Bangalore Redux

Upon arriving in Bangalore, Nipsi and I immediately got down to the business at hand: enjoying Bangalore! This meant seeing some of Nipsi's old friends, enjoying a bit of the night life, taking time out for some pampering, and of course, taking full advantage of the lovely food both at home and in the many restaurants around the city. As we entered the city, we were treated to this sign which was more than slightly alarming considering this is a very crowded city. Luckily for us though, we're never up at that time of day!

Thanks for the heads up! 

Our second day in the city started with some good old fashioned girl time at the salon. Prices here in India make everything so much more affordable. I've tried to take advantage while I can since London prices are generally sky high and solidly out of my comfort zone. For example, on this trip to the spa, I had: my bangs trimmed, a face massage, face mask, manicure, pedicure, hair wash and dry, and eyebrow threading... all for the very reasonable price of 28 dollars. If I lived in Bangalore, I think it's safe to say I'd be at the salon weekly.

Research in action: An example of how the Ayurveda healing
tradition can be found in daily life. 

This is the life.

Now, for the important stuff. The food! We didn't want to spend a fortune so we tried to eat at home for some meals in addition to eating out. Luckily, Bangalore also has a greater selection of meats and sausages than Chennai so even eating at home was a treat. When we arrived, Nipsi's mother had kindly picked up some Goan sausages for us, along with a few rashers of bacon (such a treat!) and other breakfast type foods. The sausages were delicious, almost like an Indian version of chorizo.

Spicy Goan sausages 

Potato and pea samosas

Mushrooms, freshly washed

Frying an egg in the bacon pan... so unhealthy but so good,

Delicious bacon... I've missed it!

Nipsi's mom had also very kindly picked up some Indian sweets for us. I didn't get a chance to try them all but the orange motichoor laddu ones were perfect: sweet but not overwhelmingly so.

Kaju Katli

Motichoor laddu

Unsure of the name of this one... sorry! 

Next, there were of course dinners out on the town. Unfortunately I only remembered to take pictures at two meals and even then I didn't manage to do them much justice. Oh well! Here are at least a few pictures for your viewing pleasure. And yes, I know, I seem to eat very little Indian food here in India. There are a couple of reasons for that. 1) When I do eat Indian food, it's often in a very mundane fashion (such as a quick bite before running off to a meeting or something) so I forget to take pictures and blog about it. 2) As a foreigner, you do have to be a little careful about the local food because it can make you ill and I definitely want to avoid that! And finally, 3) I like to just go for whatever the rest of the group feels like having since they know the restaurants better than I do. But, that said, I promise I'll try to have at least one or two more recipes up before I leave (or shortly after depending on the internet situation!). First up is our delicious dinner at Shiro's on our first night in the city:

Bluest drink I've ever seen

Tuna and Red Snapper 

Lamb meatballs 

Spicy tuna, beef tenderloin, and California rolls. 

Giant Buddha head that watches over the restaurant

Last (of the meals that I took photos of) but not least was a quick lunch at Spiga with some of Nipsi's old friends. While some still live in Bangalore, Nandini actually was visiting from Australia where she went for university and has now settled. It was really nice to get to know such lovely ladies and I can see why they have been friends for so long despite moving into different career areas. Sophie and her husband run a dance studio (and he's also a movie star with a new movie on it's way) and Aeisha works for one of the Indian wine companies. We had a nice meal and then headed to Brigade Rd to do some shopping.

Nipsi's lamb chops 

My coastal chicken curry and rice 

Ladies who lunch: Nandini, Caitie, Nipsi, Aeisha and Sophie

I hope this update hasn't seemed too stilted or rushed! It's difficult to convey everything in such a brief format but I hope that it's clear that we had a fantastic time. Nipsi mentioned the option of another Bangalore trip before I leave but I think it would be better for my research to go to Kodhaikanal... if I ever solidify those plans! So sadly this was my last visit to the city but I'm glad to have left it on such a good note! Thank you again to everyone for being so welcoming and kind!