January 6, 2014 — Farewell to India

Greetings on our last night.. and final hours in Delhi — Homeward Bound!

January 6, 2014 — 10:30 pm in Delhi; 8:45 in California

We are leaving Delhi in a few hours; flights from India are always at strange times. Our flight leaves Delhi at 3 a.m. to Frankfurt and then Frankfurt to SFO.. All told about 28 hours I think.. maybe more. But we gain a lot of time en route.

Decided to take it easy, given that it would be a very very long day and night and next day… So we slept in, had tea and muffins.. worked on our courses, to be prepared for classes later this week…. and then took a stroll down the street to eat at a little local joint called Servana Bhavan; they specialize in dosas. Ordered two different kinds (not really knowing what we were ordering). Everyone was Indian except us. Food was fine. Came on plastic platters.. and we drank (with some fear and trepidation about getting sick on the last day) water in tin cups washed with tap water. Oh well. Total cost for the lunch was about $3.

Then we strolled a bit, past little shops that are struggling because Delhi is building an extension to the Metro and many streets are blocked for the construction which has already lasted two years and will continue for another two.. We were taken by a little shop that sold copper goods and some wooden blocks used for stamping patterns on fabrics and walls. It appeared that no one was tending the shop, so we were about to leave when we heard a little voice say “I’m here!”… and lo and behold a woman about 4′ tall appeared. Turns out she’s Tibetan; came to Delhi 60 years ago — before the Chinese invaded Tibet. She was adorable. 88 years old; in seemingly good health; still working 7 days a week/10 hours each day in this little shop. Her English was remarkably good. She said she learned by working and talking to customers. She has one son who owns a little inn up north and she has three grandchildren — one of whom lives in Jersey City. He’s a dancer — not a good profession for a boy, she told us — it’s for girls. And she wrinkled her nose as she told us this information. She thinks he’s a little crazy.

We chatted a bit more as she told us that other shopkeepers just want to make money. She needs money too, but she cares more…

Came back to the hotel; packed and a little more work… and then it was time to head for dinner — This part is for the foodies.. Feel free to stop if you don’t care.

We had made reservations when we first arrived in Delhi to eat at Indian Accent — a restaurant that is listed everywhere as one of Delhi’s top five. We couldn’t get reservations for Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.. so Monday it was. We didn’t think much more about it — but when we asked for a taxi and told the concierge where we were headed, he said we were in for an amazing treat; similar comments from the chief bellman who got the taxi for us.. Off we went. It was a 30 minute drive (!!) that took nearly an hour; frankly we were ready to call it quits..

But despite unbelievable traffic (as always here in Delhi, especially early evening) and the lingering thick fog making visibility difficult — we charged on and arrived at a totally new neighborhood — looked rather upscale.. and then at the door of Indian Accent — which was sleek, chic, and modern; very tastefully put together. Nothing like anything else we had seen in Delhi (or even in prior trip through southern India).

We decided to go with the Chef’s Tasting Menu(s)… one being veggie and one being non-veggie.. and the wine pairings for each.. Mike and I shared, so we really tasted about 14 dishes.

OK.. Here’s the lineup.. with each being artfully constructed and plated on beautiful plates and serving dishes.

• mini naans stuffed with cheese
• mini cup of pea soup with a toasted something garnish dashing across the top of the very cylindrical cup
•  Veggie and Non-Veggie – potato sphere chaat with white pea “ragda”; Thai pomelo segments with amla murabba reduction, and crispy garlic (served with champagne for the pairing)
• Veggie – baked paneer pinwheel with coriander pesto; Non-Veggie – baked fish with masala butter and white bait papad (with sauvignon blanc)
• Veggie – morel mushroom pinwheel with crushed walnut and parmesan papad; Non-Veggie – Chilean spare ribs coated in sun dried mango and toasted pumpkin seed (I think) (with shiraz)
• Palette Cleanser — kulfi sorbet (like pomegranate frozen ices on a tiny stick)
• Veggie – tadka vegetables, baby spinach, roasted sesame in a little pastry shell; Non-Veggie – an amazing lamb dish (with zinfandel and chianti)
• wasabi and cucumber raita/ black dairy dal/ special “kulcha”
• desserts – haji-ali inspired sitaphal cream.. sort of coriander crème brulee/ ginger ice cream/ doda burfi treacle tart (I think it’s an Indian version of fudge.. but much creamier.. (with muscatel from Spain)
• platter of all sorts of sweets…

OK.. it was beyond fabulous.. and definitely a wonderful way to end our stay in Delhi.. and also to ponder the extreme differences in the country — with people begging as soon as you get close to an area where they think foreigners might come.. and then this place. Well just so much to think about.

We’re crashing to finish packing now.. and we are off to the airport.. looks like it will be a 40 hour day.. But home soon.

Thanks for reading and sending so many notes.

fern