EATING IN SHANGHAI - MASALA ART FOR INDIAN FOOD

Was in Shanghai last week and decided to go out for an Indian Meal. Shanghai has a number of Indian restaurants but most of them are not worth a visit. During my last visit in July , I had discovered an interesting Indian restaurant - 'DERA' located in North Xiangyang Road . The restaurant is on the first floor of the building and not visible to a passerby. It has a nice quite ambiance and the food is authentic Indian. The bar is well stocked with the regular whiskies and beer but has a very limited wine selection - also don't expect any exotic whiskies etc. The tandoori dishes are well cooked and food tasty. The service though needs improvement. The address :

Dera Restaurant

2nd Floor, 1 North Xiangyang Road (near Julu Road)

Shanghai

It was however on this visit that I discovered this nice restaurant serving Indian food - ' MASALA ART ' located on Yandang Road . This street has rows of restaurants on both sides of cuisines from around the world and you would probably find all the popular cuisines here. I noticed an Italian, Mexican and Thai food joint here. However back to Masala Art - Nice cosy place, good ambiance, well stocked bar (by Chinese standards) and authentic and tasty Indian food.

For starters, try the all time favourite - Chicken Tikkas washed down with beer - my favourite is Carona which goes well with Indian food. For the main course, don't forget the  tandoori dishes - you could try the most popular Indian dish - Tandoori Chicken - or you could try the tandoori pomfret if you are fond of fish. Like always, Dal Makhani and some fresh vegetables with paneer round up the meal very well. If you want a lighter meal, you could exchange the Dal Makhani for the lighter Dal Masala. The restaurant also has a wide variety of spicy masala dishes, both in vegetarian and non vegetarian. For the breads , order a bread basket which would have a mixture of naans, lachha parathas etc. Try all of them.

Waiting for the food 

The Location : 

PHONE:		6327 3571
ADDRESS:		397 Dagu Lu, near Shimen Yi Lu
		大沽路397号， 近石门一路
AREA:		Jing'an
METRO:		20 mins. walk from Nanjing Rd (W)
HOURS:		Daily 11:30am-2pm, 5:30-10:30pm
CARDS:		Local and international cards accepted

PHONE:		6327 3571
ADDRESS:		397 Dagu Lu, near Shimen Yi Lu
		大沽路397号， 近石门一路
AREA:		Jing'an
METRO:		20 mins. walk from Nanjing Rd (W)
HOURS:		Daily 11:30am-2pm, 5:30-10:30pm
CARDS:		Local and international cards accepted

If you are the health conscious type and love walking, the place is a close 20 minutes walk from Nanjing Street ( West). I would however recommend a cab which does not take more than 15 minutes from Nanjing Street.



EATING IN LONDON - BELGO FOR BELGIAN FOOD IN LONDON

If you are in London and in search for great seafood - head for Belgo at Earlham Street near the Covent Gardens. Belgo is a very unusual restaurant. The main entrance leads to a waiting bar area where you can start off with a glass of beer before you are seated at your table. The main restaurant is in the basement to which you descend in a cage like lift.

View of the Restaurant

The ambiance and look of the restaurant is very different from most places. A bit noisy with tables and benches for seating. Remember to book your table in advance or you may land up waiting for over 30 minutes.  Lots of steel visible with no false ceiling.

If you think Belgian Food , what does come to mind is  seafood and in particular mussels. There is a wide variety of seafood available at the Belgo, however what you must order is a steaming pot of Mussels accompanied by a bowl of freshly made crisp fries with creamy mayonnaise. And of course the Beer without which Belgian food is incomplete.

View of the Kitchen

The area around the Belgo at Covent Gardens is a very lively and and fun place. There are numerous pubs and other entertainment activities which includes plays and musicals over here.

In front of one of the theatres showing Chicago

Eating in London - The Dickens Inn

If you are visiting London, The Tower of London would certainly be on your ternary. After a few hours (that's the minimum time you will spend here) and as you move out the exit you will notice the magnificent Tower Bridge on the river Thames on the right. Just beyond the Tower Bridge are the Docklands - St Katherine's Docks. On the banks of the harbour and overlooking the Tower Bridge and the harbour is this picturesque restaurant - The Dickens Inn - a place popular with both the locals and tourists.

The Dickens Inn in London

Tracing its origin to the early 17th century when this building was a warehouse, it was moved from its original position to a new spot and converted into a traditional London pub. Whereas the place has 3 specialist restaurants, the most interesting is ' The Tavern Bar ' a traditional English Pub and the Beer Gardens ( which are really a part of the Tavern Bar)  where you can enjoy some traditional English food with beer.

At the Beer Garden with Fish & Chips and Beer.

If you want to enjoy the warm sunny London summer day , choose one of the beer gardens. Collect your beer from the bar and place your food order - the food will be served at your table ( you will need to choose your table first ) . My choice was the traditional fish&chips which is served with a selection of sauces  and beer. The fish was excellent as was the beer.

Pigeons enjoying a bite at the pub.

A walk around the area after a bite at the pub is very pleasant  with some lovely views of the harbour with its boats.

The Harbour with it's Yachts

One of the many interesting boats anchored in the harbour.

My vote is  a definite YES for  visit to this charming English pub and a stroll around the area

The Address :

The Dickens Inn

Marble Quay
St Katharines Way
London
E1W 1UH
Tel 0207 488 2208

Click on the link below for details on getting there

Link to Directions and Official website of Dickens Inn

Bangalore Eating Places

Bangalore has many eating places and an enjoyable place for any foodie. If you are looking for a quick bite , head for 'The Only Place'  on Museum Road.

The Only Place

This is a nice place for steaks ( no sizzlers though) and very well priced - around $ 5 to $7. Best avoided are the Fish and Chips which are oily and bland. The place also has a variety of Pasta and cheese dishes. Service is fast and if you are hungry you dont have to wait long for your food.

 Waiting for the food

The Only Place

No 13, Museum Road,

Bangalore.

Pizza in Pushkar

Pushkar is a small orthodox town in Rajasthan and the one thing you would not expect to find in Pushkar is a good pizza - but surprise! surprise! - we located a place named Bagh Restaurant which serves some the best pizzas possible. Pushkar being a vegetarian town - non veg is banned - ordered vegetarian cheese pizzas which were amongst the best that I have ever had. The restaurant even has a Wood fired oven to turn out the real thing. Highly recommend this place to anyone who enjoys pizzas.

Waiting for the Pizzas !!