Dining outside outdoors in Mumbai

Dear reader,
I can recall a wonderful moment in May last year. I was sitting with my husband in a couch overlooking Juhu beach, feeling the soft breeze in my hair, sipping a coctail while watching the sun go down in the ocean and really feeling: Yes, I can live here! That was at the Vie lounge, one of the really wonderful outdoor restaurants in Mumbai. I was so sad when I returned from X- mas holiday just to find out that it had closed:-(

You see, in Norway, after a long winter, by the first tiny hint of spring and sun in the air, people rush outside to catch a seat at an outdoor cafe. So I think it is in my blood, this urge to dine under the stars, by the sea- at least outdoors, outside. And if the weather is nice in the summer, and the sun doesn't go down at all, (yes, my friends in India- it is true- the midnight sun is real), we just stay outside. Oh how I love those moments - gather outside to enjoy a beer and some food, at first maybe under a blanket and with heating lamps to help, because it can get a bit chilly. I know that people who grew up in a warmer climate really doesnt't get it.. : Like my greek husband said, watching the Norwegians curl up under the blankets: If it is too cold to sit outside, why don't they just go inside?

Oh well.
And then the summers in Greece strolling at the promenade, wondering which one of all the tavernas and cafe's we shall honour with a visit today. All the Greek summers just living outdoors: breakfast on our balcony, lunch at the cafe, dinner at the taverna and a night-cap on the beachbar..

Summers in Greece, at the taverna by the edge of the sea...

Or a nice lunch at our balcony- overlooking the sea...

So, I told you of our dining with Greeks Gods in Goa and also how I love dining at the edge of the sea like Shirley Valentine.  In Mumbai lots of the good dining places are indoors, but we have managed to find some nice outdoor pearls: Before X-mas we went to Bungalow 9 in Bandra. They have a small yard, quite nice, and the food was delicious, really nice presented. And our X-mas spirit had a boost there with their lovely tree and X-mas decor. A place we will visit again for sure.

So, my dear reader, Vie lounge closed, but just as when a good expat friend leaves: not much to do but to look ahead and try to look positive. In Powai we have Cafe Mangij with a small garden and good pizzas! And a new roof-garden-like restaurant has also just opened: Breeze in Powai. I havent't been there yet, but I definately will! Judging from their web-pics it looks really nice!

Yesterday evening we went to a new place. Otto infinito is placed in Bandra-Kurla Complex and serves also Mediterranean food. We found Athens sour coctail and other goodies on the menu. I had a peppercrust tuna - really tasty and well presented. My family tried the pizza, the Morroccan chicken and the lamb. The verdict was a bit mixed on the food, and my greek-smoker-husband was not too pleased being banished to a corner of the garden where the ashtrays were. We all agreed though, that the very best aspect of the night was the experience of dining outside. Otto Infinito has a large outdoor garden with lots of space! Not too common in Mumbai, and something we really enjoyed and the service was quick and friendly so this is also a place we will see again. I just love being able to sit outside in January, and it is waaarm (no blankets or heating lamps necessary), and the stars is above and - pinch my arm - we are in India!!

Well, dear reader, if you have a good outdoor outside dining experience in Mumbai - please feel free to share and comment on this post. Your secret will be safe with us:-) Promise:-)

At Otto Infinito - nice place if you want to dine under the stars:-)

Pepper crushed tuna and a square pepperoni pizza- not bad at all, Bravo Otto!

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Another fruitful day:-)

Hello dear reader.

I am just popping in to wish you a good night! I have been to the fruit market today so please bear with me for my bubbling enthusiasm! I just love to stroll around there, take in the delightful aromas, look at all the different fruits, admire the colors and stop up, taste the different kinds and chat with the sellers.

And you know what I really enjoy and what is an aesthetics delight for a western like me?: No fruit wrapped in plastic in sight anywhere! They are all on display in small piles and in neat parallel rows. Very organised and veeery tempting. The dark green watermelons,  blue and green grapes, red strawberries, yellow, green and red apples, oranges, guavas, pineapples and my favorite sweet lime - just to mention a few.

And mango-season is coming up.

Oh joy! There is nothing like the juicy Indian mango, so full of flavors. I can't wait! Let me show you what I mean and let me share a few colorful moments with you, and another day I'll show you where I shop vegetables, flowers and spices. In India it is a real treat for all your senses. Now, I'll enjoy my strawberries:-)
Stay tuned!


At one of the fruit stalls. Nice?

The strawberries lay on green leaves and comes in small paperboxes. Delightful.

     


Yoummie!

The linen man, tailors and abrakadabra

Dear readers,

Last year, when I told at work that I was moving to Mumbai, a friendly colleague (Thanks Brit:-)) immediately brought me 2 books I just had to read. And so I did. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts is the classic prior-to-Mumbai book. The obvious choice for expats and others visiting the city. I enjoyed diving into that universe of colourful characters and events, and once in Mumbai I enjoyed even more my search for Cafe Leopold and other sights from the story.

The other book I read, preparing for The-Big-Transition-Bergen-Bombay, made my soul shiver.. A Fine Balance by Rohintron Mistry is the story about the harsh lives of the two tailors Ishvar and Omprakash. I thought about it again yesterday, when I passed a tailor in his shed on the street. And just as back in our two tailors' time, Mumbai is still a magnet for fortune hunters, dreampursuers or  those just looking for as better life. Mumbai with over 20 million inhabitants is the richest city in India and being the commercial and entertainment (Bollywood, guys!) capital of the country it is just as attractive to people today, as it was to Ishvar and Omprakash and their contemporaries. And the tailors today are probably just as great! They are hard working, skilled and can do wonders. You tell them whats' on your mind and they make it just like you had pictured it! You can also bring your favorite clothes or pictures of clothes you like and they will make it for you. Abrakadabra!

If you want to blend in and choose to go for a more ethnic style, the tailors can help you too! And you can even have your own colourful perfect sparkling sari made especially for you - remember I told you about my visit to Sari heaven?

And then there is the linen man. The linen man lives in a village ouside Mumbai where many work with sewing and tailoring. From him we order hand made linen work like beddings and table cloths - in whatever size and schedule we like. The quality is great and prices looow. He comes to our house with his linen man assistant to deliver and take new orders. Remember how I love the home delivery services her: you can have anything delivered anytime! It was hard to choose from the many nice motifs, but in the end -  I went for the elephants - after all we are in India right?

The linen man and his assistent



Pick and choose motifs: elephants, marigolds..?

Bye bye from Mumbai! Stay tune for more tales:-)

Dal, starbucks and expat teens

Dear readers,
My teenagers still have X-mas holiday. Being in India, that means pool and sunbed, Xbox (well, not only here) relax and enjoy. I though it would be an excellent idea to explore the culture and history with them. So, with great enthusiasm I asked: So, where shall we go? Gateway of India? They looked at me: Been there, mum.
Hm. I know, but still? Ok, how about I show you The Former Prince of Wales' museum (remember that one?) or .. or we can walk in Gandhis footsteps and have a touch of his spirit by visiting his home! I giggled over my own amazing ideas. They looked at eachother: Or maybe we could go to Starbucks?

Well, dear readers, we do as Winnie the Poo did and go for all the options, so a lot of exploring these days. Don't worry - I will take you along with us. But, trust me - I actually also wanted Starbucks. And for all you outside India: before you judge: you will not believe the wave of jubileus mood that flows around in this city when something new comes to town. When Starbucks opened their 3 Mumbai shops last autumn it was a total chaos. I tell you. People drove for hours to get there and waited in line even longer for their coffee. And yes, you feel yourself just being dragged along into that joyful scent of anticipation - you do want to hop up and down, clap you hands, do the wave and cheer with the crowd: Yeah!! Starbucks is in town!

Starbucks in Mumbai! Yeeei!

So, while we are out exploring, maybe you want to try out some Indian food while you wait? I think you might enjoy the recipe of Dal, which has become a favorite dish. As many Indian dishes it contains a flow of spices and smells divine. It takes some time to boil the dal, but otherwise it doesn't take too long to cook. And so healthy too! This is how we did it:

DAL

You need:
300 g dal red small lentils
1 onion, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 green chili, chopped ( we used one from own crop:-)
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp tamarind powder
2 tomatoes, chopped
Some curry leaves
Some fresh coriander
Some fresh parsley
Oil

Green chili from our own crop:-) Ready to be dal-ified.

You do:
In a pan, boil the dal in 1-2 l water until they are almost like mashed. Put aside.
In another pan put some oil and fry the onion, garlic, chili, mustard seeds, cumin seeds until light brown.

Add chopped tomatoes, tamarind, ginger paste and let boil for 5 minutes.
Add the dal and water (add water according to how thick/thin you prefer your dish).
Let boil for 5 more minutes
Towards the end, add fresh parsley and coriander, and decorate with fresh coriander

You dig in!

We eat dal with shapati-bread. Really yoummie.
Bon apetit!

 UPDATE: 16.1 Starbucks opened their 4th Mumbai cafe. It is here in Powai, very close to where we live! 

Aaah(rgh), theese moments...



Dear readers,
Today I have a confession to make. Today I did definately NOT wake up in an adventurous mood, more like dragging myself out of bed. Was this it? Was my honeymoon-period-living-in-India over? Was my enthusiasm and joy for the life of an expat here coming to an end? I stared at myself in the mirror. I felt furious! At the lady who were after my wanna-be-Pradas, at the paperwork and endless forms, at the people who stare everywhere we go, at the man in the shop who says sorry-mam-we-dont-have-backpacks and then you discover that they hang just behind his back... At the dirt, the dust and at whoever is responsible for the kids living on the streets and for a woman being raped and killed while taking a bus with her boyfriend.

I marched to the kitchen, made a cup of tea and went to the balcony: aaah dear readers what can I say: lovely sunny 24 degrees and a nice morning breeze waited for me there.. I sat down, sipped my tea, looking down at the green park and at the blue sky. I sat there and felt my anger slowly fade away. Of course it will be like this, some of the experiences we see and live are so different, so strong - we have to digest them somehow.

Yes, the airport people are just doing their job and I did get to tell the man in the store that it is a bad sale-trick to say no to a customer before you ask what they really want. And I use a lot of my time at my NGO which makes it possible for kids to have a better future. And then I recalled something my grandfather quoted to me once: "Aaah, these moments which came and went away. I didn't know that they were life itself" And I laughed. I want to use my energy on the right things, let the little things go, and enjoy the moments. Here are some turn-ups that made me laugh. Cherish the moments everybody!

From Langkawi airport. Colourful umbrellas if it's raining when you walk to the plane. Something for my hometown Bergen? 



Sit! Do not stand on the toilet!

Elevator..

And just to finish of with a nice moment from KL. Could it be Santa waterskiing?

The famous Greek pita - recipe

Dear readers,
Today I will share a recipe with you. Our cooking is a mix of different cuisines - as you know if you read my food and drink page. I learned this dish in Greece- from my mother-in-law, my greek-food-mentor. I made it in Norway several times - and our familiy and friends loved it. Now, I tried out my recipe here in India too - worked great! And because readymade filo-dough can be a bit tricky to find here - why not make it yourself ? So here we go:

PITA 
Spanakopita or Tiropita - with spinach or cheese filling or both- or you can fill it with your own favourite filling.

You need:

 For the dough:

• 200 gram butter
• 1 dl olive oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 5 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 3 dl soda water
• aprx 500 gr white flour (in India: maida)

For the filling:

• spinach
• feta cheese
• 1 egg

You do:

Divide the butter in 3 equal parts. It needs to be soft but not melted. Leave aside in a bowl.
In another bowl you mix about 1 cup of the flour with salt and baking powder. Then add the egg and oil, and then mix before you add the soda water and then mix well. Then add the rest of the flour. If needed, add some more flour. It shall not be sticky.

Separate the dough in 3 equal parts. Open the first on the table (like you're making a pizza). Add the one part of the butter on the dough. Spread it, so the dough has a layer of butter all over. Leave it on the table. Then open the second part of dough (somewhere else) - (same size as the first one). Lay it on the top of the first butter-covered part. Spread butter on that one too. Then open the third part of the dough and lay that on top of the second one. Spread the last part of the butter on. Then roll it together,  (shape of a bread) put it in a plastic bag and leave in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
A good tip: you can also keep it in freezer and defrost it when you'll make the pita.

Prepare the filling. I like mixing spinach with mashed feta cheese and the egg.
Separate the dough in 2 equal parts. Open the first one, again like you are making a pizza, but it shall cover the bottom of a large oily oven-pan. Put on the filling. Open the second dough and lay on top. Mark lightly with a knife how you want your pieces. Put a little butter on top.
In the oven for 200 C for aprx 30 minutes (light brown on the top).

You dig in:
Kali oreksi!



Sorry! Didn't get to take those fancy pictures of the process or even of the ready pita- before it was eaten up ! - just theese two pieces left...Very yoummie!

Chit chats at Chhatrapati

Dear readers,
We are back home in Mumbai, and as always we arrived at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport - an airport that anticipates your every need - as promised on the webpage. Coming here for the first time last year was for me quite overwhelming - only to be compared to arrival in Havana in 1988; the loud sounds, crowds of people, the heat and the paperwork. So as we are - oh joy:-) - excpecting visitors from both Greece and Norway this spring: here is a small step-by-step-arriving-at-Chhatrapati-guide:

• On the airplane you will get the arrival card. This is an advanced version of the arrival card I remember we had to fill out going on charter holiday to Greece in the early eightees. Be sure to fill it all in and do not forget the custom declaration part on the bottom of the page. 
• When arrived at the airport: follow the crowd. The first stop will be the passport control. Here you will also give your arrival card. As per now they have some lines for International Visitors and some for Indian Nationals. There are people who tell you which line to go to, and if you are lucky you will not - like us yesterday- end up behind a family of 7 returning to India after some years abroad. Not sure why we were in the same line in the first place, but be prepared: things take time! You may chit chat with other travellers while waiting, that works fine.
• Now, an important point! The passport officer has now kept the major part of your arrival card and you have a nice stamp in your passport. But be aware that the small custom declaration part of your arrival card is now inside your passport. Guard it - I will get back to this one.
• Next stop is when you leave the passport control entering the luggage pick up hall. There you have to show your passport once again at a checkpoint.
• Now you can go and pick up your luggage. This time it took almost an hour before our luggage came and the belt stopped a number of times. A good time to chit chat with fellow passengers if you feel up to it. 
• Next stop is the custom. There are red gates if you have goods to declare. If you like us, have nothing to declare, head for the green gates. But be aware that you have to line up again, to put all your luggage on a belt to have them scanned. This time the female custom officer found a particular interest in one of our suitcases. "You have many bags in there?", she asked me, pointing at the suitcase. "What?" I said. "You have many bags in there" she said, "brand bags? How much did they cost" Ahh, dear readers, I admit that while in KL we visited Chinatown - which means Wanna-Be-Prada-hand-bags... "Ah, yes", I  laughed, trying out my woman-to-woman-charming-chit-chat: "You know us women, needs a hand-bag for every occation" Didnt work: "Your passport mam". After she had looked through my passport for a loong time she returned to me with a prompt "Ok". So off we went.
• Well, hang on. One more stop to go. Leaving the custom hall there is one last checkpoint coming up. Remember the small custom declaration part of the arrival card? Still have it I hope?! This is where you give that one in!
• Now you are ready to leave the building. If you bump into more lines now before you are outdoors, check what the line is for before you join in. It could be for pre-paid taxis, bank or the toilet.
• Outside! Here you get the first feeling of Mumbai, the scent, the people, the heat, the noises. Home sweet home! Mumbai we are back! Stay tuned for more expat-in-India tales!

Our suitcases with the-wanna-be-Pradas inside:-)

Do 3 things you have never done before?!

This morning I woke up in an adventurous mood. I feel so lucky to be able to see new countries and cultures with my family, and I try to enjoy every moment of the day. My favourite saying is: " Yesterday is history, tomorrow's still a mystery. Live today!"  You can learn from the past but dont let it dictate your present. So, dear readers, today I decided that today I wanted to do 3 things that I have never done before in my life. And we are not talking about throwing myself off cliffs in a hangglider or climb the Himalayas, but more like small excperiences I have never done but that in some weird way seemed appealing to me.Why waste any time? Live today right?

1. Test-what -the- shisha/nargileh/hooka -is- all -about. Ok, readers- this was for fun as I have seen this again and again in Greece, Turkey, Dubai and India,and been fascinated. Today was my chance as we had a great lunch (with haloumi) at Al-Amar Lebanese restaurant. They have a separate waterpipe section where a Shisha Master told us about the history and showed how to use it and how it works. To be honest- cant't really say the light applesmoke made any revelations to me. But - I've tried it. 2 to go!

Shisha master

Nice lunch at Al-Amar

2. Getting-my-nails-done-at-Bling-Bling. Well, there is a first time for everything, also for getting your nails done in a crazy way with glitter and glam. No, not saying that you have to, but it was a fun moment sitting theresurrounded by pink, red, glitter, polish and stars. The Asians sure know nails, I tell you that. Feeling like Dame Edna and barely being able to pick out my wallet,  I still wandered out with my long glittery shiny nails. 1 to go!

Pick and choose

Tata!



3. Dance-like-Zorba-in-a-Malaysian-hotel-lobby. So last but not least, how about spreading your joy for music to the world? Hm. Not quite there? Well, neither was I, and I have to admit this was not on top of my To Do list, but when you are challenged by someone close to you, what do you do? And why not, live today right!? So, yes, I danced my way in to the hotel. Did I feel like Zorba The Greek? Not so much, but I had a bobbly feeling inside. Dance, did you say dance?

Oh, dear readers, a memorable day indeed! And the best of it all was the way I was laughing my way through it all with the people I love. So what's up for tomorrow? Will you try something you have never done before? I might, and if not tomorrow, another day I hope. Cheerish the moments!


 

Silk, orchids and Daging Panggang

Dear readers,

We have been busy exploring KL the last few days. Today we went to an art craft center, and I just loooved the fabrics. If you remember from when I was in Sari heaven in Mumbai you know I love colors, and this was the Malaysian batik techniques. I love orchid, the national flower of Singapore, but also the hibiscus, Malaysia's national flower is lovely. At the center they showed us how they paint these flowers on silk, cotton and other fabrics. Aren't they beautiful?:

Hand painted silk fabric

So over to culinary explorings. We discovered -Oh Joy-that there was a Greek restaurant also here in KL! With our divine Eating-with-the-Greek-Gods-in-Goa experience still fresh in our memories, we headed out to enjoy Greek Food. To make a long story short: not many Greek Gods here! We should have smelled the fish reading things like sulvaki, the famous greek dish paella, and Greek salad with tortilla and chilisauce.  So today we decided to go local and had a wonderful dinner at Bijan. We were seated outside in their small garden and enjoyed Opor Rusuk,  Daging Panggang and other local goodies, full of flavors! A great evening under the stars. Stay tune for more tales.
Good evening from KL!

The bar at Bijan Bar&restaurant

Delicious food at Bijan

Good evening from KL:)

An Indian in Kuala Lumpur?

"So, where are you from?"  The teksi driver looks at my husband.. "Well.." My husband smiles and give us a here-we-go-again-look. "Well, my wife is from Norway, I am from Greece, but we live in Mumbai." We have said this tale before, and usually the person comes up with a "Why?", "Greece-is-beautiful" "I-have-a-cousin-who-went-to-Oslo". This taxi driver however, just started to laughed and concluded: "Sooo, you are Indian!"

I am not sure how wise it is to tell a proud Greek that he is anything else but A Greek, but on the other hand they have a saying in Greece: Opou gjis, patris, meaning wherever you live, is your homeland. I have always liked the sound of that - but on the other hand, as expat, your roots are important. I believe you can have both. You can have a wonderful live where you are and at the same time cherish the roots to your homeland (s).  Being here in Kuala Lumpur, I started to think back to when I was a little girl, and my dad and I were laughing at that funny name: Kuala Lumpur. We thought it sounded so funny - like a name you find in Donald Duck. AND HERE I AM!

And a funny thing: we keep meeting a lot of fellow Indians here in Kuala Lumpur, we passed Little India with the car, we walked by the restaurant A Taste of India, and our guide turned out to be from Kalkata. And last but not least: where do you think we went on the first-day sightseeing tour? Well, only to one of the most sacred Hindu pilgrimage sights: The Batu Caves. Aaaand we keep saying that after KL we are going home to Mumbai.  Before that, we will celebrate New Years Eve here, close to the Petronas Twin Towers - remember the stunning scene from the film Entrapment - with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sean Connery? Well, that is where we'll be! And we feel lucky to be able to see this exciting parts of the world -we greek-norwegian-indians expats! 

The Batu Caves, and yes, we went all the way up.

The monkeys were following us all the way up to the caves.

Inside the Batu caves

Kuala Lumpur and the Twin towers

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL!! STAY TUNED FOR EXPAT TALES 2013!