Dakshin Darshan

On my way to the USA, I had a quick dinner at Dakshin, the speciality South Indian restaurant of the ITC Maratha at Mumbai. Here are a couple of pictures from this delightful South Indian restaurant. The mini-dosas they serve as starters are a fun sampling before the actual meal: one was a pesaruttu, made of different varieties of lentils, another made from bananas and dates, and the third of the regular variety.

Castro Street: New Dining Options

Castro Street is the best known dining location if you are in the Mountain View area in the heart of Silicon Valley. On a recent visit, I realized there have been several new restaurant openings, and some are really worth a visit.

Zucca Ristorante opened a few months back bringing new life to Mediterranean cuisine in this bustling tech town. Gary Danko protege Paul Cohen brings some real winners from Greece, Italy and Turkey on to your plate right here in California, at affordable prices to boot!

In N Out in LA

I finally completed another foodie milestone - by eating at In N Out. What looks like another burger chain is actually a California institution with legions of fans who swear by their burgers. The company's dedication to fresh ingredients is reflected in the fact that they do not freeze their meat patties or produce that goes into their burgers.