Hungry in Ujjain
BY APURVA RAI
THE plan to visit Ujjain
materialised at last. The divine feeling of getting the darshan of Lord Shiva
had given us yet another chance to taste some good food in a new city. Pilgrimage is fine, I take it as another
opportunity to enjoy food and flavours in a city you are keen to explore.
We had booked Shipra Residency, operated by Madhya
Pradesh Tourism. The stay came with a complimentary breakfast, but we also
booked a buffet dinner for our family. This saved us from searching different
places because at the end of the day nobody has the energy to run here and
there for food. So you have to look for a place which is close to your hotel. Another
factor was that when you are visiting a highly popular place you should be very
careful about selecting a restaurant for quality and hygiene reasons. Our
decision proved to be good in all ways. This was a nice, comfortable hotel,
close to the railway station. The in-house restaurant dished out good food,
delicious in taste and a variety of dishes to choose from. We enjoyed the two
breakfasts and two dinners in the hotel.
On the first day of our stay, we moved out of the hotel and looked around the nearby area within walking distance. A few yards away The Samsara drew our attention. There were several smaller restaurants or dhabas where the food was available at lower rates but, once again, it is the quality that you are not sure about. It was decided to visit The Samsara and give it a try.
We were deeply impressed by the nicely done entrance
and plush interiors of the restaurant. Quiet dining area, clean seating place,
impressive décor, cutlery, and servings were enough to give us a happy feeling.
No regrets.
SHIPRA RESIDENCY
We stayed here for two days. This entitled us to two
breakfasts and two dinners in their restaurant.
The breakfast is complimentary but we had also booked a buffet dinner for our family. It was a well-thought-out decision because during the daytime we had plans to visit the Mahakal temple on one day, and Omkareshwar, the second day. We had a few hours on the third day which we utilised for some purchases after check-out.
Looking back, I think the buffet breakfast was far
better than the buffet dinner. We enjoyed it as it was rich, tasty and
sumptuous. During those two days there were cutlets, some boiled potatoes
tossed in herbs, idli-sambar, puri-subzi, poha, sliced fruits, bread/ butter
and jam. Those who like a non-vegetarian breakfast can order for omelet. In the
beverage we had tea, coffee, cornflakes and fruit juice. I liked the detox
juice very much and it was unique. What else to start your day!
I looked for boiled eggs, which I think should have
been a standard practice. I largely missed on popular Gujarati snacks like
dhokla or fafda.
The buffet dinner was tasty and sufficient but not
elaborate. If I count, there was everything that completes the list. Both days
we had very good dal (lentils), one paneer dish, one seasonal vegetable, salad,
papad, sweet dish and all. For non-vegetarians there was mutton curry one and egg curry the other. Hot
rotis were served on your table according to your choice. I preferred lachcha
paratha and missi roti which were served promptly on my table. The food tasted
well and was not spicy either. Somehow, dal/roti/subzi didn’t go well for me; I
looked for something more than this. There could be two vegetables or the
Gujarati kadhi or something like that. Dal-bafla is very popular dish in Ujjain
but during our two-day stay we couldn’t get it.
We didn’t touch mutton curry since we had to visit Omkareshwar the next morning. The other day we wanted to relish some non-vegetarian food but the egg curry turned out to be a disappointment. So, it was dal/roti and a little bit of paneer once again. Not to forget that the dal tadka was very good. The paneer was in thick gravy, but was quite rich and heavy. Not very exciting dinner, I would say. I have stopped eating sweets, so it was conveniently spared.
The fact is that when you are touring you don’t look forward to regular stuff like dal/ chawal/roti/subzi; you want something that pampers your taste buds. Some people like parathas for dinner which could be easily provided. I suggest they should add some regional dishes like sev bhaji, papad subzi and so on to bring uniqueness to the menu. This is one thing that will stay in your memories for a long time. One tandoori snack item would have enriched the dinner table.
Despite missing out on a few things, we were happy with the food that was served. We were hungry after a day-long trip and enjoyed the food that was cooked and served with love.
I saw that many people were ordering dinner from their a la carte menu. The menu card listed a wide variety of foodstuffs to choose from. Some people like to choose what they want to eat, unlike the buffet, where you don’t get a choice. The only advantage of a buffet is unlimited quantity.
THE SAMSARA
Our train from Delhi had reached Ujjain during the daytime. After checking in, it was time to move out for lunch as we had already missed our breakfast. Everyone was hungry by noon. We came out of our hotel, Shipra Residency, and took a short walk around the area to get a feel of the city besides looking for a decent restaurant. The priority was to taste some regional food. I had heard about dal-bafla and was keen to try it. There were a couple of roadside small outlets where this stuff was available. We ignored these places as they weren’t clean and we were not ready to compromise on quality or hygiene. We should not forget that when you are touring, make sure to eat only at such places that are good and maintain cleanliness; you cannot afford to fall ill.
Not far, an attractive, colourful, large vertical hoarding caught our attention. We decided to give it a try. The restaurant is on the fourth floor. We were guided by a young boy who took us to the fourth floor in a small elevator. We were happily surprised to see the plush interior. First look convinced us that our decision was right. A word with the executives and a glance across the place convinced us that the quality would be good, hygiene maintained, and the food would be fresh. This was of utmost importance as we were tourists and strangers to the city.
While our order was being readied, I took time to gaze through the attractive interiors of the dining hall. I appreciated the well-organised seating arrangement, tables, the lighting, comfortable seats and fine cutlery. Everything professional.
Soon came our food. Very nicely served and prepared
fresh. Tandoori paratha was served with curd. The kulchas were quite good and
he curd was fresh. There were two reasons to order dal makhani; first, it is my
favourite, and second, it does not taste the same everywhere. My experience
proved true. Dal makhani carried a Gujarati flavour and tasted a little sweet. The
Chinese combo with vegetable fried rice tasted authentic.
So far, so good! We didn’t feel happy about the
quantity, which I notice has become a universal issue. Except for the vegetable biryani all other
dishes that we had ordered were good enough for a single person only. The
biryani, I can say, would suffice for two. I also ordered a masala papad, but
it was a disappointment.
The Samsara also serves Jain food. This is of great help for vegetarians people who are worried about the purity of their diet.
BALRAJ RETREAT
The second day of our trip would take us to Omkareshwar, also known as Shivpuri, on the banks of the Narmada River in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fourth Jyotirlinga among the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. The road trip from Ujjain is long and tiring.
We set out in the morning after having our buffet breakfast at the Shipra Residency. While going we didn’t feel hungry but on our return journey late in the afternoon we felt the need to have some food. We left it to the driver to guide us to a decent place where we could eat something. The driver stopped the car at Balraj Retreat.
The large eating joint is very impressive from the outside where you can find a lot of vehicles halting and tourists stepping out for a bite. The exterior draws your attention. There are two eating places on the premises; one is a fine dining restaurant which is slightly expensive and the other is a large hall with different counters for food. This one is more of a snacks corner for a quick bite. You can get samosa, kachoris, jalebi, dhokla, fafada-kadhi, sweets, lassi/tea/coffee/ cold drinks, kulfi/ice cream and chaat etc. A large number of people in this area brought us too here. There was a self-service system where you have to take a token for the eatables of your choice. The dal kachori and dhokla that we bought was very good and had a bit of Gujarati flavour. We found Mawa Kachori and decided to taste it. I must say this was very unique and tasty. Diabetic people cannot eat this sweet but we shared one piece among us since we also do not have a stable sugar level. Good joint when you’re hungry for food en route to Omkareshwar.
Our two-night an three-day trip to Ujjain concluded on a happy note. I was, at last, able to buy the namkeens and papad packets from the famous Jain Namkeen Bhandar in the Freegunj area.
Paying obeisance at the Ujjain Mahakal Temple with my family.
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