Pushkar (Rajasthan), India: A Slice of Tibet In An Unlikely Place

Tibetan Kitchen

Opposite Dadudura Temple

Chotti Basti (Main Market Road – South End of Lake)

Pushkar, Rajasthan, 305022, India

Prices: $$$$$

Momos

Having spent close to two months in Dharamsala teaching English to Tibetan refugees, I came to know and love both the Tibetans and their cuisine. My wife spotted Tibetan Café while walking down the main market street next to the lake in Pushkar, so looking for a change from the usual curry, dal, and naan, we popped in.

The restaurant is on the rooftop overlooking the town (away from the lake) and is dark with colorful lamps and bamboo furniture offering some ambiance. The menu is quite eclectic as they have pizza, pasta, Indian, and Chinese, but being called Tibetan Kitchen, our choice was obvious.

It took ten minutes or so for the server to arrive even though we were one of three parties in the restaurant at the time, but I have grown much more patient in my two months in India as nothing happens very quickly here. He was very pleasant and the service excellent.

We ordered the potato and cheese momos (fried - 100 rupees/$1.60) and veggie thenthuk (95 rupees/$1.60), the prices and quality being equivalent to the numerous Tibetan restaurants in Dharamsala.  It took close to 30 minutes for our meal to arrive, but I could hear the chef chopping away in the kitchen so I knew our meal was being freshly prepared, a good sign.

Thenthuk

The momos were some of the best I have had, crispy and flavorful, coming with an onion broth for dipping as well as condiments (chili and soy sauces).  The thenthuk was excellent, brimming with noodles, cauliflower, potato, cabbage, carrots, and other fresh vegetables in a warm, savory broth with just a little more zing than their Dharamsala counterparts.

Coming in at a little over $7 for dinner for two including appetizer, drinks, and main course, I have to give Tibetan Kitchen high marks. Therefore, …

CombatCritic Gives Tibetan Café 8 Out Of 10 Bombs … BOMBS ARE GREEEEEEEEEAT!

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Key Words: Tibetan Café, Tibetan, café, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India, restaurant, Tibet, momo, thenthuk, thupka, pizza, pasta, CombatCritic, travel, value, food,

Kochi, India: Chinese Fishing Nets Are Worth A Visit, But Some Fishermen Are Con Artists

Chinese Fishing Nets (Fort Kochi, Kerala, India): Well worth a visit. This fishing technique apparently goes back centuries and I assume originated in China, hence the name. You can stroll along the seashore from the ferry terminal headed south/southwest past the numerous street vendors until you see the nets on your right.

It is really quite impressive to watch the fishermen pulling the huge nets out of the water with their bounty, dropping them back in a few minutes later. They only leave them in the water 5-10 minutes before hoisting them using the ropes and the weight of the massive boulders used as a counterweight.

WARNING: Be careful if the fishermen call you over and want to show you how they work first hand. I was approached by a man named Joseph who is apparently a 4th generation fisherman. He seemed nice enough, but wary of the "nice" people that approach you throughout India to separate you from your money, I approached with caution, knowing that he likely had another motive. He showed me how they worked, asked me if I wanted him to take a photo (indication

#1 that he was after my money because I have found that people that offer to take your photo for you are expecting a tip), and then asked me if I wanted to pull the ropes (while telling me how poor the fishermen are at that some tourists offer to pay 500 to 1000 rupees for the "experience"). At that point I said "thank you very much" and offered him 100 rupees ($1.60), which I was planning on offering anyway for his time and attention. But when he started whining about how little 100 rupees is and how poor the fishermen are, I put the money back in my pocket and said "if you want to be greedy Joseph, you get nothing" and walked away. Another man blocked my path insisting on a contribution, but I simply went around him and proceeded down the boardwalk.

LESSON LEARNED: If anybody approaches you in India and offers a "free" service, unsolicited information, a tour, or a flower to make a religious offering ... REFUSE ... they see Westerners as walking cash registers and only want your money, as much as they can get.

CombatCritic Gives Chinese Fishing Nets (Fort Kochi) 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... Bombs Are Good!

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Key Words: Chinese Fishing Nets, Chinese, fishing, nets, fish, fishermen, con, artist, scam, Fort Kochi, Kochi, Cochin, Kerala, India, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value

Goa, India: The Name of This Place Should Be ... "WE HATE TOURISTS!"

The Mango Grove

Main Road (Opposite Newtons Supermarket)

Candolim Beach, Bardez, Goa, 403515 India

Phone: 982-323-9650

Prices $$$$$

We stopped here because the place had a nice covered patio and was relatively busy, usually a good sign. The man who "greeted" us, and I use that term loosely, grunted out what should have been a "welcome" and we were pointed, not escorted, to a table in the corner. The menu is large and diverse and being our first time here on the first day of a week long stay, they had the opportunity to earn our repeat business. As George Bush would say: "Not going to happen ... wouldn't be prudent."

I asked a couple very simple questions like "what kind of bread does this sandwich come on", but the server seemed quite annoyed, looking at me like he despises tourists and our ridiculous inquiries. We were not extremely hungry, so we ordered a couple of sandwiches, me a steak sandwich (200 rupees/$3.20) on a baguette, my wife a simple cheese sandwich, also on a baguette (150 rupees/$2.45), a Kingfisher beer (100 rupees/$1.60), and a mineral water (30 rupees/50 cents). He returned about 10 minutes later to tell us that there were no baguettes (at 1pm) and that we could have our sandwiches on local (pita) bread. Looking forward to a sandwich on some decent bread for the first time after more than two months in India, I was disappointed but we decided to stick around having already received our drinks.

My sandwiches (there were two because the bread was so thin and small) barely had any meat on them, a little lettuce, some grilled onions, a couple of thin slices of tomato and were accompanied by six (6) french fries (or chips as they are called here and in the UK). My wife's sandwiches had a negligible amount of melted cheese on them, so it was basicly a pita bread and lettuce sandwich ... YUM!

The meal was cheap enough, but the value was poor and many menu items are a bit more expensive than many places in India. Granted, this was also New Year's Day in a party town, so they may not have been at their best after a long night, but we were not impressed in the least and will choose from the many other restaurants in Candolim for our next dozen or so meals. Maybe they will appreciate our business.

CombatCritic Gives The Mango Grove 3 Out of 10 Bombs ... After a 2 Bomb Deduction For a Crappy Attitude ... More Bombs Are Better!

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Key Words:  The Mango Grove, mango, grove, Candolim Beach, Candolim, beach, Goa, India, restaurant, menu, food, steak, sandwich, CombatCritic, review, TravelValue, travel, value

New Delhi, India: Good Italian Food, Nice Decor, Excellent Service in Central Dehli

Caffé Tonino

No-9, H Block

Plaza Cinema Building, Connaught Place

New Delhi, India
Prices: $$$$$

Mobile: +91-9871474753

Landline: 011-23320081

www.toninoindia.com

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Connaught Place, a very large circle (roundabout) in central New Delhi (a series of concentric circles actually) just south of the main train station, is brimming with shops (shoes, clothes, electronics, you name it), a massive Metro station (Rajiv Chowk), street vendors, a large park, relentless hawkers, and restaurants of all varieties. The large white buildings occupy an entire city block and are labeled sequentially with letters (A-L), making businesses a little easier to find.

We spotted Caffé Tonino while strolling one evening, shopping for a Kindle for my newest family member, a Tibetan Buddhist monk named Sonam who had been my pupil in Dharamsala. The exterior looked more inviting than most and the menu was comprehensive and reasonably priced, so we entered.

The restaurant is nicely decorated in modern earthy tones and brick offset by more colorful and lively décor, giving it a clean and inviting feel. The large wood fire pizza oven sits prominently in the back with a pizzaiolo cloaked in white with his large stainless stell spatula at the ready. We were warmly greeted and seated, one of just three parties in a restaurant with 15 or so tables. We found out that they have only been open a few months and are awaiting a liquor license in order to serve wine and beer, a rarity in India.

The menu items, mostly Italian, are almost all spelled correctly, another oddity in India and a good sign, indicating that they have at least a reasonable understanding of the country and cuisine they represent. We started with the mixed vegetable antipasto, Antipasto della Tradizione con Verdure (440 rupees/$6.90), which came with grilled and/or marinated mushrooms, eggplant, onions, green peppers, and olives accompanied by two small crostini, one with a small slice of pecorino (goat) cheese. The menu claimed that it came with marinated artichokes with potatoes, sundried tomatoes, and tomato mozzarella basil, but we found none of these on the plate. The antipasto was accompanied by assorted breads, spicy diced tomatoes and an olive spread, nice additions, and was decnt, but a bit bland and a disappointment at $7.00, being nearly twice the price of an average meal in India. I also had the Bruschetta (95 rupees/$1.45), diced tomatoes on three slices of toasted garlic bread and sprinkled with fresh basil, which was very good and an excellent value.

For our primi (main courses) my wife ordered the Ravioli Ripieni di Pere e Pecorino con Salvia, Burro e Mandorle (ravioli stuffed with pear and goat cheese in a light butter, sage, and almond sauce – 380 rupees/$5.95). It was very tasty, light and savory, cooked al dente and a much better value than our more expensive vegetable appetizer.

I had the Fusilli Carbonara (also 380 rupees/$5.95), a strange pasta choice as carbonara is normally made with spaghetti or similar pasta, but while tasting good, the bacon and egg were barely noticeable. Being a vegetarian country for the most part, I asked specifically about the bacon and egg and was told that the bacon was “pork” and the eggs, chicken of course. In any event, not tasting like any carbonara I have had, it was still very good and not too heavy on the sauce as has been the case at most restaurants I have eaten pasta at in India.

In all, nice atmosphere, good food, decent prices (for Delhi), excellent service, and slightly above average value. The service was outstanding and the environment warm, clean and inviting. Their bathroom was the cleanest and best stocked we have seen in India in over two months here (Western toilet, clean, toilet paper, soap, hand towels). Hence, …

CombatCritic Gives Caffé Tonino 7 Bombs Out Of 10 … More Bombs Are Better!

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