Glenary's

Glenary’s is that enormous Time Machine even a visionary like Herbert George Wells found hard to picture. Trappings of Anglophilia cling to its walls like stubborn dust. And, my likes climb Glenary's wooden steps to soak up the remains of colonial spirit Darjeeling once so vainly typified. Enough said! Unlike Nigella, I eat well in the company of music, and that doesn’t ‘drown out’ the joy I seek in food whatsoever. Clapton’s ‘It's late in the evening; she's wondering what clothes to wear’ are the exact words that caressed me at about the same time a bowlful of Steamed Rice and Sliced Roast Pork was served with discernible warmth. A generous layer of diced pork covering a substantial serving of herbed rice chuffed with the right lean-fat mix and succulence, with the rice cooked al dente pairing splendidly to round off a dish too hard to forget. What a start! #uncookedwords

I heard Lenon taking the stage with a quieting ‘Imagine’. Came alongside the American Chopsuey - a meaty riot of right consistency endowed with a sweetness that did hit the spot without cloying. So, a bad news for those with a sweet-tooth. Amply piqued I kept ordering totally dismissing my stomach was not Spandex. Chicken Hamburger Steak was a spoiler with a misplaced toughness sadly marring the relish of two stocky steaks. Some tenderness could render it uniquely delicious. To offset the chips on the side were made soft but not soggy. No sooner had Bryan, who was long waiting in the wings, burst onto the scene with ‘Everything I Do, I Do It for You’ than my Roasted Chicken with vegetables arrived sizzling in readiness. Cooked to perfection on a Sizzler Plate to say the least. Two perfectly grilled chunks of chicken garnished with cauliflower, peas and carrots attesting to an assiduity that retained the savoury moistness till the last morsel. Glad to come across a perfect roast after a sizeable while.

Leaving Glenary’s marked the Time Traveller’s return to a dull present – where all that were feted inside are dubbed dated and passé.