As my first day in Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, continued, my friend Paul took me to eat a Khasi thali. This amazing Meghalaya Khasi thali is so different from every other thali I’ve ever had, including the ones I had in Assam! Then we headed up to Shillong Peak to get some insane views of the city! Come along with us as I continue exploring this amazing city in northeast India!
We made our way to Police Bazar, which is where the restaurant is located. Police Bazar is the most commercial hub in Shillong. You can buy clothing, street food, accessories, shoes, and more.
The restaurant Paul took me to, Trattoria, was very unique. It was pretty small and all the booths face the same direction. We ordered our Meghalaya Khasi thali, which contained lots of non-veg dishes including chicken and pork.
I started with the jadoh, which is a Khasi rice with pork that is reminiscent of a risotto or paella. The pork is pretty fatty! Then I tried a fresh tomato salad with green beans, followed by a radish salad, which was crunchy and reminded me of bamboo. I liked it a lot!
Next, I went with the pork salad. It’s like a Russian salad with potato, onion, and pork. I loved it! It’s fatty and kind of tastes like a ceviche. I also loved the fattiness of the pork curry.
The dal mash in the Meghalaya Khasi thali was very nice and super light and had no heat to it. The fermented fish chutney was very potent, fishy, and spicy. The mint chutney was amazing with the rice. The mint was so strong but so good!
The banana flower chutney was like a plantain mash. The mashed potatoes were light and contained some onion. The mashed potato with cauliflower I tried next had a creamy element that I liked a lot.
Then I went with the pork fat, which was delicious and gelatinous. I also loved the dense pork ball. The next dish was chicken curry with potatoes. The curry was insane! I loved it so much! Then I went with a pepper. It took me a few bites for the heat to kick in, but when it did, it was intense! While I cooled my mouth down with some water and rice, it was Paul’s turn to try!
The next thing I tried was a fermented soybean sauce, which looked super rich and delicious. I tried it with some of the jadoh. It was really rich and earthy. I had something similar to it in Japan! But for me, the star of the meal was the chicken curry. It was so good, I had to thank the owner, who was in love with me!
After our meal, we visited the bazaar, where Paul showed me a beautiful handmade shawl. After a bit of bargaining, I bought four in total for the women in my family. They’re great for winter days!
Before we set off for Shillong Peak, we went to get a double espresso with ice. I got it the way I like it, with no sugar. It was perfect! Exactly what I needed to continue on with my day! Our total came to 210 rupees, or about $4 USD.
Then it was time for Shillong Peak, but we hit a huge traffic jam! It was super tight but we squeezed through the cars and pedestrians. The drive by scooter took about 15 minutes. It got chilly on the way, so I recommend dressing warm when you come to Shillong!
After not being able to visit the peak due to me being a foreigner and the ongoing situation with Pakistan, Paul took me to another area of the peak with great views. We got out and walked past a Catholic graveyard, which reminded me of a cemetery I’d visited in Guatemala because of the colors.
The landscape and greenery of this area felt very European. We reached the lookout point, but the view of the city wasn’t great because it was kind of gloomy. It was still beautiful!
Then we headed to a café, we got an insane view of Shillong! It’s gorgeous! This part of India is such a different world. Then we went back to Police Bazaar to get a beer. The lounge offered an amazing view of the bazaar below. Instead of a beer, I got some smooth Indian whiskey. It was so good!
I hope you enjoyed coming with me to have a delicious Meghalaya Khasi thali before visiting Shillong Peak! If you did, please give it a thumbs up, leave me a comment, and subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss any of my upcoming travel/food content!
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