Finally! out of the rut and the maya-jaal like whirlwind, and landed in Penang! at some point, maybe I wasn't believing that this would be possible? but I am glad, because work will keep happening, life will too, and I've got to take these little chances at it :)
so while e mails flow and colleagues furiously stay dedicated and focused on their deliverables all around the world, here I am, in cosy lil Hutton Lodge on the 1st floor the old colonial style building which is going to be home for the next 3 days.
I am glad that sleep hasn't disowned me or given up on me yet given my past few weeks' schedule....it gently came back to me, and caressingly brought me back into its fold....basically - I slept almost all my way from BIAL to Hutton Lodge!
Feel refreshed now, but a tad hungry too....or maybe until I get my hands and taste buds onto the nasi kandar, satay, rojak, koay teows etc...the hunger pangs wont go. cant wait to sample all and more of this in a few hours from now.
My first meal in and of Penang though, was the thosai bawang aka onion dosa, and a super generous mug (beer like) of coffee! that coffee was enough to shake and wake me out of any slumber left i thought, but i was proven wrong, as i crashed for another hour not too long after :P
Just hopped across the road to the Muslim eatery and was so lost reading the menu, that I had to ask for help from a co-customer and the cook himself! I did regret not ordering something more adventurous, but it's ok I am telling myself, it was just the pre cursor :) cant wait!....
Friday, June 17, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Old is gold...
A very quick one to share my dosa and coffee joy! Yesterday I tripped into the Brindavan Hotel off MG Road, as an impromptu decision...was hungry, with limited time on hand, yet was in a mood to explore (thankfully!). So pop came the idea as I neared the hotel and the sudden shower added to the romanticism I guess.
Friendly staff helped me park the car and asked me "restaurant"? I apprehesively said "yes" hoping they wouldn't disallow me to park, and to my relief he nodded and pointed backwards to my destination. Off i went....it was the lobby of the lodge that welcomed me, but it didn't take long for hungry eyes and a stomach to spot the board up ahead which had meal n tiffin timings! that was the place to be! there was just 1 table free so I grabbed that....and then began soaking in the ambience....though this was my first visit, there was something familiar about it....perhaps the non chalance of the furniture, the walls, the staff, the high-ceiling fans...the stainless steel tumblers, jugs? or maybe a mix of all....but took me back instantly to my growing years in Secunderabad too, where I enjoyed my Taj Mahal and Kamat jaunts.
Surprisingly (to unaware me!) there was no menu, just a rattling off, of the items being served at the time! I was quick to decide - masala dosa and a coffee please? Took some pics from my mobile to capture the essence of the place...and after a few minutes' wait, the lovely brown dosa appeared before me.
I cannot describe in words, the satisfaction and happiness I experienced when I popped the first morsel into my mouth! oh my goodness! delicate, melting, subtle flavours and just awesomely good - dosa! this was IT! the evening was made :) I wish I could take my time to enjoy it more, but it was so good that I gobbled it up at Shumacher's pace ;)
After the crime, then came the filter coffee - never fails eh? to lift one's tired/drooping or already high spirits! just right in terms of aroma, flavour, sweetness.....the icing on the cake.
Felt instantly energized and ready to take on the town traffic and rain (if at all) and headed off to Church, after saying bye (not good bye) to the friendly staff who again showed me the way out of the parking lot!
Friendly staff helped me park the car and asked me "restaurant"? I apprehesively said "yes" hoping they wouldn't disallow me to park, and to my relief he nodded and pointed backwards to my destination. Off i went....it was the lobby of the lodge that welcomed me, but it didn't take long for hungry eyes and a stomach to spot the board up ahead which had meal n tiffin timings! that was the place to be! there was just 1 table free so I grabbed that....and then began soaking in the ambience....though this was my first visit, there was something familiar about it....perhaps the non chalance of the furniture, the walls, the staff, the high-ceiling fans...the stainless steel tumblers, jugs? or maybe a mix of all....but took me back instantly to my growing years in Secunderabad too, where I enjoyed my Taj Mahal and Kamat jaunts.
Surprisingly (to unaware me!) there was no menu, just a rattling off, of the items being served at the time! I was quick to decide - masala dosa and a coffee please? Took some pics from my mobile to capture the essence of the place...and after a few minutes' wait, the lovely brown dosa appeared before me.
I cannot describe in words, the satisfaction and happiness I experienced when I popped the first morsel into my mouth! oh my goodness! delicate, melting, subtle flavours and just awesomely good - dosa! this was IT! the evening was made :) I wish I could take my time to enjoy it more, but it was so good that I gobbled it up at Shumacher's pace ;)
After the crime, then came the filter coffee - never fails eh? to lift one's tired/drooping or already high spirits! just right in terms of aroma, flavour, sweetness.....the icing on the cake.
Felt instantly energized and ready to take on the town traffic and rain (if at all) and headed off to Church, after saying bye (not good bye) to the friendly staff who again showed me the way out of the parking lot!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Good company makes for a great gourmet experience!
If some of us think we have to visit a restaurant to eat good or exotic or fancy food, well think again. A well planned (menu mostly :)) pot luck with some good company on a weekend can be just as right as well!
Foodies I guess, rarely fail to impress eh...like today when I attended one such. We were just the right group size...5 of us, and came up with the menu a couple days before the day. So there was a tuna and veggie salad, sausages, breezers and aam panna for starters. Of course, lets not forget the poker which was nice to re visit since childhood days, but didn't stand a chance when compared with mighty food! :)
We lounged around lazily on the terrace, thankfully most of it shielded from the sun (which was playing hide n seek with the clouds) by a tiled-roof centre area. After much catching up and some comfortable music playing in the background, we decided to head downstairs...and mmove onto the main course. It was nearly 4 pm by then! wow, how time flies when one has both the ingredients of a super weekend - good food and good company :)
The main course was lavish, pork vindaloo, chicken korma hyderabadi style, dal, peas pulao...yummy! After stuffing every inch of our tummies, we couldn't be called genuine gluttons unless we had our share of dessert, could we? So we helped ourselves to 3 kinds of chocolate goodies - coffee sponge cake (a chocolatee coffee cake with just a slight bit of icing in the centre - pretty yum!), chocolate cake (nicely baked) and chocolate mousse (I think it had marshmallows too)....wow, someone was right when he/she said one can rarely go wrong with chocolate! :)
Well, the gossip continued, the laughs too....but alas the afternoon had run out too....we did have to go back to the real world (read that as BUSY weekend schedules)!
Clicked some cool pictures to savor the memories of 'the new garden cafe' which I am calling it for reasons more than one :) I do think the host of the day has talents she should put to good use and make one of her dreams come true! :) "slurp" to that! :)
Foodies I guess, rarely fail to impress eh...like today when I attended one such. We were just the right group size...5 of us, and came up with the menu a couple days before the day. So there was a tuna and veggie salad, sausages, breezers and aam panna for starters. Of course, lets not forget the poker which was nice to re visit since childhood days, but didn't stand a chance when compared with mighty food! :)
We lounged around lazily on the terrace, thankfully most of it shielded from the sun (which was playing hide n seek with the clouds) by a tiled-roof centre area. After much catching up and some comfortable music playing in the background, we decided to head downstairs...and mmove onto the main course. It was nearly 4 pm by then! wow, how time flies when one has both the ingredients of a super weekend - good food and good company :)
The main course was lavish, pork vindaloo, chicken korma hyderabadi style, dal, peas pulao...yummy! After stuffing every inch of our tummies, we couldn't be called genuine gluttons unless we had our share of dessert, could we? So we helped ourselves to 3 kinds of chocolate goodies - coffee sponge cake (a chocolatee coffee cake with just a slight bit of icing in the centre - pretty yum!), chocolate cake (nicely baked) and chocolate mousse (I think it had marshmallows too)....wow, someone was right when he/she said one can rarely go wrong with chocolate! :)
Well, the gossip continued, the laughs too....but alas the afternoon had run out too....we did have to go back to the real world (read that as BUSY weekend schedules)!
Clicked some cool pictures to savor the memories of 'the new garden cafe' which I am calling it for reasons more than one :) I do think the host of the day has talents she should put to good use and make one of her dreams come true! :) "slurp" to that! :)
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Great sea food...
On Infantry Road, lies a fairly nondescript restaurant called Unicorn. Nothing fancy about the layout, decor and ambience, but comfortable nonetheless. I had first visited it a few years ago and was pretty impressed then, but just didn't get to going back there since.
So a few days back when I did have some time on hand and some good company too, I suggested we head there for some much-looked-forward to, sea food!
Parking can be an issue as it's the ever busy Infantry Road, however a smile and a signal to the guard in the building may help you get a slot; it helped us :)
We started with crab sukka which was the piece de resistance for 50% of our group (that's two of us) - a fiery red, moist culmination of coastal flavors nicely surrounding the crab meat, and just perfectly balanced! the spices didn't overpowe the meat which is quite often the case in such dishes. Next came the appams, neer dosas, fish (kane) curry and we soon realized we'd underestimated our appetites ;) so we summoned the person in charge and asked for a recommendation. We settled for prawn fry and that became the other 50%'s piece de resistance! succulent and fresh prawns, comfortably coated in a red masale-daar melange...and cooked to perfection. wow!
In between these 2, we relished the appams and neer dosas which were the right accompaniments, the subtle and comforting textures playing perfect foil to their spicy counterparts. The fish curry though was a major disappointment in comparison, guess the benchmarks were too high by now!
It wasn't all though, in came the prawn biryani which was pretty delicious as well - again nicely balanced...spice, meat and rice. By the end of the meal, we were floating peacefully in the high seas :)
Would think some of the prices were a wee bit steep, but with such fulfillment, cant complain too much.
A must try for sea food lovers!
So a few days back when I did have some time on hand and some good company too, I suggested we head there for some much-looked-forward to, sea food!
Parking can be an issue as it's the ever busy Infantry Road, however a smile and a signal to the guard in the building may help you get a slot; it helped us :)
We started with crab sukka which was the piece de resistance for 50% of our group (that's two of us) - a fiery red, moist culmination of coastal flavors nicely surrounding the crab meat, and just perfectly balanced! the spices didn't overpowe the meat which is quite often the case in such dishes. Next came the appams, neer dosas, fish (kane) curry and we soon realized we'd underestimated our appetites ;) so we summoned the person in charge and asked for a recommendation. We settled for prawn fry and that became the other 50%'s piece de resistance! succulent and fresh prawns, comfortably coated in a red masale-daar melange...and cooked to perfection. wow!
In between these 2, we relished the appams and neer dosas which were the right accompaniments, the subtle and comforting textures playing perfect foil to their spicy counterparts. The fish curry though was a major disappointment in comparison, guess the benchmarks were too high by now!
It wasn't all though, in came the prawn biryani which was pretty delicious as well - again nicely balanced...spice, meat and rice. By the end of the meal, we were floating peacefully in the high seas :)
Would think some of the prices were a wee bit steep, but with such fulfillment, cant complain too much.
A must try for sea food lovers!
Recent explorations...
I recently explored a couple of places - Under the Mango Tree at Richmond Town and Secret Garden Cafe off Queens Road.
Both happen to be of a similar genre, i.e. Continental food, little boutique-y places, outdoorsy, set in soothing environs, pleasant service, and most of all - leisure eating at its best.
Interestingly, I hadn't heard of either until a few weeks back, despite considering myself a foodie and having lived in the city for over 7 years now! sigh - better late than never though!
Under the Mango Tree is aptly named, for it indeed has a huge mango tree at it's centre with seating all around. The ambience is inviting, the sun doesn't hit you straight during the afternoons though you may request for the fan to be switched on, if it's not already. They do have the day's specials on the menu in addition to the usual one. I've had their watermelon with cheese salad, a fish and a pasta dish, the blueberry cheese cake so far and I wasn't disappointed with any of them.
The food scores well on presentation, taste and overall quality, and the portion size is quite right as well, though if you're feeling particularly voracious or usually have a large appetite, it may seem a tad small.
Service is non intrusive yet helpful, they do suggest favourites, if asked :)
I have been there both times over lunch, and am guessing it will be as nice in the evenings as well. It's a nice cosy place, neatly tucked away from the main road, the hustle bustle of traffic.
If you want to have a laid back and relaxed time with some great company, yet are in the mood to give your tastebuds some exploration to do, then this would be a good place for both agendas!
Secret Garden Cafe is tucked away in a nook at the end of a road that is off Queens Road, so quite literally, it's a secret! It's atop a terrace and surrounded by an avocado plant amongst others - wow, where do you find those in the concrete jungle that we live in?
There's a board displaying the day's menu (no menu cards here!) and though it's a limited spread, all offerings are pretty unique so one doesn't feel the lack of a menu card!
Between the 3 of us, we ordered for fish with dill sauce, prawn n asparagus salad, lamb pot pie, crab cake, and brazilian nut cake with ice cream! yummy, with a very noticeable home touch to all of them! oh, and how could I forget the awesome freshly baked bread they served first! I doubt there's anything in the gourmet world that beats freshly baked bread.
Perfect for a quiet (secret :)) meal, to discuss one's dreams, new ideas maybe? no nosy service, they'll let you be, to savor your meal in peace.
The flip side which I will call out (if that's how one sees it), they dont accept card payments, and service did get a bit tense at least at our table..(the lady forgot about one of our main course orders until we asked what happened to it).
All in all - if you're in that part of town and have the time to find this secret, it's quite worth the hunt :)
bon appetit!
Both happen to be of a similar genre, i.e. Continental food, little boutique-y places, outdoorsy, set in soothing environs, pleasant service, and most of all - leisure eating at its best.
Interestingly, I hadn't heard of either until a few weeks back, despite considering myself a foodie and having lived in the city for over 7 years now! sigh - better late than never though!
Under the Mango Tree is aptly named, for it indeed has a huge mango tree at it's centre with seating all around. The ambience is inviting, the sun doesn't hit you straight during the afternoons though you may request for the fan to be switched on, if it's not already. They do have the day's specials on the menu in addition to the usual one. I've had their watermelon with cheese salad, a fish and a pasta dish, the blueberry cheese cake so far and I wasn't disappointed with any of them.
The food scores well on presentation, taste and overall quality, and the portion size is quite right as well, though if you're feeling particularly voracious or usually have a large appetite, it may seem a tad small.
Service is non intrusive yet helpful, they do suggest favourites, if asked :)
I have been there both times over lunch, and am guessing it will be as nice in the evenings as well. It's a nice cosy place, neatly tucked away from the main road, the hustle bustle of traffic.
If you want to have a laid back and relaxed time with some great company, yet are in the mood to give your tastebuds some exploration to do, then this would be a good place for both agendas!
Secret Garden Cafe is tucked away in a nook at the end of a road that is off Queens Road, so quite literally, it's a secret! It's atop a terrace and surrounded by an avocado plant amongst others - wow, where do you find those in the concrete jungle that we live in?
There's a board displaying the day's menu (no menu cards here!) and though it's a limited spread, all offerings are pretty unique so one doesn't feel the lack of a menu card!
Between the 3 of us, we ordered for fish with dill sauce, prawn n asparagus salad, lamb pot pie, crab cake, and brazilian nut cake with ice cream! yummy, with a very noticeable home touch to all of them! oh, and how could I forget the awesome freshly baked bread they served first! I doubt there's anything in the gourmet world that beats freshly baked bread.
Perfect for a quiet (secret :)) meal, to discuss one's dreams, new ideas maybe? no nosy service, they'll let you be, to savor your meal in peace.
The flip side which I will call out (if that's how one sees it), they dont accept card payments, and service did get a bit tense at least at our table..(the lady forgot about one of our main course orders until we asked what happened to it).
All in all - if you're in that part of town and have the time to find this secret, it's quite worth the hunt :)
bon appetit!
My 'gastra'pades...
'First things first' - haven't many of us heard that phrase before? Stephen Covey's popular book converted into training curriculum, into performance feedback at our workplaces and what not! But, for me - it's perhaps being put to best use right now, to confess that I absolutely love anything 'food'! :-)
So it's quite apt that I dedicate the very 'first' of my blogs to this friend, philospher and guide - foodies out there, am sure you get it!
Am going to try to simplify....that's the new mantra that am going to consciously try putting into practice, across the facets of my life; actually except food maybe?
I'll try to share my thoughts and reactions with you, review new and old eateries, maybe some of my favourite recipes and we'll see what else may come along the way.
And before I begin, a word of thanks to all the online foodies who post their reviews which I dligently check and use, to explore new places and most oft, there are no unpleasant surprises there! :-)
So it's quite apt that I dedicate the very 'first' of my blogs to this friend, philospher and guide - foodies out there, am sure you get it!
Am going to try to simplify....that's the new mantra that am going to consciously try putting into practice, across the facets of my life; actually except food maybe?
I'll try to share my thoughts and reactions with you, review new and old eateries, maybe some of my favourite recipes and we'll see what else may come along the way.
And before I begin, a word of thanks to all the online foodies who post their reviews which I dligently check and use, to explore new places and most oft, there are no unpleasant surprises there! :-)
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