There are various purposes to ones travel. Some for pleasure, rest and relaxation and some for business. At times I like to mix both when I come across such delights.

New Delhi, often referred to as the food capital of India apart from it being the nations capital -does live up to its name. The people you meet and come across are affable and hearty foodies who centre ‘food’ at the heart of any discussion. Believe you me, I’ve been witness to food chatter thrown in the middle of business deals as to where lunch needs to be sampled. It’s part of their culture and I love it. After all, some of the best people one could ever meet – are well – lovers of food. 🙂

I am usually a light eater on travel – especially pit stop travel when there is a quick agenda involved, however, I happened to stop over to meet the lovely folk of J.W.Marriott at Aerocity and was pleasantly surprised with a new addition to the menu. It’s amazing how they have the knack to identify and remember a customer at the door. A returning one at that, I am told -would never be presented a menu as given the pleasure of serving me something ‘unique’ on ever visit was paramount. A class of touch. I feel privileged.

I have a standard rule of asking my server (in case I don’t have the good fortune of knowing the chef personally-which is seldom rare) to “Surprise me” and quite often it’s reaped huge rewards to my ever evolving palette.

I present -The Banana pancake with crushed berry compote (they didn’t want to add the fresh whipped creame and burbon maple syrup -as they thought it would be a mouthful!!! Hmm thoughtful of them much?)

Simple in name, voluminous in bite. However don’t be misled, its stratospheric in taste tingling your senses with hints of butter banana mixed in the pancake batter, that first hits followed by a sneak hint of the blueberry compote that wishes not to be forgotten. All in all the ‘true wife’ – fresh cream and the maple syrup comes into play to ensure its original dominance lest be forgotten in the midst of all this adulterous behaviour. Consumption tip: A strong unadulterated (minus sugar and milk in my dictionary) coffee preferably of African blend is best recommended with this harmonious concoction to disrupt the heady honeyed senses just to revert back to them with the next bite. 

And as all good things must come to and end I’m Up in the Air once again.

Breakfast of champions indeed. The stomach agrees.

Pic courtesy: Nolan Mascarenhas Photography