I am sick. Yet again. And that brings me to this post. Sickness brings with it memories of long queues at the Doctor’s, endless doses of medicine, and a chance to stay at home, though not under circumstances you would have preferred.

As a child, I used to suffer from regular bouts of wheezing, and this guaranteed me 2-3 days off from school every month. This would begin with a visit to Dr. Subhash who had a clinic near Tiruvanmayur. Even earlier, there was Dr.Alate in Pune. A man who has contributed significantly to my upbringing, considering I used to be a regular visitor at his clinic. He was the man who first introduced me to Asthalin, a drug I continue to turn to whenever I’m sick. Dr.Alate, I wish you very well, and thank you for all you have done for me.

Back to what I was talking about, there would be the interminable wait for my turn, and it would be hell, considering I would be in pretty bad shape. Visit done, Mom would take me back home armed with tonnes of medicines.

One of the simple home-made recipes Mom made to make me feel better was hot milk flavoured with turmeric, pepper & a dash of sugar. This simple and easy to make drink was a great relief to a throat ravaged by incessant cough. I was reminded of this just a few minutes ago, when similar circumstances forced me to make this brew myself. It is after a long time that I’m having this, though I would have preferred a healthier outlook to indulge in this bit of nostalgia. (Though the colour of my concoction sowed a seed of doubt in my mind, the taste was exactly as I remember.)

I also remember having trouble with tablets as a kid. I could not quite master the trick of putting the tablet on my tongue, and holding it there till I could take a sip of water to wash it down. I have spat out several tablets due to the bitter taste. I really do not understand why tablets cannot be sugar coated (except for the ones that diabetics take). As an alternative to this, Mom used to powder the tablet, mix it in a spoonful of honey and make me have it. However, my problem was solved when, one day my Uncle suggested that I first have a sip of water, hold it in my mouth,toss the pill in, and swallow both. This avoids the hassle of the tasting the bitter pill. A simple solution, that I continue to follow to this day.

Over the years, these bouts of wheezing have become more sporadic and less intense. I am able to walk about, while previously I used to be confined to bed. However, they do attack me now and then, and now is one such occasion.

More recently, my sister-in-law has soothed my throat with steaming chukku-kaapi which is made from crushed dry ginger. A hot mug of this brew gives my throat a rest for a while.

I am also reminded of dinners with rice (half the amount I usually eat) , dal and a small piece of pickle which would be eaten half heartedly only to welcome the next tablet. Now these have been replaced with bread and ready-to-make soups.

Being sick is an unpleasant experience. One I do not like. And I’m sure everybody else shares the same opinion. However, it is a part of life and must be endured. The shorter the illness, the better.

Hopefully I will be back to my old self in a day or two.

(A little less) Cheers!

Note: I am not a medical practitioner. Please consult a Doctor before you attempt to try out any of the remedies/medicines mentioned in this post. These are only my experiences. I do not prescribe them to any one.

Its here again. Its the time of the year when the air smells of gun powder, the flies in Mambalam market fly to Saidapet because there is no room for them in T Nagar with the shopping rush, and when you get to eat all the sweets you want. Its Diwali!

According to a very long email sent by a colleague, Diwali was celebrated for the first time when Lord Rama returned victorious to Ayodhya after vanquishing Ravana. Since the people then didn’t have Xbox-es & TVs for entertainment, apparently they had fun by bursting crackers to welcome their returning King. It also had a detailed step by step manual to perform Lakshmi Puja – Light 6 ‘diyas’ made of Pillsbury atta and what not. Interestingly, about 10 recipes followed, starting with sweets you can prepare for Diwali and ending with a pulao made by a lady for her diabetic husband with a vegetable found in Peru. I fail to understand how its relevant to Diwali. Apparently, the one who composed the email trawled various blogs for recipes, and when he got to No.10, he really didn’t care if it was a sweet, or if it could be made in India. It ended with a brief lecture on how not to burst crackers. Other emails I received included one in which a rocket zoomed around my desktop.

Well, enough about emails. Its the festive season. Arguably the most awaited festival & the one celebrated almost all over India (except in Kerala where it has a rather small fan following). Diwali appeals to people of all ages. It is the festival of lights. Deriving from this, is an expression regularly used in my family when somebody forgets to turn off the lights when they leave the room – “What do you think this is? Diwali?”.
I came home from work today to find all the lights on, and I was at a loss for words.

It IS Diwali!

When I was a kid, Diwali was all about getting 4-5 days off from school,bursting loads of crackers, eating tonnes of sweets, wearing new clothes, and tearing around the neighbourhood with other kids. Now it has come to mean a brief one day holiday from work but it is anticipated with no less interest. The charm of buying new clothes has waned, as has the thrill of bursting crackers. But the appetite to eat sweets remains as strong as ever!

Mom & Dad are home for Diwali this time round, and it has saved me a dash to the station through the mother of all traffic jams. Mom has made some Besan Laddus already and has hidden them somewhere. She’s planning to make Nankatai. Nankatais were a mainstay of our Diwali menu about 15 years ago. Sadly, none have been made for the past 15 years.

Diwali is the time when the house is cleaned, painted & made to look good. The household rises at dawn on Diwali day and the children are made to eat Neem leaves with sugar. Atleast I was. It is supposed to signify that life is bittersweet. After the puja, the kids run off to finish off the crackers before breakfast is served.

The firecrackers when I used to be a kid had imaginative names like Lakshmi Vedi, Saraswathi Vedi, Kuruvi (sparrow) vedi, hydrogen bomb, atom bomb and what not. Apparently the nomenclature is still the same as I confirmed with my nephew. So much fuss about India’s thermonuclear capability when ‘hydrogen bombs’ were hawked on the streets as far back as 20 years ago!

Diwali is also the time when everyone gets new clothes. Hence, T Nagar resembles a can of sardines for about a month preceding the festival. Shopkeepers try to outdo their competitors with discounts. Kids proudly wear new clothes on Diwali day. But most of them are too impatient to wait so long and try it out at least three times when Mom isn’t looking.

Apart from the food, the new clothes & the crackers, Diwali is about sharing. It is the time when kids first compete and then share crackers, mothers share sweets and there is a general feeling of camaraderie around.
It is this which makes it so eagerly awaited. (Ofcourse, there are the sweets too).

There is a lot to be said about Diwali, but right now, Mom is beside me wanting to use the computer.Perhaps you can read the mail my colleague had sent if somebody has forwarded it to you.

Wish you all a very happy and safe Diwali.

Cheers!

I’ve been tagged by manchitra. Actually I was tagged a long while ago, but I haven’t had the time to acknowledge it yet.

Sorry for that Ma..

She has passed on to me the Lemonade Blog Award and the International Blogger’s Community Award. Frankly, I’ve not heard on them before, but since I’ve received them, I’d like to think that its the Oscar or the Bafta of the Blogging world.

Here goes:

I’d like to pass it on to Chuck, Nara and to Nitya . Three wonderful bloggers I know.

Here’s to you Three.

Cheers!

Continued from Weekend at Pondy – 1

We woke up by around 8:00 AM the next day, and after the customary ‘freshening up’, we got dressed and headed out for breakast. Out-voted 2-1 for a Vegetarian breakfast, we went to a Udupi restaurant next to our hotel and had Masala Dosas and Vadas. I didn’t particularly like the food, nor the service, but the other two seemed to think it was great. After breakfast, we decided to visit Auroville, a spiritual retreat, about 20 km from Pondy. Buses don’t go that way, so we had to take an auto. After haggling with an auto driver, he agreed to bring us back for a princely Rs.400.

We reached the place, and took our tickets. After a long walk through the woods, enjoying Nature’s beauty, and Raghu establishing his GreenPeace membership periodically, we finally made it to the heart of Auroville. There is a huge golden globe at the centre of a very large lawn. We posed for a few pics, walked back to a small tea-stall in the premises,and had Hibiscus Juice. It was sweet, and refreshing. We found our auto, and he took us back to Pondy.

Raghu had spotted a decent looking restaurant the previous day and we agreed to go there. We were exhausted after the trip and glad to sit in air-conditioned comfort. We ordered soup, Tandoori Chicken, and fried rice. We then decided to walk to the bus stand, paying no heed to Raghu’s protests. But halfway through, we gave up, and settled for a bus. We headed over to the ‘Palace’ and proceeded to fill our bags with Budweiser, Carlsberg, Tiger, Hayward’s Black, Smirnoff Orange & Green Apple. We then hurried back to our room to sample our loot. We spent a few hours getting mellow, and watching Federer cry after losing to Nadal in the Australian Open final.

We were tipsy,and we decided to go to the Promenade. We took an auto and found a couple of guys singing popular songs on the terrace of ‘Le Cafe’. A crowd had gathered to watch them perform and we happily joined in. After a few snaps, I managed the convince the other two about the urgent need to taste some French Cuisine (I’m sure Raghu would’ve been happy with Chicken Biryani). We looked around for a while, and managed to find Madame Shante’s which advertised French food. Prices were steep, but we decided to go ahead. We had an annoying fellow who wanted to sit beside our table and smoke, and then he wanted to place his beer mug on our table. Thankfully, the management found him a table and he was off. We ended up having Poulet Cordon Bleu which was Crumb fried chicken stuffed with cheese, Poisson belle Meuniere which was fish fried and topped with lemon butter sauce and Pates au Champignons et tomatoes which was Spaghetti with mushroom & tomato sauce. Raghu, predictably had Chicken biryani. The crumb fried chicken was good, the fish reminded us of Thilakan’s classic comment in Kilukkam when he’s presented with fish (He asks for a stick so he can beat the fish to death). All were served with bland boiled vegetables. We helped ourselves to Raghu’s biryani to have a change of taste. We then went back home (in an auto of course) and then proceeded to work on the Orange Smirnoff. After suffering more of Raghu’s choices in Tamil movies, we went to sleep.

We lazed in bed the next morning, not particularly keen to go anywhere. We had already exhausted our sight-seeing options the previous day. After breakfast at the same Udupi hotel, after which the other two finally admitted it to being not that great. Mahesh and I went over to the Palace and stocked up on some more supplies, mostly stuff we had found tasty the previous day, and we spent the day at the room sipping our drinks and chatting. We had lunch at the dingy place, and caught a bus back to Chennai. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the one which came to Tiruvanmayur, and we had to get down at Tambaram, and change buses.

Raghu then left for Coimbatore that night and Mahesh went over to his place. It was the second of our guys-only trips (not that we’ve been on any trips with girls) and was memorable, as was the first.

More recently, we went to Yercaud. Lets see if Mahesh writes about that.

To us mates. To us!

Cheers!

This post is long overdue, and it was Mahesh’s job to do it, but still, since he is too lazy or forgetful, I thought I would do it. Raghu, Mahesh & I decided to visit the erstwhile French colony of Pondicherry for the Republic day weekend.It was a three day weekend and Raghu agreed to come over to Chennai from Coimbatore. Mahesh came over to my place the previous day. Raghu arrived at around 8, and he had brought breakfast. Unfortunately, he bought just ONE Masala dosa from the Saravana Bhavan counter at Chennai Central. I marvel at his foresight. I suppose he expected two hungry chaps, too lazy to cook breakfast, to watch him eat his single Masala Dosa. It would suffice to say that we assisted him in polishing it off, in spite of his persistent protests. Of course, all this happened after his mandatory ‘Status Call’.

Well, One Masala Dosa (especially from Saravana Bhavan) isn’t enough for one guy,let alone three, so we were still hungry and I was forced to scramble a few eggs and toast bread. We all got ready,and were out of the house by 10:00AM. We didn’t want to go up to Koyambedu and waste an hour, so we decided to take our chances at Tiruvanmayur bus stand. Unfortunately, everyone seemed to have the same idea and all the buses were packed. Just as we were getting ready for the hour long commute to Koyambedu, a bus arrived with just three seats, and we managed to get in. The seats were in the very last row, and so we were in for a bumpy ride, but it was all we had. The 3 hour journey passed uneventfully, with the exception of Raghu throwing around barf threats, and moaning about how he hadn’t slept a wink the previous night. We also proceeded to lighten his bag of a pack of Goodday biscuits on the way.

Our delusions of a quaint French Colony with stone paved streets & European architecture (courtesy several blogs written with flowery language) were dashed when we saw the bus-stand at around 2:00 PM. It looked just like any other bus-stand in Tamil Nadu with the customary beggars, and the spit-hitting-the-road-every-thirty-seconds. Being Indians, we got over this shock quite fast, and proceeded to our Hotel, which was just across the road. Raghu had managed to book it through some contact. We checked in, and freshened up (a loose term that is used to describe a whole range of activities conducted in the bathroom).

Since we were ravenous, we set out in search of a place serving lunch, and managed to find a rather dingy place about 100m down the road. Since our other options turned out to be a Star hotel and a chap selling beef probably fried in Castrol, we decided to go ahead. After a brief lunch of Chicken Biryani and Chettinad Chicken, along with some Gobi Manchurian Mahesh had ordered,we were back in the room.On the way back, we encountered a shop selling liquor (Which is not a great thing. Pondy being a Union Territory, has tax-free liquor and any stone thrown in Pondy is likely to hit a liquor bottle). After picking up a Fosters and a Kingfisher’s Draught can and a Bacardi Breezer (for Raghu) , we walked over to our room and made ourselves comfortable. It is taken for granted that during all this, Raghu kept the cash registers ringing at Airtel. We lazed about on the bed, with Mahesh doing some more ‘freshening up’ and then we decided to go for a stroll with some shopping in mind.

We had read about a stunning beach (Paradise Beach) about 8km from Pondy which advertised boating in a placid lagoon. We reached there by around 5.00 and found out that the last boat for the day had left. After a few photographs to establish our presence at the place, we went to a small restaurant on the premises and ordered a Royal Challenge Beer and a Masala Omelette & some Chicken Manchurian. After that, after convincing Raghu about the benefits of taking a bus back, we got back to the bus-stand for about Rs.10, having paid a 100 bucks on the way to the beach.

Mahesh and I wanted to sample the local specialty and Raghu wanted, of all things, glass bangles. We came across a store which we ended up christening ‘The Palace’ and came out with a small bottle of Tequila (which we had not tasted before).

I was stuck between Raghu, who would prefer to use an auto to go to the bus-stand (It was across the road) and Mahesh, who would walk back to Chennai given half a chance. On this occasion, I sided with Mahesh, and we set out to walk the streets of Pondy. After about half an hour, punctuated by Raghu’s persistent complaints, we reached the bazaar, where Raghu finally got to buy his glass bangles. We came across an Ice cream vendor, and bought 3 cones to help us navigate the maze of streets in Pondy. The streets had begun to transition from being Tamil Nadu-ey to being French-ey. We clicked random snaps, and after encountering an old Church and a fancy supermarket which charged the earth for everything, manged to find our way to the French Colony. Since it was dark, we couldn’t really see the French Architecture (It is actually a bunch of plain houses painted yellow. Ordinary, but colourful). We clicked a few snaps in front of the Governor’s mansion and walked over to the Promenade. After watching a few people dine at ‘La Promenade’ and calculating the damage it would do to our wallets if we dined there, we decided to have dinner. Raghu, in between his steady stream of complaints, had suggested Anjappar, a Chettinad Cuisine hotel we had seen on our way, while I wanted to try some French Cuisine.

We came across ‘Le Cafe’, an ancient Cafe on the promenade. It advertised Quiches, Pizzas, and herbal tea, so we decided to give it a try. After being left alone at the table for half an hour, a waiter came and informed us that they were out of everything, except Tea. I decided to order a Chamomille Tisane, and when it came, it smelt rather nice, but tasted like boiling water. Since it came in a mug large enough to bathe with, and since I couldn’t convince the other two how great it actually tasted, I had to finish it off myself. It was past 9:00PM and Pondy had started going to bed. This time,we gave in to Raghu’s request and took an auto back to the dingy place where we had a dinner. Since I was full of Chamomile Tea, Omelette & Chicken Manchurian, I opted for just One Parotta with chicken curry while the other two dug in.

After buying some snacks to help us with the Tequila and another Breezer for Raghu, we reached the room and settled in with the drinks.I experimented with a Tequila shot, while Mahesh passed. Since it was a small bottle, it got over in about half an hour. We had to endure Raghu’s choice of flop- Tamil movies on the telly for that half-hour. After a brief tussle for the AC Remote, (I wanted it on, the other two said it was too cold), we settled in for the night.

More to come.

Cheers!

My fascination for Campari started sometime when I was in XIth or XIIth standard and had plenty of time to read all the novels in the world. And I almost did! I came across this drink in a novel. But try as I might, I’m unable to remember its name. I remember it by being written by a famous author, and it involved the protagonist being shipped to Italy with a face subjected to plastic surgery and a new identity to protect him from the bad guys. He’s made to learn Italian and made to pass off as a local. If someone has read this novel and can remember the name, please do leave me a comment. I’ve been cracking my head over it for a long time now.

One interesting tidbit of information I came across in this book is that no self respecting Italian drinks Cappuccino after 11AM! This should be news to folks in India who stroll into Cafe Coffee Days and Baristas and order a Cappuccino in the evening just to look cool.

Well, I digress. The protagonist in the story always ordered the same drink whenever he dined – A Campari on Ice. That started my fascination with this drink.
I was intrigued by the name, and wanted to know what it was. A couple of weeks back, I got my chance. I’d visited High Time at the GRT Grand a couple of weeks back with my best pal, and to my surprise, I found Campari on the menu under Apertifs. An Apertif is something to whet your appetite as opposed to a Digestif, which helps digest your food.

While,I wasn’t looking to whet my appetite,I wasn’t about to leave an opportunity to taste the drink I had only dreamed about, slip through my hands just because of a technicality. In my opinion, if you have an apertif after dinner, it automatically becomes a digestif. If it has to make you hungry, it ought to digest what you’ve already eaten. Right?

Well, I ordered without hesitation (though not on ice) and it arrived in a quaint little shot glass, sort of shaped like a distorted hourglass sawed in half. It was dark red. Eye candy. It smelt wonderful. Nose candy. It tasted awful!

Campari is an alcoholic apertif obtained by infusing bitter herbs, aromatic plants and fruits in alcohol and water (this is according to Wikipedia). It hails from Italy and its composition has been kept a secret by the Campari family for almost 150 years. I agree wholeheartedly. Its aromatic, smells of fruit, and is more bitter than anything I’ve tasted in my life.

But having set out on a mission to taste anything and everything possible (If I haven’t told you about this before, here it is) sipping on Campari was a privilege as seen by my buddy & I. While we manged the first few sips with straight faces, we needed plenty of potato wafers to finish the last few sips with distorted faces.

But, its the experience that counts. I’ve tasted Campari. Though I wouldn’t recommend it to any bete-noir of mine, its still one item off my bucket list.

Well, as for you readers, if you’re dying to have a sip of Campari, after reading about it in some book or watching it in a movie, or after watching Jessica Alba pout seductively with a bottle, well, I would advise you to take someone along. Someone who is absolutely in love with this stuff. So he/she can finish the rest after you’ve had your sip. Alternatively you can take 10 similarly-interested people along, and order one tiny glass, so that everyone has their experience, and doesn’t have to go through it again.

Cheers!

I’ve just got back from a visit to Mocha Mojo. They have found a great location, just near Adyar depot. Quite near Java Green & Cafe Coffee Day. The place is tastefully decorated, with lots of funky colours and trendy interiors. The seating is semi-comfortable, by which I mean that some of the chairs are really comfortable, but the sofa-seating is not all that great. Only the ones sitting near the walls get to really relax.

The waiters are dressed in blue, but their aprons are pink & hilarious. The place gets quite crowded by around 6pm on a weekend. We had to wait for about 20 minutes to get a seat.

We were all suffering from sore throats and opted to go for hot drinks & sat in the no smoking zone. So I’m not able to comment on the Sheeshas & Hookahs.

The menu is rather comprehensive and has so many options that it sets your head spinning. The shiny colours and funky fonts are not very helpful either. We spent about 20 minutes trying to decide what to have. Finally, we decided on a Mocha Float – which turned out to be chocolate ice cream floating in coffee (also available with Vanilla Ice cream), Con Panna – a shot of espresso topped with cream, and Irish Coffee. The Con Panna turned out to be disgusting and my friend had to use around 6 packets of sugar to make it moderately drinkable and even then it tasted disgusting.

I strongly advise visitors to abstain from ordering Con Panna. The Irish coffee was good and was served in an authentic Irish Coffee Mug. Obviously it is served non-alcoholic.

The coffees left us quite full, but we had already ordered a Yin-Yang chocolate fondue. A fondue is basically molten chocolate, this one with equal amounts of white and dark chocolate. Marshmallows are dipped into the chocolate and eaten.

The fondue was served with a tiny candle under a ceramic bowl to keep the chocolate molten, and soon it started boiling. Apart from the marshmallows, apple slices, sponge cakes and biscuits were also provided as dips. This was quite good, but after eating so much sweet stuff, we were dying for something spicy.

We settled the bill and set out to find something spicy. The bill came to around Rs 500. On an average, the stuff is over priced. It is alright for a one time visit, but I sure wouldn’t go there a second time.

We moved to Besant Nagar for the spicy stuff, and after rejecting Galloping Gooseberries, we walked over to the row of food stalls near the beach. After finding Dhaba Express too crowded, we finally settled on Tasty Jones. We found a seat near the entrance, with plants jutting on to the table, however it was the only one we found. In the balmy heat,we were soon sweating, but the AC seating was full.

We weren’t looking for a meal, as we had filled our stomachs with coffee and chocolate. We wanted the Achari Kebab, but it wasn’t available. So we settled for a half Tandoori Chicken (2 pieces) and a Chicken Sheekh Kebab (5 pieces). The service was pathetic with the waiter serving us water only after we were through half our meal, and that too after we asked for it. Paper napkins were provided after the bill and that too on request.

The meal was good, with the chicken being accompanied with mint chutney and onion. The Chicken Sheekh kebab was delicious and spicy and hit the spot. We had got what we were searching for. The Tandoori chicken was typical. Meat was succulent though.

The bill came to around Rs.200. The location is good, near the beach, but it gets too hot if you choose to sit outside. You are also besieged by beggars. They also offer steaks, burgers, sandwiches, and Indian breads like naan, roti and curries. Worth a visit, but the portions are not very large. So I wouldn’t make a habit of going there regularly. The service is pathetic.

For the rating:

Mocha Mojo
Ambiance: 5/5
Service: 3/5
Taste: 3/5
Value for Money: 2/5

Rating: 3.25
Verdict: You can try it once, and if you like to smoke hookahs, maybe more than once. Just don’t make the mistake of ordering too many sweets.

Tasty Jones
Ambiance: 3/5
Service: 2/5
Taste: 4/5
Value for Money:3/5

Rating: 3/5

Verdict: Good to try if you’ve spent an evening at the beach. Can get crowded. Have to wait a long time for the food.

Cheers!

This was about a couple of weeks ago. I had spent the weekend in Bangalore with my friend & her cousins. And a sister-in-law of mine had suggested that I have a look-see at BBQ nation. Since she had raved so much about it, we decided to give it a shot.

Apparently there are two in Bangalore & we went to the more famous of the two – at Indira Nagar or JP Nagar – I forget which. I’m still learning the geography in Bangalore. Anyway, it was full & we were told to wait an hour. Having missed breakfast, and not wanting to put up with rumbling tummies anymore, we went over to the other one after reserving a table on the rooftop.

The rooftop is a charming place with bright sunlight streaming in through the plastic top and thankfully, its not very hot. The table has a small receptacle in it to place the Tandoor in it. For those who haven’t guessed yet, this place is about Tandoori, Kebabs & barbecues.

We were five & we opted for the 450/head exclusive lunch which offers 7 vegetarian & 5 non-veg kebab options. The regular 275/head lunch offers just 3 & 2.

We were offered a complimentary drink with a choice of a pint of beer, a mocktail or a martini. We all chose martinis & I ended up choosing a Kiwi & Watermelon martini (being a self confessed watermelon addict), while others managed to pick Apple & Cinnamon and Pomegranate & Passion fruit. A&C turned out to be the best.

BBQ Nation has a nice policy. They keep a funny white flag on a table. The flag staff has a hinged joint (What did you expect from an engineer?). As long as the flag stays up, they keep bringing you starters – kebabs. Once you want to throw in the towel, you have to turn the flag down as a sign of surrender.

The starters started to arrive. The non veg option had Indonesian Fish, Cilantro Chicken, Tangdi Kebab, Grilled Prawns and Mutton Sheekh Kebab. We didn’t eat a lot of veg, but there was a disgusting Beetroot Kebab, and a delicious Paneer Kebab that melted in the mouth. The Cashew coated Potato Kebab was also heavenly and the Barbecued fruits were also tasty – masala smeared fruits skewered and barbecued.

The system is like this. The kebabs are partly cooked and brought to the table where the waiter places a small charcoal grill in the receptacle. The skewers are brought and placed on this mini-grill. A choice of sauces is provided on the table with a tiny paint brush. We can coat the kebabs & let them grill on the table. Some funky dips are also provided to accompany the kebabs after they are done. I remember garlic mayonnaise & lemon.

The Prawns were the pick of the day and we ended up ordering tonnes of those. The chicken had a lukewarm response but was not ignored completely. The Sheekh Kebabs were also received well,but we didn’t have too many of those as they were slow coming in. The fish was rather bland.

Among the veggies, we ordered barbecued fruits by the dozen. We kept on ordering and were at the starters for more than an hour with the flag flying high.

Until the waiter came and politely told us that the Kebab kitchen was closing and would we like to place our last orders.

(I still think he was shocked at the amount we ate and wanted to prevent the larder from running out). So we ordered a few more prawn and fruit skewers and then finally put the flag down – though it wasn’t really necessary as the kebab kitchen had closed.

And then we moved – wait for it – to the regular buffet. Yes! After the unlimited starters, there is a regular buffet where the likes of Obelix can gorge all they want. Crab Ghassi & Mutton biryani were part of the spread along with roti, and the ubiquitous curd rice. I was kind of full and so had a couple of crab claws and a spoonful of biryani.

And we moved on to dessert. The spread was quite good with Mapple tart (We were wondering if its Maple or Apple or a combination), blueberry pudding, muskmelon, watermelon slices, vanilla ice cream and whatnot.

We went through these a couple of times.Until the waiter came and politely told us that the buffet was closing. Perhaps he wanted us to get out of there as soon as possible.

We had spent two wonderful hours there and it was 4pm when we left. Though its a bit expensive (Rs 500/head with taxes), for people who can eat mountains, it is well worth the price. Its very tasty too.

There is one on North Usman road here in Chennai, and I’m planning to drag a couple of friends there as soon as I can.

For the rating:

Taste – 5/5
Ambiance – 4/5
Service – 5/5
Value for Money – 4/5
Total – 4.5

So if you have a Barbecue Nation in your town, do check it out. It is a wonderful experience. Bon Appetit!

Cheers!

People tend to go through Six phases in life. First phase is when you’re too young to know what is being shoved down your throat. The second phase is when you refuse to touch certain items because of the way they look or smell (also known as being fussy – a phase I never went through). The third phase involves eating whatever your Mom cooks while managing to grumble all the while (usually during school days). Fourth phase depends on whether you have the (mis)fortune of having to stay in hostel for 3 or more years. During this stage, people manage to grumble all the while, eating the occasional 20 chapatis or so. The Fifth phase involves new found freedom and money, splurging on junk food and longing for Mom’s cooking. The Sixth phase, for men involves, learning the rather difficult skill of eating what the wife cooks while keeping their mouth shut. For women, it might involve either slaving over the stove, or for the more enterprising ones, watching TV while their husband slaves over the stove.

I’m going to focus mainly on phase Five as that is the one I’m currently going through and hence, the one I’m most familiar with. Restaurant food is tasty. You get to choose what you want to eat, eat paneer or chicken or whatever it is you fancy everyday, hang out with friends, and have a good time.

But, too much of anything is bad, and as time passes, one tends to get sick of the Paneer Butter Masala and the Tandoori Chicken. And that is the time when one starts to yearn for the rice & dal or the soft fluffy idlis or phulkas which mum used to cook. Visits home tend to be eagerly awaited. And rest assured, those (un)lucky among us to gain weight at the drop of a hat, tend to return after their sojourns considerably heavier.

There is also a sea change in Mum’s attitude. The irritated look she used to wear during phase Three whenever her son/daughter used to grumble, changes to uninhibited love as she pulls out all stops to cook all her child’s favourite dishes. However, a slightly long stay at home will bring back traces of the irritated look and hints about the date of the return journey.

As this yearning for home cooked food increases, people turn to friends who are locals and binge when friend’s mums play hostesses. Any invitation is jumped at, be it for dinner, or tea.

Another phenomenon which has caught on in the South, particularly near where IT companies are located, is that of the Andhra Mess. Since the IT industry is flooded with people from Andhra Pradesh, a few enterprising business men have started dishing out home-cooked Andhra ‘meals’ – which may not consist of more than plain rice, sambar, and a curry or two. They tend to be moderately priced and the patronage is unbelievable. It is a sure fire way to mint money for the owner of the Mess, and the customers get to have simple food that tastes like what they are used to eating at home. Win-Win for both!

The Udupi hotels are another variety of this, but they tend to stick to the Idli-Dosa-Vada combinations. Kerala hotels, Gujarati Bhojanalays, Marwadi eat-outs, and places offering Jain food also have the same principle – Simple food that doesn’t torture your stomach, and gives you a feeling of being at home even though you might be thousands of miles away even if its for an hour or so. This was one feeling I felt when I visited Sree Annapurna of Calcutta. People tend to eat as well as socialize.

The success of Indian food stores in the US & UK can also be attributed to the same phenomenon. It is said, you never really miss anything till you lose it. The food which mum served everyday at home was taken for granted. We need to be away from home to realize its true worth.

Healthy, tasty,fulfilling and filled with Love. A mix of ingredients, which no other food can match. Home food is the best! I’d personally have mum’s dosas than the ones that Saravana Bhavan dishes out. Their sizes are comparable, but the rates charged by Saravana Bhavan make you wonder if the same amount could have bought you a decent life insurance policy.

Those of you away from home will be able to relate more to this post. Those of you in phase Six, Tough luck. Maybe if you stay away from your spouse, you might start liking that food too!

Cheers!

Disclaimer: The above post is not intended to be an advisory for couples & the author refuses to be held responsible for any fights that may arise at home between members in Phase Six due to anything that may be mentioned in this post.

I’ve created my first cooking video and I thought I’d share it with my readers. Here goes! Move over Gordon Ramsay!

For the first time ever, I’m posting a recipe on the blog. And its my very own recipe. Try it out, and do put in a comment as to how it tasted. Personally, it is the best dish I have ever made.

Recipe:

Chicken – 1 Kg
Tomato Puree – 1/2 Cup
Coconut Milk – 2 Cups
Ginger Garlic Paste – 2 Tbsp
Button Mushrooms – 7-8
Carrots – 3
White Onions – 2 (large)
Bell Peppers – 1
Pasta Stock – 1 cup
Chicken Stock – 2 cups
Vinegar – 1 Tbsp
Olive Oil – 3 Tbsp
Black Pepper – 2-3 Tbsp
Cream – 1 Cup

Marinate the chicken for one and a half hours with the tomato puree, half cup coconut milk, ginger garlic paste, splash of vinegar & olive oil, pepper & salt to taste.

Saute the onions, mushrooms and carrots in about 2 tbsp of Olive oil and fry till onions are golden brown. Add the chicken and 2 cups of water for the gravy. Add pasta stock, chicken stock, rest of the coconut milk and the cream and stir thoroughly. Let it cook for about 30 min. Add the Bell Peppers and serve on a bed of Pasta.
This dish should serve about 6.

Cheers!