Food for thought: Finding happiness

I constantly keep asking myself, what makes me happy. Yes, there are some things which immediately come to my mind, but then when I dig deeper it leaves me perplexed. As a result, I ended up asking myself questions such as what is more important, to do things which give you short term happiness or long term happiness, and what would give me both.

I thought in order to answer these queries I should read on what others have to say and that’s how I came across this book – The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.

In this book, Gretchen tries to find out the larger meaning of happiness, tries to figure out she can live in the moment. Each month she tackles a resolution which she believes will help her get closer to her overarching goal – How to focus on things which matter,  live in the present and make most every moment. The book is indeed thought-provoking and did motivate me to start my own kind of Happiness project.

But, coming back to the point, there is this one particular chapter in the book which I enjoyed reading the most – Buying happiness.

It’s been highly debated that you can’t buy happiness. I agree. But there are something’s like food which can make you happy, instantly. And you can buy food, right?

The smell of chole batura, the crispness of wantons, the silky taste of a marquise, the soft and moist texture of a red velvet cake, the theekhapan of pani puri, the tangy pickle and the list goes on. This is where I find my happiness.

I am of the strong opinion that food can be a great mood and stress buster. Every time I feel a little off or feel like I am under way too much pressure, I eat. Yes, I know this is also the cause of obesity among many other people, but being blessed with a high metabolism, I make the most of this gift. Happiness to me is a enjoying a meal and not just eating to fill my hungry tummy. And I also believe that the happiness in your life depends on how you eat.  The more time you invest in relishing your meal, the happier you will be. Don’t believe me? Why don’t you sit down and try this yourself.

Contrary to popular belief, being happy takes a lot of effort but eating doesn’t, hence the next time you feel down like life is going all wrong, remember, you just need a cup of hot tea/coffee and some delicious snacks, yes that’s all you need. Genuine happiness comes from eating well and when you eat well and healthy it reflects in everything you do.

After all, happiness is always found where there is food and laughter. J

Travel story: Kolkata - City of joy, food and love

Because in Kolkata, life comes to a standstill.

What are your first thoughts when you think of Kolkata? Mine are fish, rasagulla and narrow dirty crowded lanes with people busy chit chatting. And of course, yellow taxis, the sight of it always makes me smile.

Taxis remind me of the ‘n’ number of modes of transportation available. From underground metros to Toto’s, it's just so fascinating.

Many asked me why I chose to go to Kolkata for my weekend gateway, and honestly I was quite taken aback by this. For me, vacations don’t necessarily have to be beach spot where you get to see the sunset or exotic locales.

I have always been intrigued by the way of life in this city, the atmosphere and the much spoken about Bengali cuisine. Also, since I have never visited this place and food being my weakness, I packed my bags and went there, kick-starting my 2016 travel journey!

Food..Food and Food! All I saw was food around me and all I wanted to do was eat. That pretty much sums up my two-day trip to the city of joy! Very aptly named indeed, joy = food, right? To everyone’s surprise, I managed to see a lot of places as well, Howrah, Victoria memorial, St Paul’s Cathedral, Mother’s Wax Museum to name a few.

Kolkata is a city of contrast. While one side of the city is oh so plush, sophisticated and has such well-designed buildings and, on the other hand, there are slums, narrow lanes, clustered and broken houses and everything that you would normally see in pictures when you Google for Kolkata. In a way, every city has these two sides; however the contrast in Kolkata stands apart. I was staying in the modernised part of Kolkata which has such lovely wide roads, high-end restaurants and well-structured localities.

I was appalled and kept saying this to Durai and Sneha that I have seen a completely different Kolkata in pictures. It was a good sight, yes, but I was curious to see the other side of Kolkata as well which isn’t that developed and that is when Durai and Sneha took me to Shobabazar. And my, this is where you feel Kolkata. Apart from savouring authentic Bengali cuisine, these areas are where you get the true essence of Kolkata.

When in Kolkata you can’t miss out on the scrumptious food they have to offer. From sweets to Bengali delicacies, you just can’t get enough of it. For most of us having Kachoris for breakfast isn’t our first option, hell it’s not even in our breakfast menu but in Kolkata, club kachori is probably something everyone devours themselves in for breakfast. Club Kachori is the miniature version of kachori we get here in Bangalore. Served along with aloo curry, it’s absolutely delicious! And yes, I did try my hand on other things which are commonly offered across breakfast spots in the city. Dhokla, jalebi, dosa, bread pakoda and the list goes on. My favourite meal was at Bhojohori Manna where I relished the classic Benagli cuisine, vegetarian of course! :P

There was just so much food on the table and if not for Sneha’s guidance I wouldn’t know where to start. The meal had few things which I loved like the luchi and channa dal and few things which I didn’t really enjoy one of them being the chutney. Yes, that is a very important component of any Bengali meal but unfortunately, it’s not something which I liked much.  

Bengali meal is a ritual in itself, which I don’t mind following at all. The meal is all the more appealing when you follow the ritual.

Roadside Chinese food, puchkas, rasagullas, sandesh and other sweets were some of the other things I treated my taste buds to. What leaves you stunned here is the variety of sandesh you get, so many flavours, and all of them taste so good. While relishing on all this, I realized if you don’t have a sweet tooth you miss out on so many yummy treats!

And yes, in all this I did visit two restaurants, one was Rang de Basanti Dhaba which serves you some impressive north Indian dishes and Bon Appetit, a tiny café with a homely ambience, I absolutely loved that place. Didn’t try out a lot of things but I spent a good amount of time enjoying Maggie, black forest shake and mango sundae.

What else did I like about the food in Kolkata was the tea! It’s true, the way you drink tea makes a lot of difference. Served in tiny matka’s, the taste of tea heightens. Sharma tea stall and a stall at Ramakrishnapur ghat is where I enjoyed this lovely matka of tea.

Ramkrisnapur ghat reminds me of the Howrah and river Ganga. It’s a lovely sight you know, both the Howrah bridges (one of them looks similar to the Bandra-Worli sea link in Mumbai) and the sight of the river with Kolkata landscape overlooking it. Stunning, I must say.

After two lovely days of being in Kolkata and soaking into the joy this city has to offer, I made my way back to Bangalore with two big boxes of sweets and one big box of rasagulla. It’s been two days and yes I am hungover. Even after all the chaos of losing my phone, the trip turned out to be lovely. I crave for all the food that I ate there and the relaxed atmosphere.

Vir Sanghavi said it rightly 'if you want a city with soul, come to Kolkata' and I couldn’t agree more with him.

P.S: Street photo courtesy - Durai Subramanium 

Mumbai Foodie Diaries!

Mumbai, as they say is the ‘city of dreams’

Mumbai, as I say is ‘every foodie’s paradise’

 

Two and a half long months in Mumbai, quite a long period I wondered to myself before leaving from Bengaluru. This wasn’t the first time I was visiting Mumbai! I’ve been here several times before, but this was the first time I was staying here for so long and alone!

I had made a list, actually several lists, no surprise there. These lists were all about things I wanted to do to the places I wanted to visit to the restaurants I wanted to dine at; it was quite an extensive one that I can guarantee you. Was I able to mark off everything on my list? Well, let’s say I covered a lot places and there were some which I couldn’t due to time or money constraints. Yes, I was a tad bit disappointed, but I knew I would be coming back to the city hence I could continue my exploits then!

Mumbai has a very vibrant food culture, there is just so much to eat and savour! If there is something I’ve thoroughly enjoyed here it's the street food! If you are a sucker for street food, Mumbai is the place to be, and explore the street food culture! From dosa to sandwiches to chaats and oh how can I forget the ever popular vada pavs, these were part of my weekly diet! Heading to a popular street food area and eating to my heart’s content is what I did every Sunday!

My favourite was the dosa and Bombay sandwich! Loaded with cheese and butter, these dosa’s were part of my Sunday morning breakfast! Each stall boasting of having more than 51-100 varieties on their menu, I usually spent first ten minutes on deciding which one I wanted to eat! No, I couldn’t try out all the 51-100 varieties but I did try something different every time. Mysore and paneer dosa topped the list. Not only was it flavoursome, but just one plate of it was so filling!

Bombay sandwich is something I always treat myself to every time I visit this city. This time was no different! Apart from shopping and gorging on cupcakes, I used to pamper myself to these scrumptious Bombay sandwiches! You know like they say in Hindi, ‘arrey iski toh baat hi kuch alag hai’, these lines used to run in my mind every time I had a bite of these sandwiches! Again, variety excites and confuses you, but I would suggest start off with the age old classic one, veg toast sandwich! It might be the simplest one to prepare, but it is rich in flavours!

When it comes to chaats, pav bhaji, pani puri and sev puri remained as my favourites! Of course apart from this, the classic Mumbai special misal pav and usal pav is a must have! There were times when I had just this for dinner and later complained of not being able to move because I was so full!

Vada pav, more than enough has been said by people about it, however during this trip I realized that they are a bit over rated. Yes, I have had some delicious ones, but I have had many bad ones as well. Almost every street in Mumbai has a vada pav stall, and sometimes when you have too much of something it kind of gets to you!

So here is the first of things to do in Mumbai!

• Enjoy your Sunday breakfast having dosa’s in Malad (chincholi bunder) or in Vile Parle. The one in Bandra linking road is another option. Treat yourself to Bombay sandwiches at Vile Parle again. Yes, there are many places, but the one in this area has remained my favourite for years now! For chaats, go to Juhu or Chowpatty, the best chaats are experienced and tasted by the beach! Who said that? Me! :D
• For vada pav, Bansi vada pav stall is one option, but honestly till this date the best vada pav I’ve had was in Kalyan, you will grab another one just to relish the taste of the chutney!

    Mysore dosa

Moving onto a different segment, namely restaurants and Café’s! If there is one café you must dine at in this city is Café Moshe’s! Having several outlets spread across the city, this place is known for its Mediterranean food and desserts! Recently this café introduced a whole new menu, which is more extensive and caters to a wider taste! Unfortunately, I couldn’t get an opportunity to experience the new menu, but the old one wasn’t bad either. After a long day if you are looking for a relaxed ambience and some comfort food, this is your go to place!

 #nomnomnom at Cafe Moshes

Oh and Café Leopold! Café Leopold is to Mumbai, what Koshy’s is to Bengaluru. More than enough reason to head there, isn’t it?

Chinese being my favourite cuisine was something I didn’t really enjoy here! It was good yes, but nothing more than that. 

For the love for Chinese

A special mention for Mamagoto for their excellent service though! While dining here, as I was relishing my meal, by mistake I ended up eating a chilli, and my god I was teary eyed! Seeing this, not only did the waiter get me some sugar and honey, but also got a bowl of ice-cream just so that I can feel better! Oh and they didn’t bill me for ice-cream! This kind of attention and service will always make you want to go back to the place again! Mamagoto recently opened in Bengaluru as well, although haven’t tried it out yet!

Finger food is another segment which quite a few restaurants here offer! If you are looking out for just something to munch on and enjoy your drinks, there are places like He Said She Said to experience! A bit pricy, but the experience is worth it!

So the next thing to do in Mumbai is –

• Go café hopping in Colaba. This area is oh so British and the café’s here reflect that culture. There are a number of café’s which offer just not food, but also beer, what more can one ask for? 
• Go restaurant and pub hopping in Andheri and Bandra. Yes, it’s going to be an expensive affair but you wouldn’t want to miss out on all the food and fun! There are plenty of restaurants in both the areas, hence shortlist the ones which cater to your taste.

At one of the cafes in Colaba 

Probably something which I missed the most while I was in Mumbai was Nachos. Crispy, yummy nachos! My cravings led me to try nachos at several places but nothing really made me go ‘Oh my god, this is so good’!  Most tasted like bingo chips and the others were devoid of toppings and/or sour cream! From pubs like British Brewing Company to café’s in Colaba, none impressed me and all I could do was wait, wait to get back to Bengaluru and satisfy my craving.

Coming to my favourite, desserts! You can’t go to Mumbai and not try out the cupcakes from Theobrama and LSD (Love Sugar Dough), like you just can’t! After Glen’s Bakehouse the finest red velvet cupcake I’ve had was at Theobrama. Oh the thought of it gets me mouth-watering! The best part about the cupcakes here is that the taste lingers in your mouth for a long time, making you crave for more. LSD again is a very popular dessert café in Mumbai. Soft and glossy, these cupcakes are a shortcut to happiness!

So yes, the next in things to do list involves,

• Visit to LSD and Theobrama to get a sugar rush!

Red velvet cupcake, picture says it all, doesn't it? 

I love breakfasts! I consider myself to be a very breakfast person hence exploring the breakfast outlets in the city was on my list as well. Mumbai isn’t short of breakfast places; I couldn’t pay a visit to all, but tried my best to visit a few of them.

Hence, the next in things to do list involves,

• Visiting some of the popular breakfast spots in the city. Most of them are situated in Colaba, but there are some small cafe's located in other areas of the city too. My favourite was Le Pain Quotidien in Powai! 

Happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast, right?

Also, roadside tea! This is something Bengaluru lacks and what I miss about Mumbai. Trying out the roadside masala chai is a must! Standing/sitting on the footpath as you drink your chai while you watch the traffic in front of you is an experience in itself!

So, add this on your list as well,

•  Roadside masala chai!

Coming to the other things you should do while you are in this city –

• An evening walk in Marine Drive followed by eating chaats at Chowpatty
•  Shopping at Linking road in Bandra and Colaba causeway
• Drive through Bandra Worli Sea link, its magnificent!
• Spend the evening walking or sitting on the benches on the promenade facing the Arabian Sea! It’s the most romantic place in Mumbai if you ask me!
• Travel by local train
• And go for a late night walk

    Beautiful, isn't it? 

There are several things which you can do in this city, however these top my list! These are probably some of the ways you can best enjoy the culture of the city and soak into it. Crowded yet empty, noisy yet calm, tall buildings and slums, this city has everything!

For a foodie, Mumbai is a place which pampers your taste buds. You can be on a tight budget yet enjoy a lavish meal, something we all look forward for, don’t we?

Yes, there were few things which I really wanted to explore, like dine at an Iranian café, enjoy a traditional Maharashtrian meal, etc. It’s definitely on top of my list when I visit this city again.

Someone asked me, what I liked about Mumbai the most apart from food of course! I said,

“The tall skylines! Because every time I looked outside my bedroom balcony, seeing those tall skylines made me realize how far I’ve come, and the fact that you can be alone yet never lonely! It’s a very strong emotion, a feeling which made me feel so comfortable, a feeling which perhaps filled the void in me!”

P.S - Apologies for the lack of pictures for this post! Unfortunately, lost a lot of them!