Ahmedabad’s Vishalla Restaurant: Lip Smacking Gujarati Food served in a Rustic Setting

A trip to Ahmedabad isn’t complete without tasting some of its traditional food. If you ask me, Gujarati cuisine has to be one of the better ones in the world of Indian gastronomy. In one of my earlier posts, I had talked about Chandravilas restaurant, a 120 year old restaurant located in the heritage city of Ahmedabad for your pick of traditional Gujarati breakfast. This article is for those traditional Gujarati lunches and dinners in the city of Ahmedabad. And the place that I want to talk about is Vishalla Restaurant, traditionally themed and that serves Gujarati heaven in a true rustic setting.



Communal eating style, in-house cow farms, vegetable and fruit produce procured straight from the farmers and a menu to die for are some of the trump cards of Vishalla restaurant. And all of this is served in a lovely green space that is beautifully done up with mud huts, thatched roofs, traditional utensils, environment friendly practices and a super hospital staff decked up in rustic style clothing. It is the kind of place where you are transported to gastronomic heaven with every bite. It is that kind of place that should be visited by every food lover in Ahmedabad. It is that kind of place where you arrive for brunch and leave late after dinner.



The Gujarati Thali is the main attraction to be experienced here. Costing about 650 rupees per plate, it is only recommended to those who can pack a serious appetite as it consists of everything from bhakri, Bajri na rotla, Makai na Rotla, Khichdi, Thepla, Kadhi, Farsan, Shak, chutneys, salads and sweets and that can knock you out for a good many hours. If you cannot handle the mighty Thali, you can opt for any of the above through the a-la-carte menu. The quantity is still very decent and the price is a bit lower. If you love milk products, don’t miss out their lassi, butter milk and fresh tea as their in-house cows make the taste legendary. If you have a sweet tooth, you can try anything from Sukhdi, shiro, Jalebi, Gulab Jamun, Churma Ladoo, Gaajar na Halvo, Handvo, Doodhi na Halvo to Kopra Pak and Magas Ladoo. Each item is bound to take you to the stars and back.



The price is a bit on the higher side, but the quality and taste is un-paralleled and hence I think it is total value for money. The makkhan (white butter) made in-house from the milk of the cows in their farm is possibly the best makkhan I have had in many years. And each item from the menu that I had made me croon with joy. And hence it is of no wonder that esteemed personalities like Narendra Modi, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and many others have visited this place. And all of them have sat cross legged in these mud huts and enjoyed the Gujarati food specialties without any air-conditioning or other modern day luxuries that we crave for these days. Such is the aura of the food served here! So, the next time you visit India’s only UNESCO World Heritage city of Ahmedabad, do remember to drop in to Vishalla restaurant for lunch or dinner. You won’t be disappointed.

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Don’t miss having Traditional Gujarati Breakfast here after your Ahmedabad Heritage Walk

May be, it is not as popular as South Indian or Punjabi, but I have to let you know that Gujarati breakfast has as much deliciousness and variety, if not more. The only sad thing is that it is not available all over the country and one has to be in Gujarat to enjoy it completely.



With dishes like Khakhra, Fafda, Khaman, Jalebi, Patrode, Methi Muthia, Methi na Gota and more, a traditional Gujarati breakfast is an instant trip to gastronomic heaven. Now, a lot of you might say that most of these dishes are deep-fried and are unhealthy, but we Indians love deep-fried stuff on our breakfast plates. There is the iconic vada in the South, the deep-fried Puri and Jalebi in the East and the ubiquitous Chole Bhature in the north. Jokes apart, there are healthy options even in Gujarati food. The Khaman, which is steamed chickpea flour and yoghurt and tempered with spices, is a fantastic power packed and healthy option and it is served with sweet kadi, which is a great shot of healthy probiotics with a protein powered breakfast. And it is super delicious too. And there is the khakhra, which is the traveler’s favorite. I would not at all mind starting my day with khakhra and a hot cup of masala chai.



Now, the reason I am giving you all this information is because there is a 120 year old iconic restaurant that serves some of the best traditional Gujarati breakfast in Ahmedabad. If you are doing a Ahmedabad heritage walk, you will be in its vicinity and even if you are not going on a heritage walk through the walled city, I would still recommend going here for at least one breakfast on your visit to Ahmedabad. Located on Gandhi road and super close to the famous landmarks of Jama Masjid and Manek chowk, Chandravilas restaurant is a simple place on a busy street, but when it comes to dishing our traditional Gujarati food, they pack a serious punch. It is one of those places that I would return to in a heartbeat. You could either have a mix breakfast Thali (for INR 65) to get a taste of all traditional Gujarati dishes or like a true Gujarati, you could order Fafda and Jalebi. Whatever you order, the food will pack you with enough protein, calories and deliciousness to power a good portion of your day. A heritage walk of the walled city of Ahmedabad is possibly the best way to burn it all and leave you with absolutely no guilt. I recommend this place big time!

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Treebo Ambassador: Great Budget Hotel to Explore Heritage City of Ahmedabad

I am the kind of traveler who loves staying close to all the action, especially if I happen to be exploring a large city. And hence when I was planning to explore India’s only world heritage city of Ahmedabad, I pretty much started looking for good hotels in the vicinity of the walled city. The requirements were simple: budget hotel, modern creature comforts and ease of access to the heritage sites.  And that is when my search took me to Treebo Ambassador Hotel, that is located near the Nehru bridge area of Ahmedabad. Treebo Hotels, which is a new chain of budget hotels across India, had good reviews and ratings and thus I took the plunge and ended up staying 2 days and 2 nights with them. This property review is based on this recent experience of mine.

Fantastic Location



I cannot rave enough about the location of this hotel. It is just a 4 minute walk to Siddi Syed Mosque (one of the icons of Ahmedabad’s rich heritage), about a 10 minute walk to Manek Chowk (the main market area and the evening food street) and just a couple of kilometers from the railway station, if you happen to enter or exit via Indian Railways. And the ease of access also augurs very well if you are interested in going on those early morning or late evening heritage walks in the walled city. Even the Sabarmati river front is just a stone’s throw away. All in all, Treebo Ambassador hotel enjoys fantastic location.

Quiet Rooms

One of the perils of staying in the city center, especially in an Indian city is the high level of noise owing to the busy nature of the location. I was so happy when I found out that my room in the hotel was super quiet. After a day out in the busy city, all we need is a good night’s sleep and a super quiet room goes a long way in getting that done.

Modern Comforts at a Budget Price



Each room of Treebo Ambassador offers adjustable air-conditioning, satellite television, running hot showers, good quality wi-fi, comfortable mattresses and pillows, hot water kettles with coffee and tea sachets and well lit rooms. Personally, I would have preferred a little firmer and taller mattress, but otherwise it was fine. And all of this is usually available for below INR 2000 per night per room. If you catch a season discount or any co-branded cashbacks, you could potentially get it for a much cheaper price.

Complimentary Breakfast and In-House Restaurant

The in-house restaurant dishes out some good food, which I got to try a couple of times. The complimentary breakfast is simple, but tasty fare. The only suggestion would be to start breakfast at 7 AM instead of 8 AM, so that it enables all those early morning heritage walks and for those who have early morning checkouts.

Helpful Front Desk

Check-in and check-out was a breeze for me and the front desk were kind enough to help answer my various questions like, how to get here, which is best place to eat Gujarati lunch, how far is this location and so on and so forth. In this day and era of Google Maps, Uber, Ola and good connectivity, all the information is usually found on the web and we usually don’t need much guidance, but it is always nice to get a local’s perspective. And I got all of this with a smiling face, which is very much comforting when you are traveling.

Verdict



Overall, if you are looking for a good budget hotel in the vicinity of the heritage city of Ahmedabad, but at the same time that is not too far away from the riverfront, I would recommend you to take a look at Treebo Ambassador Hotel, a great pick of the many budget hotels in Ahmedabad. It is one of those places that offer good value for money while providing you modern day comforts.I would certainly recommend it!

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India’s Only UNESCO World Heritage City: Totally deserves that name tag!

We all know about UNESCO World Heritage sites and we know that they hold a special place in the world. But, what about UNESCO world heritage cities? What kind of importance do they hold in our history?



Well, the way I see it, there is a whole lot of charm associated with UNESCO world heritage cities. It is a series of sights, monuments, history and experiences that keep you in awe all throughout. It offers us the opportunity to experience the glory of our past and the near perfect destination a tourist looks for.



Some immediate examples that come to my mind are Colombia’s Quito, Laos’s Luang Prabang, Vietnam’s Hoi An, Italy’s Rome, Iran’s Isfahan, Belgium’s Bruges, Austria’s Salzburg and Israel’s Jerusalem. While all of these are fabulous cities in their own right, I was always saddened that there was no Indian world heritage city in this list. But, that changed when the walled city of Ahmedabad moved into that list last year.



I had to wait for 18 months before I got the opportunity to experience India’s first and only UNESCO World Heritage City. I am talking about Gujarat’s Ahmedabad or Amdavad as locals call it. Founded by Sultan Ahmed Shah in the 15th century, this walled city located on the eastern banks of the Sabarmati river is full of architectural and technological brilliance.



Right from Siddi Syed Mosque’s iconic jaali work to its majestic Bhadra citadel and from its gated communities to its well entrenched systems of water harvesting and sewerage treatment, this historic city of Ahmedabad is a sight to behold. The best way to experience this walled city is to go on a Ahmedabad heritage walk either early in the morning or late in the evening when the colorful bazaars can be seen in full glory.



This heritage walk will take you from mandir (temple) to masjid (mosque) and in between, you will weave in and out of densely packed traditional houses (pols) located in traditional gated communities (puras). These gated communities have their own security systems, religious institutions, business centers, secret passages in case of attack, bird feeding systems, public wells, merchant’s havelis, oles (a building where the ground floor is the shop and the rest of the floors make the home), bullion markets and even a stock exchange.



The key points of interest on this walk are:



1) Swaminarayan Temple

2) Kavi Dalpatram Chowk

3) Calico Dome



4) Kala Ramji Mandir

5) Shantinathji Mandir

6) Kuvavala Khancho

7) Zaveri Vad



8) Sambhavnath Ni Khidki

9) Chaumukhji Ni Pol

10) Doshivada Ni Pol

11) Astapadji Derasar



12) Harkunvar Shethani Ni Haveli

13) Fernandez Bridge

14) Chandla Ol



15) Muhart Pol

16) Muharat Pol

17) Manek Chowk



18) Rani No-Haziro

19) Badshah-No-Haziro



20) Jami Masjid

21) Teen Darwaza

22) Bhadrakali Mandir



23) Bhadra Fort

24) Siddi Syed Mosque



Everything about this heritage city will be thrilling to see, experience and learn. Be it the Indo-Chinese or the Indo-European designs, the Jain architecture in Muslim monuments, the engineering advancements in terms of ventilation, earthquake proofing, flood protection, sewerage treatment, water harvesting and so on and so forth.



One of the most happening places in this walled city is Manek Chowk. This bullion market market during the day is actually a vegetable market in the early hours of the morning followed by an animal feeding farm before becoming a bullion bazaar. And once the bullion shops close, Manek chowk turns into a food street and then the entire cycle begins yet again. This is part of an ancient technique to ensure safety of people and goods. Manek chowk is also a great place to go for a bite after 8 pm in the night. It is also a fantastic place for photography.



Jama Masjid is another place where you should spend significant amount of time, especially during the prayer hours so that you can experience the routine while you soak in the divine ambience. Its pillars and main arch showcases rich Hindu and Jain designs and the tree of life is what captures immediate attention. Siddi Syed Mosque is another location that should not be missed. It is famous for its jaali or lattice work, especially the date palm or tree of life that was built from a single piece of stone. This tree of life is also part of the logo of IIM Ahmedabad and one of modern Ahmedabad’s iconic location.



Another must do activity is to climb the Bhadra citadel in the morning hours and see the entire hustle and bustle of the bazaars in front of Teen Darwaza from above. Do note that they do not allow you to climb to the top after noon.



Be its mosques, Hindu temples, Jain temples, bazaars, forts, gated communities, tombs, traditional homes or bird feeding sites, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Amdavad’s walled city is a must experience! It takes on a different flavor at different times of the day. And then you have the lip smacking Gujarati food and desserts to energize you during the whole experience. I certainly had a ball of time exploring and experiencing this 15th century historic city and I am pretty sure that you will be blown away too!

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Mahatma Gandhi lives on at Sabarmati Ashram!!

Of days gone by...this January during my solo all India motorcycle journey…

 
It was 2 days since I had arrived at Ahmedabad from Mount Abu and I was itching to get a move on once the kite festival got over and the city awoke from its festival slumber. Next on my agenda was the erstwhile residence of the father of our nation – Mahatma Gandhi. This erstwhile residence of the Mahatma, titled, Sabarmati or Gandhi Ashram is a national monument that is built on the banks of the Sabarmati river.


The Sabarmati Ashram, which now houses a museum, the Gandhi Smarak Sanghrahalay is a great place to learn about India’s rich, but not so rosy past. The museum has a lot of paintings that visually depict historic events of Gandhi’s life, ancient letters and relics, a library devoted to Gandhiji’s life and his work, archives of letters and manuscripts related to the Indian freedom movement, personal artefacts of Gandhi at Hridaya Kunj (Gandhi’s cottage) and a non-profit Ashram book store selling literature and memorabilia related to Gandhi and his life work.


Set in peaceful surroundings, Gandhiji’s Sabarmati Ashram is a must visit place for the Indian citizen. One’s patriotism will get an adrenaline shot here!!

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