A Yuletide home shopping treat!

The annual Christmas Market is Belfast’s ultimate shopping destination when it comes to festive home décor shopping, as Raul Dias recently discovered on a trip to Northern Ireland  

The icy, fog-laden air was heavy with the intoxicating aroma of warm-n-spicy mulled wine intermingling with that of freshly baked ginger bread. But that November evening, the gourmand in me had to take a backseat and allow the latent shopaholic to take centre stage. Food and drink would simply have to wait! I was after all at the legendary Belfast City Hall Christmas Market that makes its annual appearance for a few days in November every year, luring in people with its hearty festive bounty to decorate their homes with.
Housed in the fabulous City Hall gardens, the market is home to artisans and craftsmen from around the world who set up shop here selling every conceivable piece of furniture, tapestry, home ornament and decorative curio you can imagine.
One of the fist pieces of furniture to grab my attention was a set of quirky, ultra-light weight plastic chairs moulded in the shape of a naked, seated human form. Imported all the way from Turkey, these colourful chairs were soon being lapped up by amused shoppers including myself. Placing my order for a pair of yellow chairs for £200 each (approx. Rs 7,111) and giving in my shipping details for them to be couriered back home, I made my way to the stall selling African tribal artifacts for a spot of Christmas gift shopping. A pair of ebony Maasai warriors for a friend’s new coffee table for £50 (approx. Rs 3,555) and half a dozen wind chimes for my posse of relatives for £7 each (approx. Rs 497) were my acquisitions here. With a mother obsessed with gardening and garden ornaments, I couldn’t help picking up a whimsical old-school style carved wooden duck for £8 (approx. Rs 568) to add to her collection back home.
Having always been obsessed with anything Russian, the stall selling the very rare and supremely colourful Matryoshka dolls literally pulled me inside. These dolls are often designed to follow a particular theme and in this case the theme was blatantly obvious--Christmas! Painted in vivid festive hues of red, green, gold and silver, the dolls weren’t the most reasonable at £23.50 each (approx. Rs 1,670), but I bit the bullet and bought a pair to sit snugly atop my living room’s side board.
With my six foot tall Christmas tree having lost all but a few of its original ornaments over the years, I thought it was time to replenish the loss with a few new pieces. So off I went in search of the stall selling what a fellow shopper told me were the most beautiful ornaments she had ever seen. And my search for the perfect tree decorations ended at the stall manned by a carol-singing Polish man who kept the crowd around him amused both with his heavily accented sales pitch and his deep tenor singing as well. Here I bagged an assortment of six tiny porcelain bells at £3.50 each (approx. Rs 248), glass buntings at £12 a dozen (approx. Rs 850) and a silver angle for the tree top for £14 (approx. Rs 994).
Seeing that my retail therapy was almost complete with chairs from Turkey, wooden Masaai warriors from Africa, dolls from Russia, tree ornaments from Poland, I thought It was only fair that I ended the evening with a little desi twist. So I sauntered down to the seemingly popular (and dirt cheap!) Indian stall called ‘Mantra’ where I purchased a pair of printed paper lanterns for just £1.50 each (approx. Rs 106) to give to my Irish friends as thank you gifts for hosting me.    
Almost skidding on the slippery, snow-melted streets of Belfast, my hands laden with bags from the Christmas Market, a very potent thought entered my mind… just how was I supposed to cram in so many festive goodies into my tiny suitcase and my paltry 20kg baggage allowance? Well, I suppose only a Christmas miracle could save me now!

(First published in the Friday 10th December 2010 issue of The Address supplement of The Times Of India)

Raising the bar

From the usual suspects to the supremely weird, Raul Dias draws up a top 10 list of the all time favourite and ultra popular bar snacks that can be found jostling for space on any bar top the world over 

1. Popcorn: Now before all you self-righteous booze lovers get your boxers in a bunch over the inclusion of ‘sissy food’ like popcorn in a sacrosanct list such as this, let us set the record straight, we aren’t talking about some random cheesy or caramel-flavoured popcorn here. How about some popcorn that’s been tossed with a luxurious truffle-infused butter? Well, the spiffy Suba in New York does it and so should you!
2. Pistachios: Move over peanuts and macadamia nuts, Pistachios put a whole new spin on bar snacking. Enjoying a revival of sorts, pistachios are the king of all nuts as far as bar snacks go and the Wonderful Californian variety harvested in the Lost Hills region are simply the best. Plain, salted, peppered or eaten with a dash of tangy lime and spicy chili, its time to grab your nuts guys… err! we mean the pistachio kind.
3. Kababs: No great Indian drinking session would be complete without a round of some succulent kababs. Nargisi, shami, reshmi, galouti… the list can go on and on. Perfect with anything from a cold beer to a frou frou cocktail to a warming glass of spicy pinot noir, kabab and sharaab are great barfellows. Hic hic hurray to that!
4. Edamame: If your tipple doesn’t do it for you then a bowl of unshelled edamame will surely get you addicted. Simply put, Edamame are unripe green soybeans that are generally found in Japan. Once tossed with a little smoky salt, they become a bar snack as international as its drink counterpart -- the subtle and delicate sake rice wine.
5. Fried Crickets: Yes, you read right and no that wasn’t a typo. Deep fried crickets and other creepy crawlies dusted with a piquant spice mix is a common staple in bars all over Thailand and Taiwan, best enjoyed piping hot and straight out of the wok. Now about discussing that cricket score over a bowl of crickets?
6. Buffalo Wings: All American and tasty as sin, buffalo wings are often thought of as the ultimate in bar snacks. All they are, are chicken wings marinated in a spicy sauce, broiled, served with blue cheese sauce and a whole load of attitude thrown in for good measure, American style!
7. Pretzels: Although Germanic in their origin, pretzels are now another type of bar snacks like the other P… pizza that the Americans have ‘borrowed’ from Europe. Much like bread, pretzels are made from dough, baked to crispy perfection and then either salted or sugared according to your taste. Although best with beer, pretzels have been known to work superbly with whisky as well. Cheers to that.
8. Bee Pupae: If you thought fried crickets were the limit then chew on this (literally!). A must-have at any bar in the South East Asian nation of Laos, deep fried bee pupae are a delicacy any self-respecting, drink guzzling Laotian would give his right arm to partake in. To bee or not to bee, shouldn’t be a question you ask yourself when in Laos. Just do it!
9. Scotch Eggs: A disclaimer first. No scotch goes into the making of this typically Brit bar snack. Although a lot may be consumed alongside it! A soft-cooked egg, swathed in peppery pork and crisp breadcrumbs, a scotch egg is a thing of true beauty. The Bull & Last on Highgate Road, London, is famed for its scotch egg that has a legion of salivating patrons.
10. Bhujia: No bar snack list would work without this ‘you-can’t-just-have-one-bite’ desi snack. Made either from gram or potato flour and then deep fried, these vermicelli-like short straws are irresistible. A dash of lime and chaat masala sprinkled atop a bowl ofbhujia is enough to transport you to another realm of ecstasy… that is if the alcohol hasn’t already.

(First published in the November 2010 issue of The Man magazine)

Raul On The Prowl! The November Column

A true jewel of the Indian Ocean, The Maldives are the perfect holiday destination for some high level pampering, says Raul Dias who checks into the Medhufushi Island Resort in search of just that…

Aquamarine, cerulean, cobalt… your mind is constantly searching for synonyms of the colour blue as your eyes get their first glimpse of the breath-taking waters of The Maldives from the tiny little seaplane that takes you from the main airport on the island of Hulhule to your destination. In my case, I was headed to the lovely little island resort of Medhufushi that is part of the southern Meemu Atoll chain of islands for two days of some hardcore rest and relaxation.    
Creating quite a dramatic entrance with its boisterous ocean landing and splashing water everywhere, my seaplane deposited me and six other pleasure seekers on a wooden jetty, slap bang in front of the welcome cabana where tall and refreshing welcome drinks awaited us while a resort representative filled us in with what in store for the next 48 hours. Spa sessions, fine dining, dolphin watching excursions and a lot more apparently…I couldn’t wait to get started!
Checking into my stunning beach front villa, I was amazed to find that not only was it a self-contained unit made from thatched palm fronds and bamboo, but it also had an outdoor open air shower that gave al fresco bathing a whole new meaning. Ignoring the nagging urge to curl up on the giant bed and watch a spot of telly, I sauntered down to the spa, housed in a wooden villa in the middle of the ocean for my hour-long soothing Balinese massage that was just what the doctor ordered after a grueling 12 hour flight.
Later, the incessant rumblings of my belly were silenced with a dinner offering of some of the most amazing sushi and Vietnamese rice paper rolls, I have ever had the privilege of gourmandizing, along with a refreshing coconut water-lychee nectar-white rum cocktail. The setting for this perfect meal was the resort’s Malaafaiy restaurant that is located besides the infinity pool, offering some awesome buffet style breakfast, lunch and dinner with culinary influences from around the world.
Back in my villa after all that papering, I hit the pillow and was instantly transported to the land of Zzzzs with dreams of even more spoiling sessions the next day. Up and early on day two, I opted for a rather frugal in-room breakfast of just fruit and juice as I had my diving lesson to think of a few minutes later at the resort’s diving center. Operated by the German company Werner Lau, the diving center is the place where an international team of diving instructors will lead you to the underworld pleasures of Meemu Atoll. All suited and geared up, I took to the water like a proverbial fish and enjoyed every moment of my three hour beginner’s diving lesson that was more fun than intense as I had expected it to be swimming along side fish of every hue and shape.
The Alfresco restaurant was the venue for a hearty lunch of squid-ink ravioli and eggplant for starters, along with a duo of salmon and streak teriyaki as the main course and finished off with a potent shot of espresso to keep me from falling asleep after a meal of such decadent proportions. Since the late afternoon is the perfect time to catch a glimpse of the pranksters of the deep--the dolphins, my guide Ahmed suggested that we head off immediately after lunch and so we did just that. Merely five minutes into our boat ride and Ahmed pointed out a group of playful dolphins who had come right up to the front of the boat frolicking in all their glory. A little while ahead another group came up to say “hello” in their squeaky language of hoots and shrill calls.
Returning to Medhufushi at around 7pm, a true Maldivian feast of some amazing chicken curry, rice and a unique dry dish of tuna flakes mixed with coconut called mashuni awaited me at the Malaafaiy restaurant. And as I ate my final dinner, engulfed in the sound of the traditional Maldivian folk band, I realized that this is probably the closest I have ever come (and may ever come!) to being a part of paradise…

(First published in the November 2010 issue of Shout magazine)

Food Style

My Villa 39 restaurant review

As soon as you enter Villa 39’s über classy cream and silver interiors, most of your senses are taken on a roller coaster ride of a lifetime. Touting itself as Mumbai’s first ‘home style’ Italian restaurant, Villa 39 that is housed in an elegant heritage building sure looks like a home… that of a very moneyed Italian Countessa! Before your sense of taste is tickled to the hilt, your sense of sight is treated to stunning visual montages. The alabaster bar and intimate lounge at the ground level accessorized with venetian silver mirrors provides the perfect ambience for downing a few of the restaurant’s stellar cocktails, like the house special Mojito 39 made with coconut water and garnished with lychees or the highly unusual Bitter Chocolate Vodkatini that packs quite a mean punch.
A wooden staircase leads up to the fine dining area, which is embellished with silver antique arches and moldings. Beautiful chandeliers extend their charm to this Italian culinary masterpiece with spotlights reflecting the beauty of the wall carvings. But it is the food that truly wows the taste buds. And while Villa 39 does serve classics like the Pesto Pizza and the Warm Chicken Panini at lunch time, the place shines its best at dinner with a menu that has unusual offerings like the Fried Zucchini Blossoms and the superlative Champagne Risotto. Also worth a mention are the various types of pastas like the Lobster Linguine, Lasagna as well as standard Italian restaurant fare like Fettuccini Alfredo with Smoked Chicken Sauce accompanied by the Parma Ham with melon and figs.
Now for the downside. With such a well crafted appetizer and mains menu, it is rather surprising and a tad disappointing that the desert section of the menu lacks imagination and flair with a boring and rather bland Tiramisu and a ‘gelato’ which turned out to be normal ice cream that the waiter fessed up to have come out of a carton and not hand-made as one would have expected.
But overall, Villa 39 is a welcome breath of fresh air that has careened its way over Mumbai’s culinary scene!

--Raul Dias

B-1 Amarchand Mansion

16 Madame Cama Road, Colaba

Mumbai 400 039

Tel: +91 22 6657 3939

Fax: +91 22 6657 3938

Email: info@villa39.com

Website: www.villa39.com

Meal for 2- Rs. 2,500 (Without Drinks)

(First published in the October issue of The Man)

Squeaky Clean!

A self-confessed hamam virgin, Raul Dias recounts his premiere experience at a Turkish bathhouse in Cappadocia

Let me begin by setting the record straight. I am in no way a spa virgin. Right from having my backside whacked with acacia branches by a sadistic masseuse in an up-market day spa in Nairobi to having heated crystals placed strategically all over my body in Macao to our very own oil-rich desi abhyanga in Kochi, I’ve tried them all. But somehow, the famed Turkish hamam experience had always remained elusive. So, on a recent trip to the weird and wonderful, lunar-like landscaped town of Cappadocia in central Turkey,  I decided to see what the big fuss was all about and indulge myself with the exfoliation-massage-scrubbing trilogy that makes up this very unique bathing experience.
After I paid up the fixed rate of 50 Turkish Lira (approximately Rs 1,500), I was ushered into a tiny room to disrobe by an attendant who handed me a tiny red checked towel called a pastemal to cover my modesty with. Wrapping myself up in it, I proceeded nervously into the mysterious realm of the hamam, unsure of what awaited me behind the heavy wooden doors. I was greeted by a moist waft of steam, and by another burly attendant who proceeded to remove off (much to my embarrassment!) a whole lot of my dead grey outer skin with what looked like an oven mitt made from an abrasive fabric that he rubbed all over my body. A vigorous massage followed next which was more stretching and bone crunching than soothing.
Later, I was shepherded over to a basin, sat on a marble step, and doused in soapy warm water, removing my protective pastemal, and returning me to my birthday suit. My hair was then shampooed, before the attendant left me to my own devices for a final rinse off. Squeaky clean and wrapped in fresh towels, I made my way into the next room, where I was served traditional Turkish apple tea. After drying off and changing, I stepped out into the balmy Cappadocia evening feeling a little bemused, a little relaxed and yes... very, very, clean!

(First published in the October issue of The Man)

Raul On The Prowl! (The October column)

The weird-n-wonderful town of Cappadocia in Central Turkey is truly out of this world with its astonishing cave hotels, fairy chimneys and lunar landscape, discover’s Raul Dias

Are you one of those people who have always wanted to trudge along the crater-ridden surface of the moon? Well, I for one have constantly been on the quest for a piece of moon-walking action (and I don’t mean the Michael Jackson kind!). So, on my recent trip to Cappadocia, Turkey I did just that, vicariously feeling what Neil Armstrong might have felt like when he first made contact with terra luna!

The origins of this unusual region nestled in the heart of turkey, can be traced to the Tertiary period some 50 million years ago, when craters and chimneys dominated the landscape. Since then, huge quantities of volcanic material have spewed out of the many volcanoes. Forces of erosion have shaped the incredible and unique Cappadocian tuff-coned landscape. For hundreds of years men have dug into the soft but firm tuff to create dwellings, monasteries, churches and underground cities.

I was lucky enough to visit a few of Cappadocia’s jewels that shine their brightest under the warm August sun. There are many places to “must see” in Cappadocia like the Fairy Chimneys, Göreme Valley National Park and rock churches, underground cities of Kaymakli, Derinkuyu or Ozkonak, Zelve Valley and Pasabag, Avanos with its pottery and carpets, Uçhisar rock fortress, Ihlara valley, Soganli, Sinasos and Hacibektas. But one of the most interesting places is Ürgüp which incidentally was where I was staying.

Ürgüp has the distinction of being one of the first settlement areas of the Cappadocian region. In the Byzantine period it was known as Osiana, Hagios, Prokopios, in the period of Seljuks as Bashisar and in the period of Ottomans as Burgut Castle. Ürgüp was the patriarchate center of the Cappadocia region. The Üzümlü Church, Cambazli Church and Sarica Church in Ortahisar which was one of the villages of Ürgüp are the oldest rock churches from the region. Furthermore the Tavsanli Church and the Church of Saint Basileious truly are spectacular places. 

In recent years, Ürgüp has become famous for its cave hotels, wines and hand made carpets. The old cave houses here have been restored as cave hotel without damaging their historic structure. I found myself staying in one such hotel that truly embodies the Cappadocian spirit abundantly. As a member of the prestigious family of ‘Small Elegant Hotels Of The World’, Selçuklu Evi is the pride and joy of Ürgüp. Much more than a hotel, Selçuklu Evi is a historic Seljuk house lovingly restored, arranged in an Oriental style combining authentic charm with great comfort. Neatly tucked away in a small lane and surrounded by gardens and local houses, this quaint little hotel offers panoramic views of rock hewn caves and the old village.

None of the rooms here have numbers and are individually named. My room, owing to the fact that it had an indoor mini hammam was called the ‘Hammamali Oda’ and was just perfect! Right from the wrought iron bed furnished with hand embroidered bedspreads and pillow cases, to the thick Turkish kilim carpet to the huge bathroom that is decorated like a hammam with a gorgeous mosaic flooring, everything in this room was fit for a sultan. And the food here was to die for. Waking up to the aroma of freshly made Turkish pancakes stuffed with goat’s cheese, potato and olives, served alongside tall glasses of a salted yoghurt drink called Ayran. Flattened lemon chicken with za’atar and cous cous with plenty of individual mezze dishes was the highlight at dinners eaten in the hotel’s courtyard, blanketed by the rich black velvety canopy of the night sky, embellished with a zillion twinkling stars. Ah bliss…

Cappadocia is that kind of mystical place, rich in history, yet firmly grounded in the present with a definitive futuristic twist. Past, present and future… all in one place, all at one time! 

(First published in the October issue of Shout)