Ah! the Mousse now!

Chocolate Mousse has long been a fantasy stuff for me. I dont remember when it first affected my tast(y) buds. But it soon grew to be the most craved for dessert. I would want it esp post dinner on winter days. Thats one reason why this post is coming in winters.

The watery need for it has accelerated to such a level that I have often done the idiotic deed of asking dad to take us out for dessert. obviously such idiotic deeds often reap no positive results.

Anyhow, its Christmas time and no better day for pondering about the best chocolate mousse available in Delhi. So i shall list out what i shall call as best bets:

- Big Chill- No prizes for guessing this one. Like all their desserts, this is also sexy.

- Piccadilly- Leave apart the not so inviting biscuit at the bottom and the mousse is delightful. Its squishy, its soft and its is well flavored. They sometimes go overboard with the cold choco sauce on the top..But the middle is really nice.

- Wengers- Again, leave out the irritating biscuit at the end.. The mousse is extremely nice. It has some very tiny winy nuts in between, the taste of which pleases me..Although many people would rather do without them.

-Shangrila- One of the best chocolate mousse I have ever,ever had. They have two varieties, one melted chocolate and the other dark chocolate. Try the melted one, it shall melt in your mouth.

- Taj Mansingh- Dont know about their Gulabjamuns and Jalebies..But the Mousse is definitely worth having! (only if you are being treated or something)

- Chocola- Well, im sorry to say that they have discontinued their dessert called Chocolate Concord. It had crisp choco chips all over the surface that concealed a delectable mousse like thing. I guess it was a mixture between a gelato and a mousse. Simply amazing.

Other places worth trying- Azzuro (they dont keep Mousse, they have something called chocolate fondant. You go once and you shall definitely go again), Obroi, Breads and More, top Breads and the french bakery…

Im going to have one today evening!

ummmmm!!

The Journey…

the view from my hotel

Norbulingka Institute

Bhagsunag Falls

So I came back from a long overdue holiday almost 5 days back. And such is the disbelief at returning back to Delhi, being surrounded by work and chaos all over again, that I havent been able jump back to the “same old routine” kind of stuff. Anyhow, as it goes, it has to happen..

However, just because im experiencing withdrawal symptoms in some rather perverse kind of way, doesnt mean that the marvellous place I went to shouldnt get its due. So this post is about the trip, and i shall try to write it with as scarce a tone of disappointment at being back, as I can muster.

So our roads and our train tickets led us to PathanKot and from there a taxi service, which seemed overpriced to me, led us to Dharamshla, and further up, to Mcloed Ganj. To do justice to my friends remark- Mcloed Gunj is AWE-fu*****- SOME. It certainly is. Maybe that remark played a role in landing me there.

Anyhow, so it was (and still is) December. when we got off at the station, it seemed like it. Winters were floating around us in white fogs and curtaining the sights with its thick blurs. But as we climbed up, the welcome sun arrived and bathed us in warmth and golden pearls. It was at a mid-way stop at some Dhaba that I first had the chance to step out of the Taxi and stare yonder..And the only thing going on in my head that time was- “O my god..this is so damn beautiful”.

And surrounded by picturesque scenarios, we reached Mcloed Gunj. We decided to put up at a place called The Asia Health Resorts- the best place there is to stay there. As my sister noticed- the name kind of sounds like a rehab centre! But the place, though done in not so nice taste externally (it has a pista green colour on its exterior walls!), is actually really nice. It is luxurious, has a breathtaking view, efficient services, all facilities, electric mattresses:) and a great restaurant and bar, not to forget the lounge with Lazy Boy chairs and the spa facilities.

And the next four days were spent in discovering and falling in love with the place…Im going to try and put down my experiences here.

Things to See- Simply put, there isnt much. You should go to the Bhagsunag falls, though there is scarcely any water at this time of the year. But the sound of water is absolutely magical and is sure to lift up your damp spirits. Also, having “veggie-maggie” with steaming coffee sitting on the rocks, with the fall lazily flowing at your side, it is a different experience. Dont know about everyone, but I love the sound of water echoing in the mountains and filling the valleys with its symphony!

-Next thing i suggest you see are a couple of monasteries. The way the Tibetans adorn their temples is totally different, very simple, yet flashy, very silent, and a very different sight. Its a peek in a totally different world. And you do get glimpses of extreme devotion, a struggle to prevent a culture from fading away, a fight to live in authenticity in an alien land, and a sense of contentment-at having a little space of their own, of having a cause…to live and die for..Add to all this beautiful settings and extremely polite and helpful people and the experience becomes worth it. Plus, you just have to wonder how the monks can move around in December without the aid of woolens!

-Then ofcourse, there is the small mall road. It has a huge stock of very good looking woolens, the stuff D.Shala is famous for. The stuff is decently priced too. Also, there are little little nice things, like Buddhist charms in all colours and shapes, books on Buddhist Culture, interesting postcards and fake branded products. Its a pleasure bargaining with the locals,though you might not always succeed.

ANother place you must visit is the Norbulingka Institute. This is situated further down in Kangra District. The purpose of the existence of this place, as its stub line suggests is – Preserving Tibetan Culture. Here in they teach and train students in various arts and crafts like wood carving, cloth designing etc etc. All that apart, its a massive and a beautiful place. Excellently maintained, with a great doll museum, an exorbitantly priced commercial centre and a big and elegant temple. Its a really peaceful place and gives you an overwhelming sense of being surrounded by history..Nay, of living in history itself.

there are other places i heard about but didnt visit- Of these Dharmakot and Pong valley seemed worth giving a try.

The Food- Ah! my favorite part. I would suggest only two places- both on the mall road.

-The first is Mc LLo’s. It is the favorite there. The coolest as we say for the local elite and the visiting tourist. Try the chicken steamed momos- the chutney is so amazing. The chicken soup is very different.You could also try the famous butter chicken and the pastas.

-the next place is OOgo’s- the complete Italian Kitchen. This strangely named place is some where hidden on the main mall road and kind of takes you by surprise once you enter. It has a very nice and modern ambiance, red and yellow lamps hanging over each table, excellent music, an ad-hoc read-in collection of books, and well, simply excellent food! and at prices at which Delhi people and Big Chill lovers can only gape at. Try any of the pastas, more specifically, chicken in Piri-piri sauce. You can also go in for one of their fresh bakes (penne with mozarella), or the chicken steak with veggies main dish. The chicken sausages are awesome. so is the Chocolate Mousse.The service is slow, and the lady which sits at the desk not very friendly (she is constantly angry at the cook cum waiter- he is named Chinde), but the food more than makes up for it. All in all, its a must visit joint. No wonder you shall see a lot of foreign tourists hopping to this place.You will Miss it when you are back. I do.

-If you are a vegetarian or don’t mind being one occasionally- try the roadside veg and potato momos. I cant claim I liked them a lot. The chutney was really nice though.

-If you are staying up at Asia Health Resorts- try the Butter Chicken. It is reallly nice.

-Liquor, needless to say is most easily available at every nook and corner.

Some other highlights of the place are- the wonderful night sky. Clear and beautiful. The way the local people talk- you can understand but not comprehend. hehe. the Huge, and i mean Huge size of pastries everywhere.

All in all the place affords a lazy and a beautiful experience. There aren’t too many nice hotels and you have to do a bit of searching before zeroing in on any. But that doesn’t matter too much..given the dose of beauty and peace you get once there.

I yet again feel sad at being back!

Wide-Light eating…

Its been a while since I have ranted endlessly about food.. Not that it implies the death of my hunger or my love for food or anything. it just implies lack of leisure time to sit and write about food or to analyze it, although my craving for good food (strictly non-vegggetarrian) is by no means dead.

But the festive season aroused in me once again the urge to eat and eat more the delectable food, the auras of which float all around, during this time of the year. The results of this are multiple- this post is one, the 2kg (assumed) increase in my weight might be the second…

Im generally going to focus on two main things here. These are- my recent running after a particular dish stint, and the second one is a little unusual, since  it involves no eating-OUT joints. It is rather the eat-IN place. if you havent guessed it till now, im going to talk about home cooked food. Lets say festival special, and amazingly delicious, and unhealthy and fattening Punjabi Ghar KA khana.

Not unusually, I have been yearning for Chinese food since the last couple of weeks. This time for a specific dish- the “Moon faa rice”. I first partook of this wonderful bowl of long, fine grain rice at Lotus Pond (NFC), and fell in love with it right after my first spoonful. The dish is a bowl of brown colored, tangy rice, tossed lightly in oyster sauce and mixed with shredded pieces of chicken or sea food. Needless to mention, the dish is absolutely delightful.

And this thing I had been obsessed with of late. I would think about it sitting in office, want it everyday, dream about it, and taste it in the most unlikely situations. So much so that I almost started hoping that the next Diwali mela I go to will have a huge and sophisticated spread of Chinese food with an enormous pot of Moon faa rice. (also known as Moon- Fun rice at some places).

The craving took me to various places- Zen, ITC Maurya, Intercontinental Eros, and finally to our staple Chinese restaurant- Bercos. Disappointingly, Zen had nothing like moon faa rice on their menu, although the visit introduced me to the best “five-spice chicken” ever tasted. Its a must try. Soft, just the right gravy and beautifully made. ITC too didnt have “that” on its list (again the fish shrimps in sesame sauce were oh my god!, and the lamb strips were nice and crispy). Same with Intercontinental Eros. (I have to review the Empress of China, the Chinese eatery of these people, it will come up next).

Finally, to Bercos i headed, where i knew the dish to be listed. We sat, we looked and ordered. It came and we ate. I was glad to fill my fork with my topmost desire of the moment, but it still didn’t completely satiate me. I still remembered Lotus Pond and wondered how they managed such a wonder. However, the quota was fulfilled, and i had to be content with that…The conclusion however is,that Moon Fun rice is a great dish, and Lotus Pond serves it best. (they no longer have it in print on their menu, but they still serve it on demand, and there is no compromise on quality, whatsoever)

Coming to the second section- The Diwali Home food special. Diwali- Lights and holidays and rangolies and food. Lights in the skies, lights in the eyes, lights in homes…and the smell of food. Deep fried pakoras and samosas, barfies and lavish dinners. whoa! i have eaten so much in these four days. Im going to list out my favorites.

Lets start with the sweets. My masi, made some excellent coconut barfi this time. It was grinded coconut, rolled in sugar syrup and coated with Gurr. Not to forget the dry fruits embedded in the surface. It was somewhat similar to the traditional hindu sweet on the Janamashtmi Day. But it was different in the sense, that it was deliberately made not so dry and hard. Also masi mixed some two three kinds of coconuts together and only half grinded them. They were sort of shredded coconuts, if Im allowed to say that. For all those, who have heard of this thing for the first time, im also one of you guys. You can only hope for such experimentalist’s in your families, or coax your mums to try this out. It was just delicious. My only regret is that we wiped it off way too soon.

Now, i will come to the lavish dinner spreads at the various places that the festive season made me visit. (and there were quite a lot). No festival is complete unless you have had some servings of Chhole-Chawal, Rajma-Chawal, shahi paneer, and dal makhani. Well, then I guess my festival was more than complete, because i had all of them. For all the ladies cooking Rajma Chawal, esp to the three, all of those served me my favorite Indian dish this weekend, i have an advice (actually I have more than one)- For heavens sake, add more curry to your Rajma. And for heavens sake, boil them properly, and please, DO NOT try to make Rajma without the aid of Onions. They so lose their taste. And please dont put solid chunks of tomatoes, ginger etc in your rajma. Kindly use a mixer/grinder. Now you see, how sensitive im regarding rajma Chawal.

Coming to shahi-paneer. the gravy

Ricey Options!

the Punjabi Platter!

has to be red and thick. Otherwise it just wont appeal to the Punjabi taste buds. And a tinge of sweetness is important. Very much so. I wont comment on Dal-makhani, everyone can do a different and a decent job with it. (me included). Those who make it a point to make samosas for Diwali, I suggest them to abstain, for the sake of their fat husbands and obese children’s health.

And final accolades for my neighborhood aunty. Who actually made jalebis herself for the Diwali Pooja Prasaad. And whats more, she made “low fat jalebis”.(seriously!). Although im yet to ascertain how, Im glad that she is extremely concerned about her husband’s rising blood sugar levels. And amidst all the binging drive, she perhaps saved me from a couple of extra kilos, by sending to my place, a plate full of “low-sugar jalebis”.

P.S- im hungry and wish for Diwali to return!

Naturally Punjabi…

Ahh! Its lunch-time again. And invariably my empty stomach and my emptier mind make me float in the sweet auras of Punjabi By Nature (PBN). For those who are wondering whether im partaking joints sitting in office.. Well, im not. Under full retention of sanity I can say that PBN has food made for fanatasy!

As soon as you enter the premises, and I do like the Noida one better than the Vasant Vihar one, you are overcome by the smell of rose petals, rose water, rose sprinkles.. Its a very rosy ambiance to say the least. And the dim, comfy environment, with the soft sound of water in the background is actually ideal for a perfect Punjabi date.

And they do serve liqour. Although they have mistaken my demand for sprite with soda, and their long island ice tea is a bit too strong, Im not complaining. Because they compensate for all of this with prompt service, and simply delicious food.

There is nothing more turning on for the senses(no wrong hints), than a delectable snack of Chicken Malai tikka with a well churned out drink. And if the tikka has come out of a PBN kitchen, you are assured of the highest degree of satisfaction. They have such well-shaped, well roasted, soft and delicious chunks of chicken! I honestly have never had a better plate of chicken tikka. and the chutney and Masaala Pyaaz they serve it with! God, there is no explaining how it tastes and feels!

Then there is the butter chicken> It is the finest quality, smoothest and the sexiest thing ever! I mean you have to taste it to know what I mean. Their curry is so so nice that you can have a whole meal with moans of pleasure without bothering about the chicken chunks! Club this up with butter naan(and there is a caution there- Never order as many naans as people. their one naan is more than enough for two! they are huge..seriously!) and you have the best of the punjabi cuisine available in town.

I can safely say that i have tried out a variety of places offering north- Indian food, compassing all belts and loops. But PBN is the best I have ever had. I really like the Moti-Mahals, the NJP’s, the kake ka dhaba, the Nasheer ka chicken, the Abhishek dhaba etc etc..But none of them come close to the taste that PBN gives you..

Heaven!

PNB is a chain that dosent boast of village ambiance and decorated earthen plates with promises of “original/traditional Punjabi cuisine” . It projects itself as an upper-class, cosmopolitan place. It boasts of providing you a sophisticated ambiance and exquisite food. And it does that. Very well indeed.

Roll it over!

This is a useless post about the best chicken rolls available in Delhi. There will be no technicalities and details involved since we Punjabis need nothing but Hunger and the smell of roasted chicken to review chicken rolls.

Most of the people will rate Khan Chacha’s rolls on the zenieth of this chart, without second thoughts. As much as Im in love with the open air muddy street of the Khan Counter, with hip crowd sauntering around while enjoying green chutney dripping chunks of orangy tikka wrapped in a thin sheet of roomali roti, (that was explicit!) I have to say that there is competition.

Nizams and KArims are two. (i always think them to be the same though, but their rools are extraordinarily different). And Nizams (CP wala) is infinitely better (and unhealthier) of the two. Its oily wrap of thick roti laced with a layering of egg is deliciously mouth watering! Karims is a bit disappointing if you consider Murg rolls but their mutton seekh roll is amazing to say the least! it is soft, neatly rolled and heated just right. It isnt overcooked as is the case most often with chicken tikka rolls.

The other competition though very marginally so is Chowrangee Lane in front of Venkateshwara college. Their rolls are tasty but lack lubrication:) Sorry, I mean they dont have enough green chutney flowing out. A roll is not roll enough if it dosent spoil your T-shirt! Their chicken pieces are also pretty hard at times and they have an unhygienic look around them which isnt inviting. Anyhow, the place works and has some fan following too..

The next nice roll I remember is that of a roadside place in Noida sector 18. The place is called Zaika. It has great and unhealthy rolls but they put so much chillies in them as is enough to roast your ears. They can make any unabashed girl look like a blush queen! But they are good, esp for Riddhi and Ana type people, who ironically are both vegetarians!

Other places where you can get decent rolls are Bawarchi Khana, Kake da Dhaba, one amazing amazing place is Shiv Tikki Bhandar in East Delhi. They use malai tikka instead of normal one and it is sexy! There are others too, but these places are goeble and eatable at. We shouldnt obviously forget our vey own Al-baq ke shawarma rolls, served with cheesy sauces and which are so out of this world, even though my friend once discovered a cockroach in one of them and the place is located at a disgusting location, dirty and so ewww!

Wrap Around!

And coming to my favorite now. This one is Omelletes at Rajindar Place, near Karol Bagh. They have the bestest rolls I have ever tasted. The chicken Malai Roll in roomali roti is the most satisfying appetizer I have ever had. Try them and you will know what I mean. I even dare to say that they are better than Khan Chacha’s! though I risk my life in saying that!

Cuppa Coffee

A hot steaming mug cupped tightly in cold hands, a smell slowly arousing me from my lazy slumber, the aura of freshness amid dull office hours… Ah! Coffee! No wonder I call caffeine my fuel!

So many classes I have bunked for my first college crush, none other than CCD, so many dry days I have spent at home in anticipation of that golden coffee hour. So many conversations I have made and cherished sitting face to face with coffee mugs…So many bonds I have created with the steaming coffee blistering my tongue. . I truly have lived a coffee-colored life.

The strange love started with college days. CCD was the first ever place we as a group, as classmates went to. It was probably the last as well. Then came the bonding, with people as well as the drink. It soon became an obsession, not the people but the drink. I was the blind enthusiast of what we call the caffeine kick. Believe it or not, there are days when I have gulped down amounts of coffee you cant imagine!

As happens with all loves, my rosy phase also got over in due course. From a staunch CCD loyalist I started drifting to Barista occasionally. I also gradually came to understand the differences between a well made, a carelessly made and a pathetic cup of coffee. The flavors were also settling down on my tongue. Earlier a Latte and a Cappuccino  felt, smelt and tasted similar. . With time Latte became Latte and not Cappuccino.

Now, after more than 4years of being in this intense relationship, I can narrate by heart the menus of all prominent coffee shops, I can also figure out what coffee Im craving for, whether its a strong Latte with semi-skimmed milk, a guilt inducing Mocha, or an Indulgent Irish Coffee. What more, I can even compare between coffee outlets.

For example I can now safely say that CCD has the best cafe Latte, And a Mocha better than Barista and Costa. Add hazelnut to that Mocha and Barista takes the lead. Costa isnt too far behind either. The cookies they serve with Mocha are a pull-on too. Barista undoubtedly has the better Cafe Caramel of the two (V/s Costa, since CCD unfortunately has stopped serving Cafe Caramel). But Costa easily takes the lead in Irish coffee, although the new Irish Caramel from Barista deserves compliments.

Barista I would say is the most Innovative with Coffees. Their last summer and winter menus, (which I stole!) prove it. The cookie Cappuccino (served with two delicious bits of cookie drenched in some amazing whipped cream) was a great move. So was their new range of fruit coolers like the Watermelon Sparkle and the like. Their Black Currant shakes and a huge range of Iced-teas ensure that even people who dont like coffee (And there are some! I swear!) can still hang out in coffee shops.

Costa I would say is the comfortably conventional one. They believe in quality coffees, neat and nicely blended and well served, even if they dont have a huge menu. (theirs isnt even worth stealing!) Costa ,is value for money, if you just glance at the size of the Grande’ Cup. Ahh! its huge..Even I had difficulty finishing one! The hot chocolate they serve, is so darn good that sometimes its name on the menu can make me forget coffee and remember childhood hot chocolate days.

Now CCD, although Im in love with the place, I still have to say that they need to innovate and improve their menu. They need better coffees, better food, better waiters, better desserts. They win on the ambiance gamble (huge black leather sofas that you can sink into!)and a few of their old and perfected coffees (latte and mocha) are really great, but they need more. Not that they haven’t tried to…the introduction of granitas and the famous Green Apple Soda was a good move.

And talking about ambiance, i really think Barista needs a lot of help there. Coming to food, for one always needs something nice (even healthy at times) to munch on while sipping their coffees. Barista and CCD, if you leave out their tolerable sandwiches (of which you eventually get bored) have nothing great to offer. Their dessert racks are always conventionally  stocked with Muffins and dark chocolate pastries. Barista does bring on some different stuff (lemon tarts and coffee cake) but CCD has nothing to boast of in this regard except their Mud Pie. The salad served at Barista is awful to say the least, and while writing this Im glad that CCD doesn’t serve it at all. I don’t think I would have wanted to write about it. And they really need to set the perfect time for grilling their sandwiches! both of them.

Compared to these, Costa is a god-sent messiah! It has great food, and healthy too. Their Salads,(served in a Cup) are great, their Chicken salami Submarine is healthy as well as tasty, their foccacias are well grilled and their brown bread sandwiches are nice. They depart from their conservatism when it comes to food. They have a good variety of salads, rolls, wraps, croissants, sandwiches and keep on adding to their list. They also provide the best desserts of the three. Be it the Blueberry mousse, the Chocolate Tavoletta, the apple-honey pie, the nutty pastry(its good-looking!) and the different type of muffins.

So coming to the final analysis.. Costa is best for food (and dessert), Barista is best for coffee, CCD

Ahh! Heaven!

is best for ambiance and a chilled out time in comfy seats.

For a complete coffee experience, I would advise Costa. If you want to read a book, Barista is the place (CCD people don’t let you sit for long after you are done with your coffee! I mean it!). And if you want to enjoy with your gang, head to CCD. Costa is a tad bit expensive than CCD and Barista. These two are almost similarly priced.

And well, if you aren’t satisfied with these, wait for Starbucks to come!

P.S- I haven’t included the various other coffee joints, (a couple of which have recently come up in Select City Walk, Saket), Mocha, and Hookah and the likes of Cafe Turtle etc because I wanted to limit this to popular choices and options. These outlets shall be paid attention in due course.

The Chinese Connection.

Sudden pangs of desire (only for FOOD) are not very new to me. They knock on my tongue and my mind and my work very often. Be it a chocolate brownie in the middle of the night, Aloo Chaat in a posh restaurant, chicken Tikka while I am sitting at at my workstation filing copies (thats the most common one), Chicken Strips right in the morning etc etc etc… What has been a new phenomenon however, is the sudden craving of GOOD Chinese cuisine.

Now, i have always liked Chinese food. The taste developed during my college days, where North Campus proudly boasted of the Chinese Joints’ Road, right at the rear of the Bunglow Road. First came the Momos, then the Chopsuey, then the fried rice, then the Thai Curry… And we shall leave it like that lest this sounds like a menu!

So well, to my inexperienced tongue the Momos’ Point Chicken Steamed Momos tasted like the finest piece of creation. The Noodles laced with chunks of egg felt like muslin to the taste cells and the craving for those fleshy, soft, dripping in dark curry chicken fillets was overpowering… the College days! My amateurish brushes with the Chinese lane declared me a fan of the cuisine and North Campus as the carpeted road for connoisseurs.

Until…my funds graduated me to Bercos. That was the next stop. Any my loyalties didnt take too long for their tectonic shifts. Very soon, I was saving up on “RIkki” fares and coffees in order to satiate my stemming Chinese Connection.

I still like Bercos and I visit it often. They have the best Drums of Heaven and their Mongolian chicken has the maximum number of chicken chunks I have ever seen in any curry! (really, even when you think there can possibly be no more, your fork manages to fish out some!). What I don’t understand however, is that why do they keep making their noodles thicker by the day and why do the squabbles of egg taste tasteless! Moreover, why do most of their curries look and taste the same. Why does Hong-kong Chicken have mammoth size capsicums, and why do they end up putting too much soy sauce in almost every dish! What encourages them to make their scallions crunchy instead of leisurely munchable and what makes them so unequal to putting in just the right amount of Cornstarch!

There, I have given Bercos Chefs “food for thought”! I have more to donate, but dont think they can handle. But..I still like Bercos..really..WHEN I compare it with the likes of Bamboo Shoots, The Chopsticks, China-town, Garden of China , Fa-hien, Shanghai Express, Yo China(why do Chinese joints have such awful names!), and even Fortune Cookie(thats a better name). Of these, in almost the same money, you get yourself to taste, smell and feel like Ginger at the Bamboo Shoots, you can get your throat choked with dry chilli paste at Yo China and might come out with a bad taste after visiting China Town. And well! Chopsticks will most likely give you the impression that they control the Sesame world trade nexus! There is no dish in which they do not put sesame seeds and their rice are overflowing with sesame oil!

Coming to Zen, it is such a relief over these! It shall lure you into food with a very cheap Carlsberg, give you a little too hot lamb strips, and serve you good and soft chicken without the excessive baggage of capsicum, rotten black mushrooms and dried chillies. But a serving of rice might not be so soothing. It seems to me that they use the harsher red vinegar instead of the commonly used and much milder white one. You can almost imagine the chef unloading a bottle of vinegar in the rice bowl, attending a phone call in the process, playing with his mustache and then not bothering to stir and shake it! However, the food is good and it can make you happy. The beer is an add-on on the happiness index. The ambiance is good too..granted!

And the same level of satisfaction I shall extend to Mainland China, Taste Of China, even to the Chinese available at QBA. A little more gingersnap here and there is acceptable.

After the huge thesis on Chinese cuisine which has made me hungry again, I shall come to the best Chinese food or close to the best I have eaten. The Lotus Pond at NFC is a great recommendation, but the highest honors go to the person who took me to Spice Route (the chinese wing of The Imperial) , first for his generosity and primarily for introducing me to the best Chinese/Thai food ever. No overdose of soy and ginger, not one bad black mushroom to annoy you, not one beetroot grass fibre to grill through your teeth and a perfectly proportionate bowl of rice. Well boiled peas, carrot which you can really taste and a wondefully smelling and tasting oyster sauce.

True, that the Chinaman shall dig, plough, scratch through your pockets, but he shall give you atleast an idea of excellent Chinese food. And well, it is an excellent birthday treat! Now, please take me to Mainland China soon…Will you?