Calories Not Worth Losing - A Food Trail

One of the plus points of running a bike store is getting to meet crazy people you otherwise won't. The other day I met Jochen (pronounced Yohen) at the store. He has been traveling around the world on bicycle for the last 2.5 years and had stopped over for some help on his bike. After spending a couple of hours hearing his jaw dropping adventure stories, I came to know that Jochen is in town for one more day. So I invited him for tour cum dinner trip of old city. Obviously on the bicycle! This post is primarily going to be a foodie post, but those of you who want to know more about Jochen should have a look at his portal - http://nomadic-freedom.de

Come saturday evening, a few more riders joined  and we headed to the old city. I had  an itinerary in mind (courtesy :http://chowdersingh.com/), and the first scheduled stop was Iqbal Cafe on Purani Haveli Road, near Charminar. This place, I have been told, makes some delicious Lukhmi and Irani Chai.

Iqbal Cafe on Purani Haveli Road, our first stop

Crisp from outside, but take a bite and it melts in our mouth

Irani chai being served. One of the best I ever had.

A sip of Irani Chai

The place is 50 years old and quite a hit among locals. The chai was mean, and not overly creamy. Everybody had at least 2 cups each. The lukhmi was yummy and literally melts in mouth. To be frank , I have had lukhmi at few other places, but this is the first time I really loved it.

The next stop was an unplanned one. Couple of our veggie friends had to let go the Lukhmis, and they wanted a grab. Hussaini Naan just a few shops away on the Purani Haveli Road caught our eyes.

Hussaini Naan

Naans coming out from the clay tandoors

Crisp from outside, and soft inside

Getting ready for a marriage function

The place has the ambience and looked like a century old.  The naans were coming right out of the oven. They were getting made in 2 shapes. We were told the square ones are the ones which are consumed on daily basis. The heart shaped ones are reserved for special occasions  We tried out a couple of them. they were soft and nice, but I guess you need something to accompany them.

Our next stop which was Kabab-e-Jahangir, but everyone was thirsty. So there we were , at a road side sugarcane juice vendor, Abul Barkaat Sugar Cane Juice. Rs 5/ glass if you opt for the one with ice, Rs 10 a glass without ice

The thirst quencher - Sugarcane juice

Sugarcane Juice

Feeling recharged after a few juices, we parked our bikes around Charminar and walked down to Kabab-e-Jahangir, around 100 metres away from Charminar

Kababs on coal at Kabab-e-Jahangir

Waiting for more happiness to arrive.

Although we received a warm welcome, I was kind of disappointed by the kebabs. The kebabs were nothing spectacular and I thought I have had better kebabs at another road side vendor close by Charminar. But nevertheless, we had a great time.

Having a good time at Famous Ice Cream.

Last stop - the 50 year old ice cream joint Famous Ice Cream opposite Mozamzai market. When we reached there, it was close to midnight. The place was teeming with people. We opted for the fresh fruit flavours of litchi, mango, chikku and kharbuja.  These are hand churned and the chiku in particular tasted delicious. 

Jochen is a big fan of tropical fruits. So we went ahead and ordered some fruit salad with ice cream. That was accompanied by some astonishing real life experience from Yochen, and time just flew.  

As we were talking, the lights went off and the noises turned to whispers. Apparently the midnight patrolling was on. We finished the ice creams in a hurry. It was time to ride back home.