FOOTPRINTS OF BUDDHA TOUR

Places to Eat

Mumbai - Aurangabad - Bhopal - Orchha - Khajuraho - Varanasi - Bodhgaya - Patna - Lumbini - Kathmandu

Mumbai

Mumbai is much more of a town where you would ask "what to eat" rather than "where to eat". It's history of cuisine is rich and ancient. From Irani cafes to street stalls it's much more adventurous to stick to the "middle" rather than "elite" restaurants for the true flavors of Mumbai gastronomical heritage. Here's a few suggestions:

Chaats - great snack food

Vada Pav - a mashed potato (vada) patty sandwich (pav) with liberal helpings of chutneys

Pav Bhaji - mashed vegetables cooked in spices, topped with butter and served piping hot with pav

Bhel Puri - comprised mostly of puffed rice and assorted spices with a few chutneys - a fav at Juhu

Pani Puri - the vendor hands you a plate - he takes a puri (it looks like a brown golf ball), makes a small hole in it, and dips the puri into two jars - one a water tangy tamarind sauce, the other a spicy minty sauce - top it off with some condiments and places the puri on your plate. Pop the whole thing into your mouth. The outcome is an explosion of flavors.

Bhurji - a mash of eggs and chopped tomato, onion, chili, and lots of oil, with pav

Other Specialty Foods

Irani Cafes - Persian styled cafes opened by 19th century Persian migrants from Iran. These cafes were created specifically as places for commuters to pass time waiting for connections and, thus, have a unique lazy atmosphere. The joints are best known for their "Irani Chai", "Bun-Maska/Maska Pav" (bread and butter) and Egg Omlette. Also are popular their assorted snacks, like Kheema-na-Patice, samosas, mava-na-cakes, etc. One of the the best dish which is almost always on the menu is Kheema (prepared from ground meat) and pav (bread).

Thaalis - a complete meal arranged on your plate, with a roti or chappati, rice, and many different varieties of curries and curd. Ordering a thali is a popular option when you are hungry and in a hurry as it is usually served blazingly fast. Most mid-level restaurants have a thali on the menu, at least during lunch hours. Occasionally, they are "unlimited", which means that some of the items are all-you-can-eat.

Authentic Marathi Cuisine - the ethnic cuisine of native Mumbai-ites - some notable dishes include Sabudana Wada, Batata Wada, Missal, Kanda Poha, Zunka Bhakari, Kokam Sarbat and Solkadhi

Aurangabad

Aurangabad offers a wide variety of cuisine from star category hotels to budget restaurants.

Bhoj (near Varad Ganesh Mandir) is one of the oldest Thaali restaurants in the city. The thaali dishes change daily and the thaali is neither spicy nor very oily. Recommended and worth a visit, especially for foreigners

Residency (Restaurant at Taj) at Ruza Buag, Harsool Road - serves excellent Indian, Chinese and Continental food in traditional Mughal decor and cozy ambiance

Society (Restaurant at the Ambassador Ajanta) on Jalna Road - multi - cuisine restaurant serves Indian, Chinese and Continental food

Restaurant at Rama International on Jalna Road - multi-cuisine

Relish (Restaurant at the Windsor Castle) on Jalgaon Road, CIDCO - feast on Chinese, Continental and Indian culinary delights

Bhopal

Hotel Jehanuma Palace - serves awesome North Indian delicacies
Hotel Noor us Sabah - excellent on-premise restaurants
Generation Next - eclectic mix
Filfora - a very good place for Mughlai delicacies

Orchha

Didi's Coffee Shop - great coffee and snacks
Open Sky Restaurant - good local fare
Tithi Restaurant at Hotel Sheesh Mahal - good veg/non-veg food
Ram Raja - great veg thaalis

Khajuraho

The Greenview Restaurant - very colorful place to eat with the best cook in town
Paradise Restaurant - small but cozy restaurant offering delicious, and inexpensive meals. It is also very clean establishment with helpful and friendly staff. Try the breakfast specialty of mango pancakes
Blue Sky - a rooftop dining area offering views over the Western group of temples - excellent Indian cuisine
La Dolce Vita - Italian-theme restaurant, rooftop dining and hearty breakfasts
La Terraza - Italian fare
Mediterranean Restaurant - a Greek delicacy café with rooftop dining
Apsara Radisson Jass - eclectic
Raja Cafe - popular restaurant run by two Swiss sisters - and great Swiss food
Madras Coffee House - specializing in Southern Indian cuisine
Punjab Restaurant - great tandoori
Agrawal Veg Restaurant - great quality vegetarian food, specially alu tamatar and boondi raita. Specialty Jain dishes are served up by friendly waiters

Varanasi

Nice Cafe - Bengali Tola - great home cooked food by a mom and her family. Eat in their home kitchen - very clean and friendly with reasonable prices. Check out the garlic cheese nan and the pancakes!

Filocafe - free WiFi and electrical outlets available to all, offers 45 types of teas, real espresso coffee and creative varieties of fresh juices and munchies.

Aum Ayurvedic Cafe - Ayurvedic and organic food, vegan and vegetarian, friendly atmosphere, free WiFi

Megu Cafe - has excellent vegetarian Japanese food made by a Japanese woman who settled in Varanasi a number of years ago

Open Hand Shop & Cafe - the bakery has daily fresh bread, cakes, pies & various pastries. Also serving set breakfast, salads, breadrolls and fruit salad. The espresso-based coffees and fresh fruit smoothies are the main attractions. Free Internet

Flavours Cafe, Lanka - great coffee and desserts. Strong filter coffee and lighly accented lattes with a quiet ambiance make for a needed break from the city. Free wireless is also a plus.

Brown Bread Bakery - good bakery run by Indians and Nepalese. Breads and pastries made from so called organically grown ingredients. Also a nice range of cheeses. There's a huge menu including Continental, Italian, Tibetan, Chinese, Thai and Indian classics

Zaika - Indian / Chinese dishes; try the sweet-corn-pakoras

Moti Mahal Delux - one of the best Indian and Mughlai restaurants in the city

Benarasi Delicacies

Shiv Lassi Bhandar - Lassi with layers of Malai and Rabri. Superb Stuff!
Kashi Chat Center - good assortment of exotic chats. Try out the Aloo Tikia Chat!

Rabri/Malai S - fresh rabri and malai in the evening - fantastic! One of

Madhur Jalpan - a shop that has been frequented by more than two prime ministers of India! In a small alleyway but the sweets are to die for

Bodhgaya

Cafe Om - excellent pastries, great food, popular meeting place
Bowl of Compassion Cafe - serves delicious Indian and international cuisine
Be Happy Cafe - specializes in thin crust pizzas, Italian pastas, sandwiches in thick bread, freshly made cakes, homemade granola for breakfast and a variety of coffees

Patna

Litti Chokha - a local specialty. Litti is a ball-shaped stuffed preparation with a shell made of wheat flour. Fillings may include gram flour and a combination of condiments and spices. Chokha is smoked eggplant or tomato, accompanies litti. The smoked tomato or eggplant is mashed and dressed with coriander leaves, shredded green chilies and mustard oil, which gives a distinct flavor to the chokha.

Patna Chaat - authentic tamarind flavor highlights the samosa and tikki chaats

Sweets - Peda and Kalakand, which are preparations from condensed milk

Anarsa - a rice flour shell with khoya filling

Dahi Chura Chini - a mixture of curd, beaten rice and sugar

Makhana - a soft fruit grown in water, fried lightly with salt

Lumbini

3 Foxes Rooftop Restaurant

Kathmandu

Kathmandu = fantastic and diverse food

Momos Restaurant - the place is based on the "must eat" Tibetan dumpling - try them fried or steamed stuffed with buffalo, chicken, or veggies

There are dozens of tourist restaurants clustered in the Thamel district serving everything from Middle Eastern to Mexican food. Indian and Nepali dishes are always the best tasting and best value. Here's a short list:

Helena's Rooftop Restaurant - the tallest rooftop restaurant in Kathmandu with great evening views. Great regional and Western cuisine - said to have the best breakfast

Thamel House Restaurant - has a beautiful garden, very cozy and calm. Offers wonderful Nepalese meals and friendly service

Aqua Java Zing - serving amazing international gourmet cuisine - risottos, pastas, Thai curry, stone oven pizza, decadent desserts, and famously good coffee.

Krua Thai - the best Thai food in Kathmandu

La Dolce Vita - great Italian

Tashi Delek - Tibetan restaurant with good Mexican/ Italian dishes

Everest Steak House - traditional pre-or post-trekking feast: Massive steaks cooked just right

Fire & Ice - popular with Westerners - stone-baked pizzas, chocolate ice cream desserts

Himalayan Java - wonderful pizza and fantastic paninis

Or2K - great middle eastern food - falafel and the homemade mint juice

Bakery Cafe - local chain - great place to have momos, beer and sizzlers (steak with butter sauce and noodles). It is essentially considered "the McDonald's of Nepal" due to its popularity.

Chez Caroline - excellent French food and salads

Bawarchi - superb Indian and Chinese food specializing in kathi rolls (fried flat bread wrap with spicy meat, paneer or veg filling). Great for lunchtime snacks or evening meals.