Last evening Anil had called me up just as I boarded a low floor bus from the Angamaly KSRTC bus stand headed for home. I was planning on getting a couple of beers and chilling out in an AC bar as the days are becoming quite hot. Anil said that he was back home in Thrissur and perhaps me, him & Madhu could meet up the next day (today) for lunch and drinks. Our plan was to head to Couchin for some well needed beers and sample their rather fabulous barbecued sausages and later head for a late lunch in a Chinese restaurant. And that’s what the 3 of us planned for today. Even at 11am when Anil called me to fix the timing, we didn’t realize it – it was the 1st of a month and it was May Day as well! Meaning it’s a dry day. Meaning no beer!
Fuck! Well it didn’t matter. What we decided was that we would meet at Cafe Coffee Day for some cold ones and then have lunch at Golden Dragon @ Ravipuram. So I showered and changed clothes and by 1pm I was walking down towards the main road. Firdous from my old company called me to find out where the franchises of Chick Kings were as he wanted to take his wife out for lunch. As I walked I discussed about his options and I suggested he bring her to the Chicknik (very similar to KFC) joint in Lisie Junction, which I had found to be quite nice when I had visited it with Ajeeba, Neil, Shalina & Vidya. He did and said that it was quite ok. Anil was waiting for me in his car at the main road and in I got and we headed to CCD. As we got out it was boiling hot, smack right in the afternoon and the sun bearing down on us. We headed into the cafe and ordered cold Mochachillos to cool us down.
Their ac must also have been feeling the effects of the heat; it wasn’t nearly as cool as we’d like it to be. Madhu joined us, riding his bike all the way from Thrikkakara and nursing a rather bad cold. To calm his sneezing he drank an espresso shot and a capuccino for good measure. I also got us some really great chocolate chip cookies that CCD is famous for. We spent an hour there and then headed for nearby Golden Dragon. This is our favourite restaurant and I would guess the best place for Chinese food, the authentic Chinese stuff and not the heavy on the spices Kerala versions, in the whole state. We went in and selected a table at one end and asked our waiter for the menu. We ordered sweet & sour crab soup and sweet corn chicken soup for Madhu.
Madhu orded veggie Hakka noodles and hong kong chicken, Anil had egg fried rice and sweet & sour pork and I ordered the mixed Hakka noodles and schezwan spicy chicken – the latter of which was the hit of the afternoon. We ofcourse shared each others dishes but Madhu didn’t eat any pork. Anil & I also downed cold 7ups to wash down the food. Chatting continued till our bellies were full and the waiter cleared our table. We paid and then left the restaurant, post which Anil dropped me home. Madhu also said that he would try to find a place for me in Angamaly through a contact of his. Which I would be so glad to get. A little after 4pm, I was back home and relaxing on my bed & watching season two of Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
great. now I want cookies! But I can’t. I’m on a diet!