A foggy Saturday morning took us to Saraf Farms on Link Road, Dera Village, Delhi. Run by the father-daughter duo of Prakash and Aakanksha Saraf, this idyllic verdant space has rows after rows of fresh organic strawberries growing. They have a picking and a non-picking pass. We chose the former, which allowed us to meander through the farm with our little basket, filling it with strawberries. The farm also grows a whole lot of organic winter produce, from spinach and turnips to cauliflower. You can pick and pay by weight. After a soothing drink of strawberry leaves tea, followed by a game of badminton, we headed to their farm-to-table cafe. From pastas and pizzas to stuffed parathas, the menu featured dishes that spotlighted the produce growing on the farm. There couldn’t have been a better way to spend a winter morning. —Avantika Bhuyan
On the menu, kunafa chocolate does not sound appetising. One would imagine that the sugar syrup-soaked kunafa would contrast with the bitter flavours of chocolate, and the end result would be cloyingly sweet. During a recent visit to the new Mumbai restaurant Scarlett House, a friend decided to order this dessert because she had never tasted kunafa. I concealed my apprehension and said yes. It was an unpretentious bar of chocolate. After taking a bite, the good stuff emerged—a layer of kunafa with hints of caramel. The crunch of fried semolina strands paired perfectly with the creamy chocolate, while the balance of sweet and bitter just hit the spot. The portion was large enough to be shared by four. —Jahnabee Borah
If the Japanese have furoshiki, the South Koreans have bojagi: wrapping gifts in a piece of cloth, and elevating it to an art form. No tearing apart the wrapping paper and junking it, but thoughtfully untying the cloth to reveal the gift inside. In my family—and perhaps it’s the same with many others too—we don’t fuss about wrapping when we are giving one another presents. Recently, a close relative gave me her annual December gift. But what was more delightful was the off-white cotton bag she handed me to carry it. She had handpainted it—little flowers and birds in pink, blue and yellow. A memorable touch. According to her, she indulges in this hobby while watching something mindless on the telly! —Nipa Charagi
Bengaluru’s Bar Spirit Forward has just taken the second spot on India’s 30 Best Bars list for its craft cocktails but I’d say its most thoughtful drink is the water. Its staff make the first rule of responsible drinking—have a glass of water between every drink—easy to follow. Water is poured even before the menus are handed out and when you take as little as two small sips, they appear to top it up immediately. If you’re the kind to ignore your glass of water, the waiters will gently bring your attention to it, or point out an untouched glass when people rise to leave a table. Many regulars return because they never have a sluggish morning after and wonder why, and I think the answer is the almost obsessive dedication the bar has to ensuring patrons truly enjoy the experience with large pours—of water. —Shalini Umachandran
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