Of Lingering Tastes.. and Craving Buds
So I just moved to Bangalore for a typical month of law firm internship. But as I was spending the first two days with a friend, walking long roads on pleasant nights trying local delights like ripened jackfruits which I had only ever considered a vegetable, I was taken back to all those times in different countries when I had the yummiest moments of my life. While Australia is the most vivid as of now, I do not cherish the others any less though they have become fainter with time.
Let me once again start with being annoyingly preachy about travelling. Lesson #152 Eat the Local Food. This especially goes the local produce. The most delicious and natural flavours that you can possibly imagine come from a place's natural produce. Take for instance, the jackfruit I just mentioned. In North India, jackfruit is a vegetable cooked as a savoury dish eaten with chapatis as part of a meal. I had never before even imagined that jackfruit could be that, a fruit. It's like the old debate about tomatoes being part of the fruit family. But in this case, it was a pleasant surprise. Back in Australia, their produce is some of the freshest I have seen, not that I have seen too much, to be honest. But boy, the sweetness that oozes from their nectarines and cherries bring water to my mouth even now. The same goes for New York's strawberries, which in my best guess were probably imported from California, but even so, ever so fresh and ripe.
And once you're done with this, there's only an endless line of other food to discover. In every country, you'll find every other country's cuisine; so you might either discover a new cuisine you haven't tried before, or a new version of one you already have. You'll also find their own cuisine. You'll find what they like best and how they like it best.
For instance, Australians like Japanese; would you have imagined? Sushi counters can be found on every other corner. It's one of the cheapest food I found plus it's healthy. There are amazing flavours like chicken teriyaki sushi; flavours I got so accustomed to but am so unsure exist in other parts of the world. In San Francisco, for instance, I had the more authentic version of sushi, so to say, when my brother took us to this lovely little place called Umami, a place where I also discovered my love for Roe.
Boy, is this post making me hungry just writing it.
Anyway, moving on. If you're looking to try Japanese food, you should look at this chain called Hanaichi which stretches across risbane and Melbourne at least. Their steamed with chicken is to die for, How I wish I could have a bowl right now. I could actually even make to with a bowl of Leopold's (Bombay's classic café) similar concoction, which is absolute heaven as well.
But Bombay is a distant dream right now. Here I am, first day of new office in Bangalore city, typing away this post for lack of things to do. But here's a heads up, the next few posts are going to be food oriented in all probability. Eeep.
Now that I am craving food so much, let me carry on.
So, many of you watching the Big Bang Theory will by now be familiar with a chain called the Cheesecake Factory. It is in fact much fancier than shown in the show and the food absolutely delicious. Their cheesecake display window is a marvel to at and one serving of their cheesecake a task to finish. I went to the Cheesecake Factory in New Jersey and in San Francisco. The latter is where I had my most amazing experience i.e. of the cheesecakes. We had a strawberry, a mango and a chocolate cheesecake from what I remember. All three huge slices, all three unbelievably soft and yummy. If I could, I would run to them right now. It reminds me of that Friends episode where Chandler and Rachel can't stop eating the chessecake stolen from their neighbour. (Does anybody have cheesecake around here? I could steal one right about now.)
Another heavenly blessing is Noosa Chocolate Factory. It's a chocolate factory, as the name suggests, on the Sunshine Coast in Australia and their freshly made chocolate is to die for. Now they did me a HUGE favour and opened a store right in Brisbane when I was there and I could go hug the owner for the happiness that he/she gave me in that short span. Never before had I realised the difference that freshness of chocolate makes to its taste; trust me you, it's a world of difference. You now how the Lindt chocolate is remarkably better than a normal Cadbury, that's how much a normal fresh chocolate is better in general. I think Noosa trumped Lindt for me, and that is saying something.
Moving on to the wonder that is San Churros. Knowing that San Churros has spread to places in India, I'm sure it must have spread in other countries as well. My favourite San Churro dessert is the Strawberry Bizcocho Cup; chocolate cake, vanilla custard, strawberries and peanuts, what more do I want? Though a lot of people prefer Max Brenner's for chocolate based desserts, I frankly think both are just competitors. The thing San Churros is famous for, of course, is its Spanish Churros. Though I love the Lindt Café churros just as much. I personally liked the Lindt café hot chocolate better. They give you an option of light or dark hot chocolate, and give you a rather elaborate set up comprising separate tempered chocolate and milk, open to you to be mixed as per your preference. The problem with Lindt cafés is that they are rare. The one I went was on Melbourne's South bank, a lovely walk away from the beautiful Crowne Casino along the Yarra river.
I think the funny thing is that once I came to India and visited San Churros in Malad, Bombay, what I swooned over wasn't churros or the bizcocho but the Flatwhite. The Flatwhite is a preparation of coffee, along the lines of Lattes or Cappuccinos, not found in India, very common in Australia and from what I know most European countries. Being an avid coffee person, I have my moods for my coffee preps being a certain way and boy, having the flat white option back, albeit for a tiny while did make me very very happy.
Okay, I've written too many posts today. My creative juices are running out and I still haven't gotten any food. There is still a million things I could talk about; Dubai, more food, the great ocean road, more Australia, I could go on forever. But not right now.
Seeya chaps.
Let me once again start with being annoyingly preachy about travelling. Lesson #152 Eat the Local Food. This especially goes the local produce. The most delicious and natural flavours that you can possibly imagine come from a place's natural produce. Take for instance, the jackfruit I just mentioned. In North India, jackfruit is a vegetable cooked as a savoury dish eaten with chapatis as part of a meal. I had never before even imagined that jackfruit could be that, a fruit. It's like the old debate about tomatoes being part of the fruit family. But in this case, it was a pleasant surprise. Back in Australia, their produce is some of the freshest I have seen, not that I have seen too much, to be honest. But boy, the sweetness that oozes from their nectarines and cherries bring water to my mouth even now. The same goes for New York's strawberries, which in my best guess were probably imported from California, but even so, ever so fresh and ripe.
And once you're done with this, there's only an endless line of other food to discover. In every country, you'll find every other country's cuisine; so you might either discover a new cuisine you haven't tried before, or a new version of one you already have. You'll also find their own cuisine. You'll find what they like best and how they like it best.
For instance, Australians like Japanese; would you have imagined? Sushi counters can be found on every other corner. It's one of the cheapest food I found plus it's healthy. There are amazing flavours like chicken teriyaki sushi; flavours I got so accustomed to but am so unsure exist in other parts of the world. In San Francisco, for instance, I had the more authentic version of sushi, so to say, when my brother took us to this lovely little place called Umami, a place where I also discovered my love for Roe.
Boy, is this post making me hungry just writing it.
Anyway, moving on. If you're looking to try Japanese food, you should look at this chain called Hanaichi which stretches across risbane and Melbourne at least. Their steamed with chicken is to die for, How I wish I could have a bowl right now. I could actually even make to with a bowl of Leopold's (Bombay's classic café) similar concoction, which is absolute heaven as well.
But Bombay is a distant dream right now. Here I am, first day of new office in Bangalore city, typing away this post for lack of things to do. But here's a heads up, the next few posts are going to be food oriented in all probability. Eeep.
Now that I am craving food so much, let me carry on.
So, many of you watching the Big Bang Theory will by now be familiar with a chain called the Cheesecake Factory. It is in fact much fancier than shown in the show and the food absolutely delicious. Their cheesecake display window is a marvel to at and one serving of their cheesecake a task to finish. I went to the Cheesecake Factory in New Jersey and in San Francisco. The latter is where I had my most amazing experience i.e. of the cheesecakes. We had a strawberry, a mango and a chocolate cheesecake from what I remember. All three huge slices, all three unbelievably soft and yummy. If I could, I would run to them right now. It reminds me of that Friends episode where Chandler and Rachel can't stop eating the chessecake stolen from their neighbour. (Does anybody have cheesecake around here? I could steal one right about now.)
Another heavenly blessing is Noosa Chocolate Factory. It's a chocolate factory, as the name suggests, on the Sunshine Coast in Australia and their freshly made chocolate is to die for. Now they did me a HUGE favour and opened a store right in Brisbane when I was there and I could go hug the owner for the happiness that he/she gave me in that short span. Never before had I realised the difference that freshness of chocolate makes to its taste; trust me you, it's a world of difference. You now how the Lindt chocolate is remarkably better than a normal Cadbury, that's how much a normal fresh chocolate is better in general. I think Noosa trumped Lindt for me, and that is saying something.
Moving on to the wonder that is San Churros. Knowing that San Churros has spread to places in India, I'm sure it must have spread in other countries as well. My favourite San Churro dessert is the Strawberry Bizcocho Cup; chocolate cake, vanilla custard, strawberries and peanuts, what more do I want? Though a lot of people prefer Max Brenner's for chocolate based desserts, I frankly think both are just competitors. The thing San Churros is famous for, of course, is its Spanish Churros. Though I love the Lindt Café churros just as much. I personally liked the Lindt café hot chocolate better. They give you an option of light or dark hot chocolate, and give you a rather elaborate set up comprising separate tempered chocolate and milk, open to you to be mixed as per your preference. The problem with Lindt cafés is that they are rare. The one I went was on Melbourne's South bank, a lovely walk away from the beautiful Crowne Casino along the Yarra river.
I think the funny thing is that once I came to India and visited San Churros in Malad, Bombay, what I swooned over wasn't churros or the bizcocho but the Flatwhite. The Flatwhite is a preparation of coffee, along the lines of Lattes or Cappuccinos, not found in India, very common in Australia and from what I know most European countries. Being an avid coffee person, I have my moods for my coffee preps being a certain way and boy, having the flat white option back, albeit for a tiny while did make me very very happy.
Okay, I've written too many posts today. My creative juices are running out and I still haven't gotten any food. There is still a million things I could talk about; Dubai, more food, the great ocean road, more Australia, I could go on forever. But not right now.
Seeya chaps.
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