"" Writer's Wanderings: Enjoying The Oberoi Hotel, New Delhi

Monday, October 21, 2024

Enjoying The Oberoi Hotel, New Delhi


 Leave it to Bob to explore and find places we didn't know were there. Just inside the entrance to the hotel was a corridor off to the left where there were a couple of very upscale shops. How he found the next place is beyond me because he had to get in an elevator that took you one floor down. I don't think there was any other way to get there (except some steps I saw later). One floor down were more shops some meeting rooms and the Patisserie. 

It is a delight. Lots of tempting sweet pastries and a small menu of sandwiches, salads and beverages including shakes. He had already decided on a BLT hoagie but I wasn't sure if it would be large enough to share so I ordered a salad that looked interesting. The salad came first. Not much lettuce, lots of chick peas, roasted broccoli, cherry tomatoes, quinoa, and grilled pineapple. One bite of the pineapple and I realized why they called it the Detox salad. I have never had spicy pineapple but that was enough to have my lips tingling and my mouth burning. The mustard dressing that came with it cut the heat some but I didn't trust eating too much. Bob's BLT was good with a nice bread that was dotted with olives and cherry tomatoes. 


 After a short nap (I never nap at home so I must have been tired), we decided to go out and sit by the pool a bit. Bob put on his bathing suit but never got past his knees in the water. The pool area is much like the pool area on a cruise ship. An attendant took us to two loungers, laid towels across the chairs and then someone came with a tray of water, a dish of cold grapes, two cold washcloths and two small bottles of sunscreen. (My dermatologist will be so happy to hear that.) 

The attendant also explained the large balls that are hanging from the posts around the pool. They keep the birds away, he said, all but the big ones, the eagles. Sure enough a little while later a large brown eagle landed at one end took a few sips of water and flew off again. I don't think I've ever been that close to an eagle outside of a zoo.

We wiled away the afternoon in the shade next to the pool and then got ready for dinner. On the rooftop is a bar/lounge and a Chinese restaurant, the Baoshuan. Our reservations were made for seven, the time the restaurant opens. We will have to get used to eating later than usual since most places (and I believe our riverboat cruise as well) will not serve until then.


The Baoshuan is a beautiful restaurant. Long pants required for the men. Most people were dressed in resort casual. The menu is quite extensive including dim sum both steamed and fried, many Asian dishes, soups, salads and of course desserts. We ordered a dim sum sample appetizer that came with two steamed and one fried dumpling. Very good! The entrees we ordered were crispy noodles and chicken for me and chicken Szechuan for Bob. At home, rice would accompany the meal so when she asked if we wanted fried rice or steamed, Bob opted for fried rice and I said I would pass. I figured the noodles were enough. We didn't realize until later that the fried rice was another entree.

When Bob tried his Szechuan, he realized it was spicey. The menu hadn't said so but it was enough to burn the mouth and tingle the lips. He should have stopped and just helped me eat mine but he continued on. My noodles and chicken were very good and not spicey at all. There was really more to eat than we could finish and still have dessert. I had my eye on the lychee with honey lime sauce. Bob got some ice cream and I hoped it would help the spicey after effects of his entree.


After dinner we stopped at the concierge desk and arranged for a four hour tour of several places that we knew we would not see with Uniworld. Once that was done, we went on up to retire for the night. But one of us would not have a very good night. The Szchuan spicey chicken did Bob in. On my way to breakfast I stopped and cancelled our tour for the day. 

We've heard it said that a lot of tourists get the "Delhi belly". I think this was more the Chinese food than anything. Note to selves: be sure to ask if there is spice in the dish when you order. 

The question was, what would the rest of the day hold? 

No comments:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...