Food

Desserts at Martin’s Corner, Goa

July 6, 2021

Usually I have a square meal here but on my most recent visit .. I was too fried under the sun to actually sit down and have a complete meal. Also because there was a toddler on the adjacent table that was coughing away to glory. I mean Goa in the post Covid era 😩… you still gotta be super-careful.
So we skipped main course and settled for desserts
Had Tiramisu and Serra Durra. Tiramisu is my all time favourite; so its a musthave. But This time I also tried the famous Portuguese dessert Serra durra. I thought it would be super creamy and milky… but to my surprise it was super light and literally addictive 😋😋😋

Historical Facts:

Originated in Portugal and of course bought to Goa by Colonists ! It’s actually means “Sawdust” which is a layered dessert of crushed Marie biscuits and whipped cream. I miss the authentic Serra Durra and sadly I haven’t been able to find the most perfect match to that Goan Serra Durra version yet..
… might have to just go back to Martins.

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Food

Karim’s Near Jama Masjid

June 26, 2021

Karim’s near Jama Masjid in Chandani Chowk is The most Historic Place for kebabs and mouthwatering mutton curries Earth.

Needless to say it has been mentioned in the Time’s Best of Asia Magazine not just for its historic reasons but the absolute culinary delights.

Its literally a walk down the Mughal era sans the crappy roads and wired skies!

Historians say that once the Mughal empire ended, the Royal Khansamas were forced to open road-side shops in the Purani Delhi areas, hence giving the common man a hint of Royal or Mughal Cuisine.

So glad those Royal chefs moved out and we have this Culinary Jewel with us now.

Although you will have to navigate through the super-crowded and noisy lanes of Chandani Chowk to get here. Let this not discourage you at all, because when you eat the hot and aromatic mutton korma with the face-sized naan bread …you will bless me!

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Bangalore, Clothing, Food

Filet Mignon at Portland Steak House

April 4, 2020

Filet Mignon at Portland Steak House
Is Filet Mignon synonymous to peer pressure in the food industry ??!!
This is a serious question guys… Are you a Steak Virgin?!
Would that put your reputation literally at Stake??!

Here’s why the Steaks were too High…

Sorry about the PG reference early on…but here’s the thing about peer pressure… either you succumb to it or you don’t!

While living in the UK, I was in this forever dilemma to have a steak or not! In almost all parties or outing scenes I was pressurized to hog a Steak down. You can tell I didn’t perform well under pressure.. & never really had a Steak up til last year.

I always thought my chef friends and other “food connoisseurs” would just glorify eating a steak! Whereas I shunned away from it..
I didn’t really shy away for religious reasons… it was mostly because I always found the meat pretty chewy!
As you would have guessed this blog is NOT for the all time Steak lovers! It’s specifically targeted at the Steak Newbies like myself.

Pulling up My Steaks!!

T bone Steak at Portland Steak House The Kobe, Wagyu, Angus can be ruled out for the starters.

I solemnly want to guide you guys towards the most simplest, softest and easiest to chew Steak version to begin with. Hence the blog.

Having a steak for the very first time in one’s life is a Statement. An Underlined one. Also bold and italic.
OK enough of the cheesy stuff! Let me tell you how I stumbled on the Filet Mignon at Portland Steak House.

My fiancé then (husband now) took me to this super chic steakhouse on Brunton road called the Portland Steak House.
It was about to be the most perrrrfect Steak dinner date ever. You ask me why?
For starters, I was gonna have steak for the very first time in life. I mean I have had cheeseburgers but was always rather scared to eat a steak. The thought of eating something raw and rare would freak me out!

So he made me try a T-bone first… which I rather chewed without a smile coz it was hard!

Then we decided to order the most heavenly, juiciest and softest piece of meat on earth… the Filet Mignon!

The Filet Mignon …

Filet Mignon at Portland Steak House

Finally, my life felt complete. It was like floating amongst clouds with joy… with just my first bite.
It was dipped in a mushroom sauce.. which I devoured. The sides of grilled veggies and some rice were great to supplement the proteins.

This place definitely brings out the romance in a Steak dinner.
It’s a complete experience .. just floods your mouth with flavor

I firmly believe…You are what you eat; so I urge you to remain soft & juicy as a Filet Mignon Steak.

Filet Mignon at Portland Steak House

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Clothing, Food, Vietnam

How Banh Mi earned itself an entire blog post?

January 4, 2020

Banh Mi I have always loved French food and coming to Vietnam just made this love connection deeper.
The French influence on Vietnamese cuisine is mind-boggling.

Banh Mi Stall

I have liked sandwiches but Banh Mi has redefined my experience of eating a sandwich for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I declare I am in love with this sandwich.

Streets in Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi are flocked with hawkers making a variety of Banh Mi.

Eating Banh Mi on the streets can be deemed both a passion and fashion for food enthusiasts.

The only reason it’s absolutely impossible is because the Vietnamese hawkers don’t give you a bargain nor do they speak a word of English!

Is Banh Mi over-hyped???!

A Banh Mi looks deceptively simple, by my friend there’s more to it than meets the eye.

Just outside our hotel, there was this lady who sold the world’s best sandwiches for just 10,000 VND ie $0.47 only! It’s a steal ! Hence, Banh Mi is not over hyped . I would say with the possibility of 20 different variations, it is rather unexplored.

Eating my first ever Banh Mi…

I couldn’t have imagined how the humble baguette could have been zinged to such a level.

…So here’s a breakdown of taking a bite into the Banh Mi.

The bread is a lot fluffier and crispier than your regular baguette. Because it is absolutely airy and light it absorbs all the juices from the pickles and the meat fillings.

You take an arduous bite into the bread which is crunchy and your tongue meets the sweet-tangy dressing topped with braised pork or even the tenderest chicken ever.

Most Banh Mi have shredded fresh cucumber, carrot or radish. This is topped with Siracha or mayonnaise and mint sprigs. The ones made on the street usually have pickled vegetables.

We stayed in Vietnam for almost a week and I would wake up each morning imagining myself eating Banh Mi. I am one of those irritating people that photograph food before eating. Guilty.
The only exception was a Banh Mi. I have absolutely no photograph or a selfie with my most favorite Vietnamese food item 🙁
I believe the reason could be because I was so happy and engrossed in devouring the sandwich that everytime I had one; I almost forgot the outside world!

So I’m just going to close this post with a photo of myself being happy . With food!

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Clothing, Food, Hair, Styling Tips, Vietnam

Ben Thanh Street Food Market

December 18, 2019

Ho Chi Minh is the biggest city in Vietnam, but most of the tourist spots are located within walking distances. Amongst them all, the Ben Thanh Street Food Market has to be my most favorite spot in the entire city… so much that we visited it even before flying out of the country.

Oh the ‘we’ here is me and my husband! Yes recently married and exploring food now as an official couple

So what do you get at the Ben thanh Street Food Market??

I would say absolutely every type of South East Asian Cuisine ranging from Thai, Japanese, Indian and the very warm Variety of Vietnamese pho. They also have a super cute dessert counter. Drinks are available in plenty; followed by a lively Music band playing some popular English songs.

The Vietnamese obsession of drinking saccharin…

The Vietnamese people have a rather odd fetish with drinking slushes . They are usually flavored syrups stirred with coconut milk and ice. You can find almost every person gulping down these drinks in every odd corner. I call it odd, because I think its mostly a ‘style statement’ , with the only exception of the amazing Vietnamese Coffee.

The environment at the Ben Thanh Street food Market lively and you could sit for hours and chat about almost everything under the sun/moon. The Street market is best enjoyed in the evening though.

My glorious plate of food at the Ben thanh Street food market…
A rather short 7 point must eat item list

1.Beef rolls covered in Beetle leaves were simply delicious and juicy to the core.
The leaf h Beef in beatle leaf

ad a hint of bitterness to it that paired excellently with the juicy beef and the chilli-peanut dipping sauce

2.The very first Pho of our journey– so the husband had been driving me crazy about having Pho, pho and more pho … and this is where we had a super awesome bowl full of warmth and amazing flavours.Mind you the flavours are complex and like a warm jacket on a winter day.

3.Roasted pork to the rescue! I mean who doesn’t just simply love roasted pork?! The meat falling off the bones paired with various dips like soy , chilli and fish sauce..! HEAVEN.

4.Vietnamese cold spring rolls : I repeat they are cold… but welcoming. With a crunch given by the ice lettuce every time you bite into them… I can assure you it’s not your usual greasy spring roll experience. See, I have never been a fan of the greasy roll version .. may be that’s why this worked with me so well.

5.Kobe beef with all the hype:
I have always found these fancy beef dish names a hype.
KISS ( Keep It Short & Simple).. well I didn’t quiet enjoy this one! There’s a lot of Japanese influence too in the current Vietnamese food culture. We did try sushi at a local street shop.. I would definitely not recommend it! stay away from having sushi in Vietnam.. and if you are a sushi-virgin this experience might just scar you! lol.. The only reason I say this is because I love an original sushi and sashimi. May be next trip Kyoto! Sorry to digress.. just have the kobe beef only if its grilled or barbecued.

6.Raindrop Cake :
This is an absolute delight to the eyes.. Perfect round ball of agar agar swimming in mildly sweetened coconut milk. This made me look up the raindrop cake origin..!
Well the Raindrop cake is actually called “Mizu Shingen Mochi” in Japanese!

7. Last but definitely not the least… my ultimate favorite sandwich.. the divine..yet humble Ban Mi
I loved the Ban Mi so much that it earned an entire blog post for itself.. Here’s why>>

I am also gonna share a short clip of the food galore at the

Ben thanh Street Food Market video; Click Here >>>

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Here’s why the Steaks were too High…

Pulling up My Steaks!!

The Filet Mignon …