New Delhi, Sept. 20 -- It's a cold, wet day in Coorg and it hasn't gone as planned. I ran away from a tourist trap only to find myself in another. And the walk through the main town, riddled with potholes, is anything but pleasant. It's with a mix of disappointment, irritation and hunger that I reach my next destination: Church Side-a restaurant that could save my day.

A young man who sat next to me on the bus from Bengaluru told me about it. A Madikeri boy now based in Bengaluru, he knew a thing or two about what to do when in Coorg. And one of his suggestions was that I lunch in Church Side, order pork with akki otti (a rice roti, one of the primary breads in Coorg cuisine) and, more unexpectedly, have it with beer. It felt as though I...