Clinton hit the bar, had tandoori murg

Amid all the diplomatic networking and talk against terror, former US first lady and now secretary of state Hillary Clinton managed to hit the bar during her two-day visit to Delhi which ended on Wednesday.

Amid all the diplomatic networking and talk against terror, former US first lady and now secretary of state Hillary Clinton managed to hit the bar during her two-day visit to Delhi which ended on Wednesday.

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Clinton, who had been put up at the Taj Palace Hotel’s Tata Suite, wanted to enjoy a drink on Tuesday night after back-to-back meetings with dignitaries.

So, the hotel staff ushered her to the bar at the Orient Express restaurant. On entering the place, shaped like a train and with live jazz adding to the ambience, she said, “Why haven’t I been shown this place before!”

And this wasn’t her only indulgence. Clinton, who along with her 100-strong entourage occupied the entire seventh floor of the hotel, enjoyed a lavish Indian dinner on Monday.

On her platter were a choice of dishes like seekh kebab, tandoori gobhi, chholey, daal makhni, aloo jeera, rajma masala and fresh mango lassi.

In Indian meats, there was tandoori murg, murg biryani, khushk raan, barra biryani and murg tariwala. Staple consisted of assorted naan, roti and jeera pulao, and for dessert, there were Indian mithais.

The desi treats had, in fact, begun right on her arrival on July 18. She was welcomed with mashaalls (hand torches) and nagadas (traditional kettle drums) and presented with a garland of jasmine and tube roses.

Later, the staff also prepared a small treasure chest from their souvenir shop, Khazana, showcasing pashminas weaved by master craftsmen, but she did not buy any of those. Clinton had stayed here exactly two years ago, on the same date.