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'I was here' is our attempt at showcasing food cultures across different cities. Every city has its own history that more or less influences the kind of cuisine that dominates the eateries and also the taste-buds of its people. The aim is to backpack each city, find local places to eat and speak to locals about the culture that brings out the best in each city.

Iran

Here's a slice of Iran 🇮🇷, a visual treat of all the travel across this magnificent nation, from the streets of Tehran to the mesmerizing Isfahan to the laid back Shiraz. Full episodes to follow soon. 🎶"Persian Game of Thrones' soundtrack by Mim Rasouli.

Here's a slice of Iran, a visual treat of all the travel across this magnificent nation, from the streets of Tehran to the mesmerizing Isfahan to the laid back Shiraz. Full episodes to follow soon.

A brief introduction to Iran through the lens and words of Medium&Rare's host - Assad Dadan as he gives a fresh narrative of Iran, devoid of the usual western skepticism. A first hand experience of the country, its culture, the delicious plates of food and getting up-close and personal with the ever so hospitable Iranians.

A brief introduction to Iran through the lens and words of Medium&Rare's host - Assad Dadan as he gives a fresh narrative of Iran, devoid of the usual western skepticism. A first hand experience of the country, its culture, the delicious plates of food and getting up-close and personal with the ever so hospitable Iranians.

This second installment of 'I Was Here - Iran' is more deep rooted in the local culture as Assad spend times in Isfahan at Howzak House, where the Babak- one half of the proprietor duo talks about the Irani way of life, Gormeh Sabzi and the beloved Chaiee.

This second installment of 'I Was Here - Iran' is more deep rooted in the local culture as Assad spend times in Isfahan at Howzak House, where the Babak- one half of the proprietor duo talks about the Irani way of life, Gormeh Sabzi and the beloved Chaiee. More stories from the ruins of Persepolis to the stained glass mosque of Shiraz and carpet artisans from Mashhad.

Bazaars across Iran are the quintessential hub of everything one needs in day to day life. Different sections in each bazaar cater to different needs- garments, hardware, metal shops, toys, but almost every bazaar has a large portion of its space dedicated to locally grown spices, herbs, dry fruits and one most iconic and important ingredient of Iranian cooking- Saffron!

Bazaars across Iran are the quintessential hub of everything one needs in day to day life. Different sections in each bazaar cater to different needs- garments, hardware, metal shops, toys, but almost every bazaar has a large portion of its space dedicated to locally grown spices, herbs, dry fruits and one most iconic and important ingredient of Iranian cooking- Saffron! In this snippet of 'I Was Here - Iran' we take a look at Bazaar of Shiraz, Isfahan, Tajrish in Northern Tehran and also The Grand Bazaar in Southern Tehran.

Persia, the ancient Persian name of Iran , boasts to be the world's most superior culture in carpet manufacturing. The art of weaving and dying is inherited and carpets of all styles and sizes are made here.

Persia, the ancient Persian name of Iran , boasts to be the world's most superior culture in carpet manufacturing. The art of weaving and dying is inherited and carpets of all styles and sizes are made here. We meet Vali Ansari, a renowned guide and carpet repair artist from the holy city of Mashhad in Eastern Iran and learn about a range of carpets originating from this side of the country which is responsible for nearly more than half of the carpet-making business here.

Walls across the different towns of Iran are decorated with verses and couplets from the legendary Shams Tabrizi to Divan of Hafez and even Rumi's poems. Art in Iran takes different forms in different places, being not only restricted to gallery and museums, but also facades of building, metro subways and alleyways.

Walls across the different towns of Iran are decorated with verses and couplets from the legendary Shams Tabrizi to Divan of Hafez and even Rumi's poems. Art in Iran takes different forms in different places, being not only restricted to gallery and museums, but also facades of building, metro subways and alleyways.

Vietnam

This four episode special presentation of 'I Was Here' features stories from Bangkok, Hanoi, Halong Bay, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh.

Bangkok ➡️ Hanoi ➡️ Halong Bay ➡️ Da Nang ➡️ Ho Chi Minh ➡️Bangkok Music credit : PLS&TY - Run Wild

Remember when we went around India eating to live all that goodness?
This is just like that - except its Bangkok and Hanoi and Ha Long Bay and Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh (& Awesome)!

First stop in this journey across Vietnam is the capital city of Hanoi. We explore the daily life, indulge in the well-known 'Egg Coffee' at Cafe Giang, munch on a few crispy meaty Banh Mi and unwind by Hoan Kiem Lake.

Episode 02: Hanoi - Halong Bay

Hanoi and Halong Bay are the first two stops in our journey through north to south of Vietnam. Hanoi's old world charm mixed with the upcoming modern world makeover makes it a unique place in all of southeast Asia. This is one city that serves some of the most interesting local food and drinks like the famous Egg Coffee that was developed by the Giangs and the French baguette influenced Vietnamese sandwich 'Banh Mi'. This and a lots more in this new episode. 

In this second installment of our travel through Vietnam, we take a closer look at the coastal city of Da Nang, understand Central Vietnamese cuisine, their specialty noodles - 'Mi Quang' and finally travel to the neighboring ancient Japanese town of Hoi An.

The last installment of this season's travel to Vietnam culminates at the southern city of 'Ho Chi Minh'. Modern, systematic and clean, run almost like a private enterprise. Join us as we explore the different markets, party districts, pedestrian plaza, lunch lady of Saigon, microbreweries and more.

Episode 04: Ho Chi Minh

The last installment of this season's travel to Vietnam culminates at the southern city of 'Ho Chi Minh'. Modern, systematic and clean, run almost like a private enterprise. Join us as we explore the different markets, party districts, pedestrian plaza, lunch lady of Saigon, microbreweries and more.

Episode 03: Da Nang - Hoi An

In this second installment of our travel through Vietnam, we take a closer look at the coastal city of Da Nang, understand Central Vietnamese cuisine, their specialty noodles - 'Mi Quang' and finally travel to the neighboring ancient Japanese town of Hoi An.

In our first episode from this three part series of #IWasHere we take a quick trip around Bangkok just before arriving at Hanoi and the remaining three cities in Vietnam.

 

Episode 01: Bangkok

All you ever wanted to know about where to eat in Bangkok? It's all right here. From eating Pad Thai at Thipsamai to shopping at Asia's largest open market to unwinding at Lumphini. 

Season One

Check out episodes from our premier season as we explore local food and culture from Pune, Goa, Hyderabad and Kochi.

For our season finale episode we travel to Kochi, a place where the scenery is constantly changing and where putting a boundary is almost impossible. Seamlessly blending from the Portuguese architecture of Fort Kochi to the Shipyard of Ernakulam and from the untouched beaches of Vypin to the back waters of Edakochi.

Episode 07: Kochi

For our season finale episode we travel to Kochi, a place where the scenery is constantly changing and where putting a boundary is almost impossible. Seamlessly blending from the Portuguese architecture of Fort Kochi to the Shipyard of Ernakulam and from the untouched beaches of Vypin to the back waters of Edakochi. The food culture is equally diverse where you will come across Dutch Bruder to Syrian Catholic styles of Appams and from rustic Kerala Cuisine served in Toddy Shop to the street style favourites like Kothu Parotta and Beef Fry. 

In this first video of the two part 'Hyderabad' series, we indulge in the quintessential food from this city- Biryani, Nihari, Mandi, Sheermaal, Osmania Biscuits and Irani Chai. Assad meets well-known actress - Elahe Hiptoola, who along with Ashhar Farhan, Humera Ahmed, Biju Matthews and Manager-Subba Reddy run this city's well-known cultural space 'Lamakaan' in Banjara Hills.

Tucked away from all of Hyderabad's glamour and archaeological greatness are areas where some of the best food can be unearthed. We rode kilometres away from the centre of the city to the old barracks of Nizams, known as Barkas and feasted on the popular regional item 'Mandi'.

Episode 05 & 06: Hyderabad

In this first video of the two part 'Hyderabad' series, we indulge in the quintessential food from this city- Biryani, Nihari, Mandi, Sheermaal, Osmania Biscuits and Irani Chai. Assad meets well-known actress – Elahe Hiptoola, who along with Ashhar Farhan, Humera Ahmed, Biju Matthews and Manager-Subba Reddy run this city's well-known cultural space 'Lamakaan' in Banjara Hills. Masab Tank, which is a hub where the old and new cross path, is also where we discover Hyderabad's oldest antiquities & collectables shop - Mughal Arts.

Tucked away from all of Hyderabad's glamour and archaeological greatness are areas where some of the best food can be unearthed. In the second part of the Hyderabad series, we travel to Barkas and Kukatpally for their regional speciality food and also find some juicy meaty burgers at Madhapur and Afghani fare at Ladkikapul. 

This time the 'I Was Here' crew travels to Goa-the land of red soil, white sand and sussegado beings. A 365 days tourist hot-spot, Goa in the past half a decade has transformed into a multi-cultural hub that has adjusted itself to accommodate the newer unduly and ever so demanding domestic and international visiting crowd.

Episode 04: Goa

This time the 'I Was Here' crew travels to Goa-the land of red soil, white sand and sussegado beings. A 365 days tourist hot-spot, Goa in the past half a decade has transformed into a multi-cultural hub that has adjusted itself to accommodate the newer unduly and ever so demanding domestic and international visiting crowd. We meet a few locals from different parts of Goa who voice their opinion about this change in the landscape of food, culture and behavior

In this premier episode of #IWasHere Assad takes us on a trip down memory lane to some of the places from this satellite city that he frequented back in his childhood days. Salli Ghosh at Dorabjee, Irani Chai & Bun Maska at Cafe Yezdan and Husseny Bakery on Taboot Street that bakes some flawless 'Brun Pav'.

Episode 01: Pune

In this premier episode of #IWasHere Assad takes us on a trip down memory lane to some of the places from this satellite city that he frequented back in his childhood days. Salli Ghosh at Dorabjee, Irani Chai & Bun Maska at Cafe Yezdan and Husseny Bakery on Taboot Street that bakes some flawless 'Brun Pav'. He also stumbles upon a legendary ice-cream institution that serves a unique tall cold milky concoction called 'Mastani'.

Episode Two starts off from the ever popular and rustic 'Vohuman Cafe' and then shifts to the suburban area of Aundh where Assad experiences traditional Vietnamese cuisine at 'Smiley House' curated by two sisters in a garage sized quirky eatery.

Episode 02: Pune

Episode Two starts off from the ever popular and rustic 'Vohuman Cafe' and then shifts to the suburban area of Aundh where Assad experiences traditional Vietnamese cuisine at 'Smiley House' curated by two sisters in a garage sized quirky eatery. We then drive across to the other end of the city at NIBM and meet Amir Reza Sadeghian who runs a quick bite Iranian Shawarma establishment. If you're curious to know how Craft Beers are made, then the last segment at Flambos Brewpub is a treat for you.

In the final episode, We travel to Viman Nagar to enjoy some original and yummy Keralite Paratha's and Appam's at Malabar Chopsticks, meet 'Meeta Makhecha' the owner of Kalyani Nagar's famous European eatery 'The Flour Works' and finally make one last stop at this year's Times Food Award winner 'The Asian Box' in Koregaon Park for the delightful South East Asian fare and specifically their Burmese Khao Suey.

Episode 03: Pune

In the final episode, We travel to Viman Nagar to enjoy some original and yummy Keralite Paratha's and Appam's at Malabar Chopsticks, meet 'Meeta Makhecha' the owner of Kalyani Nagar's famous European eatery 'The Flour Works' and finally make one last stop at this year's Times Food Award winner 'The Asian Box' in Koregaon Park for the delightful South East Asian fare and specifically their Burmese Khao Suey.