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Although overpriced, I can't say that my meal was bad, but no way can it be the best restaurant in India let alone all of Asia as Restaurant Magazine would have us believe. Frankly, I would be shocked it it is the best restaurant in Delhi!

I have been meaning to as I'm told that it is particularly good for fish. I will try to do so soon. I did cook potatoes in it, but as a side for chicken and not directly with them as the principle end result.

And here's where we disagree. While I don't expect four-star, white glove service for 20%, I do expect to be asked if I need anything else, like, say, another revenue-inducing drink. And that's at the least. If all I need is the food I order to *not* be spilled into my lap, well then, they can get a trained monkey to bring it to me. At least I'd be semi-entertained by a trained monkey. I never tip less than $1, even if it's well above 20%. So those dipweeds who start parsing their $2.99 breakfast special? That's not who I am, either...chances are, that's just a $5 deal out the door. Even so, greasy spoon or not, I don't care whether my waitress is named Flo, chews her gum like a cow chews cud, etc. If they want to be compensated well for their service, then the level of service had better be commensurate with that expectation. If the $2.99 breakfast special gets dropped unceremoniously in front of me and my glass is empty without being addressed? I notice, and yeah: I adjust the tip. It's hard *not* to get $5 out of me on a special like that, but it *can be done*. I do not now, nor will I ever, believe that "good" service ignores empty glasses and baskets on the table. On the pragmatic side of the restaurant management, if I found out that my server *wasn't* trying to sell more drinks to a large party of diners, she'd be on the business end of a serious derriere-chewing, if not out looking for a new job. ← It's two bucks. Get over it. ← It doesn't sound to me like $2 is the issue here. I too think that from what has been presented Boagman is getting beaten up too much in this discussion. 20% tip (on tax no less!) is excessive as a mandatory gratuity at all but the finest places, especially for perfunctory service. I do not disagree with being upset by the charge. However, if the party felt that the final tip was excessive, they should have mentioned it to the manager then and there and not just come up short.

The evening’s dinner took us to the famous restaurant Bukhara located in the Maurya Sheraton, an interesting building in its own right. Our dinner at Bukhara, rated by Restaurant Magazine as the top restaurant in all of India and one of the top fifty in the world , consisted of Delhi style tandoori and other cooking. Highlights included tandoori cauliflower, chicken, dal, and the breads. The drinks including wine were extremely expensive. I declined to order any. Tandoor Cauliflower This was the dish of the evening. Raita Dal Naan Tandoori Chicken Surprisingly dry and the biggest disappointment of the evening. Pistachio Kulfi Served with noodles made from corn starch and rose syrup. Ras Malai These cheese dumplings were textured in such a way that a member of the group compared eating it to eating a loofah. We had these a number of times on the trip subsequent to this. Each time they seemed to get better. Kheer Rice Pudding. Gulab Jamun Condensed milk dumplings in rose syrup. Pan Spiced betel nut chew as an after dinner palate cleanser. Bukhara Kitchen Chef J.P. Singh speaks with our group. While the food was very good, I wasn’t blown away by it. In addition I wore a jacket and tie unnecessarily, clothing items that I could have avoided bringing. I am glad that we went, but I don’t think the restaurant provided particularly great value.

The lunch was a buffet affair prepared by the students. The food was good though less spectacular than what we had freshly made in the demonstration kitchen. The true highlight of the visit was the demonstrations, the interaction with the professors and students and sampling the various dishes prepared in front of us. Some Dishes from the Buffet Lunch: Moti Pulao This was a colorful and flavorful rice pilaf. Red Bean and Sprout Salad Unfortunately, I did not catch its Indian name. Boondi Raita Boondi, made from chickpea flour is a typical snack of the Punjab. This raita is typical for festive occasions. Pomfret Amritsari Paneer Dil-e-bahar Chole Pindi. Spicy chickpeas. Gobi Dumpukht Cauliflower slow cooked in a dough-sealed earthenware pot called a handi. From the school we boarded the bus for a quick city tour. The most interesting sights we breezed by on the bus were the Red Fort, a truly impressive and beautiful structure built by the Moghuls out of red sandstone, a pass through Old Delhi and the Chowdry Chowk market and a quick stop at The India Gate. I did not get the impression that Delhi, Old, New or otherwise was all that spectacularly beautiful as cities go. Unfortunately our guide was pretty bad, presenting us with little information of value and in a very monotonous style. He didn't do much more than tell us about which organizations inhabited the various buildings we passed. He would prove to be the only poor guide of the trip.

We asked him to send out dishes. My friend selected the sakes. After T&T I spent a little more than $200pp.

Ha, I tried to sneak that one in!

Soto has been described as an "unipalooza" and was rated by Frank Bruni as his 2nd best restaurant opening of the year in NYC for 2007 after only Momofuko Ssam Bar. While the uni is indeed wonderful and it is generously apportioned, Soto is much, much more than an unideminsional restaurant. I had dinner at Soto with my son and a friend last week and we got to sample a delightful omekase that certainly featured uni in a number of creative dishes. While fantastic and even the finest composed uni dishes that I have ever eaten anywhere, there were plenty of other non-uni delights on our bowls and plates. We sat at the bar observing Chef Sotohiro Kosugi and his staff craft the cold dishes of our dinner. The hot dishes were prepared in a kitchen in the rear of the restaurant by Chef Kosugi's wife, Maho. Edamame A relatively straightforward and simple offering, these edamame were far superior to others that I have had and a worthy opening for the meal that followed. We went sake all the way starting with a refreshing, semi dry Jyunmai Ginjyo, Dassai -50-, from Yamaguchi for $22 for a 300ml bottle. The opening course was a rich, meaty, Miso Soup with lobster and uni broth with lobster, ginger shoots and chive. This dish deftly incorporated the two ingredients Chef Kosugi is most well known for. I have never had a richer or more enjoyable miso soup. Goma Tofu, black & white sesame tofu served with wasabi soy sauce This dish was subtle and beautiful, smoothly opening the palate for the dishes to come. The flavors were pure without being over the top. The next dish, Ainame with ponzu and momjioroshi was the first exquisite example of Chef Kosugi's brilliance with ingredients other than uni and lobster. The fish from Japan, otherwise known as "greenling fish" was pristine with enough to complement it from the momjioroshi (Japanese chili and radish grated together). Scallop, Fluke, Shiso Agedashi: deep fried shiso wrapped scallop and fluke served in dashi broth. The flavors of each dish were building on those that came before. This was delicious with nice crisp textures added to the mix. Building our next dish. Chef Kosugi concentrating on a task Uni and Yuba: Japanese black soybean milk skin with sea urchin, served with shiitake broth Simply outstanding. It is no wonder that Chef Kosugi has developed a reputation with uni. Shiro Ebi Tartare: seasonal white sweet shrimp with yuzu, shaved cured mullet roe, caviar, ikura, served with shiitake ginger broth. Another example of Chef Kosugi's brilliance with ingredients other than uni and lobster, this featured an array of salty and mildly bitter sea eggs to balance the sweetness of the shrimp, the acid of the yuzu and the umami of the shiitake ginger broth. In fact, it would not be incorrect based upon my experience here to consider the shiitake as another ingredient mastered by Chef Kosugi and used in a multitude of ways. His shiitake broths are particularly noteworthy. Minute Steamed Tai: lightly steamed New Zealand wild snapper with ginger scallion oil This delicate and delicious dish was perhaps my son's favorite of the evening. By this time we moved on to our second sake, another Gyunmai Ginjyo, Tenryo -Haidhomare-, semi-dry from Gifu. Chef Kosugi appears to have developed a number of signature dishes. This one, Uni Ika Sugomori Zukuri: Claifornia sea urchin wrapped in thinly sliced squid and shiso, served with quail egg and tosa soy reduction, is perhaps his most famous and justifiably so. It is an outstanding dish. beautiful, complex, harmonius and delicious. Relatively simple, Braised Black Cod with Japanese Vegetables: fresh sable fish with Japanese bamboo shoots, turnip, fuki, was beautifully prepared with simple, direct and pure flavors. Closer to classic American Japanese than Japanese from Japan, Chyu Toro Tartare: chopped fatty part of big eye tuna with avocado coulis, garnished with caviar, chive, served in a sesame ponzu sauce, nevertheless satisfied. Our third and final sake, a Jyunmai, Tenzan "Gensyu", a dry, rich wine from Saga, sister city to the one in which I live, followed. Each sake was delicious and distinctive. Unfortunately, I am not conversant enough in the language of sake to discourse on them more eloquently. Another signature incorporating Chef's favorite ingredients, Steamed Lobster with Uni Mousse: layers of steamed main(sic) lobster and uni mousse in lotus wrap, garnished with smoked uni and caviar was brought for the three of us to share. A supremely well balanced dish, but somewhat awkward to share. Nevertheless it would have been too much for one person and probably too difficult to prepare correctly in more individualized portions for a tasting menu. Broiled Langoustine: lightly broiled New Zealand langoustine under shiitake sauce While delicious, this was probably the only dish of the evening that disappointed me. I felt that the langoustine flavor (one of my favorite flavors) was somewhat overwhelmed by the shiitake sauce. I find langoustine to be at its best when relatively unadorned or adorned with such elements that expose and highlight its natural flavors. By this time, we were getting preety full, so we declined the Karei Karaage: crispy deep fried whole Atlantic sole, served with ponzu sauce. We saw it brought out for other diners. It looked impressive, but we wanted to be able to enjoy some sushi. Madai Sea Bream from Japan is the one to the right of the photo. Chu Toro from Ecuador. Sakura Masu Pink Sea Trout from Tasmania. Botan Ebi Live Spotted Prawn from the US west coast. The sushi was all pristine, delicious and a nice light finish to the main meal. The meal was completed with Genmai Tea - green tea with roasted rice crackers and Azuki and Macha Mochi. Soto was a revelation, one of the finest meals I have had this year. The decor and ambiance are simple and unassuming. The artistry begins with the plate and ends on it. It is a prodigious level of artistry and skill that is presented there, however. Each plate is hand selected by the chef on annual trips to Japan. Chef Kosugi has a reputation in some circles of being "stern" and "prickly." I did not see that at all. His concentration was intense, but when he took moments to relax and reflect he was very pleasant. We had a chance to speak with him at the end of the meal. He could not have been more friendly and the meal really could not have been better.

Poori Poori are deep fried breads. These were made with whole wheat flour or atta, water and salt. They were fried in nut oil. Rolling balls of dough before rolling them flat Frying the poori Amazing puffed poori

Aloo Paratha The breads were delicious as they were throughout our trip. This was fun to watch. Heating up the "tawa" pans Filling the wholewheat flour based dough The filling was composed of potatoes, ginger, green chilies, coriander, pomegranate seeds, red chili powder and salt. Folding over the filling Flattening the paratha Cooking the parathas on the hot griddles Cooked paratha with ghee on top This was cut into triangles and served hot - delicious!

Thank you. That chaat was sensational. It was addictive!

Thanks! The first photo of the student preparing the fish gives the best visual indication of the thickness. Approximately 100ml of water are added to 50 grams each of garlic and ginger paste, 5 grams of red chili powder, 3 gr of turmeric and 150 gr of gram flour. My recollection is that while it wasn't soupy, it was fairly moist, but dry enough for the batter to adhere to the fish.

Doddie, that fish was wonderful, especially when we had it fresh and hot!

You can always ask.

Fish Amritsari This fried fish dish originated in the Punjab and can use any firm white-fleshed fish. The fish fillets are initially marinated for at least 25 minutes in malt vinegar and salt and then pressed gently between napkins or paper towels to remove excess moisture. A second marination with ginger and garlic pastes, red chilies, turmeric, S&P, gram flour and water is done for at least twenty minutes. The battered fish are deep-fried in ghee They are served with chaat masala and lemon wedges Delicious!

Papdi Chaat The ingredients are assembled These include crumbled papdi, potatoes, cholle - a chickpea preparation, yogurt, mint chutney, saunth - tamarind chutney, salt, red chili powder, roasted cumin powder and pomegranate seeds. The papdi are crumbled on the bottom of a serving plate and the cholle are placed over them Boiled potatoes are layered over the chickpeas and the papdi Yogurt that had been whisked and hung goes on next ...followed by the tamarind and mint chutneys ...salt, red chili powder and roasted cumin powder ...before finishing with the pomegranate seeds This colorful dish was amongst the most delicious things we ate over the entire trip!

After a tour of the facilities, we were brought to a demonstration classroom led by Chef Mamta Ghugtyal, where 8 dishes representative of the Delhi area were prepared in front of us. These included poori, stuffed paratha, various chaats such as a papdi chaat with papadam, yogurt, tamarind, potato, mint chutney and pomegranate seeds, tandoori cooked “Murg malai“ or “Butter” chicken, Pomfret Amritsai and others. We were able to taste a number of them before proceeding to lunch. They were all amazing. I particularly enjoyed the papdi chaat, the pomfret, the paratha and the chicken. We still had a full lunch to go! Mis-en-place Stirring milk to make Kesari Kheer Murg Malai - Butter Chicken First Tandoori Chicken must be made. The chicken is skinned and scored... then marinated in garlic, ginger, cumin, cardamom, ghee and yogurt with the addition of Keshmiri chili powder or not depending on a desire for red coloration Skewering Murg Potatoes are used to keep the chicken from sliding off the skewer Chicken cooking in the tandoor Basting with butter The finished tandoori chicken was blended with a sauce that included butter, ginger, garlic paste, tomatoes, salt, green chilies, cashew paste, Keshmiri chili powder, cream and coriander.

New Delhi Traffic We were scheduled to visit India’s top cooking school, at the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering & Nutrition - Pusa. We arrived to a lovely greeting of the traditional “tikka” forehead paint that had three components - sandalwood, vermilion and rice and a flower garland or “mala” placed over our heads to signify us as honored guests. The motto of the Indian tourism board is taken from Indian tradition of hospitality - “The guest is God.” The cooking program at the school covers three years. The first deals with basic techniques and theory. The second, techniques of mass production banquet catering and the third, International cooking. Other programs at the school cover all aspects of the hospitality industry. For such a prestigious school, I was surprised to find the physical plant to be in such poor condition. Nevertheless, the students learn to perform well in less than ideal conditions. We were taken on a tour of the school, visiting various classes in session. Spice Grinder Making Papadams Indoor Tandoor Julie Sahni chats with first year students Pastry Instructor S. Bose Students observing the pastry master More to come on this school visit...

As I said, best meal in Miami. That I've ever eaten. In a restaurant/eating establishment (it's hard to call T. Road a 'restaurant'). Perhaps others would choose something else? ← Wow. That's a pretty strong statement. I just wanted to be clear. Sounds like it would very much be worth a try! Thanks for sharing it.

Thanks Ilene and Robert. Hopefully the organization can be a force in promoting and supporting good product and cooking in the area.

DAY SIX: Friday March 7 This was my best night’s sleep to date on the trip, though I still got up early. Breakfast at the Oberoi Delhi was something to behold. In addition to typical buffet fare, though of very high quality, one could order dishes prepared from a menu. I had Indian Masala Scrambled eggs, which contained tomatoes, mushrooms, and Indian spices. It was excellent, however, the most impressive part of the breakfast was the outstanding croissants, They were crisp, flaky and intricately layered affairs with wonderful, buttery flavor - truly world class. Images of the Oberoi Breakfast Buffet Indian Masala Scrambled Eggs. Unfortunately I did not photograph the magnificent croissants.

Do you mean better meal or better value meal? It strikes me that that is likely a great meal for the money, but I would imagine that one can eat better food if price is no object, no?

I would say that India is absolutely worth visiting. It is a totally fascinating country from so many different angles, not the least of which is the food. The issues I had were not such that made me wish I hadn't gone. I have quite a bit to go, though, before I get to relate what happened at the end. I have had Indian food since I have returned. My thoughts on the quality of what I had here were not as positive as they were before I went there. I am now spoiled. I did have Indian Alphonso mango this past weekend, which was marvelous.

Goodness, I thought they were mud-covered rocks. I'm still not sure I've matched the caption to the correct photo. Do you by any chance have a picture of these cut open? (This is a great tour, BTW, thanks!) Edit: oh, it's the stuff in back. (I was looking at the stuff in front of him!) ← I believe that you were right the first time! I never did get to try this delicacy nor did I see the inside. ← It has lovely pinky/ yellowy flesh and tastes similar to potatoes. The way my grandma usually prepared it was as a dry curry, like potatoes sometimes are. ← Sounds good. Thanks for filling us in. I would love to try it sometime.

Never in my family or in my experience in an Italian-American restaurant run by Italians has cheese ever been part of this dish or offered without having been asked for. This is a dish that I consider a standard and one on which I will sometimes base my opinion of an Italian-American or Italian restaurant. Generally, if it is on the menu I will order it. It is also perhaps the best traditional dish that I make and the dish that I make best most consistently. I'm not saying that it can't be good when made with cheese. I have seen it and had it in American-Italian restaurants served that way. One place in Saratoga, Wheatfields served a dish like this that was pretty good.