My Global Food Trail

Starting at the heart of the country, Delhi seemed to be just the perfect place to experience food. The fusion of all sorts of Indian flavours bedazzled me. So it was quite difficult to make up my mind about where to start describing this city! For instance, Paranthe Walli Galli -the beautiful rustic artery in old Delhi brought to me some age old yet uniquely flavoured fried stuffed paranthas (or Indian bread), sweet yet savoury, with the traditional Lassi in a kulardh that I just couldn't resist on over-eating. On the other side of the city stood the buzzing, kitschy yet quirky aura of Hauz Khas Village and the rest of plush South Delhi, that gave me the best gourmet experience. Whether a restaurant, cafe or bar, they were of every kind and cuisine, with the magnificence of the fortified backdrop and the historical essence of Delhi. It’s a city that did not stop to amaze me with its splendid array of foodie-satisfying moments!

Its truly the city where dreams come true... the wildest and the best of your food dreams you know! That's what defined my eating experience during my stopover at Mumbai. The famous Wada Pavs, the Bombay sandwich, and Mumbai sev puri were the best local street food I tasted in the city. The hint of Gujarati flavours in homemade Maharashtrian traditional poha to the taste of the Goan beach in the Bombil fish fry and Butter masala crab indeed made for the most tongue-twirling and mouth-watering experiences. And as I was in a mood to burn a larger hole in my pocket, the bohemian shacks of Bandra-Kurla, provided for a posh experience. So whether it was the World Wada Pav Day, or the glittering heights around the Queen's necklace, Mumbai provided for a true metropolis flavour!

Over shadowed by its neighbours in gastronomical excellence, Philippines' cuisine, or how I was corrected to call it "The Filipino Food", is indeed one of the most distinct of the South-East Asian essence! While I could taste a slight influence of Thai and Vietnamese culture on a few dishes, the native Filipino flavours truly brought out the coming together of over 7000 islets and diverse history. As soon as I had set foot into the city of Metro Manila, I was welcomed with the exotic burst of tropical citric flavours and the wash of ocean waters in its abundant seafood. Like a typical foodie, I couldn't resist picking out my favourites in dishes like Adobo, Sisig, Lechon, Chicken Inasal and Fish Tinola.

The experience of Sri Lankan cuisine all-encompassed every minute essence of the island country. The bustling hub that Colombo is, made me feel alive, whether in the rustling serenity of the day or the buzzing isolations of the night. I could taste the lush tropics to the the serene beaches in the famous banana flower masala and green mango curry, to the essence of plush countryside and colonial past tingling in my taste buds while I relished the dry chilli beef fry and the soft shell crab. Every aspect of Sri Lankan cuisine made me feel more and more closer to the traditions and nativity of this place, making my travels better than before! With an endless array of choices presented before me each and every day in this tropical city, my adventures with food made for a really memorable Sri Lankan experience.

What I realised in Dubai was that there was food to meet the choice of one and all... be it any socio-economic class, any choice of cuisine, any kind of food... I could find it all in Dubai! From the eclectic street food available at Al Dhiyafah Road, to the mouth-watering feasts, specially during Iftar, at Al Sufouh, an array of choices were available for me to gorge on the flavours of a true Arabic mezze! While on the other hand, I discovered a blend of world cuisines, that could be found in as far as the Burj Khalifa and other famous skyscraping marvels in the city. Be it Oriental or Mediterrenian specialties, rich Pakistani or Indian savouries or the wholesome Lebanese or Iranian lavish spreads, I relished them all. However, if I were to pick my favourites, I can surely vouch for the authentic shawarmas, the gut-busting pair of moutabel and fattoush, and the traditional Emirati dish of lamb ouzi, along with kibbeh and hummus. Some appetite I had found myself in Dubai, right! And it didn't end here!! For my royal spread featured the famous bakklava, and I finally ended my meals with a shot of the most aromatic Arabic coffee.

Cape Town offered me an eclectic mix of cuisines, along with the choice of rich and traditional flavours brought about by the indigenous food of South Africa. From having the typical family meal- 'pap' to dishes like Malva pudding, Sosaties skewers, Potjiekos stew and Biltong dried meat, the taste of South African cuisine, to me, seemed a diverse coalition of its colonial and historical flavours! However, I equally relished the fine-dines along Long Street, which gave me the true cosmopolitan feeling of Cape Town, varying from Mexican, to Italian, to Chinese cuisine!

London marked one of the best culinary experiences in my trip! The metropolis has so many dynamic shades to experiencing food that one trip also seems short. Its food scenes seemed to have been changing before my eyes so rapidly, that while one day Aldwych was the hub, another day the street food at Charlotte Street attracts the crowd. While I roamed with a foodie heart all around London, I discovered all sorts of gastronomically exuberating experiences! From East End to Convent Garden, from having the best of English afternoon teas to basking in the summer sun on rooftop bars, from enjoying secret speakeasies on rainy gloomy days to exploring the best bars and underground gin palaces... I just could not get enough of London. And to add to this are the ever evolving food trends like molecular gastronomy to the quirkiest of cafe-concepts and all of this in one city, where, of course, I did not miss a single chance to gorge on the culinary excellence at Michelin-starring world’s best restaurants!