Food
-
Sampling Japanese-Peruvian Cuisine in Juhu, Mumbai
With the pandemic, much has changed, including my hope of visiting the Latin American continent any time soon. So, when I come across Crisol, an affordable restaurant in Mumbai that is serving Peruvian cuisine, I am elated. On surfing through its menu, I discover Crisol serves Japanese-Peruvian. Later, I see a few more restaurants in Mumbai serving Japenese-Peruvian. “Why can’t they just serve Peruvian?” I think to myself. I realize there is a story here. I also notice one ingredient that is common throughout the menu, “leche de tigre.” Equipped with elementary knowledge of Spanish, I know that it means ‘tiger’s milk’. Now of course that can’t be literal! The…
-
Where to stay and eat on a budget in the Campal area of Panjim
In August 2022 we went on a self-curated cultural tour of Panjim, Goa. We wanted to stay in the most peaceful and green neighbourhood so we chose this area. Campal Gardens, a huge green area with big trees and gardens, is just across the main road. River Mandovi is easily accessible from there. Stay We stayed at the quaint Vivenda Rebello Homestay, a refurbished Portuguese-era house with several clean rooms in its ground and first floor. The Portuguese era wooden furniture and the azulejo (hand painted tin glazed tiles) embedded wooden table cast a charm of the bygone days. Most importantly, the host, Derc, is an extremely helpful and informative…
-
AAA – All About Alcohol Museum in Goa
In India, if there is to be a museum on alcohol, it has got to be in Goa. AAA is the All About Alcohol Museum located near Candolim beach in Goa. The museum is a tribute to alcohol with special emphasis on feni, the indigenous drink of Goa. The museum, founded by businessman Nandan Kudchadkar, flaunts his versatile collection of a myriad things related to the art of drinking and liquor making. I had read about AAA previously and visiting this museum was on my mind for my August trip to Goa. Sitting in Miramar beach in Panjim, I called AAA and asked if they will be conducting a guided…
-
How to find local Goan food and tavern in Panjim
It is a breezy and cloudy August day. Equipped with two umbrellas and wearing walking shoes, we wait by the Panjim Post Office. We are ready to “find” local Goan food in Panjim. In about 5 minutes Binita arrives riding a scooty. She greets us and gives an orientation by the gates of the Post Office. We have signed up for the “Secret Food and Tavern Trail in Panjim” – a walking tour, from the portal of Soul Travelling. We are also joined by two other members of team Soul Travelling. I have signed up for this tour in my search to see “offbeat Goa”. I was sure Goa is…
-
Offbeat Goa: How to drink feni like a pro
It is blisteringly hot outside. Perched inside the car I wonder if this is a good decision at all. In the April heat, I will be walking outdoors and sipping a strong local country liquor — feni. I want to learn how is feni made and how to drink feni. In my quest to find offbeat Goa (I write from the perspective of a non-local obviously) I have signed myself and husfriend for a feni-pairing experience offered by Fazenda Cazulo and showcased in the app Urbanaut. It is called the “Floating Feni” experience. Our car rolls into a forest area and drops us in a place that looks like the…
-
Cooking class in Spain: In a chef’s kitchen in Segovia
From the windows, I see people move around in hoodies, their hands dunked deep inside their jacket pockets. It’s comfortably warm indoors, but not hot at all. Still beads of sweat crop on my forehead. The clink of pots brings my attention back to the present. Olive oil sizzles on the pan. Jars and bottles surround me. Herbs, vegetables, fresh fruits, dry fruits and animal proteins occupy the centre of the mammoth round counter in front of me. In the kitchen of Kuma, a restaurant in Segovia, the chef directs us on how to start our Spanish cooking adventure. Start with Spanish comfort food We are five novices, mere tourists…
-
At El Corte Ingles in Madrid, a personal shopper and Pata Negra ham
A man with a stubble, in a golf cap, equipped with a knife, carves a massive chunk of pork leg attached to a rotisserie. His hold on the tool is firm but never forceful. Effortlessly, he cuts thin slices of meat and hands one to each of us. No cutlery is involved in this hamon de Ibero fiesta. I am at the ham-cutting exhibit of Cinco Jotas at El Corte Ingles, Madrid. Decoding the Pata Negra One bite into the tender meat and I see my companions fawn with adoration. Impressed by the cured ham, they ask for more, and finally end up buying many packs—something to munch back at…
-
Where to eat and drink in Madrid: Treats and sweets
Four food experiences in Madrid are featured in this article in a narrative way (listicle hater here). If you are searching for where to eat and drink in Madrid, you may click on the name of the restaurant in the list below to jump to the section related to the said restaurant/food plaza. If you are here solely as a reader and not just as a planner, I encourage you to read the piece as a continuous whole. Where to eat and drink in Madrid Restaurante Villa Magna Platea Taberna Puertalsol Patio de Leones Restaurante Villa Magna: Elite dining Restaurante Villa Magna is a part of the Green Globe certified…
-
Mina Date Market Abu Dhabi: The cheapest and best date souq in the city
Modern Abu Dhabi is defined by swanky high-rises that would sweep one off their feet, high-end entertainment zones, broad streets and multicultural dining experiences—a cocoon of luxury. Every indoor space here is temperature controlled, even the tiniest of the shops. Open souks (open air markets), a typical feature of the Middle east, have been improvised and lumped together inside posh structures, giving them the anonymity of modern times. So yes, I am right to be surprised to find a market that deviates from the usual. The Abu Dhabi Date Market or the Mina Date Market is a wholesale market for dates, fruits and vegetables near the fish market at Mina…
-
Royal Meal: Dinner at the Ramadan tent in Emirates Palace
The focus of my camera readjusts a million times. Under the shining golden dome adorned with geometrical patterns, I stand pointing my camera towards it. White and gold are the two colours that reign in the interiors, manifesting a certain warmth in the design of this place—The Emirates Palace. All the shopping at WTC Souk has wearied me out and I yearn to sit down, but, I am not prepared for what awaits me. There has been too many firsts today. My first touchdown outside the Indian subcontinent, my first time in the Middle-East, my first time donning an abaya at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and now I am in…
