The most complete day ever!!

C's Non-Street Food Diary: 2. Vaishali

Monsoons in India can be depressing or uplifting. It all depends on your state of mind. If you're with that special someone, taking a walk on a beautiful winding road with only trees around you, and the only sound you hear is not that of traffic but of birds chirping, chances are that the monsoon is your favorite time of the year. Add to this scrumptious South Indian fare followed by steaming filter coffee and you couldn't find a better day to spend with someone. Oh, and did I mention that we did all this in Pune, a city that is a 3-hour drive away from Mumbai? Yes, we travelled to another city for food (and even though not acknowledged at the time, to spend some quality time alone)!

We left home at about 6 am, with nothing on the agenda other than Vaishali (honest!). The train ride was uneventful with T being her usual morning self (grumpy, hungry and sleepy). We reached Pune at 9:30 and the weather couldn't have been better. It was overcast, wet and cool....hmmm...i was looking forward to Idlis already. We headed straight to Vaishali, which is on Fergusson College Road. The place was packed. 10 am on a Sunday morning, the wait time was about 45 minutes. But as soon as we entered the premises, we knew the wait would be worth it. The aroma of hot Sambar, fresh Idlis and filter coffee transported us to gastronomic heaven (however cliched that might sound).

We sat down and decided to stick to the basics. Idlis and Sada dosas. Mmmmmmmmmm!!!! The food left me speechless...seriously! I wasn't even ooohing and aahing...I was just stunned! The softest Idlis I've ever had with the perfect texture. Texture is very important in Idlis. It can make or break a South Indian dining experience. These were just purrrfect. We then come to the Dosa. The remarkable thing about the Dosa was the quantity of butter used. My goodness me!! I could literally feel my arteries clogging up. It was the kind of dosa which could give you a heart attack if eaten for 10 consecutive days...but it was SOOOOOOO GOOOOOOD!!!!

T loved the food too...and we had a great time. The ambience of Vaishali just adds so much to the experience, especially the courtyard seating. I want to go back there once I get back to India...I still have to try their SPDP which, according to T, is a disappointment.

Once done with breakfast, we went for a walk in the rain :) We walked from Fergusson to Symbiosis through a neighborhood called Shivaji Nagar. This has been my best walk with T...by far. Lush green trees, the rain, the breeze and T with me...it couldn't have been better. Even though I was pretty jolly at the start of this walk, most of the time was spent in silence. The chemistry was palpable (I should've just done somethin there and then :( ). I decided something during that walk. When I want to pop THE question, that street in Pune on a rainy Sunday morning is where I'm taking T :D

Butter idlis and F.R.I.E.N.D.S

C's Street Food Diary: 2. Amar Juice Centre

This is a very famous place for street food. Very popular with college students and with the late-night party crowd. Located right outside Cooper Hospital in Vile Parle, it's a great place to go for some hot idlis and spicy pav-bhaji.S2 did not like this place. It was quite unsettling that he actually tried a street food joint before I did. He had the usual issues with it: not hygienic enough, too greasy, etc etc.

T wanted me to try Amar for really long. I was game. So one winter's night, after watching a hilarious play at Prithvi, we went to Amar Juice Centre. T recommended the Butter Idli and I went for it. What I got was out-of-this-world, piping hot, melt-in-the-mouth idlis with a humungousoid dollop of butter on the side. I spread the butter on the idlis and tried a bite. I love idlis and I love hot idlis even more. Combine that with butter and you have definitely won me over. The combination worked like a charm. It was soooo good!!! I can still taste it! We also tried the Masala Pao and watermelon juice. It was all quality stuff.

What really amazes me about this place is the fact that it is ALWAYS crowded. There is usually a waiting time to get a table. Even if you want to eat in your car, the waiters do take quite a while to come to you. But I think we're digressing...

The second time I went with T, S1 was with us. She ordered a Chilli Cheese Toasted Sandwich. I would rate this as one of the best items at Amar, second only to the Butter Idlis.

The third time I went with T was the most memorable outing ever. It was totally impromptu. T was supposed to be at a play (for which she was late) and she couldn't get in because the doors had been shut. She called me and I suggested we go for a drive. I picked her up and we ended up going for a walk in the alleys of Juhu. One of the many momentous walks that we have had. Of course, once the walk was done with, hunger struck and we decided to go to Amar.

Now that I think about it, the Amar evenings have played a major role in our relationship. There was something which happened on that night in February 2008 which changed us forever.

T's Pages: Chapter 3

Oh well, Amar just brings back a lot of memories. I’ve spent more time here in my first year of engineering than I have attending classes. Quite a bit of madness has happened here with some really dear friends, including a mad dash across to college and someone actually taking home the Amar menu. More madness followed so many years later with C, including some very famous imitations. This is where it all began.

So going back to the subject, Amar Juice Centre is famous in the area for the Pao Bhaji and Masala Pao they serve, which are quite yummy, but their South Indian fare is really good. Typically udipi style chutney-sambar, with awesome idlis and dosas. They even do some fancy, schezwan and noodles type of dosas, which I’m not too fond of, in general, but their Paneer Mysore Dosa is worth a mention. What is really awesome is their Butter Idlis. They have contributed a lot to my weight gain in engineering. They’re just amazing as 2^nd breakfast at 11 in the morning, especially on a wintry or rainy morning. It’s a killer combination, giving you a warm comforting feeling, but doesnt go down too well with South Indians, or so a half south Indian friend tells me.

The chaat here is just ok, but the grilled sandwiches are really good. Like C said, the Chilli Cheese Toast is really yummy, so is the Corn And Cheese toast. The frankies are also quite nice and zingy, but a little on the expensive side. Other regular fare includes juices and milkshakes, udipi pizza (don’t try the fancy ones, only the regular veg. or cheese is good).

On any day, and especially at nights, you’ll find the pavement and road outside Amar lined with cars and waiters running helter skelter trying to meet rush hour demands. It’s one of the few places in the area open till late at night. Every time I pass by makes me miss the butter idlis with C in dhanno…sigh!

T's Pages: Chapter X

I know C is going to kill me for writing this one alone.

Sometime back. we went to Zerza, at the Tunga Regale, Andheri.

We were fine dining after a long time. As usual, trying out a new place. This time however, I had just randomly come across it in newspaper review. Internet reviews supported positive reviews. What the hey, who better to try it with than C. The place promised a different ambience and a menu that covered an eclectic variety of Indian, Thai and Mediterranean cuisine.

After a hectic day, C picked me up. He'd made reservations (on a weeknight at a completely new place, relatively unheard of, I thought there he is, being his usual compulsive self). Not surprisingly, we got lost on our way, so it took us an hour to reach someplace 20 minutes away. Some more awesome conversation happened, with incessant teasing and "dude, cover!" phone calls were made (yes S1 - you again). And then we finally reached...

Rooftop. Poolside. Table for two. The place was empty except for the 2 of us because firstly, we were really early in the evening, and secondly it was a weeknight. But the place was mesmerising. Mauve interiors with white trims and open barbeque counter, and a semi enclosed bar. The tables are widely set apart and almost all of them have a view of the pool.

The menu was very different. The food here is completely fusion based. Everything was a mix of Mediterranean and Indian, and some things on the menu were even a fusion of Thai and Mediterranean. Even the pasta wasn’t purely Italian. They dint have a lot of items, but there was variety.

We started with a Bruschetta Basket, which had very yummy bruschettas. One Mexican, one Lebanese and a regular cheesy one. My favourite was the Lebanese. We had that and pizza for starters. The pizza didn’t meet my expectation though. It was regular fare. Some very fruity mocktails were served to us on the house. They were mixed well but were a little essence-y.

Main course was a paneer platter with rice. It was not the usual paneer gravy with steamed rice. The paneer was barbequed and served on skewers. The marination was tangy and spicy and the gravy was definitely thai based served with butter rice. We were so stuffed that it was one of the rare occasions when we didn’t have place for dessert. However, the chef tempted us with a delicious Flourless Chocolate Cake, freshly baked for us. This was definitely the best I have ever tasted EVER!!!

After a few nibbles and a doggy bag full of cake, we were good to go. It was a special night for more reasons than one. It was…Our First Date.

Happy Anniversary C…