Year: 2017

A Launch that was Tailor Made… Darzi Bar & Kitchen!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Normally restaurant launches are all about hundred of people rumbling and tumbling against each other, having drinks, hunting for food like scavengers and dancing to a loud music till wee hours and forgetting all about it the next day! But as the name suggests the launch at Darzi Bar & Kitchen was as tailor made as they claim their theme to be. Very well managed, controlled and with right dose of entertainment, endless supply of food and drinks and a very warm and personalised hospitality were the key highlights of the launch.

The ambience is cosy, comfortable and just like a place where you would want to spend long hours enjoying some lip smacking food and drinks with your family and friends.

The Darzi Bar and Kitchen, located in the heart of New Delhi, Connaught Place, was launched on Saturday, 14th of January, bringing in a completely fresh view to the whole dining experience. The restaurant offers a lavish selection of Indian Fusion, Progressive Indian and European Cuisine, making the whole “love for food” journey turn into a classic with Master Chef Shipra Khanna. Meeting her once again has been my pleasure and loved the feeling that she remembered me too. Shipra’s journey as a master chef has been an inspiration for many and her strength is commendable.

The whole idea of The Darzi Bar and Kitchen was born to provide a new and improved way to set a mood for an all round tailored experience. Mr. Manuj M Gupta, the Founder and Partner of The Darzi Bar and Kitchen says, “The words tailor-made summarize my entire vision for The Darzi Bar and Kitchen as it is a unique concept, catering to everyone with options made especially for them, highlighted in overall interiors, food and drinks. Everything has been set keeping this vision at power, with options that have been invented to suit the customer’s fits and misfits so that when they leave they are a lot happier than when they entered.” Mr. Abhishek Trehan, Partner of The Darzi Bar and Kitchen mentions, “6 months ago, I had a dream to bring a warm and cozy place to New Delhi which explores tailor made cocktails and handcrafted gourmet food. A place, which was idle for having conversations while enjoying some of the best concoctions and bites, this city has to offer. Hence, The Darzi Bar and Kitchen came into being.”

It was this dream for The Darzi Bar and Kitchen, which led to a new and improved way to provide a made to measure experience, making sure that the whole idea catered to an exclusive tailor-made selection for each customer by measuring their likes and dislikes. Master Chef Shipra Khanna says, “Tailor-made food and beverages are for your belly as clothes are tailor-made for the body. This is the essence of The Darzi Bar and Kitchen. Of course not to miss out on the whole ambience which too is tailor made!!”

The Launch was one of its kind, I mean I haven’t seen a launch where everything is so perfect. Everything had a personal touch, with Shipra, Abhishek and Manuj interacting with each guests, and being so warm and hospitable, it almost felt like a personal house party.

The food served was delectable and the cocktails and drinks were amazing.

The entertainment was top class, with some live singing and dances thrown in and then a master stroke performance by none other than Jasbir Jassi himself.

He brought the house on fire as audience started dancing on his high energy numbers. Watch a glimpse here..Shipra too sing and dance along with him and that added a lot more fun to the whole performance.

Bollywood actor Chandrachur Singh also made his way to the stage and enthralled the audience by singing ‘Rang Barse’ in his deep sensuous voice.

A special mention for the DJ, he really knew the pulse of the people and totally rocked the music scene, commendable!

Many known personalities also witnessed the launch and enjoyed the food and ambience including Raja Randhir Singh, Anupama Verma, Shikha Swaroop and a few others.

The Darzi Bar and Kitchen team comprises of Chef Umesh Kapoor who is the concept & hospitality consultant, Saniya Sharad Sahai who has tailor-made all the artifacts and wall arts and Mr. Prantap Trikha, the interior and architecture consultant. The Darzi Bar and Kitchen inspires a tailor made experience whether it’s in food or interiors, to create and complement individual tastes, focusing on the exclusivity provided to everyone.

I am now looking forward to have a nice evening spent there just enjoying their Tailor Made Food & Drinks.. hope I am able to make it soon..! Here is wishing Shipra and the team all the very best for their new venture and hope it reaches new heights of success!

Google.org supported Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust to conduct Mobility camps across Mumbai

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust is organising 6 mobility camps in Mumbai city, from January to April 2017. They will be distributing prosthetic legs, calipers, wheel chairs and hearing aids as a part of this initiative. These mobility camps are to be conducted throughout the city in places like Jogeshwari, Antop Hill, Colaba, Kurla, Vashi and Govandi, from 18th Jan to 8th April. In true philanthropic spirit, the mobility camp is open to all; without any prior registration, for free of cost.

For more details contact: Ph: + 91 222 387 8930 / 23898930

Email: [email protected]

Or visit – http://www.ratnanidhi.in/contact-us/

Mobility camp details:

 

Sr.No Screening

camp date

 Screening

camp Location

 Distribution

camp date

 Distribution camp location
1 18-Jan Jogeshwari 31-Jan Jogeshwari
2 27-Jan Antop Hill 4-Feb Antop Hill
3 10-Feb Colaba 4-Mar Colaba
4 16-Feb Kurla 25-Feb Kurla
5 2-Mar Vashi 18-Mar Vashi
6 22-Mar Govandi 8-Apr Govandi

 

About Ratna Nidhi

Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust is a registered charity that was established in 1990 by Mr. Mahendra Mehta. From its humble origins as a family institution it has grown rapidly and now its projects cover a wide range of activities located in both India and other developing countries, including Afghanistan, Sudan, Kenya and Burundi.

Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust is already successful in serving over 2.3 crore meals to underprivileged children in Mumbai since 1998.

Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust is committed to the welfare of people from the most underprivileged strata of society without distinction of caste, creed or color. Our focus has been on providing mobility aids to the physically challenged, sending mid-day meals to children who attend schools, providing books and garments to needy people, training street children in computers and conversational English and conducting various vocational training programs.

Eminent personalities like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Anna Hazare, Dalai Lama and Shri Ratan Tata have supported Ratna Nidhi’s work in the past.

Cafe Gatherings-Restaurant Review

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Cafe Gatherings is a cosy little join tucked away in the Super Mart 1 of DLF Phase IV, Gurgaon. Space is a constrain at this place, but for a small group or a cosy couple outing, its just perfect. I recently visited this place and found it really amusing.

For me its a small intimate Dine-in Eatery.
Though short on seating capacity the place exudes great warmth and cosy ambience giving you a very comfortable feel and the food too is great.
We started with the Peri Peri Chicken which was really done to perfection with the right blend of spices.


The Fish Fingers was another delicacy well done, crisp on the out and really soft inside, really a mouthwatering dish.

The Chicken Morsels as the name suggests were just that very lovingly done by the chef. Real juicy morsels of chicken with a very distinctive taste.

Pasta Arabiatta and Spanish Cannelloni were the pick of the dishes. Truly Delectable!!!!! I mean the taste of the Spanish Cannelloni still lingers in my mouth, it was so good.

For the mains we tried the Thai Curry & Rice, another delicious preparation perfectly done.

I enjoyed myself thoroughly at Cafe Gatherings and you must give it a try, you won’t be disappointed.
Truly a great gastronomic experience.

Cafe Gatherings Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Hudson Chopsticks- Food Delivery Review

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Often in winters you don’t want to step out late at night for a dinner and on such occasions home deliveries are the best option. Hudson chopsticks – As we call the name, it’s a well known in university area and recently we ordered a hearty meal from them on a cold winter night.

The cuisine is Chinese with a few Thai dishes as well and is definitely going to leave an impression. Currently it’s a takeaway /doorstep delivery restaurant.

We ordered a Soup, Chicken Momos, Hakka Noodles, Veg Spring Rolls and Red Thai Curry. The quantity was good and sufficient enough for 3 people.

One of the must try here is Chicken WHEAT Dimsums, one if its kinds. By giving our desi momos in wheat it leaves you with less guilt.

The other mouth-watering dish was the Thai Red Curry served with Sticky Rice. I simply loved it. Good portion for more than 2 people.

Hakka Noodles too were delectable and the best part of ordering noodles is they provide chopsticks with it, which gives you the feel of enjoying an authentic Chinese food that too at the comfort of your home

Overall, loved the food and suggest you must give this place a try, its totally worth it!

 

Hudson Chopsticks Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Olaplex- An insurance for your hair..!!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Hollywood’s most sought after hair product and treatment that repairs damaged hair and takes it back to its virgin state. Olaplex with its range of 5 revolutionary treatments have reached various top line salons across the country.

Cut N Style a top class salon in Sector-14, Gurgaon through the first ever Hair & Scalp Insurance Room in New Delhi. The first-of-its-kind in India, this grand nook in city’s popular salon, Cut N Style, promises to drive all your hair woes away.

On the launch of the Hair & Scalp Insurance Room by Cut n Style, Mr. Rajesh Yadav & Mr. Dinesh Sharma, Founders of Cut n Style said, “Olaplex is undeniably a remarkable hair product that works from within and repairs hair damaged over the years. The products have been well received in India by top hair stylists, salons and consumers. This Hair & Scalp Insurance Room Powered by Olaplex is a step in making everybody’s hair stronger and healthier.”

This exclusive Hair & Scalp Insurance room will offer 5 new services/products for complete hair care.

Products in Highlight

  • Olaplex
  • Antidot
  • Malibu C
  • Wet Brush
  • Splitender

*Olaplex – Olaplex is a revolutionary hair treatment, which is globally dubbed as an insurance for hair. The bottled goodness is a complete salon system that delves deeper into the hair’s structural integrity and rebuilds broken hair bonds. That means, now there’s a healthy solution for that all that harm done by repeated heat, sunlight, hair styling, bleach and chemical treatments. I personally got this done and I have to say that my hair did feel a lot different. Its been a week since I got it done and with just one sitting my hair fall has reduced considerably and I am sure it will do wonders in another couple of sittings. Its recommended to get done a Olaplex treatment at least once a month.



*Antidot – This is revolutionary!
Antidot Pro is a revolutionary product like no other on the market! In most cases, Antidot will prevent any burning, itching, irritation or any discomfort
while your color application is processing and can even prevent these effects up to 24 hours after coloration.

*Malibu C – A Malibu treatment typically will remove excess buildup in your hair caused from hard water, chlorine from swimming and water softeners.

*Wet Brush – Wet Brush is the #1 selling professional brush in the USA.
The Wet Brush glides effortlessly through wet or dry hair for healthy detangling and eliminates all tugging, tearing, pulling or ripping. Perfect for all hair types, it will give you gorgeous, healthy, tangle-free locks in minutes.

*Splitender – You don’t need to cut your hair short to trim off your split ends, the Splitender does the work for you!
It trims the very end of the hair strand while preserving the length of the hair. I found this simply great, because most of the times the worry that we face while getting split ends removed is reduction of hair length, but this product helps removing split ends within seconds without doing anything with the length.

A special mention about the staff of Cut & Style, they were extremely warm and hospitable. Their attention to detail and knowledge of product and services was superlative. I enjoyed my hair getting pampered by them and it was a lovely experience. I highly recommend you getting these treatments and insure your hair against the adverse affects of hair rebonding, hair colour and other chemical applications.

 

Book Review- The Coffee and The Cola

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

A word about the author first,Kapil Muzumdar comes from the world of advertising and branding having been in the trade for over twenty five years crafting stories for brands,celebrities and corporate icons. He loves studying human behaviour and profiling people,mostly along psychographic outlines.
Presently he works as a creative philosopher and is often invited to speak at educational institutions and corporates.
He is deeply fascinated by women and the complexity of their nature.
The Coffee and The Cola is his first book.

The author relates to two kind of women whose traits he compares to Coffee and Cola. Two very different types of women.

The story revolves around the main protagonist Rahul and his tryst with these two women with diametrically opposite traits, The Coffee and The Cola as the author sees them.

It is the journey of love which Rahul goes through first with Radha and in a small detour with Nora.
Two women of diverse personalities which leave Rahul confused with the reality check; Who should he choose between the two for a life partner. The way author has characterised his leads is commendable. You can easily relate to Rahul who faces a confusion of choosing the one over second as we lot of times see in real life as well. The women leads are both portrayed very interestingly. The book has a dose of romance with reality thrown in beautifully. Some twists and turns keep you engrossed and curious all through

Will Rahul be able to decide? Will he really get what he wants or Will he lose it all? Grab a copy now and find out for yourself. I just loved reading my personally signed copy 🙂 As the author puts it: An Ordinary Narrative Built Around an Extraordinary Premise.

Available on Amazon for Rs. 199/- for paperback.

My Rating: 4/5

Fine Fragrance Home Collection by Niana!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Niana launches its luxury Fine Fragrance Home Collection. The fragrances have been created in collaboration with Givaudan, the world’s leading fragrance and flavour company. In addition to soy candles and reed diffusers, this collection includes the introduction of two new products, room sprays and scented sachets adding to Niana’s present signature line.

Inspired by fine fragrances, the two new fragrances exude sophistication and sensuality. Enigma is fresh and vibrant with lime, peony and amber notes while Luminous is a soft, white musk blended with sandalwood. Peonies are one of the rarest, freshest and most radiant of flowers in the perfumery palette. Sandalwood of course needs no introduction. Its woody and milky facets make it one of the softest woods in perfumery with a lot of character and signature.

Both these fragrances appeal to both men and women. “Our work is greatly influenced by people we meet, memories and associations, travel, and of course, nature. These fragrances are engaging. They have a history, they tell a story and communicate more than just a smell…” says Leena Labroo, Founder, Niana.

Each product within this collection is distinct in itself and is designed to appeal to a personal choice. Candles for example, create a sense of warmth and bring comfort and nostalgia. They are romantic, rejuvenating and relaxing. When you enter the room, the fragrances evoke long term memories and deep associations and the sillage trails you as you leave the room.

Reed diffusers are best used in compact areas as the fragrance envelops and surrounds one’s space. Fragrances from Niana’s room sprays diffuse immediately to create the desired ambience. Moreover, they can be used on linen, on stationery, towels and just about anywhere. Similarly, the intricately hand embroidered rice sachets can be slipped into lingerie, drawers, gym bags, cars and shoes to delicately perfume your intimate belongings.

All Niana products including the new collection are handcrafted. The two wick soy candles are painstakingly poured by hand at the studio, the diffusers are blended and mixed at regular intervals and finally the sachets are also scented and filled by Niana’s trained team. All products are then finely finished, labeled and packaged with care. Black and gold, simple, stark and elegant, the range has been designed to resemble a perfume. Priced from 1100 to 3000/- the Fine Fragrance Home Collection is available online www.niana.co and in leading, select stores all over India.

Niana entered the home fragrance industry in 2011 with a range of hand poured, scented soy candles. Their fragrances are inspired by aromatic flowers, exotic spices and luscious fresh fruits. Today, they have over 35 blends and a range of collections. Their products are available on www.niana.co and through multi brand boutiques across India. With exquisite packaging and customization options, Niana’s luxuriously textured products make attractive gifts for all occasions.

Get connected:

Website: www.niana.co
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niana_homefragrance/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NianaCandles/

Pier 38, Cyber Hub, Gurgaon- Your Gateway to Persian Food!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Craving for some Lebanese and Arabic Food, head to Pier 38 in Cyber Hub, Gurgaon and you can definitely satiate your cravings with some lip smacking food and signature cocktails.

Piers being significant because of the trade between India and other countries and Persia amongst the prime ones, Piers 38 as a name came into existence serving flavours from Persia!

The whole ambience of the place is extremely vibrant and yet very inspired by the actual Piers at the oceans. It has a very rustic appeal and a lot of elements are like a reflection of actual things being used. For example actual Pier at the entrance, bar lights that look like ship searchlights and many other detailing in interiors gives the place a very thematic appearance.

I was recently invited for a bloggers meet and had a great fun with my foodie friends indulging in some great food, music and drinks.

To begin with, we were served the Mezze Non Veg Platter, which consisted of Chicken Cigar Rolls, Kebabs and Cutlets, along with some Pita Bread and Dips. This one surely is like a meal in itself and one must give it a try. Next was a wholesome serving of Chicken Cigar Rolls and I really liked them. They were crispy on the outside with tender and juicy chicken on the inside.

We tried some Persian Barbecue specialties like Iranian Hot N Sour Paneer Skewers and Lamb Chelo. The Lamb Chelo was delectable and being a non-vegetarian I gave Paneer Skewers a miss, though they looked quite tempting.

Next we were served Galautis and they truly were amazing. Soft, tender and mouth melting, this is one dish you should not miss. We also tried some Chicken Tikka, Chicken Tangri Kebab and Chicken Shawarma, and all of them very fabulous.

Dilli Chaat was a surprise for me and I was completely blown over by it. It was so delicious. Crisp and tasteful, this dish is highly recommended.

I was too full with all the above-mentioned dishes that I had to give main course a skip, but this too looked very tempting. There was Veg Khoresht, which is like a vegetarian stew, and Veg Moussaka, which again is a very popular classic dish.

For non-vegetarians there was Khoresht Bamia and Ghalieh Mahi, a traditional Persian Fish Curry.

There was also a wide array of signature cocktails like La Orange Cosmo, Pomegranate Basil Martini, Habibi amongst others. I personally liked La Orange Cosmo the most and Smokey Bourbon Bot was good too.

Coming to desserts, there were Nutella Cigar Rolls, Persian Baklawa and Fereni. Out of these I was really tempted to try the Nutella Cigar Rolls, for the obvious reasons, I mean who can ignore Nutella, but this is the only thing that ended up disappointing me, because the cigar rolls in themselves were a tad too salty and it seemed more like a snack than a dessert. Hence I sweetened my mouth with the traditional Baklawa that was good.

Overall I loved the place and meeting fellow foodie friends is always a bonus. So Pier 38 should definitely be on your list and you must try it out soon.

 

Pier 38 Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato