Thursday, September 27, 2012

EATING OUT IN MUMBAI - LIP-SMACKING MEMORIES


MIDNIGHT TREAT at CHOWPATTY
Green Chilly Ice Cream
By
VIKRAM KARVE

From my Foodie Archives - Lip Smacking memories of those glorious foodie days in Mumbai. This happened almost 12 years ago...my first encounter with Green Chilly Ice Cream...
 
It’s been a long long time since I’ve relished a bowl of “Green Chilly Ice Cream” but the zestful stimulating taste still lingers on my tongue. 

Never before had I enjoyed eating ice cream so much. 

It was indeed a unique and passionate eating experience. Let me tell you about it.
 
I love ice cream. 

Long back, a friend of mine told me that there is a place opposite the Chowpatty Sea Face in Mumbai India that serves “green chilli” ice cream. 

I didn’t believe him. 

I have savored myriad flavours of ice cream but “green chilly ice cream” seemed a bit far fetched.

On questioning, my friend confessed that he had only heard about it, not eaten it himself.
 
The very concept of green chilly ice cream whetted my curiosity so much that at sunset I was standing in front of Bachelorr’s (that’s the spelling on the menu card) Ice Cream and Juice Stall, my appetite fully stimulated by a long brisk walk.
 
It was there on the menu card – Green Chilly Ice Cream. 

I ordered a scoop and walked with the bowl to a lonely bench nearby to enjoy the eating experience in glorious solitude.
 
The ice cream looks a creamy pink (not chilly green as I had expected it to be). 

I close my eyes and smell the ice cream – a nice sweet milky fragrance, a bit fruity; certainly no trace of the piquant penetrating sting of chillies.

With a tremor of trepidation I spoon a bit of the green chilli ice cream on my tongue.
 
My taste buds are smothered by a sweet mellifluous sensation as the cold creamy ice cream starts melting on my tongue. 

I am disappointed, feel conned – it seems it was just hype. 

This is just run of the mill stuff. 

Or is it? 

Wait a moment. 

As the ice cream melts away I suddenly feel a sharp piercing fiery taste that sizzles my tongue, stings through my nose and penetrates my brain. 

My tongue is on fire and, like instant firefighting, I instinctively spoon a blob of ice cream onto my tongue. 

The cool ice cream quenches my burning tongue with its almost ambrosial taste but the moment it melts away I am zipped like a rocket with the sharp punch of the green chillies.
 
So that was the experience of eating green chilli ice cream. 

Hot and cold. 

Scorch and quench. 

Sting and soothe. 

Contrasting sensations. 

Like Alternating Current. 

Sharp tangy kicks burning through the cool syrupy sweetness till your system is fully perked up. 

And a trace of the biting tangy flavour of the green chillies remains within me for a long long time as I walk away.
 
Green Chilly Ice Cream doesn’t satiate – it excites, stimulates, gives you a “kick”, zests you up. It’s a truly passionate delight. 

I searched for it everywhere in Pune, but couldn’t get it. 

So I’ll have to wait for my next trip to Mumbai to enjoy my favourite zesty ice cream again! 

Bachelorr’s has many other exciting and different flavors too, but I love Green Chilly Ice Cream.


VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2012
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

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About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer. Educated at IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories, creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional research papers in journals and edited in-house journals for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing. Vikram lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramkarve@sify.com      



© vikram karve., all rights reserved. 

5 comments:

manjulika pramod said...

Green chilli ice cream... will try out if I get in Delhi somewhere..

(in)sane mind said...

nobody romances foood(ice-cream)the way you do.....:P...there goes my diet....have to run and get an ice-cream for myself.;)

Anupama said...

This is the first time that I have heard of this flavour and there aren't too many of that I don't know!I am a big ice cream lover too but I tend to stick to traditional flavours!But since I love green chllies too i guess this is something I should try!

Anupama said...

This is the first time that I have heard of this flavour and there aren't too many of that I don't know!I am a big ice cream lover too but I tend to stick to traditional flavours!But since I love green chllies too i guess this is something I should try!

Unknown said...

Loved the blog…
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