The Epicureans – What’s On

What:	Signature Classics Experience the signature dishes of Master Chef Lin in this award winning restaurant. Lunch & Dinner... From Burrp.com
When:	Sunday, November 1, 2009 12:00 AM to Monday, November 30, 2009 12:00 AM
Where:	The Szechwan Court The Oberoi 39 MG Road Bangalore, Karnātaka   India

There is a place on Earth where eating means sweating. Welcome to Nagpur! Or Nagpore or ‘Naak Pour’, however you may call it, the uprising city of Vidharbha region in Maharashtra (India) that allegedly got its name from a river nearby, although I have never seen any, that goes by the name of ‘Nag’ as in the Cobra.
Yes where else would you find such tongue burning, rectum burning delicious, one inch deep oil submerged and mixed with chopped red and green chillies, food to savour? I have had an experience myself and I have vowed to term it cuisine. It’s just “Saoji”.
When those Marathi Tais (Elsewhere called cousin aunties) bring home-production based mini joint’s cooked food, lovingly called Saoji, you can’t resist that tempting smell of grounded spices otherwise called ‘khada masala’ and a whole packet of red chilli put in especially just for one person. Isn’t that great!

While I had the pleasure of one night in lavatory, the aftermath that followed after eating a typical cuisine of theirs, I gave up all my hopes. How would I ever become a ‘Marathi Mulga’! Lord! Not to be confused with a cock though. They give you every opportunity not to miss their mouth watering delicacies. Piece of advise. It’s not for those who have a knack for bland or non-spicy food. Otherwise, they would end up like me.

I was watching a show on travel & living and it gave me an idea why not search for the recipes on the net. Speaking of which I would now like to praise the other side of the story and that is the Pork Chops, Prawn Curry Rice, the outcome of Tibetans in exile settlements at Mussoorie. There’s something called soba noodles that I am yet to figure out but I have heard legends of this special kind of noodles which settles in your mouth and blend your thoughts with pork & soup and takes you to a night long imagination of Shangri-La kung-fu movies. And all of this just under half a grand. They give a rice bowl, Shaptak and a pair of chopsticks with it and instantly you feel like your eyes are getting stretched laterally wide and your beard disappearing (if you’re a man) and your legs getting smoother than a Barbie doll (if you’re a girl) and that’s it! The magic’s working on you. Ever tried the momo-soup?

In fact, I have got a better idea. I’ll leave you folks with the two choices I have enlisted above and you can decide which one suits your appetite. Cheers!