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Month: January 2017

A Wholesome Foodie Experience @ Circus

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Lip smacking food thrown in from regular menu as well as a special food festival menu, array of drinks, an exquisite ambience and company of like minded foodies, the perfect formula for an evening well spent, this is how I will describe my experience at Circus, South Ex.

The place exuberates, energy and liveliness all throughout, with ample bright space for seating, an outdoor balcony space and a beautiful terrace, you can choose your den as per your mood and the weather.

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There is an ongoing Punjabi Food Festival at Circus and hence we got to try the best of both worlds, to begin with we ordered Dahi Ke Kebab, Makhani Lahori Tikka and Paneer Pepper Fry. Dahi Ke Kebab were nice, crispy on the outside and soft inside, one of the best dishes we had that evening, the Lahori Tikka was really nice, perfectly spiced and mouth melting, one must try these. The Paneer Pepper Fry turned out to be a bit disappointing, it was too spicy and except spices there was just no taste.

Next we ordered Mutton Tikka Tak A Tak, Chicken 65, Butter Chicken Pizza and Loaded Potato Skin. The Mutton was really nice, tender pieces cooked in a tawa type thick masala, I really loved it. Chicken 65 was another winner, perfectly spiced with loads of curry leaves. The Butter Chicken Pizza was good, though didn’t really feel the butter chicken taste in specific. The Loaded Potato Skins were really good, the hollow potato skins were filled with creamy cheddar cheese and then baked. Its a delight for vegetarians.

A wide array of drinks were there to choose from, Circus Bloody Marry, Masala Gang and Joker No 7 were really nice. For mocktails there was Kiwi Cantaloupe Cooler, Mixed Apple Mojito and Salted Caramel Shake.

From the Punjabi Festival menu, we ordered Machi Amritsari, Machhi De Tikke, Beere Da Kukkad and Papadwala Paneer Tikka. The Amristsari Fish was basically fried fillets of fish with a really crispy covering, this was awesome, and must try while the festival lasts. Macchi De Tikke, were big chunks of fish marinated in tandoori spices and were really tasty. Beere Da Kukkad was typically the tandoori chicken prepared really well. The chicken was really tender and juicy and I loved it. The Papadwala Paneer was amazing, the crushed papad coat added a lot of crunchy to otherwise soft paneer.

For the main course we ordered mainly from the Punjabi Food Festival menu, Dal Makhani, Kukkad Patialashahi, Mutton Ghee Roast, Palak Paneer and Andhra Chicken Curry.

Loved the way the main course was brought in home style dabbas, perfectly accompanied by kachumbar salad and assorted breads. Fell in love with the food just by looking at it.

The Dal Makhani was totally as per expectations, creamy and very Punjabi, the Mutton Ghee Roast had a perfect masala, but somehow was a bit salty, but otherwise this could have been the winner. Kukkad Patialashahi was the best, a very well prepared chicken gravy, this was delectable. The kachumbar salad a dose of tanginess and spice to the whole meal, it was a perfect accompaniment.

Coming to desserts, we tried the Moong Dal Halwa, Aatte Ka Halwa and Circus Special Sunday. The Moong Dal Halwa was not as per my expectations, it was little dry and less sweet for my liking, but the Aatte Ka Halwa made up for everything, it was delicious. The Circus Special Sunday looked the most tempting and was nice too, though it wasn’t very sweet, it was berrylicious with some strong flavours of strawberries and cherries.

But my overall experience at Circus was fabulous and I really look forward to visiting it soon.

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

Chhalava – The new foodie destination in town

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

World class interiors, opulence spread over three floors, delectable food, amazing drinks and sheesha lounge, this newbie is all set to take the Delhi food scene by a storm. Chhalava recently opened its doors in the heart of South Delhi, GK 2 M Block Market, with the first floor dedicated to fine dining, the upper two floors along with a beautiful terrace are more like a lounge where in you can chill with family or friends.

One look at the place and you know how much detailing has gone into designing of the place, from walls, to ceiling lights, the illusion floor and crockery, everything is top notch.

It was a cold winter afternoon with a gentle breeze flowing in, making it perfect to indulge ourselves in some lip smacking delicacies at the terrace.

To begin with we ordered Achari Paneer Tikka, Dahi Ke Kebab and Some Assorted Kebabs. Dahi Ke Kebab were the highlight, soft, succulent kebabs coated with crushed papad, these were simply amazing, I highly recommend trying these.

The Achari Paneer was good too, sadly I couldn’t get a second helping, and had to just satiate with one piece of it. I am definitely going again to Chhalava to have some more of Paneer and also trying the other dishes that I could not try.

Mutton Seekh were really nice and prepared in a different way as they were topped with a creamy sauce which gave it that extra punch. This should be on your must try list for sure. Then there were Chicken Stuffed Puchkas too, but I found them to be a little dry, these could definitely be more juicier and I am sure they will consider my suggestion and work on it.

The Chicken Tikka probably is the most popular North Indian appetiser and it was made to perfection, no doubting that.

For drinks I tried Black Lemonade which is one of their signature preparations. It was really nice, a lemonade with black colour, it not only looked great but also tasted refreshing. The next drink I tried was the Cranberry Peach Cooler, and this too was a beautiful drink which looked damn sexy and tasted great too.

Coming to mains, first things first, the presentation was fabulous. I really loved the way the dishes were presented on a cart which also had a burner beneath to keep the food hot, and also a special place for keeping onions/chutney, truly different.

We ordered Paneer Butter Masala, Traditional Butter Chicken and Dal Makhani. As I have always said that my son is an expert on Dal Makhani, he gave this a generous 8.5/10. The butter chicken was yummy and thankfully not sweet. It had the perfect blend of being creamy and saucy but not sweet. Paneer butter masala too was nicely prepared. I thoroughly relished my meal and loved the entire spread.

Desserts at Chhalava were outstanding, Chhalava Cake with Ice Cream was delicious. Warm chocolate cake with hot melted chocolate inside with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, simply worth drooling. The Chocolate Lasagne was awesome, I really want you guys to try both these desserts out. You really cant afford to miss them.

I had a great time at Chhalava, and a special mention for the entire team, they were extremely warm and hospitable. This is one place that you should visit as soon as possible. You will love it. GK 2 market outlets really have a tough competition now, so watch out how Chhalava fares amongst all the established outlets and takes everyone by a surprise.

Chhalava - छLava Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

The Great Indian Kebab Festival!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Embracing the true flavours of North India, Copper Chimney is hosting ‘The Great Indian Kabab Festival’ with a variety of kababs specially prepared in Indian spices, herbs, and garnishes, this festival is truly a grand ‘desi’ treat.

Winters are the ideal time to dig in the unforgettable experience of food. Enjoy the delicious rustic and smoky flavours of kababs, only at Copper Chimney. The ‘The great Indian Kabab Festival’ will give you an authentic  taste of Kababs throughout the month. Choose from vegetarians & Non-vegerterian Kababs like ‘Kashmiri Paneer, ‘Sialkoti Aloo’, ‘Dilli ki lal tikki’, ‘Masala Tandoori Wings’, ‘Nimbo Mirch Macchi’, and ‘Baluchi Chicken’ et al.


Staring from: 29th January to 25th February
Where: Copper Chimney (Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai)

Cost:  for Two Rs. 1400 (excluding taxes)
Timing: 11:00 am-3:00 pm and 4:00 pm to 12:00

Reservations call: (Worli 022-24925353/24940505), Lower Parel – (022) 65566893 / 66568566, Kalaghoda – 022 22022444 / 555, Goregaon – (022) 67105966, Thane – (022) 61701558 / 61701560

Launch of E-Vehicles by Okinawa

Posted on by Sunil Malhotra

January 23, 2017 saw the launch of High Performance, Zero emission, Low price E-Vehicles by Okinawa at the Grand Ball Room, Hotel Leela Palace, New Delhi.
Really E-vehicles are the need of the hour, rising fuel prices and more relevant to today’s scenario is the increasing pollution caused by petro driven vehicles.


E-Vehicles have been launched earlier too by other players but have been unable to capture the attention of the public. But in the present state of growing awareness of rising pollution among the public should help Okinawa make inroads into this still very nascent market. And as Mr Jeetender Sharma also pointed out in his address was the major need to make people aware of the many advantages of E-Vehicles as compared to petrol driven ones.


What has been seen in earlier E-Vehicles has been that those electric scooters have all been slow speed ones whereas Okinawa is introducing high speed 55+km/hr electric scooters. Okinawa’s high speed electric scooters can cover a distance of 200 kms with a normal charge which takes about 4 to 6 hours.
Another advantage their scooters have is the dual charge option which , the Fast Charger which takes only 1 to 2 hours.


Okinawa has come up with their first product, Ridge -life charger high speed electric scooter.
It is a beautiful aerodynamically designed scooter available in eye catching color combinations of Red, Green-Gold, Red- White and White.
With alloy wheels, tubeless tyres and telescopic suspension further enhance its all terrain riding capabilities. With 150kgs loading capacity and under the seat storage the Ridge really outclasses any other E bike or scooter.


The Ridge also has approval from RTO’s, Insurance Companies and Leading Banks and financial institutions for easy finance.
The Company is also in talks with the Government to open Charging Stations for multiple E-vehicles .
The Company already has their own manufacturing plant in Rajasthan and is sourcing all parts as per their specifications and strict quality standards locally.

The company plans to bring more high speed and performance driven products in the future to enable the customer some environment friendly easy on the pocket products.


Mr Jeetender Sharma with a rich experience of over 18 years in the auto industry is very ably assisted by his team;Mr Kenji Sumiyoshi,Executive Director, Sales and Marketing and Mr Shotaro Araki,Executive Director-Technical.
Wishing the Company the very best in their honest endeavor to bring an environment friendly product in the market.
Need of the hour really.

LT Foods Organises a Special Event with Chef Sanjeev Kapoor

Posted on by Sunil Malhotra

Friday January 20 ,2017 saw a special event held at Taj Mansingh by LT Foods with their wide range of rice brands like Daawat, Heritage and Royal. LT foods is one of the leaders in several countries including India and the US.
LT Foods brought together one of top ten rising chefs of the world; Chef “JJ” Johnson and world Reknowned Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor from India.


Chef JJ, a highly awarded chef in New York was taken across various basmati growing farms in India to experience the culinary n cultural heritage of India.
On this unique event chef was symbolically handed over the secrets of making Biryani by Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor who beside being a brand ambassador for Daawat Rice has had a long association with LT Foods. The association as per Chef Sanjeev Kappor is based on the fact that LT Foods apart from delivering quality products also strives to provide solutions relevant to the chef community.


LT Foods is working similarly in the US and across the Globe to spread awareness about basmati rice .
Chef JJ was equally excited about this unique event and his trip to India. Verbatim “I am in love with India. I just can’t get enough of its vibrant Flavours, Spices and Culture and to be around and see where authentic basmati rice is grown and to meet the farmers has been a game changer for me. Thanks to Royal Basmati and LTF, I have a whole new respect for the rice and the way it os grown and  I can’t wait to get back and share some of my journey in new dishes that I will create using Basmati rice and all that I have learned about Indian food and Culture”


Mr Vijay Kumar Arora, CMD, LT Foods Ltd also emphasised on the company’s endeavor to take Daawat rice across the world and making it a part of American Households successfully so much so that it has attained the No.1 position in North America.

The event saw a live session of Biryani cooked by our very own Chef Sanjeev Kapoor as he actively interacted with the audience. It was great fun meeting Sanjeev Kapoor and learn his amazing dishes.


The event was followed by a sumptuous spread of dishes all created mainly using Basmati rice.
Specially the different types of Biryani’s made from Basmati rice, unique in itself. I enjoyed being a part of this event and learn so much about Basmati Rice, hope LT food continues to share their expertise and knowledge with us.

6X Green Tea- The New Revolution..!!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

I have never ever been fond of tea in my life, and when I say tea, I mean the regular tea. I may have tried flavoured teas on and off but I am not the morning tea, office tea, or evening tea type of person. But since past 2 years, green tea is something I am hooked too.

I have tried a lot of brands and flavours and my reason for switching to green tea is primarily because it helps in detoxification and weight loss.

Recently Four Fountains Lab has launched 6X Green Tea which has 6 times higher antioxidants and is amazingly helpful for weight loss.

Obesity and weight gain is one of the biggest problem of urban India. 6X green tea is infused with high potency antioxidant that boosts metabolism and protects the body against free radicals oxidative stress. The antioxidant potential of 6X Green Tea is 6 times higher as compared to normal green tea. Thus it is much more effective than normal green tea for weight loss.

Exposure to pollution, medicines, eating too much junk food and stress, altogether increase level of toxins in the body in the form of free radicals. The free radicals are reported to be the precursor for almost all lifestyle disorders including heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

Consumption of 6X green time on regularly increases antioxidant levels in the body and flushes the toxins out. The best part it is devoid of caffeine and so can be consumed daily.

For any other green tea to be effective, you need to consumer 4-5 cups in a day. With 6X Green Tea you just need to have one cup and that provides you all the antioxidants you need for a day.

How to use:

Open a sachet and pour the contents into a cup. Add 150 ml hot water and your 6X Green Tea is ready.

You may not take a liking for the taste immediately because its little different from the regular green teas that we are used to, but regular use of the same, and you will adapt to the refreshing change in taste easily. I just enjoyed my cup of tea, when are you enjoying yours..

Its easily available on Amazon, so don’t waste time, order now!

Sunday Brunch at Zerruco- Simply One of the Best..!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Sunday Brunches are luxury for me, the comfort of having so many dishes to choose from, an elaborate dessert spread and array of drinks is always attractive isnt it and when a Sunday Brunch is organised at a place one loves otherwise also, its a win win situation. Zerruco, a Lebanese Speciality Restaurant, has been my favourite ever since I went there for the first time. It has a great ambience and I truly haven’t eaten a better Lebanese food anywhere else. Its housed in the Ashoka Hotel, Chanakyapuri and is a fine dining place with spacious seating both indoors and outdoors.

This Sunday afternoon, I headed to Zerruco, as it was the first Brunch of the season for them. It was bright and sunny, but not in a hot way, but a warm way just the way a cold winter afternoon should be. The outdoor ambience where the spread was laid out looked immensely attractive. The spread had a mix of Lebanese and other Mediterranean dishes, including soups, salads, mains and desserts. Sangrias, and Margritas were available in lots of flavours to give high to this brunch.

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There was Pumpkin and Green Apple Soup and Asian Chicken Soup, the Pumpkin soup some how lacked authentic taste, the pumpkin flavour overpowered everything else, green apple could not be tasted at all. The Asian Chicken soup was perfectly done, I really loved sipping this warm soup.

The Salads selection was great, it was a delight to see so many colourful vegetables, and meats tossed in different sauces. Middle Eastern Tabbuleh with Red Quinoa, Beetroot & Goat Cheese Salad, Mexican Corn and Pepper Salad made the vegetarian part, whereas Ceasar Salad with Bacon and Anchovie, Smoked Chicken Salad with Pears and Endive and Coronation Chicken Salad was what the non veg selection comprised of.

Tabbuleh, Mexican Corn Salad were amazing, I loved both of these from the vegetarian ones. Caesar salad was good too but the best for me was the Smoked Chicken Salad with Pears and Endive. This one was the sure shot winner and is highly recommended. The spread of different sauces to binge on with Pita Bread was mouth watering.

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Chef’s Special Wood Fired Oven Cheese Pizza was awesome. It had a thin crispy crust and oodles of cheese.

There was a live grill section, from where I picked up a mixed non-veg platter and it had me completely bowled over. It was amazing. It had Chicken, Fish, Prawns and Mutton Seekh and each of the items was delectable.

The main course had a few selected European dishes especially curated by the executive chef Mukherjee. Aubergine Parmigiana, Florentine and Corn Cannolini, Mushroom Risotto, Roast Chicken Breast, Lamb Harrira and Fish Majboos were the dishes that not only looked beautiful but tasted good too. Special mention for the Roast Chicken Breast, Mushroom Risotto and Corn Cannolini, they were delicious.

I also tried some Chicken Linguine with mixed sauce from the live pasta station and it was yumm. The taste is still lingering on, it was so nice.

Apple Crumble Pie with Custard Sauce, Chocolate Brownie and Banofie Pie made for the dessert spread and each one of the tasted awesome. I have a weakness for desserts and this was a true sinful indulgence for me, but then who cares?

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I highly recommend not just the Sunday Brunch at Zerruco, but a visit to Zerruco for any meal, its totally worth it. But yes weekend is approaching and this Sunday Brunch should not be missed. I enjoyed myself thoroughly and here is a glimpse

Dockyard- Restaurant Review

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Naval life has always held my keen interest but somehow I have never been able to experience the same closely. As a child also the big ships, the coal engines, the big metal pipes and propellers have intrigued me a lot and even now when I watch such movies I wish I could for once see a ship closely enough, not just for traveling and luxury, but the working of a ship.

That may or may not happen, but visiting a restaurant which is based on the naval theme is something that I could achieve and hence Dockyard was on my list since long. Recently I got a chance of visiting this amazing place, that not only has interesting ambience and interiors but also serves lip smacking food and some amazing variety of cocktails and mocktails. It also houses a microbrewery and hence serves fresh beers as well.

The ambience is bold and has a very rustic appeal to it. Big dockyard type lights, the raw looking furniture and a huge screen behind the bar that stands out completely.

For drinks I tried Melon Vs Ginger and then Wild Herb Guava, both of them were nice and refreshing. I personally loved the Guava one more, Nashila Nariyal which a friend of mine ordered attracted me because of its sheer presentation and a sip of same ensured its great taste as well. When it comes to mocktails I judge a place lot of times by its ability to pull of a great Mojito because sometimes simple things aren’t done perfectly, but at Dockyard the Mojito was awesome. Calling Hey You and Pan Bahar were some other cocktails that were amazing. Though I found the Pan Bahar a bit strong, it was appreciated by a lot of people.

 

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Chakhna Sampler to go with drinks is a must have.

Lebanese Delight, a two way humus served with Pita Bread, this was a good beginning into the food world.

Veg Bruschetta, Afgani Paneer Tikka and Vada Pav Sliders were amazing. The Bruschetta had different toppings and I loved the corn topping the most. Paneer Tikka was soft and a mouth melting experience. The Vada Pav Sliders looked so drool worthy that I could not ignore them, they tasted equally well.

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Next I tried Methi Malai Murg Tikka, presented on a skewer, it looked awesome and the taste was delectable. Korean Barbecued Chicken and Wasabi Prawns are a must try, they were both each better than the other.

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Mandarin Chicken Pizza was really nice, crispy thin crust with amazing chicken topping. Chicken Satay and Naram Garam were also served, the Chicken Satay was tender and juicy, normally I find the satays to be quite dry, thankfully this was different. Naram Garam was a deep fried sphere with soft and creamy filling inside. It was really yummy.

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Coming to desserts I tried Crispy Fried Ice-Cream and Tiramisu. The Fried Ice Cream was a pure delight and I loved it, Tiramisu has always been my favourite and indulging in this one was as amazing.

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My overall experience at Dockyard was very fulfilling and I highly recommend it. You must visit it soon.

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

Lohri Lunch at Zodiac, Fortune Select Hotel, Gurgaon

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Zodiac at the Fortune Select Hotel, Gurgaon hosted a grand Lohri Lunch with a lavish buffet spread out for us to indulge in.
A word about the property, it a small but elegant and beautiful hotel exuding great ambience. As one enters the Hotel Lobby, the Zodiac is situated just across the lobby. Zodiac is billed as a fine dining restaurant and it fully justifies the same.
It is very elegantly furnished and the decor is simple but very appealing.
They had laid out a lavish spread of vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes from across cuisines and a wide range of desserts and mocktails.
The veg Margarita Pizza was perfectly done, the thin crisply done crust and delicious topping.
A really appeasing preparation was the Gol Gappas which were really very crisp with two varities of water to accompany regular n the other sweet. Absolutely mouthwatering.
To go alongside was the Dahi Tikki Chat again very thin and crisply made tikkis.

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The Grilled Fish in Lemon Butter Sauce was another delightful creation. The fish was perfectly done in the lemon butter sauce a very subtle taste indeed.
The Hyderadi Gosht Biryani was a perfect blend of tender mutton cooked in some wonderful spices which lent it a great aroma and superb flavour. A real wholesome meal in itself.
The Paneer Tikka had the right marination and was tender and delicious.
Paneer lababdar was very well made with a real creamy and sumptuous gravy.
Dal Tadke Wali and Dal Fortune need a special mention as each was simply delicious. The Soups and Mocktails served were simply awesome.

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To accompany there was very wide spread of superb salads and they were super awesome. Fresh, crunchy and very refreshing.

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Last but not the least there was a lavish spread of mouth watering desserts, each a winner on its own, to name a few Ras Malai, Kulfi Falooda, Mississippi Brownie and the Mud Cake which was amazing.

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All in all a wonderful spread of delicious food easy on the palate. Zodiac truly is wonderful place to visit.
The staff is extremely polite and provide a very efficient service. The place is really worth a visit over n over again.

Zodiac - Fortune Select Excalibur Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Savoured Authentic Indian Food at Chawla’s 2

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Enjoying authentic Indian/Mughlai food is always a delight, and recently we had one such enjoyable evening at Chawla’s 2 savouring some Indian delicacies from their menu.

Chawla’s 2 is an extremely popular chain of restaurants having about 8 outlets in Delhi NCR and is expanding its presence with more outlets in the pipeline.

The ambience is like a mix of  fine dining and casual dining restaurant, perfect for cosy family outings or even a chilled out evening with friends.

To begin with we ordered Murg Lehsuni Tikka, and Murg Malai Tikka, though they looked identical, but thankfully tasted evidently different. The Lehsuni Tikka had a very prominent garlic flavour which I loved, the Malai Tikka on the other hand was very soft and tender with a creamy texture.

For the main course we relished Bhuna Meat and Dal Makhani. The Bhuna Meat was exceptionally tasty, very well prepared and perfectly spiced. This should definitely be a must try. Dal Makhani is a favourite for my son, and he has become an expert in recommending best Dal Makhani across Delhi NCR. He rated this Dal Makhani a generous 8/10. It was creamy and flavoursome.

We really enjoyed our awesome dinner at Chawla’s 2 and I am sure if you have not tried yet, you should. You won’t be disappointed.

 

Chawla's 2 Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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