A few days ago, I had a very expensive lunch. Beer, two courses and no dessert the bill came to a staggering Rs 6,000 for two. No, I wasn’t on Wall Street chewing gold-plated hamburgers (that would have cost more). We were in Mumbai, on a normal weekday lunch, with a friend who had just... Continue Reading →
So I finally had it. Fugu Sashimi, the deadliest food known to mankind. Fugu, the Japanese name for the much-discussed, much-poisonous puffer fish, actually does puff up - it can in fact become a nearly spherical ball of a fish by filling itself with air or water. Its quite a dramatic looker, and quite the... Continue Reading →
There's something magical about charcoal. Light it up slow, put pretty much any foodstuff on it and you'll soon have a line of people trying to persuade you to take their money. There's the ubiquitous corn cob (American or desi), roasted on the coals and then lathered with butter and nimbu. Then there's peanuts, seekh... Continue Reading →
The nooks of Mumbai hide corners that only cyclists can find. And one of those corners is a cafe that offers free coffee to cyclists. Its also got free wireless and lots of free friendliness. Its in the second lane behind Rhythm house, right across from Trishna. Kala Ghoda Cafe opened only about a week... Continue Reading →
Tucked away inside the InOrbit Shoppers Stop is a gourmet Hypercity outlet, with lots of canned and fresh food for sale but also a deli. Its a wonderful ambience. Here you are, sitting on barstools at a counter, surrounded by food, and being served freshly prepared meals from the top-of-the-line ingredients on sale there. You... Continue Reading →
Lucknow's famous kabab's are not easy to get in Mumbai. I've already talked about some restaurants in Lucknow in Mumbai, Lucknow and Smoke and Lucknow Again but a new entrant has now made the list. Of all places, a roadside eatery outside my office catering mainly to Mindspace's call-centre hordes has started selling Kakori kababs... Continue Reading →
In the days when I used to frequent trains, one of the (parentally unapproved) food items available at Asansol station was the Litti. Laloo has spread Litti Chokha across the railway network, on trains as well as stalls in railway stations across the country. Litti is essentially a ball of dough baked in the dying... Continue Reading →
Walking to the Madh Island ferry one evening, I came upon this brightly lit sweetshop selling red, round pakoras that did not look like anything I'd seen before. The ever-friendly shopkeeper told me they were cabbage pakoras (not the usual cauliflower), and shelling out five rupees made me proud owner of five of those balls.... Continue Reading →
I've already written about my search for Kolkata-style Kati Rolls in Mumbai; here's the map to help you find them. And lets not forget New York. The Kati Roll Company fuelled many of my parties, while Roomali was a lunch staple. Indian Bread Company served excellent tea along with decent rolls and a was a... Continue Reading →
I've been trying to eat healthy, as usual, so I go looking for steamed dishes on restaurant menus wherever I can find them. This entry is less about healthy or lightly cooked food as particularly about 'steamed' food. The king of steamed in India is undoubtedly the idli. Mumbai is chock-a-block with udipis chrning out... Continue Reading →
The Well Fed Bong 