, my lips almost dried as the cold air surrounded in my mouth. Ram ki Bandi, a famous road side food serving its lip-smacking butter idly, butter dosa and many other delicious items, only between 3 AM to 8 AM. It is one of the first late night eateries in the city and is rated 4.5 out of five on Zomato's ranking. People come here, from rags to riches, stand in queue to order, no matter how erratic the time is and that's what makes it more special show casing the demand of the heavenly savouring juicy appetizing butter dosa and many other varieties. That day i desperately waited while my mouth watered seeing him put the semi liquid upma onto the dosa with other magic ingredients and finally handed it over to me. Hot dosa coupled with darkness, a few streetlights flickering here and there and the chill weather made the dosa yummy even before i ate it. I managed to take a bite and my desperate taste buds savoured the juicy butter slowly revealing it's taste with every bite of the dosa. Me and my brother happily had the butter dosa and i killed the rats running in my stomach with a plate of butter dosa followed by butter idly. As we were leaving the place we saw a mother with almost torn cloths with a baby crying in her arms. I felt broken seeing their plight. I asked my brother to take a turn and we went to Ram ki Bandi again and got two butter dosa's packed and then went and gave it to that women. Nothing could satisfy me more than the happiness i saw in her eyes that day! 

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Fingerlicking south indian dishes at my vicinage

by Gurneet kaur

My favourite food destination  Finger licking southindian dishes at the tick of your clock…… What would you do when you lock yourself out of the house and your tummy is rumbling like cries of battle of rats and elephants? This is an occupational hazard which i do every now and then. The little secret is that i wholeheartedly cherish and welcome this. Because i get a chance to visit the bestest place on mother earth, obviously in my locality, to devour the amazing food of Madras Cafe. It is a small restaurant not very far from my place. A fresh and earthly aroma of curry leaves and spices engulf me as i enter here every time. I mean it literally and figuratively both. It is a humble place not very catchy and tacky. I feel like home here. The service is also good and the demeanor of the staff is friendly. Mysore masala dosa and uttapam are my most preferred and delicious dishes among the others what they offer. Coconut chutney with mindblowing sambhar just takes you to the third level. The best thing which i appreciate about the place is that everything here is prepared fresh. Yes i usually wait after putting my order but the ride of heaven after eating the food i take is worth it. As i am their regular customer so they treat me now with a gulab jamun as a token of their love. That is what we call icing on cake. Isn’t it! I would always like to come here because this would forever be my favourite food destination. 

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CITY OF JOINTS

by Abhishek Ghosh

The city of Joy is the hub of mouth-watering dishes (from street food to multiple cuisines) – the foodies’ paradise. As Kolkata is home to different cultures, various cuisines are appreciated. The city is flooded with numerous food joints. There are several food destinations, I make sure to check in, that are on my favourite-list. Be it the morning breakfast to dining, I aim to make the most out of my time to treat myself with the delicacies. The moment I step into my city I am engulfed by the aroma of the street food. My eyes, then, hunt for a food-stop to try-out the street foods. To start the day with a special breakfast one must visit the Chinatown of Kolkata. No, I am not referring to the new one that is located in Tangra. Territi Bazaar – the old Chinatown of Kolkata – is the right place to start your day with. The Chinese special breakfast, available from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., compels one to visit again after having once. Dim sums, momos, spring rolls, and sausages are available for the breakfast. Bao or Bau; freshly steamed or nicely fried, with pork and other heavenly filling, served with hot sauce is soothing and warm. The fish-ball soup is a must-have in the menu. With a pocket-pinch of Rs 100 per person, one gets to taste the king-size breakfast. A not-very-famous restaurant called Rosenberg, which serves Chinese cuisine is one of my favourites. When I enter the restaurant the smell of food doubles my hunger. It is one of the very few restaurants, I have seen, that qualify for the exact taste of Chinese dishes. Also it serves Mughlai dish. The ambience is apt for couples to celebrate anniversaries or special occasions. The music, fresh aroma surrounding the restaurant, candle-lights strikes the right chord to attract the love-birds. How can I not think of having Mughlai dish without which one does not deserve to be called a foodie? Biryani, a royal dish that age long back to the history, is such a palatable food that attracts the people to devour it. This special dish is made in almost all the occasions celebrated by the people in Kolkata. The Kolkata-style biryani is now considered to be on top of the list of various biryani styles. Oudh 1590, to me, is the best restaurant to serve Mughlai dish, especially biryani. I remember the last time I went to the eatery I had the recommended dishes-Raan biryani, Galawati kebab, Kakori kebab, and Shahi-tukda. The taste is just phenomenal. The interiors of the restaurant, exquisitely designed, evokes the days of Raj. The ambience, tantalizing smell, lights, architectural-designs of the walls, the elegant chairs and tables, even the beautiful plates and glasses mesmerize one by taking back to the times of the Mughal period. Oudh 1590 in all aspect is so palatial. It gives the feeling of entering a Mughal Palace. Why would this palace be not one’s favourite of all? In every aspect it has to be. Each time I leave the city for work, with all the sadness, I take along with me the sweet memories of savouring these dishes. Talking of the sweet memories I am reminded of the sweet shops in Kolkata, which makes the City of Joy special. Kolkata is famous for sweets. No sweet shop in the world can beat the taste of rasogolla of the sweets joint called Nabin Chandra Das. They were the ones to invent rasogolla. It is big, yet soft like a sponge, tastes so heavenly that one gets lost in the taste of it.

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The Pink City; Not so Pink afterall

• by Namya Mehra

For a young woman who was trapped in a 9 to 7 internship routine throughout summer, a long weekend in the pleasant month of August turns out to be a blessing in disguise. In order to get away from work pressure as well as academic blues, this woman (i.e. myself) chalked out a short trip to the ‘Pink City’ from August 20th until 22nd; in order to indulge in shear relaxation and exploration.

I did not wish to burn a hole in my pocket by booking an air ticket neither did I have enough time to take a 7 hour long train journey hence, I decided to drive down to the vibrant city of Jaipur. What next? Well, which hotel should I check in at? Honestly, I did not want to compromise on this front and wanted to relax at a hotel that in itself is an eye-candy even if I do not step out at all; hence I chose ‘Savai Mann Singh Rest Rooms’ by Taj, located right next to the Rambagh Palace.

Day 1

With an archaic yellow suitcase and 2 hand bags full of ‘Farsaan’ and ‘Aloo Puri’, my drive began at 6 in the morning and I had set foot in the hotel at 11AM, sharp.

Through the beautiful ‘Aravalis’ into the city of hues, it was a comfortable drive with no potholes on the roads and moderate sort of traffic. As I got the keys for room number 410, I entered a royal and beautiful room and because I had asked for a garden view, I spotted this beautiful peacock sitting right outside, probably waiting for his beloved before they could pull off a dance!

After some 10 minutes of being awestruck and a nap of about 2 hours, I went in for a quick swim in the hotel pool and ordered some lip-smacking pool side snacks to get rid of ALL the fatigue.

Later in the evening, I walked into the Rambagh Palace for a stroll and the shutterbug within my soul said ‘Time for some night light photography maybe?’ hence, I clicked these pictures – (Thanks to the weather for such a beautiful skyline though)

Post the photography hour, I thought to myself- ‘What does one need at the end of a long day? Good Food? Indeed’ And so, I ordered a special Rajasthani Thali for dinner which consisted of ‘Marwari Kadhi’, ‘Gatte Ki Sabzi’, ‘Nawab-e-Paneer’ and home cooked ‘Dal (Plus desserts, all for Rs. 800) and honestly, this thali tasted much better than what one would get at ‘Chokhi Dhani’ which is a Marwari style ‘village fair’ located at the outskirts of Jaipur.

Day 2

Being the OCD sort of person that I am, I booked an 8 hour cab for day two in order to explore all the heritage that I could within a day! Oh and not to miss, who wouldn’t want to hit the local markets in a city such as Jaipur? So the day began at 11PM and I quickly asked the driver to drive me down to the famous ‘Bapu Bazaar’ and neighbouring ‘Johari Bazaar’, both famous for Rajasthani craft items and jewellery.

The market was brimming with traditional looking earrings, neck pieces, bangles, bags, kurtas and of course ‘Jootis’. I ended up spending some 4K on shopping but the highlights of course were these ‘Jootis’ I bought for myself and my best friend.

Further, I took a pause for lunch at a local restaurant around 1.30 and then started for ‘Hawa Mahal’ around 2PM which is a palace situated right next to the Tourist Palace Market, so named because it was essentially a high screen wall built so the women of the royal household could observe street festivals while unseen from the outside. As I stood in front of this sandstone giant, I sensed wind in my hair and a storm of good vibes entered my cluttered head, thereby making me feel extremely peaceful.

The next heritage site on my checklist was ‘Jal Mahal’ which is a palace situated in the middle of the ‘Man Sarovar Lake’ which turned out to be a 20 minute ‘rainy’ drive from Hawa Mahal. As I got off from the car, the rain had stopped pouring and the sun was shining through the clouds; rays being filtered onto the structure as well as the surrounding hills and hence I started struggling for the perfect shot to capture on my camera.

As I clicked this picture and got back into the conveyance, the driver told me that all other heritage sites would close down by 3.30 which meant that we would not be allowed to go inside. I felt disappointed for a while but decided to strike off each site from my checklist even if that meant laying eyes on the monuments only from the outside and hence we then marched towards Amer Fort which is a principal tourist attraction in Jaipur.

I couldn’t stop staring at this wonderful structure and the complimentary sky line until the driver honked and asked me about my last destination which was ‘Albert’s Hall’.

‘The foundation of this museum was laid during the visit of the Prince of Wales in 1876 which today stands as a museum of Industrial Arts’ said the driver. Of course I couldn’t go in but, have you ever seen so many crows in one spot in Delhi/NCR ever? I was surrounded by their ‘caws’ for over half an hour and finally, I asked the driver to drop me off at the MI road for dinner.

Post meal, I headed to the hotel for a comfortable sleep as I had to leave for home the next morning.

There’s nothing better than home, but at times; different is good! All in all, the pink city indeed is a visual treat; it’s like food for the soul but pink? It’s not so pink after all!

Do visit this city, when in a desperate need for relaxation coupled with beauty!

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Truly God's own country!

• by Ferdina I

There was a chill in the air that evening. I had been waiting for this for over a month. A trip to God’s own country excited me and having my ten best friends beside me had the adrenaline pumping in my veins. The train journey felt like a lifetime because of how impatient we were to get to Wayanad, our destination. We reached Kozhikode at 4:30am the next day and we almost ran to the bus so that we can reach Wayanad just in time to catch the sunrise. And it was worth the hassle. The first rays of sunlight penetrating us boosted our energy levels, enough to get us through the packed day we had planned. We made a stop at a local tea shop and the owner’s malayali accent and hospitality was the cherry on top of the Special Sundae type morning we had experienced.

We were going to stay at Mint Flower Residency during our time in Wayanad. It was placed in a way that all the famous tourist spots were easily accessible. Though we didn’t stay at the hotel during the day, the nights there are definitely worth mentioning. Poker games with chocolates as substitute for money and charades with the hotel staff made us feel at home. Who knew you could feel at home in a foreign state? On our first day in Wayanad, we went to Sochipara Falls. It was a three tiered waterfalls and the water was piercing cold but just for minute and after that it loosened up every muscle and feeling the, what felt like polished rocks under our feet was divine. Countless pictures, splashing away the water at each other, convincing the ones who were too afraid to step into the water and moment of silence when we immersed ourselves underwater and let the elements of this beautiful place heal the scars of our busy city life made the trek to get to the falls seem like less tiring.

The next day we decide to trek the Chembra peak. I must say, it was a daunting experience. The only way up was the trail the previous trekkers had left. And it took over 2 hours to get to heart shaped pond which was the tourist attraction of that peak. But in my opinion, the journey to that lake was the attraction. Holding my best friend’s hand, a silent prayer on my lips and a careful step was all it took. Kudos to Reebok for saving my feet while trying to conquer this 2050m peak. Sitting at the top of the hill, drinking Kool Aid with my friends was definitely one of the top ten on my Bucket list. The list got shorter as the trip progressed. By the time the trek was over, our clothes felt looser and we all assumed that we had dropped a couple of pounds. So we had a grand meal to fix it. A Kerala meal with hot fish curry was to die for. We stopped by an exhibition and bought a few souvenirs too. Packing our bags to leave was the hard part. Wayanad is the kind of place that grows on you and you start making future plans to buy a house there as you watch it through the window in your bus, hoping your wish comes true.

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The Untold Mysteries of Goa

• by Swati Nair

I spent this birthday away with my family in Goa, unlike the usual drinking sessions with my friends.

We left the day before my birthday by flight and landed in Goa at noon. We checked in at 'L Hotel Eden' located in Panaji which is amongst the residential areas of Goa. This gave us a glimpse at the settled life in Goa and hence, taking walks to the beach was more pleasurable. It being our fourth trip here, we vowed to enjoy the trivial parts of it that usually goes unnoticed because of the frequently sought out "beach, babes and booze".

We vacated the hotel the next day and visited the small restaurants that cooked delicious fresh fish on our way to Agonda beach and checked in at 'Diva Bungalows'. The serenity of the beach left me spellbound!

The good food the beach side restaurants offered along with the captivating view of the vastly spread out beach made my day! I spent the entire two days by the beach, reading a book, getting a massage and playing with the stray dogs that were utterly friendly. It really taught me to live in the moment and that booze and parties were no way to appreciate life.

And hence, a commence to a wonderful yet different 21st.

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Up Above The World So High - Dhanaulti Trip

• by Shubham jain

A year back when I was in a dire need of break from the hot spell sun of Delhi, Dhanaulti healed all my burns with its pleasant temperature of about 7-15 degrees, even snowfall at times. I planned a family tour and drive all the way from New Delhi to Dhanaulti, It is a hill station situated in Uttrakhand, between Mussoorie and Chamba. It is at a distance of approx. 320 km from New Delhi.

Pic of mountains from my camera

On my Dhanaulti trip, I stayed in Hotel Crown plaza with my family that is situated at main road only. Many lounge are also present for an economical stay.

Dhanaulti has various attractions like Surkhanda Devi Temple, 2 Eco Parks, and Potato Farm.

Surkhanda Devi temple is at a distance of about 8 km from Dhanaulti and 2 km trek from the village Kaddu Khal. This is one of the famous temple in India, Initially the climb is tough but you can hire a horse ride for climbing up at a normal cost. People can worship Surkhanda Devi there and can halt for some time and enjoy the view of Himalayas and surrounding region.

Pic of Surkhanda Devi Temple

There are two eco parks Amber and Dhara which are about 200m apart. There is an entry fees of 25 rupees, visitors can also plant a sapling of tree for the memories. There are some kid’s rides in a mid-way to up of eco park, and a horse ride at a normal price. It’s a photogenic place as flora and fauna of the parks are amazing and are worth of going there.

Potato farm is a simple potato farm, also a sunrise view point. You can see how the potatoes are grown, and view from there will be the memorable view of visitor’s life.

Pic of potato farm

Dhanaulti is one of the best hill station to visit as there is always a pleasant temperature because it’s at a height of 2286m. Visitors can also plan a day trip to Old Tehri to see Asia’s biggest dam- Tehri Dam. It is at a distance of 50 km from Dhanaulti. It is also worth going there as visitors can go experience the working of such a huge dam. I went there and experienced the same.

My pic from Tehri Dam

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Up, Up and Away (North India tour)

• by Swati Nair

IT was during the mid of march 2015 that we left from Bangalore and caught a flight to Delhi. My parents and I had packed our bags for a ten day tour just the night before and was ready to embark upon the journey ahead of us.

Our relatives picked us up from the airport and we travelled in a cab to Haridwar, the holy temple city. The river Ganga enters the Indo-Gangetic Plains of North India for the first time at Haridwar, and hence making it one of the seven holiest places to Hindus. There is a crowd of people especially in the evening who gather there to flood the river with lights and dip themselves in. We took two days to visit the temples there and bunked in one of the guest houses.

On the third day, we left to Rishikesh located on the foothills of the Himalayas. The beaches are the best part of this place and water sports are its best attractions. The river at Rishikesh offers strong waves that makes river rafting more eventful. Also, the view of the mountains from the rafts is immaculate!

Our final destination was Mussoorie, a hill station that offers spectacular views. At this point, it gets very chilly but it's worth the travel. Taking long walks off-road will be an experience that speaks for itself. The Camel rock at Camel's back road would be the best pick. Auto Rickshaw or horse rides are available for those who are unable to do long walks.

We returned back to Delhi the morning after our stay at the next guest house and spent rest of our days visiting the monuments with a little bit of shopping. Of all the monuments, the Taj Mahal in Agra, Qutub Minar and Jama Masjid is a must visit. And for the thrill of bargain shopping, Palika bazaar and Sarojini Nagar were the two best spots. Connaught Place is preferable for those looking out for a posh market.

We ended the trip at my aunt's place with some quality time with the family and returned back to Bangalore on an evening flight. Back down to the Southern India which has its own varieties to offer.

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