Kalakaari with Calamari

I love sea-food. So deep is this love that I can go around massive cities, travel to remote locations, agree to 'dangerous dares' (figuratively speaking!) and even fall in love in my pursuit of the fishes and prawns and crabs and their cousins. 

My journey, from consciously disliking fish to graduating to be an avid sea-food lover, well, lets keep it for another day. All I can do is thank the Universe for this transformation (vegan and vegetarian brigades can troll me for all I care). 

Lets get to the point. I was introduced to Calamari by my darling little sister (she is strictly vegetarian). It was love at first sight. I was instantly drawn to this sea creature, more commonly known as Squid, especially the rubbery rings that formed part of my sea-food Mongolian fried rice. 

In no time, fried Calamari Rings became one of the thumb rules for me to judge the quality of sea-food cuisines in a restaurant. If they can botch this, they are no good and you should make a dash for the exit. 

In April, 2019, I tasted one of the best servings of Calamari Rings at the Market Bar, Dublin. The rings were generously smothered with the right amount of batter and perfectly fried. They were crispy and light and the squid was just cooked the right way. The plateful of crunchy rings often revisit me in happy food dreams. 

Upon my return to India, I visitied The Flaming Wok, a restaurant in CR Park, New Delhi and my eyes could not shine brighter when I found Calamari Rings on the menu. The obvious happened. A portion was ordered and in a matter of ten minutes, arrived my 'Precious'. 

What can I say? Bad food has this numbing effect on me. The rings were damp, the squid overcooked to the point of being super-rubbery. The outer cover was bitter and I was crestfallen. My disappointment knew no bounds. Gloom was writ large all across my face and I was left with the memories of the Calamari Rings in Dublin to soothe my broken dreams. 

Sometimes all it takes to deliver an extraordinary dish is a dash of  innovation, coupled with dollops of honesty and earnest efforts. That moment when I stepped out of the restaurant, I pledged to not rest until I find the next best fried Calamari Rings. Till then, the Irish version continues to rule as 'Lord of the Rings'.

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