Lounge Loves: The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and chocolate orange cake

A Himalayan Pilgrimage

During a recent holiday in Darjeeling, I had the pleasure of visiting one of the hill station’s most storied institutions—the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. Founded in 1954 by Jawaharlal Nehru, the HMI’s aim was to create a robust mountaineering culture in India, building on the global recognition of Tenzing Norgay’s Everest ascent in 1953. For the past 70 years, the HMI has trained generations of Indian mountaineers. A great place to appreciate the HMI’s history is the excellent museum on its premises. Apart from mountaineering gear through the decades, galleries on famous climbs and cultural anthropology, there are many quirky items to be enjoyed as well, like giant scale models of the Himalayan range and the massive Zeiss telescope gifted by Adolf Hitler to Nepal’s king in 1938.

—Bibek Bhattacharya

An All-women Enterprise

Recently, while passing through Kevadia in the Narmada district of Gujarat, I came across the Ekta Tribal Cafe run by women from local self-help groups in the region, which offered a taste of rustic indigenous flavours. Open and airy, the eatery features vibrant artwork on the walls. Diners were greeted by an all-women staff dressed in purple saris and aprons. The cafe offered two options—a regular thali or an unlimited one. We chose one of each, though I would strongly recommend the latter as it comes with a khatti bhindi sharbat, or a drink made with roselle flowers, churma laddoo, roti with drumstick leaves, and a host of other condiments. I particularly enjoyed the methi gota, bajra rotla, and a well-tempered Gujarati kadhi.

—Avantika Bhuyan

Delicious Duo

A slice of cake with two layers, one a soft almond sponge and the other a thick chocolate ganache, both laced with orange, is a favourite find this season. The almond cake has the texture and feel of a light mawa sponge, while the chocolate’s consistency is dense enough to hold a bite’s imprint. It took me back to a core food memory from the 1990s of taking big bites of Amul orange chocolate—yes, the one with gold and orange paper cover. This cake features in the dessert segment of the menu at the restaurant The Lovefools in Mumbai. It’s not something I crave, but if I am there, it has to be on the table. While some might have a full slice, I prefer sharing, As much as I like this dessert, it doesn’t surpass the satisfaction of ordering a dessert that is appreciated by close ones. This feeling is the sweet spot to end a meal.

—Jahnabee Borah

Through Space and Time

A close friend passed away this week and brought back memories of things shared over two decades, pop culture tidbits, and so on. Of the many books, memes and other things we recommended to each other, Firefly stands out. An early 2000s show starring Nathan Fillion of Castle fame, made by Joss Whedon, Firefly was a space Western with rich characters and nuanced writing. Unfortunately, it got cancelled in the first season. I don’t think I would have come across it had my friend not sent me a download link. Even till recently, his contact photo on my phone was a screengrab of Fillion’s Firefly character. For some reason, Fillion, especially as the kind-hearted captain, reminded me of him.

—Dakshayani Kumaramangalam