Fruit cream, Rane di Hatti, Lohgarh, Amritsar

Categories Food
rane di hatti lohgarh amritsar

Fruit cream. I am not sure how that is different from ice creams. There is that topping of fruits and sometimes fruit chunks can be found in the servings. But still, I am not conclusively sure how they are different. In Amritsar, there is a locality called Lohgarh. There are a few small shops that sell fruit cream, which may not be too distinctive but are delicious. There is a similar one in Daryaganj – Giani’s. It’s a small little shop that as far as…Continue Reading “Fruit cream, Rane di Hatti, Lohgarh, Amritsar” →

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Spring rolls and appendicitis

Categories Food
spring rolls

This is not a bad photo. This is the best spring roll in the world seen from my heart’s eye. If I were the last man on earth, stranded on a beach and the only hope for mankind, I will rather choke myself with sand than eat a spring roll. It is a lazy, disgusting, mindless recipe that has evaded evolutionary obliteration like the appendicitis. It is a wastage of cabbage, chicken, flour and the only purpose these all ingredients come together is to serve…Continue Reading “Spring rolls and appendicitis” →

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Sharma Sweet Shop, Amritsar and food marketing

Categories Food, Travel
sharma sweet shop gulab jamuns

A few days back, I got into this massive online brawl about gimmickry and marketing vis a vis substance when it comes to restaurants. A Delhi restaurant named Hotmess claimed itself to be the first aphrodisiac themed restaurant with the standard regular menu of burgers, pizzas and mezze platters and blah blahs and duhs. Paid bloggers and partisanship snuffed a debate that could have led to something. Anyway, here is me dipping a naked toe into the beehive again. A few years back, we were…Continue Reading “Sharma Sweet Shop, Amritsar and food marketing” →

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Let’s Fork Food Truck, Dwarka

Categories Food
food truck dwarka

This one just came out of nowhere in Dwarka. There are no trucks nearby, it is not even close to a food lane. I had my eyes on them for a while and finally gave in last night. There for an in-between meal, we ordered only a chicken schezwan noodles and a veg maggi. The noodles were thin, there was a generous amount of chicken, and came with a side serving of sauce. The maggi had none of the tomato and dhania. It had garlic,…Continue Reading “Let’s Fork Food Truck, Dwarka” →

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Metropolis Bar & Hotel, Paharganj

Categories Delhi, Food
metropolis bar restaurant paharganj

Metropolis is a victim in Paharganj. It stands a little far from the crowd, right at the entrance, a little aloof and arrogant. May be, that’s why people hate it. Reading the reviews on Zomato, I almost decided not to walk in. Thank satan, I did. The restaurant is small, built like an alcove of an afterthought within the hotel. There are two rows of tables divided by wide pillars. It is certainly not pretty. The lights are not dim but not too bright either,…Continue Reading “Metropolis Bar & Hotel, Paharganj” →

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Cooking with bhang

Categories Food
bhang chutney

Bhaang ki chutney. I get an almost happy high from hearing the name, but sadly, the cook who prepared it in the hills said they don’t have any effect. They were made from the seeds. Even then, the chutneys were interesting. One was a paste and the other was dry roasted with garlic and chili and crushed. First, I am not sure why they were not using the leaves which were in abundance around the property. Second, why don’t we get bhaang seeds or leaves…Continue Reading “Cooking with bhang” →

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Taste of Korea, Le Meridien, Gurgaon

Categories Food
bibimbap le meridien gurgaon

We travel the we way we eat. Some stick to known paths, known sights and some will always prefer the unknown. In both food and travel, we have become a little more experimental. Otherwise, a Korean food fest at a Gurgaon restaurant would have been a loss making idea. And, no one likes to make losses. This is one event I didn’t want to miss. Korean food fest at Latest Recipe at Le Meridien, Gurgaon. I have never had Korean food before, apart from the…Continue Reading “Taste of Korea, Le Meridien, Gurgaon” →

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Office ke neeche kya hai – Part 5 – Sattu

Categories Food
sattu wala delhi

I don’t remember the first time I had sattu. The version I had is called chhatua in Odia. It is made of poha, chana, wheat and some new versions come premixed with dry fruits. In Delhi, I first saw them around Kashmiri Gate and Chandni Chowk. But that was watered down version of the one pictured here. Noida seems to have far too many litti vendors, so sattu should not be a surprise. This guy’s cart was as clean as a cart can be, while…Continue Reading “Office ke neeche kya hai – Part 5 – Sattu” →

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Musa bhaina paan shop, Khurda, Odisha

Categories Food, Travel
paan shop odisha

I was driving to Satkosia crocodile reserve and spotted this by the roadside when the traffic was slow. The name of the shop is ‘musa bhaina paana dokana’ which literally translated would mean mouse brother paan shop. Anyway, the shop looked interesting, colourful and alone under a huge tree and there was enough space to park by the roadside. So, we stopped. Apparently, the shop specializes in raja meetha paan, but that almost means nothing. Raja is a monsoon welcoming festival that lasts only three…Continue Reading “Musa bhaina paan shop, Khurda, Odisha” →

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Banaras Ka khana, 361, Oberoi, Gurgaon

Categories Food
malaiyyo banaras

Banaras is one city that has always scared me more than it has attracted me. So many travel blogger friends have written about it, so many friends say it is worth one visit at least etc etc. But the dirt, religiosity and the crowds have somehow upset the pull of amazing food that I have learnt the city has. So, when a friend invited to her curated event on Banaras ka Khana, I was glad that I won’t have to visit the city anymore. By…Continue Reading “Banaras Ka khana, 361, Oberoi, Gurgaon” →

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Mango orchard trip

Categories Food
mango orchard trip delhi

This is the time to plan the trip. Most mango orchard tours would start within a month. It will be great if we can make a list of orchards that allow visitors. From Delhi, you can go to Rataul or Unchagaon, as far as I know. Have you ever been to an orchard? At least, plucked a mango from a tree?

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Dirty Apron, The Piano Man Jazz Club, Safdarjung Enclave Market

Categories Food
seafood chowder dirty apron delhi

I had never been to this market. Never been to the Deer park in front of it. Yup, even after 15 years in the city, there are areas that are completely new to me. Anyway, there is this whole building with multiple restaurants that are with the same owner. So, you will still have to settle separate bills but you can hop between the lovely rooftop, the proper restaurant (Dirty Apron), an upcoming cake place and a live music with drinks place. Then, there is…Continue Reading “Dirty Apron, The Piano Man Jazz Club, Safdarjung Enclave Market” →

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Evergreen, Dwarka

Categories Food
evergreen dwarka delhi

The only Evergreen I knew was in GK. And, I had been there once in half a lifetime. Parking was always an issue and I avoided the place. My only recurring brush with the outlet were the sweets that someone or the other brought over. The kaju katlis were supposedly too good. I didn’t find them extraordinary. Anyway, they have a bigger outlet in Dwarka which has ample parking, during the mornings or when it is too sunny for people to come out. So, I…Continue Reading “Evergreen, Dwarka” →

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Kylin Premier, Ambience Mall

Categories Food
kylin premier delhi

I went there when the Dine Fest was on. Always seemed too expensive to me otherwise. During the Dine Fest, they had a fantastic menu for just Rs600 plus taxes per head. You could order 4 items, the portion sizes were smaller than regular, but more than enough for an average person and a steal for the price. The Dine Fest is over. So, why am I writing about it now? First, you can be alert when then next one comes. Second, the restaurant is…Continue Reading “Kylin Premier, Ambience Mall” →

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The corner tea shop

Categories Food
tea shop delhi noida

The corner tea shop. It is like a barometer of snacking habits. In odisha, every tea shop will have twenty glass bottles, each filed with a different kinds of local biscuits and cakes and rusks. I have never seen such well stocked tea shops anywhere else. In delhi, most such stalls are for cigarettes and chips. They dont even have tea. The tea shops have only samosa and bread pakoda. What do tea shops in your area sell?

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Taco Bell, Vasant Kunj

Categories Food
taco bell delhi

Okay, somehow, it has come to occur that I have not written much about fast food places. I love fast food, I can’t have enough of them, I would love to eat burgers and fries all day long and die early. But, somehow, none of this has shown on the page. So, I am correcting that. I am confessing that I love Taco Bell. The place does not look like a fast food place, is never too crowded, is not bright but standard looking and…Continue Reading “Taco Bell, Vasant Kunj” →

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Just Vada Pav, Katwaria Sarai

Categories Food
just vada pav delhi

I am glad about the number of vada pav outlets that have opened in Delhi. And, they are good too. I wrote about the WoW vada pav recently. Then came across this small place in katwaria sarai. It’s on the main road, near the bus stop. The vada pavs are cheap, priced around 30 bucks, the two I tasted were very good and they have a dabeli on the menu too. The dabeli was not the kickass version that I had in Nagpur, it was…Continue Reading “Just Vada Pav, Katwaria Sarai” →

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Bhelpuri vendor, North Campus, Delhi University

Categories Food
bhelpuri guy north campus

Every campus has a few iconic places. Places that work as landmarks. The bhelpuri guy in front of Hindu College, now more towards DSE, is one such guy in North Campus of Delhi University. During my student years, there used to be another old man in front of Arts Faculty, dressed in spotless white kurta and pajama, he was favorite of the two bhelpuri guys in the campus. Now, there is only this one. The bhelpuri does not have the kick that I love in…Continue Reading “Bhelpuri vendor, North Campus, Delhi University” →

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Daitchi, South Ex

Categories Food
tom kha daichi south ex

Sometimes, you just don’t want to plan to go out. Sometimes, you don’t want to go to a new place. Sometimes, an old place would just do. Or, just the place that’s two steps away from where you are standing. And, we were standing in South Extension. The place has seen better days. No one goes there to eat anymore. So, it will unfair to ask you to. But if you are around, don’t open Zomato or drive anywhere else. There is this really old…Continue Reading “Daitchi, South Ex” →

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Amla Barfi from Pratapgarh

Categories Food
pratapgarh amla barfi

Came face to face with this sweet little thing in office today. A new joinee from Pratapgarh shared these sweet, gooey, sticky, soft but non stretchy amla barfis. A very mild taste of amla, though. I didn’t even know where Pratapgarh was till five minutes ago. As a friend informed, the barfi is  a byproduct of amla processing.  Pratapgarh has extensive amla plantations and amla processing units. When they make amla candy or other amla products, a lot of amla flavoured sugar syrup is produced and…Continue Reading “Amla Barfi from Pratapgarh” →

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