India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (329 page)
WHERE TO DINE
That the people of Amritsar live to eat is obvious from the scores of
dhabas,
Punjabi-style “fast-food” joints serving tasty and filling thalis (multicourse platters), that showcase various traditional dishes everywhere. This is the land of
desi-ghee
(clarified butter) and butter, added to almost every dish: Those watching their weight or unable to consume rich, heavy food should take it easy on the Indian fare here. But if you’re up for the adventure, this is a culinary exploration like few others in India, where for as little as Rs 50 you’ll be served a sizable spread that you eat with your fingers, dipping piping-hot
parathas
(fried flatbread) into
maa ki dal,
channa,
and other concoctions arranged in little heaps on your platter.
If you’re looking for a clean, glitzy restaurant that serves a wide range of dishes, then the one just about everybody in town will steer you to, is
Crystal
(Crystal Chowk, Queens Rd.;
0183/222-5555
or -9999), which is the most famous restaurant in Amritsar. It may not win any awards for atmosphere, and service is atrocious (especially on weekends and after 8:30pm when the place is usually packed), but it’s the most popular “upmarket” restaurant in town. The menu is eclectic, with the standard array of Chinese and Continental dishes thrown in, but we suggest you stick to what they’re really good at: North Indian specialties like the delicious
malai tikka
. Although it doesn’t yet have quite the same legacy, another contender worth considering is
Astoria:
Tucked into a posh colony and run by young Navneet Singh, Astoria also offers an extensive menu and great value for money (38 District Shopping Centre, Ranjit Ave., G.T. Rd.;0183/250-5722
).
Smart options aside, what Amritsar is known for are its traditional
dhabas,
simple eateries where food-mad Punjabis happily look beyond the less-salubrious surrounds in favor of a lip-smacking meal. Chief among these is
Kesar da Dhaba
in Bazaar Passian, where, for close to 100 years, superb vegetarian curries have created countless devotees. For Amritsari fish—here, fabulous batter-fried sole from the Beas River, flavored with lovage (a thymelike spice)—you must go to
Makhan Fish House
(Lawrence Rd.), another famous
dhaba,
where things are eternally simple and cheap. Another stalwart serving delectable fish and chicken is
Bharawan da Dhaba(0183/253-2575
), which also does simple, delicious
paratha,
and
dal
is dished; wash your meal down with one of their utterly decadent
lassis
.
Surjit’s Chicken House
(Lawrence Rd.) is the spot if you’re looking for a sit-down meal of delicious butter chicken and
kulchas
or
lachedar parathas.
Finally, if aesthetics matter to you, the smartest restaurant in town is
Thai Chiat the Ista hotel (G.T. Rd.;0183/270-8888
), where you can get authentic, surprisingly good-value Thai and Chinese dishes served in chic surroundings. Everything’s made to your specifications, so you can ask chef Mani to tone down the spices if you prefer (incidentally, anything with silken tofu is highly recommended, as is the Szechuan-style bean curd). If you’re not staying in the hotel, have after-dinner drinks at the
Lotus Lounge
(just off the lobby) which has become a favorite haunt for wealthy nonresident Punjabis out to pay tribute to their holy temple.
Not Quite the City of the Future: Stopover in Chandigarh
More than merely a useful stopover en route to Amritsar or Shimla, the entirely planned city of
Chandigarh
is celebrated as a daring experiment in modernist urban design. It’s the creation of Le Corbusier, the father of modernism, whose grid-plan “living organism” design was a response to Nehru’s dream to build, in his words, “a new town symbolic of the freedom of India, unfettered by the traditions of the past, an expression of the nation’s faith in the future.” When Punjab was divided after Partition, Lahore went to Pakistan, leaving the state without a capital; Chandigarh—a groundbreaking experiment, built from scratch during the 1950s—was envisioned as the new headquarters. When Punjab was once again divided into smaller states, the city became a Union Territory serving as the administrative capital for both Punjab and Haryana. Le Corbusier is largely responsible for designing the mesh of rectangular units, or “sectors,” into which the city is divided. Characterized by broad boulevards, large landscaped parks with abundant trees, and quadrants of tidy, self-sufficient neighborhoods made up of buildings with louvered screens (brise-soleil), exposed brickwork, boulder stone masonry, and unfinished concrete surfaces, Le Corbusier’s city doesn’t quite function as the living organism it’s intended to be. Urban decay and waste have crept in, and the sheer scale of the city—much of which is given over to civic administration—lends it a slightly ghostly, alienating atmosphere (especially on weekends). With the city layout designed to keep residences away from main roads, and the rigid grid system ensuring plenty of space between buildings, the city lacks the frenetic buzz that’s synonymous with urban centers around the country. Chandigarh ends up feeling very un-Indian, something of a shock if you’ve just arrived from a metro like Delhi. But architecture buffs will find Le Corbusier’s structural contributions intriguing. If you’re particularly interested, start with a visit to the
Architecture Museum
(Sector 10), where the story behind the city is revealed through a dated display of archive materials which includes original design sketches, plans, and newspaper articles. The museum forms part of a larger Cultural Complex, where you might want to explore the
Art Gallery
(Tues–Sun 9:30am–5pm) which includes Modernist works. To get a sense of the scope of Le Corbusier’s project, you really need to drive around the city and evaluate a selection of the buildings (even Nehru admitted not liking them all). If you don’t want to shell out on a taxi, you could use the city’s
Hop on Hop off Bus,
which stops at key points around the city (half-day ticket Rs 50).
The main architectural attractions include the
Capitol Complex
Legislative Assembly, High Court,
and
Secretariat
represent structural innovation. At the southern end of the complex piazza, the
Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly)
building is capped by a startling cupola, a pyramidal tower, and a cuboid tower, while within the portico is a bright
Cubist mural
by Le Corbusier himself. Also within the complex is the
Open Hand Monument,
a giant metal hand standing 26m (85 ft.) high that is able to rotate in the wind. Symbolizing the give-and-take of ideas, the hand has become the city’s official emblem. Technically, tours of the complex start from the reception area, but these half-hourly episodes don’t always materialize; check with someone from the
Chandigarh Industrial & Tourism Development Corporation
(CITCO;
or -4356) in advance.