India, Dec. 4 -- For the past week, I have been on a sort of gastronomic trip across several countries, thanks to the fact that my husband is an inveterate foodie - and a food writer, so he has good reason to traipse around the world trying out tasting menus.

Me, not so much. I love a good meal just as much as the next person, but I tend to get bored and restless half-way through a meal that extends to 20 courses. And my tolerance for exotic ingredients seems to have decreased by leaps and bounds in recent times.

But having eaten in some of the best restaurants in the world (if you go by lists such as Michelin and 50 Best) over the past couple of years, I thought it might be worthwhile to pen down my thoughts in my capacity as a food ci...