It seems surprising to me that we are already in the fifth month of the new year. The revelry, the parties and exhibitions are on, while the doomsday pundits are busy predicting the end of the world! The more uncomfortable that travelling has become, the more people are travelling! It’s like indulging in reverse psychology! People are gluttons for punishment. Most places, even S.E. Asia, which was famous for its hospitality, are getting fed up of boorish tourists. Many tourists are complaining of getting scammed, and let’s not forget about the ‘civilised’ United Kingdom and many parts of Europe. One feels really violated when one is scammed or robbed while abroad. It sounds almost sadomasochistic to say, that I’d rather have my phone or money pickpocketed or pinched on my own turf, where there is some hope of getting it back!
Meanwhile, friends and family are nonchalantly taking 16 to 18 hour flights to touch down on Indian soil for merely a week or so. It’s mind-boggling to think that it takes one nearly 4 days to travel back and forth to far-flung lands and these dolts are here for a mere 4 or 5 days, to act like babes in the wood, but clued in enough to get treatment for their eyes, teeth and other sundry bodyparts by our ‘cheap’ and grossly-talented doctors and then, complain about the ‘rotten’ facilities of ‘this country’! I am always told how my multifarious talents would be appreciated more in ‘the abroad’ and how happy this motley-crew is in ‘the abroad’ with clean air and wide roads! Ah well! I am well appreciated, content and happy in my own ‘ooru’ with its dirt, grime, corruption, and the ‘world’s best’ doctors and friends. BOO-HOO! Jai-hind to me!
My weekend started on a great note with an invitation from fellow gourmand Aslam Gafoor and Himanshu Asher (Global Brand Ambassador of Paul John Single Malt) to dine at Riwaz, The Ritz-Carlton, on a meal curated by the Masterchef Asif Qureshi. They were unveiling two superlative new single malts and the lucky few, the discerning connoisseurs, were given the opportunity to have first dibs at it. There is something about dining on a fantastic array of Indian food, cleverly curated and effortlessly presented, to match the intense flavours of the single malt. Attentive service, coupled with great conversations and a masterclass by their whiskey expert who runs you through the flavour profile of the malt on your palate. I wonder how many of our ‘phoren returnees’ have opportunities like this in their adopted countries!
My wonderful Paul John dinner experience was followed by a much-looked-forward to dinner curated by my favourite food historian, Anoothi Vishal, and interpreted by the super talented chef, Mohammed Eliyaz at Conrad Bengaluru. The dinner with wines paired by the Grover Zampa Vineyards’ collection was like being transported to all the corners of the globe with different flavour elements converging like a symphony, perfectly in tune with one another. The complexity of the dishes conjured up by both the maestros was magical. Sometimes, the meal and the ambiance have to be experienced. This was one such meal. Bravo to Conrad Bengaluru, GM Digvijay Singh, their chef and the team. As for Anoothi, her stories and the history of food both fascinate and engage the diner. Being an amateur ‘food kathakar’ (storyteller) myself, this dinner was just up my alley. Let food do the talking…
(The writer’s views are personal)