Chamonix Apres Ski Report: 29th February 2012

This week I ventured out of Chamonix centre and went to try the new Indian restaurant in Les Houches, the Ghandi. It is small and the décor is simple (disappointed by the lack of swirly velvet wallpaper) but the food is well worth the journey. We got off to a flying start with poppadums and a mixture of bits and bobs that included onion bhajees, samosas, vegetable fritters and pieces of tandoori chicken. Crunchy non-greasy batter, crispy pastry and tasty fillings on the veggie items, all presented on a bed of fresh lettuce; didn't try the chicken but everyone else was impressed. For my main course I had a prawn biryani, which has to be one of the nicest curries I've ever had. Big juicy prawns with vegetables, raisins and almonds mixed in with steamed spiced rice and served with raita (yoghurt and cucumber dressing); not very hot (chilli-wise) but the flavour was fantastic and everything was cooked to perfection. My friends opted for a range of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes and everyone agreed that it was the best curry they've ever had in France! Between 8 of us we shared a few different starters, all had a main course, shared a selection of naan breads and rice dishes, knocked back a couple of bottles of wine and a few beers and were astonished to find that the bill came to just under 20€ each. We had a couple of non-drinkers in the group and sharing a few side dishes helped keep the cost down but even so, this has got to be one of the best value meals I've had in a long time, as well as one of the best.

Despite being too full to move I'd made plans to go to the Winter Sessions Jungle Fever party at the Podium; arriving late I found that I had some catching up to do so grabbed a couple of drinks and headed for the main room where the DJ dream-team of Joe Volpeliere, Corin Martin, Tony Chopin and Renaud Langlois was commanding the dance floor like Moses and the Red Sea (kind of...). Over in room 2 Pop & Skred were joined by DJ SKILLZ for a dubstep and scratch extravaganza; room 2 always has more of a down'n'dirty underground feel to it with a more intense crowd packed in right up to the decks, whereas the main room is more spacious and a bit more chilled. It's always great to see the efforts that people pull out of the bag whenever there's fancy dress involved; wall-to-wall animal print, face paint, glitter, wigs, masks, feathers, things made out of bath towels, bed sheets, curtains... all of which was a sweaty, smudged and dishevelled mess by about midnight. Good job everyone was having too much fun to care.

Jungle Fever was a mere warm up though to the 2 day Winter Sessions Weekender at the end of March, which promises to be an absolute belter. Parties, competitions and live music on the hill during the day with a night-time line-up that includes Norman Jay, Zero 7, Mr Thing (Scratch Perverts), DK (Ninja Tune), Running Numbers and many more. Loads of last minute surprises are still to be announced and there are free tickets to be won, so make sure you “Like” the Winter Sessions Facebook page to be kept in the loop.

It wasn't just the big kids who were partying this week, the little ones had their turn on Friday at the Chamonix En Rouge carnival, organised by the ESF Ski School. Street parades with musicians, dancers and clowns culminated in a big party in front of the Tourist Office where hot chocolate and sweets were given out. There was a tombola with top-notch prizes such as skis, lift passes and even a holiday! Loads more music and dancing was topped off with a spectacular firework display. If you missed out on this then make sure you go along to one of the torchlit displays being held in Argentiere, Chamonix and Les Houches this week and next – details can be found on the What's On Calendar.

There's plenty of the usual hedonism on the horizon this week but I think I'll be taking it fairly easy. Although my crystal ball tells me that I might find myself at the MBC this Friday night for nachos and a bit of a dance to Gary Bigham & the Crevasseholes, while the tea leaves predict that I will probably be trying out new restaurant, Le Moustache over the weekend. Tune in next week to find out if they were right...