City Food – Shravan Kumar’s Tea Stall & Shiv Temple, Bhogal
A spot of refuge. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Such a soothing place, feeling so drowsy here. The elderly man in white kurta pajama is indeed nodding off. Can it be because of the easy winter light streaming…
City Food – Daulat ki Chaat, Around Town
The CP spirit. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] It looks exactly like Old Delhi’s daulat ki chaat. But young Lokesh in Gurgaon’s Sadar Bazar, wheeling his cart about the post office building, insists it is makhan malai. To…
City Food – Mukhtar’s Cold Season Tea, Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti
The sip of winter. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Here are some of the sure signs of the arrival of winter season in Delhi, besides the obvious one of a nip in the air: opening of Lodhi Gardens…
City Food – Master Sherbet Walla, Meena Bazar
Summer’s legend [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The sun is setting, and the cart is surrounded by a great number of thirsty folks. The large vessel on it is filled with icy roohafza sherbet. A young man is…
City Food – Afghan Tandoor, Bhogal
Rotis of Kabul. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The cave is dug out at the heart of the hearth — but it actually is a very special tandoor. An Afghani tandoor. An Afghani tandoor made from the mitti…
City Food – Pandit Vaishno Dhaba, Sadar Bazar, Gurgaon
A veggie affair. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] A passerby on the crowded market street abruptly freezes in mid-motion. The head turns, the nose sniffs the air aggressively. Can that be desi ghee? Where’s the smell coming from?…
City Food – Kulhar Chai, Juhi’s Tea
Tea while lounging. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Poor Paris. That city has many sidewalk cafés, with awnings sheltering the patrons from rain and sunshine. But not one serving chai in earthen kulhar. Delhi, be proud. Here’s a…
City Food – Kallan Bawarchi, Matia Mahal
Landmark kitchen. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The potbellied cauldrons. The long metal ladles. The platters with chopped green chillies. The smoke-blackened walls. Air smelling of elaichi, laung, mirchi, pyaz, adrak, lehsun. Here is the timeless world of…
City Food – Hello to the Queen, Paharganj
Homage to the Queen. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The queen died. Nobody can say with certainty if Hello to the Queen was named after her. Even so, treating yourself to this unusual dessert would have been one…
City Food – Panditji Doodhwale, Near Galli Sooiwallan Street
Milky way. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The peepal tree in Old Delhi’s Tiraha Behram Khan oozes out vibes of steadfast reassurance. So much is changing so furiously, but it continues to stand at its appointed place, like…
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