Nameless Dhaba on NH 22

It's difficult to focus on the surroundings when you're sending up a prayer a nano-second to the gazillion gods that oversee the well being of the himalayan hinterland. God knows, it needs it! Not least because your driver may be taking a phone call with one hand while changing the music with the other. Suffice it to say, it was a grrrrreat experience, only because I lived to tell.

Made memorable by an unforgettable maash daal-rajmah-chawal experience at this non-decrepit shack cantilevered hundreds of feet above the ferocious Sutlej. That, my friends, is the dhaba's only claim to fame. Deservedly. Servings large enough to assuage elephantine appetites to start with, and then refills galore, at Rs.30 only. Apparently, the owner is charitably inclined. A few raw onion rings and the fiery red chilly, fried crisp, your only hope as accompaniments.

Gourmet tip: Eat with your hands. It will help unlock the clenched knuckles from the harrowing ride you will have made to get here!