Travelogue around Asia Pacific Part II

Bangalore - My flight back to Singapore was tomorrow and had a delicious dinner at the hotel with Lesley.  The weather was chilly and windy.  Curry Nann Mutton Biryani Tandori chicken

Bangalore  - We went to have some good BBQ food.    main entrance to the BBQ restaurant No sure what this was I had one that was enough for me....\ cooked BBQ  The meat and vegetables are already cooked for us in the kitchen, and just put on the hot coals to warm it up which is a very good ideal of waiting for the food to cook. Lesley, Vikram, Puneet and myself 

Bangalore - For the past days, I had good delicious Indian breakfast.  Freshly cooked and delicious.  Michelin wrote a beginner's guide to India bread . Ragi Idli and Vada I had Idli which is a savoury rice cake, popular breakfast in Southern India. The cakes are made by steaming a batter consisting of fermented black lentils and rice.   Raji Idli is made from finger millet. Masala Dosa Poori  Poori (also Puri) is made out of flour, salt and water.  The small portions of unleavened dough is rolled into small discs and deep fried in hot oil.  A perfectly made Puri puffs as soon as it hits the hot oil. Uttapam  Uttapam is a dosa-like pancake from South India. It is made from the same dosa batter of urad dal and rice. Uttapam traditionally contains toppings like tomatoes, capsicum, chilies, onion and cabbage mix among others. It is generally eaten with coconut chutney.

 Bangalore - Just arrived to Bangalore and decided to just order room service.  ITC Gardenia has a touch screen near the bedside has everything at the touch of the button.   I ordered lamb shanks and it was one of the best lamb shanks I have eaten ever, so tender and soft. Lamb shanks Garlic nann and 2 pieces of garlic nann and it was very good lunch.  

Bangalore - Took an early flight from New Dehli to Bangalore on Vistara.  Vistara is a joint venture of Tata Sons Private Limited and Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA), wherein Tata Sons holds 51% stake in partnership and Singapore Airlines owns 49% stake. The company is registered as TATA SIA Airlines Limited. A full serviced airline with meals on board for a 2 and half hours flight.  Seats are comfortable and the ride to Bangalore was smooth.

New Dehli - We went to Dakshin for our dinner at the same hotel we are staying in - Sheraton New Dehli.  Dakshin has been around for more than 30 years, and specialises in the cuisine of the six states of South India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. Meals are served traditionally on banana leaves, and silver tiffin plates and pots. Waiter serving 4 types of condiments Types of crackers Take cracker and dip into the 4 condiments served by the waiter - appetiser before the main course. Fish curry The fish was succulent and smooth mixed with the delicious curry. Mutton slices Small portions but the meat is so tender and not spicy to taste.   Appam made fresh 3 selections of Indian wines Desert ice cream Pumkin

 New Dehli - Met Vikram and we had dinner together at this restaurant. Dhaba is a casual restaurant that delivers what it is known for, great food in traditional Punjabi surroundings.   Dahi ke Kabab Dahi kabab translates to yogurt kababs where “Dahi” is a Hindi word for “Curd” (Indian yogurt) and “Kabab” here means a “Patty”. Also known as Dahi ke kabab, these are vegetarian patties made with curd as the primary ingredient.  It tasted really good.  Galouti Kebab Galouti Kebab are minced mutton meat is marinated in a host of spices and grilled or pan-fried.  The taste was over powering with lots of spice and was not really to my liking.  Mutton Seekh Kebab Mutton kebabs made from minced mutton meat, marinated in a bowl of spices and grilled to perfection. Sheek means cooked on the skewer over the fire or in the Tandoor Oven (sausage shaped).   Also not to my liking, I think the spices just overpower the taste of the meat. Chaas Tadka Cha...

 New Dehli - The weather was unbearable hot and humid and this would be our last place of interest then head back to hotel.   Raj Ghat is a memorial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi in Delhi, India.   Mathatma Gandhi memorial In order to get down to the memorial you need to take off your shoes, we decided not to and walk and upper platform surrounding the memorial.    Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, also known as Mahatma Gandhi, was assassinated on 30th January 1948 and the following day, his body was cremated at a spot near the Yamuna. Raj Ghat marks the exact location where Gandhi was consigned to flames and his last rites were performed. A simple memorial was built at this place in keeping with Gandhi’s philosophy and practice of living a modest life.

 New Dehli -  Agrasen Ki Baoli is a step well and one of the old age water reservoir that was used to quench the thirst of many.   This water reservoir is almost 103 stone steps tall above the ground and happens to be hidden in the middle of the top corporates and business towers of Delhi in recent times.  There were many people just sitting around the steps of the well.  The steps are steep with sharp edges so have to be careful going down the steps to the well.  There is a lose barrier with thick rope across warning people not to cross over. Backdrop of Agrasen Ki Baoli This place is now protected under the Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.  The Agrasen ki Baoli is located inside a structure, which is 15 meters in width and 60 meters in length. As per the beliefs, the Agrasen Ki Baoli dates back to the age of Mahabharata and it was a part of the ancient civilization that flourished here.

 New Dehli - We were taken to this restaurant by our driver whom claimed to be good.  We had the safe choice of India food.   Butter chicken Garlic Nan Lesley and myself having lunch It was a satisfying lunch about USD 17 for the both of us.  

 New Dehli - This tomb, built in 1570, is of particular cultural significance as it was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent. It inspired several major architectural innovations, culminating in the construction of the Taj Mahal. Entrance to the Humayun's Tomb Isa Khan's Tomb roof Isa Khan's Tomb Isa Khan was a noble and this enclosure includes his tomb and mosque, both built during his lifetime.   Bu-Halimah's tomb Arab Sarai Gateway This 14 meter high gateway led to the walled enclosure which housed the Persian craftsmen who came here for the building of the Humayun Tomb. Humayun's Tomb External wall of Humayun's Tomb Humayun's Tomb Humayun’s garden-tomb is also called the ‘dormitory of the Mughals’ as in the cells are buried over 150 Mughal family members. Lesley and me Sweating in the heat It was so hot and humid in Dehli walking around the Humayun Tomb area of 27.04 ha took us about 1 1/2hrs.  So, it is time for lunch.