India 2010 Part 1 - Delhi - IgoUgo Delhi Journal

Maybe Kingfisher Should Stick to Brewing Gassy Beer

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~Flying to India~We've previously flown to India by Gulf Air via the Middle East and direct by both BA and Virgin and had issues with all of them. We thought it was time to give Kingfisher, India's only "Five-Star" rated carrier a go. We booked our flights back at Easter through the Travelocity website which was offering the same prices as Kingfisher's website but a much easier booking process. We paid £480 per person for London-Delhi return. Our outbound flight was the day after the Commonwealth Games ended so we expected it to be busy with all the people who'd put off their travel to avoid the chaos of the big event.~Check-In~Kingfisher fly from Terminal 4 at Hea...Read More

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Indira Ghandi International Airport

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Attraction | "Delhi's Sparkling New Airport"

Indira Ghandi International Airport Photo, Delhi, India

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Once upon a time, any traveller arriving in India was hit instantly by culture shock the moment they stepped off the plane; the airports were dreadful. Whilst I used to enjoy the exotic scent of joss-sticks, there was no way I was going anywhere near the airport toilets even though I knew the lines for immigration, bag collection and customs were going to be a challenge. Last year we travelled through two Indian airports – Hyderabad and Bangalore – both of which were modern, state of the art hubs of cleanliness and efficiency. There couldn't have been a bigger contrast with the old Indira Gandhi International airport in Delhi.We knew that Terminal 3 at IGI was being built for the Commonwea...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on November 6, 2010

Indira Ghandi International Airport
National Capital Region
West Delhi, India
011 25652420

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Saket Bed and Breakfast, New Delhi

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Hotel | "Saket and See"

Saket Bed and Breakfast, New Delhi Photo, Delhi, India

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When I started planning our trip to India I thought Delhi would be easy but the Commonwealth Games (CWG) meant everything was more expensive than normal. My sister and her girlfriend were making their first visit to India and I wanted to at least start their visit with something a bit nicer than the places I usually go.I rejected the hotels I have used before because the prices were highly inflated and I wasn't willing to be exploited. I looked for alternatives in the Bed and Breakfast sector. I contacted three or four of the more popular B&Bs listed on one of the travel sites and chose the Saket B&B. Saket is quite a long way south of the city centre and I would not pr...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on November 6, 2010

Saket Bed and Breakfast, New Delhi
Swaran Villa, D21 Marg
Delhi, India
09582872580

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Rajpath

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Attraction | "Introducing My Sister to Mr Lutyens"

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We arrived in Delhi at 10.30 am on Saturday morning, passed through passport control, got our bags, booked a taxi and rolled up at the B&B around noon. We were a party of four – my husband and I returning for the umpteenth time to India and my sister Aileen and her girlfriend Joyce coming as first timers. We were all tired and in need of naps and showers and by the time we were eventually raring to go, I'd given up on my plan to drag everyone to the Qutab Minar. We'd been there before a bit too late in the afternoon and I didn't want to get caught by the fading light and the voracious mosquitoes. So instead I proposed that on our way into the centre of the city to look for food, we should stop off...Read More

We arrived in Delhi at 10.30 am on Saturday morning, passed through passport control, got our bags, booked a taxi and rolled up at the B&B around noon. We were a party of four – my husband and I returning for the umpteenth time to India and my sister Aileen and her girlfriend Joyce coming as first timers. We were all tired and in need of naps and showers and by the time we were eventually raring to go, I'd given up on my plan to drag everyone to the Qutab Minar. We'd been there before a bit too late in the afternoon and I didn't want to get caught by the fading light and the voracious mosquitoes. So instead I proposed that on our way into the centre of the city to look for food, we should stop off and have a look at the grand buildings at the top of Rajpath – the Rastrapati Bhawan (Presidential Palace), the admin blocks of the Central Secretariat on either side of the approach to the palace and if time and energy allowed, the great India Gate.

We squeezed onto the Metro and went the wrong way for one stop before turning tail and heading back in the right direction. We got off at Central Secretariat, took what was almost certainly the wrong exit out of the station and then followed our noses towards Rajpath (helped no little by spotting the big round Colosseum-like structure of the parliament building (at least I think that's what it is).

It was about 4.30 pm when we arrived and the grand buildings of Lutyens' design were lit up by a uniquely Indian pink light. I'm not sure if it's the reflection off the red sandstone of the buildings or – more likely – something to do with the pollution in the air, but there's a particular pinkness that lifts the spirits and reminds the traveller that now would be a pretty good time to check where they've put their insect repellent because night and mosquitoes won't be far behind.

The intention of building the palace on a rise looking down over the mighty Rajpath was undoubtedly symbolic. The palace which now houses the rather anonymous (to international eyes) and seemingly rather powerless President of India was built as a grand home for the Viceroy – the King Emperor or Queen Emperor of England's deputy in India. Sitting up on the rise, the British could quite literally look down on everyone else, gazing along Rajpath to the India Gate at its far end. Lutyens was the architect chosen by the British to build their new capital city when they chose to move from Calcutta to Delhi and much of his work is still standing today – from the double donut structure of Connaught Place through the classy luxury of many of the bungalows in the embassy district and the grand buildings of Rajpath.

Sir Edwin Lanseer Lutyens is a favourite with those who love early 20th Century architecture and pedants like me who can't resist a name that challenges people to put their apostrophes in the right place. In his designs for Rajpath he combined elements of European and local Indian architecture in such an elegant blend that neither stands out in a disharmonious way.

Rajpath was originally known as Kingsway and its perpendicular partner road Janpath was known as Queensway. Rajpath is one of the world's most beautiful grand boulevards that can hold its head high amongst the likes of the Mall in London or the Champs Elysees in Paris. It's all the more remarkable in India for having preserved the original spaciousness of Lutyens' layout. Nobody has encroached on the space between the palace and the India Gate or nibbled away at the edges of the green lawns and gardens that lie to either side of the wide road.

The Palace is beautiful but the average traveller has very little chance of seeing inside. A sign by the gates tells you that it is open for visitors for a few hours several days each week and you can apply in writing for access but who's ever that forward thinking? Similarly you 'could' get into the parliament building by writing to your local member of parliament if you are resident in India. Strike that one off your 'to do' list too!

As we strolled around the top end of Rajpath we were stopped repeatedly by people wanting to take our photographs. For my husband and I this was quite normal. We're not film stars or celebrities but after a while in India you think that maybe you should start practising a few poses because so many people will want to take your picture. I think it's quite sweet and I definitely prefer when they ask rather than setting up complicated fake shots in order to capture a couple of tourists in the corner of their camera frame. We chatted to a family from Assam and another from Orissa – each of whom probably travelled a lot longer than we had in order to get to Delhi. My sister was baffled. "Why do they want picture of us?" she asked and we explained that many of these visitors to the big city come from places so remote that they've probably not seen Europeans or Americans before. It's kind of sad that the photos they take back may give the impression that all 'pinkies' are sweaty scruffy oiks with backpacks but I guess it balances the idea that we're all queens and princes. By this point we'd also been smiled at and waved to by scores of Indian tourists and most of the security guys in the area. Aileen was getting the hang of the 'smile-culture' and feeling much more secure and unhassled than she'd expected.

With the palace thoroughly photographed, the art deco elephants on the walls admired and the administrative buildings cooed over, I decided we should attempt a visit to the India Gate. Despite it not being particularly hot or particularly far, we opted against walking because my sister was starting to grumble about how long it had been since breakfast. I think I'd have had a mutiny on my hands if I'd attempted to march her down Rajpath so I flagged down an auto-rickshaw who offered to take us there for 40 rupees. Three of us squeezed into the back and the driver offered Joyce half his seat in the front. As we bowled along down the grand boulevard he asked her if she wanted to drive and handed over the controls to shrieks of "No, no, don't let her" from the back. First question she asked was where was the horn and then we swerved down the road towards the mighty arch hooting the horn like a strangled duck. I hate to think how many rules and regulations the driver had infringed in just that short length of road but it was a fine example of the warm welcome and fun approach of many of the local people in India.

I've seen India Gate many times but never at night. By the time we arrived it was already floodlit because night falls very quickly in India – one moment it's day, the next the sky is slightly pink and then suddenly full-on night arrives. The area is normally swarming with beggars and hawkers but I suspect that the 'clean-up' operation for the Commonwealth Games had removed most of the local 'colourful' characters. The gate commemorates the Indian dead of many wars, mostly outside India itself. The walls of the great arch are inscribed with the names of regiments and their dead. At the centre stands an eternal flame that's guarded by soldiers and the public is kept back behind barriers.

Another change to the area was the disappearance of the swan shaped pedal boats on the pool beside the gate. These used to be a source of great delight for small children and cheesy amusement to tourists but sadly – probably again as a consequence of the games – these are now rather dull looking pedal boats with big awnings over them carrying the name of their sponsor – Vodafone.

We commenced a negotiation for another auto-rickshaw to take us into the centre of town. The first guy refused to take 4 passengers which must make him the only driver in the city who wasn't willing to bend the rules. The second accepted four but wouldn't let Joyce go in the front so my sister – who has a well padded bottom – climbed on my lap and we bounced on into town. It hadn't been a major sightseeing expedition but for day one of a two week trip it had been enough to give them a flavour of pre-Independence British-run Delhi. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on November 6, 2010

Rajpath

New Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi

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Mirchi Kebabs and Curries

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Restaurant | "Some Like it Hot"

Mirchi Kebabs and Curries Photo, New Delhi, India

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The auto-rickshaw we'd picked up at India Gate dropped us at Connaught Place and we started to hunt for somewhere to eat. Joyce was more desperate for a beer, claiming it was the heat and the dry atmosphere and reminding us that despite flying Kingfisher Airways, we'd been robbed of our Kingfisher beer the night before by what Reggie Perrin's colleague would have called a 'Cock up on the Catering Front' (ie. they forgot to load any beer on the plane).We skipped past my favourite restaurant 'Zen' because we had a plan to go back there later in our trip and were saving it for a special treat. Instead we took a turning down one of the side-arms of the double donut that is Connaught Place when...Read More

The auto-rickshaw we'd picked up at India Gate dropped us at Connaught Place and we started to hunt for somewhere to eat. Joyce was more desperate for a beer, claiming it was the heat and the dry atmosphere and reminding us that despite flying Kingfisher Airways, we'd been robbed of our Kingfisher beer the night before by what Reggie Perrin's colleague would have called a 'Cock up on the Catering Front' (ie. they forgot to load any beer on the plane).

We skipped past my favourite restaurant 'Zen' because we had a plan to go back there later in our trip and were saving it for a special treat. Instead we took a turning down one of the side-arms of the double donut that is Connaught Place when my husband spotted a restaurant he liked the look of offering beer and kebabs.

The restaurant was called Mirchi and shared an entrance with a cinema and was to the side of a place called Piccadelhi. The guy on the door clearly wanted to make sure we didn't escape so he guided us in, took us to the lift and accompanied us all the way to the door. I guess he's had too many prospective 'fish' wriggle off the hook in the past. He need not have worried with us – we'd not eaten in 12 hours and if the place had looked awful we'd probably still have gone in.

Once inside the room seemed to be quite small with less than a dozen tables. Everything was very red – red table cloths, red-dressed waiters, red décor. We were offered a table near to the bar and immediately Joyce was ordering beers and the waiter offered the choice of standard or extra-strong Kingfisher. My advice is to always stick to the lighter version – Indian strong beer is deadly stuff. My sister Aileen was thrilled to discover the standard bottle size for beer in India is 650 ml – oh, the delights of first time travel in India!

The menu was large and varied but since the place specialised in kebabs, we decided to all share a mixed vegetarian kebab starter which was easily big enough for four people. It being our first day, Joyce and Aileen were still in the phase of "We'll be good and avoid the meat" although that didn't last too long. My husband and I are 95% veggie in India, only making an exception for the odd bit of fish or prawns if we go somewhere a bit fancy. I've not had any other meat in 20 years but my husband becomes a situational-veggie when we go to India or anywhere that food hygiene might be considered a bit iffy.

Getting a decision out of my sister is like getting water out of a stone so I got bossy and suggested we chose three vegetarian curries, some rice and some garlic naans and since nobody else had a better suggestion, that's what we did. We ordered a palak paneer (spinach and cottage cheese lumps), Dal Tadka (a yellow lentil dish), and a dish with mushrooms and peas in a creamy sauce whose name I don't recall and which I can't read off the printed receipt.

Service was quite slow so we had plenty of time to finish our beers and order some more. We'd arrived at about 7.30 pm which was late enough to miss the early diner 'free beer' offer but still early by local standards. During our visit the restaurant soon filled up around us. We were the only foreign tourists in the place which reassured my sister who didn't want to just go to places where all the other tourists go. When our starters arrived we received a giant platter of mixed kebabs – lumps of tandoori paneer, tandoori mushrooms, pieces of potato hollowed out and stuffed with nuts and dried fruit, green spinach rissoles and odd lentil 'sausages'. These were all served with a bright green coriander-rich sauce. The mix of tastes and textures was excellent and we had no problem to polish off the whole platter. The spinach rissoles had been particularly popular.

The single portion of rice that we'd ordered was big enough for all four of us to get a good little pile on our plates and the two garlic naans were easily enough for four. Compared to others we had in later restaurants, they weren't very strongly flavoured and didn't really have enough garlic on them. The two curries were great – the palak paneer had juicy cubes of firm cottage cheese in a supremely smooth spinach sauce. The mushroom and pea dish was a little bit spicy but not enough to scare a first day traveller and could be zapped up a notch with lime pickle. The dal tadka was delicious, rich, spicy, and buttery and served in a little copper bucket. It's a perpetual mystery to me how Indian cooks get so much flavour into a lentil dish and how we in the west are so utterly rubbish at using pulses.

In the interests of research I sent my husband and my sister to check out the toilets and both pronounced them to be very clean. You might think we're on holiday but I'm convinced my husband is on a two week toilet survey. The service throughout was low-key and unobtrusive which is how I like it. Nobody threw anything or spilt anything but equally nobody kept hovering over us or pestering us to have more or to have something different.

Our meal with a large tandoori platter to start, three curries, a portion of rice, two garlic naans and a total of 7 beers came to 2500 rupees or about £10 each but over 1000 rupees of that was beer. All prices are subject to VAT at 20% on alcohol and something like 12.5% on food and to a further 10% service charge on top. The 'on tops' really add up in a city like Delhi but it was still a good meal and pretty good value for the location of the restaurant and the food we had. We knew we'd be spending a lot less once we got out of Delhi.

On our return to Delhi at the end of our trip we went back again for our last night meal and had an ever better dinner than before. On this second occasion we were suffering a bit from two weeks of non-stop curry which can really start to shrink your appetite. With only the flight home to get through, Joyce ordered a lamb dish that she couldn't stop talking about and hubby and I added an Punjabi fish curry which was the outstanding Indian dish of our two week trip. We spent a little more than the first time – partly due to rather a lot of beer – but at close to £50 for the four of us, we were all absolutely delighted with Mirchi as the venue for our 'Last Supper'. It's not a big restaurant, you probably won't find it on any listings, and it's nothing fancy to look at. If you can turn a bline eye to the television screens at either end of the restaurant – which were showing some very bloody American extreme wrestling on the evening that hubby and I popped in for a beer – the food is delicious and I thoroughly recommend it. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on November 6, 2010

Mirchi Kebabs and Curries
H-block, Connaught Place
New Delhi, India

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India 2010 Part 1 - Delhi

Maybe Kingfisher Should Stick to Brewing Gassy Beer

Indira Ghandi International Airport

Saket Bed and Breakfast, New Delhi

Rajpath

Mirchi Kebabs and Curries

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