I’m getting fat.. I’m sitting on this super comfortable couch, with a bloated stomach after a wondrous breakfast, posting about how I love the food here.
One of my favorite meals was random. I told my driver to take me to a local restaurant, and he did. The place was called “2 Star Restaurant” and it was very dark, sketchy looking. Thankfully, the owner spoke some English, and I told him to recommend three plates to me. I thought the portions would be tiny, and that three would fill my appetite.
First one was a super spicy chicken dish with some pickled vegetables. It was so good.
Second and third plate was this rice and chicken dish with brothy vegetables. I only ate half, took the rest to-go, and ate it the next day. Three dishes, two meals cost me $6.
And of course, there are the bourgeoise meals I’ve had in upscale locations. While the food tastes great, and the company speaks English, I feel more authentic and less guilty helping the locals stay in business.
Ice cream brownie with chocolate syrup.
These were interesting seeds that we snacked on, which were supposed to help clean out our systems. I guess that’s the equivalent of Chinese people drinking tea after an oily meal?
Pasta, creamy sauce chicken skewers, beef and potatoes, pork, onion ring (a single one, I couldn’t resist), pineapple salsa, vegetables.
Very spicy chicken salad with garlic naan.
Food from a dining hall. I personally don’t think most Indian foods look appetizing, but it’s so flavorful. If it doesn’t look good, it probably tastes really good.
One of the best surprises came from the Courtyard Marriott concierge, who recommended I eat at a place called Barbecue Nation. He gave me directions, I took a rickshaw, and found myself in all-you-can-eat barbecue.
Servers continuously brought me chicken, fish, and vegetable skewers. They were already rich in flavor, yet I was provided with five types of dips and brushes to coat the food.
There was also a large selection of Indian and Western food , but I stuck with the stuff straight from the grill.
Then came dessert. Again, I don’t think this looks appetizing, but it fulfilled my sweet tooth to the maximum. What you’re looking at on the right is an ice cream with some type of super sweet, warm and soft dough. I don’t know how else to describe it, but it melted in my mouth along with the ice cream.
As I paid for the bill, which was 650 Rupees or $10.64, the captain (equivalent of supervisor) brought me more dessert. This was a miss for me. It was some sort of sweet glutinous rice wrapped in a leaf and cherry. I was surprised that I was supposed to eat the leaf, and it was very hard to chew.
Everything else was delicious.
Andy Cheng 