Pondicherry - oh yeah!

Bake. Travel. Bake. Travel. Bake.…

If there were only, only two things in the world I were given a choice of doing, these would be it. I envy people who get to do both and some even get paid for it. Since I am not one of those lucky souls, my better half and I have compromised with at least a twice a year trip to someplace new. Do you think a lifetime would be enough doing this? Nah. So when we do travel, we try to get the most of it - the food (that’s up there in our list, thank God), the local culture, the touristy attractions & the not-so-touristy attractions, among other things.

Ok. So let’s get to the important stuff. This month we traipsed along to Pondicherry, a unique combination of the young and the old, the modern and the traditional, the temples and the churches, the French and the Indian. It is truly a heritage city. And this unique culture reflects on the food as well. Right from the traditional South Indian platter to authentic Creole food, from authentic French desserts to numerous bakeries dotting the city - you’ll get it all here.

So, here’s what not to miss (in no particular order):

Auroville Bakery

Auroville Bakery & Boulangerie: This one’s a tricky! Located right at the entry of Auroville, their products tend to vanish quite fast. Best time to go is probably in the morning because by 4pm most of the good stuff is gone. Please, please do try the vegan chocolate cake. The breads are as popular as the European desserts. They are closed on Sundays, just to save you disappointments.

Solar Kitchen, Visitors’ Centre, Auroville: This Café is unique because as the name suggests, the kitchen uses solar energy for its cooking. Food is simple, delicious and healthy. Right from quiches, pizzas to Indian meals. Try their health thali and hibiscus juice - it’s delicious.

Le Dupleix Restaurant, White Town, Pondicherry: This one’s a stylist restaurant with excellent food and good service. We loved their European appetisers (brandy infused chicken, Bruschetta, Signature smoked chicken) and in fact made a meal out of these. Their raw mango margherita was refreshing in the summer heat as was the homemade coffee & cinnamon ice cream. They have thrown in few history lessons too with the menu, which is charming. In fact, this building was the Mayor’s residence back in 18th century.

European starters at Le Dupleix are just amazing!

Health thali at Solar Kitchen, near Visitors' Centre, Auroville

Homemade coffee & cinnamon ice cream.. Yumm!

Don't have a 'Before' photo.. Sorry!

Carte Blanche, Hotel De L'orient, White Town, Pondicherry: This place serves absolutely authentic Creole food and we loved it. The options are limited but this ensures quality is good. We tried the Gaspascho (a cold soup), crepes stuffed with mushroom & cheese and the mutton coconut curry. Their Triple Chocolate (chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream and mousse) is yummy – by the time we thought of taking a photo, these were licked clean! Service could most definitely be upped though.

La Casita, Eeshawaran Koil Street, Pondicherry: This one’s a little gem! A charming café serving a mix of Latin American & Tibetan food. The menu is small but absolutely delicious. Their momos and chicken curry is most recommended. But what we adored is their ambience. This one’s cheap on the pocket and a must visit.

Peaceful & charming La Casita

Famous Chicken momos

Apart from this, a few other food experiences in Pondicherry: hot Masala milk at Kofi bar on Saint Martin road, off the Promenade; Coffee/ice cream cone at Le Café at midnight which is best known for its seaside view; and finally, there is no dearth of fried street food anywhere in the Tamil quarters.   

You are going to have one gastronomic food experience in this city!

P.S. If you have suggestions, feel free to drop in at the comments section. I don't mind adding to that list of reasons for going back. ;-)

Till next time,
Cheers