Chitra did a Harry Potter me while I had soup

I love the ambience in Arul Jyothi at Bakery Junction. The other day I had a bowl of soup and channa bathoora there. The soups there are good although I get the feeling it's the same base for all the " cream of" soups. I think they keep that ready made and then change the ingredients as per the need. The lights are soft and adds to the romance. It's these spotlights which hang low on the tables just providing a circle of light around your food and faces. Everything else dims out. The seating is comfortable and modern. There is also an element of privacy since there are these half partitions. And I was mesmerised by the music in the background. I was in a spell. It was classical or semi classical. The voice of an enchantress. I asked the steward. He brought the CD for me. It was Chitra. How could I forget???!! The music...her music cast a spell on me and put me in a trance where I forgot evrything else save her sweet mellifluous voice. ( For a moment I went back in time. Another such moment was when I saw Madhu Natraj performing live. More of that later.)
And yes, the waiters. The steward is very attentive and helpful. You get a feeling of being well looked after. This could also be because we were not there during rush hour. We were there at about 6.45 in the evening. I think the place is kinda jam packed for lunch or dinner. Go there by 12 to have lunch on a Sunday or you may have to wait a long time.

A pinch of Salt

Hi y'all!!!It's been a quite a hiatus. Hope you are all doing better than before in every way!!! Anyhow during this time I made a couplo discoveries. I was having Flemish Onion soup in Arul Jyothi in Bakery junction, when this truth kinda bit me. Now this is such a simple soup in terms of ingredients and Arul Jyothi is pure vegetarian. Still it was quite tasty. Very tasty to be precise. And I kept wondering ( while I mouthed the soup)what made the difference. The answer was simple. It was salt.
Not that I havn't been aware of the necessity of adding a pinch of salt. However on this particular day, it was like I was enlightened. The only difference was that I did not sit under a Bodha vraksha, but rather in the softly lit environs of Arul Jyothi. Well after this life changing episode, I have taken care to see that the right amount of salt is added to all dishes. The results are amazing. Try it out and let me know, k..

Arul Jyothi In Bakery Junction

Arul Jyothi in Bakery Junction is one of the best places to have veggie fare in Trivandrum. They have half partitions and some artificial greenery which affords a bit of privacy too. It's not like you are bang in the middle where everyone can see you. I love the Naans there and the Tava Mushroom is somthing I would have again:). This place becomes real crowded by 1 in the afternoon on a Sunday...so go there by 12.30 or so. Other wise you may have to wait for your table. This is the air conditioned section. Downstairs they have an open seating area- non-AC. You would need to shell out 200 bucks, for two people with moderate apetites...