yummy indian food

continuing from my previous posts on my recent trip to india, this time, focusing on indian food. the first thing people think of when you say indian food is "spicy and hot". being a fan of spicy food, i was excited to find out how spicy authentic indian food was. to my surprise, spicy and hot are two different definitions. spicy, meaning a lot of spices put in the food, but not necessarily hot. hot or anghang, well, like your tongue is on fire kind of hot.

first stop, Peshawri restaurant inside ITC Maratha Hotel, where i stayed for 2 weeks last nov 08, another 2 weeks in June 09 and 3 more weeks in sept 09. on my first stay, my super boss, boss, and 2 of my colleagues all went to this famous restaurant for a team dinner. we ordered this humongous plain naan bread... so big we couldn't finish it (to think i was with 3 big guys), chicken kebabs, lamb kebabs, and paneer tikka (cottage cheese that was tasteless and looked like an egg). i wasn't able to take pics since i didn't want to look like a "turista" in front of my boss. hehe. on my 2nd stay, it was just me and A. we ordered A's fave, king of kebabs (chicken with bones), pomfret fillet, plain naan (for me) and steamed rice (for A). again, no pics coz we were trying to eat as fast as we can since we planned to go shopping right after lunch! third stay, with L. this time, we both brought our cameras. there were free appetizers to munch on while waiting for our orders (pictured below).. see the cups that we used? "feel namin authentic na authentic!"


we ordered plain naan (just the small one), lamb kebab (pictured below, left) and boneless chicken tikka(pictured below, right). yummy!!!



i must say, i'm not a coffee drinker, but i find that india's coffee is not that great. they don't have starbucks or coffee bean or seattle's best, instead i noticed 2 of the popular coffee chains, cafe coffee day and coffee world, both in 2 different malls. i posted pics from both cafes. sorry about the blurred pic from coffee world.


while preparing for our trip to Agra, our clients were already telling us to try the chicken biryani and aloo (potato) paratha (bread like naan) in Dhaba. and that's what we did. from delhi to agra, we passed by so many towns and halfway through the car ride was dhaba. the driver stopped at Maharajah Hotel (nothing fancy, just some small casual dining restaurant with lots of souvenir shops inside the building). of course, we ordered aloo paratha (for L) while i got my plain naan. here's the pic below (the left one is the naan, on the right is the paratha) what's the diff between the two? just that there are minced potatoes inside the paratha while plain naan is just filled with air. i personally liked the plain naan.

funny story #1: L wanted mutton masala (lamb curry) while i wanted chicken tikka masala (chicken curry) or chicken biryani.. below is my conversation with the waiter (tried to be as correct as i remembered it)

me: i want to order chicken biryani
waiter: no. too spicy for you!
me: that's okay, i like spicy!
waiter: no. too spicy for you!
me: okay, fine. i'll get 1 chicken tikka and 1 mutton masala
waiter: no. mutton masala is too spicy for you. order lamb kebab or chicken tikka!
me: no, my friend wants mutton masala and i want chicken tikka
waiter: no, mutton masala too spicy for you! order tikka.
me: fine, we'll take chicken tikka masala and lamb kebab, is that ok?
waiter: ok!

whew! first time i ever had a waiter tell me what to order! but i still had a sumptious time eating the food! see below!


Funny story #2: the next day, we were going back from agra to delhi, when on the way, the driver again, took us back to Maharajah Hotel for lunch. This time, i told myself that I will eat chicken biryani no matter what the waiter says! the waiter who served our table was different this time but...

me: i want chicken biryani.
waiter: no. do not order chicken biryani.
me: why not???
waiter: chicken biryani, only chicken. order non-veg thali (points to another entree in the menu)
me: what's thali?
waiter: it's like set meal, where you have chicken, lamb, vegetables, dal (lentils) so you get different food
me: but i want chicken biryani (stubbornly refusing)
waiter: no, ma'am. not chicken biryani
me: (frustrated) why are you telling me not to order chicken biryani? this is what i want!
waiter: but non-veg thali is better!
me: (still very stubborn) no, i want mutton masala, chicken biryani and plain naan! that's it!
waiter: (a bit angry) fine! if that's what you want!

huh!!!!! what kind of attitude is that? i mean, i get it, he's telling us to try the thali (think bento box a la indian food) so we can taste different indian food, but i think customer is always right. i had a huge craving for chicken biryani (been anticipating for it for the past 2 weeks) and nothing was going to stop me from ordering biryani! L wanted the mutton masala (since we were in india) and i will not let her leave without tasting it too! (hehe!) see pics below!


i have learned that biryani is cooked in different ways depending on which indian area or region you're from. aside from this dhaba-style biryani, i've tasted the vegetable biryani in the canteen in front of our office, chicken biryani made by my pakistani colleague's wife (using filipino chicken and rice and some indian spices), lamb dum biryani in the buffet dinner at peshwa pavillion in itc maratha, and chicken biryani from new bombay canteen at the podium. so far, i think the best i've ever tasted is the chicken biryani from Happy Singh (a small indian restaurant a few blocks aways from the office)... it was so good, i finished the entire thing even when i was already so full! and i was sniffing halfway through the meal.. it was too spicy and hot but i loved it!!!

again, the food did not disappoint and we left the restaurant feeling sated and happy!

so when you ask me, what's the best thing in india.. i think i would have to say indian food (oh wait..there's still bollywood!)

can i date you?

http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/seoul-man-980485

Daniel Henney -- Seoul Man
As the hunky star of films, television dramas and commercials, Daniel Henney is an icon in Korea and beyond. Now he scrubs into a new role, playing a smooth-talking surgical resident in the American TV series Three Rivers.


Daniel Henney, who wooed a nation as the charming American physician in Korea’s 2005 TV phenomenon My Lovely Kim Sam Soon, is playing doctor once again -- this time in Hollywood.

The Michigan-born model-turned-actor makes his American small screen debut as a womanizing surgical intern on CBS’ organ transplant drama Three Rivers, which premiered on Oct. 4. He chats with CNNGo about his new life overseas.

CNNGo: You lived in Korea for six years. Why’d you decide to move back to the States?
Daniel Henney: Everything in Korea happened so fast and was so surreal. I started in a small role on a sitcom, and before I knew it, I was doing films and I don’t know -- everything was happening in the moment and I didn’t have time to think about the next month. But in the back of my mind, I always kind of hoped I would come back here. I wanted my family [who lives in Michigan] to see me in the theater. For me, that’s really rewarding.

CNNGo: Your first U.S. role was playing bad-guy Agent Zero in the summer blockbuster X-Men Origins: Wolverine. What was it like working with actor Hugh Jackman?
Daniel Henney: He’s the nicest guy I’ve ever met, the epitome of all that is good about big-time stars. He restored my faith that someone can reach the top of their game and still be a humble guy to the core. Each week, he’d spend $4,000 on lottery tickets for the whole crew. He’d go around the set, asking people, “Did you win?” He created a sense of camaraderie. I have a man-crush on Hugh, it’s ridiculous.

CNNGo: Now you’re in a show about organ transplants. How did you prepare for the role?
Daniel Henney: I sat through a heart transplant operation. A 44-year-old man had been on the waiting list for a heart and was about two weeks away from dying. Finally, they called him while he was eating breakfast one morning, saying, “We have a heart for you.” A 22-year-old kid had overdosed on heroine.

I watched everything. I watched them pry open his chest and literally rip his heart out and put the new heart in. It was the most incredible experience.

CNNGo: What’s your goal in Hollywood?
Daniel Henney: I want to establish a role model for young Asian Americans to look up to and be proud of. For me, it’s just about being a good actor. As far as being a sex symbol, I have no interest in that.

CNNGo: Are you currently dating anyone?
Henney: No, I wish I was. I think I’m gonna start. I don’t know how.

CNNGo: What do you look for in a woman?
Henney: Someone with a good sense of humor, who’s game to go out and do anything, who doesn’t mind just hanging out and drinking a beer. She has to be laidback if she’s going to date someone with a job like mine.

CNNGo: Do you consider yourself a Korean actor or an American actor?
Henney: I’m definitely a Korean actor until the day I die. Korea gave me my career. Korea is where I made my mistakes, where I had my highs, my lows. It’s where I learned the ropes. If it wasn’t for Korea, I wouldn’t be here.

ms bollywood

L and I took a business class flight from Bangkok to Mumbai last Sept 14. We've been in transit since 11.30 am from Manila and we were both tired. As soon as I took my seat, I immediately open the entertainment booklet and started reading. Three and a half hours later, the pilot announced that we were descending soon. When the plane finally landed, L and I started grabbing our things and readied ourselves. While waiting for the plane to open its doors, I noticed that several Indian men were murmuring and whispering. Curiously, I looked at them - they were busy staring at someone. My eyes went over to where they were looking and I saw 3 girls at the left window side (we were seated at the right side window). One was an old lady, presumably their mom or older relative, one was wearing a spaghetti-strapped top and of average height, but the other one was tall (around 5'8), with perfectly coiffed hair, black glasses, very little makeup, and wearing the long sleeved plaid shirt and blue jeans. I thought "this must be who they're staring at..she was very pretty." But then I noticed that the Indian guys can't stop looking at her and even the other Asian men beside them have started looking at her, and they were all smiling and there was an air of excitement. I looked back at the pretty girl and stared hard. "Hm... could it be?" I whispered to L, "I think she's a bollywood actress..Priyanka Chopra.. that's why they're all staring at her." L didn't know who Priyanka was, I did, since I follow Bollywood when I'm in Mumbai (beats reading about cricket and Pakistan in the news everyday). And I bought 2 DVDs (Dostana / Fashion) which she starred in.


And so we got off the plane and started walking towards Immigration. Before that, you have to pass by the health clearance desk, where you give your signed health form certifying you dont have swine flu. I headed towards the counter and gave my form to the girl. she took it, approved it, and was handing it back to me when Priyanka went to the counter to my left. All the staff behind the counters (including the one i was talking to) suddenly were in a frenzy. They opened their notebooks, grabbed a pen and everyone just went a little crazy. "Ma'am can I have your autograph please?" The girls all said, while the guys were more aggressive, they took out their camera phones and said, "Ma'am can I have a snap with you?" Now even the passengers were looking at her, those who recognized her greeted her and shook hands with her. I wanted to go over and talk to her, especially since I was the almost nearest to her and I bet she'll be very flattered knowing that someone from Manila knows her. But I didn't and I also didn't took a photo of her (it was hard to take a snap when there were people swarming over her). and i've never been a fan-crazy girl in front of celebs (just inside my home haha).



So how did she take it? Very graciously. To think it was already 10 in the evening, but she was very nice. She took time to sign autographs, talk to the fans and shook hands with them. Even at the baggage claim area, some guys will come over and introduce themselves, she was very nice and she was always smiling. I guess that's why she's very popular. Not only is she beautiful (she was Ms India!), she is very nice and simple and very talented. She didn't stay long because she handcarried her white Fendi trolley bag. She just said goodbye to her friend and left the airport.


Pretty cool experience huh? Maybe next time I'll meet her boyfriend, Shahid Kapoor or John Abraham :)

Below is her new film, showing when we left India a few weeks ago. She plays 12 characters in the movie.

colaba shopping

I’m back after 3 weeks of work assignment in Mumbai. It’s my 4th time in less than 12 months to be in Mumbai and I think I’m getting the hang of it. The next couple of posts will be some stories about my indian adventure.

On the first weekend, me and my colleague L went to downtown Colaba for shopping. The car ride from our hotel near the airport going to Colaba took about an hour (and there was no traffic). We first passed by The Bombay store (http://www.bombaystore.com), which is a huge store selling different types of Indian wares, from clothes, leather bags, accessories, shoes, to household items like table clothes, pillow covers, bed sheets, chimes, boxes, statues and stationary items. I think we spent more than an hour just going through each and every nook of the store. Eventually we came out a few rupees less as I bought a colorful Indo-western kurti, some cute elephant chimes and a red bell.


Next stop was a large clothing store called fabindia (http://www.fabindia.com). Unfortunately, I didn’t buy anything because the clothes did not fit me (they had very few selection of XS and S size clothes) and the designs were plain.

By this time, L and I were both hungry and we decided to stop by Indigo restaurant (http://www.frommers.com/destinations/mumbai/D36261.html) for lunch. Too bad, it was closed since it was already 3pm, instead, they directed us to their Indigo café, which was a few blocks away. Indigo Delicatessen (http://www.indigodeli.com) was a 2-storey café which was bustling with customers (tourists and locals) when we arrived. We were able to grab a small table for 2 and I immediately ordered for a filet mignon (only 415 rupees!), green apple and melon smoothie, and yummy chocolate mud cake. Sated and tired from the heat, we decided to head back to our hotel.


On the way home, we passed by Paaneri (http://www.paaneri.com), another Indian clothes store selling cloth, ready-to-wear kurtis, sarees and salwar. I ended up buying a few more kurtis for my mom and sis-in-law and some leggings for myself. Overall, a fun shopping experience in india.

k-poppin'

it's been 3 weeks since i last posted some kpop videos.. now i'm back and this post will be a bit varied than the usual.

first, my fave korean trio, Clazziquai with their new music video, Tell Yourself. the music is refreshing and light and makes you want to sing along. The video is cute and fun.


for english subs, here's a recent performance.


Next is new song by Lee Ssang ft Jung Min called "The Girl Who Can't Break Up, The Man Who Can't Leave" with Lee Hyori and Ryu Seung Bum in the music video. No need for english subtitles, just watch the music video and enjoy.


Speaking of Lee Hyori, she also recently starred in Wilber Pan's video called, "As Long As I Love You". This is a Chinese song but I'm putting it here too.


And before Hyori was Lee Da Hae also starring in Wilber's music video called, "Dance for Two". No english subs though.


After a lackluster US debut, BoA surprised everyone by coming out with a new Japanese single called "Bump Bump" ft Verbal (of m-flo). She chopped off her beautiful long locks for a sleek short 'do and I'm loving it coz it makes her fiercer and more mature, but her cropped pants is making her look shorter.


Last is my current too-addicting song by Kara, "Mister"... love the butt dance and their outfits are different from the other cutesy or punkish girl groups nowadays. Normally they wear the same shade of pants per performance but for this one, they wore different shades of pants.


Hoping for a new set of great Kpop music soon!