A great foodie holiday at Darjeeling!
This summer I left the hustle-and-bustle, the dust-and-din of Calcutta for a week's respite in the beautiful hill town of Darjeeling. It was the quintessential 'Bong' summer vacation. For Darjeeling is indeed the pride and joy of every Bengali.
Nestled in the 'Mahabharat' or the Lesser Himalaya range, Darjeeling was christened 'Queen of the Hills' by the British during the colonial rule. Since then, it has been a much loved vacation spot, attracting tourists from all over India and the globe. Along with all modern trappings and paraphernalia of a tourist attraction, Darjeeling still retains the essence of its colonial heritage, this confluence lending the town a very unique and quaint charm.
I will shortly write another post on the 'Things I saw in Darjeeling' or the 'Stuff I did in Darjeeling'. However, for now it's all about 'Where I ate at Darjeeling' and 'What I ate at Darjeeling'!
Day 1
An overnight train journey had made us quite ravenous! And we found the perfect breakfast spot just off the Mall. Wooden stairs leading up to this cozy place. Its tinted windows opening out to the wonderful sight of mountains shrouded in early morning mist. Great food, amazing ambiance setting the stage for a heavenly breakfast indeed.
Breakfast: Where: Food Steps Pineridge
What: (1) Waffles with Caramel Sauce and Ice-cream.
(2) Traditional 'thukpa'
Lunch: Where: Glenary's
What: Shepherd's Pie
Glenary's is one of Darjeeling's oldest and most popular restaurants, in fact one of its landmarks. It oozes old-world charm and elegance. The decor is uniquely attractive with classic movie posters, miniature models of vintage cars, ships, musical instruments etc. A bright red telephone booth right at the entrance is a throwback to the bygone days. On a trip to Darjeeling, eating at Glenary's is a must-do.
After being amazed and overwhelmed by the beautiful vintage decor, it was finally it's time to eat! I had, for a long time, heard and read about the dish, Shepherd's Pie. Here at the grand Glenary's, I ticked it off my foodie list.
However, for me, the chief attraction of Glenary's was its bakery section. The spread was delicious and oh-so-inviting. Pure temptation to say the least!
Here I could finally fulfill my Enid Blyton-fueled childhood desires of gorging on scones and tarts and shortbread!
For the 3 days that we were at Darjeeling, I have lost count of the times we made a stop at Glenary's to pick up goodies from the bakery. With the neat brown packets safely ensconced in the backpack, walking the winding mountain paths, taking a break at some pretty spot to much on the sweet treats - it was truly a wonderful holiday!
Dinner:
Ever after sumptuous breakfast and lunch, interspersed with 'cake-breaks', we were again pretty hungry and on the lookout for another cozy eatery to add to our list. Luckily we found Boney's. A bit farther away from the Mall, in the market area, it was a little place serving a wonderful variety of both local and continental dishes. We decided to go local. The staff were very warm and friendly, patiently waiting and helping us with tips as we pored over the menu card, and made and changed choices.
Where: Boney's
What: Chicken Momo
Day 2
Breakfast:
Keventer's is another of Darjeeling's most celebrated culinary institutions. It's rooftop eating space with a clear view of the surrounding mountains has found its place many times on celluloid too. So having breakfast at Keventer's was another must-do on our itinerary.
Where: Keventer's
What: Egg-cheese sandwich. Chicken sausage with eggs. Hot chocolate.
Lunch: We had a long day ahead of us. The heavy breakfast was in preparation for that. To answer to the rumblings of the tummy during the course of the day, we had packed in Glenary's fabulous bakery treats.
Dinner: Where: Boney's
What: Chicken wanton soup. Spicy garlic chicken fried rice.
The wonderful experience of the earlier night lured us back to the cozy Boney's once more! Great food again, and we were left craving for more.
Day 3
Breakfast: Where: Food Steps Pineridge
What: Banana pancakes with caramel sauce and ice-cream.
For our last breakfast at Darjeeling, it was time to return to the pretty Pineridge. And, oh boy! It got even better. The presentation was delectable, the food delicious. As I write these lines and upload the photo, I can still feel the awesome banana pancakes melting in my mouth.
Nestled in the 'Mahabharat' or the Lesser Himalaya range, Darjeeling was christened 'Queen of the Hills' by the British during the colonial rule. Since then, it has been a much loved vacation spot, attracting tourists from all over India and the globe. Along with all modern trappings and paraphernalia of a tourist attraction, Darjeeling still retains the essence of its colonial heritage, this confluence lending the town a very unique and quaint charm.
I will shortly write another post on the 'Things I saw in Darjeeling' or the 'Stuff I did in Darjeeling'. However, for now it's all about 'Where I ate at Darjeeling' and 'What I ate at Darjeeling'!
Day 1
An overnight train journey had made us quite ravenous! And we found the perfect breakfast spot just off the Mall. Wooden stairs leading up to this cozy place. Its tinted windows opening out to the wonderful sight of mountains shrouded in early morning mist. Great food, amazing ambiance setting the stage for a heavenly breakfast indeed.
Breakfast: Where: Food Steps Pineridge
What: (1) Waffles with Caramel Sauce and Ice-cream.
(2) Traditional 'thukpa'
Lunch: Where: Glenary's
What: Shepherd's Pie
Glenary's is one of Darjeeling's oldest and most popular restaurants, in fact one of its landmarks. It oozes old-world charm and elegance. The decor is uniquely attractive with classic movie posters, miniature models of vintage cars, ships, musical instruments etc. A bright red telephone booth right at the entrance is a throwback to the bygone days. On a trip to Darjeeling, eating at Glenary's is a must-do.
After being amazed and overwhelmed by the beautiful vintage decor, it was finally it's time to eat! I had, for a long time, heard and read about the dish, Shepherd's Pie. Here at the grand Glenary's, I ticked it off my foodie list.
Here I could finally fulfill my Enid Blyton-fueled childhood desires of gorging on scones and tarts and shortbread!
For the 3 days that we were at Darjeeling, I have lost count of the times we made a stop at Glenary's to pick up goodies from the bakery. With the neat brown packets safely ensconced in the backpack, walking the winding mountain paths, taking a break at some pretty spot to much on the sweet treats - it was truly a wonderful holiday!
Dinner:
Ever after sumptuous breakfast and lunch, interspersed with 'cake-breaks', we were again pretty hungry and on the lookout for another cozy eatery to add to our list. Luckily we found Boney's. A bit farther away from the Mall, in the market area, it was a little place serving a wonderful variety of both local and continental dishes. We decided to go local. The staff were very warm and friendly, patiently waiting and helping us with tips as we pored over the menu card, and made and changed choices.
Where: Boney's
What: Chicken Momo
Day 2
Breakfast:
Keventer's is another of Darjeeling's most celebrated culinary institutions. It's rooftop eating space with a clear view of the surrounding mountains has found its place many times on celluloid too. So having breakfast at Keventer's was another must-do on our itinerary.
 |
| Satyajit Ray shooting on the Keventer's terrace |
Where: Keventer's
What: Egg-cheese sandwich. Chicken sausage with eggs. Hot chocolate.
Lunch: We had a long day ahead of us. The heavy breakfast was in preparation for that. To answer to the rumblings of the tummy during the course of the day, we had packed in Glenary's fabulous bakery treats.
Dinner: Where: Boney's
What: Chicken wanton soup. Spicy garlic chicken fried rice.
The wonderful experience of the earlier night lured us back to the cozy Boney's once more! Great food again, and we were left craving for more.
Day 3
Breakfast: Where: Food Steps Pineridge
What: Banana pancakes with caramel sauce and ice-cream.
For our last breakfast at Darjeeling, it was time to return to the pretty Pineridge. And, oh boy! It got even better. The presentation was delectable, the food delicious. As I write these lines and upload the photo, I can still feel the awesome banana pancakes melting in my mouth.
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