INDIA TRAVEL EDITION: LODHI GARDEN RESTAURANT – DELHI

SANGRIA FESTIVAL AND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION AT LODHI GARDEN!!!

FIND IT:

Third Avenue, Lodi Colony

Delhi, India

011 2465 5054‎

Bottom Line: Perfect place to share a drink (or four), to share a meal, to share a laugh (or a thousand), to share an endless conversation.  One more exception to our all Indian food – all the time rule, but this one was recommended by the wise SP, our Delhi-born colleague.  After Sevilla, how could we refuse Lodhi Garden?  We are so glad we deferred to her better judgement for our final night together in India.  Sniffy sniff sniff.  I don’t wanna go!!! You can’t make me!!!

INDIA TRAVEL EDITION: UDAIMAHAL – UDAIPUR

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Hardasji Ki Magri

Udaipur, India

294 433300

Bottom Line: We’re too good for you, Oberoi, and we’re too good for your friend, Udaipur Lake Palace.  I’ve navigated plenty of uptight environments, but the vibe at this place bordered on downright miserable.  We are three giddy girls dressed in gorgeous saris (best shopping experience of my life, hands down), surrounded by a lush garden and beautiful live music.  How in God’s name does this delightful place attract so many well-to-do British retirees and woebegone newlyweds, each oozing an unnerving mix of indifference and boredom, with traces of regret?  The servers, bless their hearts, thought they could will it away with their enormous smiles.  We three Goris noted our entry into no-fun zone, and then did what we do best.  We had so much f*%$#n fun!!!!!

INDIA TRAVEL EDITION: AMBRAI – UDAIPUR

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No address available.  It’s on the lovely Lake Pichola, Near Lake Pichola Hotel.  Just ask for directions.  Can’t do better than that, unfortunately, but you’ll get there!

Bottom Line: This peaceful, hidden terrace on a sparkling lake, with equally spectacular views of the oppulent and the indigent, is worth the winding walk.  The sounds of kids swimming, women washing, trees swaying – splash splash splash, swish swish swish.  We ordered chicken rajputana, chicken masala, and aloo chatni wala.  We savored every bite and every moment.  Simple food, simple day, simply brilliant.

INDIA TRAVEL EDITION: JAGAT NIWAS – UDAIPUR

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23-25, Lal Ghat

Udaipur, India

294 2422860

Bottom Line: Delectable food and drink, charming view, cushioned floor seating in bay windows, open to the fresh night air.  We devoured chicken sagwala, butter chicken, “green” salad, raita, and the best chicken tandoori EVER.

INDIA TRAVEL EDITION: NIRO’S – JAIPUR

The Pink City in Motion

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MI Rd

Jaipur, India

0141 2218520

The Bottom Line:  What a fantastic day!  Jaipur is the kind of place where anything can happen.  A tiny monkey steals 7,000 rupees from my friend’s purse and starts a conspicuous spending spree, culminating in an vainglorious race around the city with a tiny monkey-sized lamborghini.  It didn’t happen, but it could have! After a day of imagining things on a similar wavelength, Niro’s is a great place to grab a booth, a Kingfisher, some spiced up meat/seafood, a slice of ice cream, and gab with the girls.  Ice cream by the slice? Now that’s a CGFD scoop!

INDIA TRAVEL EDITION: SURABHI – JAIPUR

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Old Amer Road

Jaipur, India

0141 2633953‎

Bottom Line: Crazy Eyed Turbaned Guy, we LOVE you!!! This place is kitsch to the max, replete with adjoining turban museum, patient fortune tellers, a sparkling bangle dislay, and creepy/adorable mini ceramic heads scattered across the tables.  It is also a great place to find Rajastani specialties.  We sampled the desi chicken, kair sangri, gatla curry, kadhi pakoda and pulao, accompanied by rotia and papad (salad).  Must try those desert string beans!

INDIA TRAVEL EDITION: JHANKAR + GATEWAY CAFE – AGRA

Our food is mad spicy, yo!

FIND IT:

The Gateway Hotel

Fatehabad Road

Agra, India

0562  2232400

Bottom Line: The Gateway Cafe and Jhankar served up a series of consistently tasty dishes, but this one was a stand out.  We’d like to thank Agra for the prompting us again to think about the importance of architecture to our lives, and how it can inspire and surprise us, and for the kind introduction to Chicken Tikka Lababdar, also surprising and inspiring, in its own modest way.  The dish consists of boneless chicken in a tomato/onion/coriander/yoghurt sauce.  Tangy, spicy, wildly delicious.  We searched in vain for the dish again and again, in restaurants and in cookbooks in more than a few Indian Cookbook sections of bookstores.   We hope to meet you again, someday soon.

Murgh Tikka Lababdar

INDIA TRAVEL EDITION: SEVILLA – DELHI

FIND IT:

Claridges Hotel

12 Aurangzeb Road

Delhi, India‎

011 41335133‎

Bottom Line: I mean, let’s face it: we would not have discovered this absolutely phenomenal place without the help of an au courant, totally hip and outrageously fun Delhi-born colleague to guide us.  Thanks SP!! Yes, it is Spanish food, which required a temporary departure from our all Indian-all the time rule, but to hell with rules.  We are on vacation.  This place has it all – amazing bartender, service, food, and atmosphere (breezy, candlelit, peaceful garden hideaway).   See pics and review.

INDIA TRAVEL EDITION: SWAGATH – DELHI

FIND IT:

14, Defence Colony Market

Delhi, India‎ 

011 24330930‎

Bottom Line:  From the first bite I could tell this was gonna be a good trip, even though I didn’t know how good.  This place is excellent and reasonably priced for a lunch and even more reasonably priced for a dinner, but not for beginners.  The menus refer to the dishes by their Indian names only with no accompanying descriptions.  The waiters, though friendly could not offer much assistance there.  So we wished we would have gone back on our last day in India, instead of wasting it on amateurs (that is, what we were at the beginning of the trip, but NOT after the trip).   See pics and review.

CRITIQUE GEEK HOLY WEEK: DELHI AND RAJASTHANI EATS

Your Critique Geek traveled to India to sample some culinary delights during the festivals of Eid el-Fitr (Muslim) and Navaratra (Hindu) for an India Special Travel Edition, aka Critique Geek Holy Week!  To catch up on posts in time for the next special travel edition, CGFD decided to truncate the India Edition by limiting subsequent posts to bullet point reviews (with photos of course).  Sorry to deprive you of the indepth reporting, but you should trust my bottom line.  If you don’t know me by now, you will never never never know me.