Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2021 i Travel + Leisure India & South Asia

THE GREAT GREEK philosopher Socrates might not have agreed with my philosophy of ‘live to eat’, but food can be both, sustaining and comforting, at the same time. Especially if you’re a gourmand. Amidst all the sorrow and heartbreak that the second wave of COVID-19 has brought, if there’s one thing that has kept me (and many of you, I bet!) sane, it is the innumerable recipes shared on social media. I am not turning into a baker overnight, but cooking can be truly therapeutic, I have discovered during the second lockdown. Hence, our Food Issue is all the more special. On our cover, we have the enfant terrible of the fine dining world. The indomitable Gaggan Anand gives us a sneak peek into his new restaurant ‘Gaggan Anand’ in…

How was running a restaurant in the 1990s versus now? For one, I was 30 years younger, inexperienced, but full of energy and endless possibilities. My approach was to throw caution to the wind; I’m more measured and cautious now. The industry has changed too. It was all about starred-hotel restaurants back then, until first Under The Over, and later, Indigo, challenged the status quo. It’s all about stand-alone and chef-driven restaurants now. The diners have evolved too—they’re more discerning and demanding. They want to experience the world and try new cuisines, but are reluctant to pay for it. It’s ironic, because the same Indian diner is willing to drop €300 (₹26,686) on a meal overseas. What sets Qualia apart? Qualia has a wonderful energy that embraces you the minute…

WHEN I WALK through the doors of The Oberoi, New Delhi, to meet Chef Andrew Wong—the mentor-chef at Baoshuan (oberoihotels.com), the hotel’s Chinese restaurant—I expect to be intimidated. But within minutes of meeting him, all of my worries are put to rest. With a constant smile, refreshing candour, and rich British accent, Wong walks me through the food—and culture—he is truly proud of. In 2012, Wong replaced his family’s Cantonese eatery in London, Kym’s, with A. Wong (awong.co.uk). The idea was simple: to give London a fresh outlook to Chinese food. “I didn’t want to bring another Chinese restaurant with dark wooden lacquered panels everywhere. I wanted it to have a light, informal feel, with the food being the centre of attention,” Wong explains. Eight years on, not only has…

What led you to launch your first property in Goa? It started 27 years ago. I was exploring opportunities in the Caribbean when I was invited to speak at a conference in India. I came over and saw a huge opportunity in Goa—a beautiful location with white-sand beaches and a booming domestic market. From an international perspective too, the airlines were beginning to fly into Goa from Europe as a cheaper winter alternative than the Caribbean. For me, Goa combines the mysticism of India with a European feel. So, I bought my first piece of land, [and] put my own life savings into it. Today, you have 33 properties across several countries. Did you envision such an expansion? I am deeply suspicious of entrepreneurs who say they had a master…

“STAY THERE, stay there!” We quietly willed the pangolin to wait in the bush. The ant-eating mammal couldn’t see what we could: it was pushing blearily through the vegetation, right into a waiting lion’s paws. As the pangolin quickly curled into a tight, armoured ball, the young male lion gnawed at its impenetrable scales, until he tired of the game. Cautiously, the pangolin unfurled and attempted to shuffle away, but the big cat immediately pounced back on his new toy. The scene played on repeat until sunset, when the lion finally left. I had to pinch myself. It’s wildly good luck to see a pangolin on safari, and even luckier to witness an interaction like this. But I had stacked the deck in my favour by travelling to the arid…

What is crystal healing? Every person has an aura. It’s known by different names—vibration, electricity, or heat-emitted. Any disease or issue in these vibrations can create imbalances. Crystals and semi-precious stones are known to restore vibration levels to their original frequencies, thus helping create an optimum balance of the aura. How do crystals reduce stress or anxiety? Crystals vibrate at frequencies that amplify humans’ inherent healing abilities. We have a physical body that can be seen and felt. But there are other layers that are less easily perceivable like the energy body, thought body, emotional body, and karmic body. Healing crystals work on these subtle levels and help the physical body recover. A few crystals help ground a [anxious] person by creating vibrations at the same frequency as the earth’s.…

Secret Recipe Renu Dalal, chef and daughter of legendary chef Tarla Dalal, shares her recipe of chana dal and palak dhokla, a dish that can boost your immunity. travelandleisureindia.in/dining/chana-dal-palakdhokla-chef-renu-dalal Vegan Delight Founder of House Of Millets Chef Natasha Gandhi’s delectable red pepper and amla (Indian gooseberry) dip is a powerhouse of Vitamin C. travelandleisureindia.in/dining/red-pepper-amla-dipimmunity-boosting-dish-by-chef-natasha-gandhi Fusion Food Chef Abhishek Gupta’s beetroot and turmeric spaghetti is a classic example of culinary innovation. Packed with delicate flavours and nutrition, this dish is a must-try. travelandleisureindia.in/dining/beetroot-turmericspaghetti SPOTTED Milind Soman visits Alibaug for a socially distanced recovery. travelandleisureindia.in/people/milind-soman-2 DISCOVER From rustic and remote to lively and well-equipped, this list of 25 breathtaking beaches from around the world will have you dreaming of sunny days. travelandleisureindia.in/featured/most-beautifulbeaches-in-the-world #TNLAUDIOSTORIES #OnePlaceAtATime TUNE IN TO OUR INSTAGRAM PAGE @TRAVELANDLEISUREINDIA TO…

What’s the USP of your new restaurant? At SONA, we reimagine the Indian dining experience, creating dishes that have a unique blend of traditional flavours using only the highest quality, locally sourced, seasonal ingredients with a distinct New York swag. How did you come to collaborate with Priyanka Chopra? There is no one who exemplifies ‘global Indian’ better than Priyanka Chopra, and we met through our founding partner, Maneesh K Goyal. She has played a very active role in creating SONA—from the restaurant design to the dishes on the menu. She and her husband Nick Jonas were part of several tasting and brainstorming sessions. How long did it take for SONA to materialise? We started this journey in 2015. It’s been [over] five years. What can New Yorkers look forward…

In a year that saw the F&B industry suffer body blows, how did Sidecar improve its ranking on Asia’s 50 Best Bars? Minakshi: Oh yes, this year has been tough to say the least. When we went under lockdown in March 2020, we utilised the time to reflect on our new menu, tastings, and trails. We spent a lot of time training and upskilling our staff via online classes with internal as well as external trainers. I feel it was this single-minded approach that got us recognised. We also conducted a lot of guest programmes via online workshops and [launched] exciting cocktail premixes. When bars finally opened in September 2020, we were geared up with a new cocktail menu and many exciting offerings for our guests. Does the title of…

Location GAGGAN ANAND RESTAURANT, BANGKOK It was outrageous. Implausible. It had two Michelin stars. It was No. 1 in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants four times in a row. Gaggan would not shut down. Gaggan could not shut down! Yet, shut down it did, in August 2019. And anyone who actually knew Chef Gaggan Anand wasn’t surprised that he had kept his word. Except the farewells were more rushed and acrimonious than expected. Anand resigned a day before his restaurant would be ranked No. 4 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019. He left all of his accolades and tangible profits along with his micromanaging business partners, and set out on a new path. Sixty-five of his colleagues walked out with him. He endearingly calls them his fellow rebels. Just three…

JUST AFTER LUNCH, NOT LONG PAST Labor Day, I was hightailing it across an Acadian landscape of glacier-scoured hills and moose-haunted plains. To be only somewhat more specific—because GPS showed me no nearby towns, just vague, empty stretches—I was between the Maine Turnpike and Penobscot Bay. Early as it was, somehow I was already late for dinner at the Lost Kitchen, an ambitious restaurant in an old gristmill in a depopulated town called Freedom. Chef-owner Erin French’s life story, a tale of hardship resolved, has made the Lost Kitchen into something like the Wild of the restaurant world—a runaway bestseller about female grit. Despite the restaurant’s cinematic isolation, nearly 20,000 hopefuls apply by postcard each year for roughly 4,600 covers. When I invited my neighbour Christine along for dinner, she…

AS A BIRDWATCHER, I am on an endless quest. But nothing captivates me more than the ethereal beauty of the ruddy shelduck, also known as Brahminy duck. It has an orange-brown body plumage with iridescent green speculum feathers and big white forewing patches. Its colours look striking in flight and resemble those of the Indian national flag. I captured this image on a cold afternoon while wading through the Mangalajodi wetland in Tangi, Odisha. As I approached the birds, they took flight with a loud nasal call. —CHINMAY PRADHAN ON HIS PHOTOGRAPH, SHOT ON A NIKON D3300 WITH NIKKOR 70-300MM LENS IN DECEMBER 2020 Chinmay Pradhan was an entrant in our ongoing ‘Your Best Shot’ contest. Submit your best shots at tplusl@burda.in, or use the hashtag #telltnlindia and tag @travelandleisureindia…

1 Khmer Kitchen, Bengaluru What used to be playwright and author Girish Karnad’s house until three years ago is now Khmer Kitchen, one of the newest entrants in South Bengaluru’s dining scene. With Cambodian cuisine at its core, the restaurant serves Southeast Asian food in an exquisite way. Delicacies such as mud crab with green peppercorn, slow-cooked braised pork knuckle in honey soy glaze, lamb shank saraman curry with a russet sauce, and Mekong fried rice are popular on the menu. Do not forget to order dessert—the black pudding, royal pumpkin custard, and crème brûlée are crowd favourites. khmer-kitchen.in 2 Nibbana, Delhi A plush new cloud kitchen in Meharchand Market helmed by Chef Somya Budhia, Nibbana celebrates regional Indian flavours with the spotlight on traditional breads. Think modern starters such…

MY JOURNEYS through Sri Lanka have birthed a culinary passion that is bound to last a lifetime. The island country has a rich repository of traditional dishes in which spices and textures come together in perfect harmony. Most of these recipes trickle down generations of family kitchens like heirlooms. During my travels across various Lankan provinces, I have sampled Arab, British, Dutch, Malay, Portuguese, and South Indian flavours tempered with a tropical touch. Be it a gourmet feast by the ocean or roadside snacks, the pearl of the Indian Ocean offers an excellent assortment of epicurean pleasures. Here are a few traditional dishes that you must try, in order to get a taste of Sri Lanka. STRING HOPPERS: ALL ROADS LEAD TO RICE MODERN SRI LANKA has not relinquished its…

NOT ONLY DOES FOOD play a vital role in our sustenance, it is also interwoven with our heritage. Hence, it assumes utmost significance when you explore a new place. Local cuisine is a gateway to understanding the culture and traditions of a region. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to define a place without trying its cuisine—it’s a lesson I learnt on my last trip to Ladakh. The Union Territory is a popular destination for Indians. It has been catapulted to stardom thanks to social media and the many movies shot on its surreal terrain. While most people are familiar with tourist attractions such as Nubra, Pangong, and Khardungla, there’s a serious dearth of awareness about the local cuisine. Most people think Ladakhi food is all about momos and thukpa (noodle…

Getting There United Airlines (united.com) offers connecting flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Augusta, with stopovers in Newark and Boston. Stay Blind Tiger Start or end your road trip at Portland’s stylish new B&B. Doubles from ₹13,958; blindtigerportland.com Brooklin Inn A quiet, simple country inn and restaurant near Blue Hill. Doubles from ₹12,924; thebrooklininn.com Gills Group Quintessential summer houses on Bailey Island. Cottages from ₹14,771; thegillsgroup.com Smithereen Farm A Down East saltwater farm with cabins and camping. Cabins from ₹3,693 per night; smithereenfarm.com Eat and Drink Aragosta The seasons of Deer Isle in a 10-course tasting menu—plus stylish cottages and suites. Doubles from ₹10,339, tasting menu ₹9,232; aragostamaine.com El El Frijoles Fun locavore taqueria on the Blue Hill Peninsula. Entrées ₹443–₹1,108; elelfrijoles.com Long Grain Farm-to-table Asian takeout in the heart of…