Gandhi Cold Drinks

“Uff... This heat will kill us someday…!!” This is the common cry of the city whose temperature has already crossed 45°C. To beat the heat, people wear light colored and loose fitting clothes and deck themselves up with Dupattas, Sun Glasses and Gloves to protect themselves from the heat wave. Some people prefer to be in the confines of their homes or offices, to avoid this unbearable heat.

Apnu Gujarati Banner

But there is another way to beat this heat. On the way to Teen Darwaja, near the Bhadra Fort, there is the Gandhi Cold Drinks Shop. It is one of the oldest and the best place to have Faloodas, in aapnu Amdavad. ‘Falooda’ is basically a beverage served in the Indian sub-continent, originating from Persia. It is made by mixing Vermicelli, Basil Seeds (Takmaria), Milk and Flavoured Syrup. Served chilled, this refreshing treat is more tasty when it is topped with a scoopful of ice cream. This place is always flooded with people who have come to shop in the walled city, working class people and ardent Falooda lovers.

Deluxe Mix Falooda

On a  sweltering Saturday afternoon after doing some shopping with my family, we decided to cool ourselves at this Falooda joint. It’s a nice decent place, having three separate areas for people to sit. Two on the inside, and one on the outside for people who just want a quick refreshment. The owner was seated in a small cubicle right at the entrance of this shop.  The walls of this shop were made out of marble stones, that gave some respite from the heat. Hardly had we found ourselves comfortable seats, our eyes had started browsing through the variety of options mentioned in the menu that was printed on the walls.Without much delay we ordered the Royal Falooda and Deluxe Mix Falooda. The Royal Faluda had Saffron (Kesar) Syrup, topped with Milk, Vermicelli and Basil Seeds, with a scoopful of ice cream and Kesar shreddings. The Deluxe Mix had Red Almond syrup, and was topped with mixed dry fruits. When the waiters handed the glasses of Falooda, our hearts and tummies delighted on their sight. Served in a tall glass, this cold beauty melted our hearts. We carefully stirred the Falooda, and took a first taste of it.It sure was love at first taste. Immediately we felt the temperature drop. The Basil Seeds did their job of cooling down our senses, while the ice-cream satisfied our taste buds. And within no time our glasses were empty.

Royal Falooda

Situated amidst the old city, this Faluda Joint is a heritage in itself. It’s a must visit for people having an inclination towards sweet food, couples looking for some personal time, people coming to the walled city to shop, and ‘Foodies’ like us, who appreciate good food with a good story! Keep reading for more such foodie experiences.

Dunkin Donuts & more

The tiny looking banner... Ofcourse its zoomed, duh!

The title of my blog post says it all. Yes, the most awaited donut store is finally here in Ahmedabad. Foodies from all over the city had flocked to this place, on the first day itself, to get a bite of their infamous donuts, DD is known for. After weeks of planning and researching, we finally got a chance to drop by this donut place and try their confectioneries.

The warm ambience... 

So, when we saw this tiny outlet, in the newly opened CG Square Mall on CG Road, I was completely bewildered. But the moment we opened the door, an aroma blast of chocolate and coffee engulfed us. Without any delay our eyes started to scroll through the menu and the Donuts which[that] were beautifully decked in the glass display. Our eyes got glued to the terms Death by Chocolate and Alive by Chocolate and quickly ordered those along with a Chocolate Cake Donut and the highly favoured Moccachips Cold Cappuccino. While we waited for our order to get processed, we started to check out the ambience. The outlet did seem small from the outside, but the interior was smartly done to give it a spacious and a lively look]. There were different seating arrangements made for different sizes of groups, making it an ideal hangout spot. There are two entry points, one from outside and the other one opens towards the CG Mall. The walls were decked with huge blackboards having witty quotes and eye-catchy drawings scribbled over, that surely grab your attention.

Breathing heavily!

As soon as our order was processed, without any further delay we took our first bites of the tempting chocolate donuts. The supersoft Death by Chocolate donuts, were a marvel. They were regular donut shells with chocolate cream, chocolate sprinkles and cream toppings and had a gooey molten chocolate in the center. The Alive by Chocolate donut, was the same but had different toppings. It had crushed chocolate cookie crumbs with the same molten chocolate surprise filling. The Chocolate Cake Donut did look delicious with the chocolate icing and rainbow sprinkles, but was dry and tasteless. Or maybe our expectations soared sky-high after having the Death by Chocolate and Alive by Chocolate donuts, that we found these a bit bland and not upto the mark. But the taste was compensated well with the Moccachips Cold Cappuccino. It was a perfect blend of cold chocolate and strong coffee, topped with a thick layer of nicely whipped cream and lots of choco-chips. Slurping it slowly was a delight in itself. Phew, all of it was so filling and heavy, we couldnt ask for anything else.

Breathing more heavily!

DD is a must go for all those young by heart ! After all age is just a number, ehh ! And the Death by Chocolate and Alive by Chocolate donuts are the best things to try. We did manage to have a glimpse of some killer burgers out there, but we were too full to have anything further. Will surely go again to try some other donuts and some other burgers and eatables at DD. Till then, Happy hogging!