Shuchi Vaishnav Gandhi
How did you start blogging?
I drew culinary inspiration from my father, who was a great cook and always got the best out of me. For me one of the best feelings is to feed people and make delicious food. I also like to do culinary experiments and re-invent traditional dishes.
Unlike many food bloggers, I have not gone deep into personal stories as I want to let the recipe be the centre of attention. The blog is my creative outlet to write about dishes and foods that inspire me.
What kind of food do you like to cook and eat?
My comfort food is mom’s home cooked Gujarati food. However my favourite cuisine is Italian. I am a huge pasta lover. The best moments are when I receive some appreciation from readers about what I am doing.
Any memorable food anecdote?
It would be when I tried my luck in the auditions of Masterchef India. Though I didn’t make it to the final round, it was a great experience that gave me a lot of exposure .
Nikhilesh Murthy
How did you start blogging?
I started blogging in 2007. However, it wasn’t until 2014 that I started blogging about food. I had been taking pictures of the various dishes I had eaten for almost two years. But it was only after a friend recommended that I put my blogging and photography together, that I began actively writing about the places I eat at.
What kind of food do you like to cook and eat?
I love eating chicken and prawn in almost any form. I am always partial either towards pizza or the Indian-variant of Chinese food that we get here.
Any memorable food anecdote?
One of the most memorable incidents happened in New York. My colleagues wanted to feel ‘at home’ by going to only the Indian restaurants. One evening, we walked to a restaurant called Chennai Garden. I was in no mood to protest and ordered a Rava Dosa. What nearly killed me was the cost of the dosa— it was $16.
While we were walking back to the hotel, I came across a pizza joint where I could get two slices of pizza and a bottomless coke for $2.99!
Offbeat places she recommends
Ants cafe in Indiranagar— Here you get lovely pasta. It’s a great place for a lazy Sunday brunch. The beautiful small in-house boutique, makes the place even more appealing.
Street food in VV Puram — Every evening, the old V V Puram main road turns into a street food paradise. This is the only Khau Gali that serves varieties of South-Indian food like Thatte Idli, Paddu, Bhajjis along with unique delicacies like Gulkand ice-cream.
Alba at JW Marriott— I recently discovered this place while taking Italian cooking classes from the Chef Bruno Ferrari. The ‘Nutella Pizza’ is an Alba special you should not miss.
Offbeat places he recommends
Veena Stores — Located on Margosa Road, this is a ‘no frills’ South-Indian snack joint that’s open between 6 am and 12 pm and again between 4 pm and 8.30 pm. This is literally a store where you pick up food and eat on the street. The idlis, vada, upma, tamarind rice are simply super. What makes it even better is their chutney which is in such hot demand that there is actually a dedicated security guard who rations out the servings of chutney. An entire meal at Veena Stores costs less than Rs. 100.
Chakum Chukum — This is another busy joint that serves Kolkata style rolls. Located in the HAL 2nd stage in Indiranagar, this joint serves top notch chicken, mutton and vegetarian rolls in various permutations with/without egg. While they’ve not grown with the growing number of patrons to serve quicker, the wait is justified. Each roll is around Rs. 150. Don’t forget to ask for the pudina chutney with your roll.
99 Varieties — This really isn’t a restaurant, but a food cart that’s been pimped to serve you 99 varieties of dosa. Coming in variations of cheese, paneer, noodles, baby corn and more, this is a must visit place. You’ll find this cart outside the park near Bethany school in Koramangala. While there are knock offs that have opened in the same lane, look for the one with the bright green neon display. The dosas, which are quite filling, are served fairly quickly and are piping hot. The generous usage of butter makes the taste even better. Each dosa is priced at about Rs. 50-60.