When weather becomes an ingredient...

Why is it that food tastes so much better when the surroundings are scenic? I suppose it’s all to do with one’s mood. When there are lofty deodar trees around you and majestic mountains in front of you, the world is at peace — and even pizzas taste good.

I am not much of a pizza lover, but I had an excellent time munching on a rectangular slice of cheese, tomato and pepperoni at a small rooftop eatery called Klick Café in the most beautiful of hill stations, the one and only Landour, recently. Our kind host at La Villa Bethany had told us about the new place opened by a chef called Bipin Kamra who had earlier lived in Canada and was now feeding people in this tiny Uttarakhand town.

We – four old friends – walked up to Klick, which is right opposite what’s called Lal Tibba, a point from where you can see a range of the Himalayas. It’s a basic eatery, with tables and chairs set on the terrace, but the menu is interesting. It offers the usual fare – Maggi noodles, fries, pancakes, nachos, omelettes and sandwiches – but also pastas and pizzas. And also on the menu was poutine, a dish of fries, cheese and gravy from Quebec.

The potato-loving friend among us wanted that but the cheerful young boy serving us told us it wasn’t available. We asked for a few the other dishes, and were told – with a wide grin – that those weren’t there either. What’s there, we asked exasperatedly. Pepperoni pizza, he suggested.

Somehow, I have had some of the best pizzas in Landour. Our old haunt, Devdar Woods, served the most delicious home-baked pizzas with all kinds of interesting toppings.

So we asked for the pepperoni pizza (₹180), a plate of chicken nuggets with French fries (₹130), a Louisiana hot chicken burger with sriracha sauce and mayo (₹200) and chicken quesadilla (₹200).

The food was delightful – and it wasn’t just the surroundings and the superb weather that made it so delicious.

Juicy burger

The burger, for instance, was juicy, and full of the good stuff, with cheese melting into chicken, crunchy tomatoes and onions and soft buns. The pizza, again, was chewy on top and crispy at the bottom, and came with a generous topping of pepperoni and cheese. The quesadilla was excellent — a toasty wrap with crunchy peppers, tomatoes and onions with chicken. The nuggets were not bad at all, and the fries were fresh.

The overall experience was great. There was a pleasant breeze blowing around us, we could see the mountains as well as the valley below, and the food came to us hot and fresh. A dog settled down under a chair, and we munched happily.

When I go back to Landour – and soon, I hope – I shall make sure that my friend gets his poutine. In peaceful and picturesque Landour, what could be better than a dish that has come to town all the way from Quebec?