As food lovers and cooks, we were excited to meet Gopi Kishore Byluppala, the CEO and Founder of a place called The Culinary Lounge in Hyderabad. As our car pulled up in front of its gates, we noticed a bouquet of freshly painted homes in soft pastel shades clinging to steep hills surrounding it. Tall …
Seeing Chef Velayudhan’s team at Kalari Kovilakom Vengunad (KKV) in action was a chance for us to learn how to put Ayurveda food principles into practice. KKV is known as A Palace for Ayurveda. The CGH Earth Experience group of hotels lease the palace from the family who are descendants of the Vengunad Chieftains who …
We were excited to cook with Aroma Dipu at the Casa Linda Restaurant and Cooking School in Kochi. We always wonder if the experiences we have will be a good match for you when you (hopefully, someday) travel to this corner of India. Aroma came highly recommended and we had such a great time with …
Bibin Baby The day we spent touring Kozhikode’s food scene with our local tour guide Bibin Baby is vivid in our minds because everything about it was vibrant. That is, except for the man himself. Bibin Baby was chill. He has a quiet confidence that allows him to be your “guide on the side” instead …
We planned to do our research for Faces, Places and Plates in the off-season. It gave us the chance to access people who would otherwise be too busy to spend time with us. Executive Chef Babu at the Taj Gateway Hotel Beach Road Kozhikode was one of those people. During peak season, his job would …
Abida Rasheed was born to cook. As a child, she loved spending time in the kitchen with her grandmother. She started cooking for others when she was in fifth standard. She ran a successful catering company and now operates culinary tourism outings and classes from her gracious home in Kozhikode (Calicut). Abida’s cuisine differs from …
When we arrived at The Turmerica, Ranjini Menon cooked us dinner dressed in a stylish new saree. To top that, when we videotaped her making several recipes, she wore the traditional Kerala saree of cream with gold trim. At neither occasion, did she spill a drop on her beautiful outfits. We were in awe from …
Chai and Chai Wallahs – these words are all music to our ears when we travel in South India. Chai wallah translates as tea worker. Whether they have their own stall or are a worker at a restaurant, their job is to make and/or sell chai to their customers. One of the best things about …
Ironically, it was just about tea time, when Nanjundan approached. We were looking into the big windows of the production floor at the Benchmark Tea Factory and Museum near Ooty, Tamil Nadu. His smile revealed a large gap where a bottom tooth should have been. A beard of silver stubble hinted at his age. Tea …
Auroville. We were fascinated that there is a place (and people) on this blue earth existing for the sole reason of promoting human unity. We made a brief visit to Auroville in 2014 before returning in 2016 for a better understanding of this unique place. In order to make the connections we value, we needed …