A Delightful Gastronomic Sin, “Per Se”!
There are lunches and then there are lunches that are downright sinful. “Per se”, this lunch was the epitome of a dining nirvana. Between the various functions dedicated to each table (each and every one of them thoroughly knowledgeable about each and every dish printed on the everyday-custom-made menu), everything at Per Se– from the ambiance, impeccable service, pace of the service, the wine selection, and not to leave behind by any mean quarter, surrealistically delicious food, to even the restrooms– was the fantasy finale of a dining experience. In that context,...
Read MoreWhen Matt met Meera!
I would have almost missed out being personally pampered by Hari and his kitchen staff at Matt & Meera, had I not had taken the earlier flight out of Boston, that afternoon. A very elaborate debrief from the chef on directions, a couple of train-changes later, from Newark Airport to Hoboken, and a leisurely stroll of 6 blocks from the station to Washington Street brought me to this friendly, almost economical in decor yet, very stylish restaurant. When you see M&M from a block’s distance, its clustered among the several rows of the mile-long chain of restaurants on that road....
Read MoreEataly, New York:Everything Eataly-an!
Let me start with the last. “Let’s go to Eataly!”, he said. He has stayed in the Americas for the last 15 years or so, with enough travel and food experience around the world to be termed a global citizen. So, when he suggests that my trip to NY won’t hold good, if I do not walk and/or dine at Eataly (Pronounced how you are read it!), I simply agree to it…presuming it was Little Italy, he was referring to! I smirked, thinking he was showing off his Mediterranean accent, complete with the lisp! Turns out, it wasn’t Little Italy, but the place is actually called...
Read MoreCuevas el Abanico- Kuki’s Cave House in Granada
“We are in bustling Granada, a rich colonial gem of a city, full of horse-drawn taxicabs and decaying neo-classical facades, which languish a few layers of paint away from their original Spanish-era splendor. Granada is the Nicaragua of romance and myth, a veritable museum piece that quietly contradicts the woeful hard luck tales of war, hurricanes and grinding poverty that have been the staple of the international news media for decades. Nothing can prepare you for the gritty authenticity of its vibrant yet nonthreatening streets – the rocking chairs in the doorways, the...
Read MoreThe Konkani Odyssey
Train rides are very contradictory in nature. Trains rides are almost always comforting, and at the same time they are incessantly long. Trains are funny. For some people, they’re the morning commute, a dreary 30 minute to 1 hour penance flavoured by coffee breath and armpits. For others, they’re Star Trek on wheels, something to obsess over and while away long afternoons with.Some read books, some plug their MP3s and MP4s, and some …doze off! But there are some train journeys that rise above this pluralistic view and make everyone go rail-crazy. Here is one of my all-time favourites:...
Read MoreCoorg with the Thimmaiah’s
The beautiful house and the few other outhouses and rooms that make up The Jade are 170 years old. Each room is impeccably maintained with old furniture polished from long use, tall pillars, old locks and thick doors. The Jade is almost nearly at the border between Kodagu and Kerala and its lovely location offers travellers a chance to drop in also to Waynad. The only sounds you hear is that of birds and the odd job from the sprawling estates around. This was the second time we were visiting Coorg. In our first visit, we had almost concluded, that Coorg was over-hyped. But when we planned...
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