Sandeep Jethwa - Parma Trip in June 2016 indian Italian cuisine

So  Sandeep Jethwa  decided to treat his father in law to a surprise trip to Parma Italy. Having never been to Parma before and the only thing they  knew about it was that Parma ham and Parmesan Cheese originated from there  they thought it would be good to sample the delicious food from the source!

For those of  you who want a brief overview Parma is a university city in Italy's Emilia-Romagna region, Romanesque buildings, including the frescoed Parma Cathedral and pink marble Baptistery are the classic buildings of the city. Classical concerts take place at the Teatro Regio, a 19th-century opera house. The Galleria Nazionale, inside the imposing Palazzo della Pilotta, displays works by painters Correggio and Canaletto.

Sandeep Jethwa and family set off at the crack of dawn and flew from London to Parma which was basically a couple of hours so no big deal. They landed at Parma airport which is a small airport but the views from the plane gave them a fantastic overview of the green and lush fields of the region.

They arrived at the hotel, had booked in the Best Western , a nice modern hotel with a pool although unfortunately the pool wasnt open for summer yet!

He decided to head out to the main square in town and see if we could sample some of the renowned delicious pasta.they found a nice restaurant in the main square . They ordered the local wine and the penne Arriabiata with a plate of local parma ham and cheese. Delicious!!! The Italian food was spot on!

Now being of Indian origin and having the in laws they knew that they would soon tire of pasta. So the family had pre-planned a local Indian restaurant for the evening. 

Surprising fact but there is a large Punjabi population in Parma. The Indians emigrated over as the Italian government needed help with producing the cheese and maintaining the agriculture there. So back in the 70s a large number of Punjabis came over and have been there ever since. So where there are Indians, there are Indian restaurants and Sandeep Jethwa  found a new authentic one called the Maharaja.  They booked it for the evening and arrived to be welcomed by  Manjinder the head waiter who was a jolly fellow . The food was fantastic and the tandoori chops literally melted in your mouth. They all left with large smiles and full stomachs!

The following day Sandeep Jethwa explored the center of Parma, the cathedral was amazing and it must have taken a long time for the artists to paint the ceilings to that level of detail!

There are the usual shops you will find in any major European city but the layout of Parma meant that you are always never far away from a historical building!

Their  last night was at a traditional Parma restaurant and what a meal it was . local ravioli with fresh parma ham and cheese wow !!!! What delicious food. What really made the evening was being invited to join the birthday celebration of the next table where Sandeep and his family  sampled some homemade Italian birthday cake ! Yumyum

After a relaxing evening and a good sleep They headed back to London with a full stomach and fond memories of their Italian Indian experience of Parma !