food – Yatripandit

Rangeelo Rajasthan#1 : Chittorgarh, Kota, Bundi | YP Originals

Embarking on a four-day family adventure to the enchanting cities of Kota, Bundi, and Chittorgarh was a journey filled with culinary delights, historical marvels, and road trip fun. Our first stop was Kota, known for its majestic forts, vibrant culture & coaching institutes.

Day 1: As we drove into Kota, the aroma of local street food beckoned us. We savored piping hot kachoris and sweet jalebis at a bustling market. The highlight of the day was exploring the imposing Kota Fort, with its intricate architecture and panoramic views of the city.

Day 2: A scenic drive took us to Bundi, a hidden gem steeped in history. We indulged in traditional Rajasthani thali at a quaint eatery, savoring the flavors of the region. The afternoon was spent wandering through the narrow lanes of Bundi, marveling at its ancient havelis and ornate stepwells.

The Magestic Bundi Fort

Day 3: Our next destination was Chittorgarh, where we were captivated by the grandeur of Chittorgarh Fort. In the evening, we experienced the mesmerizing Sound and Light Show that brought the fort’s history to life in a spectacular display of lights and narration.

Day 4: The final day was dedicated to exploring more of Chittorgarh before heading back home. We sampled local delicacies like dal bati churma and gatte ki sabzi at a traditional Rajasthani restaurant. The day culminated with a leisurely stroll through the colorful markets, where we picked up souvenirs to remember our unforgettable trip.

The trip to Kota, Bundi, and Chittorgarh not only offered us a glimpse into Rajasthan’s rich heritage but also brought our family closer together. From savoring delectable local cuisine to marveling at ancient forts and experiencing the captivating Sound and Light Show at Chittorgarh Fort, each moment was a treasure to cherish. As we bid adieu to these historic cities, we carried with us memories of laughter, exploration, and bonding that would last a lifetime.

Reach out to us for any queries about this trip and for planning and booking yours.

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Guest Post || Italian vs. American Coffee Culture: 3 Tips for Your Next Trip to Italy by Anna Kay

If you’re making plans to travel to Italy, then there should be one must-have experience on your to-do list: enjoying a coffee in an authentic Italian bar, or café as the Italians call it.

However, while the Hollywood movies and sitcoms have popularized large cups, takeaway coffees and lavish spaces of Starbucks brand cafés, actually the true Italian coffee culture is very different. Here are 3 key tips on how to immerse yourself in the local culture on your next trip to Italy:

Design and size of coffee shops – small is beautiful

There are just a handful of huge cafes in the major cities of Italy. This often comes as a surprise to travelers, since most coffee shops are small, tiny establishments, with limited seating and swift service. These places are loud with locals talking to each other or to the barista whom they usually know quite well.

In contrast, the popular American coffee chain, Starbucks, has set the standard with its larger shops, modern design, plenty of facilities and lots of space available. However, the opposite is what makes Italian cafes quite charming, romantic and picture-perfect for your selfies. 🙂

Coffee types and sizes are very different

It’s a known fact that Starbucks, a brand present in nearly every corner of the world, has little connection with authentic Italian coffee. And while many assume that ‘frappuccino’ is a word with Italian origins, it is actually not.

In Italy, if you order a latte, you will likely get just a glass of milk. Also, there is little similarity between an espresso served at Starbucks and one served in a local Italian café. The National Institute of Italian Espresso informs that a traditional espresso shot is approximately 29 millimeters (Italians finish it in three quick sips); but at Starbucks, you will get a generous, larger portion with quite a different taste.

Multiple, quick trips to a café per day is how Italians do it

Even the culture of drinking coffee at a Starbucks outlet and an Italian café is poles apart. While you may take your time lounging on a comfortable sofa, sipping on your Grande or Venti size drink and making use of the Wi-Fi at a Starbucks, an Italian café is hardly a place to hang around. People walk in, grab their standard size coffee and chat for five to ten minutes before making their way out (soon to be back for more!).

If you want to learn more about the intriguing coffee culture of Italy, then take a look at this Med Cruise Guide’s infographic below. It illustrates the key coffee drinking rules that help you avoid looking like a tourist on your next trip to Italy. Enjoy!

Bio: Anna Kay is an avid traveler, photographer, and editor at MedCruiseGuide.com. She loves exploring and island-hopping across the Mediterranean and enjoying local food specialties.

Disclaimer: *Contents of this story is Authors personal views and presentation.

**Photos from pixlebay.com

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Guest Post || Feast Yourself: The Best of What You Can Eat in Frankfurt – by M Taha Khan

Whether during the lunch break or in the evening – food from the buffet has advantages. You can taste as many delicacies as you like for a fixed price, get to know many new delights or eat more of your favorite food. And the offer in Frankfurt ranges from sushi to Mongolian and oriental cuisine to pasta and tapas.

Sushi Circle

Behind the counter of the Sushi Circles, you can watch the sushi master at work, as soon as the little appetizers are done; they drive past you nicely lined up. You just have to grab it. The assembly line holds good sushi in all variations, but also all sorts of other trifles.

Especially recommended is the black seaweed salad with roasted sesame. Who after so much fish & Co on sweets would like to change, also will find it here – because between the eccentric, which you simply take off the tape, depending on your appetite, hunger and mood, also go treats like baked banana or warm, filled with bean curd sesame balls past you. For All, You Can Eat there is a soup included, which you can order just like the drinks at the table at the friendly service. The sushi, also vegetarian, you get here to take away.

Iimori Patisserie

The Café Iimori in the old town of Frankfurt is wonderfully nostalgically furnished; the restaurant on the upper floor exudes the charm of a Parisian salon.

Every Saturday welcomes owner AzkoIimoriand their guests with a well-stocked buffet filled with heavenly delicacies: fresh sushi, Japanese and French tapas and sweet temptations from our own patisserie as green tea tart, apple or chocolate tart. Caution, addictiveness! Please reserve Sundays as there is a Sunday brunch.

Tapas Locas

In the nice pub Tapas Locas with wooden tables and friendly service, you get the little Spanish delicacies every Tuesday night as a buffet presented. Aioli, olives, tortilla, patatas bravas, fish, and meat – here you can feast as much as you like.

The selection of food and matching wines is great, the prices are fair. If you do not feel like having a buffet, you can also order a la carte. Sometimes a musician comes by with his guitar and sings wistful songs from Spain on wine and good food.

Cron at the harbor

An All You Can Eat Brunch Fine Art offers the Cron at the port on every Sunday, as well as on selected holidays, you can have a tasty brunch with friends or family from 10:30 to 16:30. You can choose from delicious fresh antipasti (fish, meat or even vegetarian options), a homemade soup of the day, a wide selection of cheeses and meats with their own bread station and cereal, yogurt as is for a fortifying meal, fresh fruits, and even Italian desserts.

The delicious fun costs € 17.50 for adults, € 8.50 for children from 7 to 12 years. Per person, the buffet also includes a hot drink and a stir or mirror from the menu. If you want, you can order the pasta of the day (5 €) or a fish or meat dish (10 €).

Joe Peñas

The wide range of Fajitas is highly recommended. On top you will find the best what Tex-Mex cuisine has to offer: beef and chicken, seasoned with leaf salad and home-made dressing. There is also a quesadilla, a grilled wheat tortilla stuffed with red onions and cheese.

Also, the traditional appetizer specialty “Tamales Vallarta” (8 €) from the province of Chiapas is outstanding. Served here is a filling of ground corn, fresh vegetables and chicken in a corn leaf coat, which is steamed over a water bath and refined with spicy salsa.

Shangrila

The Shangrila wants to introduce its guests to the diversity of Chinese-Mongolian cuisine. During the week, there is a Chinese lunch buffet, and on Friday and Saturday lunchtime, as well as every Sunday evening, Mongolian cuisine is served with Chinese dishes.

A special feature is the live cooking: You select the ingredients at the buffet, such as crisp-fresh vegetables, fresh seafood, fish or meat and the chef prepares you personally on a 400-degree hot plate stainless steel your Mongolian court in minutes. The finished dish will be served at the table. You will also find here all sorts of other Asian appetizers and desserts.

Rodizio Grill

Originally, only beef was grilled from the South American pampas for the dish “Churrasco”, a kind of spit roast. Today you can find other varieties of meat over the fire in the Brazilian ChurrascariaRodizioGrill. You can choose anything from pork, beef, and lamb to poultry and sausages. With a table lamp, you show the staff, if you still want meat (green) or if your needs are covered (red). The meat can be served at the salad buffet, as well as a side dish of black beans (feijoada), rice, fried yucca root (mandioca) and fries served. This place is especially for real meat lovers!

Kish

Take a trip to the Orient during your lunch break – that’s what the Kish restaurant in Bockenheim is all about. There is a Persian buffet each afternoon with dishes such as lamb and chicken skewers, saffron meat, falafel and vegetarian vegetable dishes with oriental spices such as peppermint, coriander or turmeric.

The lunch buffet takes place daily from 11: 30-15 o’clock. Unusual, but now has proven the payment model: you not only eat as much as you want, you also pay as much as you like and can.

AUTHOR BIO:

This article is written by M Taha Khan. He is a professional blogger and content writer who writes for different blogs as a guest author.

He is a passionate traveler, football lover and a digital marketing executive at Flights to Frankfurt from London.

Disclaimer: *Contents of this story is Authors personal views and presentation.

**Photos from pixlebay.com

If you also want to get featured as a guest author on yatripandit.com, share your story with us on info@yatripandit.com

Guest post || Down the Biryani Lane- by Abhisek…

Biryani – A god’s gift to foodies, there are hardly any food lover who doesn’t crave for Biryani. Biryani is an urdu word derived from Persian language. It originates from a Persian word from Birinji which means Rice. As per my knowledge, this dish was initially prepared for Mughal army because it’s a complete meal and then it paved its way to into the Mughal shahi kitchen.

There are various types of Biryani available in India like – Delhi Biryani, Sindhi Biryani, world famous Hyderabadi Biryani, Kolkata Biryani, Chettinad Biryani and so on…

Being a bong I like it Kolkata style, it’s actually evolved from Lucknow Gharana during Mughal era. When Awadh’s last Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was exiled in 1856 to Kolkata suburb of Metiabruz, Shah brought his personal chef with him. The poorer dwellers of Calcutta (now Kolkata), who could not afford meat used potatoes & eggs instead, which went on to become a specialty of the “Calcutta biryani.” Since then potato & egg became an inseparable part of Calcutta Biryani.

Specialty of Kolkata Biryani is its less spicy & high on aroma which will stay more than an hour even after washing your hand.

Preparation is very easy. First half cook the meat & rice separately and then arrange them in a heavy bottom pot layer by layer. Add masala (keora jal, attar, Jafran milk) and seal the pot and let them cook slowly over a period of time.

There are plenty of Biryani houses in every corner of Kolkata, but there are some names who serve unforgettable taste and carrying on the legacy of Biryani. Below are few names you shouldn’t miss when in Kolkata…

Arsalan at Park Circus. This place is always crowded. Their specialty is Mutton Biryani & reshmi kabab.
Aminia at Esplanade. They are famous for their mutton rejala & firni apart from very low spicy biryani

About the Author:

Abhisek is a dear friend and a fabulous co-worker. He is a hard core Non-veg lover and travel enthusiast. He always encourages yatripandit.com. He is an engineer by profession during the day and a dreamer during the night, who wants to break this vicious circle of corporate and start his own business.

Disclaimer: *Contents in this story is Authors personal views and presentation.

If you also want to get featured as a guest author on yatripandit.com, share your story with us on info@yatripandit.com

Read posts by other guest blogger by clicking Guest posts

Please click on the ads which appear on the website and help us earn some money to travel. This blog is still very young and growing. If you like the story, do not shy away from reciprocating your love in form of likes comments and sharing on social media

Cheers !!

Chai Sutra#1 @ Chai Point

Place- Chai point

Location- Inorbit mall, Hyderabad

Tea breaks have been our companions during all our road trips. These are the breaks when you stretch your self, calm down and plan to execute the next stretch of the roadtrip. 🙂

A winter morning without a hot kadak chai (tea) is not a happy morning , all chai lovers can easily connect with the feelings. In India Chai is relevent for so many situations like

sar dard ho raha hai?(you have a headache)

Mehmaan aa rahe hain ?(Guests coming over)

Thakkan ho rahi hai ??(Feeling tired) and so on….

so after a long hours of movie and shopping in mall we decided to have some tea or coffee and being a chai lover we went to this place called chai point, ordered a masala tea and a ginger tea and it turn out to be satisfying and refreshing.

Total bill INR 250 approx. for two

To get some more delight we also ordered a chocolate muffin.

As they say, “tea doesn’t ask silly questions, it understands.”

Read our story on Chinese green tea and Nanjing story Falling in Love with Chinese Tea – Nanjing, China

Potatolicious!!!!!!

Place – Mighty small cafe, inorbit mall Hyderabad.
This is a place I was excited to visit as the name is pretty cute!

The interiors are absolutely amazing. You feel like you are in a carnival with big comfortable sofas and hanging benches.

Food is pretty good too. I had a bucket full of fries with different type of dips (salsa is my fav ) Not too spicy and not too bland, Just perfect! And the way they present there food is simply amazing with our favourite drinks.

I’d rate this place a 4.5/5 on ambiance and 3/5 for the food.

Price -INR 229/-for two.

Its like treat for potato lovers.

Service – it took some more time then expected but worth the wait..

A Vegetarian’s Guide to Visit China

I am a vegetarian who does not mind eating eggs. While in China I found it was extremely difficult to find good vegetarian food. Non-Veg food is an integral part of Chinese Cuisine Vegetarians in China are an endangered species which is on the verge of extinction. If I order a tofu curry in India, it will surely be a vegetarian dish. In China it is just as likely to contain shrimps or meat. I thought it will be good to share my experience with fellow Vegetarian travelers.

How to say?

When in China, you can say: “Wo chi sù” which means “I eat vegetarian”, or still better to have it written on a paper in Chinese script. This generally means Buddhist vegetarian, which means you also won’t get any garlic or onions. These dishes often contain imitation meats made from soya, or gluten, and are often described as the real thing.

Or if you are tech savvy and believe in travelling with a Cell Phone always it’s always good to have a handy app installed. One of the apps which I used is Vegetarian in China. It lists down various vegetarian restaurants in China.

** Waiters are called fu yay and Water is Shwey

Temple Restaurants

One of the safest options is to eat at the Buddhist Temples, many of them run a small restaurant serving simple vegetarian cuisine. The quality can vary amongst various temples but it’s a great option if you are in China and are not sure what food you can count on not to contain meat.

Buy your own fruits

During my visit I felt the quality of fruits is pretty good in China and you can buy variety of fruits from a departmental store and relish them whenever you want. The fruits taste a bit different from those we get in India but I quite liked it.

fruits-master — Chinese fruits – Image credit Google images

Carry Indian Food (Ghar ka Khana)

Although I believe in eating the local food during my travels, but I have seen many Indians who carry Maggie noodle packets, pickle, paranthas, theplas, khakharas and what not. You also might carry such stuff and feel like home when away from home.

khakhra-250x250 — Khakhara – Image Credit Google images

Your dear Chinese friend

I personally used this trick. I always tried to have a Chinese speaking person (friend) along while going to dine. He explained the vegetarian requirements to the Waiters in Mandarin and I ended up eating some lip smacking custom made Vegetarian Chinese Delicacies.

I hope you enjoyed reading the story. Please share it with your vegetarian friends. Cheers !!

Love – Like – Share

Abhimanyu@yatripandit

PS: Please click on the ads which appear on the website and help us earn some money to travel. This blog is still very young and growing. If you like the story, do not shy away from reciprocating your love in form of likes comments and sharing on social media.

Saarr Some Idli and Filter Kaapi Pleeeeej !! – Yercaud

What vadapav is to Maharastra, Idli is to Tamil Nadu !!…

I was in Bangalore for an official tour and could not miss the opportunity to go on a day’s road trip to a not so famous hill station called Yercaud. It’s in Salem district about 4 hour’s drive from Bangalore. This hilly town is located in the Shevaroys range of hills in the Eastern Ghats.

We were a group of 4 school time friends who successfully hijacked one of our friend’s sister’s car for this trip.

Planned to leave Bangalore at 4 am but left 2 hours early as our excitement overpowered sleep.

4 Friends out of which 2 could driver, 1 hatchback, unlimited kickass music and Infinite chats is all what you need on a road trip. The roads were smooth and we easily cruised at approx. 80 Kmph.

Bhookh (hunger) alert !! If you are a person who cannot sustain hunger at all and fear that you might die anytime when you are hungry, please eat something/ pack some snacks before you are traveling in Karnataka highways during night. Because you will not find any 24*7 food courts/ tapris or anything till the dawn breaks.

Uphill journey from Salem to Yercaud is picturesque and there a about 20 Hairpin bends till you reach your destination.

The pleasant morning sun welcomed us with wide open arms when we reached Yercaud on time, sleep deprived and declared dead of hunger. My hungry eyes located a café (don’t remember the name) right on the Yercaud circle and we barged in. Café served lip smacking idli sambhar with 2 varieties of chutneys on a fresh banana leaf. The idlis were so soft that they melted in mouth before even before chewing. Yearcaud has many Coffee estates and nothing beats the taste of hot brewing filter coffee aka Kaapi after those priceless idlis.

We were all fresh and there was no trace of sleep deprivation in our eyes. 1^st we went to The Servaroyan Temple situated atop Servaroyan hill, the temple is a narrow, cool and dark cave having the God Servarayan and the Goddess Kaveri inside.

The hilly roads are surrounded by aromatic coffee estates, some of them are even a century old.

There is a Pagoda point to see and also a beautiful lake to boat on.

Best time to visit – Monsoons and winters i.e July to January

Road trips are about journey and not about destination, but when you reside in Bangalore and have visited Nandi hills for infinite times Yercaud is definitely an option to be on top of the list.

Picture Courtesy – Sangeet Khandait

– Abhimanyu @yatripandit

Pink City Jaipur

“A city of colors, the city charms its admirers and visitors with it confluence of terrains, colors, and cultural heritage”

Palaces and forts has always excited curious minds and explorers, I always wanted to explore history and mystery of India and one of the best thing (apart from awesome food !) about getting married to a Rajasthani girl is you get to visit this amazing place at least once in a year. If you think one have to be born in royal family to feel like a King or one has to be a princesses to get the feel royalty of Queen then you should visit Jaipur to prove it wrong.

So if you haven’t explored this awesome city, pack you bags and hop on!

Me and my wife were travelling to Kota in Haduti region of Rajasthan to attend a marriage ceremony. We were left with 3 days after the marriage and we had our flight back to Hyderabad from Jaipur and as Lao Tzu has said “A good traveller has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.”

Day 1

We left for Jaipur from Kota around 6:30 AM and reached Jaipur at 11:30 AM. I had some Redfox Hotel reward points left from my previous business trip. We checked in and tossed our luggage in our room and left for Johri Bazzar for awesome Lassi and Dahi Bada at LMB.

LMB, is a well-known restaurant and sweet shop amoung local people in Jaipur Established in 1954 it is most known for its restaurant and mithai shop (sweet shop), which are a popular tourist attraction, serving traditional sweets like paneer ghewar, and the sweet lassi, apart from snacks, like samosa, chaat and Aloo tikki.

Next thing on our list was Pride of Asia Rajmandir cinema opened on 1 June 1976 designed by architect W.M. Namjoshi in Art Moderne style. It has a meringue-shaped auditorium which is metaphor of design and architecture. The main attraction of Rajmandir is at the beginning of the movie when curtains are up.

We watched Neerja movie, after which we had some street side food at Panch Batti Square.

Since we were already tired we went back to hotel room and crashed.

Day 2

Next day morning we wake up @ 8 AM had breakfast and left for site seeing. A cab which was arranged by Hotel was waiting for us in the parking lobby.

Our first pit stop was Amber Fort

One of the principal tourist attractions in Jaipur, located high on a hill. Amber Fort Was Built By Raja Man Singh I. Amber Fort is known for its artistic style, blending both Hindu and Rajput elements. With its large ramparts, series of gates and cobbled paths, the fort overlooks the Maota Lake, at its forefront.

Main attractions at Amber Fort is ‘Sheesh Mahal’, ‘Diwan-i-Aam’ and ‘Sukh Mahal’.

Don’t miss the royal elephant ride while you are at it!

While coming back from Amber we saw most serene sight amidst the chaos of Jaipur the beautiful Jal Mahal it appears to float in the centre of Sagar Lake.

constructed from pink sandstone and follows the classical Rajput symmetrical style which is found throughout of Rajasthan.

Madho Singh, who constructed the Jal Mahal in 1750, simply wished it to be a lodge for himself and his entourage during his duck hunting parties. Madho’s son Madho Singh II greatly enhanced the Jal Palace during the 18th century interior of the palace adding the courtyard grounds and much of the exterior as seen today.

After spending some time with scenic beauty of Jal Mahal we left for Royal Residence The City Palace of Jaipur

Right in the centre of the Old City the palace has been enlarged and adapted over the centuries. Outer wall was built by Jai Singh. There are buildings from different eras, some dating from the early 20th century are a striking blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. Palace reflects Rajput, Mughal and European architectural styles although the palace was designed to Vaastushastra treatise, walls and gates are ornately designed to Mughal style, with various murals, lattice and mirrors adorning them from sides.

A complex of courtyards, gardens and buildings, the impressive gates adheres to
the royal heritage of the City Palace.

Awe-inspired by City Palace we left for our last stop of the day, Albert Hall

“…That’s why we have the Museum, Matty, to remind us of how we came, and why to start fresh, and begin a new place from what we had learned and carried from the old.”
― Lois Lowry, Messenger

Completed in 1887 by the architect Samuel Swinton Jacob

The foundation stone of Albert Hall was laid during the visit of the Prince of Wales, Albert Edward

Indo-Saracenic architecture and stone ornamentation, became a source of reference for varied classical Indian styles of design from Mughal to Rajput. Even the corridors were decorated with murals in a variety of styles including the Ramayan, reproducing paintings from illustrations in the Persian Razmnama prepared for Emperor Akbar. European, Egyptian, Chinese, Greek and Babylonian civilizations were portrayed in the other murals to enable the people of the region to compare and contrast them with their own and develop their knowledge of history and art.

Albert Hall became a centre for imparting knowledge of history of civilizations, inspiring artisans to improve their skills, and preserving & developing traditional Indian arts, crafts, architectural forms.

Albert Hall has one of my favourite architecture of any building in India.

After spending Quite and peaceful evening in Albert Hall museum we came back to Hotel had King Size Dinner and crashed on to our bed.

Day 3

We had our afternoon flight back to Hyderabad. We had very little time left we quickly went to Govind Dev Ji Temple and from there we left for Airport, promising each other that we will come here more often to witness gallantry of our royal past and amazing hospitality of our wonderful present.

-Utkarsh@YatriPandit

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