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STREET CRED
Delhi’s classic car motors on
The Ambassador, grandfather
of India’s booming automo-
tive industry, is the country’s
most iconic car, largely
unchanged since 1948. It’s
ubiquitous in Delhi, where it
remains the official vehicle of
government bigwigs. If you’re
staying at the Imperial, they’ll
send out a classic white
“Amby,” as it’s affectionately
known, to pick you up at the
airport; you can also hail a
taxi version, recognizable by
its distinctive black body and
yellow roof.
Finally, youarrive at the ancientminaret
Qutub Minar (
2
)
, a 235-foot-tall, 1,000-year-
old tower that leans like Pisa’s, located on
the southern edge of Delhi. They say you
can see the entire city from the top; how-
ever, followinganaccident someyearsback,
tourists areno longer permi ed inside. You
spenda longmoment staringupat it, butby
now the sun is beating down, so it’s a good
time to start thinking about lunch.
Luckily, you’re just a short drive from
Hauz Khas Village, a great welter of dusty
streets lined with antiques shops, cafés
and hip clothing boutiques
set against a backdrop of
13th-century ruins. It’s aDelhi
rarity in that it’s a pleasure to
stroll, and few other places
capture the paradox of mod-
ern India as effectively, with
juxtapositions of ancient
and new, gritty and chic. At
Gunpowder (
3
)
, yousnaga seat
on the terrace overlooking the reservoir.
Themodest restaurant serves “peninsular”
cooking fromthe coastal regions at the tip
of India. You order a dish of chicken and
egg and shredded Indian flatbread called
paratha
, as well as an incendiary sweet
and sour pork curry fromthe remote prov-
ince of Coorg (you end up drinking half a
gallon of water trying to put out the fire in
your mouth).
On the way back to the center of Delhi,
you pause at the
Evergreen Sweet House (
4
)
forasweet snack—adeliciousmixofyogurt
and honey and crispy
poori
, a type of fried
bread—before heading to Khan Market.
This cluster of outdoor shops doesn’t look
like much, but it’s the epicenter of high
fashion inDelhi: Asquare foot of real estate
here is among the priciest in India. At
Good
Earth (
5
)
, whichoffers abeautiful collection
of clothing and housewares, you pony up
for a pillow embroidered with elephants.
You opt for one that depicts the trunks
pointing up, whichmeans good luck.
A er a reviving massage at the Impe-
rial spa, you take a cab to
Bukhara (
6
)
,
which specializes in the cuisine of India’s
northwest frontier. It’s the only place in
the country that made the
influential San Pellegrino list
of the world’s 50 best restau-
rants last year. Seated on a low
stool in the gro o-like dining
room, you dig into puffy naan
and leg of baby lamb, both
cooked in a 1,000-degree tan-
door oven. You eat yourself
silly but don’t linger, knowing
you’ll be up early—very early—for your
date with the Taj.
DAY THREE
| You rise before the sun and
catch a ride to Delhi’s main train station.
The
Shatabdi Express (
1
)
, the quickest,
most efficient route south toAgra, departs
every morning at 6:30. Don’t worry about
breakfast: A first-class seat comes with
hot tea and a
thali
(a tray with a variety
of dishes) bearing savory doughnuts and
spicy masala, along with newspapers and
air conditioning. Two hours later you pull
into Agra Can Station, your gateway to
the “City of Taj.” The
Oberoi Amarvilas (
2
)
,
BOARDINGPASS
Fly United First to
Delhi, and stretch
out as you prepare
to enjoy all the
sights, sounds
and sensations of
northern India.
HISTORICAL FOCUS
At the Red Fort
of Agra, the fortress built around the
Mughal rulers’ imperial city
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