Jadoh and turungbai, mutton keema, butter biscuits, lemon pie, red tea at a tea stall with no name, ‘slow food’ at Uncle Rock’s. Janice Pariat on a food trip in Shillong
It’s six o’clock on a summer evening in Shillong. While the rest of the country suffers heat and humidity, here the chill sets in. There’s a cool nip in the air, the promise of more rain hovers at the edge of silver-grey clouds, and the distant hills look like a carefully washed watercolour. Time for a walk, then, before the town drops its shutters and the roads empty out. The great thing about this weather — apart from the obvious — is that it’s cool enough to harbour an appetite for just about anything.
If none of the street food in Police Bazaar tempts you — spicy mutton and chicken cutlets, batter-fried chillies stuffed with mashed potato and mint — head to Tartoria, a small, family-run jadoh stall hidden along the pedestrian-only J S Road. The only business here is food, which is evident from the rather Spartan interiors with canteen-style wooden tables and benches. The only extravagance is a small painting of the Last Supper, hanging lopsided on a wall.
A brusque lady named Lajja runs the show, serving, taking orders and sorting out bills. She recites the day’s menu out loud when you’re seated. What you get is a variety of local Khasi food — jadoh (yellow rice cooked with meat), turungbai (chutney made with soya beans), jhur khleh (mixed fried vegetable), tungtap (spicy fried fish paste) and an assortment of cutlets and meat curries including pork, beef, fish and chicken. For the adventurous there’s doh jem (curry made from pork intestines, liver and heart) and doh khleh (boiled pork pieces mixed with brain and ginger). If you still have room after your meal, hop across the road to Delhi Mistan for a plate of crisp, golden-brown jalebis (the best in the world, according to many). Nearby is Palace restaurant, where you can go for hot, milky chai and samosas. Its first-floor location and long glass windows makes make it a perfect place to watch the world go by.
Further west of town is Mawlong Hat, near Bara Bazaar, the biggest traditional market in the state. Here you can pick up local culinary goodies to take back home. A colourful line of restaurants serves up excellent Muslim food (yes, they have that too in Shillong) — the most notable being Hotel Naz and Hotel Grace, run by two formidable Khasi-Muslim ladies, Mimi and her daughter Dimple. Amidst fairy lights, printed Islamic prayers and pictures of Mecca, you can enjoy a plate of steaming mutton keema and chicken seekh kebabs with soft, puffy rotis. Also in the area is Mahari & Sons, the town’s oldest bakery, established in the 1930s. Opt for delicate butter biscuits and plain cake, which despite its alarming custard-yellow appearance, is delicious.
On the other side of Shillong, in the Laitumkhrah area, is a host of eating places you mustn’t miss. Begin with Nongrim Hills at Uncle Rock’s shop. ‘Uncle Rock’ (nobody seems to know his real name), an Anglo-Indian from Goa who married a Khasi lady, has been doling out hot dogs, chops and other ‘slow food’ snacks from his hole-in-the-wall establishment for many years now. It’s all too easy to spend an entire evening sitting with him, chatting and listening to classic rock playing from a small stereo in the corner. If you manage to drag yourself away, head to Fire Brigade, the location of the town’s most famous ‘Chinese’ food joint, The Wok. Within its shiny red and gold interiors you can help yourself to a plate of pork chow or momos. They run out quite fast, so if you’re out of luck, stop at their adjacent takeaway counter and place an order.
Right next to that door is Reens, which sells divine lemon pie. For even better bakery items, stroll to the other end of Fire Brigade ground (where concerts and trade fairs frequently take place), and look for a tiny unnamed bakery that locally goes by the name ‘Saikia’s Shop’. Stuff your shopping bag with melting doughnuts, homemade ginger biscuits, super-soft lamingtons and creamy éclairs. As reinforcement, sip a cup of strong coffee at a table next to a wall hung with splendid silver cake moulds in shapes including Harry Potter and Spongebob Square Pants.
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If you walk into the main Laitumkhrah area, a bustling shop-lined road, there are a few young, hip cafés where you can stop. Swish is a cosy place complete with guitar, board games and bookshelf while further away there’s Déjà Vu, which has a dimly lit, space-age feel. Also another option is MOT (Matter of Taste), where if you’re lucky there may be a music recital or poetry reading to liven up the evening. A personal favourite, however, is a small unnamed tea stall located beneath a shoe shop along the main road, which everyone refers to as ‘Godown’ — head here for steaming sha saw (red tea) and jing bam dih sha (tea snacks) served out of a wicker basket. Make yourself comfortable on one of the bright green benches and wait for the inevitable shower of rain to stop.
Janice Pariat is a Shillong-based freelance writer
| GETTING THERE BY TRAIN AND AIR Buses and shared taxis operate from Guwahati to Police Bazaar in Shillong. Ticket prices start from Rs 150. The journey takes three or four hours, with a halfway stop at Nongpoh to stretch your legs and get something to eat. |
WHERE TO STAY
Ri Kynjai
This resort is half an hour from Shillong, and offers accommodation in traditional Khasi-style cottages. A little heavy on the pocket, the lake views help make up for the steep tariff.
Rates: Rs 8,000 per night (cottage); Rs 5,000 per night (room)
Contact: 0-98624 20300
Pine Wood
Once owned by a Dutch couple, this old establishment is the ideal place to discover the old Shillong. For a special treat, rent one of the private cottages on the sloping hillside, scattered with flowerbeds in bloom.
Rates: Rs 6,000 per night (cottage); Rs 3,600 per night (double room)
Contact: 0364-2223116
Bo Ville Homestay
Owned by a local couple, this charming place has a beautiful garden, cosy rooms and a wooden-floored dining room complete with library and old-style fireplace. Enjoy the local cuisine in-house.
Rates: Rs 1,800 per night (double room)
Contact: 0-94363 35322
Eldorado
This is an elegant Assam-style bungalow converted into an intimate hotel. Located in the heart of town yet tucked away from the bustle of traffic, it has a lovely lawn to lounge around in.
Rates: Rs 1,000 per night (double room)
Contact: 0-98630 64850