The changing landscape of India

Have debated this a number of times with friends and family. Each time I travel back to India (which is quite frequently) am amazed to see the constant evolution of everything from roads, prices, products etc. Sticking to the theme of the blog - the evolution of eating out options in India has been amazing. If I dial back the clock to the start of this decade eating out in Delhi largely revolved around 2 options. The quintessential "Mughlai" meal focused on spicy curries and dry tandoor (clay-oven) based dry dishes served with either chicken/mutton/paneer. The Chinese meal, a blend of what are staple Chinese ingredients (Soya Sauce, Vinegar, garlic, Ajino-Moto) served in an Indian "curry-like" fashion with prawns/chicken. Most restaurants in the city seemed to be franchises of these two schools of cuisine and depending on where you ate it you could spend anywhere from INR 300-1000 for a meal for two. A restaurant like "Big Chill" was a rave back when I was in college as an exception where you got a taste of Italy and a glimpse of college life. Roll the clock forward and the options to eat out in Delhi could compete with London both on variety and frankly on prices. Sashimi flown in fresh from Japan, handcrafted har-giu and char siu dim-sums, panna-cotta, mezze platters, olives and houmous etc etc. If you want to have an international dining experience you are spoilt for choice! So when I come back to India now - what do I look for when I eat out? I seek out the tastes and flavors of the old Delhi that I knew back in college. The butter chicken of "Punjabi by Nature", the chinese of "Mainland China", the mustard fish of "Oh Calcutta". I steer clear of Chinese restaurants whose menu reads like a Royal China or Ping Pong in London. I side-step Indian restaurants promoted by fashion designers (aren't most people in that industry under-weight?). I avoid restaurants that offer everything from a dim-sum to a dosa to a dum-biriyani under one roof with a 15% service charge slapped on for good measure. And I am a big believer in the "cattle theory" of restaurants. Humans like cattle tend to huddle around a good experience - be it a movie, a meal or a lady. So if you see an empty restaurant - chances are that something is not quite right and that you have a higher likelihood of getting the good ole microwaved meal. Till next time - happy chewing!