DDA Sports Complex in Delhi

In Delhi, everywhere you look, you will see either buildings or roads. But even amidst all this urban sprawl, there are plenty of options available in terms of sports facilities. The Delhi Development Authority has set up sports complexes all over the city. These complexes vary in size, but they do give an area where children of different age groups can come to play and train in various sports such as cricket, football, hockey, badminton, lawn tennis, athletics, etc.
In addition, these complexes come equipped with jogging tracks and atleast for the ones that I have seen, there is a nice clean road that runs all around the complex and gives a good facility to enjoy a nice walk. If you go to one of these complexes at around 7:30 in the morning, there will be a fair number of people walking or jogging, and playing a number of other sports.
One of the restrictions of these complexes is that one has to take membership, which does not exactly come cheap (and there is another additional charge on an annual basis for renewal). I had paid more than Rs. 12000 for this membership, but the advantage is that dependents membership comes much cheaper.
For a list of DDA sports complexes in the city, refer to this link. From my experience, these sports complexes provide a safe and convenient option for sports, walking or jogging.

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Dilli haat

What is Dilli haat ? Dilli haat is a cultural complex, located in between AIIMS and Safdarjung flyover, right opposite the INA market. It is located in six acres, and if you are culturally inclined, it is a treat to visit and spend time over there. Be warned, on weekends it is so crowded that it will take some time to get parking. However, there is a fair amount of parking available, and finding parking should not be a problem. No valet parking available though :-)
What is inside Dilli Haat ? Dilli haat primarily has 2 main features - stalls having artisans from a wide section of the country and food stalls representing the popular cuisine of different states.
What do the artisans display ? Various types of jewellery (note, you get some pretty good low-priced fancy jewellery (silver based as well as traditional, but not heavy gold types)), clothing from different areas of the country (good place for ladies to try to enrichen their wardrobe - I did not see too much stuff for the gentlemen over there though), different types of footwear, wall hangings, table settings, cermaic bugs, etc (you get the idea, I am sure). These artisans are rotated every 15 days so that artisans from all over get a chance to be here, and every time you come, you will see something different. In addition, there are region or state specific festivals where you can hear the regional music and other fine arts, in addition to a specific focus on the clothing and other wares from that region.
Now if you get hungry, what do you do ? There are a large variety of stall from all over the country. You want some type of Rajasthani thaali, or some momos from a North-eastern state, or some South Indian ware ? All is available. In my experience, the difficult part was to decide which one to select. Finally, we selected one where there was some free seating space.

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Hotel Imperial, Janpath

My previous posts have been more about food that is not very expensive and yet tasty. Now let me try a different category, the one of expensive and tasty. If you are looking for some great food in Delhi, and can afford an expensive budget, then you should try the restaurants inside the Imperial. A brief word about the hotel itself. The Imperial is a beautiful looking hotel on Janpath, a stone's throw from Connaught Place in the center of New Delhi.
Some of the great places to eat in the Imperial are:

1. Spice Route: South East Asian Cuisine. Meant to mirror the spice route through Asia. A very acclaimed restaurant.
2. 1911: European Cuisine along with a bar.
3. Brassiere: French influenced restaurant
3. Daniell's tavern: Indian cuisine
4. Patiala Peg: The bar
5. San Gimignano: Italian restaurant. The choice of wines is decent, and you can get a place outside in the garden as well.
6. Atrium: Snacks available in this courtyard located sitting area.

It is advisable to make a reservation in advance for the restaurants, especially on weekends. The restaurants can get fairly crowded as this is an excellent place to take foreign visitors for lunches and dinners.

The hotel itself is a beauty, the path leading to the porch is lined with King Palms, and gives a great look. Read an excellent review here.

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Paranthe wali gali

What are paranthas ? For anybody who has lived in Delhi or in North India, everybody knows what a parantha means. For those who want to read more, Wikipedia.
People swear by this dish, eaten with curd, pickle, ketchup, or any other thing that they like. Especially in winter, this is a favourite dish.
One of the most famous places in Delhi to enjoy paranthas is the 'Parantha walli gali' in Old Delhi. It is fairly easy to reach, although it is not recommended to use your own conveyance to get there. An easier way is to get to Chandni Chowk in the heart of Old Delhi, and ask a cycle rickshaw to take you there.
Take a view of a photo of parantha waali gali.
It is a historical place, and has been serving paranthas for a very long time; however, the number of shops have reduced in the recent past, and as the push for healthier eating gains momentum, the attraction of such heavy calorie laden foods will reduce.

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Karim's in Delhi

If a person wants to have good non-vegetarian Indian food, which is the best place to go to ? If you have the time, I would state that Karim's (near Jama Masjid) is the best place to go to. It does take a bit of effort to go there, but if a person appreciates good food, then Karim's it is.

I have been hearing of Karim since when i was a kid, but it was only when I there the first time that I realized the reputation is well worth it. The various types of kebabs and mutton dishes are incredible. I am not going to get into a full scale review right now, it may be just better to read somebody else's review.

Karim's has now opened branches in different parts of NCR, but reviews from people who have gone to these restaurants claim that they still have some way to go before they can match the original.

Location of Karim's can be seen from this map:

The original is not a very beautiful ambience, and has a few other points such as not accepting credit cards; but still, still a very great eating joint.

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