So I've been back from India since January 24, 2009, and I'm finally getting around to fill out the next installment of this blog...It's been a busy Winter, Spring, and now Summer around here. It involved three more trips (twice to The Big Easy, where I'm currently located, and Peru, which didn't go so well from a culinary POV, but that's another story), the Phish Reunion, and first leg of their Summer tour, three triathlons (2 half Ironman's, 1 Olympic), a move to Washington, D.C., a kitchen renovation and rekindling of a past romance that never quite went away. In any event, I'm going to keep this last India post short (even though I originally thought I'd do 4), with two highlights, the first being from what would become my favorite restaurant in India, and the second being my favorite street vendor.
The Spice Route is located in the Imperial Hotel in New Delhi. Now, I've stayed at the Four Seasons Maui, the Four Seasons Kona, the Del Coronado in San Diego, and several other hotel heavyweights around the U.S., but I have to say the Imperial Hotel was beyond impressive, with a regal feel consistent with it's name. It oozed class. And on the night I dined at the finest of its seven restaurants (Conde Nast Traveler has it ranked as one of the top 10 restaurants in the world), outside in its courtyard was the Indian of the Year awards ceremony, which only added to the ambience. Countless 1940's era white limousines lined the driveway to the place. Luckily for me all the celebs and VIP's were being fed outdoors, so I had no problem securing a 7:30 reservation with a call the day before.
The cuisine is Southeast Asian, and it's decorated as an homage "designed to reflect the journey of spices from the Malabar Coast in Kerala through Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia to Thailand and Vietnam." I've never been to any of those places, but it sure seemed accurate. There were Hindu and Buddhist frescoes, along with red sandstone walls. The lighting was warm candlelight, like being outside at dusk.
I began my meal with Por Pia Chae, Thai "por pia" skin wrapped vegetables, fried crisp and served with a sweet chili and plum sauce. Excellent. This was followed by Sate Bali, an Indonesian chicken satay served with a traditional peanut butter sauce. The finest PB sauce I've ever had. I accompanied the apps with a glass of 2002 Chateau Clauzet Sant-Estephe Cru Bourgeois Superior, from Bordeaux. This mild and oaky red did a good job enhancing the flavor of the food. My main dish was Karuva Pulli Vattu Curry, roasted duck cooked with Kerala spices and fresh crushed and roasted black pepper. Out of this world. I like duck, although I don't eat it often, and this was the best I've ever had. It melted on my tongue like warm chocolate. I added two sides: Malabar Parontha, wholewheat layered bread from the South of India, and Khao Neow, a sticky rice from Thailand. Both the bread and rice were put to good use soaking up the curry sauce. I accompanied the main course with a glass of 2005 Accademia dei Racemi "Dunicox Primitivo" from Puglia, Italy, a magnificent red.
My dessert was called Chocolate Addicted, which I am. It was Three (!) scoops of double rich chocolate chips, chocolate ice cream (of course), warm fudge sauce and chocolate truffles. Oh Baby!! Other menu items included Sri Lankan-style calamari called Dhallo Temperadu, which was prepared with garlic and curry leaves; Cha Gio, a Vietnamese minced pork and prawn spring roll served with a spicy sauce, as well as other traditional Thai faves.
All in all, The Spice Route delivered on all accounts. The service was superb. I was given a table for two with views of the main dining area that allowed a lot of solid people watching. I highly recommend it!
Anyone that knows me knows that I don't stand on ceremony, and when it comes to food, i'm consistent with this philosophy. And that's why my absolute favorite food in India came from a kiosk no bigger than an NYC corner newstand. It's called Aloo Chaat. And it's been perfected at Pappu Chaat Bhander, opposite 19, Surya Kiran Bldg, K.G. Marg., it's about 2 buildings down on the opposite side of the street from the American Center/Embassy just off of Connaught Place. Look for the crowds. It's so popular (numerous newspaper articles adorn the outside of the kiosk), that bankers in the adjacent building ran two phone lines from 4th story windows to a table next to the kiosk so that they can continue doing business while getting in a mid-day snack or lunch. Allu (or aloo, I've seen it spelled both ways), is Hindi for potato. Aloo chaat is simply fried potato cubes, like big home fries, in a spicy brownish green chutney. Absolutely to die for. It's the only thing in India that I went back for second's (and by that I mean, two orders on two consecutive days!). Get the aloo chaat, which is just potatoes, and a mixed fruit version, which includes potatoes, and assorted fresh fruit (papaya, mango, apple, banana, etc). Ask for it spicy if you like real spicy. It only cost 30 rupees for two orders. The owner is super friendly, which is amazing considering he's sitting cross-legged (I hesitate using the term "Indian-style" when describing an Indian vs. a Native American!), for 10 hours a day in super hot conditions cutting up fruit and mixing each order himself. But that's one of those things I admired most about the Indian people: their overwhelmingly good-natured spirit.
Anyway I posted a photo of the owner, hard at work, along with the dish at the top.
I hope you enjoyed India, you should go!
No comments:
Post a Comment