Tag Archives: restaurant

Pampered in Bombay

Friday afternoon we flew SpiceJet from Trivandrum to Bombay, so it hasn’t even been 48 hours in this charming city and already we have done so much!Straight from the airport, still carrying sand from the Indian Ocean in our shoes, we were taken to meet an art collector. Afterwards we were treated to amazing homemade parsi food (google parsis if you have never heard about them!). On Saturday we went on a shopping spree: Anokhi and FabIndia, and afterwards tasted super delicious Gujarati thali at Golden Star. In the evening drinks at one of the most exclusive private clubs of Bombay and a fabulous, mouthwatering kebab dinner at Neel, enjoyed with excellent Indian sparkling rosé Chandon and most perfect company… I don’t think even Louis Vuitton City Guide could do better!!

Let’s see what today brings to us!

GOLDEN START THALI: http://www.goldenstarthali.com/
NEEL AT TOTE ON THE TURF: http://travel.cnn.com/mumbai/eat/neel-tote
CHANDON: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5HOEXFNpyU (launched by Moët Hennessy)
ANOKHI: http://www.anokhi.com/
FABINDIA: http://www.fabindia.com/

Healthy, gluten-free Kerala style breakfast

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I have never seen a country where a simple breakfast varies as much as it does in India. Generally speaking North Indian breakfast that tourists most commonly come across with is about masala omelette or puri (bread made of wheat) served with curry stew, whereas South Indian breakfast is more about eating things cooked with rice flower and coconut.

I have now had two breakfasts at Somatheeram Ayurveda Resort and it has been a great pleasure to sample typical Kerala delicacies while watching the enormous Indian Ocean in front of me. Yesterday I had herbal tea, banana lassi and coffee as drinks. To eat I had curry leaf idly (the round thing in the photo) with sambar, rice puttu (rice flour dough layered with grated coconut) with kadala curry and sweet rice ada (Kerala delicacy cooked in banana leaf).This morning there were some variations so I had green pea curry, tattu dosa (again, made of rice flour) with sambar and chutneys, and steamed banana. Rice ada was the same as yesterday.I am neither a big wheat eater nor a great fan of eggs, so I am very happy eating idlies and dosas for breakfast. In fact I like South Indian breakfast so much that I could eat them for breakfast even in Paris –all I would need is a live in South Indian cook!

Note: As Somatheeram Ayurveda Resort welcomes guests that are serious about feeling better by eating well and by following special treatments, there are specific diets available for all sorts of people and illnesses. For example, when I told my Ayurveda doctor during the initial consultation that I don’t stand wheat and eggs very well he directed me towards a gluten-free diet (he printed out a list of items that are good for me to eat!).

Somatheeram Ayurveda Resort: http://somatheeram.in/

India Travel Essential

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I am pretty sure that most of you would list water, hat, sun cream and sun glasses as travel essentials in India, but I argue that the most important item is something less obvious. It is ear plugs!!

We left our Hotel Godwin in Delhi last Friday morning at 11 o’clock. Our first stop was Mehrauli (see Eight cities of Delhi) where we stopped for 1.5 hours. After the visit we returned to the old Delhi-Agra road (see Road from Delhi to Agra), which I now highly regret. The reason why we didn’t take the new road was that I wanted to show Mathura to my parents but unfortunately by the time we reached this famous Hindu site (Krishna’s birthplace) it was so dark and late that we observed the complex only from outside. So, total waste of time!The journey was worse than I remembered (I took this same road in 2008). It was noisy, hot and dusty. By the time we reached our hotel in Agra (just before 9 o’oclock in the evening!!) I was ready to go and buy an hearing aid. My ears were blocked and now, after three days, I still don’t hear well.

This journey put me in a very bad mood and it worsened when we realized that our hotel (Amar Yatri Niwas), booked by a travel & car agency, was appalling. To make things worse, we had the most disappointing dinner ever, which to me is the worst! Had I had a decent meal, I would have been just fine, but no, we were eating a lamb curry that contained liver and who knows what else… What a pity! This said, yesterday we drove from Agra to the Ranthambore National Park and even if it was close to 40C, it was better in some aspects. Roads in Rajasthan (the state where we are now) are generally good, so we were a bit more relaxed. There were some overloaded trucks and occasionally we saw camels crossing the road. All this was much better than motorcycles, tuk tuks, private cars, tourist vans, trucks, buses, etc. all combined!

PS Do not think that ear plugs are only for road trips. In most cases, unless you are paying more money and staying at resorts, usually located a bit outside city centers, your hotel will be noisy too. I have slept every single night with ear plugs…

Jaisalmer: revisiting the Silk Road

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Jaisalmer is magical and outstanding, not least because it was built by yellow sandstone that has given it its nickname The Golden City. Even if Jaisalmer did not make it to my India: Top 10 places to visit, it is one of my favorite places in India.Soon after its creation in the 12th century, Jaisalmer became an important trade center along the Silk Road. Tons of silk, opium and spices passed through Jaisalmer throughout the centuries. Today, it attracts visitors mainly for three reasons: 1) the location (in the middle of the stunning Thar Desert; great for desert and camel safaris) 2) Jaisalmer fort (India’s last remaining living fort) and 3) architecture (exquisite havelis and elaborate Jain temples). The Jain temples, constructed between 12th and the 16th centuries, were indeed very impressive. Some 11th century manuscripts written on palm leaves are kept in the temple complex, too. Tip: be aware of the odd opening hours if you are interested in visiting the temples! We spent two nights in Jaisalmer and loved the fort as well as the city outside the fort. Most of our time was used in walking along the ramparts and tiny streets inside the fort. It felt quite magical and amazing to witness locals, tourists and cows mixing so peacefully. The fort of Jaisalmer reminded me of another fortified city called Bukhara in Uzbekistan, also located along the old Silk Road.Even if we spent most of the time inside the fort, we did walk to the city outside the fort to visit the famous havelis. These 19th century mansions are true pearls and so elaborately carved. Some were open for visits, some weren’t. We also made some great purchases: a bag made of camel skin (we regret of not buying more of those wonderfully handmade bags!!) and silver jewelry. Indeed, shops and bazaars were very well-equipped, making Jaisalmer a great place to buy souvenirs. After all, who wouldn’t be fascinated to revisit the Silk Road trading experience…!?

PRACTICAL INFORMATION: We slept at Suraj Haveli, which is a 500-year old haveli run by a friendly family. We had the Maharaja room, the biggest, and well, what can I say. It was an extraordinarily beautiful room but there were no amenities. It felt like sleeping in an abandoned house. At night we could hear haunted dogs barking. It was a full moon, the sounds were weird, and had a camel caravan arrived in front of our door, we would not have been surprised. Nothing was spooky, but it felt sort of mystical. Well, I guess authentic places feel that way for one reason: they have an old soul! (http://hotelsurajjaisalmer.webs.com/)

Secondly, the first night we ate at a random restaurant inside the fort and it was so disgusting that we left after taking the first bite. The second night we ate at Trio, outside the fort, and it was amazing. Definitely one of the best meals we had in Rajasthan! We ate at the terrace, the musicians were playing and the dinner came to less than 10€ for both of us. Wish I could relive that moment.

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Note: This is the 18th post about our trip in Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and Bombay in March-April 2008. Previous posts are:

Part 1. Arrival in Delhi: first impressions
Part 2. Eight cities of Delhi
Part 3. Road from Delhi to Agra
Part 4. Visiting Agra and Taj Mahal
Part 5. Fatehpur Sikri: what a pearl!
Part 6. Neemrana Fort-Palace: the magnificent 15th century palace
Part 7. Breathtaking Amber Fort
Part 8. Chaotic but charming Jaipur (part 1.)
Part 9. Chaotic but charming Jaipur (part 2.)
Part 10. Hotel Pearl Palace in Jaipur
Part 11. Samode Palace: live like a Maharaja
Part 12. Shekhawati: the Haveli Hub
Part 13. Enchanting Hotel Mandawa Haveli
Part 14. Karni Mata Temple (WARNING: includes images of rats)
Part 15. Subtle charm of Bikaner
Part 16. Bhairon Vilas: sleep like a Prime Minister
Part 17. Fort Pokaran: ideal oasis in the Thar Desert

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Impérial Choisy: affordable Cantonese food

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We have not had Chinese food since the Lunar New Year when we ate at Shan Goût: not your usual Chinese restaurant, so it was about time! We found Impérial Choisy on the Internet and decided –once again– to follow the recommendations of Le Fooding and Michelin. The latter has given Impérial Choisy a Bib Gourmand recognition.

Impérial Choisy is located in the southern part of the 13th arrondissement. It is a modern, super clean cantine (small, unpretentious restaurant), where tables fill up fast. A great part of customers consists of Chinese families. We arrived just before 9 p.m. and got a table right away. The menu is very extensive and it took us a long time to make our final choices: jellyfish salad, spring rolls, sauteed chicken, shrimp-stuffed eggplants and crispy noodles. Our feeling in the end of the meal was a mixed bag. We liked the shrimp nems. The shrimp and vegetable noodles was very tasty. The jellyfish salad (served with pickled tomatoes, ginger and eggs) was delicious; probably the best of all dishes. Sauteed chicken came with black mushrooms and bamboos, and yet the mushrooms were very tasty, something was missing. We kept adding chili sauce…

However, what mostly disappointed us was the eggplant dish. Ok, to be fair, we almost never eat fried food, so maybe this explain something. The eggplants were very greasy, the dish had no particular taste, and the size of the prawn stuffed inside the eggplant was not in proportion to the rest. Unfortunately, all we could taste was flour and oil. But maybe it was our fault –we should have known not to order anything fried!This said, the bill arrived and it was 55€ (we also had a 1/2 liter of red house wine). Taking the price into account, we estimated that Impérial Choisy was worth our money. Some dished we loved, some less so.

To answer the big question “Would we return”, I have to say that maybe (but I would pick something completely different). Or, alternatively, maybe I will continue to search for that perfect Chinese restaurant that doesn’t seem to exist in Paris…

Impérial Choisy: 32 Avenue de Choisy, 75013 Paris. Tel. 01-45864240

Le Fooding review: http://lefooding.com/en/restaurants/restaurant-imperial-choisy-paris

Michelin review: http://restaurant.michelin.fr/restaurant/france/75013-paris-13/imperial-choisy/2eqxz1n

Les Nautes: newcomer by the Seine

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Les Nautes is one of the latest additions to the Parisian restaurant scene. Located right by the Seine and in front of the Île Saint-Louis, this old customs house has an industrial feel to it. I loved its unusual entrance. Once inside, I admired beautiful wooden tables, 13 pendant Alvar Aalto lamps (golden, like we have at home!) and art pieces (sculpture and paintings) by young artists. Bravo for the original decoration! Recommended by Le Fooding, our food bible to eating in Paris, Les Nautes had been on our list since its opening last October (the bar opened one year earlier). We live a five-minute walk away from the restaurant and believe it is important to support the neighborhood restaurants –that’s how the arrondissements of Paris stay vivant (alive)!

We had the corner table by the window and enjoyed watching touristic boats cruise along the Seine. Bread, butter and Poisson Rouge arrived, and we got to taste this curious, organic white wine from Lanquedoc-Roussillon that actually is red by color! It tasted fruity and had I closed my eyes, I probably wouldn’t have tasted its “color”. It was the most perfect pairing with oysters and our main courses: fish and meat. For starters, we shared six oysters from the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel, Britanny, and they were the best oysters I have eaten for a long time. In fact, as this oyster season (which started last September) has been very mild, I find that oysters have not been at their best this winter. And if you follow my blog, you may remember that I regularly eat these seafood delicacies…For the main course, my husband ate tuna and I had entrecôte. Both dishes were succulent, and the taste of the fish and meat proved that the restaurant goes out of its way to find only the best products. The only regret we had was that the side dishes for both of us was the same (rather ordinary-tasting courgettes with cream).

The bill came to 77€ for two, including a shared starter, two main courses and a bottle of wine (19€). Very reasonable for such great quality I consider, and we will definitely return!

PS: First of all, Les Nautes recently changed the chef, so I would not count too much on the older Tripadvisor reviews. Secondly, Les Nautes also has a bar by the river, and I bet it will be one of the hottest terraces in Paris this summer! Especially during the Paris Plage when the cars cannot circulate nearby.

Restaurant (http://www.lesnautes.com): 1 Quai des Célestins, 75004 Paris. Tel. 01-42745953. Metro: Sully Morland or Pont Marie

Le Fooding review: http://lefooding.com/en/restaurants/restaurant-les-nautes-paris

Wine: http://www.vins-bios.fr/domaine-de-clairac-coteaux-d-enserune-languedoc/471-poisson-rouge-2010-domaine-de-clairac-coteaux-d-enserune-.html

Lamps: Alvar Aalto bell lamps from 1937 find a new home in Paris

Fort Pokaran: ideal oasis in the Thar Desert

7 Replies

If you are planning to travel from Bikaner to Jaisalmer by road, do not forget that it is a long way: 300km and many, many long hours sitting in the car. In addition, it will probably be rather hot –after all, it is the Thar Desert you will be crossing. India-Pakistan border will be less than 100km on your right side, parallel to the road. You will see more camels than people.This said, no worries, I have a solution for you and it is to organize a stop at Fort Pokaran like we did! Fort Pokaran is an enormous 14th century citadel, which is partially converted into a heritage hotel. Like many other luxury hotels everywhere in the world including Rajasthan, one cannot just walk in. The premises are reserved for paying guests (privacy comes with the package they pay for).

However, based on our observations in Rajasthan (at least in most cases) hotels let you in against a small entrance fee and/or if you agree to spend at the restaurant. And this is exactly what we did with Fort Pokaran: we called them in advance and asked if it was ok that we came to use their pool for 2-3 hours, while promising also to eat lunch at their restaurant. They said yes, so we got to freshen ourselves up, swim in the lovely pool and eat an absolutely delicious lunch, and they got some extra clients. A win-win situation!! In the end of our lunch we got talking to the lovely owner, who proudly showed us around the premises. The rooms were elegantly decorated using local textiles and antique objects.

Should we return to this part of Rajasthan, I would definitely arrange to sleep over at Fort Pokaran. An other stunning, Mughal-style palace from the 14th century… a giant pearl in the midlde of the Thar desert!

FORT POKARAN: http://www.fortpokaran.com

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Note: This is the 17th post about our trip in Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and Bombay in March-April 2008. Previous posts are:

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Subtle charm of Bikaner

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One of our biggest regrets about the Rajasthan trip is that we did not spend two nights in Bikaner. Many tourists entirely skip this 15th century town, located on the old trade caravan route, and I think it is a pity. Bikaner is a pleasant oasis in the middle of the Thar desert. After checking into our hotel, we hopped on to a rickshaw to visit the 15th century Jain temples in the southern part of the town. We met a friendly priest who was flying a kite and despite the lack of a common language we spent a memorable moment together. The walk back to the hotel took longer than we had estimated but it was enjoyable. Streets seemed to create one long bazaar of spices, kitchenware, clothes, car spare parts and textiles. We were definitely viewed as odd tourists who rarely stop by Bikaner, and locals kept looking at us from a distance with a reserved, kind smile.

As we had arrived in Bikaner quite late in the afternoon, there was no time to visit the fort, and this is what I regret. Built in the 16th century, the fort is another architectural masterpiece from the Emperor Akbar era. It is very well preserved because it has never been conquered. One day I will see it from inside.In the end we had to catch a rickshaw because the streets never seemed to end. We were covered in dust, hungry, and ready for a luxury dinner at Laxmi Niwas Palace. After all, who would’t use the opportunity to eat where King George V and Queen Mary once enjoyed chicken tandoori and gin & topic?

During our agreeable garden dinner a rare rain storm arrived, transforming the evening very special. I could only think of those people living in the Thar desert and how happy they were. And we were happy too. The dinner, typical Rajasthani dishes, was extremely good, one of the best we had during our journey!

Afterwards we had a private tour of this majestic, glorious hotel. Everything was spectacular, including the billiards room where 15 tiger skins hanged on the wall reminded us of the old days…

So, if you are planning a trip in Rajasthan, do not limit yourself to the Golden Triangle. There is so much to see everywhere and I strongly recommend Shekhawati: the Haveli Hub and Jaisalmer, where our trip continued from Bikaner. Promise to think about it!

Laxmi Niwas Palace: http://www.laxminiwaspalace.com/

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Note: This is the 15th post about our trip in Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and Bombay in March-April 2008. Previous posts are:

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Enchanting Hotel Mandawa Haveli

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Mandawa is the most touristic town of Shekhawati and therefore the most common base for exploring this semi-arid region famous for rich architecture and history. There are several accommodation options in Mandawa, and most of them are former havelis converted into hotels. We chose Hotel Mandawa Haveli and immediately fell in love with it. Design was stylish and there were small architectural details everywhere to discover. After visiting different rooms, we decided to take the slightly more expensive Haresh Room. It was large, the bed was comfortable and it felt like sleeping in a museum. Our door was elaborately carved and I bet it was more than 150 years old.We spent one night in Mandawa, but could have stayed for two nights. Dinner was served at the hotel and it was honest, local Rajasthani food. Very lovely. There was also a rooftop terrace where one can watch the sunset with a Kingfisher, and where dinner is sometimes served.I have kept a wonderful memory of Hotel Mandawa Haveli and believe it is one of the nicest hotels we stayed at during our Rajasthan tour. The price was very correct: 2000INR (23€/33USD).

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Note: This is the 13th post about our trip in Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and Bombay in March-April 2008. Previous posts are:

PS Have you already joined Pearlspotting?

Samode Palace: live like a Maharaja

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Rajasthan is full of havelis (former private mansions) converted into hotels. Some are more modest than others, while some are extravagant in every sense. In most cases they all have one thing in common: each haveli is a masterpiece of design and architecture, through which it tells a story to its visitor. A visit in Rajasthan would not be complete without sleeping in a haveli!From Jaipur our journey continued to Shekhawati region, but along the route we had planned to stop at Samode Palace, located just over 40km north of Jaipur. Samode Palace is arguably one of the most famous hotels in Rajasthan. It is stunning and full of curious, wonderful and elaborate decorations. Even if you don’t stay with them, you can do as we did: pay an entrance fee (at the time of our visit it was 500INR per person) against a private tour of the premises. In most cases, and this was true at Samode Palace, too, you can spend that amount toward food and beverages, so I would suggest using the moment as your breakfast or lunch break! Our stop at Samode Palace lasted for just over an hour and we left the premises breathless. This is exactly the type of place where one comes for a honeymoon or a wedding anniversary. Or just to spend a few nights in order to understand how it felt to be a maharaja in the past…. The more I think about, the more I conclude that it was only after visiting different parts of India that I truly learnt to understand the richness of hotel accommodation in Rajasthan. In fact, it is very easy to find affordable and beautiful hotels to sleep at in almost every city, town and village of Rajasthan, and to me this is one of the main reasons why I love Rajasthan….

SAMODE PALACE: http://www.samode.com/ (they have four properties in Rajasthan, so check the website for more information)

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Note: This is the 11th post about our trip in Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and Bombay in March-April 2008. Previous posts are:

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