Khan Chacha, Delhi

Khan Chacha
Flat 50, Middle Lane
Khan Market
Delhi
+919810804114, +919811152722, +919810671103

Khan Chacha was an institution in Delhi until some legal, and rental problems forced him to shut shop about a year ago. Recently Al Bake (the New Friends Colony institution) opened a shawarma take away at the same location, which made many Khan Chacha loyalists apprehensive about the future.

Then Khan Chacha reopened about a month ago in a new location (opp Big Chill in the Middle Lane,opp Happily Unmarried). This is a first floor outlet with seating, but its still self service with a few "improvements". You order your kebabs/rolls at the counter, pay your money, you are given a number. You hang around, hoping and praying for a free table. Then your number flashes on the screen at the counter, so you go and collect your rolls. If you are lucky you sit or else you stand and finish your rolls. If you leave your tray on the table, you will be very politely requested to throw your trash in the designated dustbins and leave the trays on top (a la McDonalds)

The kitchen is spotlessly clean and soot free :)Prices are higher than what they were, when they closed, but then inflation has affected us all.

Some old timers of this joint, say that the taste isnt as good as it used to be. Since I have returned to Delhi after 7 years, I don't feel qualified to comment on that statement. But the taste is still good.

The chicken tikka simply dissolves in your mouth. I found the tikkas better as a plate of kebabs than inside the roll. I also expected the mutton sheekh kebab to be softer than it was. I'm hoping this is just initial teething problems for the staff and they will soon settle into a routine to give us the outstanding quality of kebabs that Khan Chacha is famous for.

Aap Ki Khatir, Delhi

Aap Ki Khatir
Middle Lane
Khan Market

Aap Ki Khatir, is a little kebab joint tucked away in the Middle Lane of Khan Market. Patrons who want to eat on the spot, stand around or lounge on 2 wheelers while relishing their kebabs and rolls. The rest pack take aways and carry them home to waiting families.

The reason, I keep going back to this particular kebab joint in the Khan Market, are its 'outstanding' Kakori Kebabs. At 90Rs a plate (2 long kebabs), they are a juicy, melt in your mouth experience, lightly wrapped in a wafer thin layer of crust from the grilling.

All kebabs are served with onions, a dollop of raita and a dollop of green chutney.

Most kebabs are in the 80-90rs range for a plate. The chicken malai tikka is good and not too spicy. The Mutton tikka is extremely soft and on the spicy side.

For 10-15rs more, you can have your kebabs wrapped in a rumali roti or a kathi roll (no egg though), for a quick one dish meal.

If you need a drink to wash your snack/meal down, they serve chilled soft drinks and water for 25rs.

Their kebabs are good and Actress Nandita Das, says this is one of her favorite restaurants in an interview in The Bollywood Cookbook


They do not Deliver food home unless you want them to cater to a party of 50 or more people. They do have takeaway service though and their rolls are a great option for those nights when you know your guests are going to be drinking and couldn't care much for complicated food, but are going to be ravenously hungry at the end of the evening.

Street Food : Egypt vs India

When I first considered writing about "Street Food in Cairo" the few people I knew in Cairo had a good laugh & cautioned me that having just arrived in the city I was completely setting myself up for the curse of the Pharaohs. Well, being a desi & with an ability to eat the Pav Bhajis & Paani Puris & Vada Pavs on the streets of India, then the streets of Cairo posed no threat at all, so I was all set to explore Cairo by tasting everything it had to offer. (But I did tuck a strip of lomotil into my wallet to be on the safer side)

There’s such a variety of snacks, meals, quick bites & drinks on offer on the streets of Cairo that it would be impossible to try them all in a few days, but I did manage the highlights.

A good day begins with a good breakfast. A fuul or tamiya sandwich is what is considered ideal. I tried these at ............................

Read the whole post on My Egypt Blog

Abo Yosef Koshary, Cairo

Only silver lining in my Wasted Day today was, I embarked on another food adventure. Walked up to a place called Abou Yoosef. Their menu was in Arabic. Everyone there only spoke arabic. I pointed to 2 items on the menu & patiently awaited opening my mystery suprise package.

One turned out to be a chicken fillet sandwich roll. The other was some local dish.

Now the problem is I have no clue about the name. I do not remember which item I pointed to, so its going to take some time to figure out what we ate.

But let me try & give u a description. (no picture : we were too ravenous after the house hunt that we did not bother with wasting time on taking pictures) the dish is a mix of 4 types of pasta
1. a very short tubular pasta 2mm length
2. a circular spoke pasta 2mm diameter
3. short spaghetti
4. vermicilli
and some arborio rice.

All boiled seperately with just salt & then mixed in almost equal quantities. The dish is then topped with some boiled whole masoor dhal & deep fried browned onions. & a sprinkling of chickpeas (chole)

A tomato based gravy was served on the side to be mixed into the dish. I was wearing a salwar kameez & bindi, so he realisd i was indian. pointed to my bindi & handed me a second packet which turned out to be a spicy chilli mix which we added to the tomato gravy before pouring it into the carbs.

The dish was really yummy & I doubt my description has done it justice. Also its a wonderful vegetarian option for veggies who come to this country & are forced to live on French fries. Next mission is to somehow describe this to a local who can tell me its name.

Edit : My new blogger friends Cairogal & Maryanne tell me that this dish is called "Koshary" & every place that sells this staple food would have the term koshari or koshary in its name. It costs from 3-5LE & is the basic diet of most Egyptians.

Heres a Recipe for Koshary

& heres a picture

Baadshah, Mumbai

Baadshah
Opposite Crawford Market
LT Marg
2342 1943, 2344 9316, 2342 5950

The oldest Falooda House in the country. Marwan Irani set up Baadshah in 1905. Legend goes that when they first opened their shop over 100 years ago, nobody in India was willing to try the strange colored drink with stringy bits and a substance that looked and felt like fish eyes. Worried that his import from Persia would be a non-starter, the owner hit upon a clever scheme. He got all his relatives to stand around the shop & drink the sweet sticky liquid throughout the day. Curiosity got the better of most passers-by & they in turn ventured to try the dish. Traditional Persian Falooda is slightly sour & integral to every Navroze celebration. Incorporating constructive feedback, the falooda was sweetened to suit the Indian palate & fine tuned to what is served today.

The current Proprietor is Behram Zadeh who has been in charge for the last 2 decades. They have even opened an outlet in Pune.

Saffron, Khus & Rose were the original flavours for Falooda. But today Baadshah even offers a chikoo flavored version.

The falooda's cost about 45/- each and are a perfect respite from the heat & dust to be braved while shopping in and around Crawford Market.

The kulfi's at Baadshah are EXCELLENT. Even better than the Parsi dairy ones. Made in the North Indian style, the taste & cream in the Malai Kulfi explode in your mouth at the first lick itself. Totally worth it for Rs.27/-

They even offer take away's, but do bring your ice-box, Baadshah still doesnt offer to pack them in ice the way Parsi Dairy does.

Baadshah has now opened a snack bar too just next to the original location. Good Pav Bhaji & Dosas. Its a nice, reasonable & clean place to eat at while you are in the area.

The first floor at both locations is air conditioned.

Bade Miyan's, Mumbai

Bade Miya
Tulloch Road
Apollo Bunder
Behind Taj Mahal Hotel
Mumbai 400 039
2284 8038, 2285 1649

Went back to Bade Miya's after a span of 7 years & I don't know what it was, but it wasn't as great as I remembered it. Possible reasons being:
1. It wasn't after a round of drinking that I landed there.
2. I've been eating better food recently.
3. After eating kebabs in Delhi, Hyderabad & the Northern front, none of the guys in Bombay are comparable except probably copper Chimney.

Since we reached a little early, the place hadn't started crowding as yet. We parked a little distance away, not sure if we would be able to navigate the back lanes. We were prepared to stand up and eat hot kebabs off the coals, but they have now taken over a small area opposite which they have outfitted with plastic chairs & metal tables.

The ambience of the Bade Miya I remember is still there. Its the food that has gone down huge notches. Except for the khiri all the kebabs were bland. The flavoring in the kheema was more fat than masala. The prices are still reasonable ranging between 30 & 60 for the dry dishes (oh btw the menu is the size of a visiting card & doesn't have any rates written on it.) Rumali roti's are 6 each. The Baida Roti was 50 bucks but it was something different at least. A kind of chicken stuffed egg paratha if that makes any sense.

2 of us ate some 6 different types of kebabs hoping to have better luck with the next one. 3 rumalis and 2 bottles of water came upto about 300 bucks.

The food is definitely VFM, but I don't think I'm gonna be going back any time soon.

And if u r still interested, they have started another counter which offers purely veg food.

They open around 7 in the evening, if u r still planning to go.

Hyderabad - Eat Street

Eat Street
Necklace Road
Hyderabad

Eat Street is a lovely place opened on the lake on Necklace Road. Theres a play area for children with lovely multi hued flowers growing abundantly. There's a permanent merry-go-round & baby cars & things like that. They also have boating on the lake originating from the premises.

The seating is partly open air and partly under a cover which is still open to the lake on the side. But if all you want is a place to sip a coffee & relax with your book or friends, then take your coffee & head upstairs, the feeling there is even more relaxed.

Eat Street is a Food court. So you have Pizza Hut, Minerva Coffee Shop, Baskin robbins & others. Rest assured there are enough choices whether you are looking for a coffe, ice-cream, snacks, chaat or a proper meal.

The Chinese served at "Wok of the Town" was quite good. The combos for 95/- include some noodles/rice, a main dish & a starter. Really worth it & quite filling. Their chicken pepper salt was also quite interesting for 65/-

The "Chat Room" serves an array of chaat items. Tried the Dahi Poori (25) & Pani Puri (20). Tasty & clean with the joy of eating it on the lake side. Definitley round up your chaat with the jelebis (20). They are absolutely amazing & a must try. If you are thirsty with all the chaat, have the Badam Milk (25). There are a lot of pakodas & other fried stuff too thats available. I'd rank this second on the chaat available in Hyderabad. Ohris Banjara being the best. And oh yeah, the Pani Puri @ Gangotris near 36, Jubilee hills is very good, though the rest of their chaat isnt.

At the Indian counter "Wah Hyderabad", you can get an assortment of Mughlai & Hyderabadi dishes. The combo at 95 includes rice, roti, dry & wet sabji in veg & non veg options. Very filling, so quite a VFM. If you want to add on something, try the chicken 65 for 60/- and complete your meal.

Then take a walk around the palce to digest all that you have just eaten & enjoy the view some more. Quite a romantic place too. If you want to take your date out to a place, which wont burn a hole in your wallet, then eat Street is the place to go.

Tiffany's, Bangalore

Vittal Mallya Road

Ph : 221 3130/ 221 0377

Bob : 1



Never thought that this would be a place to drink. After all those books floating around the place, always associated Tiffany's with a breakfast joint within India or without.... Would never have stepped into this place except for the unfortunate incident of a car breakdown and what a find it turned out to be.



Tiffany's is THE Place to go for a relaxed afternoon drink and meal. No loud music. No over 13 somethings competing for acoustic and physical space. No outrageous display of flesh to make u feel guilty about missing those morning walks. What better place for a relaxed afternoon and a chilled beer.



There was some really unobtrusive music playing- point 1 against Tom's

Comfortable seating - point in favour of Tiffanys'

No Christian Brothers -point to Toms

Lots of jogging enthusiasts around - point to Toms

Good service- point to Tiffany's

decent food- draw

yakkable quotient - draw

relaxed atmosphere- draw



I guess u could call Tiffany's an upmarket Tom's. Cocktails were about 100/0 bucks each ; BOB around 1. Free MOB with a sizzler. Really nice waiters - not too officious or patronising or loud. Just nice, with a hint of that old world charm around them.



Yes, this is a good place for a weekend afternoon beer and biryani kind of a thing.





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