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July 2014

Feasting on Ramadan food treats at Mosque Road, Bangalore

Every year, during the holy month of Ramadan, Mosque Road in Frazer Town converts into a major hub for food lovers. Several stalls are set up selling a variety of Iftar treats by the road side, and every year, the number of stalls just keep getting bigger and bigger.

Now, you don’t have to go to Frazer Town for Iftar treats as stalls are set up outside every major mosque in Bangalore during the holy month of Ramadan. But Mosque Road being what it is attracts are a larger number of people. I have been Mosque Road with friends in previous years, but this year I wanted to capture some photos for my blog.

After meeting up with a friend, we rode down to Frazer Town, parked my bike near Savoury Restaurant and walked up to Mosque Road.

Ramzan food stall Frazer Town Bangalore
Stalls were set up away from Mosque Road too
Heritage hotel Ramadhan stall Bangalore
Heads up: a lot of meat in this blog post
Mutton kheema egg fry Ramadan food India
Mutton kheema and stir fried egg next to it
Free Quran distribution Bangalore India
This was an organization handing out free copies of the Quran (in English). I asked for a copy as I have always wanted to read for myself what was myth and what is actually quoted in the Holy Book.
Sheek kebabs Ramadan Frazer town
I moved to Mosque Road where sheek kebabs were being cooked over charcoal. Beef, chicken, and of course mutton were on offer.
Brazil beef kebabs Bangalore India
This stall was selling Brazilian beef. When I asked the guy why he wasn’t selling Indian beef, the owner just shrugged and said this “tastes better”. Oh well, I know why. None the less, I packed some.
Fried beef chicken kebabs Bangalore
Beef and colourful chicken kebabs beside it. Really put off by the use of food colour in meat.
Idiyappam Mosque Road Iftar Bangalore
Idiyappams and chicken kebabs?
Beef sukka Frazer town Banglaore
Beef sukka. Sampled some and it tasted okay.
Biriyani Palace Eid stall Bangalore
We then crossed over to the other side where much of the big stalls on Mosque Road were
Pathar gosht stone mutton Bangalore
That’s mutton being cooked on a huge slab or stone over a charcoal fire 🙂 They call it pathar gosht (pathar = stone; gosht = mutton)
Ramazan tent Iftar Mosque Road Bangalore
There were many of these food tents set up beside Mosque Road
Ramadan food tent Bangalore India
It was crowded!
Mutton haleem Bangalore India
Mutton haleem. Haleem, for the uninitiated, is a thick gravy like dish made using wheat, barley, lentils and meat (plus spices).
Ramazan food tent Mosque road Bangalore
I don’t think I could have even stood here and ate something. Too stuffy and way too many people passing through.
Iftar sweets Bangalore India
Lots of sweets on offer!
Fish chicken kadi Eid food
There wasn’t a whole lot of sea food available and given the ‘Bangalore premium’ for seafood, whatever that was on offer was kinda expensive.
Mosque road Ramadan stalls Bangalore
There were many more stalls alongside Mosque Road
Ramzan tent Frazer town Bangalore
We went in here next
Chicken samosas Eid food Bangalore
Chicken samosas, chicken fry, chicken kebabs, chicken this, chicken that…
Pathar gosht beef Frazer town
More beef and mutton grilled on stone
Dry fruit firny Shahi tukda dessert
Packed up some firny (sweet)
Chocolate cupcakes Karachi haleem
And picked up some chocolate cupcakes
Pudding gulab jamun sweets Iftar
I had some pudding next, which was yum!
Mosque road Ramadan night Bangalore
Even though much of the activity was on the right side, I crossed the road to check out what was on offer on the other lane on Mosque Road
Muslims sheek kebabs Bangalore India
Much of the same, albeit far less glamourous that’s all
Iftar sweets Frazer town Bangalore
There weren’t too many different varieties of food on offer this side

After packing up some more food, I left Mosque Road. It’s obvious the annual Ramadan treats have grown into a big business opportunity for vendors over these past few years. It wasn’t this crowded when I visited 2 years ago. People of all faiths turn up to try out the food. Of course there were a few ignorant people. One guy was silly enough to ask if pork was available! 😛

Also, the prices this year weren’t low by any street food means. A plate of pathar gosht was sold for Rs. 200, and the quantity was only good enough for just one person. A stick of just three chicken-cheese balls cost Rs. 50. Don’t even ask about the sea food prices.

Still, if you have an opportunity to check out the fare on Mosque Road, do so if you have never visited the stretch during Ramzan before. And do it before Eid. Happy feasting!


San Pedro Cathedral people monument-davao

Philippines: Leaving Cebu for Davao; Davao City sights

Date: May 1st, 2014

Yesterday was an eventful day of sightseeing. I began early morning swimming with Oslob’s famed whale sharks and later enjoyed the beauty of Tumalog Falls. I was tired by the time I got back to Cebu from Oslob yesterday, so when I woke up in the morning, I decided to take it easy today.

Tr3ats guesthouse rooftop cafe Cebu
I had breakfast from the hostel’s roof top ‘cafe’
Roof view Cebu hills morning
The hills weren’t too far away from here

I worked for much of the day (ironic, considering it was May Day), only stepping out at 2pm to go to Ayala Center.

Ayala Center mall Cebu garden
A very nice mall not too far from the hostel. (Had to take two short jeepney rides to get here)
Felafel roll Cebu Philippines
I sat down at Persian Palate and had a spinach felalfel sandwich, a chicken shawarma rice meal and coconut water. Bill came to ₱242.

Since it was May Day, many shops were closed and the streets were far from buzzing.

The next day (May 2), I stepped out to do some shopping. I took a jeepney and went all the way down to the end of Osmeña Blvd. No fancy malls out here. Just a lot of street markets, shops and some much older shopping centres and department stores. I stepped into one and ended up buying some sandals for really cheap.

Cebu city alley street Philippines
Much of down town Cebu looks like this
Anti-America poster Cebu Philippines
Saw a bit of ‘anti-America’… for a change

I then took a jeepney to SM City, where I decided to have lunch.

Bacon hot dog onion rings Cebu
I had an bacon-wrapped hot dog from Monster Franks. And yes, that’s all the onion rings you get (plus a drink) for ₱130

After some window shopping and purchasing some souvenirs, I headed back to the hostel.

Pasta garlic bread Cebu
For dinner I ate at a small Italian eatery near Tr3ats Guesthouse. That’s fettucine pasta with meat sauce (₱140). This would be my final dinner in Cebu.

Date: May 3rd, 2014

I took a taxi to the airport as today I was leaving Cebu for Davao.

Cebu bridge road Philippines
It was bright and sunny today, so I hoped the flight would leave on time

After checking in, we got word that the flight was slightly delayed. *Shocker* -_-

Zubuchon lechon Cebu airport
In the departures lounge, the famed Zubuchon had an outlet
Zubuchon menu Cebu airport
Zubichon got really famous after Antony Bourdain called their lechon “the best he’s ever eaten”. So I too packed a lechon and rice meal (₱190) to have on the plane as my in-flight meal.
Cebu island from airplane Philippines
Goodbye Cebu!
Zubuchon lechon pork takeaway Cebu
The lechon was really well done and the meat was obviously good quality pork. I guess Zubuchon really is worth trying when in Cebu.
Davao from sky
The flight from Cebu to Davao takes just over an hour
Landing at Davao international airport
Landed in Davao — for the first time
Davao big sign airport
I hired a taxi to take me to the hostel I was going to be staying at for the next few days
Building Green Windows Dormitel Davao
This building with green tinted windows is the FTC Tower. It houses Green Windows Dormitel on the 4th, 5th and 6th floors (Oh, the taxi fare came to ₱166)
Reception Green Windows Dormitel davao
I chose Green Windows Dormitel because they have dorm beds for ₱188 all inclusive, and the rooms looked very nice and clean in the photos
Rooms Green Windows Dormitel Davao
Green Windows Dormitel has everything from dorm rooms to full service suites
Dorm room Green Windows Dormitel Davao
This was the ₱188 dorm room, and I chose bed E, by the window. I was quite impressed! Wooden floors, functioning air conditioner, and comfy beds. The wi-fi was spotty inside the room, but whenever it worked, it was good.
Lobby Green Windows Dormitel Davao
I would sometimes have to sit out on the couch to get a better connection
TV room Green Windows Dormitel Davao
This is the TV room, attached to the cafeteria
Cafeteria Green Windows Dormitel Davao
The cafeteria has a (pay) buffet serving breakfast, lunch and dinner (mostly Filipino cuisine) and the prices for coffee/tea and other items seem fairly reasonable
Store Green Windows Dormitel Davao
There’s even a store selling more groceries in the reception area
Mt. Apo street Davao city
The street Green Windows Dormitel is situated at is called Mt. Apo street. With a name like that, you would assume Mt. Apo is close by. Nope, Mt. Apo is no where near it!
Davao city traffic Philippines
Green Windows Dormitel wasn’t too far away from the main city center

I walked about to scan the area and was happy to find enough eateries (KFC, McDonalds, Jollibee, etc.), pizzerias and bakeries galore all within walking distance from the dormitel.

Daylight Inn Davao city Philippines
To the left is Daylight Inn, a place I was initially going to stay at because it was the only listing available for Davao City on Hostels.com
Time Square mall panorama Davao
Times Square Mall to the left and more shopping centers all around
Davao city center panorama
I just roamed around town to see what else Davao City had to offer
City Hall of Davao Philippines
City Hall of Davao
Durian statue city hall park Davao
Durian is abundant in Davao and there they honour the fruit
Rizal statue Davao City Philippines
A statue honouring Philippine hero Jose Rizal

Jose Rizal bronze statue Davao Philippines

Philippines eagle shed Davao park
Davao is home to the country’s national bird — the Philippines Eagle. I would be visiting the Philippines Eagle Center the day after.
San Pedro Cathedral Davao city
I walked towards the San Pedro Cathedral, a Davao landmark
San Pedro Cathedral people monument-davao
This statue is the Commemorative Monument of Peace and Unity
San Pedro Cathedral Davao Philippines
San Pedro Cathedral is one of the oldest churches in Davao and renowned for its odd boat-like design
San Pedro Cathedral Davao interiors
I checked out the interiors
Inside San Pedro Cathedral Davao panorama
Took a panorama
San Pedro Church boat shape Davao city
And then I left
Osmena park Davao city Philippines
Near by was Osmena Park
Massages at Osmena Park Davao
And inside were scores of masseurs offering foot and shoulder massages 🙂
Royale House hotel Davao
I walked around a bit more before heading back
Billiards Davao City Philippines
Billiards seemed to be a popular pass time
Bakery fresh pastry Davao city
A lot of nice bakeries in Davao City, and it was cheap!

I’ll be honest. When I read Davao City was the biggest city in the world (in terms of area), I still assumed Davao City would have its areas of world-class skylines. Far from it. It feels more like a very big town. It’s big in size, sure, but far from fancy. I saw so many pawn shops — a sign that the populace are looking to sell their wares (hopefully not stolen) in exchange for cash. Electronics stores hardly stocked the latest models and even the malls lacked any of the usual fancy brands. Definitely far more low key compared to Manila and Cebu.

Anyway, I wasn’t in Davao to hang out at malls. Tomorrow I would visit Eden Nature Park and attempt to visit Mt. Apo (which I realized only after landing here that the mountain is no where near the city)

FTC Tower Green Windows Dormitel Davao city
FTC Tower, at night

 

(All the above photos were taken using my phone camera, Sony Xperia Z1)

Next post in this series:

Philippines 2014: Sky Cycle at Eden Nature Park, Davao

Philippines 2014: Attractions at Eden Nature Park… and getting lost

Philippines 2014: Scuba diving for the first time, at Samal Island (Davao)

Philippines 2014: Japanese tunnel; leaving Davao for Manila

Philippines 2014: Bargain shopping in Manila; Paseo de Santa Rosa & Solenad

Philippines 2014: Corregidor Island tour

Philippines 2014: Manila Chinese Cemetery

Philippines 2014: Pahiyas Festival in Lucban; Kamay Ni Hesus

Previous posts in this series:

Philippines 2014: Tumalog Falls; Oslob church, Cuartel

Philippines 2014: Oslob – Swimming with whale sharks

Philippines 2014: Trek to Mount Pinatubo crater lake

Philippines 2014: The itinerary this time around; UP Diliman and Maginhawa

My Philippines journeys: 2011 series | 2013 series

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