The Perfect Breakfast

The quintessential Maharashtrian breakfast of pohe teams up so beautifully with this prawn pickle!

Shrimp Cocktail (or, should we say Rangoli?)

Saheba At Nashik

We were at Nashik the other day; visited Saheba for lunch - used to be a total tapari; and still serves some of the best non veg in the city...

A (Different) Pepsi

When we were kids, in the 80s and early 90s, we enjoyed these small plastic tubes of colored, frozen liquid, which we called Pepsi (yes, Pepsi had not yet made an entry into India at that time!). They used to come in 2 sizes - and cost 50 paise and 1 rupee respectively!

Decades later, here we are - with our fav Pepsi yet again! My brother in law found these in a tiny grocery store in Talegaon, a virtual suburb of Panaji...

Have you ever had one of these? Let me know!

Cafe Real

Goa has dozens of small, simple cafes where "bhaaji pav or puri" (as opposed to pav bhaji) is the staple, and draws Goans of all ages and social status. from politicians to students, businessmen to housewives, for breakfast or for an afternoon snack, popping into one of these hotels for chai and bhaji pav (and sometimes for samosa, mirchi or other bhajiyas) is as much a part of being Goan as the afternoon siesta.

The most popular of these haunts is probably Café Real in Panaji. I used to visit it very regularly as a student, way back in the early nineties - and nothing has changed (except that they now have a mushroom bhaji, and seem to have phased out the "salad" bhaji).

Not just the food, even some of the waiters are still around!

A lazy afternoon at Café Real

Tomato and Suki Mix with Goan Paav

MooBoo Bubble Tea

Another delicious treat I discovered in London was the bubble tea - an interesting combination of hot or cold (flavored) tea, with these absolutely naughty and delightful bubbles of juice (like tiny jelly beans with a soft inside) that break in your mouth and release these explosions of flavor... the hot tea version wasn't as exciting, but a watermelon cold tea with mango bubbles was just heavenly! Don't miss it when in London!

Little Persia

Yes, I know this is way too late, but I was going through some of my trip pics, and remembered this meal very fondly - at the Little Persia restaurant and lounge near Bayswater/Queensway tube stations. The most delicious humus, a gigantic soft naan, and some wonderfully invigorating and aromatic Persia tea.

Nando's

While on the topic of Nando's, when in the UK, it's a must-visit. Just imagine a cooler version of KFC, with some freaking good chicken - the food has African and Portuguese origins, and the décor and service is pretty good, too.

Restaurant Review: Peep Kitchen

Next time you are in Goa, do not miss the amazing sea food on offer at the cute Peep Kitchen, tucked away on the old Panaji - Dona Paula road. Fresh food, excellent service, and reasonable prices...

The amazing tandoori crabs

And even better, the "Bangdyache Lonche"!

V V Freshhhh

A street market right outside our home... a veggie's delight!

Wok And Thai

When in Goa, for some authentic Chinese and Thai food, try Wok and Thai near Miramar, on the approach road to the Marriott...

Chocolates And Cookies

Breakfast

Prawns and clams for breakfast - having dinner at Gajalee in Pune definitely has benefits the next day too!

Chicken Paan

Checked out this dish at Malaka Street the other day - chicken in beetle leaves. Interesting combination of flavors, but the beetle was over-powering and pungent, and needed toning down.

Black Sheep Bistro

Checked out this new place in Panaji earlier this week... the Black Sheep Bistro. Pretty good food - reminded me of the awesome Spanish food I had so started to miss!

Here's a mouth watering prawn and baby squid platter.

The staff is awesome, and the owner and his wife pay you very special attention, and are even eager to drum up something special you need, if it's not on the menu!

Corn Club

Question: How many different ways can you cook corn?

Answer: Around 3 dozen

Here are a few of them, at my favorite corny place, Corn Club on FC Road, Pune!!

If you go there, do try out the biryani, the corn manchow soup, the fingers, the patties, the hoorda (bhel).. maybe even the coleslaw salad and the cutlets. If you are in the mood, you might like the chat too. Sandwiches, samosas. Well, check it out for yourself!

Foodie Innovation

At a South Indian eatery, upsouth, at the Phoenix Mall the other day, we saw this really nifty gadget used to notify the customer that his food is ready for pickup from the self-service counter. You give the order, carry the gadget with you, and when the order is ready, it starts vibrating with disco lights. Lol... sweet!

Durga Cafe at Aundh

The cult famous Durga Cafe is now in Aundh - and though it's been almost 2.5 months now, I just got a chance to partake of their "Pune mein world famous" misal, cold coffee and anda burji today...

Yummy!

Ready For The Master Chef...

When I am not blogging, this is what I usually do :)

Some delicious shrimp, tiger prawns and fish, cleaned (by me!) and waiting to be cooked... fried fish and prawns, prawn curry rice (goes amazingly well with pickle), and a light tomato and onion based gravy for the tigers.

Hungry Kya?

Made some delicious Goan Squids the other day...

Pretty simple recipe actually... stir fry lots of chopped garlic in some olive oil (you can use butter if you prefer), add a few chopped green chillies (if you want less spice, remove the seeds) and then add the squids. You might want to warm up the squids first, to lose the water, before you add it to your stir fry. Add a dash of soya sauce, and then stir fry till you get that lovely aroma, let the garlic and squid get just a little burnt, and serve hot!