Explorer of Experiences

Size Matters It is news when in a real estate-crunched city like Pune you have a restaurant that’s bagged a space that spans 15,000 sq ft. It is rare still to walk into a restaurant that is that big; a restaurant with an indoor section, a huge outdoor dining area and even an amphitheatre. Without an intention to compare, when you walk in, Classic Rock feels like High Spirits v 2.0, mature and mammoth-sized. Its sprawling premises promises to easily harbor about 1500 revelers. And where they score over lots of restaurants is their parking lot that can accommodate almost 200 vehicles. Obviously, their manning is huge with 80 people on the payroll. Cocktails & Coffee At Classic Rock, they take both their coffee and cocktails very seriously. Let’s talk Arabica first. They source their coffee beans from Kerala and even have a glistening silver roasting machine on site. Beans are roasted and grinded, so you’re guaranteed a freshly brewed Cappuccino (Rs 140). If you’re int...

If you've gone through my blog, it may bemuse you that this is my second post on tofu. How much do I love eating it? A lot. And why not? I find it tasty, love the texture, and enjoy the variety. You heard me...there's variety even with an ingredient like Tofu - silken, firm, extra firm, fermented, flavoured, etc.  And this 'obedient ingredient' (as chef Roger Mooking would call it in his food show Everyday Exotic), is super versatile to cook with. Deep fry it and cook it with veggies in sweet and sour sauce, or make an evening snack out of it by toasting it on a pan with a little oil and drizzle with salt and cracked black pepper. Like me, if eggs don't suit, you then scramble up a tofu and add the other usual scrambled egg ingredients and you're set!  One of my favourites tofu dishes is when it is baked with peanut sauce. Pure bliss. A picture below to treat your eyes. Now that's a happy meal for me. Just a quick tip, give your tofu a boil in water fla...

Don't you wish you could go back in time just to truly appreciate where you were and what you were doing with your time then? I ponder about this sometimes. I spent two years in Melbourne. That city was a treat food-wise. I tried so many new things, experienced so many new flavours! Narrow lanes used to be dotted with little quaint cafes and the fruit and vegetable market lined with food carts, and it used to be but a pleasure to walk by, trying these treats on a free day.  Chinatown in Melbourne (image courtesy: www.victoria.aussietrueblue.com) But of course every major city has to have its very own Chinatown, Melbourne included. We had a community kitchen in the lodge we stayed at. Every night after classes, the group of Chinese girls and guys used to collectively cook in the kitchen - sharing their sauces and veggies, and thereafter eating together. Laughter from the kitchen echoed into the halls and I used to envy the sense of togetherness they experienced over food!...