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‘Khan Chacha’ literally means Uncle Khan. It has been around for years and started as a small hut and was only recently refurbished to include a more spacious seating area. They basically sell roomali roti rolls with a main ingredient – veggies, paneer, aloo, chicken and add onions and a red sauce.
This may sound really basic but I think they have a magic pot because when this is all concocted together – the taste is out of this world. Onions are marinated to perfection, the paneer is smoked on a skewer and is light and airy and the red sauce adds the final finishing touch to bring out the flavor. I’d have gotten on the table and given the place a standing ovation if I could have. My friend who took me, a local delhi-ite – almost convinced me, a devout vegetarian, to try the chicken roll. I won’t lie after the aloo and paneer rolls, for a split second I thought about…that’s the power of Khan Chacha.

Imagine you fly into Mumbai and in your first few days you go out on a date. The first guy that you end up with is Ryan Gosling so you are setting a pretty high bar for dates to follow. That’s how I felt about the Chinese food at Ming Yang – a restaurant in the Taj Lands End in Mumbai. Everything tasted perfect and any Chinese restaurant I tried after just didn’t match up. The bean curd appetizers were light and silky and the vegetarian dumplings the right ratio of vegetable to dumpling skin (I’m guessing there is a more professional culinary word for this that I am oblivious to). I’m told all Chinese food in India has an Indian flavour to it and that’s a good thing. Adding that bit of spice, delicately as they did at Ming Yang, does the job nicely. I’ll stick to Ryan next time I am in town and not bother with the others

Thanks to a local Manhattanite, I recently discovered the very cute and perfectly secluded Turks & Frogs in West Village. It took a while to find it but we were delighted with a close quartered candle-lit interior and a respectable length wine list. Maximum points for the Riesling – a perfect medium dry with just the right dose of fruit texture. The grilled cheese entrée was less fulfilling. I’m all about fancy cheese and bread but the cheese, kind of the key ingredient here, was a bit rubbish. Nevertheless, a great little hideout for a good glass of wine on the weekend away from the Meatpacking herds, posers and scenesters.

Well this place was just a treat….picture this…..

Ceiling attire courtesy of Del Boy’s leftover Christmas decorations from 5 years ago
A few random Tree Twigs hovering over the tables
Chairs that someone probably stole when they were moving out of their last office
A menu with deceptively vegetarian dishes which you were later, kindly, informed had fish and anchovy sauce, which respectfully madam, could not be removed
Did I mention we had to ask to move because of water dripping from the ceiling pipe?
Icing on the cake with a cherry on top, obviously.

The two pasta dishes were reasonable but there was no saving the day after the first impressions.

Now I don’t revel much in writing about restaurants’ stark inadequacies – I’d much rather they live up to the hype. In this case that wasn’t an option. I am left baffled by the rave reviews of Basta Pasta and its 23 rating from Zagat. Maybe they meant 2*3 equal to a grand total of 6 out of 25. That sounds about right.

Millesime is the revamped bar/restaurant of the Carlton hotel on Madison avenue. Dubbed a 'casual seafood brasserie' there was nothing fishy about this place (I couldn't help myself perhaps I will be forgiven for this appalling turn of phrase after you have visited the bar). As you enter, there is a salon with a central stage - decked out with a baby grand piano and a not so bad band. Mahogonies, chandeliers and deep red lighting are a good appetizer for what you will find upstairs. The Millesime bar is simple yet decadent with a few designer touches ripe for those special occasions. Have a birthday here, take a date, or two, and dress for the occasion.

Note: Just went back today and tried dessert...lush!