Where Indulgence Meets Style!

From the subtle elegance of an elaborate, multi-course Japanese feast to experimental riffs on Indian and Thai cuisine and a whole lot more in between, Delhi NCR has an impressive selection of fine dining restaurants. We bring you a serving of the top places in the capital to enjoy a stylish and indulgent meal at.  

By Raul Dias

Megu
Imbued with a sense of subtle elegance, combined with delectable modern Japanese cuisine, world class service and cutting-edge yet serene aesthetics, Megu at The Leela Palace New Delhi is your best fine dine bet for an elevated Japanese meal experience in the city. Take your pick from a curated menu that comprises of dishes like the hamachi carpaccio, and the sublime Megu original crispy asparagus, each presented in a specially-designed handcrafted bowl inspired by the dish itself. Besides being the first and only restaurant in the city to offer sparkling sake, the wine list at Megu is impressive with nearly 400 labels including some of the world’s best like Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, Richebourg and Petrus among others that perfectly complement the culinary odyssey on offer.

The Leela Palace New Delhi, Chanakyapuri, Diplomatic Enclave, New Delhi-110023
Tel: 011-39331360

Indian Accent
The plaudits that this iconic, Modern Indian fine dining haven has amassed over the years are staggering. Chief among these is the fact that Indian Accent at The Lodhi has been securing a top spot on San Pellegrino’s list of Asia’s top 50 restaurants for years. With the celebrated Chef Manish Mehrotra at the helm of things, expect a multi-sensory roller-coaster ride punctuated with experimental dishes like the sublime duck khurchan that is presented in a cornetto-like cone with chilli chutney and the crisp tandoori naans that are indulgently stuffed with blue cheese. And the setting? Contemporary chic at its finest!      

The Lodhi, Lodhi Road, Pragati Vihar, New Delhi-110003
Tel: 011-66175151

Bo Tai

Just like the clever play on words that make up its unusual name, Bo Tai is a fine dining contemporary Thai cuisine restaurant with a twist. Neatly halved into two distinct zones by a graceful peepul tree, the dark wood- and glass-clad space offers a beautiful glimpse of the city’s famed Qutub Minar. But it’s certainly not all about the stunning space that Bo Tai inhabits. Its scrumptious fare on offer does its own bidding. Expect to be won over by dishes like the experimental carpaccio of scallops served with a lychee sorbet and the more de rigueur massaman chicken curry along with a whole palate-pleasing range of modern Thai dishes.

6/4, Kalka Das Marg, Mehrauli Road, New Delhi-110030
Tel: 091-9870587770

La Brezza
Neatly perched next to a lush golf course, La Brezza the two-storey fine dining Italian restaurant at the Jaypee Greens Golf and Spa Resort is conceptualised as a traditional fine dining Italian restaurant with a modern twist. Along with its wine bar ‘Enoteca’, La Brezza creates an intimate setting accentuated with soft mood lighting. Endowing the palate with fine, authentic Italian flavours, the menu boasts of dishes like the paper-thin carpaccio di tonno of sashimi quality tuna, the pan-seared prawns gamberetti piccanti and the lightly fried buffalo mozzarella spiked with tangy tomato sauce make up a delicious trio of different flavours and textures for the antipasti, while mains like the roasted lobster with a pomegranate sauce, served on a bed of buttered asparagus is decadence personified.

Jaypee Greens Golf and Spa Resort, G Block, Surajpur Kasna Road, Noida-201306
Tel: 0120-6743000

Jamavar
With its name borrowed from the famous artisanal jamavar shawls of Kashmir, the Indian cuisine fine dining restaurant Jamavar carries on the centuries-old saga of elegance and drama that forms the core elements of the distinctive cooking styles and rituals of India’s ancient nobility. All this in a setting dominated by hand carved wooden screens and decorative jamavars of gold and silverwork that are set against the entrance. Here you get to experience innovative dining with a culinary passion that spans the entire spectrum of Indian cuisine. The signature dishes at Jamavar include the subtle yogurt and garam masala-rich tandoori jhinga, the coriander-mint-curry leaf marinated murg ki chaap and mains like the nizami tarkari biryani that’s cooked on dum and the emerald-hued spinach all-time favourite palak paneer. End this culinary journey with dessert in the form of the signature Jamavar mishtan which is the delicious sum of its rose petal ice cream, almond halwa and khajoor ka khaja parts!    

The Leela Palace New Delhi, Chanakyapuri, Diplomatic Enclave, New Delhi-110023
Tel: 011- 39331280

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the October 2018 issue of  Go-Getter, the in-flight magazine of Go Airways) 

Party Paradise

From those legendary beach-side full moon parties to a buzzing, world-class clubbing scene, let the pulsating nightlife of Phuket surge through your veins as you party till the wee hours of dawn!

By Raul Dias

If the island of Phuket were to be a person, it would most certainly be accused of having a multiple personality disorder. It’s virtually impossible to imagine that this beautiful, family-friendly beach town by day can undergo a total volte-face and transform into a buzzing nightlife haven once the sun bids adieu. Ruling the roost as Southern Thailand’s biggest party paradise, the large teardrop island that hugs the country’s Andaman coast is choc-a-bloc with every kind of activity for every kind of party seeker.
Looking to crash one those legendary full moon parties or perhaps burn up the dance floor at a swanky club, dancing to the playlists of international DJs or better still, make your debut at a ‘foam party’? You’ll find it all and a whole lot more in pulsating Phuket…

Where’s The Party?
Augmenting Phuket’s position as Thailand’s island party capital are a whole plethora of world-class nightclubs that provide amazing bang for your tourist buck! One of the most iconic of all Phuket clubs has got to be Illuzion Phuket (+66-76683030, info@illuzionphuket.com). Located along Bangla Road in the Patong Beach area, this club has a ranking 48 out of 100 in the best clubs in the world by DJMAG, number one on Trip Advisor and can accommodate up to 5,000 party goers with hundreds of VIP tables.
Fans of BYOB will love Kor Tor Mor (+66-89-7738496) as you can bring your own hard drinks (you will be just charged for ice and mixers). This fashionable night club located near the Nimit Circle in the main Phuket Town is a magnet for both tourists and Phuket’s hip-n-happening brigade. But be warned…it has a formal dress code where no shorts or sandals are allowed.
For live music head down to Timber Hut (+66-76211839) on Yaowarat Road at the northern end of Phuket Old Town. Housed in a quaint, two-storey red bricked building, Timber Hut hosts a daily live music show in which international and Thai classics are performed by talented and skilled musicians. Why, even rock music greats like Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler was here in 2013, we’re told!
But if you’re more in the mood for a chilled night out, head up to Quip Sky Bar (+66-76355052), Phuket’s first ever rooftop bar on the corner of Phuket and Rasada Roads. This classy restobar brings a distinctly artistic touch to the old city, offering some stunning views, yummy cocktails and a great food menu with a rather unusual line-up of lobster dishes.

Of Full Moons and Foam!
Thanks to iconic, cult-classic movies like The Beach, Thailand’s famed full moon parties have amassed a whole legion of fans. And there’s no better place than Phuket for you to shed all inhibitions and party the night away with strangers. Though a lot smaller than the notorious Koh Phangan Party on the nearby island of the same name, Phuket’s best full moon party is held once every fortnight (next full moon party is on Saturday 27^th October) at the popular Paradise Beach (+66-924856250, info@paradisebeachphuket.com), a mere 4 kilometers from the city center neighbourhood of Patong.
Once you’re done paying the 1,000-baht entry fee—that includes a ‘Premium Cocktail Bucket’ or two beers—expect to be grooving to the beats belted out by international DJs all through the night under the full moon! But for those who like a little break every now and then, there are several chill out spots set up around the main party zone and you can even grab a quick bite at the restaurant alongside. But the best part of this party is the convenient free shuttle bus service that takes you to and from your hotel to Paradise Beach.
Cottoning onto one of the hottest trends in the world of partying—the foam party—Phuket too has its own offering. Spanning over two massive levels, Famous Nightclub and Rooftop Beach Club (+66-76366717) is a vibrant, action-packed destination that hosts its own Famous Foam Party every Monday and Tuesday. Claiming to be the only nightclub in the world with a glass-bottom swimming pool, the foam parties here are a soapy, fun mess as revellers dance (or should we say wade!) to the groovy tracks of Phuket’s hottest resident DJs with a backdrop of psychedelic LCD screens.  

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the October 2018 issue of  Go-Getter, the in-flight magazine of Go Airways) 

6 Sri Lankan Foodie Experiences You Shouldn’t Miss

From guided food tours in the city and countryside plantation visits, to enjoying the local flavours at whimsical beachside restaurants and a whole lot more in between, Sri Lanka is undoubtedly a gourmand’s paradise.  Raul Dias brings you 6 unique ways to celebrate one of the best things about the tear drop island—its food!  

By Raul Dias

Hunt Down Local Treats
Compared to its rather diminutive size, you’re in for a treat with the sheer volume of street food you can sample when in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo. From the ambient “chop-chop” sound of the ubiquitous kottu rotty available at almost every street corner, to the Dutch colonial influenced rice and meat preparation called lamprais, the culinary landscape of the city is peppered with delectable offerings. A great orientation to them is by signing up with the newly launched Airbnb Experiences’ Epic Local Food Hunt 3.5-hour long tour with food guru Arqam. Ten local delicacies from isso wade (crispy prawn fritters) and egg hoppers to sweets like kalu dodol (cashew and palm sugar fudge) are in store for you. (www.airbnb.co.in/experiences/222313)

Flavours of the East!
Reflective of Colombo’s diverse and decidedly eclectic dining out scene, are a number of international cuisine restaurants that find themselves plonked cheek-by-jowl in a mural-decorated, former industrial alley off the main Park Street. And one such former warehouse-turned-hipster chic café is Monsoon. Here, chefs Ambrim from Malacca in Malaysia and Chef Marilyn from the Kalinga province in the Philippines dish out the regions’ favourite dishes from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam to enormous success, all in a setting that is both cozy and at its whimsical best. Pro tip: dig into the scrumptious Balinese pork belly with sambal matah that is served here and thank us later! (www.monsooncolombo.com)

Dine in Style
A labour of love by Sri Lanka’s culture and arts maven Shanth Fernando, Paradise Road The Gallery Café is an ode to all things black and white from the exquisite table linen to the fine, locally produced crockery and cutlery. Established in 1998, this stylish restaurant dishing out elevated versions of traditional Sri Lankan dishes is housed in the former offices of world-renowned Sri Lankan architect, the late Geoffrey Bawa. Make sure to call for the black pork curry served with saffron rice and the caramalised onion seeni sambol to know what divinity tastes like. But hang on, there’s more on offer for the lover of art. Flanking the café is the iconic Paradise Road Galleries that features monthly rotating exhibitions by established and emerging Lankan artists. (www.paradiseroad.lk)

Get Cooking…
Head up country to the fecund city of Kandy and let Chitra, a government licensed cooking teacher since 1989 be your hands-on guide into the world of home style Sri Lankan cookery. The immersive, 3-hour long Airbnb Experiences’ Flavours of Sri Lanka cooking class is where you will experience the ways of cooking typical Sri Lankan dishes like kiri bhat (savoury rice cake) and parippu (lentils curry) in clay pots, using traditional equipment to heighten your ‘live and learn like a local’ experience. And when you’re done, you get to sit down and enjoy the fruits of your collective labour. (www.airbnb.co.in/experiences/340067)

Cinnamon 101
As one the main contributors that put this tiny island on the world’s spice trade map—with everyone from the Dutch to the Portuguese and lastly the British claiming a piece of the spicy pie with their colonisation—cinnamon is at the fore in Sri Lanka till this very day. Get up close and personal with this fragrant bark and know all there is to know about it by taking the Airbnb Experiences’ 1.5-hour long Cinnamon Permaculture Garden Visit in Beruwala near the historic city of Galle at the very tip of the island’s southern coast. The organic cinnamon plantation and permaculture garden is a one-hectare farm where you will be shown not just how cinnamon grows but also get an introduction to the hundreds of different vegetables, fruits, spices, nuts, timber and Ayurvedic plants that are grown there. (www.airbnb.co.in/experiences/338327) 

  

‘Pun’ Times in Galle!
Still in Galle? Make sure to check out two very interesting places where the puns on offer are as good as the fare they dish out. First, have a light lunch at Tequila Mockingbird housed in the seaside Old Dutch Hospital. This one’s named after the cult-classic cocktail book of the same name, which itself is a pun on the legendary Harper Lee novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Here, you can scarf down a brilliantly made fish burger stuffed with tuna chunks coated in the fiery, local ambultiyal spice paste where the cloves establish their dominance over everything else...in a good way, that is! To cool things off, get yourself a double scoop of the orange zest and pistachio gelatos at Isle of Gelato—housed in a quaint rowhouse along the Old Town’s main Pedlar Street—that’s purported to be Galle’s, nay the country’s, best gelato place.   

(An edited version of this article appeared on 1 October 2018 in Travel + Leisure, India and South Asia http://travelandleisureindia.in/sri-lanka-for-foodies/)

Business Class at its Best

From free onboard WiFi and in-flight lounges, to amenity kits by Bulgari and Frette linen-lined plush flatbed seats, frequent flier Raul Dias lists the top business class indulgences on four of the best Middle Eastern airlines flying out of and into India. Each making it their mission to see that you’re hedonistically ensconced in the lap of luxury at 35,000 feet in the sky!

By Raul Dias

TURKISH AIRLINES
Imagine this. You’re flying somewhere over the Hindu Kush, enjoying Turkish Airlines’s legendary brand of onboard hospitality, en route from India to Istanbul in their superbly kitted out business class cabin when you decide to whip out your phone and Instagram pics of the mighty mountain range to your posse of followers on terra firma. And no, we aren’t alluding to some jet-lag-induced, mid-air fantasy! With free high speed WiFi offered to all its business class guests, joining the digital ‘mile high club’ is just a click away on Turkish Airlines. But for those who prefer to prefer a digital detox, simply sit back in your fully flat seats, put your feet up on the fixed ottoman in front of you and sip on the airline’s signature raspberry lemonade with mint or perhaps indulge in a glass of the cloudy raki—the aniseed-based traditional Turkish spirit best accompanied with a mezze platter. Enjoy your multi-course meal at any time during your flight, prepared by an onboard Skychef—another unique feature exclusive to Turkish Airlines. The Planet digital system is used for in-flight entertainment and come pre-loaded with over 350 movies and TV shows that you can also choose from and activate from the handheld control in case you’re too lazy to bend forward and tap your personal individual touch-screens. Much too lavish to be called a mere toilet, the powder rooms on board resemble those you’d find at a starred upscale hotel, with special mood lighting and a hands free sink with a large rectangular basin. Making for a great souvenir, the leather amenity kits by Furla contain everything you need to look your best for your day ahead once you land. Speaking of which, here’s a tip: just before your flight begins to start its descent, make sure you call for a demitasse of the robust, freshly made Turkish coffee along with some Turkish delight or lokum as it’s called locally in Turkey. Trust us; it’s the perfect way to end your tryst with a business class service that is up there (pun intended!) with the best of the best.


QATAR AIRWAYS
Voted the Best Business Class yet again at the 2018 Skytrax World Airline Awards, Qatar Airways puts on a spectacular show in its cozy business class cabin. For starters, your seat doubles up as your personal cocoon of bliss with its 180° reclining ability, along with privacy screens and ample stowage facilities for all your travel-related paraphernalia. Kitted out in fine Frette linen when you’re ready to sleep and bathed with soft LED lighting, the seat truly is the most comfortable business class seat in the world! With everything from sushi to typically Qatari delicacies on offer, mealtime aboard Qatar Airways is punctuated with freshly brewed tea served from individual porcelain sets. And yes, you can have your meal at any time you prefer. With up to 3,000 IFE entertainment options, the Oryx Entertainment System is a great way to catch up on that latest blockbuster. All this displayed on a one-of-its-kind dual screen interface where you can multitask. The snazzy limited-edition amenity kits from luxury luggage brands BRIC’S and Nappa Dori containing exclusive products from Italy’s Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio are designed to keep you fresh, while the cool-n-comfy sleep suits (given out on long haul flights) give you the feeling of being invited to one big pajama party in the sky! 

EMIRATES
Your tryst with Emirates’s legendary brand of Middle Eastern business class hospitality begins a few hours before your actual flight! Confused? Well, one of the aces up the Dubai-based airlines’ sleeve is the super-convenient and supremely luxurious free chauffer service that picks you up from your home, hotel or office and deposits you at the airport—all in the cool confines of a sleek sedan. Once on board, you can enjoy a cocktail at the specially fitted lounge bar in their A380 aircrafts or sit back and enjoy a spot of Moët at your personal mini bar cubby attached to your seat, which by the way, can later be configured to transform into a fully flat bed. Served on Royal Doulton bone china with Robert Welch cutlery, your meal will be from a wide selection of regionally-inspired gourmet dishes, paired with a sommelier-curated list of six award winning wines and grand crus. And to keep you entertained, Emirates lets you choose from over 2,500 channels of the latest movies and TV shows on your personal in-flight entertainment system. Finally, making sure you reach your destination all fresh and invigorated is the gargantuan on-board vanity room called ‘The Spa’ that comes with its own shower. But that’s not all, for your in-flight comfort Emirates presents you with its divine faux leather amenity kits (in eight rotating design variants) that contain top-of-the-line Bulgari products to indulge you even further with. Trust us, high flying was never this decadent!   

ETIHAD AIRWAYS
Loathe to call it a mere business class, Etihad Airways prefers the term ‘Business Studio’ when it comes to their business class product on the A380 and 787 Dreamliner aircrafts that it operates. With a unique dovetail design, with forward- and rear-facing seats, Etihad optimises the personal space for you with direct aisle access for all fully flat seats and with convenient individual storage spaces. Perfect to socialise with other flyers is The Lobby on the upper deck of the A380 that is inspired by the intimate spaces found in boutique hotels. Another superb concept is Etihad’s onboard café where you can nosh on light snacks and a choice of teas, Arabic coffee and even hot chocolate. But for a more substantial repast, the ‘All Day’ menus that you can opt for at any time during your flight are inspired by upmarket bistros around the world and are served with your choice of fine wines… or a flute of bubbly perhaps? With one of the largest touch-screen TVs (18.5 inches) offered in any business class cabin, your entertainment needs are taken care of with a range of on-demand programs that you can listen to with noise-cancelling headsets. A limited edition amenity kit (that changes every month)—with designs inspired by some of the most vibrant cities on Etihad’s route map—contains a customised Etihad Airways LUXE City Guide along with a unisex Scaramouche + Fandango comfort kit is meant to help you stay your glamourous best. ‘nuff said!

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 23rd September 2018 issue of The Free Press Journal newspaper's Weekend section on page 3 http://www.freepressjournal.in/travel/here-are-top-business-class-indulgences-on-4-of-best-middle-eastern-airlines-flying-out-of-and-into-india/1360926)

The Hills Are Alive…

Reveling in its lush, unspoiled natural beauty, colonial architecture and unbridled old-world charm, the hill station of Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu is a blast from the past. On a recent weekend stay at one its newest resorts, The Tamara Kodai, Raul Dias experienced all this and much more

By Raul Dias

Kodaikanal. The etymology of this very mellifluous name has been conjecture’s favourite child ever since the Tamil Nadu hill town bearing this name was first discovered by the Palaiyar tribal people centuries ago. Interestingly, The Tamil language itself has at least three possible interpretations of the name ‘Kodaikanal’ where it can mean “place to see in summer”, “the end of the forest”, or “forest of creepers”. But one thing is clear from all three: they all infer in some way or form to a fecund place that’s worth the rather arduous uphill journey from the plains of Madurai below. Never mind the nausea-inducing 21 hairpin bends one encounters en route!

Blast From The Past
And that’s exactly what a group of canny American missionaries and British bureaucrats did in the mid-18th Century. In 1845 to be more precise, they saw this lush, temperate haven as a refuge from the hot temperatures and tropical diseases—particularly the dreaded Malaria—of the plains below. They first sent up their women and children while they continued to build houses and churches in a unique mélange of architectural styles that married the American aesthetic with the English country cottage style. In fact, the old St Peter’s Church that once stood in the now-derelict cemetery along the town’s Lower Shola Road was said to be built with both Anglican and Catholic elements in its architecture with a roof made from repurposed tin, salvaged from the empty biscuit tins that the children ate from.
Legendary for its six colonial style bungalows, the first two of which Sunny Side and Shelton—built by six families of American missionaries from Madurai with the help of an Englishman, Mr. Fane—are very much still in existence a little farther down the road from the cemetery. But it is one of the remaining four, Baynes bungalow that had the most relevance to this trip of mine.

Restored Glory
In May 1860, a certain Father Louis Saint Cyr stayed at Baynes bungalow and was so charmed by it that by 29 September he had bought that place to use as a rest house for the members of Christ Church. The bungalow was renamed La Providence in honour a lady patron who donated Rs. 20,000 for the reconstruction of the bungalow, after her sick daughter was cured post a stay at Baynes.
Today, as it stands, La Providence née Baynes bungalow has been christened The Tamara Kodai and was launched as a plush resort hotel in May 2018. With its 53 suites of French provincial design, The Tamara Kodai was established through the restoration of La Providence and an expansion that took place staying as close to the original colonial style of architecture as possible. True to the Tamara philosophy of ‘Sustainable Good Life’, this resort too was built sensitive to the surrounding environment, using efficient and sustainable design, and respecting the importance of the building and its history.
The resort offers world-class dining experiences at several spaces, including a French-styled dining restaurant called Bistro 1845. The appropriately named La Providence, an all-day dining restaurant that is housed in the former chapel, and 24 hour in-room dining services completes the wonderful F&B offerings here. The resort also provides conference facilities, a ballroom accommodating more than 200 guests, and a crèche for guests with young children. Wellness facilities will include The Elevation Spa, Yoga lounge, a fitness centre, and Kodaikanal’s only temperature-controlled swimming pool and pool lounge called Levinge Lounge.

The Kodai of Today
As one of the cleanest places I have every come across in India with a strong Christian population and a profusion of churches, including the La Salette church that shares a wall with The Tamara Kodai, this hill station is a little spot of paradise nestled in the Palani Hills. Famous also for its boarding schools, one can often spot their well-dressed students out for an evening walk along the paved banks of placid man-made Kodaikanal Lake—that was created by Sir Vere Hendry Levinge in 1863—or picking up tuck box supplies at the many candy shops that dot the town’s Seven Junctions chowk.
Just east of the lake and 500 metres from the bus stand is the well-maintained botanical garden called Bryant Park. The park was planned and built in 1908 by a forest officer from Madurai, H.D. Bryant, and named after him. With 325 species of trees, shrubs and cacti, the park abounds with flowers during the peak season. A large section is also dedicated to nearly 740 varieties of roses.
Another place of interest is the one kilometer-long, winding Coaker’s Walk. Constructed by Lt. Coaker in 1872, the walk is a paved pedestrian path running along the edge of steep slopes on the southern side of the town. The walk, winding around Mount Nebo, starts in front of the Van Allen hospital, running parallel to the Van Allen Hospital Road, and joins the main road beside the 200-year-old St. Peter’s Church, providing a panoramic view of the plains. On a clear day one can view as far as Dolphin’s Nose in the south, the valley of the Pambar River in the southeast, Periyakulam town and even the city of Madurai.


FACT FILE

Getting There 
There are daily direct flights, buses and trains from most Indian cities to Madurai. From Madurai, the uphill journey by road gets you into Kodaikanal in under three hours.

When to Visit
Thanks to its cool climate, Kodaikanal is a great all-year-round destination with a daily average temperature of around 17˚C. But for a real taste of the crisp winters, make sure to head there from November to February when a veil of mist shrouds the entire town and the need for an evening bonfire is imperative!

Accommodation
Offering stunning vistas, unrivalled beauty, attentive service and overall old world charm, the brand new The Tamara Kodai is an excellent choice of residence when in Kodaikanal. Visit www.thetamara.com/kodaikanal-resort/ for more information.

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 9th September 2018 issue of The Free Press Journal newspaper's Weekend section on page 3 http://www.freepressjournal.in/travel/kodaikanal-this-serene-hill-station-in-tamil-nadu-is-a-blast-from-the-past/1352142)

A Serving of Diversity

With a cuisine that’s heavily influenced by a mish-mash of exotic flavours, both indigenous and colonial, South Africa has a lot on its platter…literally! 

By Raul Dias 

From the Dutch-influenced, meaty excesses of a typically Afrikaner braai grill-a-thon to the ingenious underpinnings of the decidedly Indian bunny chow and a whole lot more in between—including vigorous nods to the Far East—the cuisine of South Africa is a true reflection of the country’s ‘Rainbow Nation’ epithet. All this, with plenty of exotic tastes—both indigenous and colonial—thrown in for good measure.

Thrill of the Grill   
Loathe to call itself a barbecue (which is a mere sauce condiment in South Africa), a traditional braai is a garden grill out that’s hosted by almost every family in the country come summer. Adapted by the former Dutch colonialists, the Afrikaners, from the ancient technique of grilling and roasting freshly hunted meat by the country’s indigenous Khoisan people, a braai is all about generously cut beef steaks basted with the fruity monkeygland sauce along with juicy pork ribs, lamb chops and sausages, among other callously carnivorous offerings.
With its own set of rules, a braai might seem like an outdated, misogynistic ritual where the grilling of meats on the braai (as the actual coal-lit grill is called) is the domain of the man of the house, while the women take care of the side dishes and desserts. And not to mention anathema for most vegetarians, with the odd salad and dainty cheese-tomato-onion grilled sandwiches called braai broodtjies thrown in as a sort of feeble ‘peace offering’, as it were.
Known multifariously as pap, phutu or mieliepap, and providing the roughage to the braai spread, pap is a hearty, traditional African porridge-meets-polenta-like dish. Made from coarse corn meal boiled in hot water with butter and salt, it is often served with a sweetish, relish-like sauce called chakalaka made with tomato and onion, with bacon, cheese and corn kernels added to provide some additional heft to it. In some parts of South Africa, particularly among the Sotho-Tswana people, it is simply known as ting and their version is a sorghum-based pap that’s got a tangy hit to it thanks to it being fermented for two days before serving.
No braai can ever be complete without a couple of lamb sosaties thrown onto the grill. Similar to kababs or shashliks, sosaties are cubes of meat alternated by a dried apricot and a strip of bacon, all fastened onto tiny wooden skewers with a generous sprinkling of curry powder and turmeric in their mXarinade giving them a nice Indian zing.

Colonial Connections
Speaking of India, the city of Durban in South Africa’s Eastern KwaZulu-Natal province is not just home to the country’s largest number of people of Indian origin, but also for the fiendishly popular dish called bunny chow. An ingenious 19th Century invention of the indentured Indian sugarcane field workers, who found a canny way of carrying their lunch curries to work in hollowed out loaves of breads without spilling them, bunny chow today sees many iterations. With unctuous curries of meat, chicken, beans and vegetables all ensconced in fluffy loaves of white bread. And it is this quarter loaf of bread that has also resulted in bunny chow’s more colloquial moniker of kota (quarter) as Durbanites call their favourite any-time snack.
Also doing well to reference South Africa’s Indian connection is the roasted coriander, black pepper, nutmeg and cloves spice blend that goes into the coiled beef-lamb-pork boerewors sausages that have originated from the traditional (and less spicy) Dutch verse worst sausages. A dried version of boerewors called droëwors are popular South African game time snacks to munch on.
Another immigrant group that has greatly influenced the South African palate are the Cape Malay people of Cape Town who came from Indonesia along with the Dutch East India Company. With its fluffy, savoury egg custard top and its raisin-cinnamon-curry powder spiked minced lamb base, the Cape Malay baked dish bobotie is based on the traditional Indonesian bobotok which is a steamed dish of minced fish and coconut milk.
A delicious relic of South Africa’s Cape Dutch lineage from the country’s Western Cape region, malva pudding with its perfectly moist with a gooey center is always drenched in vanilla custard and served warm. Another dessert favourite is the cinnamon- and nutmeg-dusted, fried doughnut-like twisted Afrikaner-Cape Malay pastry called koeksisters. A great way to punctuate a typically South African feast that’s truly from here, there and everywhere!

(A shorter, differently edited version of this article appeared in the 8th September 2018 issue of the Mint Lounge newspaper, India on page 10 https://www.livemint.com/Home-Page/v2domOLNFSajuEmS4YQzXL/Cape-of-feasts.html)

Goa’s Best Kept Secret!

Neatly tucked away from the typically touristy North Goa scene, the idyllic village of Assagao is fast becoming a magnet for those seeking a little off-the-beaten-path kind of holiday action with its quaint B&Bs, design stores and eclectic dining options.  

By Raul Dias

To say that serendipity was at play when the charming North Goa Village of Assagao was first discovered would be putting way too mildly! Legend has it, that a prince whence lost in the dense, hilly forest after a bout of hunting, upon hearing the early morning crowing of a rooster, heaved a sigh of relief and uttered the words “assa re ganv!” or “there is a village, after all!”. This lead to the name Assagao, which is often supplemented by the moniker ‘Land of Flowers’ that the locals fondly call their village, due to the abundance of flora. Particularly the bright orange flame of the forest flowers, the trees of which can be found everywhere one looks.
Devoid of the hustle and bustle one has come to expect of its neighbouring tourist hot spots of Anjuna and Vagator, Assagao is fast becoming the de facto hub for all things artsy and creative with its quaint B&Bs, design stores and dining options—all of which spell out the word ‘eclectic’ with a capital ‘E’.
We bring you four ways to make the most of your time in this tiny piece of paradise: 

Do
A great way to get introduced to the wonders of Assagao—from its magnificent colonial Portuguese-style homes to the beautiful Church of Saint Cajetan—is by going on a 4km-long heritage walk with Felly Gomes’ Heritage Walks (www.livehappygoa.com). Conducted under the aegis of the Live Happy NGO that’s working on a sustainable village model of Assagao, this walk has locals explaining their village’s history and stories, while offering you a taste of goodies like Goan sweets, organic herbal tea and kokum juice.
How about infusing a bit of live music into your Assagao stay? Then the guys at The Assagao Mehfil (www.assagaomehfil.com) have just the thing for you. Since 2013 Chinmaya Dunster, a renowned World Music maestro, and Sandeep Srivastava, singer and composer, have been hosting monthly live music concerts at the uniquely Goan Hotel Astoria in the village. Performances here range from sufi invocations to jazz nights. 
For all you nature lovers out there, do visit Rosie and Peter’s Assagao Kitchen Garden and Food Forest (www.facebook.com/RosieAndPeter) to learn how to cultivate your own food. Equally wonderful is a day spent at Apurbai Farms (0832-2268822) to get a bit of organic farming into your lives.

Shop
Retailing a range of sarees as well as bags, jewellery, homeware and apparel from 10 states, across India, the Red Brick Shop (www.redbrickshop.com) located at Bouta Waddo is an Assagao icon known for its ethically sourced products that don’t cost the earth! For a more upscale shopping experience visit 6 Assagao (0832-2268228) that stocks both artisanal jewellery and designer threads housed in a beautifully restored 100-year-old mansion. Make sure you pop into People Tree housed in the same mansion for home furnishing and objet d’art. As one of India’s first design collectives that set up shop nearly 25 years ago, 6 Assagao focuses on ethical design and eco-fashion across India.

Eat
A third angle of the 6 Assagao triangle is the very popular restaurant Gunpowder (0832-2268091 / 0832-2268083) that’s also housed in the same multipurpose space. Here, expect to nosh on regional Indian dishes like backwater prawns and zesty mushroom black pepper fry, alongside South Indian staples such as egg appams.
For an eclectic mix of cuisines ranging from hearty Mexican to chic San Franciscan and from exotic Asian to down-home Indian, have lunch at Ruta’s Roadhouse (www.rutas.in). A cute little day-only restaurant, located on the border of Assagao and Anjuna and started by two returnees from San Francisco, this is where you will find honest, wholesome comfort food.
For a few pre-dinner drinks, try out Soro (091-9881934440). Meaning alcohol in Konkani, Soro bills itself as a local village pub where you can catch up on the village gossip with the locals. Though it is a seasonal restaurant, that operates from October to February each year, Villa Blanche Bistro (www.villablanche-goa.com) is the perfect place for those languid Sunday brunches spent gorging yourselves silly on grilled calamari and sorpotel with soft poie bread!
To cool off after a particularly indulgent Goan meal, order in some frozen treats from Hice Cream (091-9867691483). Here, you will find artisanal ice cream concoctions dispensed in jars. Try these for starters: Shiver Me Timbers (rum-and-raisin) and the super popular Whiskey Rock-a-Roller (Jack Daniels alongside organic cocoa).

Stay
Assagao has a superb selection of both hotels and B&Bs to choose from when planning a stay. For a charming experience of staying in a beautifully restored historic 200-year-old Indo-Portuguese mansion, book yourselves into the five-bedroom The Villa (www.airbnb.co.in). This Airbnb listed property is made up of two distinct living zones: the main historic structure called The Villa and the more modern pool-side garden bungalow called Villa Jardim. All this is spread over one and a half acres of manicured gardens and comes with its own pool!
Equally well-appointed is the artfully decorated Sunbeam (www.justjivi.com), the home of stylist Jivi Sethi that he rents out. Flags, crosses and stone Kalinga lions guard and herald your entrance to the main courtyard of the house that has two sumptuous bedrooms along with a living room and a dining room.
Situated on the west side of Assagao, facing the rice fields with Anjuna’s St. Anthony’s Chapel as a background, 30 Assagao (www.30assagao.wordpress.com) has three bedrooms, two bath-rooms, a large living room, dining-hall and an American style kitchen. Housed in a 4,275 sqm large estate that has a coconut plantation along with mango trees this place is perfect for a large family vacation—Assagao style.

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the September 2018 issue of  Go-Getter, the in-flight magazine of Go Airways)