Author: Aditi Malhotra
Marketing & Social Media Consultant | Content Writer & Columnist | Events & Wedding Planner | Award Winning Home Chef | Home Baker | Artist | Photography Enthusiast

Tata Hexa Experience Center- An event I am glad I attended..!

Tata Hexa recently organized a TATA HEXA EXPERIENCE CENTER with a gamut of activities under one roof. Not just activities but the experience center also saw an amalgamation of various Tata brands like Taj Resorts, Tata Capital, Tanishq, Croma Retail etc. img_1953

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Talking of activities, there was of course a showcasing of the New Tata Hexa, a beast of an SUV and one could experience the strength and features of the car in more than just one way. There was an opportunity to test drive the car, but more exciting option was an off roading experience where in a special track with apt hurdles, dirt tracks, ramps and stair case was created on the spacious HUDA grounds in sector 29, Gurgaon. img_1978

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While watching the cars going this track, climbing up the stairs, sloping down the ramp, entering a ditch of water and twisting and twirling on the planks, I thought to myself that it was going to be one hell of a ride and scary too. But when I actually went for it, it rather turned out to be a very smooth one. The grip, balancing and strength of the car made it all so easy. It was a fantabulous ride and I thoroughly enjoyed it. img_1983

Other than the driving experiences, there was an overload of entertainment with live bands, celebrity engagements and fun zone for kids where they could play interesting games both on screens and off screens. There were a lot of branded food stall like Pizza Hut, Burger King and Karims. But the best part that I loved about the event was a dog adoption zone; I mean what a wonderful thought and collaboration. So while you book your car, you can also take a living gift back home and give them your love and shelter. For me it was truly a delightful concept.
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A lot of other fun activities were also happening in the arena, like a cool gif station where in your pics were converted into a gif on the spot, there was also an instant photo opp. Celebrities like Rocky & Mayur, Manish Paul and many others also graced the event with their presence. The event was spread across 3 days and made for a truly enjoyable outing for the entire family.
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Do keep a check on Tata Hexa, which will be launched in January, I am sure you will love it as much as I did.
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Check out my video about the event here…

Fusion Bistro- A true fusion of global cuisine!

With restaurants creating more confusion in the name of FUSION, its very hard to find a place which actually remains true to the word, but better late than never, I actually came across this wonderful restaurant that boasts of a fusion of cuisines under one roof rather than fusion of ingredients. Welcome to FUSION BISTRO, which is an amalgamation of cuisines from across the globe maintaining their authenticity in every way.

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This place is loveable from the word GO, the moment you enter, and you fall in love with the ambience and simplicity of the place. Minimalistic, comfortable yet impactful décor, ample lighting and a huge space spread across 2 floors, is what makes this place different right from the start. These days we see an overload of theme decoration, concept restraunts, cluttered spaces and hence a lot of times the focus shifts from the most important thing FOOD to making the place stand out in terms of decoration only, but thankfully Fusion Bistro is truly different.

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Now coming to the main thing Food, we started our culinary journey with Thailand and opted for Chicken Tom Kha Soup, it was a creamy coconut milk based soup spiced with ginger and lemon grass. Though I am not too fond of Thai, but I loved this one. To go along with the soup, we ordered Warm Chicken, Avocado and Fresh Leaves Salad and it was wonderful too. Loved the combination of chicken and avocado with garlic dressing and crunchy fresh leaves.

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For drinks we tried Fruit Punch and Watermelon Lychee Punch and both of them were nice and refreshing.

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Next on our table was Penne Pasta with Mixed Sauce and Marinated Stuffed Chicken Breast, a continental combination worth exploring. The pasta was just perfect and getting the tanginess of tomatoes along with creaminess of cheese was a culinary delight for me. The stuffed chicken with mushroom sauce and goat cheese along with mashed potatoes..mmm.. something I love completely. My mouth waters even while writing about it, it was yumminess overloaded. This is surely a must try.

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Next we moved to trying some authentic oriental food and ordered Chicken in Soy Garlic Sauce and Chicken Hakka Noodles and I can say that they were easily the best hakka noodles I have eaten in a long time. The Chicken was delicious as well.

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Settling for Indian in the last we ordered, Non Veg Kebab Platter, which comes with a generous serving of Dal Makhani and Raita as well, the Hyderabadi Biryani and Awadhi Chicken. The platter was simply amazing, it had chicken malai tikka, seekh kebab and fish tikka and all of them were succulent, tender and full of taste, and the dal was awesome too. I loved the way biryani was served covered with a hot tandoori roti; it just looked irresistible even though it was covered. After lifting the roti away, the biryani looked even more scrumptious and so it was. The flavours were perfect, it was served with a salan and raita and salan was the only thing which I didn’t quite like, rest everything was fabulous. Chicken Awadhi had rich gravy, which was similar to butter chicken in texture, but the taste was very distinct.

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Now coming to my favourite part of the meal, desserts, they have a decent variety to choose from, but it’s my suggestion that they include some Indian Desserts in the menu and also more options of non-chocolaty desserts for those who don’t like chocolate much. Nevertheless I love chocolate, so for me it was good enough, we ordered a Tiramisu and Death by Chocolate. The tiramisu was extremely delicious and death by chocolate was true to its name, I can really die for it, it was so so so delicious. I loved it.

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I overall had a lot of fun visiting this place and I highly recommend it, you must give it a shot and I am sure you will love it.

A special mention for the entire staff of Fusion Bistro, they were very friendly, warm and hospitable and knew their menu and recommendations very well. I also happened to meet Mr Arvind, owner of the place and he too came across as a very warm person.

I am definitely visiting them soon for another culinary journey and make sure you do it as well. Cheers !!


Fusion Bistro Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

LURM to create ripples of ecstasy through its revelry in Jaisalmer…!

LURM 2016 is a new rage among youth as the festival hits the commoners amidst beautiful Sam Dunes this December. Basis its extravagant facets a perfect blend of food, music, fashion, film, adventure, camping, beer and wine will be observed at the carnival. Spread across 34 acres of land, the place overtures more than 2000 camps to get hold of almost 13000 people. While close to 200 films from 15 different countries shall constitute the cinema part, nearly 100 food outlets would exhibit the best of the cuisines from all over the world. The target audience implicates only adults from the tier-1 or tier -2 cities while tourists from China, Japan, European countries are also going to be there.

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According to Sushil Wadhwa, Founder & CEO, TheStoreHunt.com, “LURM is going to be India’s first zero waste and biggest Desert Festival as it incorporates support from the elite institutions.” Wherein, fashion institutes are working for ‘Bamboo for sustainability’ concept, NID Alumni is making use of scrap, unused & recyclable goods to develop the entire ambience. Wadhwa reckons that the Flea Market set up being marketed by TheStoreHunt.con could have a Christmas Market kind of a feel like they have in Germany during the month of December. Besides, Pritesh Roy, Head of Piggy Bank Films is “proud to be mentoring the film festival which is sure to be different and worth.” 3337738880_7df2dfe1d2_z

The enticing food producer & corporate chef, Varun Bajaj gives LURM his own definition as, “Lovely concept, United planned, Retrieved location, Magnificent offerings” and adds “As name adds LURM is all about making your Christmas a gala time with a place of adventure added with fun and garnished with an essence of culture of India.” It is due to the presence of 25+ food exhibitors at the event who would showcase their talent live in front of their audience. Since a wide range of cocktails & drinks are going to be available to taste, Wine and Beer Festival Mentor – Archit Singhal affirms, “LURM Festival embodies the spirit of impossibilities”
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All sorts of music be it EDM, Sufi, Classical etc are going to make highlights owing to presence of all renown names such as Bemet, Twistedbass, CAS, UD & Jowin, Genus, Beyond 120, Nosh & SJ, Dilshad Khan, Tritha, Ustad Anwar Khan Manganiyar and group from Barmer, Sikar Gharana Ensemble, Imran and Friends, Aagamya, Across the Line, Ceaseless Juncture, Underground Authority, Dj Fintushami from Russia. In fact the National Award winning melody maestro Imran Khan says being associated with LURM “mainly because of varied music range which no other festival has ever done” He further looks up to his performance at the beautiful city, Jaisalmer.
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On being asked about the concept behind creating this festival, Tushar Sharma, Founder says “he has been passionately driven by music which has given him a glimpse into every culture of the Earth. Thus to bind people from any background – LURM happened.” Concurrently, Milind Bharti, co – founder believes that “LURM is the most revolutionary excuse which somehow managed to bring the best professionals to initiate innovation in India.”

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Undoubtedly, the festival has everything under one roof as it also bids for ‘Paramotoring’, an enthralling adventure aero sport with adequate safety measures. The mind-blowing fashion bazaar offers handcrafts, jewellery, footwear and other exclusive merchandise. Most of the popular names like the Mumbai festival, Book My Show, Red FM, 9XO, The logical Indian, , Elixir Coterie, Piggy Bank Films, Creative Karma and Thestorehunt.com are leading partners of the whole affair.
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Not to forget, LURM is according each possible aspect of ‘sensible partying’ and CSR activities. Where merrymaking and cleanliness do not go hand in hand very well, LURM Festival 2016 assures the prospect and takes up the heavy challenge of doing just the opposite. Irrespective of being a high power entertainment event, no use of plastic is encouraged; littering is not excusable and will attract penalty. Festival team is taking extra measures to save paper to the optimum level – tear their business cards or event tickets; you will get a seed to plant a tree. No brochures will be given out for event details, everything will be digitized – on app and on screen details during event. It will even establish water purifier systems to provide water for no cost. Also each item available at the festival is completely saleable whilst the sale proceeds move to concern artisan.
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You now know where all roads leads to this December – to India’s first travel destination event with such high ecological concepts with equal value for entertainment. Be ready to party hard while taking care of Mother Nature.

Spread the Warmth with DLF Place Saket and Donate Old Winter Wear and Make a Difference..!

A small gesture from you can do a lot of good to someone in need. Keeping this in mind, city’s favourite lifestyle destination, DLF Place, Saket is all set to bring smiles to the faces of the underprivileged. The mall launches its 6th edition of their annual initiative named ‘Spread the Warmth’ in association with Bharat Blind Technical Welfare Society, starting from 17th November 2016 to 1st January, 2016.

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Speaking on the occasion, Mrs Benu Sehgal, Senior Vice President, DLF Place, Saket said, “Through this initiative, we urge our shoppers to help those in need by contributing their old or unused clothes, shoes and other materials. Also, it is our responsibility to give back to the society for all that we have received from it.”

DLF Place, Saket has put up large donation boxes within the mall premises where people can donate their old and unused woolens, shoes, toys, books, blankets which will be distributed to the poor and underprivileged sections of the society.

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So, visit DLF Place, Saket and be a part of this noble cause


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About DLF Place, Saket


Sprawled over 7,50,000 sq. ft., DLF Place, Saket is a premium lifestyle destination which promises to provide a consistent, vibrant shopping and entertainment experience in the heart of New Delhi. Over the last seven years, DLF Place, Saket has created a firm mark for itself in the shopping landscape of Delhi by hosting some of the best names in fashion, and also the entire gamut of jewellery and skin care; books, gifts and music; kids’ brands and entertainment; and the best of Delhi’s culinary offerings. A distinctive spectrum of luxury brands, premium designers, and high street labels makes it the ultimate lifestyle experience for all retail and entertainment needs across more than 150 retail points while consistently providing world-class customer service to its patrons.

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Kashmir 90- Book Review

A word about the Author first, Vineet started his journey from Dehradun having done his schooling there before moving to Bangalore for his engineering from B.M.S.College. Having completed his engineering he joined the Corporate World and since then has been working at various locations in India n Abroad. He completed Executive Program in Business Management from IIMC and is also a PMP certified professional. He is presently settled in Mumbai and is working in the field of Project Management. This is his second book having written,Vinu, I am getting married earlier and working on his third book titled Twin Trouble.
Apart from writing fiction, Vineet Mishra has other hobbies including his passion for riding.
He is also a proud HOG (Harley Davidson Owner) and enjoys long rides.

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Now about the book Kashmir 90 ,as the name suggests it relates to that horrific period in our modern history which is really a shame on our country.
The book traces the the journey of its main protagonist Shiv Pandit, a Kashmiri Pandit who lives a carefree life in the Jannat of our country Kashmir.
His life from the age of 18,living in a well to do family, loved by all and popular among his friends to the devastation. He and the family go through that darkest of dark periods forms the crux of this book.
The book has been beautifully written and the life n journey of Shiv Pandit unfolds in a simple but riveting manner.
The life in College with friends, the faint sensibility of finding love to the kindness and love of the family to losing it all in a sweeping series of events that follow the unrest and subsequent exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley.
How he goes through all the losses and almost losing his sanity to again joining the mainstream of the society with some semblance of success with the one regret of losing his college crush/love Maya.
Does Shiv manage to find Maya? Makes for a fascinating read. Highly recommended.
Go grab your copy and feel the trauma of the in numerous people who went through this sad ordeal of being outcaste from your own land n people.


My Rating 4/5


Available on Amazon for Rs. 225 for paperback.

Guilt Free Indulgence at the Diabetic Dessert Trail…!

As part of the Diabetic Food Trail, Diabetic Dessert Trail was a day of guilt free indulgence for me. The event which was conceived with the objective of offering diabetics, pre-diabetics and health conscious people a reason to enjoy their food and desserts without any apprehensions, has tied up with 200 restaurants across Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Pune. The Diabetic Food Trail is presented by Britannia Nutrichoice Essentials in association with Biocon, the largest Indian Insulins Company. Britannia and Biocon have once again partnered with DFT, this year along with Fitternity.com, Health & Nutrition and Burrp. Its been conceptualised by Seema Pinto, Director, Semora Entertainment Works along with her husband.

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This particular dessert trail meant restaurant hopping with 4 different participating outlets showcasing their healthy desserts and it also meant that we were going to eat a lot of desserts but without feeling guilty about it, so all I had to say was bring it on..!!

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We began our sweet journey with Bercos in Greater Kailash I, in a cosy atmosphere, we were served with Sugar –Free Lemon Cheesecake (Kcals: 162.2, Fat: 14.2g, Carbs: 4.1g, Protein: 6g) and Sugar –Free Caramel Custard (Kcals: 378, Fat: 28g, Carbs: 32g, Protein: 6g). The Cheese Cake was so delicious and sugary sweet that not even for one moment it felt that it was sugar free, I simply loved it. The Caramel Custard wasn’t as sweet as the cheese cake, but it was nice too.

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Our next stop was right across the road, and after one fulfilling experience we went to explore the other. Getafix too appeared a cosy and comfortable place where you could enjoy a happy meal with your family or friends. Here on the menu we had Sugar –Free Carrot Cake (Kcals: 396, Fats: 26.1g, Carbs: 37.1.6g, Protein: 4.9g) and Sugar –Free Lime Pie (Kcals: 136, Fats: 4.7g, Carbs: 21.3g, Protein: 3.1g). The Carrot Cake was simply mind blowing, dense and yet super moist, I could just go on and on with it, it was so delicious, and you must try. The Lime Pie was good too, but somehow I was hooked to the Carrot Cake.

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Our next halt was Bohemia in Greater Kailash I, N Block Mkt, the place oozed out comfort and a suave ambience. Though we were now already full from the last two indulgences, I was really looking forward to this one, because they had my favourites Sugar –Free Tiramisu (Kcals: 340, Fat: 18g, Carbs: 40g, Protein: 4g) and Sugar -Free Chocolate Fudge (Kcals: 250, Fat: 10g, Carbs: 38g, Protein: 3g). Guilt free chocolate desserts are like a dream come true. Both the Tiramisu and the Chocolate Fudge were awesome. Extremely delectable they didn’t taste as if they were sugar free, they tasted as normal as prepared with sugar. I loved them both.

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Oh, after 3 stops, this dessert trail really seemed very fulfilling, filling the stomach too :), but nevertheless, we reached our last stop, which unlike others wasn’t a restaurant, but it was a bakers den called G’s Patisserie. Here we were served Sugar –Free Warm Apple & Cinnamon Cobbler (Kcals: 237.2, Fats: 9.8, Carbs: 36.7g, Proteins: 3.5g), Sugar –Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake (Kcals: 160.2, Fats: 6.4g, Carbs: 25g, Proteins: 3.3g), Sugar –Free Banana Oats Bar with NutriChoice Essentials Oats Cookies (Kcals: 87, Fats: 1.8g, Carbs: 17.2g, Proteins: 21g). I personally loved the Apple Cobbler and the Oat Cookies, which were also live demonstrated by the owner of the place. The entire experience was worth remembering.

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The Healthy Dessert Trail was introduced to give food bloggers and media a glimpse of some of the innovative and healthy desserts that restaurants in each of these cities had specially designed, for the Diabetic Food trail 2016. With desserts featuring on a larger number of menus this year, it was a perfect window to showcase these treats, while debunking the myths that desserts could only be high calorie, and hence not suitable for diabetics.

A key aspect of The Diabetic Food Trail has been to address certain myths associated with what a diabetic can and cannot eat. The most common one being that desserts are a big no no. And thanks to our restaurant partners on the Dessert trail, we were able to demonstrate how easily desserts can be made healthy yet delicious, wherein not only a diabetic, but also a regular individual with a sweet tooth could enjoy them. I am glad I was part of this journey and I really urge to the restaurants to keep continuing these items in their menu on a regular basis so that people can really eat guilt free!

 

Rich Graviss Organised Rich’s Gourmet Guide, Showcasing Foods and Trends in Savouries, Beverages, Desserts and 250 number of Cakes

Rich Graviss recently organised a world class event, Rich Gourmet Guide, where in the showcased the latest foods and trends in savouries, beverages and desserts. The chef team live demonstrated these global trends in foods in event via applications of their existing Rich’s products available in India. It was a visual delight to see plain Jane cakes turning into a work of art.

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Rich’s also displayed a showcase of more than 250 cakes in the show. With different categories like logs, buttercream decoration, whipped cream decoration , macaroons, glaze cakes etc, this was one mouth drooling exhibition. The cakes were so beautiful that I could not take my eyes off it.

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There were concept stalls wherein live demos went on in each of the stall round the day, which emphasised on different decorations using whipped cream, the use of Rich’s products in making beverages and savouries.
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The main objective of the event was to make bakery and food service customers aware of global trends and also global cuisines which could be made using Rich’s Products. The purpose was to inform and upgrade the quality of offerings of both bakery and food service operators to general public.
A new product named BETTERCREME was also being launched first time in the market. It is a unique Non-Dairy product with a buttery flavour, heavy mouth feel & good stability. It is ideal for bakery preparations for making colourful & robust cake decorations.
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They also highlighted its unique benefits on their Educational Booth that will be especially focussing on various applications of Bettercreme ICING & FILLINGS. Rich also launched its android based app where in we can multiple recipes, know about the products and do so much more.
I thoroughly enjoyed this event, tasting goodies made using Rich’s products, the demonstrations and the showcasing of so many beautiful cakes.

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ABOUT RICH GRAVISS PRODUCTS PVT LTD
Rich Graviss Products Pvt. Ltd. came into existence following the collaboration between M/s Rich Products Corporation (USA) and Graviss Food Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (India).
The launch of Rich’s Whip Topping in 1996 sparked a revolution in the Indian bakery industry; as it became the first-ever and the largest-selling non-dairy whip topping of the country. Since then, the market reputation and business growth has only elevated.


Today, Rich’s produces a wide range of products for both the bakery as well as the food service segments.
Rich’s in India has 2 manufacturing facilities at Pune (Maharashtra) & Kala Amb (Himachal Pradesh). The combined production capacity of both the plants is approx 24000 tonnes per annum. This directly translates into assured quality products for its customers, as well as a consistent supply throughout the year.
The company caters to more than 150 cities across 27 states through a highly competent cold chain distribution network.
For more details ,pls visit on www.richgraviss.com

FICCI organised Foodzania, a food service retail conclave, partnered by Foodmaniacs

FICCI organized, the first ever Foodzania, a Food Service Retail Conclave on November 18,2016 at FICCI, Federation House, New Delhi. Invited by Vickrham, owner of Foodmaniacs a food based portal, which happened to be the Online Partner for the event, we felt privileged to be a part of such a prestigious event.

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The whole day conclave started with a nice spread of Tea, Coffee and Breakfast for the participants. The Conclave was divided into six sessions each touching a particular aspect of the Food Retail Industry. The first session touched upon the State of the Industry & Food Policy. After the welcome address by Piyush Patodia, Chairman FICCI Task Force, the session was addressed by Sh.Hem Pande, Secretary, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food n Public Distribution, (MoCA). He touched briefly on the state of Food Industry and emphasized on the need for the Industry and the Government to work closely for the benefit of the Consumer.img_6230

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The session was also addressed by Shri Pawan Aggarwal, CEO, FSSAI, who strongly believed that more n more of eateries of all tiers be recognized by FSSAI so as to be able to educate and monitor even the smaller players there by ensuring safe n hygienic food to reach the consumers.

The session saw a wide range of speakers like Mr Scott S.Sindelar, Minister Counselor for Agricultural Affairs, American Embassy in New Delhi, India. Mr Sunil Kapur, Chairman,K-Hospitality Corp, Mr Rahul Singh, Hon.Secretary, NRAI, Founder & CEO, The Beer Cafe, Mr Henrik Osterstrom, Country Food Manger, IKEA and Mr Amit Lohani, MD, Max Foods and Conveyor, Forum of Indian Food Importers. Each one them spoke about the on growing demand for the Industry to be given its due recognition by the Government to ensure further organized growth in this sector.


Session 2 saw the discussion moving to another very important aspect of the Food Retail Service Industry, the availability of skilled manpower. Rightly titled Skill Development Gaining Critical Importance in F&B Sector-“Elevating Skills”. The session was addressed by Mr. Praveen Roy, Chief Executive Officer, Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council, Mr Chetan Arora, Development Agent and Multi Unit Owner, Subway India, Chef Y B Mathur, Executive Director, Culinary Design & Application Group and Ms Diksha Pandey, Head, Mountain Trail Academy. They emphasized on the need for more training centers for the F& B sector and especially in two or three tier towns n cities to facilitate the young there to pursue their dreams of joining the Food Industry.

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Session 3 namely Creating one stop shop-“Making Food in India & Ease of doing Business” was addressed by Mr Atul Chaturvedi, Joint Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy n Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Mr Rajat Wahi, Partner and Head, Consumer Retail and Agri Sectors, KPMG in India, Mr Sumitro Ghosh, Managing Director and CEO, Tata Starbucks India, Mr Unnat Verma, MD Pizza Hut India Subcontinent, Mr Pankaj Chaddah, Co founder, Zomato, Mr Murli Parna, CEO, Sagar Ratna, Chef Sabyasachi Gorai, Celebrity Chef, Entrepreneur, Restaurant Owner and Mr Rakesh Banga, Founder, Farmland Premium Foods LLP. Lots of grievances on part of the Industry were put forward, the main being the License Raj, which surprisingly continues to harass the industry. Multiple government departments issue licenses for the same project often over lapping each other. It was really sad to know that to even start a Restaurant in our Country it needs anywhere between 20 to 30 licenses which may take over a period of six months to a year to acquire.


Another session to follow was Disrupting Food Pallet which was addressed by Mr Rajesh Sawhney, Founder, Inner Chef. Mr Nandan Reddy, Co founder, Swiggy, Mr Saurabh Kochhar, CEO, Food Panda, Mr Raghav Verma, Co -founder, Sunshine Teahouse Pvt. Ltd (Chaayos), Mr Ankur Gupta, Co founder, Drifter’s Cafe, And Mr Vikrant Mishra, Co founder, Eggjactly & Sushi House Mafia. The emphasis here was on the emergence of increasing online business in Food Retail and some innovative offline business models like Food Trucks, Food Aggregators and out of the box OSR models. These business ideas are in for a quantum leap in the coming years and do seem to be the disruptive force to regular Food Retail.

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The session Extraordinary journey of Extraordinary Chefs saw Ms Kavneet Sawhney, Director Culinary Communications, Founder of The Gourmet High Street talk us through with Ms. Nita Mehta, Celeberity Chef, Author and now a Restaurant Owner. She traced her journey from Ms. Nita Mehta being a housewife to now a Celebrity on her own. Ms. Mehta shared her personal experiences, her trials and tribulations along her journey. A real role model for any budding entrepreneur.

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I also got a chance to get clicked with the legendary Ms Nita Mehta and she came across as a very warm person. She also shared a beautiful message for all aspiring chefs.

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The last session “Going Beyond Borders” With Celebrity Chefs Ranveer Brar and Vicky Ratnani was a really enjoyable one with their most candid comments. Everyone at the event was waiting for this finale of the conclave and looking forward to their interaction with these both celebrity chefs. Ranveer as usual had his answers ready for everything with a heavy dose of wit in them, while Vicky was at his intellectual best. I also got a chance to get clicked with my favourite chefs.

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All in all a wonderful Conclave. Kudos to FICCI for organizing it and bringing forth the problems of this ever-expanding industry to the fore. The Conclave also had lunch catered by The Embassy, New Delhi.

Cocktails and Dinner was followed at the end of the conclave. I am really grateful to Vickrham and Foodmaniacs for making me a part of this amazing journey of learning about the food industry and a chance to rub shoulders with who is who of the food world.

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Add Some Raftaar To Your Food Scene…!!

Raftaar Lounge and Bar located at Club Road, Punjabi Bagh held a Blogger’s meet over lunch recently and I was glad to be a part of it.

First things first, its a huge property spread across three floors and ample parking space, and you don’t even have to bother for parking your car as they offer valet service as well. As the name suggests, the whole concept of the lounge and bar relies on speed. It has a high on energy and power packed ambience, the place is a complete gear of fine dining and clubbing with family and friends. The place is meant to indulge you into delicious food and drinks and makes you party all night with electronic dance music.

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This luxury lounge and bar is designed for an evolved nightlife experience. From the very boulevard it looks like an edifice of energy. Eerie from the first step and it gets a whole lot interesting as you walk up the stairway of the Raftaar, a nightclub/lounge that’s not just on the fringe, it’s completely detached from the real world, bringing back the treasured world of dance and entertainment with lifestyle experience.

With the expanse at three levels, each with different experience of its own like Sophisticated Car lounge, Rustic Bikers Place and first ever Private Pool Dining at Open Terrace, this place is just worth the visit.

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Raftaar has exactly what you need for a bull blown party and it comes bigger, bolder and stronger with its state of the art sound walls, fantastic lighting and sound system reverberating with gut – busting music ranging from national and international top charts, house, electronic and percussion. The staple entertainment also boasts of Live Acts – concerts and live bands that are edgy, raw and play with bone – jarring enthusiasm promising a night that’s erotic and high profile.

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The food menu is set as per the tastes and preferences of the Delhiites. With wide varieties serving the customers with their vegetarian as well as non – vegetarian menu, it has something to suit every taste bud. To start with they have Caesar Cardin Salad, Hawaiian Boat, and Oia Greek Salad with Feta en-routing with Dahi ke Kebabs, Malai Soya Chaap, Murg Tikka and Amritsari fish with Prawn Recheado and Finding Nemo. On your way to final destination with NH – 1 burger get fuelled up with energizing appetizers and drinks. Paneer Bemisaal, Dil Khush Malai Kofta, Pindi Chana, Murg Lahori with Amritsari Kulcha and Pesto Naan will be greeting you at the table. Special appearances of Parmesan Chicken, Kerala Prawn Curry and Grilled Chimichurri Fish will make the journey more lip smacking. Highway Glory and Alive by Brownie Sundae will be waiting for you at the finishing line before you get indulged into a sweet affair.

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Our culinary journey started with Nachos Crusted Fish Fingers, which were nice but slightly overcooked, they could have been crispier.
The Mogewala Tangri Kebab was a real treat. It was really properly cooked with meat melting in your mouth.
The Nimbu Adraki Murgi was another delicious dish made to perfection.The flavours of Nimbu and Adrak blending perfectly.
Their chilly chicken was yet another well made preparation nice n soft with the right amount of chillies.
The cocktails n mocktails to go along were equally presentable and mouthwatering.

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The main course had the Dal Makhni,Gosht Nihari and Methi Murg Lahori n must mention all three dishes were simply superb, easy on the palate with very subtle flavours.

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To round up this mouth watering journey of a scrumptious spread was the Dessert Sunday. It was like heaven for chocolate lovers, don’t miss it.

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All in all a great place to spend some cool time with your friends and family.Strongly recommended.


Raftaar - The High Speed Lounge & Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Fashion Brand Ira Goes Online…!!

Joining the growing trend of brick-and-mortar companies seeking to tap a chunk of the booming e-commerce sector, IRA, one of Bangalore’s most reputed exclusive designer collection stores for women offering high fashion at affordable prices is proud to announce the launch of its highly anticipated online store.

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As owner of the brand Som Dutta Singh puts it, “We’ve had enough of ‘business hours’. We now want to open 24X7 and what better way to stay connected with your clientele other than being online? We are thrilled to launch online shopping for IRA that’ll allow us to expand our reach and deliver across India.” IRA’s online store will offer the same collections as in-store, giving customers access to a wide range of ladies clothing and accessories and soon to launch complete children’s line and western wear.

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Some analysts and financial experts believe that e-commerce sales can touch a whopping $60 billion by 2020 which is a huge jump from the below $6 billion sales last year, driven by the manifold growth in smartphone users to more than 500 million across India. According to a report by UBS Securities India Pvt. Ltd., fashion wear, including apparel and footwear is expected to be the largest retail category online soon with sales of $3.9 billion, larger than sales of electronics and consumer durables online at $3.5 billion.

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“This significant milestone is one of our major multichannel offerings. Our customers will now have 24 hour access to the best of our fashion via their computers, smartphones and tablets from anywhere in India.” added Som.

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IRA showcases collections of designers like Gaurav Gupta, Ritika Bhasin, Manish Arora, Suneet Varma, IRA, IKSENA and many more.

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The e-tail market in India is still nascent and so far has been dominated by pure play e-commerce companies who have grown rapidly. Online retail is now a $14 billion market as compared to a $1 billion in 2012 fuelled by venture capital investors, who pumped in more than $9 billion over the past two years alone.


About IRA:


Bangalore houses some of the most fashion conscious women across the country and as such, the demand for couture wear is quite high. We bring to you a range of designer wear that is bespoke and select, minus the expensive tag. Our clothes are created by well known designers and are endorsed by famous faces. Eighty percent of our clothes are Indian wear as we believe that women look for more exclusivity when it comes to Indian wear. Our designers specialize in the same and are known to create designs that leave you wanting for more.

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We also house Western designer wear collections that are otherwise hard to find. This is not it; we also take up customized designing and stitching. So if you have a requirement, our designers will accomplish that for you. We also house wedding collections and not just for the bride, we take up orders for your bridesmaids too! We believe in affordable fashion.


To have a look of the collections please visit http://iradesignhouse.com/


IRA Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/IRA-House-of-Designers-952457658141643/