Food is the beating heart of travel. The most exciting ways of exploring new destinations is discovering new cuisines, dishes and local haunts. I hope to take all Excess Baggage Blog readers along on a culinary journey across the world!
SRINAGAR
Kashmir is home to some of the most fantastic food I have ever eaten in my life. Put aside a few hours for devouring a ‘wazwan‘- a traditional wedding feast, at Ahdoo’s. #ExcessBaggageBlog Tip: I consider it a crime to leave Srinagar without trying ‘haak saag‘. Ask your houseboat manager, driver or guide for the best places that serve this.
HONOLULU
I love this little bite-sized, Hawaiian cousin of sushi. A roasted slice of SPAM on a ball of sticky rice, tied together with seaweed, musubi is the ultimate snack as you cruise along the unbelievably beautiful shores of Hawaii.
#ExcessBaggageBlog Tip: You can pick up this pocket-friendly and delicious snack at local delis or even Pizza Hut.
LITTLE ETHIOPIA (LA)
Head to Messob in Little Ethiopia for some memorable food. Try the Injira and Dora-wat (Ethiopian bread with chicken curry) and if you don’t mind a slightly sweet beverage, the honey wine.
#ExcessBaggageBlog Tip : One door down is a vintage clothing store where you can meet a big, adorable, fluffy cloud of a dog. I rest my case.
MARGARITAS
San Miguelito, at Plaza de Aramas, Queretaro has a whole separate menu dedicated to margaritas (this is one stereotype I love about Mexico- the love for Tequila is no joke). The restaurant offers 28 different kinds of margaritas.
#ExcessBaggageBlog Tip: Avoid the horchata margarita unless you have a major sweet tooth, because the glass came rimmed with sugar instead of salt and the whole thing became much too sweet for me after a couple of sips.
PUERTO VALLARTA
As a tourist hub, Puerto Vallarta has cafes and restaurants serving all kinds of cuisines for all price ranges but the real treat here is the street food. During the day the beaches are dotted with vendors selling whole fish barbecued on a stick and culled-out pineapples stuffed with fresh fruits and tajin. In the evenings, you can walk down the Malecon snacking on skewered prawns, sausages wrapped in tortillas and ceviche cups.
#ExcessBaggageBlog Tip: After stuffing yourself (and spending less than 200 pesos) you can head directly to a mezcal bar and splurge away.
GOA
Though most people only think of Goa as a party hub, with cheap beer and prawn curry at beach side shacks, local Goan cuisine and culture is much more nuanced. Mum’s Kitchen in Goa is the perfect place to experience authentic local fares like Ansache Sukhem (a tangy, savoury pineapple preparation), Sannas (steamed bread made from toddy and boiled rice) and Prawns Xec-Xec (prawns in roasted coconut gravy) and steaming hot poie (Goan buns). A must-try!
#ExcessBaggageBlog Tip: Do not skip out on the Ansache Sukhem.
Image: Anahita Karandikar
MEXICO
Mexican markets are an experience unto themselves. An overwhelming cornucopia of sights, sounds and smells, they always remind me of the colourful and chaotic bazaars back home. One of the integral parts of this experience is the food. Head to the markets with time and hunger to spare, so you can tuck into big messy sandwiches, washed down with horchata or micheladas while chatting away with the smiling stall owners and swapping stories.
#ExcessBaggageBlog Tip: Afterwards, you can burn off the extra calories by walking around the market and stocking up on souvenirs.
COLOMBO
Watalappam (also called watalappan) is a Sri Lankan delicacy. It is a coconut custard pudding made of coconut milk or condensed milk, jaggery, cashew nuts, eggs, various spices. Almost like a panacotta in texture, it is served cool which makes it ideal for the scorching weather.
#ExcessBaggageBlog Tip: While it is highly recommended, given that the ingredients are somewhat expensive, many restaurants use cheaper substitutes to cut costs. So to try an authentic version of the dish, it might be worth it to ask around and go to a well established eatery.
NEW YORK
One of the best culinary discoveries I made in New York has to be soup dumplings which I have since learned are actually called Xiaolongbao. I have had limited experience with authentic Chinese cuisine, maybe because I love Indian Chinese food so much I just never bothered to look beyond. But these soup dumplings are absolutely delicious, filling and can warm you from your toes inwards on a cold day.
#ExcessBaggageBlog Tip: I found the best ones in Chinatown, where it is on the menu almost at every restaurant.
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS LA
Calling all the Potterheads out there! As someone who eagerly awaited each new Harry Potter book through my teen years, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios LA, had me jumping with joy like a child. Of course I had to try butterbeer! Happy to report that it is as tasty as I had hoped. It is available in three variants, hot, cold and frozen. The hot butterbeer is like a delicious butterscotch caramel hot chocolate. It was a particularly cold and windy day and we savored every single sip of this magical drink.
#ExcessBaggageBlog Tip: Don’t bother with the cold and/or frozen versions.
CHAPULINES
One of the most fascinating culinary discoveries I made in Mexico has to be chauplines or grasshoppers. A delicacy in most parts of Mexico, especially Oaxaca, chapulines are eaten in many forms, like a garnish in cheese curries (in pic), roasted as an accompaniment for mezcal, or sun-dried as a crunchy snack. If you get a chance to try it I would highly recommend getting over the initial apprehension and trying it out! You can thank me later.
#ExcessBaggageBlog Tip: Pick up jars of sun-dried, flavored chapulines at the Tequila and Mezcal Museum in Mexico City.
SMORGASBURG (NYC)
This is food heaven! An outdoor gourmet food festival that takes place at Williamsburg’s East River Park on Saturdays and at Brooklyn’s Prospect Park on Sundays, this is perfect to put on a cute outfit, grab a couple of friends and spend the day eating good, unique and innovative food. I went to the one in Brooklyn on a rainy afternoon in September so the outdoor experience wasn’t that great but the the food was really fun. Whether you live in the city or are visiting, make sure you put this on your must-do list!
#ExcessBaggageBlog Tip: The food is gourmet so be prepared to spend a little more than usual.
VIJAYAWADA
Tucked away in the bylanes of Vijayawada, a small, historic town in the heart of Andhra Pradesh, is a little hole-in-the-wall called Hotel Srinivasa that serves the most fantastic biryani I have ever eaten! Subtle yet superb flavors, meat falling off the bone and fabulous condiments like mutton salan (gravy) and gongura chutney make this biryani an experience like no other. They serve generous quantities, heaped onto your plate. Though neither of us spoke the language of the other, the owner even got me a bowl of his personal, special salan simply because I looked so obviously delighted as I was stuffing my face!
#ExcessBaggageBlog Tip: Just go.
AEBLESKIVER
This delicious Danish dessert, is like a kind of cross between a donut and a pancake. Served as little fried balls, aebleskivers are topped up with raspberry jam and powdered sugar. For those who like me have never been to Denmark and always wanted to go, do try to visit Solvang, a quaint little Danish town about 2 hours outside of LA. In the heart of the little town, Solvang Restaurant serves these little beauties. Thank me later.
#ExcessBaggageBlog Tip: Check out the ostrich farm and miniature horse farm, both within a mile of the town center.
KONA
Few things smell and taste as fabulous as the rich, clear, heady aroma of a cup of good coffee. Kona, part of the Big Island of Hawaii is famous for producing some of the world’s best coffee. Coffee farms across Kona welcome visitors and provide guided tours to take coffee connoisseurs and enthusiasts through the whole process from bean to grind, with a walk across the plantation. Most of these are free, I think because after walking through the fragrant plantation, nobody can resist buying at least one bag of coffee.
#ExcessBaggageBlog Tip: Try to stock up on chocolate macadamia nut coffee and coffee coated macadamia nuts. Thank me later.
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