I’ve got a bit of a travelling husband. So earlier this week, instead of sitting around at my dining table on my own, I decided to take myself out for a proper meal at a proper restaurant. Could have been fairly boring, but thankfully wasn’t! I have to say, though, for the first 5 minutes, the waiters had no clue what to do with me. Where should I be seated, hmm...one scratched his head and vaguely pointed at a table, then changed his mind and consulted his mate, who pointed at another table, until I decided to take matters into my own hands and asked if I could sit at that table please. Huge sighs of relief.

Am I glad I picked that table! One foot away from the most interesting family I’ve encountered in a long time, having a very captivating conversation. I changed my mind about the 15-minute dosa I was going to order, and went for a full-on thali instead.

Straight out of a 1950s movie,  the teenage daughters in printed cotton sarees, one with two long braids down to her waist and the other with a nice big hair bun, the father in a beautifully ironed grey suit, and mother hidden behind a giant coat, speaking perfect English with the strongest Tamil accent I’ve heard in a long time, and discussing contraception in great detail. Now I know, I shouldn’t have been eavesdropping or sneaking peeks at their table, but what was I to do as I waited for my thali which mind you seemed to take awfully long to arrive. The waiters though were very polite and kept coming over to reassure me and apologize. I munched on some pappadam, chutney and pickle to keep myself occupied till my meal arrived. It finally did.

Smelled great and looked very appetising and was a LOT. I’d chosen the Sagar thali, over the Udipi thali and the Rajdhani thali. Here's what was in it - brace yourself - a laccha paratha (layered paratha), lemon rice, dal, vegetable korma, dhudhi in coconut and yogurt curry, dry spiced potatoes, raitha, a salad, and carrot halwa for dessert. For a long moment, I forgot about my dinner companions at the other table. When I tuned into conversation again, they were just coming off a discussion about childbirth, and launching into one about names. Ah, I see a pattern now...

My meal was delicious, and I am so glad my bus was on a diversion and couldn’t take me home. Walked back with a very full but happy tummy and a blog post idea :)

Go to Sagar in Hammersmith! If you're on the look-out for a not-very-spicy but tasty vegetarian Indian meal that's reasonably priced, I'd recommend it. Don’t forget to eat some of the colourful fennel seeds on the way out - you’re going to need these to help you digest that big meal.

P.S. The 15-minute dosa is very good too, by the way. You have the choice of 11 different kinds! Also, if you're in Hammersmith, check out Noodles & Magic for some great Thai food.