Food And All That with Nikhil

09/02/2026

Jumping on the viral AI caricature trend! 😄
Loving how AI turns selfies into fun cartoons that celebrate who we are and what we do.

26/01/2026

Breakfasts that remind you why classics never go out of style.
Post the Vintage Car Rally, we found ourselves doing what old timers in Bombay did best i.e. slowing down and breakfasting well.
We landed at Ga***rd, Churchgate and instantly felt wrapped in old-world charm. From the courteous, efficient staff to the refined yet relaxed crowd, everything felt reassuringly timeless. I ordered a veg club sandwich, hearty, comforting, and perfectly done. My brother and father went for omelettes, served with classic hash browns and toast, beautifully presented in a classic toast rack (a detail that instantly won my heart). Add to that the ceramic plates with Ga***rd’s branding, the calm service, and the attention to detail and you’re reminded that dining was once an experience, not a transaction.
In a fast-food world, glad to see that at Ga***rd, they've stayed elegant, unhurried, and memorable.

[Ga***rd, Mumbai, Churchgate, South Bombay, Bombay Heritage, Vintage Car Rally, Classic Dining, Old World Charm, Toast Rack, Hash Browns, Veg Club Sandwich, Heritage Restaurant, Breakfast Culture, Mumbai Food Scene, Iconic Restaurants, Timeless Dining, Colonial Era Cafés, Elegant Service]

18/01/2026

We had barely exited the Sunil's wax museum at a Mall in Lonavala when Mrs. Katyal spotted a stall with this huge espresso machine placed right in the front. Just the sight of the machine and its whoosh made both of us want a cup of coffee. And it wasn't much later that an order was placed for two cups of Shadi wali coffee!

In Hindustani, Shadi stands for a wedding and Shadi wali coffee translates to Coffee served at weddings. Coffee at most North Indian homes wasn't a daily affair, well, at least not in the 90s, when I was growing up in Lucknow. Most people we knew were tea consumers. Consumers may be an understatement, more like tea guzzlers! And like tea, coffee too was prepared over a gas stove, with lots of milk and copious amounts of sugar. Sometimes we would pester our parents to treat us with some 'Machine wali coffee' when it wasn't the weddings' season.

Another reason we stuck to nomenclatures such as shadi wali coffee or machine wali coffee was that in the 90s, terms like Espresso, Café Latte, Cappuccino, amongst others, were still unheard of in small towns like Lucknow. The only coffee place that we knew was the quintessential Indian Coffee House at the upmarket Hazratganj. And if I recollect correctly, they too stuck to Hot Coffee, Special Hot Coffee and similar other options on their menu.

At home, tea or coffee was never encouraged in children, so weddings were the only occasions when we were allowed to have coffee. As the guy would finish steaming the milk and coffee mix in the steel jugs, we would eagerly wait for him to pour it into the disorderly laid cups, sometimes of ceramic, but mostly of polystyrene. But just coffee whooshed under the machine and then poured out steaming hot wasn't the end of the story. The sprinkle of fine chocolate powder (almost, always Cadbury's) over each cup was the cherry on the cake. As kids, we all secretly wished for it to be sprinkled more generously.

Voilà, the coffee is served!

09/01/2026

Spotted something seasonal & special.
These are pigeon pea pods (toor/tuvar), a vegetable many in North India rarely see because it’s usually grown for dal, not eaten fresh. Very Maharashtrian, very short-season. I’ve seen it many times, but finally stopped to buy some. It took me back to a pre-Covid Palghar–Mumbai road trip, where I once ate methi malai toor (no ginger-garlic, Navratri special!) and it’s been stuck in my food memory ever since. Can’t wait to cook this at home.

[Seasonal vegetables, Indian food stories, pigeon peas, toor, tuvar, Maharashtrian food, regional Indian cuisine, local produce, food memories, Palghar, Mumbai]

01/01/2026

Happy New Year 2026.

31/12/2025

The year that was - 2025
2025. Somewhere between routine and curiosity, this year also became one of learning and experimentation. Not just with places and travel, but with ideas, especially how technology can help tell older stories in newer ways.
Exploring AI as a creative tool opened up exciting possibilities. Stories of British tiffins, the chappan bhog traditions, railway foods, eating with hands, or post-Partition food memories like bread halwa found new life through visuals shaped by artificial intelligence.
AI can become a bridge, helping history, tradition and culture feel more accessible, more visual, and more engaging. Not replacing research or memory, but enhancing how these stories are shared.

25/12/2025

Merry Christmas 🎁🎄

24/12/2025

19/12/2025

15/12/2025

Lucknow wrapped in malai.

Some places aren’t just sweet shops, they’re habits. Ram Asrey, Lucknow, is one of them. It’s a name woven into the city’s everyday food culture. Their legendary Malai Gilauri is reason enough to visit: soft, gently sweet, and utterly indulgent. I’ve read about it, chased it, and always make it a point to stop by when I’m nearby. This time I was staying close, so of course I went. Bought the Malai Gilauri, savoured every bite, and walked away reminded why Ram Asrey never disappoints.

30/08/2025

Indians never just adopt food, they reimagine it. Pizza may have come from Italy, but on our plates, it wears the masala proudly. Think of the smoky charm of a tandoori paneer pizza, or the fiery kick of chicken iikka pizza. Add in masala corn with chaat masala sprinkled just right, and you’ve got something that feels like it belongs at a street corner of an Indian city as much as in an Italian restaurant.
For most Indians, nothing beats the butter chicken or paneer versions. Those are indulgent, unapologetic, and so-Indian. What’s even better? The neighborhood joints here in India, not just the big chains, experiment with toppings: green chilies, keema, and even pav bhaji.
That’s the beauty of desi pizza, it’s comfort food that keeps evolving. Which one would you pick for your plate today?