Friday, March 18, 2011

Incredible journey with celebrity Chef Vikram Vij

No serious foodie or celebrity for that matter comes to Vancouver without visiting Vij's, the dazzling Indian restaurant that has helped put the city on the international gastronomic map. Vikram Vij and wife Meeru Dhalwala offer food that is Indian through and through but ever so refined, with discerning taste and style. "Easily among the finest Indian restaurants in the world," the New York Times gushed.

A journey with world renowned Chef Vikram Vij that starts in Amritsar and ends in Kolkata slicing through the central heart of India can only be called a culinary expedition uncovering the soul of an ancient culture, exposing the diversity of its multi layered cuisine influenced by foreign invaders, multiple religions, an amazing assortment of traditions and modern influences. Staring with the simple nourishing cuisine of Punjab that is lovingly taken to gastronomic heights by masters of their trade at roadside pit stops all the way to Lucknow where food is meant not only to fill the belly but tantalize all the senses known and unknown to man! Get a glimpse of the delicate and highly refined traditions and mannerisms of the Lucknowi Nawab as you sit at his table as his personal guest and meet his family.
In Varanasi, the cuisine just like the oldest and most spiritual Holy City is nothing short of sublime! Sample what the saints have been eating for centuries! Kolkata, the thriving, modern metropolis offers everything from the traditional Bengali cuisine focused on fish, rice and seafood and the proverbial “Bengali sweet tooth” to the mouth watering innovations left over from the British Raj! Ever wonder what an Anglo-Indian dinner may serve up? Here is your chance to sample it first hand! On to the magical, magnificent town of Darjeeling, sitting at the foothills of the Himalayas, unsurpassed for its beauty and fresh air offering yet another variety of Indian cuisine influenced by neighbouring China, Bhutan and Nepal. There is simply nothing that compares to sipping freshly brewed Darjeeling tea and enjoying “tiffin” sitting in a British era cottage high above the world. For more details click...

Going to India for culture?

Before you visit such iconic Indian wonders like the Taj Mahal, consider taking an auto-rickshaw ride through the city.

First of all, taking the auto-rickshaw is like taking a ride in a 3 seated covered go-cart. Don't worry about the lack of seatbelts, doors, or air conditioning, save that for the tour bus. These drives are more adventure than comfort.


Weaving in and out of traffic into places you would never think a vehicle could fit one sees the regular assortment of traffic plus a whole lot more. Cities in India are working city and people need to get around by any means. Other auto-rickshaws, bicycles, busses, cars, trucks, donkey carts along with pedestrian traffic are all trying to get somewhere while making sure they don't disturb the cows relaxing in the center lane. Just when you think you've seen it all, an elephant meanders by carrying goods on it's back down the road while what can only be described as group of people looking to set a world record for most people on a rickshaw, goes cruising by.

Adventure, culture, not for the weak of heart but definitely worth considering.