What better way to celebrate my Gran's 80th birthday than to get away for an extended weekend break to a boutique resort in the Himalayas? Shaheen Bagh on Mussoorie Road proved a delight for the soul, and for the taste buds.
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Eat Out
The Bayleaf Chennai in Gopalapuram is a Mughlai and Bengali restaurant. I was a little surprised and intrigued by this combination of cuisines. I wonder if it started off as a Bengali speciality restaurant and didn't find a large enough clientele and therefore expanded to incorporate Mughlai too? Or if it actually began as a kathi roll stop and then expanded to include other food from Kolkata? I'm tempted to believe the latter, if the exciting roll menu and very positive reviews of it are anything to go by.
We decided to dine in, this time around, and save those famous paratha rolls filled with spicy stuffings for another day.
When I think of Kerala food, I think of appams and stew. Seasonal vegetables simmered in a spiced coconut milk based sauce, eaten with thin lacy pancakes made of fermented rice flour. Now imagine eating traditional Keralan food in a quiet restaurant decorated in the traditional way, served by staff in traditional attire. If you can’t be in Kerala, be in Vembanad, Bangalore.
CTR Bangalore is synonymous with benne masala dosa, or butter masala dosa. If you haven't been to Bangalore or Bengaluru as it's now called, you're probably wondering what all the fuss around a masala dosa is, given every second food joint in the city serves these. You're not alone. I first heard of CTR on Instagram, when a friend shared a happy picture from his trip to Bangalore. It instantly found its way onto my wish list for my trip, and on my third day in the city, my parents, husband and I set out on the long drive from Yelahanka to Malleswaram, to sample the famous dosa at CTR Bangalore.
Smack in the heart of Shepherd's Bush Market, opposite the Shepherd's Bush Market tube station, there is a no-frills little restaurant with a few tables and chairs scattered around, and this unassuming place makes stupendous falafel wraps. Mr Falafel, in my opinion, is London's most underrated, understated, most delicious falafel joint.