Crepe Rit

French & Italian Blurb: Small and cozy, it is tucked away in a quiet corner of the Saket malls. Intro: As soon as you enter, you are transported to a French bistro; the appearance on the menu of crepes heightens the likeness. Atmospherics: The cheerful, cozy vibe of Crepe Rit is the best part about…

Meat and its Textures

This is all about the glorious textures of meat, from the satisfying chew of chunk meat to the insubstantial lightness of pates. There’s little you can do with a vegetable to alter its texture, but meat, now, that’s a whole different ball game. There’s a grotty little dhaba in the bowels of the Old City…

Cinnamon Hotels

I am always asked what my first impressions are in any destination that I visit. My most recent visit to Sri Lanka was my third visit, so I can only say what my “third impression” is: the teardrop shaped island in the Indian Ocean is poised on the brink of a huge tidal wave. It…

Ladakh: The Desert Cuisine

When the three greatest cuisines of the world are enumerated, Ladakhi food seldom finds mention. Even in Leh, Ladakhi restaurants seem anxious to stand up and be counted by serving Mexican, Israeli, Italian, Kashmiri and North Indian – everything else, in other words, but Ladakhi. The hotel where I’m staying, Shambha La, on the other…

Chapli Kebabs

Will the real Pakistani cuisine please stand up? I have been to no fewer than four hotel food festivals featuring the cuisine of our neighbouring country, and every time the food has been so different that it has not formed a pattern. Deluxe hotels – and it is only they who have the means to…

Chef Manish Mehtrotra (2005)

Tamarai – as the newest restaurant in Rohit Khattar’s stable is called – has one thing in common with its country cousin in Delhi: Chef Manish Mehrotra, for it is he that is the driving force behind both brands. He is thus, in the singularly fortunate position of having worked in two continents, yet within…

SodaBottleOpenerWala

Gawking at Gurgaon’s Cyber Hub is good enough reason to visit; Sodabottleopenerwala (SBOW) is the icing on the cake Atmospherics: If the swish hub looks like Singapore or Dubai, with its spacious walkways, the restaurant looks like a throwback to another era. From the uber cool display window with its giant bottles of sweets from…

Neung Roi

Eschewing the clichés and celebrating Thai food from the entire country Atmospherics: Light coloured wood and bright yellow table runners overlook a large open kitchen headed by a diminutive lady chef. It sets the tone for the meal. Neung Roi has many firsts: It features each region of Thailand on a menu: North, South, Central…

Thai Pavilion

A brilliant Thai restaurant with modern tastes. Atmospherics: The rest of the hotel may be young and trendy, but Thai Pavilion is sombre, being completely wood-panelled from floor to ceiling. Service is managed by a bunch of seriously young people who can talk extensively on the finer points of every dish. The management can take…

Pout Cafe

Worth it for the peppy “fashion café” interiors alone, though there is food for every taste too Atmospherics: The best part of this café on two floors is the interiors. Broad black and white stripes combine with vibrant colours and an attractive collage on the first floor that occupies a whole wall. The first floor…