What is your absolute favorite restaurant in India?

My favorite is Kanishka (veg) in Jaisalmer. If you try it, get the most expensive thali on the menu (around Rs 100), then splurge on the "special ice cream" (strawberry with chocolate sauce, dried fruit and nuts). So good that I had to go there three times in two weeks.

You'll need to take a rickshaw to get there -- it's almost out of town.

I've run into so many memorable meals in nondescript places I don't remember the names of. I don't go to many fancy-looking places as I'm often on my own or travelling with others on limited budgets. One particular favorite though, and pardon it's lack of exclusiveness (it has nr1 listing in LP for Panjim restaurants) is the Hotel Venite with its decayed colonial charm, excellent Goan food, and pleasant waiters. It is the sort of place that makes me look forward to the occasional day-trip into Panjim.

An amazing meal I had was a vegetarian Punjabi thali (about Rs65) in an upstairs restaurant opposite Chennai egmore station on the corner of Kennet lane, next time I am in Chennai it will be the first place I go to.

The place is called vasanta bhavan.

idly idly idly idly...... the RRR restaurant in Mysore was my best thali complete with 4 chutneys

This may sound really bad, but I'm going to suggest a Tex-Mex restaurant. After three months of having lots of good (and some not-so-good) Indian food, we were really craving a change. In Chennai, we came across a new-looking place on Cathedral, or Dr. Radhakrishnan, Road. It's between Anna Salai and the Savera Hotel, on the left, if you're coming from Anna Salai.

They have apparently imported a lot of the kitchen equipment and food in an attempt to recreate the food as accurately as possible, and they do. You name it, they can make it and make it well. All dishes come with sides of jalapenos (sp?), guacamole, salsa and sour cream, and they're refilled if they run out. I've been living in Japan for four years, and there is a serious dearth of good Tex-Mex or Mexican food restaurants (though I found one recently, if you're in Central Japan...) so I was pleasantly surprised to find one in India.

The only drawback is that there were no margaritas. And beware of the portion sizes as they are HUGE. They are only open for dinner, so maybe you could just not eat anything or light snacks during the day to save space (and cash, it's not outrageously expensive, but it's not cheap). Anyway, sorry if this isn't in keeping with the whole Indian spirit of things, but it's hard to remember lots of the restaurants' names, and lots of times I didn't even look at the names. The restaurant in the Prem Nivas hotel in Madurai had a good thali, if I remember correctly.

I have eaten there also, and yeah it's pretty good. I know what you mean about when you get into a cycle of not-so good meals and then you start losing weight like crazy you need a good decent meal that your stomach is familiar with to get back to the "movement of solids" as I will call it here. One day Taco Bell will open in India and it will be like a gift from the gods.


Mike

After the last 2 replies I feel safe to post this one.

There is a restaurant chain from Portugal in Great Britain that goes by the name of Nando's.

Not being a fan of European food, I reluctantly agreed to meet a Bangladeshi friend at one of the Nando’s restaurants.

To my amazement I had the best 'spicy' chicken I’ve ever had.

The best meal ever, i mean ALL over the world , i had in Tansen, Nepal (i know, it's an India board, but i guess i'm not the only one here that's been in Nepal).
The White Lake Hotel in Tansen, i had a (well, a lot of times) Chicken Curry + chapatti's .
I did'nt stay in the hotel, but if they still have the same cook, drop in there, you won't regret .

I have to agree with KathSF

I have just tried the kanishka restaurant in Jaisalmer, wow, amazing food.

it is only a five minute walk from Gandhi chawk.

Rs150 for a `kanishka special' thali including ice cream after the meal.

If anybody knows of a better thali please post details.

I went back to the excellent kanishka restaurant in Jaisalmer, this time I took 3 guests from the hotel I stayed at, I had a different meal this time (great food) but on my recommendation the other 3 had kanishka special (thali).

To my horror when it arrived the black dhal I had the day before (the best thing in the thali for me) had been replaced by normal (cheaper) yellow dhal.

When I pointed this out they said that is what is served today, when I pointed out the description on the menu, they seemed shocked I knew the difference, I had to let it drop because the others were not complaining. (And all thought the food was excellent)

The next time I go to Jaisalmer, kanishka will still be the first place I go to, but I will insist when ordering that I get the black dhal.

i have also eaten at the place that steven ber mentions in chennai across from the train station on the corner. that place is great. one of the highlights for me in chennai.
i also love purohit on veer nariman road in mumbai, the road that goes from churchgate station down to marine drive. they do a great gujarati style thali. that little pizza place at the end ot the road on the corner of marine drive is good too if you're craving that.
BUT my all time favorite for food and atmospehere is THE MANGO TREE in Hampi. this place is amazing. the setting is beautiful, if you go to hampi, you gotta find this place. killer homemade mango pickle there too!!!

What restaurant are you most looking forward to seeing again?

For me, it's the 'Full Moon' beach shack near where I'm staying in Goa. the chef has been running it for a number of years and has a limited number of seafood dishes each day and prepares them really really well. there isn't another restaurant, or anything else, for several hundred meters, the floor is sand, the view is specacular.

mike

Well, the only place I'm really revisiting is Varanasi and when I was there last I stayed at the Vishnu Lodge and didn't have much money left so ate at their restaurant most of the time - extremely cheap meals served there with a great view over the river. This time I'll try a few more there though.... does anyone have any recommendations?

Any unmissable dining experiences in Khajuraho, Orccha, Mandu, Omkareshwar, or Ajanta/Ellora? Pass them on, please.

high

first I have to say that I m a professional cook....
so many times I try to speak to the cooks in indian restaurants..they are quite eager to learn something about western food......
so in exchange they show me how to prepare indian dishes..
in orrcha I learned how to make bharfis and some other pastry
it s really good fun...
in exchange I teached the cook how to make german noodles...
normally non-hindus are not allowed to visit a kitchen..but many
times it s not a problem at all...

by the way which cuisine you like the most in asia?
for me as professional it s vietnamese cooking...
second thai..
and third indian food...


so if anybody has some questions about cooking....go ahead!


enjoy your meal!

I wouldn't describe the following places (restaurants, I mean) as exactly unmissible but we thought the food was pretty good.

ORCHHA
The Ram Raja Restaurant. Last place on the right hand side just before the bridge which leads to the Sheesh Mahal. Good fresh vegetarian food. If you order potatoes with peas they start shelling the peas. Tables outside though where you can wait for your meal and chat with other travellers. If you like Indian sweets try the special fudge they make in Orchha, available near the "live" temple in the large courtyard in front.

KHAJURAHO
Don't remember the name of the place but it's in a small courtyard on the same side of the road but just before the entrance to the main group of temples. There are a couple of eating places here but it's the one on the left hand side of the courtyard. Again good fresh veg food cooked as you wait and excellent nan breads.

MANDU
We stayed at the Roopmati Hotel and also ate there. Tasty veg food and we especially enjoyed the cashew curry. I think they also do non-veg and beers.

Don't know about Ajanta/Ellora, we stayed in Aurangabad and we haven't been to Omkareshwar.

paan wallah
I am an amateur cook, for family and friends only. I cook mainly Indian food but also some Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai dishes and a variety of European dishes. Not many British dishes in my repertoire - I wonder why? Good to know we have a pro on the site. If I get into trouble I will PM you.
Bon appetit