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Pastas, Guacamole and more

Chez Christophe, Gokarna Beach, Gokarna

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Teas of Gokarna

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Masala Fried Pomphret

Munchies, Kudle Beach, Gokarna

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Sea Food (Calamari & Prawns) Pizza 

La Pizzeria, Kudle Beach, Gokarna

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Spices of Gokarna

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Chilli Calamari and Kingfish Tikka

Namaste Cafe, Gokarna

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Mushroom Bunny Chow

145 Kala Ghoda, Mumbai

Even if you are vaguely familiar with Southern Mumbai or SoBo as they call it, you must have seen the iconic Rhythm House music shop in Kala Ghoda. The shop is closed now but right next to it on the first floor is the popular bar, Cafe 145 Kala Ghoda. Getting a place here at nights is a task in itself. Having returned once unsuccessfully, this time I went in the early evening hours with my sister, whom I was showing around Southern Mumbai because that’s what you show when somebody comes to the city.

The name of the place, written with splashed red paint on the front windows gives a feel of how this place would be. The place is kept with a grungy, unfinished look, a nice trick that restaurant owners are using quite a lot these days that achieves the dual purpose giving the place a theme and saving on finishing costs while doing so. Walls having exposed bricks with just a layer of white wash and plaster squirted here and there. Clunky tin containers to hold bills and stuff. Vintage window panes that all of this side of Mumbai has.

What I particularly wanted to try here was the Bunny Chow. If you notice, people all around the world have their own versions the ways in which bread and it’s accompaniments can be combined: 

If you put all your stuffing between two layers of bread, you get a burger or a sandwich, the Western style of eating

If you keep the bread and stuffing separately, break a piece of bread and dip it in some gravy, that’s the Indian style of eating

If you stuff everything in a big hollow sphere of bread, cut the top bit off for an opening and let the eater figure out himself how to eat it, that’s the South African way of eating, called the Bunny Chow

The Navratris had just begun and I reserve these days for vegetarians stuff that exists, which I ruthlessly ignore in other parts of the year. Also, my sister is crazy about mushrooms so we called for the Mushroom Bunny Chow. A ball of bread arrived, containing matrix of nicely cut tender mushrooms inundated with lots of creamy cheese. If properly prepared, any such concoction would be treat and that’s what it was. There was also a butter chicken version of it, and I’m sure it would be even better than this. Next time, perhaps.

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Chicken Nizami Kebab & Kepsa Biryani

Persian Darbar, Mumbai

I love festivals, festivals of any religion for that matter. And one major aspect of festivals that I particularly indulge upon is the food. This Eid, since I was in Mumbai and I sought to check out the famous Irani restaurant in Byculla - The Persian Darbar.

The darbar is a 4-storey restaurant cozily tucked under the flyover next to the Byculla station. Each of its floor has it’s own theme using lavish Persian decors. Though congested, as with most places in Mumbai, all the upholstery and other works serve to give a royal feel to the place.

We took our place on the first floor balcony, looking over this huge chandelier that’s welcomes you as you enter. To begin, I called for some Nizami Kebabs. For the mains, I didn’t give much thought and ordered the Kepsa Biryani, having heard its name so much.

Nizami Kebabs are a particularly simple dish but is loaded with aromatic spices and cream. The preparation was extraordinary with the right amount of tenderness and as you can see in the photograph, the luscious kebabs are grilled precisely to achieve the correct shades of brown, red and yellow. But the best part was the chutney they served with it. A mix of sweet and sour, a hint of spice and one of the best I’ve ever had.

The Kepsa biryani arrived in a huge steel plate, the long sleek rice grains having the yellow color of dum biryanis that I especially like. The waiter served us by taking in appropriate measures of rice and masala, which synergised to impart a taste I’ve encountere only in a couple of biryanis before.

On the whole, I highly recommend this place and I myself would be going to this place again, especially to try the raan delicacies they have here.

9/10

[nijansh]

Chicken Shakshouka with Cheese & Waffle Sundae

SandwichworkZ - The Fusion Street Cafe, Ahmedabad

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Butter Garlic Prawns & Chicken Sizzler 

Cafe Universal, Mumbai 

 My second weekend in Mumbai and I was invited by Meenu Mousi and Roshan Mousaji to go out with them. Mumbai offers so many options that people like them who are well-versed with everything about Mumbai were confused as to where we should go. Then we landed in Cafe Universal, which wasn't a bad choice. Established in 1921 as mentioned on then menu, this is one of the many places owned and run by Parsis since generations. It has a wide range of people coming in from foreign tourists to native East Indians to people such as us. You can witness the Victorian style architecture inside with wooden purlins and wooden brackets supporting them. You can sit by one of many doors and get a view of the street, or sit anywhere and see empty beer bottles of almost every major brand around the world. The day's speciality had butter garlic prawns so we ordered one of those along with chicken wings and beer. Later on, we ordered a chicken sizzler. The prawns were one of the good ones I've had till now, soft with the right amount of succulency brought by the butter garlic sauce. The sizzler, a concoction of rice, chicken, lots of veggies and top with a generous amount of fries dipped in sauce, made for a good main course. On the whole, the experience was good with the place offering a nice feel of Southern Mumbai. But this city has just begun for me and seeing the diversity of options, I've a long way to go.

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Kutchi Dhabeli & Khandvi

Amdavadi, Chennai

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Mutton Biryani, Mutton Meat Balls & Mutton Brain Roast

Kannappa, Trichy

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Zen Tea with Tomato, Basil & Mozzarella Panini

Zen Cafe, Ahmedabad

 Zen Cafes are a chain of restaurants in Ahmedabad and as you can expect from the name, they are quite minimalist in all aspects. The one we went had three set of tables set in an alley beside a gallery selling artsy handmade stuff. By now you'd be imaging activist-type people with ethnic kurtas carrying jute bags 😜. Over a small counter in the corner had a proportionately small menu and I order two of the most exotic things I could find. The zen tea had Rooibos as its major ingredient, a legume grown in South Africa known for its antioxidating properties. The tea wasn't bitter like its green counterparts and was actually quite refreshing. Panini is actually Italian for a grilled sandwich. Layered with tomatoes, basil leaves and mozzarella cheese, it tasted like any other 'healthy' sandwiches. Not of my liking. But overall a nice place to chill out in tranquility. 7/10

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Prawn Biryani and Fish Fingers

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Balouchi-e-murgh & Murgh Chapli Kebab

Kabul, Chennai

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Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms & Belgian Waffles

Jonah's Bistro, Chennai

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Spicy Mexican Baked Potato Madness

Cream Centre, Chennai