Tag: Mumbai

Cake-Mixing Ceremony – VITS Mumbai

The ceremony which marks the onset Christmas season, is the legendary Cake Mixing Ceremony. The origin of cake-mixing dates back to the 17th century where it marked the arrival of the harvest season. And it’s this time of the year when countless fruits and nuts were harvested and prepared to go into the making of the traditional plum cake. Over the centuries, the ceremony steadily graduated over the centuries to a social gathering with family and buddies sitting together and soaking dry fruits in wine or rum with wish that the fine flavor fills the Christmas with scrumptious sweetness.

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This season too, the cake-mixing ceremony commenced on an enthusiastic notes at VITS. The glass floor stage above the pool at VITS was adorned with white and silver drapes with tables set to marks the beginning of the much awaited baking endeavour in the industry.

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The cake mixing ceremony at VITS was a phenomenon to be experienced and event work saving it in the calendar.

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The afternoon saw a wave of joy with the staff really bonding with each other, with guests and the patrons.

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Donning gloves, aprons and the Chef’s cap, the ritual of pouring and mixing the liquor into the dry fruits was performed with great  enthusiasm and gaiety.

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The event concluded on a sweet note with a special gift bag given by VITS to its patrons and guests.

 

VITS, Mumbai- Seafood Festival

VITS Seafood Festival


There is a seafood dish for any occasion and all tastes, and this time I savored  a vibrant collection of fish and seafood recipes that I almost smelling the sea air. Perennially popular, seafood can be used in dishes for cold winter nights, light summer lunches and everything in between.

Seafood cuisine is one of those dishes not everyone feels easy to try. But there’s nothing to be scared of–the hub I suggest is on a roll. The Seafood Festival at VITS Luxury Hotel, Mumbai is just too indulging. Just take a deep breath and give it a try — I am certain that you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

The menu here serves an array of fantabulously cooked seafood recipes that’ll leave one salivating for more. While the menu listed Tuna, Salmon, Shrimps and a lot more, I chose to try the Sriracha Shrimp Basket Fry & Marinara Calamari Basket Fry.


Sriracha Shrimp Basket Fry:


The crisply fried Sriracha Shrimp were way too flavorsome. Complemented with Hot sauce, Tartar, Fried Onion Rings and French Fries, this delicacy was a simply tantalizing.

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The crunchy outer surface and the soft finely cooked shrimp in Sriracha sauce just melts in the mouth! Sriracha come together in this spicy and flavorful dish. Gluten free AND totally delicious!

Marinara Calamari Basket Fry:


The next up was Marinara Calamari Fry. Rings of calamari are first marinated and when an order comes in, these rings, are coated in flour, fried and served with their house-made marinara sauce. The calamari were crispy and tender.

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These were just two of the other mouth-watering recipes.. But I bet guests can gorge on the delectable spread of delicacies including dishes such as Barbeque Tuna Basket Fry where thin slices of well marinated Tuna a fried with barbeque sauce, Tahini Salmon Fish Basket fry complemented with Tahini Dip, Kurkure Basa Fish Basket Fry and the iconic Koliwada Bombay Duck Basket Fry among others.


Q-Bar - The Quarter Club Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Arabian Culinary Night – VITS Luxury Hotel, Mumbai

TAFATHALO was the word that resonated while I was welcomed at the VITS Luxury Hotel for the Arabic Food Festival. The word “Tafathalo” means “Do me the honor” in the Arabic dialect. It is an invitation to come to the table. And yes, once again the culinary wizards of VITS Luxury Hotel had crafted for its patrons the Arabian delights over the month. Aptly translating the tradition of hosting a guests for a meal, which is an old honored tradition in the Arabic World and an expression of hospitality, VITS this time served an array of Arabian delicacies.

The Arabic cuisine is of a rich diversity of  Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Asian food. But with the arrival of western business associates in the Arab land, their tastes and preferences also led to spice-up the Arab cooking. And this time the delicious diversity was served in a platter at the VITS Luxury Hotel during the Arabic Food Festival.

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While the menu comprised of Non-Veg & Veg recipes, it was chiefly based on starters. But yes, these scrumptiously flavorsome dishes were incredibly wholesome and pampered the taste buds with utmost care. Accompanied by Mr. Aloy Fernandes Manager (VITS, Luxury Hotel), I embarked on a gastronomic adventure that literally left me salivating for more.


The Arabian culinary night began with Falafel – Incredible Falafel Burger. This one was not just  conventional but the one that was incredibly presented. The taste was such that it would give a fried chicken run for its fame. It was crafted like a  miniature burger with deep fried blend of grounded chickpeas & spices in between the pieces of Peta Bread. This incredible invention was born in the kitchen of VITS. Trust my word, after savoring this palatable delicacy I learnt that it was a veg recipe!  Complemented with Lebanese Dip, Hummus & bowl of Fattoush which comprised of lettuces, pepper, pickle as well as parsley, this recipe graduated to be so astonishing that it lured a pure non-vegetarian like me to ask for more.

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After devouring the Falafel, the next Arabian recipe was Kibbeh. They are to die for! Kibbeh, kubbeh or kokeba all mean “the shape of a ball” in Arabic. These finely baked & deep fried crispy morsels of lamb meat were deliciously succulent. They tasted just too out of this planet! No Shami Kebab can even graduate as a substitute for this, a must try for every foodie.

 

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Casting a spell with its lip-smacking taste was Shish Taouk. Boneless chicken cubes marinated in garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and grilled on skewers with peppers, this innovation tasted fabulously appetizing. Every bite was truly wholesome with the grill flavor lingering in the mouth. Crispy on outside and tender within, the Shish Taouk was one of its kind.

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The essential concept in the Arabic cuisine is hospitality and with great warmth , chivalry, VITS served me with yet another saporous dish knows as Lebanese Sumac Prawns. Sumac is a tangy, lemony, berry-red spice that goes well with grilled fish and prawns. The prawns were luxuriously marinated with Sumac, special spices and slowly grilled to render the reviewer speechless. Yes! this recipe was another tantalizing treat for my taste buds. It was complemented with soft Peta bread & tempting Garlic Dip.

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The non-veg mezze offered each portion of all its non-veg recipes in a platter complemented with the accompaniments. While The Veg Mezze comprised of Falafel (Incredible Falafel Burger), Spinach Bell Pepper, Mushroom & Cheese Fatayer & Orfali Kebab.

Spinach Fatayer; a baked puff affluently infused with assorted bell pepper, spinach, mushroom & feta cheese was amazing. And the last but not the least Orfali Kebab was just an another fabulous crunchy veggie cousin replicating boneless fried chicken strips. This was yet another Arabic veggie delight which I savored and I believe that an ardent foodie must grab a bite of it.imageedit_3_5492179676

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Fattoush, Lebanese Dip & Hummus were the star accompaniments. Specifically crafted to augment the palatable taste of every appetizer that was brought over the table. Also, the entire cuisine was cooked in Olive oil which added to the flavor. The Hummus was olive-oil flavored, Lebanese dip was flavored with hung-curd & thyna paste, and the Fattoush Salad ingredients i.e. lettuce, pepper, olive & parsley were stir fried with Olive Oil.

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The idea of Arabic Food Festival was brewed in the kitchen of VITS where Chef Hemant & Chef Arnald charted out the flavorsome journey of Arabian cuisine for the guests. The courteous & friendly duo were present with me throughout the evening. Their passion to serve new cuisines & recipes every time makes VITS Luxury Hotel a hub to savor fabulous delicacies every time.

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The festival concludes by the end of this month. So, go ahead and relish the cuisine of Arabia specially crafted for the admirers of world cuisines. After all, VITS is the place to treat your taste buds with incredibly flavorsome signature delicacies that are dished out every time.


 

Poolside - VITS Hotel Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Premium basmati rice brand Amira, in a delightful cook up with celebrity chef Ripu Daman Handa at Mumbai Exhibition.

Biryani is the ultimate pièce de résistance of many a feast. The NYSE listed Amira Specialty Food Company has been in operations over 100 years. It generates majority of its revenue from its premium long-grain basmati rice surely an affirmation of the prominence of basmati rice well established in the psyche of ordinary consumers and professional cooks alike, while preparing Biryani and other rice dishes. This slow-aged mature rice is cultivated at the base of the Himalayas in select parts of India and Pakistan. Amira basmati rice is very fragrant and has a nutty flavor, the two indispensable features of long-grained rice mentioned in ancient texts as well.

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AMIRA offers an extensive portfolio of brands that have been carefully developed to appeal to local markets around the world. Customer tastes and expectations have been finely segmented to deliver authentic flavor that go well with a variety of popular cuisines.
To showcase this sophistication of Amira extra long grain basmati rice, it participated in the food industry’s biggest international exhibition & conference, “Annapoorna– World of Food India Mumbai” held in Mumbai at the Bombay Exhibition Centre from September 22-24, 2016. Amira also invited celebrity chef Ripu Daman Handa for a cooking session where they discovered the flavors and tastes of different rice types of rice.

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The day began with Chef inaugurating the session by cutting a ribbon and was felicitated by team from Amira.

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Then there was a great interactive session with the media and the audience where the chef cooked various dishes with Amira Basmati rice.  He was dressed casually in jeans and shirt and so was his attitude.

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Very friendly and humble, he dished out the signature dish of Amira the Canope Indiano which was served as a entre to the people. This was followed by cooking Brinjal Rice with a South Indian flavour, this was a big hit & then the session continued with him dishing out Green Peas Pulao & Veg Biryani.

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Audience interacted with the chef and asked him about his personal journey and also his take on the Amiras products etc.
Amira also provided a wet sample of its Biryani on September 22 and 24. Guests were thrilled to be part of this unique experience and it furthered their interest in gastronomy. This event was truly a fun filled experience and I loved being part of it.

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Amira brand commands its equity under the leadership of fourth generation founding family of Chanana’s. Chairman Mr. Karan A Chanana has revamped it into a contemporary global brand and won several prestigious awards on the way. Mr. Chanana attributes this to having a “foodconnect” and a “passion for purity” in the brand’s relationship with consumers, farmers and communities.
Presently, Amira’s rice brand is present in 5 continents across the globe and is projected to have a footprint in more countries by 2017.

Fly higher with the Frappuccino

Long standing queues, security checks, terminal transfers and noisy flight passengers can be way too annoying. The peaceful wee hour of a starry night too can appear like busy afternoon. After an exhaustive business trip, the busy Mumbai Domestic Airport Terminal has hosted few cafes and resto-bars to let you de-stress. One such place to lounge is Starbucks!

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This month they had new Frappobrities (Celebrities+Frappuccino)on their block. As a part of their Summer campaign, they launched a  new flavor who was worth its salt because it had sworn to cast a spell of amazement on its fans and flyers with its debut. And this one little being unconventional from its siblings did play its role fantastically.

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Categorised as the ice-cooled summer cooler, it is thirst quencher & hunger buster. It can be sipped and devoured at the same time. It is infatuating with its scrumptiously wholesomeness. The calorie conscious gurus whose knowledge weighs higher and waist measures wider can once indulge in this act of  debauchery as this gut-busting potion is worth a try.

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Secretly crafted in the special kitchens of Starbucks, the Strawberry Cheesecake Frappuccino is an innovation which is worthy torch bearer of the brand’s legacy of dishing out delectable heart-throbs. The Frappuccino is bigheartedly swirled with luscious strawberry puree and is topped off with cheesecake-inspired whipped cream. The appearance of enticing swirls of strawberry sauce, sprinkled cookie crumbles is a sight an ardent foodie would ogle at. The scrumptiously creamy flavor of a cheesecake arrives from a premium cream cheese sauce that is flawlessly blended with Starbucks signature traditional whipped cream only to let your taste buds take-off on a mesmerizing flight of ecstasy.

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I am sure this may salivate the beholder to know more. But as a loyal patron of Starbucks it’s a recommendation that the latest Strawberry Cheesecake Frappuccino  is a must try.

So, go forth and board the flight with Strawberry Cheesecake Frappuccino that’s poised to take way higher than the Boeing or Airbus you are flying in.

Slurp it & devour it..

Starbucks Coffee Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Le Panga ends in tie, Delhi Dabang vs Puneri Phaltan end 27-27

What began with an air of exhilaration clouded with a nail biting tie-up as the match ended at 27-27 stalemate, but nothing can take away from watching the match live in stadium. The energy at stadium is so infectious that one can’t help, but just yell, cheer and shout out loud with a lot of fun!

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Puneri Paltan commenced at a slower pace as the chased 0-5 and made a roaring come with Sonu Narwal’s raid point. Post that, they charged on the Delhi Dabanggs leading by two points. They pulled their lead by 4 points with 7mins left in the first half of the match.

Delhi Dabangs did try to chase the point making Paltan but at the end of the 1st half Paltans led the war by 14-10Selvamani of Dabang Delhi KC scored a raid point moving towreds levelling the score at 18-18 with an all-out. Chillar then restored Paltan’s lead by score two more points. But in 8 minutes Dabang Delhi inflicted an all-out, leading 22-20.Puneri Paltan’s Chhillar, however, made a critical impact in the last two minutes by scoring a raid and a tackle point, forcing a tie at 27-27.All in all Puneri Paltan yet remains at podium with 14 points.

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Dabang Delhi KC and Puneri Paltan produced the first tie of the fourth season of Pro Kabaddi League as the match ended at 27-27 stalemate.Manjeet Chillar’s stunning last-second block steals a thrilling tie for Puneri Paltan against Dabang Delhi.(Source: PTI)In a cliffhanger of a game, Dabang Delhi KC and Puneri Paltan produced the first tie of the fourth season of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi as the match ended at 27-27 stalemate on Tuesday.

In a see saw of a game which saw both sides exchange leads several times, it was Manjeet Chhillar who had an extremely quiet game in defence but came up with a crucial tackle in the last minute to tie the game.It was a relief for Puneri Paltan as they were staring at their second successive defeat.

Dabang Delhi KC would be disappointed as they squandered a great opportunity to record their first win of the season. Puneri Paltan remained at top of the league with 14 points while Dabang Delhi KC occupies the sixth place with three points in their tally.

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Puneri Paltan began extremely slowly and they trailed 0-5. But they got their act together and made a comeback when Sonu Narwal scored a raid point. Puneri Paltan got their defensive act together to inflict an all out in the 12th minute and took a lead of two points. They extended their lead to four points with seven minutes left in the first half.Puneri Paltan led 14-10 at the end of the first half.

Selvamani scored another raid point at the start of the second half as Dabang Delhi KC began mounting their comeback. Puneri Paltan had several chances for a super tackle in the initial moments but failed to capitalize on it.Meraj Sheykh finally opened his account in the fifth minute of the second half with a quick raid point and followed it with a do-or-die raid as Dabang Delhi trailed by two points. Adake struggled in the second half offensively as he scored two points from 14 raids.

Delhi leveled the score at 18-18, however, with an all-out looming Chhillar scored two points to restore Puneri Paltan’s lead to two points. Dabang Delhi inflicted an all out with less than eight minutes to go and led 22-20. As both teams looked to close in on a victory, Puneri Paltan scored three points with a raid and tackle to lead 23-33 in the 14th minute of the second half.

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