Pubbing, Chinese Delight & Gelato

I get the feeling that I should become a culinary expert. Better still, maybe a TV host on a dining out show. Anyway that said, the eating out continues. I met a good buddy of mine on Thursday night at The Stadel. Like I said a revisit was on the cards and what better opportunity to go there but on a nice stormy evening. Surprisingly the storm had hit Delhi too as we watched repeat telecasts over beer on the big screen at HEKA because rain had dashed all hopes of The Kolkata Knight Riders getting a berth in the Semi Finals of the DLF IPL T20.

More about this little pub tucked away in a small corner of the Salt Lake Stadium. While I waited for my friend to arrive, I decided to order a beer and some pepper chicken to go. I was hungry as hell having skipped lunch due to the pile of work on my head. The Chilled beer arrived in the nick of time as my friend had arrived and taken a seat. Two mugs and the first beer went down in now time, not to mention the chicken which had come with it. We ordered some more beer and crispy fried potatoes.

Shortly the DJ also walked in and since there was no match on, the music was welcome. As the beers went down the music got louder and we kind of wrapped up after several beers just when the music was loud enough that we were inaudible to each other. I guess the place makes for a good pit stop for an early evening out.

I also had to make a visit to the men’s room and was quite taken up with the names of the places. Like the Men’s room was called “Third Man”, the women’s “Maiden”, the restaurant “First Innings” and the Banquet Hall was called “Second Innings”.

That was Thursday. Friday was a whole different affair all together. We ended up going to this place I didn’t even know even existed, called “EAU CHEW RESTAURANT”. On the first floor of a dilapidated old building on Ganesh Chandra Avenue, you had to climb up the steep winding stairs after entering the premises through a HP Petrol Pump.

The whole deal being that I just had to try the Chimney Soup here. Well we entered what seemed to be a Chinese version of a Dhaba, but thank god there was air-conditioning. Anyway once we were seated there was only one thing that everyone wanted; Chimney Soup! Ok there were various options single, half and full. We went for a full. There were 5 of us. The boy taking our order was trying to convince us that a half usually fed between 6-8 people. But we insisted on getting a full. So a Full it was.

While he got us that, we decided on the rest of the food. One Veg. Haka Noodles, One Mixed Fried Rice, one Schezwan Fish and one Fried Chicken I think it was.

When the Chimney Soup arrived I was delighted to see the manner in which the served it. It came in a strange copper bowl which was seated on a wrought iron “chlulha” with the chimney going through the centre of the Copper Soup Vessel. The soup was delicious with pieces of various meats and fish and lots of green veggies. Several eggs had been broken into to the hot soup and the white stuff was the egg. I guess this is the Chinese Version of our Indian Tandoori food. Ok its soup, but one that you’ll relish. Then again for those of you looking for spicy stuff, this might not arouse your palette.

The rest of the food was quite the normal type that you can expect in Tangra.

OK after all that food even the lad serving us was in shock when he cleared the plates after we were done. The table looked like a battle field. Like Normandy maybe after the Allied Forces had run over the beaches. So while were driving back someone mentioned Ice Cream. In fact after the meal when someone had mentioned sweet dish we all retorted that after so much food the thought was repelling.

Anyway as we were approaching home, Ice cream came up again and we ended up going there for the one person who wanted Ice Cream. Mama Mia was still open in New Alipore and I had to get off first. So once off the car, I casually walked into the Gelato parlour. Oh that smell and those colourful creamy gelatos just beckoned out to me. So after tasting several flavours I ended up having a scoop of Blueberry in a Waffle cone. I did think of another and was snapped at for the mere thought considering that I was the one most opposed to having anything after stuffing myself with all that food.

Anyway I just loved my Blueberry gelato and had a go at a bit of everyone else’s too.