Goa, India

Best Lifestyle Blog of Goa

Month: December 2016

Rang in Christmas with a Lavish Buffet at Pavilion 75, Welcome Hotel, Dwarka

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

A foggy winter afternoon, day of Christmas and the whole family gets to enjoy a lavish buffet at Pavilion 75, Welcome Hotel, Dwarka, what more can one ask for?

For me it was simply splendid. The Christmas vibes welcomed us right at the entrance, a big Christmas Tree at the Lobby, followed by a warm greeting by Santa Claus who led us to the restaurant, Live Singing of Christmas Carols, celebrations were in the air.

As soon as I entered the restaurant my mind was blown away, there were more than 50-60 dishes showcased as a lavish spread and all of them looked worth drooling. My mouth started watering while I was capturing these delicacies on my camera and the wait from the buffet to the dishes coming on my plate to then my mouth seemed endless.

The head chef was generous enough to send us a selection of dishes on our table just as we settled. Grilled Prawns, A Veg Kebab Platter and Grilled Fish were the first things served to us. The prawns were mind blowingly delicious, I simply loved them. They were perfectly spiced and grilled. The Veg Kebab Platter was great too, I found the Moong Dal Galauti best out of the lot. It was a mouth melting experience and the taste still lingers on. The way fish was presented in a fish shaped terracotta dish, added a whole lot to the overall experience. The fish just didn’t look good but tasted awesome too.

There were enough choices in the menu for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Grilled items like Tikkas and Kebabs, a Decent Continental Menu, A Live Shawarma Counter, an Elaborate Spread of Main Course Indian dishes and an even Elaborate Spread of Desserts is what comprised of this lavish buffet.

I tried the Shawarma which was good, from the main course I loved the Rahra Chicken, Mutton Keema, Gosht Biryani and Pista Chicken. Their Dal Makhani was simply awesome.

Desserts left me confused and I really could not make up my mind on what to eat and what to leave, so ended up trying a little bit of most of the items. The Rasgulla, Gulab Jamuns, Cakes, Ras Malai, Rabdi & Jalebi and everything was just amazing. I wish I had some more space in my stomach and I could have tried whatever was left.

Overall the experience was mind blowing, the staff is very hospitable and attentive and I can vouch for their buffets, you shouldn’t miss them at all. They had some activities planned for children as well and my son tried his hand at pottery. It was really a fun day spent enjoying good food, music, drinks and activities.

 

Pavilion 75 - WelcomHotel Dwarka Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

An Eggciting Feast @AndaMental

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

It was a wintery Friday evening and the whole city was prepping up for the much awaited festivity of New Year. From 5star properties to fine dines; the restaurants’ menu was all adorned with lip-smacking recipes of the festive season. There was an excitement in the air and it was on my cards to make the most with an egg-citing opportunity that came my way. I was invited to review a one-of-its-kind joint – Andamental where they served egg-srtavagant recipes of eggs.

Since early 20s when Mumbai was Bombay, Egg Omlette with bread (Anda Pav) or bread with scrambled eggs (Bhurji pav) or egg curry (Anda Curry) were the prominent crowd pullers and are still a best substitute to satisfy the hunger pangs. But with the arrival of Andamental, egg recipes have amp-up their taste.

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Andamental is a place for all the eggetarians who savor the rich source of proteins and wait to relish egg recipes. Looking at its tempting menu, I was quite confused on what to try first, but what took my attention was Andamental Maggie.

Andamental Maggie – The Spicy Gravilious Maggie layered with fried egg and garnished with cheese and coriander was just too good.

After having a chat with the manager, she confirmed that the one I chose is an all time favorite of Andheriites. The next in line was Veg Mental Biryani which ensured that I conclude the tasting session smacking my lips.

Along with basic stuff like – bhurji, biryani, omlette, Andamental has pioneered in some egginnovations which are worth a try.

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Apart from recipes of egg, there are some scrumptious veggie delights which the vegetarians may like to savour. And I suggest must visit for a brunch, lunch or dinner.

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It’s a small joint which can accommodate around eight to ten people. There is neither reservation nor valet parking but the staff is welcoming and the recipes of this joint are simply egg-citing!

 

AndaMental Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Preview Launch of Royal Brewery Bistro

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Hotel Royal Plaza has launched Royal Brewery Bistro for Delhites to celebrate the ongoing festive season. The Bistro has an industrial theme inspired decor which is both elegant and stylish.
It has a combination of Dining and Lounge seating with a community table to accommodate the wide range of choicest delicacies brought to your table by Executice Chef, Atul Mishra. The poolside view enhances the ambience of this Bistro. It makes for a perfect place to chill and relax with your friends and family
The Bistro cellar stocks over 300 bottles of choicest wines. It also boasts of serving a wide variety of fresh draft beers, some of which we got to taste were amazing. Also on the menu are a variety of RBB signature cocktails and mocktails.

As perks of being a blogger we got to visit the place just a day before its official launch and also got to taste a few delectable items from the menu.

To begin with a Chicken Salad and French Onion Soup were served. The salad was just wonderful and I wish had a bigger portion of the same. The soup was great too and unlike the thick french onion soups that I have tasted it various places this one was different, It was made of pure onion stock and had a well soaked bread as the base with loads of onion rings. It wasn’t anything similar to what I had tasted in the past and I definitely recommend trying this one out.



The New Zealand Lamb Chops were a revelation of the kind of cuisine to look forward to. Really succulent pieces of chops done to perfection. This one is chef’s special and you must try them.


We also tried some Pizza, Pasta and Tacos and all of the dishes were delectable. All I wish was the service was a little better and the food a little warmer, which I am sure they will surely look into and rectify.

The dessert platter not only looked amazing but also tasted wonderful. May be I am a little biased as it had all chocolaty items.


Add to the above some smashing cocktails and great music provided by the house DJ and you are all set to spend an amazing time. I surely look forward to visit the place sometime soon and I really had an awesome evening spent there.


Wishing the Bistro a roaring success. So keep this place in mind when you plan your next outing! Enjoy

 

Royal Brewery Bistro Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Selfienomics- Book Review

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

A word about the Author, Revant, for me a very unusual name;don’t know what it means and the name itself amused me.
Revant is a Certified Health Coach and a Graduate of New York University, Stern School of Business.
He is based in Kolkata and this is his first book.

Selfienomics as the name suggests is about the economics of oneself. The book in a very light humorous way tackles the very serious issue of ignored Self Improvement.

The book is full of humorous lines trying to teach you many serious aspects of your personal life.

Sample this for an example :To quit smoking is the easiest thing in the world.I have done it a 1000 times.

The author has made the process of self improvement which one tends to find boring in umpteen other books in the category look like a very simple fun filled journey. Its seldom we want to read books on self improvement, one because we all think we are perfect as it is, second those books sound too preaching types which end up being boring to the core, but trust me this one is different. It doesn’t preach you, it rather makes you familiar with the aspects of life that we don’t bother enough about but again in a lighter way. Because of humour being the front end of the book, it doesn’t loose its momentum till the very end.


The book really really has a sensible, practical and as I keep mentioning , a hilarious outlook on how to make money, get the most out of your job, broaden your network as also enjoy your family and give back to the society and really enjoy doing so.

A real fun book on the serious issues we face in our day to day life and to enhance the quality of life we are living.

A ‘Mast Must’ read.

Grab your copy now and I assure you it will be difficult for you to put it down.

Happy,Hilarious Reading. Go for it.

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Available on Amazon for Rs 209/-

2,000+Buyers Visit First HKTDC Lifestyle Expo in New Delhi!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

The HongKong Trade Development Council held their first ever Lifestyle Expo on the 19th and 20th of Dec, 2016 at the Hotel The Lalit, New Delhi. The Expo had 120 Hong Kong and mainland companies participating in this first Lifestyle Expo showcasing a wide range of trendy high quality merchandise. The Expo was jointly organized by HKTDC and Trade Development Bureau of Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China. The event saw over 2000+ Buyers visit the Expo held over two days.

Hong Kong being the facilitator helped develop stronger bilateral trade relations between India and Mainland China.

High ranking officials from Indian Trade Promotion Organisation, HKTDC and Trade Development Bureau, People’s Republic of China graced the prestigious event.

The Opening Ceremony was officiated by LC Goyal, Chairman and Managing Director, India Trade Promotion Orgnisation, Stephen Liang, Assistant Executive Director, HKTDC, Jin Hong, Deputy Director-General, Trade Development Bureau, Ministry of Commerce, The People’s Republic of China, and Li Bai Jun, Commercial Counsellor, Economic Counsellor’s office of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China inthe Republic of India

“We have very big hopes for the future of trade links between India and China, with Hong Kong serving as a ‘super-connector’ between two of the world’s most populous and fastest-growing large economies,” said Mr Liang. “India and China are two of the fastest-growing large economies on earth, with the IMF (International Monetary Fund) predicting GDP growth of 7.6 per cent and 6.2 per cent respectively in 2017. Together, they have a combined population of some 2.7 billion potential consumers,” he added.

The HKTDC successfully arranged over 1600 one to one business matching meetings and various networking events to further connect Hong Kong and Cineses mainland suppliers with potential buyers.

The main attraction of the Expo was the popular hktdc.com Small Orders.
This showcased over 150!products available for orders from a mere 5 pcs to 1000 units to help buyers to buy in smaller quantities to check the markets  thereby minimizing their financial risk. A really worthwhile step.


A very welcome event held by HKTDC greatly appreciated by both suppliers from Hong Kong and Mainland China and Buyers from across Asia and world over.

Hope HKTDC holds many more such events to facilitate the growing business between Hong Kong and Mainland China.

A really commendable effort

Celebrations in Style with Eros Hotel, Nehru Place

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Come festive season and Eros Hotel, Nehru Place is all geared up to usher in the new years in style. I was recently invited for a sneak peek to the celebrations at the hotel and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. A giant Christmas Tree adoring the lobby, ginger bread house at the Tea Lounge and festive decoration all through the hotel set the mood right from the moment I stepped in.

The party arrangements were made at Empress of China, hotels oriental dining restaurant. The place had a large centre table set for a fine dining Christmas dinner, dim lights, loads of candles and a menu interestingly put on a Santa’s cap. It also an outdoor set-up, with ample festive lights, live singing , bar and snacks being served. It was a windy evening, but the charm of sitting outside could not be ignored. Coal stands were strategically placed to keep us warm.

Orange Mimosa was served as a welcome drink and it was amazing. Dimsums, Chicken Canopies, Salmon Rolls were being served as snacks. I personally loved the chicken canopies and dimsums. Also tried some Cold Cuts, Pita Platter and Chilli Paneer which were good too. Fun props were kept to indulge in some crazy photo opportunities. Live music added to the whole celebratory vibes and mingling with like minded friends is always a pleasure.

After chit chatting and enjoying the snacks and a couple of drinks, we moved inside for our fine dining 3 course. Mushroom Cappuccino along with Prawn Harissa, Chicken Tartare and Tandoori Raan Phyllo were served first. The Mushroom Cappuccino was delicious. Out of the starters platter, I loved Chicken Tartare and Raan Phyllo, they both were simply amazing. I didn’t like the prawn much.

For mains there was a choice of Lamb Loin, Rolled Lasagne and Indian Sea Bass. I settled for Rolled Lasagne although the Lamb Loin and Sea Bass both looked equally tempting and inviting. There was roasted Turkey as well to savour and which was just fabulous.

Deconstructed Plum Cake served for dessert was extremely delectable. I loved both the presentation and taste of the same.

Post dinner, a cheese platter along with Whisky and Wine was served and it had some amazing cheese variety I must say.

I loved the dinner, the festive vibes and overall ambience of the place and I am sure you will love it too. So keep Eros Hotel in mind as you plan your new year celebrations in this week. For me its always gonna be most special place.

 

Sunday Dimsum Brunch at Chi Asian Cookhouse

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

If you are looking at spending some leisure time relaxing, sipping your favourite drink and eating a hearty meal, the Sunday Dimsum Brunch at Chi Asian Cookhouse is more than perfect for you and here are the reasons why you shouldn’t miss it

  1. You get to eat 9 varieties of dimsums and that too unlimited, isn’t this alone a good enough reason. Well for me it definitely is and that too when each one of the dimsums is so amazing.
  2. Not just dimsums but you get to enjoy a soup, and main course dishes comprising of gravies and rice & noodles, along with desserts and a cocktail/mocktail/wine of your choice from the pre-decided menu. Not just this, the menu will keep changing every month which gives you a chance to indulge in more varieties of the food.
  3. The ambience is cool, warm, vibrant and totally relaxed, which makes it even more perfect for a Sunday afternoon.
  4. The staff is friendly and hospitable and they make sure they look into all your needs. The service is very satisfactory, you won’t have to wait too long for your orders.
  5. Its very reasonably priced. You get a lavish dim sum brunch with 9 varieties of dimsums, a soup, main course, dessert and a drink for Rs 1295AI

Now coming to my experience of food, I simply loved it. Siu Mai Chicken, Spicy Chicken Dumpling, Chicken & Coriander Dumpling, Banana Leaf & Sticky Rice Minced Chicken & Fish Tausi, made for the non-veg variety. The chicken dumplings were more than perfect, I personally loved the Siu Mai Chicken the most. The Banana Leaf Sticky Rice Minced Chicken was simply out of this world, somewhat like a Sushi, yet very different in taste and presentation. This one is highly recommended because one doesn’t get to eat this variety of dims normally. And now coming to the star dish, it was the Fish Tausi, I have no words to explain this one, all I can say is don’t miss it any cost, its totally worth it. Tender pieces of fish topped with black bean sauce and aah my mouth waters while writing about it. The vegetarian dimsums were no less, Spinach & Mushroom Dumpling, Spicy Veg Dumpling, Hargao and Siu Mai. Out of these I loved the Spinach & Mushroom and Spicy Veg Dumplings.

To go along with my dimsums, I ordered a Chicken Manchow Soup, which too was amazing. For drinks I tried the Water Melon Cooler, Virgin Mary, Virgin Mojito and Tokyo Cobbler. While the drinks were good, the most surprising one for me was the Tokyo Cobbler because it was the first time ever when I enjoyed a rose flavoured drink. Most of the times rose drinks are too sweet and overpowering, but this one was extremely refreshing.

Coming to mains, I loved the fact that it didn’t  include too many choices, because after enjoying a bowl full of soup and so many dimsums, a little bit of main course is more than enough. Mao’s Chicken, Chilli Garlic Fried Rice & Mandarin Noodles made up for the main course. I thoroughly enjoyed it as the Mao Chicken was done extremely well, and the gravy went well with Garlic Fried Rice. Noodles is something I can eat anytime and hence enjoyed this too. The tastes were very authentic and I can vouch that the overall preparation of the place is very good. And hence not just the brunch but you can enjoy an excellent oriental meal at Chi Asian Cookhouse.

Darsan, the crispy fried noodles with Vanilla Ice Cream and Ice-Cream Trio were the dessert choices and I liked them both. Darsan is an authentic oriental dessert whereas Ice Cream Trio allows you to enjoy three flavours of ice-cream topped with sauces.

I really loved my culinary experience at this Dimsum Brunch and I am sure you would love it too, and now the next Sunday being the beginning of the year, make it more special by visiting Chi Asian Cookhouse, as you would be tired enough with the previous night party to cook anything on your own. So wake up at ease, freshen up and head straight for this Dimsum Brunch, sit back, and enjoy good food and drinks!

 

Chi Asian Cookhouse Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Pre-Owned Luxury Wallets – Get the Perfect Finishing Touch

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Our love and fondness for great luxury handbags from Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Gucci or Bulgari, often makes us forget the chic and luxurious wallets that these brands offer. Our lack of appreciation for a great wallet is mostly because we feel that a wallet is utilitarian and hidden inside our handbag. However with changing trends, brand conscious fashionistas have begun to take great interests in wallets. I rounded off a list of authentic pre-owned luxury wallets that are readily available to buy online at best price range.

Tom Ford Zippy Wallet

The zippy wallet from Tom Ford is practical as well as chic. Its small size doesn’t hold it from providing adequate space to hold your cards and bills. The black calfskin leather with contrasting gold-tone hardware gives the wallet a fabulous and classy finishing touch. The ‘TF’ logo on the front of the wallet makes onlookers instantly recognise the brand and appreciate its design.

Chanel Black Camellia Embossed Leather Bi-Fold Wallet

Chanel produces the market’s widest array of small leather goods and fans of Chanel adore the wallets offered by the brand. The wallets made by the brand are synonymous with opulence and grandeur. Take for instance this exquisite Bi-Fold Wallet from Chanel, its pure style and craftsmanship has luxury written all over it. The black camellia embossed leather wallet is practical, functional and chic all at the same time.

Valentino Garavani Continental Wallet

This dazzling wallet from Valentino has a breadth of freshness. The color as well as the minimalist branding, makes the wallet a gorgeous piece of accessory to give you the perfect finishing touch.

Roberto Cavalli Blue Snake Skin Continental Wallet

This Roberto Cavalli wallet will make a bold fashion statement. Luxurious and practical the wallet displays the prominent Roberto Cavalli logo on the front. Its zip around wallet opens to a spacious interior which will hold your bills and cards. Crafted from snake skin the wallet will last for a long time without losing its attractiveness.

Louis Vuitton Black Monogram Multi-Color Wallet

The Louis Vuitton Eugenie wallet is a delightful creation and a timeless classic. The colourful Louis Vuitton monogram on black leather is stunning and sophisticate. The gold tone hardware gives it a classy finish while the contrasting pink interior will make onlookers look at the wallet with envy. Spacious enough the wallet can transform into a clutch for a night out in town.

Shop all these authentic Luxury Brand’s wallets and other pre-owned designer handbags online at over 40 to 50% less than retail price at https://MyLuxuryBargain.com

New Menu Launch at The Grill Mill, Cyber Hub

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

The Grill Mill at Cyber Hub recently launched a new menu with few more dishes finding their way in the existing menu. I was invited to witness the same by Blue Beans Foodies Meetups. The place was bustling with people and it was a chance to meet up fellow foodies as well. There were about 14 dishes included in the menu, though all were starters and just about 2 desserts. There were no mains.

The dishes that I tried were:

Water Melon with Danish Feta & Green Black Olive Dust- The water melon with feta cheese and olive dust was really refreshing. Also the vibes around the place overall felt very festive and this dish in particular looked very Christmasy to me, because of the colours Red, White and Green.

Mint Paneer Walnut Ki Tikki- This was nice and crispy on the outside and extremely tender on the inside, but somehow I could not relate it to the fact that it was made of paneer. I could not taste paneer at all, but it was nice.

Mushroom Crostini- A toast topped with mushrooms tossed in creamy sauce, these made for a nice snack and definitely a delight for vegetarians. I personally love mushrooms and hence it was a delight for me too.

Sea Food Ceviche with Baby Rocket- This was like a sea-food salad served in a shot glass. It was delectable.

Puff Pita and Chicken Chettinad- I somehow didn’t like this one much. Chettinad chicken placed over a pita puff, it definitely looked tempting but didn’t taste the same. For me the Chettinad chicken didn’t score too well.

Keema Kaleji with Maska Pao- This was was the sure shot winner of the evening. The keema placed on top of a maska pao was delicious. The keema kaleji was perfectly spiced and the maska pao can never fail. What I loved the most about this dish was it being bite sized, I mean one bite that explodes flavours in the mouth. Must try for sure.

For drinks I settled for Fruit Punch & Water Melon Cooler and both were good.

The desserts got too delayed and hence I had to give them a miss. The Chef there also gave a live demo of preparing a pepper sorbet and it was really nice. All I can say is that go and try for yourself, the new items of the menu and I am sure you will like them. Enjoy!

 

The Grill Mill Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

The Masala Trail by Osama Jalali, the amalgamation of street foods of India

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Kolkata Ke Puchkas, Bombay Ki Pav Bhaji, Mysore Ka Vada, Chennai Ka Masala Dosa, Delhi Ki Chaat, we all are well aware of these amazing street foods we get across the length and breadth of our country and sometimes we just wait for our travel plans to materialise so that we can savour these delicacies in their whole authenticity. Because sometimes we don’t get everything in our own cities or even if we get most of the times the authentic flavours are missing. But not anymore because Osama Jalali along with Keventers brings The Masala Trail to Delhi which not only boasts of street and regional foods from across regions under one roof but also infuse complete authenticity in the tastes.

To begin with we were served Tower Chaat, layers and layers of yummy dilli ki chaat presented in a tall glass. This one is surely a must have. Pakora Basket and Samosa Chaat were served next. The pakora basket had assorted pakoras and is totally worth it. Crunchy & crispy pakoras with green chutney make for a perfect evening snack. The samosa chaat too was good to taste. Banarasi Tamatar Chaat was something I had not tried before and hence found it very different, but could not acquire the taste for the same.

Moving on from North, we tasted some Western delicacies, Panki, a Gujarati snack prepared with rice flour between banana leaves was served first. Though it tasted nice, but it wasn’t something that I would fancy much otherwise. Dabeli Pav, again a traditional Gujarati dish, it is made with mashed potatoes tossed in masala toppings and sandwiched between grilled pav. This was definitely worth trying and I am sure you will like it. Mumbaiya Pizza Dosa and Chowpaty Pav Bhaji was something we tried next and both of these things were simply outstanding. I have always found a challenge with restaurants serving pav bhaji without the authentic taste, but here it was exactly the way its found in Mumbai and the same was with Pizza Dosa, it reminded me of the famous stalls near Mithibai College in Mumbai that serve these dosas. Even the Vada Pav was as authentic as it could be, retaining the original taste, your search for vada pavs could definitely end here.

Mysore Vada from the south and Kolkata Puchkas from the east were next, the vadas were nice and crispy but because I am not basically fond of South Indian food, I just tried these for namesake. Though the Masala Dosa looked tempting enough.The Kolkata puchkas were a bit of disappointment because I found them to be a little dry, the filling could have been better and even the masala water.

For mains we settled for Amristsari Kulchas and Dal Makhani with Naan. The Amritsari Kulchas were simply amazing, I loved them and one must surely try them. The Dal Makhani was easily one of the best I had eaten in recent times and you cant afford to miss it.

Another thing that you shouldn’t be missing is the Kesari Lassi and Matka Kulfi to complete your meal and it will be one soulful journey of food that you will end up experiencing at this place. I am very sure that this restaurant is going to give all vegetarian restaurants a run for their money, so don’t think much and visit asap.

 

The Masala Trail Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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