On a blowsy afternoon, my last in Shillong, I drove my way to the Khasi-inspired boutique property, Ri Kynjai - Serenity by the Lake. Ri Kynjai's Northeastern restaurant, Sao Aiom overlooks a swathe of glimmering woods that slope downwards to the massive Umiam Lake, lying in a great purple stillness. Sao Aiom has a massive menu, from which I picked jadoh, a Meghalaya must-have (a meaty khichdi, made with rice and pork, shot through with turmeric); smoked tomatoes and chillies; Do O Pura (a gentle tasting dish of chicken in green mustard leaves and powdered rice) and a Khasi speciality - a peppery chicken curry with sticky rice. The food was delicious, and I ate it facing the emerald forest, criss-crossed by lances of sunlight. The perfect end to my Shillong sojourn!
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