Politics in real time.

Incumbency and the coming of age of technology, together, have made more supporters for the oppositon. Secularism is a byproduct, exploited.

satiation episode 1

we live to eat!
will try and do a few food blogs. hopefully this is just the first of many.

four days back, while i was in mumbai for the latest episode of 'weekend @ mumbai' series (the best way to unwind, explode and combust, all together, without burning a hole in the pocket), with the most gracious hosts swati j sharma(aka moto) and vijay sharma(aka v) (my sis and bro in law :P ), i was given the option of re-trying japanese food.
let me tell you, i had tried the sushi/maki-roll at busaba, colaba a few months back, and found it interesting. but i didn't really appreciate the relatively under seasoned taste and also where this cold, damp and bland food was coming from. not that i have been to japan (i love their architecture) in the interim, and met these rigid, efficient, righteous people, who have the most peculiar way of expressing things. but i was game to explore it further.
we arrived at kofuku, bandra for lunch. koufuku in japanese might mean hapiness or welfare (source not certain). i left all the ordering to moto and v, letting them take the trouble. first on the list was a pot of masumi sake, philadelphia maki roll, pork gyouza, shrimp tempura maki roll and kakuni (braised pork). if any one was wondering why i didn't order on my own, hopefully that query is answered. the sake was served in small cups, cold. it was light and pleasant, little dry and a mix of acidic and sweet. the aftertaste was good. first to be served were the maki-rolls. we mixed our wasabi and soy sauce and dipped the rolls in them. the acidity from the soy and sting from wasabi is the first to hit you, but disappears soon enough. then the cold and subtle flavours of the sushi rice, shrimp/salmon and nori fill your mouth. it is all very different from the normal fare of other cuisines, and it was good. the temperature and texture of the dish are unusual to say the least. the pork gyouza was basically a dim sum. it was also yum, spicy if you add the condiments available on the table. the kicker though was the pork kakuni! easily the best dish of the day, tender, mouth melting pork belly that can be had with chopsticks (i can't though). this was divine, and heavy. the sake had by now permeated within our blood supply. we ordered the bulgogi korean style and japanese curry rice with pork for mains. the dishes turned out to be good and carried the flavours that the appetizers had developed. we were left fulfilled and with a surprisingly satiated feeling with the whole experience, the whole process had put us at ease, calmed us down and then pampered us thoroughly. of course my hosts were not done, we walked into the opposite building and had 1 hour massage sessions. koufuku!

three days back, along with my hosts, my eldest cousin bobby dada, mallika vaini and their son anish and neha akka, next to youngest in the group (no points for guessing who the youngest is. but i remind you that age is just a number, especially since i turned 30 recently), a get together was planned. the restaurant was already identified by mallika, as the meeting joint imbiss, colaba, a german eatery. imbiss in german means snack. there is an imbiss in bandra too, but we skipped it. maybe because we love to go to town on a weekend, or because they serve no alcohol at bandra. i guess it was the former reason. ;)
i had done this cursory google search and was already salivating with the idea of a hardcore non vegetarian place with a variety of meats. in my city indore, non veg for most of the people starts and ends at chicken and mutton. hence the supply for more exotic food eludes me and is only partially fulfilled, when the hosts in this article fly down to indore with bacon and other frozen porkies.

the writing is on the wall @ imbiss, colaba.

here is what we ordered:
starters:
signature sausage platter
meat platter
pork spare ribs (2 plates)
pork cake starters
salad:
spicy sausage and cheese salad
drinks:
beer pints
gin and tonic
main course:
beef roast
pork roast
chorizo rice
kassler
ham slice with brown gravy
grilled pork tenderloin

(pause)
*applause*
(pause)

and the food was awesome. the pork spare ribs were demolished in minutes. the meat was tender and falling off the bones. the gravy was yummy. the pork sausages were great, chicken ones average. the meat platter was smoked well and good to taste. the pork cakes were fried well but were a little bit salty. everyone had a bit of the salad, just as an eye wash/feel less guilt option, it was okay.
the main course kept coming in groups of two, hence we all tasted all the dishes. it gets a bit confusing to describe all the dishes. we had our share of meaty, slow roasted, fatty, barbecued, tender, chewy and grilled meat (i may have missed a few adjectives). the rice was spicy and delicious. all the portions were very generous, and the pricing was surprisingly affordable. also, no wonder the germans have so much beer, cause it really washes down well with the food. we were full, in our tummy and in the mind. all in all a wonderful experience, highly recommended to all meat lovers. in spite of a valiant effort by bobby dada to try and finish off all the food, we had to pack a bit of it. not just imbiss(es) (snacks) but we had more like a full whole course meal. dish of the meal was split between the pork spare ribs and the chorizo rice. but animal of the day was surely porky the pig. pork rules!! stopping at marine drive and having naturals ice cream was the perfect finishing touch to the trip.

a few other foodie mentions, gorged, while in mumbai. the chicken sandwich at candies, pali hill, always in short supply. the melt in your mouth, red velvet cream cheese cup cake, at lsd(love sugar dough), khar west. the soothing cinnamon coffee at coffee bean and tea leaf, juhu, although the deserts weren't great there. had a very late lunch at silver beach cafe in juhu, which was very good too.

and a special mention to the the pancakes with maple syrup and scrambled egg that moto prepared for breakfast one day. 'greasy' food cures hangovers fast.
three days in mumbai, an absolute treat to my gastronomic desires! thank you hosts!

satiation to the fullest.