Conquering the World. One Honeymoon at a time.
Restaurant Review: Jersey City’s Horn O.K. Please!
Aug 7th
We’d been wanting to try Horn OK Please, a dhaba-style Indian restaurant in Jersey City, ever since it opened on Newark Avenue based on the restaurant’s name alone. We figured even if the food wasn’t any good, at least we’d be entertained by some great signs. Even the bathroom has old school Indian birth control ads. The signs are all in Hindi or Punjabi, but everyone — including the customers — are more than happy to offer their hand at translating/interpreting.
Fortunately, the truckstop dhaba concept isn’t the only brilliant thing about this place. The food is fresh and delicious. The prices are very reasonable too. We went with Sona’s parents and ordered a stack of naan, egg curry, goat bhuna, and masala chai — all of it had us stuffed — for under $30. Less than $10 a person! The food is freshly made, service is great, and nothing is greasy . . . so I suppose it isn’t an authentic Indian dhaba at all, really. But it’s a great concept, with yummy Indian food and a spotless, charming atmosphere that was sincerely lacking on Jersey’s City’s Newark Avenue, which is known for its greasy Indian fast food joints.
The only drawback for the health-conscious is they don’t have a single diet drink. No diet cokes or fantas, or ice tea. Just plain fizzy Limcas. Actually, that doesn’t sound like much of a drawback, does it?
To try Horn Okay Please for yourselves, or if you live in the Jersey City area and want to order it online (don’t know why you would though), check it out:
Horn OK Please
835 Newark Ave (Newark & Tonnelle)
(201) 659-1300
www.orderhornokplease.com
Restaurant Review: Braai – A Taste of South Africa in New York!
Aug 7th
Craving something different? Navdeep and I sure were. So we checked out Braai, our friendly neighborhood South African barbeque joint. And boy were we glad we did.
Neither Navdeep nor I had tried South African cuisine before, but we were game for a bit of culinary adventure. And we found it at Braai. On the menu are delicacies like venison, South African Road Runner, aka ostrich, and chicken livers. Luckily, we had our South African pal Jo along to guide us, and she offered up some sage advice about what was worth digging into. Plus, considering the South Asian influence in many of the dishes, we felt quite comfortable with our options. In fact, if anything, we were having trouble pinning down a few choice dishes.
We started with one of the appetizer specials, a grilled calamari dressed with zucchini and other roasted vegetables, a rich sauce and a dollop of sour cream, served along with a spring onion parantha. The texture of the calamari was perfect, chewy without being rubbery, and it had just a hint of kick.
As a main course, I ordered a rich, hearty South African lamb stew called bredie, a mix of boneless chunks of lamb with potatoes and carrots in a thick, tomoto-based broth. The dish was served with a side of creamy green lentils, which had a mellow, buttery flavor. Jo opted for one of the specials, an aromatic seafood biryiani, which was piled high with fish, scallops and giant grilled prawn. Navdeep naturally had to have the South African Road Runner — how could he not? Road runner is actually quite like bison, a thick cut of red meat, cooked medium so it stays tender. It was served with curried coconut mashed potatoes, green beans, pearl onions and a piquant blackberry peri-peri sauce. Navdeep gave it two thumbs up.
We were all pretty stuffed, but we still managed to save room for dessert. Jo and I shared the simply divine Malva pudding, a spongy custard of granadilla and amarulla, doused with a healthy dollop of caramel and topped with bananas and vanilla bean ice cream. Navdeep devoured the chocolate mud hut, an intensely rich chocolate cake topped with vanilla ice cream and a rainbow sauce. He practically licked the plate clean, it was that good.
Overall, Braai is worth checking out if you’re craving something decadently different. Conveniently located in Hell’s Kitchen on 51st between 8th and 9th, it’s definitely got a date night ambiance to it, but is down-to-Earth enough for a casual evening with friends. And the drinks, while not cheap, are exotic and exciting — with fascinating ingredients like aloe, lemon curd and sage. Definitely worth a go.
FIND IT: BRAAI, 329 W. 51st Street New York, NY 10019; 212.315.3315
Eat This Page: Momom’s Kickin’ Kaju (Spicy Cashew)
Jul 11th
Sona’s mom (we call her Momom) makes these spicy kaju (cashews) as an occasional indulgence—but they’re perfect on a dreary day with chai or a mellow whisky (depending on your mood). She fries the cashews till they’re golden brown, then seasons them up with a red-hot masala. This version is pretty spicy, so feel free to adjust the mix for less adventurous palates.
Prep Time |
Cook Time |
Serves |
| 2 minutes | 5-10 minutes | 6 for snacking |
Ingredients
1 lb raw white cashews—not roasted and not salted
2 to 3 cups oil for deep frying (canola works well)
MASALA:
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon kala namak
2 teaspoons jeera (cumin seeds), dry roasted and ground into powder
2 pinches hing (Asafetida)
2 teaspoons chaat masala
1 teaspoon lal mirch
Instructions
In a small pan, dry roast jeera until it turns black. Grind into a fine powder. In a medium-sized bowl, mix salt, kala namak, jeera, hing, chaat masala and lal mirch.
Heat oil on medium-heat in a deep frying pan or walk. Oil should be hot (around 400 degrees Fahrenheit) but not smoky.
Drop in one cashew to test oil. When hot, add cashews and fry two to four minutes, until the pale cashews go a light golden brown. Drain cashews on a few layers of paper towels, then toss while hot with the masala mixture, coating thoroughly. Add additional salt and lal mirch to taste.
Serve warm with chai or whiskey, as you please.
Eat This Page: Sona’s Adraki Chai Recipe
Jun 16th
Everyone’s chai recipe is different—but I like to think mine is special. So here, without further ado, is my super-secret, much-coveted recipe. My Kadak Adraki Chai combines the kick of ginger with the mellow flavors of fennel and cardamom. And I like my tea strong (or kadak in Hindi)—so add more milk and less tea for a milder chai.
Prep Time |
Cook Time |
Serves |
| 2 minutes | 5 minutes | Makes two big mugs |
Ingredients
1 heaping teaspoon loose black Darjeeling tea
2 tea bags (Sona recommends Tetley)
1 two-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and smashed
½ teaspoon fresh cardamom seeds, gently smashed
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, lighted smashed
2 cups water
1 cup milk, at least 1 percent (for a creamy texture)
Optional: Cinnamon or cloves add a nice touch
Instructions
Peel and smash ginger. Lightly bruise fennel and cardamom seeds to release oils and bring out flavor.
Add ginger, fennel, and cardamom to saucepan with two cups water, loose black tea and tea bags. Bring to a rapid boil on medium-high heat. While boiling, add one cup cold milk. Bring the liquid to second boil.
Strain the now-golden liquid into two large mugs, carefully keeping loose tea and other ingredients out of the cups.
Enjoy hot, preferably with pakoras or cookies.
Musings: Having a Mortgage and a Baby!
Jul 9th
I never EVER thought I would have a baby and a mortgage in one go. When either of those words are uttered, it just sounds scary, almost like a disease.
Doctor: I’m sorry sir, but you have a mortgage and a baby.
Patient: Ohhhh noooooooooo! ! ! ! Is it treatable?
Doctor: I’m afraid not. There aren’t even any pills I can prescribe. You’re good and stuck.
When we first found out we were having a baby, we were ecstatic. And then we realized we’d have to change our house-hunting strategies. We’d already been looking for about six-months — and it’s funny, all of the places we were looking at, a baby never came into the equation.
There was one place we looked at in downtown Jersey City that both of us loved the charm of. It was a shotgun layout with one long narrow corridor that the kitchen and bedroom accidentally bumped into. The bedroom barely had enough room for a bed, forget a crib.
If we’d bid on that place and got it, where would the baby sleep you ask? In the cupboard. That is the only place that he or she could stay. Which would mean even less space for pots and pans, and as you know, Sona and I both like to cook.
But house-hunting is the only thing impacted by the news of our new arrival.
We are very practical people, as you have probably surmised from our trip and blogs, so before we’d even found out about the pregnancy, we were making plans for a road trip through Greece. Sona saw some film featuring Santorini and wanted to go. I like gyros and wanted to go motorbiking in Corfus — yup, that was my whole motivation for agreeing.
Then we found out about the pregnancy and it seemed momentarily that our plans for traveling would have to be axed. And then we started thinking about this site. Was IshqInABackpack a one-off? Was our big India trip it? Something to look back on fondly and say, “yep, we did that.”
Keep in mind, we have lots of expenses. Since she’s self-employed, Sona has private medical insurance. Which means a whopping $300 a month — and that’s the cheapest one. That figure will grow exponentially once the baby arrives. Plus, there’s all the furniture we need to buy: crib, bouncer, newborn clothes, nappies, etc. Oh, and a place to call home.
Sod it. So we’ve decided to do the unthinkable: we, the indie travelers that brought you Ishq, are going to an all-inclusive resort.
There is nothing remotely cultural about the experience so it really made no difference where it was, but sadly it will be in the Dominican Republic, a country I would love to go exploring properly one day. We do have a lofty plan to go for a day to Santo Domingo, but I don’t know if that will happen, since Sona’s started getting knackered just sitting on the sofa watching telly.
Still, we’ve decided that there’s no reason the adventure has to stop just because we have a mortgage and a baby on the way. Our adventure will continue. These details will obviously change the way we travel, but then any life-changing experience is going to do that. Case in point? Before Sona, I used to camp out in the middle of parks, or near train stations, take local buses at any time of night, and sometimes not even know where I was going. But traveling with Sona, the one time we took a really dodgy bus ride from Jammu into Srinagar through the evening, I was on eggshells the entire ride. And we never did that again. (She did have to pee in the street, I’ll give her that!)
I do sometimes miss the nostalgia of travelling on my own, but I’d never give up travelling with Sona for anything. And I’m sure when we have our son or daughter, we’re going to pass along the wanderlust to her and have lots of really fun adventures.
Our Babymoon, yes it’s really called that, to the Dominican Republic is a relaxing and eating holiday we bought from Costco (no joke). We expect nothing more out of it than to get some sun, swim, and get fat. We’re bringing a genetic mix of both of us into this world. So yes, I think we’ve earned it.
Cookbook Review: Modern Spice by Monica Bhide
Apr 21st
Looking for a quick and easy way to spice up everyday meals? Pick up food writer Monica Bhide’s latest, Modern Spice: Inspired Indian Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen. Bhide, who has written for the New York Times, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine and the Washington Post, blends old school spices and techniques with fresh, vibrant flavors, like pomegranate and mango, in both sweet and savory dishes.
Bhide offers a clear, illustrated front-of-the-book primer for those dabbling with Indian cuisine for the first time, explaining how to play with the spices until you find the right masala to fit your tastes. Once you have the basics down, she recommends tweaking the recipes to amp up or tone down the flavors to suit your palate.
Stand-outs include the lux and luscious coriander-and-fennel crusted lamb chops, the tangy, crunchy Indian onion rings with chaat masala, a super-easy guava-coconut kulfi. Yum. Navdeep will no doubt be treated this meal sometime soon.
What sets Bhide’s cook book apart from the glut of Indian how-to tomes that weigh down bookstore shelves these days, though, is her thoughtful and thoroughly modern take on sub-continent-inspired libations. Forget mojitos — try Bhide’s green mango and rum Emerald-ade. Or, for a more traditional flavor, try the inspired Rum and Roses, a cooling blend of sweet Rooh Afza syrup, lime juice and white rum. For more on Bhide and her culinary adventures, check out her blog.
Weekend Honeymoon: Las Vegas
Jan 11th
Looking for a quick, romantic getaway? With its sparkling lights, posh dining and worthy sites galore, Las Vegas is a sure bet for romance – especially if you want to tie the knot or renew your vows. In fact, Navdeep and I got married there (before the big, fat Desi wedding), so for us, it’s a super-special weekend honeymoon destination.
Friday 1 p.m. Settling In
Considering that United did not bother feeding us on the eight-hour trip west, we were famished when we got to Sin City’s McCarran airport. However, we restrained ourselves from diving into the nearest Burger King.
Instead, we checked into our lovely room ($110 per night, plus tax) at the Egyptian-themed Luxor, complete with a view of the Sphinx’s bum. The room was in the grand pyramid of the Luxor, which sits primly on the North end of the iconic Vegas Strip. Not as posh as some of the grander hotels – the Bellagio and the Venetian will set you back $250 or more – it was a comfortable, if slightly outdated space.
2 p.m. Fueling Up
After settling in, we were famished. We decided to grab a snack while hitting some of the Sin City sites, so we nabbed bargain-priced 24-hour pass ($10 for two) for the Deuce bus, a double-decker monster that runs up and down the Strip every ten minutes or so. We hopped on and rode over to Caesar’s Palace, where we plopped ourselves down for a leisurely coffee break at Bobby Flay’s understated-yet-colorful Mesa Grill. Sipping (skim!) cappuccino, we devoured a divine chocolate espresso layer cake complemented by crunchy pieces of toffee and a rich caramel sauce ($22.50). The caffeine and chocolate were just what we need to get us through the afternoon – especially because shopping was on the agenda!
3 p.m. Forum Fun (or Not)
Post-snack, we strolled through the Caesar’s Forum Shops, stopping to watch the talking statues, which were reminiscent of those rockin’ animals at Chuck-E-Cheese that always scare the little kids. Creepy!
After hitting the Houdini store (uber-creepy!), we made brief pit stops at Juicy Couture, Anthropologie and Intermix before Navdeep got really bored, so we decided to head out for a long walk up to the South Strip.
4 p.m. Sky High
We stopped briefly to admire the Stratosphere, which floats above the strip skyline like a spaceship paused to ponder before making its landing.
Across from the Strat is the Hollywood Wedding Chapel, where Navdeep and I tied the knot three years ago. We didn’t go inside, but instead admired it from afar as we recalled our first big adventure in Vegas.
6 p.m. Ultra-Lux
For dinner, we skipped the Cheesecake Factory and instead headed to the Venetian, on a mission to find Cheesecake’s slightly more upscale cousin, The Grand Lux Café, which my sister Meena had been raving about for months.
Once there, we ravaged the warm sourdough and pumpernickel bread, then settled in for hearty (read: bigger-than-our-heads!) portions of chicken marsala and chicken pot pie. Dessert was a light, flaky strawberry shortcake topped with a dollop of pillowy whipped cream ($60 for two).
8 p.m. Getting Into the Spirit
After polishing off that meal, we could hardly move. Lucky for us, we didn’t have far to go. We scored prime seats – row D! – at the Venetian’s rendition of the Phantom of the Opera ($180 for two – search online for discount deals), complete with giant falling chandelier. This is definitely a date musical – there’s all the jumpy cuddliness caused by the horrifying theatrics, but it’s also quite a weeper. The play’s anti-hero, the aforementioned Phantom, is truly a tragic character, and his sorrow leaves you reeling just a bit at the end.
On the walk back, we strolled hand-in-hand through St. Mark’s Square at the Venetian, where it was still a balmy, blue-skied Italian afternoon, despite being way past midnight PST.
Saturday 8 a.m. Love and (Hot) Chocolate
The next morning, we arose bright and early and went on an early morning walk down the strip to the Venetian, where we fueled up on coffee cake and hot cocoa ($10) at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf – one of only two I’ve ever seen outside of California. The other, which we also visited, is at the Miracle Mile Mall, which is nestled into the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino. Coffee Bean, FYI, kicks Starbucks’ ass.
9 a.m. Charge!
We hopped the Deuce again to head to the Premium Outlet Mall, located 20 minutes off the Strip. Save cab cash (the more to shop with!) and transfer from the Deuce to the108 bus (you can use your Deuce pass), which stops right in front of the outlets! The Must List: Juicy Couture, Dooney & Bourke, and D&G, where we nearly scored some couture trousers for Navdeep for $30. Alas, they were too big. But I picked up a lovely pink Juicy bowler bag for 70 percent off. We also got Navdeep some wool fancy pants for $40 at the Banana Republic outlet.
1 p.m. Fat Saturday
After a killer morning of browsing and shopping – Navdeep enjoyed the Bose store and free samples at Godiva – it was time to get our buffet on! We decided to hit the ravishing Rio ($26 each), which has long been heralded as the best in Vegas. And it lives up to its rep, with an expansive selection of freshly prepped, piping hot pizza, burgers, seafood and a dessert case out of my dreams, complete with miniature crème brulee and chocolate mousse.
3 p.m. A Romantic Stroll
Stuffed, we waddled back to our hotel, strolling on the way through the colorful botanical gardens at the Bellagio, where we also caught the hourly dancing fountains show. We also hit MGM, where we watched caregivers massage the caged lions, and as the sunset, paused to ponder the lovely half-scale Eiffel Tower at Paris, Paris.
6 p.m. Italian Rendezvous
Back at the Luxor, we plunked down a few dollars at the slots, then got gussied up to go check out a few Vegas hotspots. First up, dinner at Canaletto’s, refined Italian set on the canals of the Venetian – and uber-romantic. We watched couples float by in their gondolas as we shared the bruschetta calda, followed by Fegato alla Venetzia (calf’s liver!) for Navdeep and a tamer risotto con secoe e funghi for me. ($65 for two, no wine.)
9 p.m. Drinking and Dancing
We stopped for a quick jello shot – with whipped cream – at Fat Tuesday’s. Then we headed to Mandalay Bay’s Minus Five, the only ice chamber club in the United States – where the eerie blue-lit room is set a literal minus-five degrees, prime vodka-consuming weather. But as we sipped our vodka cranberries and martinis, we were decked out in club-provided thermal coats and gloves, which made balancing our spirits quite precarious.
Post-drinks, we headed to the posh-but-squishy, ultra-exclusive Bank, a club at the Bellagio that is frequented by celeb-types, although we didn’t see any that evening. We danced for a few hours, but the music is not up to par here – we’d probably have had a better time at good ole’ Polyester’s on the other side of the strip.
Sunday 1 a.m. Cheap Date
Hungry again post-clubbing, we found a 24-hour Mickey D’s at our hotel and celebrated our last night in Vegas with some chicken nuggets, fries and a Big Mac. Dessert was Swensen’s ice cream – Rocky Road for Navdeep, and chocolate chip with sprinkles for me.
5:30 a.m. Egyptian Sunrise
Bright and early the next morning, Navdeep and I watched the sunrise from the picture window in our room, then played a few more slots for good luck. And we used the $12 bucks we won to pay for the cab ride back to McCarran airport. All in all, Vegas is a sure bet for romance.
Getting There
Bargains abound when you’re headed to Sin City. Non-stop flights from New York start at $300 and most major airlines can get you gambling in about five hours.
Where to Stay
Weekdays in Sin City mean hotel steals, with even smack-dab-on-the-Strip properties available under $60 a night – try Bally’s or Planet Hollywood, which is home to the expansive Spice Market Buffet, for mid-level comfort. Feeling flush? Aim high at the Venetian (starting at $150) or the Bellagio ($200 and up). Note that weekend stays will mean higher prices all around.
Travelogue: Christmas in Sin City
Dec 25th
We’ve been in Vegas for four days, and it’s been all about excess — too much food, too much shopping, and tonight, what’s sure to be too much drinking and partying. It kind of makes you stop and think, considering that today is Christmas. Usually we spend it at home, warm in our PJs, with family in front of the tree. We do our presents on Christmas Eve, so Christmas Day is all about cozy togetherness, enjoying each other’s mellow company after the chaos of the holidays.
Sitting in our Vegas hotel room with Navdeep and Meena this morning, it’s sort of the same sensation. We’ve had our tea and our cereal, and we’re hanging out, watching the Food Network and deciding what to do with our day. It’s sure to descend into excess — Vegas always has its way. But we did swear off of buffets after over-indulging at the Spice Market spread last night — where one diner was literally carried off on stretcher. What a Christmas Eve that family must have had, huh?
But for the moment, with Meena and Navdeep, I can manage to feel at home for the holidays. Even here in the cold heart of Sin City.
When we "met," Navdeep was living in California, immersed in a creative writing MFA program, while Sona was working as an entertainment writer in New York.