3 weeks away from a city like Bombay can be very hard, especially if you've lived there all your life. When I was first told of the Udaipur trip, I asked myself – but what about the food? How am I supposed to go 3 whole weeks with only tandoori food? But thankfully Udaipur was an absolute haven for a budding foodie like me. You would have to be a brave man to try out the Chinese and the South Indian food at Udaipur, very very mediocre but they do however have a great roadside fast food scene going. There are a finite number of tourist attractions in the city, and the city itself is very small. After a lot of Phulkas and Pulao’s, the guys wanted something different, something that would drive those homesick blues away. Enter Original Pandit Pav Bhaji. Now I have to say, I always thought Pav Bhaji anywhere other than Bombay would be nothing but a disappointment but how I was proven wrong.
The setup is basically a small vegetable cart where the proprietor is busy making the Pav Bhaji, and around the open area there are tiny benches and stools set up. 30 bucks for a plate of piping hot Pav Bhaji sounds a steal. Some of my colleagues were bold enough to say that Pandit Pav Bhaji’s Bhaji was better than anything they've had in Bombay, but I think that’s a little far fetched. This was definitely one of the better Pav Bhaji’s I've had but it still doesn’t come close the real Mumbaiya Pav Bhaji. I think what’s different about the one in Udaipur is that there are a lot more vegetables which some people might like. The Pav’s are cut into smaller pieces which make it easier to eat. I would definitely recommend this place; it’s a pleasant change to the otherwise less spicy food in the rest of Udaipur.
A complete Pav Bhaji experience is not complete without the Gola, Falooda or Ice Cream/Kulfi afterwards. Right next the Pav Bhaji stall is a similar Gola walla; now you can’t possibly go wrong in the preparation of a Gola – I mean it’s basically just crushed ice and Syrup. Kalakattha is always the best flavor available although we were a tad disappointed to not get Bombay’s very own “Aam Panna”. Moving on towards Gujarat Ice Parlour; now I must confess until this trip I had never had a Falooda. I had always heard about it, but strangely the joy of experiencing the pure ecstasy of sipping, licking and slurping your dessert all at once had always eluded me. I did however eventually break my Falooda duck and in some style. Topped with a handsome helping of nuts, vermicelli and ice-cream the Falooda is probably the most filling dessert I’ve ever had. This entire evening was roughly just about 100 bucks a head – now that’s PROPER VALUE for MONEY!!! I would lie to you if I told you that this was the Best Pav Bhaji, Gola or Falooda ever, but it was definitely one of the places that you just can’t miss if you do happen to spend some time in Udaipur. Another such roadside stall was at the Fateh Sagar Lake – Park View Café (now also on Facebook). You know if a road side stall has made its way to Facebook then it must be bloody good. Best cold coffees I’ve ever had. Chunks of Choco chips, ice cream and whipped cream and all of this is just a measly 30 Bucks. All in all a weekend well spent!! And that’s why I didn’t miss Bombay all that much!!!
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