A lunch for one- Dario's

Tried the Onion Tart for lunch this Monday. A quick summary-

1.The service has improved since the last time I visited (back in June 2013) Or maybe it's the lack of customers on a Monday afternoon. Either way, I didn't have any complains as far as the service was concerned.

2. The Onion Tart was a tad bit too oily. Oily enough to put you off, you know what I mean? If you're paying a bomb for something, you don't want to be served something that LOOKS unappetizing.



3. The tart was served with mashed potatoes. Honestly, even the accompaniments ended up disappointing me. Mashed potatoes are best enjoyed when smooth, creamy and soft. The texture reminded me of thick rice pudding. And it wasn't even tasty. I could do a better job with mashed potatoes, and that's saying something.



It's heart-breaking, paying 450 bucks for something that doesn't satisfy your taste buds, and ends up clogging your arteries. Tch tch!

4. I also ordered a mocktail- the Pussy Cat. A distinct flavor of pineapple, this drink gave me the perfect sugar rush I had been craving for all day. Worth paying 200 for.



I'd love to come here again, it's beautiful, and extremely relaxing. I could come here alone and spend hours  writing, while sipping mocktails. I wish they would do a better job with the food though. 

First Feature Article- DNA Pune, Page 2

Waking up to congratulatory messages and mails can only mean one thing- I'm doing SOMETHING right. The confidence gives me a high, and even though it's a small step, it's worth the effort. Writing feels liberating, and it feels good to be acknowledged. It's just the beginning though...one small step at a time.



Here's what I wrote-

Red Velvet Cake at Fat Cat’s Café

A quaint little café situated opposite Salunke Vihar, Wanowarie, Fat Cat’s Café will remind you of a small bistro you might stumble upon somewhere in the English countryside. Melanie Andrade is the owner and chef at Fat Cat’s Café, while Sunil Kirpalani takes care of the business.

The moment you open the door, you are greeted with a delicious aroma which instantly makes you drool. The mint interiors provide a calming effect, and it’s quite refreshing to get away from the hustle bustle of the city life. The café also has a book shelf- perfect for some "me" time.Melanie and Sunil are very patient with the customers, and help them choose a dish that suits the mood. They are one of the most genuine people one can come across, and the love for baking is reflected in all the dishes.

Melanie has always been fond of baking, and catered from home before she decided to open the café. We were a little curious to know where she learnt her fabulous cooking skills from- “Oh I haven’t learnt anything. Just a whole lot of experimentation, that’s all. I’m lucky it turns out well.” This answer left us a little speechless, and we couldn't help asking – “You haven’t learnt any of this…?” She must be used to this reaction by now, because she smiled back politely and said “Touchwood”

We couldn’t help but agree.

The café serves pies, quiches, sandwiches, cakes, coffee, and also has a special menu every weekend. The concept is interesting, and ensures nothing is wasted. The meat served is fresh, and in generous quantities. We asked a few of the customers to recommend a few dishes. “Red velvet cake” was the prompt answer. Even Sunil and Melanie agree- “it’s flying off the shelves, but you need to try some of the other stuff too!”

Red velvet cakes have slowly gained popularity, but very few have managed to do a good job.The red velvet cakes here are by far one of the best you will have in Pune. A slice of red velvet cake is priced at Rs. 100; one bite and you’ll know it’s worth it. Warm and fresh, this cake melts in your mouth. The cream cheese on top gives the cake a distinguishing flavor, and you’ll know you’ve tasted something that could one day be one of the wonders of the city.

The best part about this place is you cannot stop after one pastry. We ended up eating a lot more than what we had planned, but since the food is fresh and well cooked (not to mention delicious) we are not complaining. In case you haven’t tried out the red velvet cake (or other cakes for that matter), we recommend you visit this café soon.

Check out the article at-

http://epaper.dnaindia.com/epapermain.aspx?pgNo=2&edcode=820040&eddate=2014-3-08

Deliciousness and Laughter- Fat Cat's Cafe

This weekend has been the best one that I’ve had this year. Catching up after months, re-visiting old memories, and a whole lot of bonding over good food- awesome weekend was awesome. Laughter and good food have been the highlights of the weekend, and why not? A place like Fat Cat’s Café can only guarantee deliciousness and laughter, duh! 

We planned to meet up for a coffee, and ended up spending the whole evening here. Similarly on Sunday we stopped by to eat a red velvet pastry (we all have our cravings) and ended up eating a lot more (as soon as you walk into the café, I think the aroma clouds your judgment, and you end up ordering all that’s on display. It’s not a bad thing) So here’s a summary of what you might have missed if you didn’t come over to Fat Cat’s this weekend ( :P)

Bacon Cheese Quiche

Crab Melts

Coffee Cake

Red Velvet Pastry

Apple Pie

Baked Raspberry Cheesecake

Cold Coffee

Here’s what it went like (warning- pictures might make you drool)

Bacon Cheese Quiche

A soft creamy blend of bacon and cheese, complimented by a delicate flakey crust that enhances the flavor. Take a look at the inside of this-

The red bacon with the creamy cheese is sure to make one drool. And it tastes better than what it looks like. And I doubt you’d get any other place that would be so generous with their bacon servings.

Crab Melts

One word when you bite into it- “mmm” You don’t even want to take some time out to say “It’s awesome”. The name is self explanatory- the crab melts in your mouth.

Also, it’s one of those rare occasions where you’ll find such authentic and tasty and FRESH crab anywhere in this city. If you’ve missed this, I feel bad for you.

Coffee Cake

Melanie (the baker/owner) continues her magic with baking. I’ve had the red-velvet cake, the baked cheesecakes, and now the coffee cake. And I think I have found my favorite (yes, imagine something better than the red velvet cake. Imagine.)

The flavor of the coffee, the frosting, the chocolate- I’m drooling while writing about it. You get the point.

Red Velvet Pastry

Everyone’s heard of the red velvet pastry here. Everyone. I don’t need to say anything about this, it’s found it’s niche.

"It looks like Christmas!!" 

Apple Pie

Autumn at grandma’s place for a family re-union- this is what the apple pie will remind you of. Of laughter, memories, nostalgia, sweetness, and good food, this apple pie will remind you of a happy childhood.

Baked Raspberry Cheesecake

I’ve had the blueberry cheesecake and absolutely loved it ( the red velvet cake was even ignored for a couple of minutes while I drooled over the cheesecake last weekend) Hence the decision to try out this new flavor. I personally prefer the Blueberry cheesecake, but I feel even if they come up with a plain cheesecake I’ll love it. Magic, that’s what it is.

Cold Coffee

Yes, even the cold coffee deserves a mention. And I love the way they are served chilled with ice, it’s like the stuff you see in ads. Reminded me of the days I used to come back home after my evening games, and mum used to have a glass of cold coffee waiting for me at the table. Good thought ^_^

So if you don’t know what to try out here, come along, have a cup of coffee, read a book, eat a red velvet cake, and experience magic.

And I have pancakes for lunch

I went over for lunch this afternoon (yes, lunch, cos I eat pancakes for lunch. No kiddin!) and since it was an unconventional lunch place, I ended up having a good time. Good food and good company is always a winning combo :)


And here's what we ordered-

Vanilla Cinnamon French Toast (yes, it's the second favorite here)
Onion and Corn Pancake
Grilled Salami
French Fries
Coffee

Who wouldn't be excited about a lunch like this, eh? :)


Vanilla Cinnamon French Toast- Love. Try it (have recommended it in a previous review too)

Onion and Corn Pancakes - This is the first time I've tasted pancakes that are not sweet (had a bad experience in Mumbai with a crepe once, decided to stick to the sweet preparations only) and BOY are they good. Soft, fluffy, thick- they make it like they mean it! The corn and onion pancakes go very well with the sour cream, and you absolutely must try this!!! MUST!

Grilled Salami- you can't really go wrong with this. Crispy, well cooked, not too much oil- have it for breakfast maybe, with eggs and coffee.

Fries- Crisp, tasty, and stayed that way even after cooling down. What more does one need? Though bad French Fries can spoil your mood. Luckily, these are good)

Lunch was a fun affair, and I suggest you do go try it out some day you are feeling a little too mischievous. (Not adventurous, but mischievous )


Happy eating!

Cos I eat Dessert for Breakfast - Peter's Pan

Being a morning person, I have always enjoyed breakfast scenes. Call me at 7:00am for a breakfast meeting, and I will be there 5 min before time. Scientifically proven, the breakfast must be the heaviest meal of the day...plus after killing myself at the gym every morning I could eat enough for 2 people. So you get the drift. Meet me for breakfast, and you'll never really regret it. 

I met a school friend after ages- yes sadly it's that point in life when all the close ones are all over the world. Meeting someone for even a day now gets me excited, and meeting someone who is equally excited about breakfast and chocolate and FOOD made this even more special. 

We went to a small cafe in the neighborhood- Peter's Pan. It's been here for quite some time, and I have gone here a bunch of times for pancakes and well, pancakes. This is one good thing about this place- it's been so long, and they have maintained the quality of their pancakes (maybe even got better!) So yes, it doesn't take rocket science to figure out that pancakes was part of our breakfast. 


This is what we had-

Vanilla Cinnamon French Toast
Banana Caramel Pancakes
Coffee

(All for 230 bucks, hell yeah!)

The verdict-



French Toast

Three thick slices of toast, covered in caramel sauce. The sight of the dish gave me a sugar high, I kid you not. Here, have a look-

One bite of this beautiful dish, and I couldn't STOP. I ended up eating 2 out of the 3 slices (I must learn some self-control) There is not too much egg, which is good (I once had a bad experience with French Toasts when the egg was a little too much, and it ended up smelling a little stale once it got cold) and the flavor ended up being almost perfect. What was missing was the cinnamon- there was absolutely no hint of cinnamon in the bread, when in fact it was one of the main reasons I had chosen that particular option (They had Jalapeno and Cheese French Toast too, but well, blame my sweet tooth for ordering desserts for breakfast) Vanilla cinnamon did sound a little more interesting..so yes, I was a little disappointed with the missing cinnamon. But that was probably just in the initial 3-4 bites...after that I think we were too busy catching up to even bother about missing cinnamon. 




Banana Caramel PANCAKES

This has been a personal favorite here. I have my moments once in 3 months when I come over for banana caramel pancakes. It pains me to see how people don't think banana, caramel, whipped cream served with pancakes cannot be a good thing. I agree, not everyone is ambitious when it comes to trying out new food and flavors. Here I am, assuring you that you are going to love this little change, and that you might want to shift over from chocolate too. 

Do give it a try. The pancakes are soft, fluffy, and filling. One plate contains 3 pancakes, so maybe you could come over and try it out one fine evening. Just a little food experiment :) 


The service is a little slow, you might have to wait a little too long for your order to be ready, but in the end it's all worth it. 

Chill scene Saturday- Shatranj, Pune.

A not-so-hectic weekend, after ages. And honestly, I was craving for a break. So while friends were making extensive plans of going to fancy places for dinner, I suggested we do something different. Surprisingly, it was very easy to convince everyone for a lunch at Shatranj, Koregaon Park. Many had heard of the place and it's wonderful tandoori items. I'd heard about it sometime last year, from a friend. Seeing his excitement while he described a relaxed Saturday evening  at Shatranj with his colleagues, I made a mental note to visit the place as soon as possible.


So here I was on a Saturday afternoon, excited about finally being here. The place is spacious and well-managed I must say. The seating is outdoor, in an open air arrangement. One is unlikely to find such an ambiance in other parts of the city- a quiet green place where you can unwind over beer and good food, and not spend much by the end of it. Perfect for an outing with close friends after a hectic week, this place is more enjoyable during the night.





The service is prompt, and it's reassuring to know that the waiters have a good idea about the menu (they helped us decide our order) It's the confidence with which the waiters recommend dishes that makes you want to try them out.

This is what our lunch looked like-

Paneer Tikka
Fruit Punch
Margarita
Chicken Tawa
Veg Lahori
Dal Fry
Cheese Garlic Naan
Jeera Rice

Here's how it went-


Paneer Tikka






The paneer could have been a little softer- it tends to become a little hard when it cools down. The masala too didn't seep in too well (though I feel that's how it works with paneer?) The masala is a little salty, though overall the dish tastes fresh and average. It is served with onion- a little cabbage in the salad would actually help balance out the extra salt. We had to ask for the chutney to be served along with it. I suggest you have it with the green chutney, it's pretty refreshing.
In a nutshell- average. There are a few changes that can be made to the presentation, but otherwise it is an okay dish.


Fruit Punch

If in case you don't know it by now, I live on sugar rushes. That's why you'll see me eating a whole lot of desserts, ad drinking a gazillion  mocktails. So the Fruit Punch shouldn't come as a surprise.
This mocktail is sweet, refreshing, and when left on the table, takes you to a shack in Goa.

The drink looked a little heavy though- milk, along with pieces of fruit. The drink is a combination of apple, chickoo and orange juice. Perfect, if you ask me, though it could do without the apple pieces in the drink. I really enjoyed the drink, and I suggest you try it on a hot summer day.




Margarita

This one was a disappointment. Since I don't drink, I only had a sip of it, but it was enough to give me an idea- it's TOO sweet (they could do away with the concentrated sugar syrup I feel), a little too strong (maybe cos of the excess sugar, alcohol, and cherry liqueur clashing horribly) and there are smalls pieces of something jelly-like in the drink. Do away with the ice and the jelly and the concentrated sugar syrup...let the drink be a little more easy and relaxing.




Though of course Shatranj is a place you'd like to visit for beer..but once in a while when you do feel like having a cocktail, it must be good.


Chicken Tawa




The dish looked extremely appetizing. Served on a "tawa", this dish came with a thick rich gravy, garnished with tomatoes. The dish tasted as good as it looked. There was a generous quantity of chicken, and the pieces were well cooked and fresh. They could be a little softer though- they could try grilling the pieces a little more before adding them to the gravy. But overall the dish is absolutely delicious, with a  nice blend of flavors. This dish is medium-spicy...and almost perfect. This is the kind of good food you would want to eat after a tiring and long week, you know. Do try this, please!



Veg Lahori

This one was a recommendation by the manager. He seemed very confident and positive about it. He also kept insisting we take the whole portion, instead of ordering it by plate. After much persuasion, we gave in.  After having one bite of the dish I understood what he meant by asking us to order a larger portion. This dish is one of the tastiest veg dishes I have eaten in a long time.




 It looks rich, appetizing, and if you haven't already filled your stomach with starters, it will definitely make you drool. The gravy is semi-thick, rich, and a little sweet. The taste reminded me of the food I had back in Punjab (which basically is a compliment since the Mughlai food up north is mostly brilliant)  This is one of those dishes you'd not want to waste, no matter how full you are. TRY IT!





Dal Fry







An inviting color, a delicious aroma, a strong flavor and a rich tadka, this dish will vaguely remind you of home. This with some jeera rice, and you're sorted. Very light on the stomach, and a lovely after-taste. You MUST try this out. Even a simple dish like a dal fry can be tasty, you know.



Jeera Rice
This is well cooked, and it's one of those rare times when I actually got a hint of the jeera in the rice. Coupled with the dal fry, this was one refreshing meal!



Cheese Garlic Naan



The cheese does get a little dry once it cools down, so you might not get the flavor after some point. Though the cheese and the garlic together make for an interesting combo.






Do visit  if you're looking for a place to unwind,good food and cheap liquor. It's quite a good deal if you consider the ambiance and the good food, and the service. Not bad, if you're not looking at anything fancy, just a laid back evening with your close friends, beer, and good food.

Aamchi Pune, to Our Pune-Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day: a time of the year reserved only for our better halves, the special loved one, soul mates and family. More often than never, we leave this day aside to make all those lengthy preparations to come through, trying our best to make our special someone feel the love. But when do we stop, think and spend time with something that we’ve been with all these years? The place will be permanent, even though the people may change. The city that has made us what we are, and has been the center of all the opportunities that we seized without a second thought. The city with a deep rooted culture, yet cosmopolitan. Amchi Pune, the city with Ravivar Peth and Shaniwad wada,  M.G Road and Koregaon Park... a place where you can celebrate Ganpati in Dagdusheth, and the Pune Wine Fest at Rohi Villa.

So why not celebrate the most romantic day of the year with your city? That’s precisely what I came across this year, at Phoenix MarketCity, and absolutely loved the initiative! A refreshing take on Valentine's day, it did changed my perspective this time around. 

 It only came to my notice after I saw #ILovePune on Twitter, which not only got me to look up the details of the contest, but also observe and participate.  Each reply brought a smile on my face, lighting up my mood with every tweet. It was lovely to see so many people I don’t know, connect with me on our hometown (Social Media Junkie Alert, yeah!) I have spent a large chunk of my life travelling, but since the last 12 years, Pune has been my home. It has given me the people I value the most, and the education and profession I’ve always longed for..opportunities and life lessons, it's been a wonderful journey here in Pune. This is precisely why every tweet got me a little nostalgic about old times and growing up in this place. I’ve seen it change from a small town with the only shopping ‘mall’ being West Side in M.G Road, and the only multiplex being Inox  back in 2001, to a city with multiple malls (Phoenix Marketcity being one of the biggest) and a gazillion multiplexes. I doubt  the younger generation will be able to see such a magical and drastic change over a reasonably short period of time.  I’ve watched this change, been a part of it, grown with it.

I decided to pamper myself this Valentines, and headed over to Phoenix for some shopping. On reaching, I saw a small crowd collected near this enormous flex board where people would come and write why they loved Pune. They were also sticking something that looked like coins ( on inquiring, I found out that they WERE coins) I loved the vada pav cartoons that some of them were making, and the bun-maska chai...there was a really cute cartoon of a dog holding up an umbrella for a cat... looking at the pictures got me nostalgic. And it doesn't stop here! The money collected after selling the coins is being donated (Yes, I was curious, cos it struck me as odd. Why would you collect money on Valentine's, right?) to an NGO- Ekansh (for physically disabled people) What a BRILLIANT initiative!

 They even let people get pictures clicked where they’d get the polaroids within no time. Since I was alone, I couldn't really get myself to draw or take pictures (where are your friends when you need them? :P ) Jokes apart, I was pretty impressed by the innovation of this particular idea. 

I would never have stopped to think about the love I have for my city on Valentine’s Day. I absolutely loved how beautifully Phoenix brought out this new way of looking at this precious romantic day, yet bringing out the essence of it. We never forget to dedicate time to make our loved ones feel better, but how often do we spare a few minutes to thank the city that has made us who we are? 

Being from an Army background, I should be used to traveling every 2 years. But Pune does this to people...no one wants to leave Pune,we all get back here.One way or another.

Being Featured On Thought Catalog

Yes, you read that right. I am still trying to get over the fact that this happened with me. Of course, it's no big deal, but then you don't really come across such exposure everyday, you know.

Honestly, Thought Catalog is like my guilty pleasure. So yes, it was a little embarrassing to find out that an article was actually published! I was in shock for 5 minutes...and then it struck me. Of course I was happy, of course I was squealing! But within seconds I realized this would mean a whloe lot of negative feedback from ALL OVER THE WORLD! (That's the worst part about the arts..it's so subjective, you are bound to get haters) But it's been 36 hours since the article was published, and I've not got bad reviews *touchwood* (Though there were two who went off on another tangent- something about how I made feminist sound like a bad thing. Lulz, cos I go on to say something on the lines of "to each his own" Oh well, the word I should have used was"humanist" So yeah, my bad too. Someone was kind enough to point that out to me. Anyway, I sincerely hope they got my point)

Also, phew!

*Note- It's been 5 days, I'm guessing the negative comments have started pouring in. I am not surprised. It does hurt to see yourself being misunderstood, and even though you don't want to know it, you end up clicking on the link and reading all that people have to say.....*sigh* Some people,very simply, told me this- you have written something which has been published on an international portal, you are bound to get feedback. Not everyone will agree. You just got to be strong. Don't bother what something someone sitting in a chair in some remote corner of the world has to say about this. This is what you felt, and you wrote it.
And yes, there are those who agree, and I am glad they liked reading it (I get around 20-30 mails everyday from people thanking me for the article) and then there are those who absolutely hated my guts the moment they read the article. To some I might be oblivious, naive, or maybe a plain and simple fool. But I have nothing to prove to anybody. I know where I come from, and that's enough to keep me from changing my stance on the whole thing.

In case you haven't checked Thought Catalog (and don't wish to in the future) here's what I wrote-

20 Generalizations Indian Girls Are Fed Up With

Sometimes life isn’t fair, and though people are opening up to the idea of the “modern woman”, there are a few who judge us incorrectly, especially here in India. I won’t go into a lengthy explanation; once again, I am just trying to prove my point here. It is definitely going to sound feminist, but I assure you, I believe in equality of the sexes. I am just expressing my opinion here.  Not everyone might agree, but you might want to read it.

1. Not every girl wants to get married by 23. So before you ASSUME she’s of marriageable age, ask her what her views on marriage are. One hint, might save you the drama- just because she does not want to get married now does not mean she never will. She has other plans for herself right now, let her live a little.

2. Just because a girl wishes to do her PhD after Masters does not mean she doesn’t want to settle down in life. Give her a break, and respect the fact that she has the confidence to take that up, cos yeah, PhD is no joke. There will come a point when she would happily devote herself to her family, and balance it out with her work life. Her degrees, or lack of them, won’t make any difference.  Let her study while she wants to, okay?

3. Just because she is 27 and unmarried does not mean she’s been rejected by many men. Maybe, being single is a choice she has made.

4. Having a boyfriend does not make her characterless.

5. Just because she has recently gone through a break up doesn’t mean she is vulnerable and available.

6. Just because most of her friends are boys, does not mean she is “having a good time” with all of them.

7. Just because she has a drink in her hand does not mean she is an alcoholic.

8. Just because she wore a short skirt to one party does not mean she dresses up that way every day.

9. Just because she is ambitious doesn’t mean she isn’t a family person.

10. Just because she doesn’t discuss her plans doesn’t mean she’s clueless about life. Give her a chance, alright?

11. Just because she is outspoken doesn’t mean she is a rebel.

12. Just because she comes home late from work does not mean she is sleeping around with her colleagues.

13. After a hectic week, give her some time to relax over the weekend. Don’t make that one weekend party make her look like a she’s a frivolous party-girl without a job.

14. Just because she is out shopping alone does not mean she is depressed or lonely. It’s how she relaxes, respect that.

15. Just because she is on a holiday alone does not mean she doesn’t have company.  Maybe it’s a break to get back her lost confidence, or maybe that’s how she is. Admire her spirit instead of giving her advice, okay?

16. Just because she is a woman doesn’t mean she can’t kick ass in military school.

17. Just because she has a tattoo doesn’t mean she is attention seeking. Maybe that’s her way of expression.

18. Just because she doesn’t know how to cook doesn’t mean she won’t make a good wife. Remember when you were just married and cooked chicken curry which was um, a disaster?

19. Just because she likes everything pink and shiny and fluffy doesn’t mean she lives in her own world. She can handle some situations much better  than her male counterparts.

20. Just because she is pretty does not mean she is a whore. And just because she is friendly does not mean she is flirting with you.

Yes, we cry, we are emotional; we take things personally, and sometimes over-react to situations. But this does not give any one the right to judge us in the wrong way. Times are changing; don’t confine her within those boundaries, no matter how orthodox you are. There are some who might be fighting this losing battle, yet compromising on their decisions and plans, just to please society. Respect that.




In case you do want to check it out, here's the article-

http://thoughtcatalog.com/pea-tea/2014/02/20-generalizations-indian-girls-are-fed-up-with/#iHVTlX2fop5gfvpH.01

Keeping Calm..and drinking Coke. Picture Credits to ze boyfriend. 

<In case there are more of you who decide to get super aggressive about "feminism", do go through the comments, or well, let me clarify-

1. Too angry
2. Too distracted
3. Operating from the space of knowing only those who abuse the power of being feminists.
4. MY BAD. Geddit? MY BAD.


In case you feel some points are applicable to boys as well, I am sure you have a reason for saying so. And I respect that.

In case you feel I am degrading women, well I clearly didn't mean to. This is something that most of my friends have faced, and I am writing out of experience. Coming from an Army background, I have been all over India. And have faced many such issues personally, no matter how progressive the families have been.THAT'S the space I am operating from. In case you don't agree, you are more than welcome to share feedback, but let's not make this a debate. Some experience it, some don't. Let's leave it at that.

Thank you>


Cheers!

The Flour Works, Pune

Weekends. A new place to visit, a new dish to try, a new experience, a new mood, a new story. This Saturday was no different.

Albeit a little late (people and foul mood to be blamed for the procrastination) I headed over to The Flour Works for work. Situated at a quiet corner in Kalyani Nagar, The Flour Works is a café hidden away from the hustle bustle of the city life.  Though the ambiance was quite a disappointment.  I follow them on Facebook, and from the updates that I have been seeing, I had high expectations.  To keep it short and simple- I have seen prettier places. The seating arrangement outdoors is well spaced out, but they could definitely improve the presentation. Honestly, it looks like a glorified parking lot. The indoors is much better, but there’s a particular smell that didn’t quite suit my liking. I decided to sit outside, even though it’s cozier indoors.  A place one could come on a date with- white curtains, lights, seats by the windows, wine, a table for two, and all that jazz. The couples did seem lost in their own world <Valentine’s season….*super sigh*>

I chose a table outdoors, and settled down with my diary and laptop. It was 15 minutes later that I was offered a menu card- service is a little slow here, as I found out during the course of my visit. The waiters are friendly and quick, but I wish I didn’t have to keep prompting them.

The menu has an interesting choice of dishes. Starters, Main course (pastas, etc), Sandwiches, Burgers, Pizzas, Desserts, and the beverages.  I decided to order myself a Chicken Sandwich- safe choice, and easy to eat.I also ordered a Ginger Jolt, something to wash down the sandwiches with.

The sandwiches arrived within 15min, which is a good turnover time I feel.  Though the Ginger Jolt took 45 min (told you, slow service) The sandwiches looked good, and I couldn’t wait to bite into one of them.

I was dreading they’d be bland, with mayo. But BECAUSE they exceeded my expectations, I was more than overjoyed. The bread isn’t hard, the chicken is fresh, the lettuce is fresh and crispy, the onions give the perfect flavor (or else this would be a bland dish too) and the cheese is absolutely perfect. As soon as you bite into the bread, you get a generous amount of chicken in your mouth, and a hint of butter, and CHEESE. There’s just enough cheese to hold the two pieces of bread together, and to give a strong flavor at the end.  As I said earlier - perfect quantity of cheese. The sandwich is served with a small portion of fries, which is EXACTLY how much is needed. By the end of it, it got a little heavy with the butter and cheese and chicken, but on a better day I’m sure I could finish it off.  When you are too confused with the variety of choices being offered here, do consider having this sandwich. It’s a 9/10 from me.

The Ginger Jolt gets a 10/10. As the name suggests, it jolts you out of your mood (in a good way of course) A sugar rush (which is what I live ON I guess :/) a strong flavor of ginger, and a hint of lemon- this is what fixed my mood today. And it’s a strange combination of flavors, which is what’s so refreshing and intriguing about it. This is applicable to all the refreshments being offered here. Absolutely LOVED what they had to offer. I’m definitely coming back for the drinks here.

<Pssst- I heard the women on the other table talking about how brilliant the CCCV is. That’s next on my list>

It was a heavy meal, but thanks to the drink I didn’t get too lazy. By the time I finished working, the sun had already set, and the crowd around me had changed completely. There were couples on dates, young girls gossiping, girlfriends catching up…the vibe of the place had changed. It was definitely better than what it was in the afternoon, but I still feel the space outside can be made much prettier.

And since I cannot resist sweets, I managed to pick up a carrot muffin too. So yes, I’m now going to take your leave. The muffin awaits me. Happy reading folks!

P.S.- Muffin: Minus the walnuts, it would have been good. Walnuts make it bitter. 4/10.

Mother of God- CHOCOLATE!

A chocolate launch on a Thursday evening at Oakwood Premier, Pune came as a refreshing break in the middle of a very mundane week. A slight breeze, flowing gowns, glitter, lights, and chocolate- the moment we entered the venue,we were transported to another world (you know, a place with rainbows, butterflies, unicorns and beautiful people) Couldn't have asked for a better start.

Hosted by Chef Kunal Kapoor, this event started off with a whole lot of Chocolate gyaan.Which reminds me to share one very interesting fact with you- The government of Belgium controls the cocoa content in all the chocolates that are manufactured in the country, and every Belgian chocolate has a minimum of 35 per cent cocoa content (God bless them) And Magnum uses pure Belgian chocolate for all it's ice-creams.The flavors of Belgian dark chocolate combined with the velvety richness of chocolate ice-cream: Magnum has finally arrived in India.

<Pssst: Eva Mendes has been the international brand ambassador. Hope this gives you an idea of the level of richness we are talking about>

The first official experience of the chocolate started with 3 delicious samples-

SAMPLE 1- This one was a plain milk chocolate. Sweet, milky, and not my type.

SAMPLE 2- The dark chocolate. This one was used to make the Invitations, if I am not mistaken. I finished off a huge bar of dark chocolate in 2 days (the invitation tasted this good, how could I miss out on the official launch? Well played Magnum, well played) This one was liked by a majority of those present.

SAMPLE 3- This one was milk chocolate covered with a layer of dark chocolate. Milk chocolate is too sweet and milky for my liking (Milk chocolate is not chocolate, I belong to that school of thought)

<By the time Kunal took us through the samples, the one on our table was over. 3 girls, what more would you expect?>

Another very interesting thing- next time you eat a chocolate, bite into it, roll the chocolate over your upper pallete with your tongue, inhale through your mouth, and notice if the chocolate melts. Only very rich, pure chocolate will melt, others will stick to the mouth(and teeth) Kunal shared with us an incident where a person in Bangalore came up to him and told him how he had no difficulty in eating Magnum chocolates even though he had braces (and cavities) So yeah, good news for those who wear braces ^_^


Magnum gets all the chocolate from Barry Callebaut, the world's largest manufacturer of chocolates.Magnum is introducing 3 flavors in the Indian market- Classic, Almond and the Chocolate Truffle. We all got one Chocolate Truffle to sample, and that turned out to be the highlight of the evening.

The chocolate ice cream looks huge, and trust me it is. If I were to have this after dinner, I'd probably share this with another person. But if I knew this was for dessert, I'd probably skip dinner and have 2 ice-creams instead. *sigh*

Random dreamy moment while I waited for my chocolate ice-cream to arrive. Boyfriend refers to this as my "food has been spotted" look. Some people just know you too well ^_^

We were asked to hold on to the bars before biting into them (the wait was torturous) The first bite, and I zoned out for a couple of minutes. Which is why I had no clue what to say when the mic was thrust into my hands, asking me to describe the experience-



"Umm...there was a crack sound as soon as I bit into the chocolate, yeah....and the ice-cream just melts in your mouth. There's so much chocolateeeee *I tend to reach higher decibels when I'm a little too excited about things*"
Kunal then went on to describe various forms of "mmm" , but I had happily zoned out into ice-cream land once again, and by the time I realized I needed to take a picture, I was here-

The ice-cream tasting was followed by a small experiment, where we were all given ice-cream bars, and were asked to make a sundae of our own.

Marshmallows, glitter, silver dust, chocolate sauce, and gummy bears. Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you, our very own- The Prom Dance

This activity concluded the event, and everyone rushed to get their pictures clicked with the Chef. We girls, on the other hand, were busy playing with silver dust, and eating gummy bears. Yeah, we be girly that way.

Though of course we did manage to get one picture clicked with Kunal, who very humbly thanked us for being there. This was followed by an interview with the journalists, and yeah, I had a few awkward moments in the spotlight <will share pictures and links once I get hold of them> Once again, thank you Magnum for introducing us to mind-orgasmic chocolate. The experience started off on such a beautiful note, you have found some loyal customers for yourself, right here.

We then shifted to a beautiful corner inside, ordered a pizza and some white wine, and what followed was a wonderful evening with the girlfriends, filled with gossip, laughter, and all things pretty. The simple pleasures of life ^_^