Goa, India

Best Lifestyle Blog of Goa

Month: April 2017

Indigo Delicatessen- A delicious experience!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

This place truly offers an authentic and delicious food experience for European and Continental Food. The place exuberates class and premiumness in both their ambience and the quality of food. Yes you might find it a little expensive as you glance through the menu, but trust me, when you order and the food comes on your tables, half the battle is won, and other half you won’t even think about once you taste the food.

Now coming to what I tasted, I tried the Deli Cubano- Deli Classic Burger and it was yum! Pulled pork with some special sauce, it was sweet, hot, tangy and everything else at the same time. I simply loved it. The pulled pork was so tender and juicy that it almost melted in the mouth and I highly recommend this one.

Creamy Chicken Salad Sandwich was my next pick and I was extremely happy with my choice. Truly creamy chicken, with some veggies and roasted pineapple in 1000 island dressing, grilled to perfection, this one was a sure shot winner.

Chicken Caesar Salad served as a perfect accompaniment , crunchy with croutons, chicken chunks and lettuce leaves.

For the mains, I settled for Deli Roast Chicken and believe you me, roasted chicken can’t get better than this. Served with mashed potatoes and a mild gravy, the chicken was so juicy and delicious that words really can’t justify.

My friends also tried Seriously Sloppy Joe Burger, Falafel Wrap, Eggs Benedict, Roast Beef and Salmon Steak and they were all praises about every dish. This place is a food lovers paradise and you should not miss it at all.

Even the desserts are commendable especially their home-made ice creams. Mocha and Caramelised Banana, Belgian Chocolate Truffle, White Chocolate and Cherry, Dulce De Leche and Roasted Hazelnut are the must tries. Also don’t miss the Creme Brulle, I am sure you will love it.

I know that I am visiting Indigo Delicatessen very very soon because I can’t get over that pulled pork burger, and what are you waiting for.. please do visit and enjoy a mean worth all the money and effort.
Indigo Delicatessen Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Garnet Glow Gourmet Tea- Product Review Powered by Food Bloggers Council India

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

I have never been a tea drinker, but since last 2-3 years I have taken a conscious shift towards green teas and flavoured teas. I still can’t have the typical ghar ki chai or the masala tea, but green tea, lemon tea, black tea and other flavours are something that I sip on a daily basis. I recently discovered Garnet Glow Gourmet Teas, as these were sent to me by the Food Bloggers Council India for sampling, and since then I have been hooked. Garnet Glow has a huge range of flavoured teas available and they are even into customised teas. They allow you to use your tea base, then flavours and fragrances and boom.. you have a pack of your own customised tea just the way you want, and I think it also makes for an interesting gift.

Well from their pre-mixed range, I tried the Vanilla Black Tea, Jasmine Green Tea and Coconut Darjeeling Tea and must say that these single serves were amazing. Tea leaves looked and smelled absolutely fresh and the aroma was very turning on, while I was making the tea. My personal favourite out of this was the Vanilla Black Tea. The taste of Vanilla wasn’t over powering at all and this is what I really loved about it.

One must definitely try these gourmet teas and I am sure you will fall in love with them. So as I head to sip my next cup, why don’t you order some tea for yourself http://bit.ly/2nO1XAM

 

SHOPPERS GALORE AT SPRING-SUMMER EDITION OF RUBARU

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Even when the temperature is soaring high in Delhi, nothing can stop the enthusiasm and energy of fashion lovers from visiting the summer edition of Rubaru. Rubaru, which is a brain child of 3 friends, Durgesh Goel, Minal Aggarwal and Vandana Aggarwal is a collaborative effort to curate brands for a unique and stylized experience. It gives both the brands and customers their value for time and money. As a customer one gets to experience so many brands under one roof and the brands also benefit by getting a greater exposure. Such exhibitions are always a win win situation for everyone. In its 15th edition, Rubaru, yet again proved to be a fashion and lifestyle extravaganza.

Over 50 brands, specializing in summer-wear, organic materials, summer chic and wedding bling jewellery, home décor, juttis and footwear, and even interesting food products, it was a packed house at Lalit Hotel. Tarot reading on the side, bling footwear bang in the centre of the hall and noted FDCI designers Rahul Singh, Abhi Singh and Gaurav Jagtiani coming together to form the perfect ensemble for a fashionable day out. Out-of-town travellers included brands who’d come from Jaipur, Lucknow, Punjab, Himachal and even Goa.


“No two brands at our exhibition have overlapping products or styles, and I only pick brands that I enjoy or would love to shop from, to give people a quality shopping experience,” says Durgesh Goel, founder of Rubaru.

The collection showcased by the designers was really chic and classy, and some of the pieces were truly mind-blowing. It seemed like a shoppers paradise. Me and my friend and my mom, enjoyed walking through the entire exhibition, picking up our choices and even posing with some of the designer pieces.

Given a chance, would have picked up a lot more stuff from the exhibition, but holding on for the next edition to indulge and splurge.  Exquisite pieces of jewellery and some inso-western outfits really grabbed my attention and loved them.

A great evening spent splurging and having fun with friends..Rubaru was truly a delightful experience!

 

 

 

Chai Di Party at Tea Lounge, Eros Hotel, New Delhi

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Aren’t we all so used to seeing our family members gather around a specific time in the evening to have tea, and generally its like a small ritual at everyones house. Mostly its like a small get together, where tea is just an excuse, but the chit chat, the gossip and munching snacks becomes the main focus at a later stage. This is exactly what you feel when you attend the Chai Ki Party at Eros Hotel. Its home away from home like feeling. Nothing fancy about it, just a regular homely way of enjoying tea with regular snacks included in the menu. Yes of course, in each of the dishes you will find signature touches of Chef Nikhil Rastogi which are always a welcome change, but more or less the authenticity of each dish is well maintained.

We tried Bhujiya Ki Bhel served in Papad Cones, it was a spicy delight and keeping that in mind, chef made it special by keeping Gur Paras’ along with it. Aaloo Matar Samosa, which had some mawa and roasted dry fruits was awesome and the small size of the samosas made them look guilt free. Adding the chef’s touch again, these samosas had a ring of namak paras’ which were crisp and nice.

The CDP platter which included Kanda Bhajiyas, Mirch Pakodas, Paneer Pakodas and Aaloo Rolls was a perfect accompaniment to the Ghar Wali Masala Chai. Each and every item was commendable.

But the most amazing things in the entire menu were the Jalebi Ki Chaat and Bun Maska. Just imagine, Jalebi Ki Chaat, I mean kudos to the chef for thinking of such an item, yes it was a maida jalebi which wasn’t dipped in sugar syrup, but served as a crispy substitute to papdi with curd, saunth and green chutney, just like the normal chaat, and it was awesome. Really loved it.

Similarly the bun maska wasn’t regular at all, in fact it was coated with nice sugary coffee powder and served with whipped cream, maple syrup and some blue berry sauce. One bite into it, and I was transformed into another world, it was heavenly.

Though I am not a tea fan, but this Chai Di Party was thoroughly enjoyable. And also keeping the heat in mind, amazing cold serves were there which included Jamun Thanda, Adraki Sharbat, Sambharam, Coffee Batida and Jaljeera. I personally loved the Sambharam which was a Chaas with South Indian flavours, Jaljeera and Adraki Sharbat were refreshing too.

For me going to Eros, every time is an experience I can’t get over so easily and I can never stop praising the hospitality of the place. Chef Nikhil (Executive Chef), Umesh (F&B Head), Harpreet (PR Manager), Sanjeev, everyone is like a great friend and I love spending time with my family and friends here with this extended family at Eros. The festival is on till 30th of April, so make hay while the sun shines.. and enjoy!!

Smaaash Sky Karting and Pit Stop Brewpub- An enthralling experience!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Adrenaline pump, technological excellence and unexplainable thrill is what you get when you go sky karting at Smaaash. Equipped with the best in line technology, this sky karting is as thrilling as it can be but also at the same time, its extremely safe. Shaped like a canter, it excites you even before you enter this place. Its so wonderfully done.

The best of technology being used in the carts has been imported from Spain. These carts are all electric, top of the line and offer superior acceleration as compared to engine powered carts.Not just that, being electric also means that these carts are  noise, vibration and pollution free. Also the design and technology are so simple that those who have zero driving experience can also glide their way smoothly.

The racing track has been designed and executed by Germany based Protex Karting. The track features dramatic elevations meant to be battled with karts that are equipped with exclusive speed control. The Protex barriers instead of the old tyres which usually form the boundaries of the tracks have been deployed to give better and great safety to the karters. These barriers are spring loaded and shock absorbing which makes things more safe and sound.

I loved the fact that safety has been given utmost attention, making it a great experience especially for kids. Otherwise also, they provide everything thats required to make the karting safe, crocs, hair caps, helmets and neck rest and that too without any extra charge. They also ensure that when kids are karting, no adults are allowed, in order to avoid any rash encounters or bumping etc.

After a thrilling 5 minute lap, I settled down to watch the kids going for rides over and over again and enjoying themselves thoroughly.

We came down to the PitStop Brewpub after this fascinating experience to satiate our hunger pangs and I must say that the quality of food and drinks served at this place is just awesome. We tried Chicken Tikka, Oriental Chicken Basket, Tempura Stuffed Mushrooms, Beer Batter Fish N Chips, Galauti Kebab, Burrah Chop Adraki and Gosht Seekh Kebab and I must say that each of the dish was fantastic, no complaints at all. In fact I strongly recommend Stuffed Mushrooms, Seekh Kebabs and Burrah Chops, as they were outstanding.

Coming to desserts the PitStop Rush Sunday is a must have, and you can also try the Red Velvet Cheesecake and Brownies.

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Overall it was a great experience, full on thrill and entertainment and tasteful meal, what else can one ask for.

PitStop BrewPub Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Book Review- Looped by Munmun Singh Nagpal

Posted on by Sunil Malhotra

A word about the Author, her love for writing started in standard six while writing essays. She also started writing novels for her friends when in tenth class. She has four unpublished novels before getting published with this book.
An MBA in marketing she helps out her husband in his dairy business .

Now Looped that’s what I got when I started the book.
The book is based on Time Travel to the past and it took me time to get used to the technical mumbo jumbo.
But then came an absolutely fascinating story of the Time Traveller, Toby Sezoe, falling in love with a woman from centuries past.
An intriguing story of what the future or past holds for Toby forms the crux of this endearing tale of love.
She cant see him, he can’t feel her and still the author weaves together a wonderful bond of love between the two spanning across time. A really superb must read.

Grab your copy and find out does Toby find his love,is there a way the two could get united???

My Rating 3.5/5

Its Available on Amazon for Rs 150/-

Easter Special- Pet Themed Cakes & Cookies- Courtesy Eat Treat!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Its Easter, and baking is surely a mandate on this date, though we can go ahead with the regular Easter Special bakes and include the Easter Bunny in it, but isn’t it fun to anyway bake some pet themed cakes and cookies all around the year..

We often find ourselves wishing we could bring our furry friends to work or sneak them to parties, because our pets are the just the best things about us (no jokes)! We’ve found a yellow bunny cake and cute kitty cookies that the great folks on Instagram are talking about, for those of us who miss our puppers wherever we go. Pet themed cakes are just what you need.

So here is our pick.. take a look at these.. aren’t they so lovely..

http://eattreat.in/magazine/pet-themed-cakes-birthday/

 

Kolkata Food Festival at The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel- Khoob Bhalo!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

As part of the Grand Trunk Culinary Journey, Kolkata Food Festival is being hosted at the Leela Ambience Convention Hotel. Its the last stop of this journey which started from Amritsar and made stops at Old Delhi and Banaras. The food festival celebrated cuisines from across the NH1 (Grand Trunk Road), bringing to you mouth-watering dishes from various cities that came along the way.

 

To bring out the authentic flavours of Kolkata, Chef De Cuisine Ashwani Kumar Singh travelled to the City of Joy to gather the secrets that lie hidden amongst the busy lanes of a city famous for its indulgent variety of Bengali cuisine.

The food festival aims at recreating the culinary delights as well as the ambience of Kolkata and brings together its culture and music for an unforgettable experience.

Within this culinary journey our first stop was the Cutlet/Chop/Bhaja counter which served a wide variety of fried fish, chicken cutlet, mutton chop and Vegetable Chop and trust me words can’t do justice to such an elaborate spread. It was awesome, crispy fried fish, some small, some big, some like cutlets and some like fingers, it was a treat of tastes. I personally loved the prawn cutlet and fried fish.

And how can one ignore Jhalmuri and Puchkas at a Kolkata Food Festival, and I have never ever tasted Jhalmuri earlier because I don’t like the taste of raw mustard oil, but this was awesome. Crunchy, crispy and flavoursome. Also the puchkas were fantastic, the water was just perfectly spiced.

The main course again was an elaborate spread and consisted of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian delicacies. Bhekti Paturi, Kachu Pata Chingri Vapa, Lau Ghanto, Galda Chingri Malai Curry, Chittal Peti, Kosha Mangsho, Murgi Jhol, Chicken Vorta, Sukto, Aloo Posto, Lal Saag, Paneer Er Rosha, Chollar Dal, Kacha Lemon Moong Dal, Kichuri, Bhaat, you name it and it was there and that too in all authenticity of the tastes and flavours. Kudos to chef Ashwani Kumar, that he left no stone unturned to bring in the actual flavours by using best of the ingredients and some of those were directly sourced from the city of joy.

[easy-image-collage id=5985]

The Achar counter was one of the highlights for me, I simply relished all of them. Gondhoraj Ghol, which was basically ber done in a sweet and sour way was mind blowing, Pineapple Chutney, Tomato Chutney were two other things I loved, and you know usually they are eaten after the meal in order to increase appetite so that one can then savour the sweetdishes.

And who can beat Bengalis when it comes to sweet dishes, I mean these sweet dishes have just no comparison at all. Sondesh, Nolen Gurer Rosogulla, Kamala Bhog, Malpo, Sita Bhog, Pithas, Mihi Dana, Dimer Halua, Payesh, Mishti Doi.. OMG my mouth waters even as I write about them. The platter that we were served was so tempting that I can’t tell you, and it was such a great sugar rush, that even though were were full, it was difficult to resist the temptation.

Trust me when I say that this is one festival you should not miss, because we often don’t get to satiate our cravings for Bengali food, so while its there, make the most of it. You still have about 4 days, as the festival is on till the 16th April, so waste no more time and head straight to Leela Ambience Convention Hotel and enjoy this feast of Kolkata Food. I had a great time indeed!

 

 

Book Review- Life and The Grey Notes by Mayank S. Singer

Posted on by Sunil Malhotra

A word about the Author first,Mayank Sengar is from a family of culturalists based in the holy city of Varanasi.
He is naturally blessed with a keen eye for the human factor and a fine sense of appreciation for life’s varied experiences which also reflects in his work.
He has an uncanny talent of connecting with people from all strata of society and that in turn is evident of his very real characters in his stories.
Mayank currently lives in Gurgaon with his wife and two lovely kids.

Life and the Grey Notes is a collection of short stories, 10 to be precise.

1. Inside Bermuda Triangle
A story of a modern day confused youth looking for answers to chart his future.
And answers he does get but in a very surreal manner.
Was it God himself leading him or???

2. The Evening Call.
The story of a just retired ever happy and helpful man and his quest for peace in this modern techno savvy society.
A really moving and telling story of the make believe virtual world which all of us are caught up in.

3. Hoping for Hope.
The story of Hope against all odds epitomized in the form of one person:Bhoop Singh,who has a solution to every problem and is the living symbol of inspiration and hope for all around him.
Is he for real or is he too fallible to the vagaries of life??.

4. Who’s the Pet?
A fascinating view point from the author vis a vis the pet that we keep.
Do we provide him with all the security,love and affection or is it actually the vice versa??

5. The Golden Fear.
Another little gem from the Author regarding our love for the yellow metal.
Is it to be bought and put safely in bank for future security or can it be enjoyed by the female members of the family???

6. The Religious Atheist
A story of a young man not very bright in studies and being constantly compared to other bright students.
His gradual dependence,like most ,growing upon praying to God for a miracle.
His subsequent loss of faith.
Does he regain his faith???

7. Blood Group H+
A superb story of an hard working man trying to achieve his small dreams with honesty.
Is it possible in today’s opportunistic world?
Or does he fall prey to the tryst with dishonesty???

8. Lets Judge
As the title clearly suggests we in our day to day life are always more than keen to be judgmental of events and people around us.But a chance encounter of the protagonist with a fellow passenger leaves a mark on him.
Should we Judge???

9. The Unlucky Betrayal
Again the title really says it all.
You may be having the time of your life in everything you do right from childhood to your growing up,lucky you.
But does luck betray you when you least expect it????

10. The God Particle
In this fast paced crazy lifestyle of today one is not able to find answers to so many of life’s riddles.
But somehow one remark from someone gets right into you and becomes the answer to your myriad questions.Right????

Well a simply beautiful collection of short stories touching upon the various facets of life.
A wonderfully simple narrative style that holds your attention.

Highly recommended.

Grab your copy now!!!!!!!

Its available on Amazon for Rs 134/-(paperback)

My Rating 4.5/5

Don’t Miss These Amazing Spring 2017 Fashion Trends – Suzy Walsh

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

As a fashion enthusiast, you probably keep an eye on changing seasonal trends. Fashion is not just about the top brands, but it is also about how you interpret ideas for your personal style. In this special post, we will talk about the best spring 2017 trends. These are ideas that made headlines during the four spring fashion weeks and are absolutely perfect for any fashion-conscious girl. We will also add a few tips on how you can make the most of these ideas.

Think pink: One of the hottest colour palettes of spring is pink! From the mellow pinks to hot fuchsias, pink made a nice comeback to the runway, and we love the amazing mix of shades. You can try pastel pink dresses or bright outfits for casual brunches – there’s enough for everyone. For a few ideas, check the collections of Balenciaga and Valentino among others.

The classic floral girl: Floral prints for spring can be boring, but not this time. A lot of designers and fashion houses, including names like Balenciaga and Chloé, worked with floral in a different way, adding a more retro twist of the 70s. While bright colours were pretty evident, we think that simple floral outfits can make a mark any day. This is more like a classic style, and the good thing is you will find plenty of options in budget on online stores.

More jumpsuits: If you are tall and have a body to flaunt, jumpsuits can be your staple for casual clothing. Jumpsuits look great for any occasion, as long as you choose the right colour. You can find some amazing simple jumpsuit ideas in the shows of Hermès and Vanessa Seward. There were no big hints, but it was more about minimalism, which works best when you are looking for something comfortable yet appealing.

Stripes with a difference: Spring 2016 had a lot of striped looks, but those were bold and contrasting stripes. Come 2017, we will see a lot of functional and more wearable stripes that seem to follow no fixed lines. This is more like origami of lines, often inspired from seaside and office stripes. If you are fond of simple trends, we presume that this should be your singular pick of the entire list. To know more about this idea, take a look at the collections of Chloé and Sonia Rykiel.

Hoodies are here: Hooded outfits are usually reserved for fall, but there’s no harm in trying new things after all. Top shows of Balenciaga and Paco Rabanne featured hoodies with a difference for spring 2017. Instead of regular sweatshirts, hoodies worked best as an addition to regular outfits meant for spring.

Hope you liked this post and have made your shopping list. For more, keep following this amazing blog.

[Images: en.vogue.fr/fashion]

Author: Suzy Walsh is the chief author and editor for The House Of Elegance Fashion – an emerging blog on style, fashion and trends. She is known for her incredible sense of style and has worked with many leading portals as a guest author.

 

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