Bhubaneswar: As part of #ChefOnTheRoad series, the storyteller for Indian foods Thomas Zacharias is in Odisha to unravel the culinary treasure trove of eastern state of Odisha.

Beginning the journey from Bhubaneswar on September 5, the Mumbai-based chef toured the food joints in the temple city.

The first stop was at an eatery in Ekamra Haat followed by several around the 11th century Lord Lingaraj temple. He tried the famous Gaja, Kora Khai sold near the shaivite shrine.

Zac embarked on COTR journey some five years ago in October 2014 to document the varied flavors across the country.

The chef also visited the largest vegetable and home essentials market at Unit 1 in the city and was amazed to find the variety of greens sold in the mandi.

The next destination was the Filigree City, Cuttack. No visitor to the city can bid good bye without tasting the quintessential Dahi Bara Alu Dum. He tried it at the famous Raghu Dahi Bara stall.

En route to Puri, Chef Zac visited Pipili, heritage village Raghurajpur and Chandanpur.

During his stay at the pilgrim town, he sampled the abadha (Prasad) of Lord Jagannath temple sold at Ananda Bazar.  The sweets, street food and snacks too impressed the gastronomist.

Moving towards the south Odisha, the team briefly stopped by the gorgeous Chilika Lake.

The famous Chilika Dhaba is a must stopover for every traveler passing through this stretch. It was a big let down for the executive chef of ‘The Bombay Canteen’ at Lower Parel (W) in Mumbai.

However, the spreads at Girija Restaurant, Chandan Restaurant and Samal Restaurant impressed Zac.

On his return to Bhubaneswar, he tried pakhala (fermented rice) at a city hotel and also the famous Pahala rasagola.

Odisha— India’s best kept secret – is the fourth destination as part of the #ChefOnTheRoad series this year.

The master chef has been posting the highlight of his experience in Odisha on social media platforms as @ChefTZac (Twitter), cheftzac (Instagram) and Thomas Zacharias (Facebook).