FOUR SEASONS- MORE LIKE OFF SEASON!

Every time  one has travelled to Shillong, one has promised to visit the much talked about resort - Ri Kynjai perched on a hill overlooking the stunning Umiam Lake (better known as Bara Pani). Ri Kynjai in the local Khasi language is said to translate into Serenity by the Lake.  But promises are....... It didn't help either that on reaching Shillong, to get to Ri Kynjai one had to drive back to Bara Pani, a drive of some 17-18 kilometres, then where the Umiam Lake ends you turn left and then left again and then keep on driving. Since Shillong visits are regular, there was always another time we promised to visit Ri Kynjai. This time we honoured the promise !

One day in early October when the the regular unpredictable intermittent Shillong rains seem to be on hold, we started out before noon.  Once we took the left turn where the Umiam Lake ended and then the left turn again from when the straight cemented short road ended, the lake was on our left and on the right the pine clad hills. Up to a point the elation at finally heading for Ri Kynjai and above all, the good weather, began to wane, the curvaceous drive continued but there seemed to be no sign of Ri Kynjai and for that matter any signage either.   After a while we found three young men working on the road, well they didn't have any idea either but they too had heard that there was some kind of resort much ahead! We drove on, made a wrong stop, retraced and drove again. Thankfully one of us remembered having the phone number and the lady on the phone guided us.

When we finally got there it was Hallelujah moment every which way. We had done it and more than that, what awaited us was a spectacular view.

Our first view of the lake from the resort!

It was like a magic wand had been waved and it was indeed Serenity by the Lake. We were visitors for the day and our plan was to lunch at the restaurant and just take in the serenity ( sorry, that word has taken deep roots). The facade of the resort faces the lake and after a walk across a covered walkaway, we go down to the reception counter and prepare to go down one floor more to the restaurant, we literally stop in our tracks - the large picture windows frame a sight not easily forgettable.

Just Picture Perfect!

Our destination was the resorts restaurant- Sao aiom (Four Seasons in Khasi). Situated on the  ground floor, it has a long broad verandah fronting with cane seating.

There is also a thatched roof open air restaurant with a bar but unfortunately that day there was a private party going on so it was off limits. But we had no reasons to complain, the view before us - greenery every where, a rich green lawn and a garden lay spread  and gradually it sloped down to the lake below. By the way the resort is spread out over 45 acres! At one end the verandah transforms into steps going up to different levels. What I loved best about it all was that there was no pretense at being anything else but fully local - the architecture, the usage of local material, the design, the decor and yet there is comfort and modern elements available.   

Don't miss the Local Cane Baskets  Light Shades, the Driftwood and Bamboo Rafters

.....and the Miniature Garden in a Cane Basket complete with Rocks! 

As we stood on the lawn and looked up at the resort, it towered over us but in a welcoming and warm way. Unfortunately, since were not staying at the resort we couldn't check out the rooms- but the views from the balconies up there must be something else altogether!

The restaurant Sao aiom is another beautiful example of  a brilliant putting together of local furniture, handicraft, art works, artifact  and aesthetics. Shillong or rather Khasi Hills is where pineapples, ginger, mandarin oranges and turmeric grow in profusion, in fact the Khasi Lakadong turmeric is said to have one of the highest circumin content. Naturally, fresh pineapple juice was out opener. It was just too good, not too sweet, not too acidic and amazingly refreshing. Unfortunately, they don't serve food outside and so for lunch we had to troop into the restaurant (Sao aiom). 

 

We had decided that we would stick to a strictly Khasi menu but alas, the food was the biggest dampener, downer and everything disappointing. For us Khasi food has always meant mouth watering jah-doh (Khasi meat pulao), doh khleh, chicken neiiong (chicken or pork cooked in a rich black sesame paste) and tungrymbai. The starters of crispy veg, more like tempura was good as was the chicken dish, more Chinese than local.  The main course of jah doh, doh khleh and pork and chicken neiiong was sad and such a let down. These were dishes that many many moons ago one ate on the sly and developed such a taste for it that doh khleh (literally head meat/pork) is something that I salivate for all the time. The doh khleh is a simple but rich dish, almost sensuous with the (boiled) fatty pork head meat cut into tiny pieces and blended with ginger slivers, sliced onions and minced green chili and seasoned with salt, you don't need anything more. What we got was a dry dish with more red meat that was hard to chew.  And totally tasteless. The jah doh was another dampener, tilting toward a hint of yellow instead of luscious dark green almost black sesame paste and the meat pieces were again hard and fibrous. The pork neiiong had fatty pork pieces (the kind I like) alright but yes, once again hard to chew and more lardy.  We barely touched the chicken neiiong! It was bland and without any soul. The conversation on the table died and soon we were only passing the Chinese noodles around. It was like someone had thrown icy cold water over our childhood romance, the unmatchable taste of Khasi food that we remembered.  It was like seeing bits of your childhood stomped on. Some innocent romance certainly don't last.

Doh Khleh

 

 

Jah Doh

Pork Neiiong

We had no heart to even check out the dessert menu but with children around you simply can't say no. Strawberry ice cream they said and I thought with strawberry farms growing popular on the outskirts of the Shillong, we would for once get the real McCoy but once again it was a weepy story - the strawberry flavour was a horrid punk pink and synthetic and medicine like. The chocolate mousse was insipid and the fruit custard best left with no comments. With the disaster of the meal, something in us went cold.

On the way back, much silence prevailed barring of course the non stop nattering of the kids. As we climbed higher heading back to Shillong and as the lush greenery outside whizzed by, one couldn't help thinking may be some promises shouldn't be kept................