I Was Right All Along!!

photo courtesy of pleasuremountain.files.wordpress.com

So, I have had this discussion with quite a few Brown people (as well as some well-versed Non-Brown people) regarding the difference between Kati Rolls and Frankies. If you have seen my "Favorite Restaurants" blog (Foodie & the Restaurants) you will see under MUMBAI, the restaurant TIBBS. It's not really a restuarant, but more of a street vendor. However, they are the makers of Frankies, again, possibly the best food item on the planet (I have tried others', but Tibbs is the BEST by far)!
Frankies are just this delicious, spicy delecacy of protein (chicken, lamb, paneer) cooked in spices and sauces, wrapped in an egg-washed flaky roti, and served in a plastic coccon, with a paper containing the name (and coordinating color) wrapped around. Kati Rolls are not as saucy and have a world's different taste than Frankies. However, many peopel have said to me that they are the same thing essentially. Well, now I found others who agree with me! Check out Midtown Lunch's post today on this very matter:

http://midtownlunch.com/2009/04/24/frankies-and-kati-rolls-are-not-the-same-thing/

Foodie & the Restaurants

OH (aka TM), one of my closest friends, and an utter foodie, just like me, loves trying new restaurants and frequenting the faves. You will usually find us together on our monthly jaunts to faves, as well as new spots off our respective Restaurant lists. She is also a restaurant blogger for the Urbanista website -- a site for "urbanistas" to find everything they are looking for in NY.
Anyhoo, OH & I were just discussing how we haven't really found any restaurants recently that we have fallen ABSOLUTELY head-over-heels in love with. I feel, gone are those days...which is really sad for me. I miss having a fave frequented restaurant. Hopefully, I'll find another one soon. (Keep your fingers crossed)

But I decided to give you my list of my ALL-TIME fave (and go-to) restaurants, in all my fave cities around the world:

New York:
Cafeteria (Chelsea)
Coffee Shop (Union square)
Nobu (Tribeca)
Le Bilboquet (UES)
Baraonda (UES)
Stanton Social (LES)
Mermaid Inn (LES)
Shake Shack (23rd Street)
Chennai Garden (Little India)
Tiffin Wallah (Little India)
Ginger's (Garment District)
New Yoshi (Hell's Kitchen)
Empanada Joe's (Midtown West)
Zen Palate (now closed)
NY's Delicious Pizza (Murray Hill)
Dojo (NYU area)
Atomic Wings (any location)
Best Wingers (Murray Hill)
Dukes aka Earl's (both locations)
*Honorable mention: Fishtail by David Burke, At Vermilion, Pranna

London:
Ping Pong (any location, but St. Christopher's Place is most frequented by yours truly)
Wagamama (any location, but Waterloo is most frequented by me)
Hakkasan
Yauatcha (sister restaurant of Hakkasan, Soho area)
Sylvio (across the street from the entrance to Selfridges' Dept Store on Duke Street)
Carluccio's (St. Christopher's Place location)
M&S Food Hall aka Simply Food (Marble Arch)
Selfridges' Food Hall (Oxford Street)
Suka (Sanderson Hotel)
Maroush (Hubby's fave - I haven't been)
Cinnamon Club (Westminster)
Royal China (Baker Street)
Crazy Bear

Mumbai:
Royal China (Sterling Cinema location, same group as of that in London)
Frangipani (Oberoi Hotel, Nariman Point)
Tibbs (Shivaji Park at Breach Candy, possibly the best food item on the planet!)
Swati Snacks (Tardeo)
Golden Dragon (Taj Mahal Hotel in Colaba)
Indigo (Colaba)
Trishna (Fort location)
Moshes (Cuffe Parade)
Ling's Pavillion (Regal Cinema, Colaba)
Shamiana (Taj Mahal Hotel)
Citrus (Leela Kempinski Hotel)
Pan Asia (Grand Maratha Sheraton)
*Honorable mention: Hokey Pokey ice cream parlours (all locations)
**(note) You'll also find not too many Indian restaurants listed here. This is because when I am in Mumbai, my favorite Indian food is at the homes of my family and friends. The best Indian food you can get anywhere :)
***(note) Colaba is one of the areas my mother grew up in Mumbai, and also one of the main areas of the November 26th, 2008 terrorist attacks. :(

Las Vegas:
Social House (Treasure Island Hotel)
Red 8 (The Wynn Hotel)
In 'n Out Burger (Off the Strip)
Okada (The Wynn Hotel)
Noodles (Bellagio Hotel)
N9NE (The Palms Hotel)
Yellowtail (Bellagio Hotel)
Trevi - formerly known as Bertolini's (Caesar's Palace Forum Shops)
Wing Lei (The Wynn Hotel)

Paris:
Les Etoiles (Rue Princesa, St. Germain-des-pres) *i'm sorry, this site is in French
Colette (Rue St. Honore)
Hotel Costes outdoor restaurant
Mood (Champs Elysee)
Pizzeria Napolitaine Chez Bartolo (Rue Canettes, St. Germain-des-pres)

So what do you all think? Have any favorites you'd like me to try or visit again? Let me know!

Heart Meets Life

picture courtesy of the New York Post

SLUM ENCHANTED EVENING

Pls check out this article that my RaakStar just wrote for the NYPost, regarding Bollywood meeting Hollywood at the Golden Globes. It truly was an interesting thing to watch, especially for a girl born to Bombay-ite parents in Jackson Heights, raised in the 'burbs of Dirty Jerz, heart belonging to NYC.