{Delhi eats} Veda Restaurant

Veda – a taste of decadent Delhi

Veda – a taste of decadent Delhi

One of the most amazing meals on our recent India trip was at the gorgeous Veda Restaurant in downtown New Delhi. Located on busy Connaught Place, it features a North Indian menu with lots of familiar dishes and some with interesting twists. It inhabits an opulent looking space (think ornate mirrors and chandeliers, a shimmery, glittery ceiling and lots of red), like Moulin Rouge meets fine Indian diner.

Veda Restaurant, New Delhi

Veda Restaurant, New Delhi

We went with a local friend who ordered an amazing spread of curries but insisted we try one thing – a whole leg of lamb on the bone, cooked in the tandoor. If you find yourself Delhi-bound, you must must must eat at Veda and order this dish! After a waiter dramatically set it alight as it was served, we tucked into succulent, slow cooked, charcoal-imbued spicy meat. The best lamb of my life.

Tandoori lamb leg at Veda

Tandoori lamb leg at Veda

The other standout must-order and a Veda signature dish is their crispy okra. We ate alot of okra in India but it was usually stewed or sauteed, however in this dish it was finely sliced, tossed with spices and a liberal amount of salt, and deep fried into crispy more-ish discs.

Veda is the perfect place to experience decadent, date night Delhi, or a world far removed from sightseeing in the heat. For more Delhi restaurant ideas (and there’s many – I needed more nights for Dum Pukht and Gunpowder!) see these round-ups by The Culture Trip and Travel + Leisure.

Veda Restaurant, 27 Outer Circle, Connaught Place, New Delhi, +91 11 4151 3535, (website currently down).

{Travel tips} How to make India an easier experience

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India is undoubtedly one of the most challenging places you can travel, yet many believe the challenges are more than compensated with the rewards. After my first trip there – an extended backpacking adventure – I didn’t feel this way. I experienced the touts, the ripoffs, the oppressive heat and crowds, the whole cliched runaround, complete with Delhi belly. But my recent trip back was an entirely different experience (hint – there were no backpacks involved this time!).

Here are five tips on how you can experience all the amazing bits of India while minimising the hassle factor:

1) Pre-organise transfers

If you’re a hardcore, independent backpacker this may seem like a soft option, but on reflection, dealing with touts when arriving in each new city or town was the number one worst aspect of my first India foray. In India, finding a ride is a huge source of stress, and transport hubs can attract the worst kinds of touts. There is nothing nicer than being whisked away from the crowds in an air-conditioned car which takes you straight to your accommodation, no negotiating necessary! If there’s anywhere in the world you should book a transfer, India has to be it.

2) Lower your expectations

Know that in India, you will witness unparalleled poverty, beggars, slums, cow poo on the street and many a street dog. (But in contrast, there is majestic beauty, stunning architecture and many perfumed and delicious smells!). The more you can prepare yourself for what you might see and experience in India, the better. If you expect conditions in India to even be comparable to those in other developing countries, you may be sorely disappointed. Case in point – a Vietnamese friend ventured to India, her first trip outside Vietnam, and was absolutely shocked at the rubbish on the streets and the living conditions she witnessed. Expect the worst and you may be pleasantly surprised, like when you discover immaculately maintained gardens surrounding temples and monuments, offering precious respite from the chaotic streets.

3) Feign total disinterest in touts

One huge lesson I’ve learnt is not to engage with touts, whether it’s an auto rickshaw driver you don’t want to use or a postcard-selling kid who won’t stop pestering you. This may seem obvious, but what I mean is to not engage in any way, positive or negative. Once upon a time I was stupidly polite to such people – ‘Oh, no thanks, not today’. This can be seen as an opportunity for further dialogue, that you’re sort of interested or are an easy target who may give in. But the alternative isn’t to be rude either, as that can also result in further harassment. The best reaction if followed by a relentless tout is to feign total disinterest. Look bored beyond belief, maybe give your head a slight shake, and don’t even make eye contact. Keep walking. There is no comeback from the tout if you don’t offer a one-liner, and they’ll quickly move onto another tourist more willing to chat back. Also – never, ever try and deflect any kind of seller with ‘Maybe tomorrow’, as your gentle let down may be taken literally. You will be hunted down and harassed the next day!

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108 Shiva temple in Kalna

 

4) Venture off the beaten path

A huge difference to your India experience may be made if you veer off the well-trodden tourist trail to lesser visited regions. Outside, say, Agra or the main cities in Rajasthan, you may find people are warmer, friendlier, less ‘out to get you’. On this trip, I visited some small towns and villages in West Bengal where people were smiling, friendly, welcoming, or simply went about their daily life. They weren’t so used to tourists, so either ignored us or excitedly engaged with us, with no agenda other than to have a chat, pose for a photo, or snap photos of us with their own camera phones (in a non-threatening way). Visiting places beyond the big drawcards provides a refreshing antidote to negative interactions that might damage your perceptions of Indian people. ‘Real’ Indian people are friendly, hospitable, interesting, funny and wonderful. I now know this.

5) Stay hydrated, cool and clean – when you can

It’s no easy feat to avoid the discomforts that come with travelling in extreme heat and humidity, and sightseeing in crowded, not always clean places. It’s also inevitable you’ll get an upset stomach in India, unless you have a digestive tract of steel. Some things you can do to maximise comfort include carrying a small packet of tissues, as many public toilets at tourist sites are of the squat variety with no toilet paper, use hand sanitiser, particularly before eating (hand wipes or baby wipes are useful too), toting and drinking water all day long (coconuts are also great, if available), sticking to vegetarian food in establishments you’re a little unsure of, and carrying a small umbrella for both unexpected downpours and to shade you from harsh midday sun. I also found a cotton scarf draped around my neck doubled as something to protect my neck from sunburn and soak up the endless outpouring of sweat.

Have you ever travelled to India, or do you dream of going? Do you have any tips to share on how to make travel in India (or anywhere else) ‘easier’? I’d love to hear them!

Return to India: impressions then and now

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Without wanting to sound too cliched (or like I’m channeling Sarah MacDonald in Holy Cow – which does happen to be one of my favourite books, and is still #1 on the bestseller stand at Delhi’s airport bookstores!) I didn’t really love India the first time I visited. The touts, the beggars, the crowds, the constant haggling and the non-stop staring all ate away at me until I had to hightail it back to my beloved Koh Chang for blissed out beach time (after turning into a crazed, bitter, jaded and slightly screamy version of me, complete with raging fever, churning insides and rider of hellish bus journeys while so ill I was bordering on hallucinatory). But that was a decade ago and some things have changed.

I’m so pleased to report that this time around I’m feeling a whole lot more love for India! The chaos and the sensory assault of all things India don’t seem as intense as they did before. It’s somehow not as intimidating. I don’t feel like I’m being stared at or harassed as much as I was previously. I see past the decay, the mess, the crowds – I see colour and life and beauty.

I’m loving genuine smiles, cute kids, stunning saris, intoxicating colours, wafts of incense, mutual smartphone photo-fests, where it’s hard to tell who is more curious about who, faded, crumbling buildings full of charm and potential, religious icons – everywhere, stalls laden with colourful garlands brightening dusty streets, schoolgirls in immaculate white uniforms weaving their way through chaos on their bicycles, sugarcane stands, chai wallahs, religious and historical monuments on a grand, mindblowing scale. Mosques and churches and Hindu temples and minarets and the call to prayer and Hindu chants and blessings and offerings. Sandalwood oil massaged into my hair and charcoal mixed with ghee pressed into my forehead by a Hindu priest. I’m seeing India with my eyes, head and heart wide open.