The Hamptons Part 1 - Montauk

The Hamptons,are a series of Hamlets, about 2.30 hours from New York City.  Southampton is the richest one while Montauk, sitting on the easternmost tip is the farthest one which is why it is also called The End.

 It is an area of great beauty and is rich in history. The name is derived from a native American tribe, Teddy Roosevelt & The Roughriders frolicked on the beach and whiskey smugglers during prohibition used the beaches for a different kind of activity altogether.A simple fishing village it ain't.

My previous experience of The Hamptons has been mostly Saturday drinking sessions and shenanigans, returning home on Sunday in time for brunch and regret.Returning twenty years later, this time with the wife, I was worried about how she would react to what is essentially a significant change in pace and scenery from NY, a city she had declared she liked as much as her fav city in the world (London)

We hopped the LIRR from Penn Station to Southampton ($21/$29 Non Peak & Peak) or you can buy onboard the train as well but it is pricier ($27/$35 Non Peak & Peak) 2 hours later we hopped off at Southampton Station

and hoofed it across the street to pick up our rental car from Hertz (2018 Toyota Corolla, $48 a day including insurance, unlimited mileage, not inclusive of fuel)

Pro Tip : Exploring the Hamptons or even one of its forks, is not possible to do easily without a car. The train has a limited schedule and all other transport is either to be flagged down or unreliable. Cab rides can be expensive (Southampton-Montauk is about 48$, same as a days car rental)

We drove 30 miles straight to beautiful Montauk, through Southampton, East Hampton, it is a lovely drive. Montauk is a lot less busy than some of the other more easily accessible points of the Hamptons. Since there is a lot less action there is also more peace and quiet.


Our hotel was the historic, Montauk Manor, a Tudor style condo/hotel which has been around since 1927. The hotel sits on a little bluff and one must drive up a small hill to get to the property.
Once you are there though, it offers sweeping views of the Roughriders Development, Navy Beach and the water.

Montauk Manor

Lobby

Inside, it is a bit of a time warp, high ceilings, chandeliers, a working fireplace. The property has an indoor and outdoor swimming pools, restaurants, tennis and squash courts as well as a Spa. Summ

View from the property

Absolutely stunning on a bleak day, on a bright sunny one it's ethereal beauty will stop you in your tracks.

The rooms are essentially 1-3 bedroom apartments, ours was a 1-bed (Living Room, Kitchen, Bed Room & 2 Baths) The decor was kind of what you expect, hardwood floors, American colors and a nautical vibe.

Montauk Light House is famous but it is also one of the many across the Hamptons. It can get breezy so be prepared. Parking is supposed to be $8 but no one came to collect. You can climb up ($11) and look out, wistfully and wonder why you don't permanently live in a place like this (because it gets frighteningly cold)

Kirk Park Beach, sits across the main street and is easy to access. There is a parking lot right outside and it is a short climb to an absolutely stunning view.  Sand and Water as far as the eye could see, nobody else around, just us and the sound of waves.

John's Pancake House, is a Montauk institution, like most old-school diners from tv shows, this one has crusty people behind the stove and a matronly lady up front willing to listen to your desperate need to change up the order (the cook disagreed)

The Pancake was pretty terrific and my cheddar cheese omelette was the biggest one I have ever had.

Gringo's is a great taco/burrito joint, you can also head to Gossman's for some great sea food and lovely view.

All in all Montauk was exactly what I was expecting it to be. Quiet, rustic, lots of wood and salt, red, white & blues. Offering a direct contrast to the sunkissed surfer vibe of California. Montauk is a great example of East Coast Americana,  Ralph Lauren has used it as a base and an inspiration and it's mark on American Iconography is undeniable.

Weekdays are the best time to be here, the city folk are back at home and Montauk belongs to the locals. it is quiet and empty and achingly pretty.

If you are on the East Coast and have 48 hours, I highly recommend you get to The-End. 

Malgudi Tiffin

Rest : Malgudi Tiffin
Meal : Dinner
Loc : Bangalore Airport

Malgudi Tiffin has been the best dining option at Bangalore Airport and i always have a meal there before heading out. I love the cuisine and it makes for a nice goodbye to have one more meal before heading back. As always i opt for their terrifically value for money Thali. 

Started of with a Rasam & some poppadums. brilliant, peppery red rasam. what is not to like. 

the thali was practically the same as my last meal there so not much to say other than it was good. still dont get the yellow kadi business but the onion sambar was fantastic as was the gravy . the paratha was different from the ones i have had there before. the dahi wasnt tangy this time and neither was the chass. a little disappointed with that. 

Overall, the meal was great, no complaints. if you are there and in mood for a lunch walk in here and you wont regret it. they also have a express counter but ive never even looked at it. 

The service was kinda aloof and surly, i was 10 mins early for lunch service and they werent too enthusiastic about me hanging around until lunch began. i sat down and ordered a chaas anyway until their schedule allowed for service. 

food : 8/10

service : 4/10

damage : 550 

Terrific Food, Fantastic Service at Karavalli, Bangalore.

Rest : Karavalli

Loc : Gateway Hotel, Residency Road,
Meal : Lunch

Yet another Bangalore trip, this time for a wedding which meant most time would be spent in the hotel and with family rather than roaming Bangalore. One of my other trips my SIL took me every landmark in Bangalore in one day (here and here) but since it was her wedding, i was on my own.

Having been to most of the locally famed eateries i thought i would give the cuisine a try in a finer setting. Karavalli, came highly recommended from almost everyone i spoke to and it wasn't a difficult choice. 

Its nestled in a very green spot within the Gateway Hotel, which happens to be in the middle of the city but you wouldnt know it if you walked out back. This much greenery takes getting used to for a Bombay Boy. 

The space itself is very refined yet reflects the local touch. Understated elegance, gives you a  feel for how the patricians of the south must have lived during the Raj. 

The menu was akin to Konkan Cafe, in that it covered a particular region rather than say a Dakshin which has a comprehensive and exhaustive menu covering a great many regional cuisines.

i was determined to get the thali and the thali is what i ordered. Why choose when you can have it all ?

we started off with a little bowl of papads which i quite enjoyed. there was a terrific garlic pickel along which i might have finished half way. 

red chutney was terrific. i think i got em to refill it a bunch more times. 

the rasam was all pepper and fire, just brilliant. Got the appetite going 

So this was the thali, there was yam, potato, lemon rice, yogurt, onion sambar, a veggie curry and a stew.

these were served up with appams or parottas made to order. i had the appams exclusively, and loved em. 

they offer regular or red rice and i chose red of course. 

the dessert was brought out separately, the payasam, i am a big fan of these but i like em cold, but that's a personal preference.

a slew of paans to end the meal. 

Overall, my meal was terrific. a good thali in my opinion has no real standout dishes but works in tandem which was the case here, the dishes were in harmony and it wasn't too rich or complicated. Simple fare is hardest to do right anyway.

The pricing for what you get is terrific value for money. Its almost the third of the price of a Dakshin and nowhere is it weaker in what it offers which is saying something.

I must also say that the service was terrific, from the moment we entered till we got the check, they were extremely hospitable. They insisted we have something to drink, when i refused, they got me buttermilk anyway and then refused to let us pay for it saying it was on the house as we were their guests.

They ensured we knew the meal was not limited and we could more of anything we wanted. Explained all the dishes in detail and like at a family meal, they were nudging us to try this and that and warned us at the outset not to ruin our appetite with too much papad.

A great many restaurants and restaurateurs could perhaps dine at Karavalli if not for the great food, terrific ambiance then just possibly just to learn why they run one of the best service teams anywhere in India

Food : 8/10

Service :10/10

Damage : 2500 for two without drinks. 

Scenes from Delhi

Was in Delhi last month and basically went around eating like some sort of a pig. A lot of it was of course repetitive but then when else would i get a chance to go eat like this. they really have their food down pat. so much better than Bombay, sadly. 

Raj Kachori, 

papdi chaat 

Chole Bhaturey, all of these were had at Haldiram's and each item was bloody terrific. You wouldn't expect a chain to serve up good consistent stuff but this was just mind bogglingly good. They throw in little pieces of paneer with the choley and its just on the money. Def check em out, they are all over the place. 

the wife had these samosas called for at tea time one of the days and these were really good. REALLY GOOD 

Another random choley bhaturey 

this is one of the most unbeliveable servings of Lassi you will ever have. its a thick, THICK lassi with a layer of cream on top and khoya added on. Someone on my twitter or insta account called it a heart attack in a cup, which sounds about right. 

a myriad chaat vendors ply their trade on the highway leading in and out of Delhi, this is just one of them. 

and he was pretty freaking good. this was a aloo chaat, had piping hot. 

one sunday morning, we drove down to the outskirts to try out these pakoras, cheese, green pepper and potato

and spinach. all of em super terrific. 

another glass of kickass highway store lassi. super terrific. 

Eating Out In Hong Kong & Cebu

I was recently in Hong Kong & Cebu, Philippines and thought i would do a run through of my meals whilst there. It is not a complete list but sort of the greatest hits. 

Shanghai Popo 336,  iSquare, TST, 

This is apparently the best branch of this fairly popular Shanghainese restaurant. Loads of local here which is always a good sign. Its a very attractive place from a design stand point and I loved its bare cemented walls, the decor being harsh and hip, the food the exact opposite. 

the menu like mostly restaurants in HKG is fairly expansive, covering plenty of ground, Noodles, Dim Sum, Vegetables, Sea Food, Meats, etc. 

The hand made noodles in a special Schezwan soup was excellent, spicy but loads of flavour. 

yummy green beans

and even yummier pancakes, freaking delicious. 

the buns were fought over, minced mushroom from what i recall 

Highly recommend a meal here, it was about HK$500 for four without booze. 

Din Tai Fung, Ye Woo Street, Causeway Bay

Have been a fan of Din Tai Fung, every since my friend Sam turned me onto them in Singapore. Every since then i have had atleast one meal a year at one of their restaurants in Singapore or Hong Kong and look forward to these with great relish. 

 

Both the branches of this Taiwanese eatery in Hong Kong have a Michelin star each and deservedly so. The food is delicious, consistent and the service is quick and impeccable. Which is especially important because i have had some less than excellent service in Hong Kong at times. 

the meal starts of with a little pot of Jasmine tea, which goes down very well. very well indeed and this is coming from a not very tea friendly person. 

Noodles with spicy sauce, what can i say, just perfect and actually not as spicy as one would reckon. 

These were the mushroom dim sum which was also muy excellent. One can also get mushrooms in a soy sauce which i didnt end up getting as it would have been too much. Next time perhaps. All in all, excellent meal with great service.

HK$300 for two without drinks. 

Tim Ho Wan Hong Kong Station, Level 1 

I end up in Hong Kong station either when i am in or heading out of HKG and always try and make a go of grabbing a bite at Tim Ho Wan which is still the worlds cheapest michelin star restaurant, although the original branch was in Mong- Kok and has since shuttered. Folks in Singapore can find a bunch of Tim Ho Wan's however. 

i got the turnip cakes this time which i missed out on the last time and everything else was much the same. check was about $90 and the wait was about 20 mins. 

Sorabol, Lee Theatre Plaza, Causeway Bay

Sorabol is a Korean restaurant tucked up on top of the LTP building, its a pain in the arse to get to if you don't take the correct elevator. 

Served up a bunch of varied kim chi while we waited for our meal. Since my mates had been there before they did the ordering. 

the kim chi pan cake was downright delicious, especially when doused with a little hot sauce. 

This was one of the 'stone' rice preparations done in a traditional Korean style, pretty good. We couldn't order to use the grill to cook our own food because we were pretty full by then. all in all a go to Korean place for a lot of people in HKG and rightfully so. 

HK$600 for four without drinks. 

The Flying Pan Old Bailey Street, Central 

One of my fav meals in Hong Kong, this 24 hour diner is super popular with breakfast crowd as well as post drink 4 am party people seeking nourishment. Although small, the place packs a serious punch when it comes to its menu which is pretty wide. Egg, Griddle, Pancakes, Frittatas, Omelets, you name it. they got it. hell they even do cocktails. 

The Rancheros were terrific, eggs sunny side up on on a tortilla with refried beans, jalapenos.  

The eggs benedict were pretty terrific as well, as good as my rancheros were, would be hard pressed to pick between the two. great good, prompt service, must check it out i reckon.

HK$250 for three no booze. 

Teppan 

was walking around on Nathan road and saw this small teppan place, no idea why i went inside, it was a little late around 2.45 and they were about to wrap up but they were kind enough to seat me. i had the porcini mushrooms with a side of veggies, mung beans and rice. the soup i did not like very much but the rest was terrific and only cost HK$75 

Kirin Ichiban 

Frozen beer at the airport by Kirin Ichiban at the airport, pricey at HK$80, tad weird but def worth trying. great for a hot summer day this. again, trust the Japanese to come up with this. 

Maxim's Cakes All across  Hong Kong 

My friend Amit, picked up a few of these to chew on while we hung out at the airport. he also took every opportunity to pick some up every time he could. good stuff this, wont go wrong picking these. 

Royal Krua Thai, SM Mall, Cebu, Philippines 

Cebu is a glorious place to Scuba dive and indulge in water sports, which is why we were there. However its not the best place in the world to eat out. Food was pretty weak across the board and we stuck to mostly bad pizza until our last day there when we decided to try our luck with this Thai joint. The decor of the space was pretty far out as well.

delicious iced tea.

terrific spring rolls. 

tofu in all kinds of hot sauce. 

all in all the food was very good and the service was super quick and friendly. The people o the Philippine have a friendly, musical way about them and can be pretty hospitable, as was our host at the restaurant. meal was 600PHP without drinks for three. 

while walking around the SM mall we came across this small ice cream space. anyway, this is a pair of warm cookies with chocolate ice cream in the middle. need i say more, 100PHP

Also, if you find yourself in Cebu and want to party, head to Mango Square, find JM-Ave and get a private table for 5000PHP. worth it and the place is banging till about 5 am.