India: a culinary travel guide
I returned from India with stomach intact and no Delhi belly, but sans voice, courtesy of tremendous smog in the north. A good job this isn’t a podcast. I learnt my tummy lesson on my first visit 18 years ago (and on a subsequent trip), by steering away from raw foods, salad included, and ice – plus all street food. A real shame I know. Like with any country though, if you do your research, you can eat deliciously across India.
Indian cuisine is impossible to define, given each of its 29 states boasts a unique food culture – a little like Italy and Mexico. In its simplest form, the south’s staple dishes are rice-based, whilst the north is all about wheat with roti breads.
Our two week journey which culminated with a friend’s birthday in Mumbai, also took in Goa, and the Golden Triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur – in that order. Here are my restaurant recommendations…in a different order 😉
For sightseeing tips, check out my #IndiaDiva highlights HERE, plus these posts HERE and HERE.
NEW DELHI
- Soda Bottle Opener Wala: the name is enough to entice me in. A Bombay-Parsi fusion café oozing atmosphere, similar to its international competitor, Dishoom. The New Delhi location is in Khan Market, a wonderful playground of quirky boutiques. Huge menu so do ask the team for recommendations. My top picks are the egg-wrap keema pilau, masala fried prawns and the mutton berry pilau. Also try the famous raspberry soda, sans the sugar syrup though.
- Indian Accent: My. Best. Meal. In. India. The Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery restaurant guide rates it highly (as does World’s 50 Best) so I was keen to bag a booking. Chef Manish Mehrotra’s inventive Indian restaurant sits in the magical setting of The Lodhi boutique hotel. He also has locations in London and New York. A la carte and a nine-course tasting menu (US$110) – but do go for the latter – with the more premium wine pairing (US$120). Only a restaurant of this calibre can make sago taste delicious in a sensational crab curry.
- The Imperial – San Gimignano: The Imperial Hotel is New Delhi’s glorious colonial grande dame property where I stayed on a previous visit. By this stage of our trip, we craved anything but Indian fare, so I picked the pizzeria, which, interestingly, serves a range of non-gluten bases. The buckwheat and millet, baked Neapolitan style, were exceptional.
AGRA
- The only reason to head to touristy Agra is the Taj Mahal. If your budget allows, overnight at the Oberoi Amarvilas where EVERY room overlooks this rightly deserved UNESCO World Heritage site (our most expensive hotel of the trip). I have now stayed here twice and it continues to impress. Esphahan is the fine dining Indian restaurant with an open-plan tandoor oven serving kebabs (spelt ‘kababs’ in India), which, interestingly, in India are always offered as starters – not mains. When I posted this query on Instagram, the feedback was that typically kababs are served over an aperitif.
JAIPUR
- Bar Palladio: an Italian restaurant and bar to head to when bored of all things curry. Surprisingly, they make a decent spaghetti carbonara. Pretty al fresco setting for cocktails.
- Rambagh Palace: this former 19th century maharajah’s palace converted into a hotel should be visited in daylight, or at least for sundowners on the lawn to feed the very friendly peacocks. All that’s missing is a spot of polo watching. We ate in Rajput Room with its art-laden dining room over a menu of both international and Indian dishes. The hotel does boast a number of other restaurants.
- Oberoi Rajvilas: slightly on the outskirts of Jaipur, but well worth the drive for dinner at the fine dining Indian – Raj Mahal – with a magical al fresco setting complete with outdoor fire and traditional musicians. I had lost my voice due to the smog and the barman mixed his ‘special’ hot toddy that he makes for his mother. Another spot that I would have liked to have visited in the daytime for a stroll in the magnificent grounds.
- A couple of ‘international’ cafes: Jaipur Modern and Anokhi both have design boutiques attached to the cafes. Good for simple, wholesome lunches.
- 28 Kothi: our five-room boutique guest house in a serene Jaipur neighbourhood, Civil Lines. Home-cooked brekkie aside, they serve a Rajasthani all-veggie thali dinner on request.
MUMBAI
- The Bombay Canteen: a buzzing Indian restaurant and bar with open-plan kitchen. Familiar flavours and comfort dishes are reimagined with a twist – for instance, a glorious butter chicken ‘pie’ is finished at the table.
- Soho House Mumbai: our three-night haven away from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai. We loved the intimacy and seclusion of this boutique hotel overlooking sprawling Juhu Beach so much, that we foregoed any sightseeing in hours of traffic, to work from our sea-view room (pictured to the right). Delicious a la carte breakfasts in The Allis, whilst Cecconi’s, the Italian restaurant, makes a picturesque sundowner spot.
- AER rooftop bar: atop the Four Seasons Mumbai is this rooftop sundowner bar. Good for another hot toddy special 😉
GOA
- The Black Sheep Bistro: from my research, the only decent restaurant in Panaji, Goa’s state capital littered with pretty buildings from the Portuguese colonial era. Locally sourced ingredients. Indian flavours. European cooking style. Pretty plating.
- Masha’s Café: I never thought Goa’s seafood shacks would end up serving my most moreish meal on the south-west coast. We ventured to this particular one on quiet Gonsua beach on a ravenous New Year’s Day. King prawns with a light masala marinade cooked on the tandoor with buttery naan bread. Sublime.
- Fishka: across the road from our resort (the Alila), however Fishka has since relocated nearby. Old-school, kitsch Goan joint with friendly service. Order the masala pork ribs and the crab curry.
- Martin’s Corner: similar to Fishka, but on a much ‘grander’ scale. An institution that started its life as a shack and now hosts karaoke nights. Decent food though. Spicy Goan sausages (similar to chorizo) and the fried pomfret stuffed with ‘recheado’, a red Masala paste are good choices.
- Spice Studio: traditional Goan cuisine, with a smattering of heritage Indian dishes in the Alila Diwa Goa. Vintage furniture and water features make for a pretty setting. The coconut prawns with local kokum fruit (from the mangosteen family) was my favourite dish.
A note on booze – India does have some decent wine. The best, in my opinion, are the Sula Dindori Reserve Shiraz and Fratelli rose. Oh, and as you’ve probably surmised, they certainly know how to treat a loss of voice with damn good hot toddies 🙂
Entry visas need to be applied online in advance via this link.
If you’re contemplating a visit, I have dozens more dining tips that were suggested to me but time didn’t allow, so drop me a line if you’re in need of more. And please feel free to share yours.
A bientôt.
FooDiva. x
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