Pass The Ketchup: The Table

Bombay has changed in so many ways from the city that I grew up in. It has a new name, new buildings, new cars, and yes, new restaurants. Yet so much of what I love about Bombay is what has stayed the same - family, friends and yes, the restaurants. Nothing will ever match the pav bhaji from your neighbourhood "Sagar", the pankhi at Swati or the excellent Indian at Copper Chimney. It is this food I look forward to eating each time I am heading home and always wonder why anyone would bother with anything else while in the city. Bombay, however, is on the ascendancy as one of the great metropolises of the world and, as such, aspires to the kind of haute cuisine that has made New York and Paris such popular dining destinations. It has seen a number of international chefs open up restaurants within its confines over the past few years, from Kittichai to Morimoto and most recently, Alex Sanchez at The Table.

Sambar By The Bay: Dosa

There are a number of times that I have asked and been asked the question - "If there was only one type of food you could eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?" Invariably, I have only one answer to that - South Indian, and more specifically, dosa. It is far and away my favourite food. The crisp rice-lentil pancake accompanied by a steaming hot bowl of sambar, potato masala and chutney just make for a perfect, well balanced meal. It is my first meal in the morning each time I go home and the only dish I can really eat multiple sittings in a row! There was a time back in college that any trip to New York would always involve a first stop at Pongal, which at the time was the only place in the city you could get a decent dosa. Times have changed since then and the arrival of Saravanaa Bhavan and Tiffinwallah have made Pongal an afterthought for dosa in New York. However, as I have discovered on some of my recent trips there, the Bay Area has developed its own contender in the imaginatively named Dosa.

The Great Fish Sauce Debate: E&O Trading Company

It happens without fail - each time I visit California, I wonder why I don't live there. The sun is almost always shining, people are much friendlier and happier, life moves at a much more pleasant pace and yes, one could own a car! The Bay Area takes all of that and raises it to even greater heights, with San Francisco being one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to. I was once visiting an office that had floor to ceiling windows, looking straight out over the bay, and wondered how anyone could get any work done with a view like that. William Henry Davies was probably looking out that window when he mused on having time to stand and stare.

My latest trip out to "Cali" was definitely not a shining example of my driving skills (let's just say a concrete pylon on the I-80 looked like it could use a few splashes of metallic grey paint), but was still memorable all the same. WH and I had spent a majority of the day driving to San Francisco and, despite having an early flight out the next morning, decided to venture out to grab some dinner. My iPhone scoped out some of the restaurants in the area for me and showed that E&O Trading Company was just a short walk from our hotel. A late flight had forced me to miss my last reservation at E&O and so I grabbed at the chance to finally eat there.

Truffled Summer: Perbacco

I love the summer in New York. The only reason the (oh, so very cold) winters are bearable is because there is the promise of spring and summer to follow. Nothing seems to illustrate the summer better than a walk through the East Village on a pleasant summer Saturday evening. The streets are bustling with people who, in a dramatic about face for New York, have a smile on their faces and don't seem to have a care in the world. Most enticingly, the streets are lined with small, open air restaurants and cafes, from tables on the sidewalk to open bay windows flooding the small spaces with the warm summer air. One of these charming little restaurants, and one of my favourite Italians in the city, is Perbacco.

True Grit(s): Dirt Candy

It seems only fair that a blog about vegetarian food should have an all-vegetarian restaurant as its inaugural member. That is not to say that I consider all-vegetarian restaurants to be far superior to catering to vegetarians than others - quite the contrary in fact. I feel that some all-vegetarian restaurants can tend to be quite patronizing towards their very specific clientele versus regular restaurants that try very hard to be creative and interesting towards all comers. However, considering it was the most recent new restaurant I have been to as well, all the pieces seem to have fallen into place for Dirt Candy to become the first entrant.