After an half an hour drive from Udaipur my jaws seriously hit the ground as we arrived at the 18th century heritage palace of Raas Devigarh located in the stunning Aravalli Hills. This exotic hotel makes sure to let you feel like an Indi
After an half an hour drive from Udaipur my jaws seriously hit the ground as we arrived at the 18th century heritage palace of Raas Devigarh located in the stunning Aravalli Hills. This exotic hotel makes sure to let you feel like an Indian princess (or prince).
They keep telling me their buffet changes weekly but I’ve been coming there for years now and I’ve never seen any change except for the new chairs. I like to have some places where to know what to expect when you visit them so it’s a positive thing for me. I was already pretty shocked by the chair change but that might also have to do with their primary colours and the complete mismatch with the rest of the traditional Indian kitschy interior. Which is great: Glitters all over the place with a wall covering including built-in fake candles as the showpiece of the interior. I love it. It’s what makes an Indian restaurant an Indian restaurant.
My favorite part might be, as the staff calls him, the ‘Master of the buffet’. With his high white chef’s hat he makes sure the buffet looks neat and clean. Endlessly promoting their specialty (the sweet chicken tikka masala) is one of his tasks as well. “Veeeeery special curry! I must agree, it is my favourite, and for € 14,50 you can eat as much of it as you want. Normally I’m not a big fan of the all you can eat concepts but I gladly make an exception for this one. They also have a menu you can choose from with other good dishes if you want to try something else. Just don’t forget to order te garlic naan.
Zainab Roshni Mahal, Nieuwe Binnenweg 317, Rotterdam
Embossed wallpaper, glitters, Bollywood, color explosions, fake candles.. I admit, I’m a big fan of the typical tacky Indian restaurants, as long as they serve good food.
On the contrary there’s Babu Ji in St. Kilda. It’s the first white walled Indian restaurant I ever visited. The interior is clean, simple and stylish but the hospitable staff, a few shiny details, hand-painted Hindi phrases and amazing photos on the walls made sure the Indian heritage was very well represented. The lack of color in the interior was compensated by the color-bomb-dishes which were just as tasteful as they were colorful. The tandoori charred Macedon Ranges lamb chops combined with raita were favorite but the mustard seed and coconut fish curry really made me want to lick the bowl. Okay, maybe I did..
So, forget everything you think you know about Indian restaurants. Babu Ji is modern with a sense of fun and serves the kind of feel-good food I’m always in the mood for.
The George Building
4–6 Grey Street
St Kilda, Melbourne
Chef Jessi and his wife Jennifer also run the populair Indian restaurant Horn Please in Fitzroy North which I hope to visit when I get back to Melbourne again!