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.

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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.

 

Wet Brush- A new revolution for hair care system

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

How many of us fear shampooing our hair just because of the tangles that it invites.. isnt it true, every time you shampoo your hair, you dread passing a comb or brush through them because of the tangles. Tangles are painful and the worst part is the hair breakage that it generally results in. But worry no more, Wet Brush a revolutionary product from USA is now here to shoo away your hair problems.

Recently Looks Salon, at GK 2, organised a session for hair care where in they showcased Olaplex. 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.

After a hair care treatment of Olaplex, followed by a shampoo, came the time to experience the use of Wet Brush. I normally fear someone else removing my tangles as I feel that I know my hair the best, and untangling them with minimal pain is something I can do with much more care. But hold on, with the Wet Brush, even if someone else is detangling your hair, you won’t event come to know. This is exactly what happened with me, as I settled on my chair after the shampoo, I was dreading the detangle, but within seconds, my hair was tangle free and I didn’t even come to know of it. The Wet Brush just glided smoothly through my hair and I was astonished with the result.

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.

This is one product that you must have and all I can say is that even the other Olaplex treatments and products are totally worth it. Do try at a salon near you. Its available across all Looks Salons in the country along with some other reputed salon chains. Strongly recommended.

Happy Hair = Happy Me

SoulKonnection Presents Soul 108

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

SoulKonnection is an organization that is a celebration of conscious life through various wellness events of Self Transformation and Uplifting Programs. On 8th April 2017, Soul 108 by SoulKonnection is a one day festival in Andheri, Mumbai inviting people to experience a holistic healing experience. It is a one of a kind festival that gives a platform for participants to engage in a wide array of traditional and non-traditional activities including Yoga, Meditation, Dance Movement Therapy, SoulKonnect Self – Healing, Lifecoaching – Secrets of Time Management, Sound Healing and Art Therapy.

Soul 108 is designed for all age group including kids, adults and seniors. There are special Art Therapy and Etiquette classes for children to experience, while their parents can attend workshops simultaneously. Besides this, an array of food stalls will ensure a guilt-free, healthy experience with fresh produce, organic food and drinks. The workshops aimed towards self- exploration and self – discovery will take place through the day while the evening will include live singing and stand – up comedy act.

The event is designed and curated by the Founder of SoulKonnection, the celebrated Life Coach, Amit Bhandari who is an ex-captain of the Merchant Navy. His award-winning methods have helped clients across India and Australia.

For Adults –

Time Hall 1 Hall 2
9 – 11 am Yoga & Meditation SK – Self Healing
11:30 -1:30 am Dance Movement Therapy Secrets of Time Management
1:30 – 2 pm Break Break
2:30 – 40:30 pm Yoga & Meditation SK – Self Healing
5 – 7 pm Dance Movement Therapy Secrets of Time Management

 

For Kids –

Time slots for Art Therapy –10 to 11 am, 12 noon to 1pm, 3 to 4 pm, 5 to 6pm

Time slots for table décor & etiquettes – 11am to 12 noon, 2 to 3pm, 4 to 5pm, 6 to 7pm

Evening entertainment Segment –

Time Activity
7:30pm Panel discussion with faculty
8:30pm Stand Up Comedy Act
9pm Live singer with acoustic guitarist

 

New Summer Menu at the Civil House, Khan Market

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

A place that is bustling with people on a weekday afternoon, speaks volume about its popularity anyway and trust me when I stepped into Civil House around 1PM on a weekday, I was taken by a surprise with so much of crowd.

They are in process of launching a summer special menu and I settled down to explore the same with some of my foodie friends. We tried the following dishes from the new menu:

Stuffed Mushrooms with Quinoa Salad with Cheddar- a beautiful preparation, the crunchy quinoa filling in the mushrooms, made them taste so different and nice and topped with cheese, this dish definitely needs a place in their permanent menu.

 

Crispy Fried Quinoa Cake with Hot & Spicy Tomato Dip- I think the more I try quinoa is different avatars, the more I fall in love with it. Its healthy for sure and its so adaptive that one can really play with flavours and spices to make it taste different each time This fried quinoa cutlet was extremely delicious and I loved it.

Harissa Marinated Chicken with Root Vegetables and Salad- The glaze on top of the chicken is reason enough to make your mouth water and it tastes as awesome as it looks. This surely is a must try. For me it was one of the best dishes of my lunch that day.

Vegetable Timbale- A very authentic French dish, this had mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, goat cheese in creamed tomato sauce wrapped in layers of green and yellow zucchini. Taking a full bite of it gives you foodie experience that you cant afford to miss.

Homemade Spinach and Broccoli Fettuccini with Bell Pepper Cream Sauce- This dish is definitely a must try and you just cant miss it. The green coloured spinach fettuccini not just looked amazing but tasted amazing too and the bell pepper cream sauce enhanced the taste so much, that its worth drooling.

Raw mango Risotto with Pine Nuts- Truly a summer special, the taste of raw mango chunks mixed with Risotto is an innovative and delectable dish and highly recommended. Its an outstanding combination of flavours.

Homemade Chilli Linguini with Minced Lamb- This was another delectable preparation, though after trying the other dishes from new menu, my expectation of innovation was raised and hence found this dish as a regular one, but no compromise taste wise, the taste and flavours were more than perfect.

Quinoa and Fresh Avocado Burger- A delightful preparation and surely a must try, I can easily say that one of the best burger that I have eaten in recent times.

From the existing menu I tried another two dishes which were awesome, and I regret not trying them earlier.

Beetroot, Feta and Walnuty Burger with Homemade Hummus, trust me when I say you would have not eaten anything like this before, because the beetroot cutlet is just marvellous. It looks appetising and tempting and tastes equally good. I could have gorged on and on, it was so delicious.

Pan Seared Sea Bass, Mixed Greens Risotto with Fennel Butter, another winner dish and words cant really explain this entire foodie experience. Each and every dish was commendable and one really needs to visit this place soon and try them all.

For desserts we tried the Vanilla Panacotta, Orange and Pink Pepper Corn Gastrique and OMG, this was an out of the world experience, I mean seriously, such a summery and refreshing dish that you must must try it out. I have never been fond of Panacottas but this truly changed my mind forever. This was one indulgence that I cant get over and I am going to go after this one every now and then. There was Dark Chocolate Fondant with Ice Cream as well, but for me the Panacotta’s taste lingered on.

As part of the summer menu, there are some amazing drinks too on the offer and the best part about these drinks is that they do not contain any added sugar or artificial flavours, thus making them a healthy option too.

Avocado and Chocolate Smoothie, Guava Mary, Orange Cinnamon Ice Tea, Strawberry Coconut Mojito, Green Vegetable Juice(spinach, brocolli, apple), Pineapple Strawberry Smoothie, Oatmeal and Almond Milk Smoothie(vegan) and Homemade Ginger Ale . Out of these Avocado and Chocolate Smoothie was awesome, and the taste was simply unmatchable. Next I loved the Green Vegetable Juice, which was so so refreshing and is perfect for summers. The other drinks were good too and I am sure will be loved by all.

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This summer menu at Civil House is available from 1st April onwards and this is one thing that you should definitely be trying this summer, because even I didn’t know that summers could be so cool.

Civil House Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

California Boulevard- Restaurant Review

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

California Boulevard is a hollywood themed restaurant situated in sector 29 of Gurgaon, but please mind it, its not in the popular sector 29 market of Gurgaon thats flooded with restaurants and bars, instead, its situated near the IFFCO Chowk Metro Station and is away from that hustle bustle. So if you wanna spend some quality time enjoying good food in a great ambience, this is the place. The ambience is very premium and classy and of course very English, with hollywood movie posters and name stickers of famous movie stars placed on the floor. The huge red coloured tram looking bar is definitely a highlight.

Coming to food, all I can say is that each and every dish was awesome and this place is highly recommended. Some of the dishes that I tried and loved included Khumb and Singhade is Galauti, trust me you won’t even know its veg, there is just no difference in the taste, it was so awesome. Then I had Mutton Kakori Kebabs, soft, succulent and very tender, this again is a must have. Cottage Cheese Tai Chi, Crispy Nachos and Peshawari Boti Kebab, Kafir Lime Chicken Tikka are another set of recommended dishes. With all these appetisers I was so full, that I skipped the main course completely. My son for sure tried the Dal Makhani with Butter Naan and was extremely happy with it. For dessert we tried the new entrant in the menu, the Bolivian Cocoa Walnut Pudding and it too was amazing. It was a sinful indulgence for sure, but totally worth it.

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