The Shop at The Andaz Hotel

After gleefully obtaining my copy of Steig Larsson's 'The Girl who Played with Fire' and Henning Mankell's 'Man from Beijing' within an hour or so of frantically searching almost every book shelf on the ground floor of the NY Public Library, I walked out onto 5th avenue and a block later into a set of large Mahogany doors. 'Andaz' a word (both Hindi and Urdu) means style or an expression of style, in music, in language and in one's way of living. In this case each Andaz boutique hotel under the umbrella of the Hyatt chain in New York or London is a unique experience of a particular neighborhood and it's history.

For some reason this afternoon my craving for tomato soup was quite powerful.  I decided to put the restaurant to my tomato soup test. You know if tomato soup from a restaurant menu can taste fantastic everything else will be even better. I took the risk and with the first spoonful made up my mind: the best tomato soup in New York city is served at The Shop at the Andaz Hotel.

Tomato Soup $ 10
Lemonade $ 4
Tax $ 1.24
Total $ 15.24


485, 5th Avenue
New York, NY
Tel: 212-601-1234

On the Road Again

On every voyage to India, I am constantly reminded of the many reasons several ancient and current civilizations have practiced trade in India. From silks and cotton, to spices, wood, tea, coffee and what have you. in every roadside or country market there is an abundance of fresh fruits, grain, local delicacies, and vegetables.  From acres of fields of mustard and wheat in the North to the dozens of varieties of bananas available in the Southern states, the sheer magnitude of the bounty that mother earth has provided in this ancient land is breathtaking.

Prayer calls from mosques, temples and gurudwaras mingle with the chants of the hawkers selling their wares. Tea stalls constantly filling with men and women at every hour for their tea break, street side dhabas preparing seasonal fare, between charpoys,
shrines to
various gods
and saints.

The best part is that you don't have to spend a fortune. Eating local and eating delicious is a way of life.