Brian Wilson - what an effing creative genius!. This is a brain perhaps I would like to get inside to see how it operates. The dude was so bloody brilliant that he had to suffer a nervous disorder. Good Vibrations is such a revolutionary out of the world composition which can knock the daylights outta you (psychedelic at a surreal level) and in essence this track was the pre-cursor to the numinous album 'Pet Sounds'. It requires a kinetic force to conceive and come up with such mind boggling patterns and arrangements. This man is seriously a musical wizard and light years ahead of the pack.
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Sunday, January 29, 2017
#8 and larger than life persona
People born in a date of No. 8 (8th,17th and 26th) have a certain 'Raja Yogam' about them. The number is relatively rare and from what I've observed they have a phenomenal larger than life persona. They also possess super natural abilities and keep proving themselves time and again and tend to raise the bar in the phase of adversity.
They are very knowledgeable and it's virtually impossible to argue with them and win. They also happen to be complete game changers and have tendencies of being unorthodox and creative. They have absolutely maddening support and a huge wave of fan following. They pride at setting records and creating benchmarks. However this theory doesn't hold good always as I've also come across many hit and miss cases. It can fluctuate between two extremes.
Interestingly MGR (phenomenal fan following like never seen before or after), Mohammed Ali (an inspirational personality and most celebrated sports icon), Michael Jordan (the amount of comebacks and game winning shots make him the greatest), AB Devilliers (rare talent who can play strokes 360 degrees and is quite maverick), Roger Federer (GOAT and record creator), Narendra Modi (enough said about fan following and popularity) Serena Williams (GOAT record performer who never ceases to slow down) all happen to be #8's.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Mothers Love - Amma Endrazhaikadha
Mothers are the most 'taken for granted' souls ever. They slog like crazy for the well being of children with absolutely no expectations whatsoever. A mother's love is the most purest in the world. One can never love their mother more than the way she will love you as there is some divine element which is so deep rooted and simply unmatchable. We are worth nothing if not for our mother.
It's been 2 and a half decades since this pristine composition celebrating motherhood saw the daylights and nobody better to depict it than Superstar and put to tune by Maestro who showcases the divinity through Kalyani raga infusing the sound of temple bells and employing heartfelt strings. Congrats to Dasettan for receiving the coveted Padma Vibhushan and his repertoire is in full play portraying the finer emotions so resplendently in this ever soulful rendition.
Mother is truly one of God's greatest creations. Turning the clock back 25 years to அம்மா என்றழைக்காத
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Seasonal Tastes - All Day Dining!
Seasonal tastes is the all day dining restaurant at Westin in Velachery. Though they also have an ala carte spread, it's the buffet which finds much fervour. It is located in the ground floor comprising of an open space and unfurled over a large mast of area. The interiors are done up magnificently and gives that inherent feeling of dining at a hi-fi star restaurant. The lights are bright and the surrounding gives an enchanting vibe.
The options on food are gigantic encompassing a mast area of eclectic cuisines and live counters. There was an arena separately for cheese, soups, salads, pita/hummus, breads/mini pizza's apart from a widespread north indian, chinese and Italian options and additionally containing live counters making pizza/pasta and not to forget an array of desserts.
There is too much in store and you have to be extremely strategic in picking and choosing in order to do best justice. I had a shot at majority of the items and they all more or less scored the brownie points. The Indian curries were really good and the flavoured basil rice had a very nice aroma. The mix veggie pizza felt a little bland sans the extra toppings but the alfredo pasta was super creamy and nicely blended with a festooned mix of veggies floating along the white sauce surface. The desserts were a mixed bag. The number was a lot but felt they could have played the game better by being a touch extra diverse.
Overall, it's hard to pin point complaints on the food as they serve the intended purpose of a large scale buffet. It's a lovely place to have a high profile dine out and something your client will surely be pleased about.
The decor as well as the elevated glitter lighting give it a very posh and royal feel. The seating arrangement is well thought out packing the food and the tables in a very even paced manner not making it difficult for you to get up and go every time.
One factor however which sticks out as a sore thumb is on the pricing front. A dinner buffet sets you back by almost 2k and you don't have the option of liquor thrown in the mix. For paying such a high premium they should have at least factored in a drink or two but alas it was not the case. Yes, the ambiance and food are definitely good but you do expect such stuff from a classy upscale dining place. The rates make it feasible only for corporate sponsorship and relegating it to very special occasions.
The food is definitely not of the complaining kind but it would be good to have a few unique signature dishes instead of cramming it with loads and loads of options. The pricing should definitely come with a package of drinks to make it attractive. A few ameliorations could help Seasonal Tastes bridge the gap towards the positive even further.
The options on food are gigantic encompassing a mast area of eclectic cuisines and live counters. There was an arena separately for cheese, soups, salads, pita/hummus, breads/mini pizza's apart from a widespread north indian, chinese and Italian options and additionally containing live counters making pizza/pasta and not to forget an array of desserts.
There is too much in store and you have to be extremely strategic in picking and choosing in order to do best justice. I had a shot at majority of the items and they all more or less scored the brownie points. The Indian curries were really good and the flavoured basil rice had a very nice aroma. The mix veggie pizza felt a little bland sans the extra toppings but the alfredo pasta was super creamy and nicely blended with a festooned mix of veggies floating along the white sauce surface. The desserts were a mixed bag. The number was a lot but felt they could have played the game better by being a touch extra diverse.
Overall, it's hard to pin point complaints on the food as they serve the intended purpose of a large scale buffet. It's a lovely place to have a high profile dine out and something your client will surely be pleased about.
The decor as well as the elevated glitter lighting give it a very posh and royal feel. The seating arrangement is well thought out packing the food and the tables in a very even paced manner not making it difficult for you to get up and go every time.
One factor however which sticks out as a sore thumb is on the pricing front. A dinner buffet sets you back by almost 2k and you don't have the option of liquor thrown in the mix. For paying such a high premium they should have at least factored in a drink or two but alas it was not the case. Yes, the ambiance and food are definitely good but you do expect such stuff from a classy upscale dining place. The rates make it feasible only for corporate sponsorship and relegating it to very special occasions.
The food is definitely not of the complaining kind but it would be good to have a few unique signature dishes instead of cramming it with loads and loads of options. The pricing should definitely come with a package of drinks to make it attractive. A few ameliorations could help Seasonal Tastes bridge the gap towards the positive even further.
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
English Tea Room - Depicting the Victorian Era!
There is an airy chiaroscuro about 'The English Tea Room. It blends the old world charm with the new age quirkiness in a seamless manner to give itself a very vivacious look. I just loved the way they depicted the victorian style era by adding newness along the way not diluting the spirit of the vintage in any way. The rustic and urban are married here beautifully and merged to co exist appealingly. The pastel shades and the predominant teal green colour palette add to the dimensions of this well thought out intricately weaved interiors.
The decor comprising of cane chair seating arrangement gives it a very easy laid back and soothing atmosphere. It looks like a place where you can lose yourself over an Enid Blyton classic amidst aromatic tea and crumpets for company. The gallery set up gives it an artsy feel and more or less gives the impression of a set up espousing nonchalance.
It is located on Kasturi Rangan Road in Poes Garden, Alwarpet in a complex in the 2nd floor and as it's bang on the main road wouldn't cause too much concern in searching up the venue. There is sufficient parking space available for the cars and plenty of side space for stationing the 2 wheelers.
We were here on a dinner invite to try some of their signature offerings. The menu is in the story book style with blots of colour and scattered with interesting options. Attached is a brief summary on the items tried on the night.
Starters : We had a crack at the corn and cheese balls as well as the cheesy nachos. The former were small in size comprising of a pasty mix. A chilli mayonnaise dip would have done more justice as opposed to the salsa sauce which were served. The nachos true to it's moniker of cheesy was in fact insanely cheesy. The tortilla chips were well spread out with a gregarious coating of cheese with a hint of spice and it was enjoyable to slurp this up.
Mains : The mushroom onion pita pocket was our first tryst in this section. They were presented in a conch shell shaped avatar filled to the brim with cheese and inset spread of mushrooms and caramelised onions. The cheese was a little overpowering here subsiding the presence of the main mushrooms. Potato wedges as side were chunky and good substitute. Next on line were the herbed rice with grilled cottage cheese. This was lovely with couple of big sized juicy chunks of panneer doing the golden trick. The smoky barbecue sauce was finger licking good and gave great company to the esculent flavoured herbed rice. Then marching forward arrived the Alfredo penne pasta comprising a bunch of veggies. Though it was delightfully creamy, it lacked salt, felt bland and lacked flavours. A very sub standard pasta at best at the max.
Mocktails : The pina colada was the best of the lot. The frothy layer with the pineapple taste and subtle hinge of coconut worked well in combination. The cherry mojito was immensely refreshing and the rose lemonade with it's purifying essence was fairly decent and the ice lemon tea was more of the mundane run off the mill stuff.
Tea : Tea being prima facie the defacto in the scheme of things, we didn't want to miss out without tasting at least one of their signature creations. We had the saffron khawa green tea, a kashmiri based with spices, almonds, rose petals and a touch of saffron. It had a wonderful aroma around it and the olfactory got quite a punch devouring this luxurious tea.
Desserts : First had a shot at the carrot cake which was like a sandwich with cream cheese layered in the middle. It was soft and fluffy but the carrot taste wasn't too prevalent. Then up waa our final finale in the form of sticky toffee pudding. This one was a scrumptious feast with the rich toffee sauce oozing over a caky layer and a magnanimous coating of custard on top. This brown n yellow dessert surely helped give the finishing flurry in marvellous fashion.
The service was one front where things appeared patchy. It seemed lost and confused and the basic necessities such as re filling of water, clearing plates weren't taken care of appropriately. The pricing appears competitive and in tune with the environment at play.
On a holistic view, The English Tea Room scores more points than it missed. Some areas of amelioration will enable it to 'up the ante' a bit more. It's a lovely no frills place ideal to spend a relaxed and comfortable dosage of your time. It is more than just a cafe and a pretty chilled out space to infuse the insouciance over a wide spread of vittle.
The decor comprising of cane chair seating arrangement gives it a very easy laid back and soothing atmosphere. It looks like a place where you can lose yourself over an Enid Blyton classic amidst aromatic tea and crumpets for company. The gallery set up gives it an artsy feel and more or less gives the impression of a set up espousing nonchalance.
It is located on Kasturi Rangan Road in Poes Garden, Alwarpet in a complex in the 2nd floor and as it's bang on the main road wouldn't cause too much concern in searching up the venue. There is sufficient parking space available for the cars and plenty of side space for stationing the 2 wheelers.
We were here on a dinner invite to try some of their signature offerings. The menu is in the story book style with blots of colour and scattered with interesting options. Attached is a brief summary on the items tried on the night.
Starters : We had a crack at the corn and cheese balls as well as the cheesy nachos. The former were small in size comprising of a pasty mix. A chilli mayonnaise dip would have done more justice as opposed to the salsa sauce which were served. The nachos true to it's moniker of cheesy was in fact insanely cheesy. The tortilla chips were well spread out with a gregarious coating of cheese with a hint of spice and it was enjoyable to slurp this up.
Mains : The mushroom onion pita pocket was our first tryst in this section. They were presented in a conch shell shaped avatar filled to the brim with cheese and inset spread of mushrooms and caramelised onions. The cheese was a little overpowering here subsiding the presence of the main mushrooms. Potato wedges as side were chunky and good substitute. Next on line were the herbed rice with grilled cottage cheese. This was lovely with couple of big sized juicy chunks of panneer doing the golden trick. The smoky barbecue sauce was finger licking good and gave great company to the esculent flavoured herbed rice. Then marching forward arrived the Alfredo penne pasta comprising a bunch of veggies. Though it was delightfully creamy, it lacked salt, felt bland and lacked flavours. A very sub standard pasta at best at the max.
Mocktails : The pina colada was the best of the lot. The frothy layer with the pineapple taste and subtle hinge of coconut worked well in combination. The cherry mojito was immensely refreshing and the rose lemonade with it's purifying essence was fairly decent and the ice lemon tea was more of the mundane run off the mill stuff.
Tea : Tea being prima facie the defacto in the scheme of things, we didn't want to miss out without tasting at least one of their signature creations. We had the saffron khawa green tea, a kashmiri based with spices, almonds, rose petals and a touch of saffron. It had a wonderful aroma around it and the olfactory got quite a punch devouring this luxurious tea.
Desserts : First had a shot at the carrot cake which was like a sandwich with cream cheese layered in the middle. It was soft and fluffy but the carrot taste wasn't too prevalent. Then up waa our final finale in the form of sticky toffee pudding. This one was a scrumptious feast with the rich toffee sauce oozing over a caky layer and a magnanimous coating of custard on top. This brown n yellow dessert surely helped give the finishing flurry in marvellous fashion.
The service was one front where things appeared patchy. It seemed lost and confused and the basic necessities such as re filling of water, clearing plates weren't taken care of appropriately. The pricing appears competitive and in tune with the environment at play.
On a holistic view, The English Tea Room scores more points than it missed. Some areas of amelioration will enable it to 'up the ante' a bit more. It's a lovely no frills place ideal to spend a relaxed and comfortable dosage of your time. It is more than just a cafe and a pretty chilled out space to infuse the insouciance over a wide spread of vittle.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Thirukkural Unavagam - Simply Traditional!
There are very few restaurant's which have been resoundingly good from start to end and Thirukural Unavagam rightfully falls in that positive bracket. All the items dished out here are of the traditional kind made from millets and herbal products.
The place is located in a quiet suburb in Gandhi Nagar and shouldn't be much of a hassle finding it with maps coming to aid. No valet facility but as it's situated in a silent lane away from the hoot of the streets, sufficient space is available for parking your vehicles.
It is a converted restaurant from a quaint old house and consists of a portion downstairs as well as upstairs. There is a very local and rustic feel about the surrounding and you find scriptures of the ancient Thirukural scrips and the bommais (soft toys) bring out the cultural feel of the rural land. It is very simple in it's outlook with no gimmicks whatsoever.
They usually allow for upside seating only once the ground portion is filled and that was the case when we reached here at around mid 8ish prompting us to be sent to the top. We were the only one's there and the cane chair seating gave a very cozy and languid feel. We were apprehensive on the service whether we would at all be checked upon being the only exclusive guests on top but that was put to rest immediately with a dedicated waiter being assigned to us who was very adroit and not only helped us with our order but also brought along the food in doubly quick time.
The menu is just a 2 sider laminated copy with one side having the dine options and the other comprising of the drinks. Interesting point to note is that all the food items are written in local tamil language. We first had a shot at the soup titled "Thoothuvazhai" which set the tone beautifully for things to follow. It was a light spicy soup consisting inset shredded pieces of potatoes, carrots, beans and spices. The dosa section had interesting choices and we enjoyed a sumptuous feast here. The Vendhiya keerai dosa was simply ravishing with the essence of the vendhiya keerai lingering for long. A word of praise should also be reserved for the coconut/onion chutney and the sambar which were such joyful accompaniments. The millet and herbal dosa too went along expected lines as the former turning out to be ravishing in taste. We also had a hand made millet kozhakattai which had a nice sweet tinge to it. The beetroot chappathi looked all pink with the strong odour of beetroot and went along in sync with the delightful veg kurma. Another show stealer of our dinner sojourn was the veg omelette made with paasi payaru with a strong peppery hint and cut pieces of onions. This was infectious in taste prompting us to go for a repeat. The pachai payaru payasam was close to the equilavent of chakra pongal and felt sweet and the goodness in taste was apparent.
For closure, we went with white pumpkin juice, amla buttermilk and herbal (mooligai theneer) tea. The first two were more of the 'mor' kinds and felt very refreshing. You could also feel the presence of pumpkin and amla along with the elongated butter milk froth. After a heavy meal these come in really handy and can give infuse the perfect signal to finish proceedings. But the best was reserved for the last. The herbal tea at an insanely low cost price of 20 bucks was one of the best tonics I've ever had. It had such a divine taste and was to devour. It was like the final sockdolager punch and was simply killer. I will revisit this place just to have a slice of the tea yet again.
We were very satisfied customers and all the stuff we had pushed us back by just a wee bit above 500 bucks. The taste on offer and value for money will guarantee give you something to relish about. This is a gem of a restaurant and trust me you can take my word and go feel the simple, homely and divine taste of Thirukural. I'm more than confident you won't come disappointed. Highly recommended for a wholesome south indian aromatic experience.
The place is located in a quiet suburb in Gandhi Nagar and shouldn't be much of a hassle finding it with maps coming to aid. No valet facility but as it's situated in a silent lane away from the hoot of the streets, sufficient space is available for parking your vehicles.
It is a converted restaurant from a quaint old house and consists of a portion downstairs as well as upstairs. There is a very local and rustic feel about the surrounding and you find scriptures of the ancient Thirukural scrips and the bommais (soft toys) bring out the cultural feel of the rural land. It is very simple in it's outlook with no gimmicks whatsoever.
They usually allow for upside seating only once the ground portion is filled and that was the case when we reached here at around mid 8ish prompting us to be sent to the top. We were the only one's there and the cane chair seating gave a very cozy and languid feel. We were apprehensive on the service whether we would at all be checked upon being the only exclusive guests on top but that was put to rest immediately with a dedicated waiter being assigned to us who was very adroit and not only helped us with our order but also brought along the food in doubly quick time.
The menu is just a 2 sider laminated copy with one side having the dine options and the other comprising of the drinks. Interesting point to note is that all the food items are written in local tamil language. We first had a shot at the soup titled "Thoothuvazhai" which set the tone beautifully for things to follow. It was a light spicy soup consisting inset shredded pieces of potatoes, carrots, beans and spices. The dosa section had interesting choices and we enjoyed a sumptuous feast here. The Vendhiya keerai dosa was simply ravishing with the essence of the vendhiya keerai lingering for long. A word of praise should also be reserved for the coconut/onion chutney and the sambar which were such joyful accompaniments. The millet and herbal dosa too went along expected lines as the former turning out to be ravishing in taste. We also had a hand made millet kozhakattai which had a nice sweet tinge to it. The beetroot chappathi looked all pink with the strong odour of beetroot and went along in sync with the delightful veg kurma. Another show stealer of our dinner sojourn was the veg omelette made with paasi payaru with a strong peppery hint and cut pieces of onions. This was infectious in taste prompting us to go for a repeat. The pachai payaru payasam was close to the equilavent of chakra pongal and felt sweet and the goodness in taste was apparent.
For closure, we went with white pumpkin juice, amla buttermilk and herbal (mooligai theneer) tea. The first two were more of the 'mor' kinds and felt very refreshing. You could also feel the presence of pumpkin and amla along with the elongated butter milk froth. After a heavy meal these come in really handy and can give infuse the perfect signal to finish proceedings. But the best was reserved for the last. The herbal tea at an insanely low cost price of 20 bucks was one of the best tonics I've ever had. It had such a divine taste and was to devour. It was like the final sockdolager punch and was simply killer. I will revisit this place just to have a slice of the tea yet again.
We were very satisfied customers and all the stuff we had pushed us back by just a wee bit above 500 bucks. The taste on offer and value for money will guarantee give you something to relish about. This is a gem of a restaurant and trust me you can take my word and go feel the simple, homely and divine taste of Thirukural. I'm more than confident you won't come disappointed. Highly recommended for a wholesome south indian aromatic experience.
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
GMT - For the love of Ice Creams!
Imagine your ice-cream to be a girl and she sure is a sweetheart to be with. The babe is so bewitchingly crafty coz even your girlfriend wouldn't mind your company with her and it becomes all the more special tangoing merrily with the two of em. She also provides a rare instance of a girl actually liking another girl and doesn't mind even her own boyfriend ogling at her, licking her spoon for spoon every speck of her alabaster skin, indulging in playful naughtiness by gyrating all over her bounciful ball like looks and falling love struck heels over head right in front of the girlfriend's very own eyes. Who really wouldn't want such a bombshell? ;).
GMT's gelato's are a sinful delight. They come to you in exotically luscious lickalicious flavours making you crave 'La la la'. They are dressed up in a kaleidoscope of colors and have all the ammunition going for them to walk up the ramp with their heads held high. They are as dolce as a baby's bottom, buttery smooth in texture and oozingly creamy. If you wanna experience the literal meaning of 'melt in the mouth', this is your chance to figure that out.
Gelato's found its origin in Italy and Montecartini Terme is a small district which happens to be the hometown of the owner and hence the name 'Gelataria Montecartini Terme'. It has already established its presence in Puducherry and is now ushering it's creamy vibrations to the city of Chennai. It is located in the Anugraha complex which is next to Taj Coromandel in MG Road, Nungambakkam. We tried a nimiety of their offerings ranging from the traditional tried and tested ones such as classic chocolate, pistachio, hazelnut to radical and off the cuff flavors like white chocolate, Chilli chocolate, Venezia (Chocolate+Orange). They were absolutely ravishing in taste and tingles the childish innocence in you of craving for more.
Apart from Gelato's which are their signature, they are also coming up with a collection of coffees as well as snack bites such as crepes, waffles and more nic-nacs. The ambiance is vintage with white wall surroundings comprising of big sized portraits of Italian monuments. The decor is classical with laid back cane chair seating with maroon cushions. It pictures quite a professional approach in its interiors and induces the much needed insouciance.
And lo, another plus point about this lissom lass is that is she is not at all high maintenance. You can even mix and match her with toppings of your choice with a 100 gm cup pushing you back by just a piddly sum of 80 bucks all inclusive. She ensures the boyfriend hardly need to splurge the spondilucks and yet get a full round bountiful of her. Girls like this appear only in dreams and in ice creams. :D.
And coming back to the 'ice cream taking shape as a girl phenomenon', she is of the murky kind which allows her to go one up on your girlfriend as she (GMT) is open much late in the night thus allowing you to spend all the quality time with her as opposed to convincing your girlfriend to stay up which mostly ends up only being unyielding . :P. This kind of an ethereal figure is hard to come by. Go catch and make the best use of her by melting your way royally to glory.
P.S: The ice cream is for real and the girlfriend is a fictional character.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Cafe Central - Striking the right chords!
The cafe culture has caught on big time in Chennai. There is no better place to spend some lazy laid back time than in a cafe. Earlier these were generally perceived as a mid evening hang out spot but nowadays they have even become a viable option for lunch and dinner. There are no dearth of cafe's in the city and are spread across every nook and corner and Cafe Central is the latest one in the fray having spread it's wings in Dr Nair Road in T Nagar.
It's constructed in a 2 storey building having ample parking space. The ambiance strikes of being quirky and trendy. It doesn't adopt a particular theme but gives that shiz vibe about it. The rustic wall setup, the woodwork in place, the sparkle of different shades in the seatings/pillow designs, the colour papers sticking out, the lighting etc all give a lovely new age feel to it.
The menu in a newspaper style in different sections with a predominant red shade is quite elaborate. They are well categorised and options available almost equate to a fine dining restaurant. This is impressive as it gives the customer plenty of choices to gorge upon. We were here on an invite and below is a brief summary on the dine side of things.
- Fries in Ishtyle : Fries have become too cliche off late coming in different concoctions but what we got were the namma fries smeared with podi and infused with ghee. It had a liquidy bright dripping touch to it and we even got additional cup of ghee as condiment for the fries. This was totally different from all the kind of fries I've tasted and signalled a buttery way to start proceedings.
- Fry it out : Under this section, we got served the crumb fried paneer and I must say this was delightful. It came with potato wedges, salad and a dip for company and the rolls were well battered and breaded with juicy pieces of paneer going well with the accompaniments.
- Tit Bits : Here we got served the beer vengayam with the onion rings battered with beer with curry leaves and a dash of lemon giving it a chettinadu twist. They were fairly decent in taste but I would have preferred a more spicier dip as opposed to the regular mayonnaise.
- Cold Beverages/cold press/smoothies/milkshakes : We tried quite a bit in this side of the draw and what impressed were the healthy&mazedaar cold press juice which felt very fresh with a tonic of several fruits and the kiwi soda where the frothy layer over lemon ice cream did the trick. The melon breezer beverage was kinda nice but lacked the punch and the vanilla frosty was rather decent. Beat the Heat comprising beetroot, coconut water and flesh just didn't set ice with any of us and had a very putrid taste.
- Salads : Took a shot at the Greek salad where instantly I was appealed with the immaculate presentation. Feta cheese, olives and lettuces always do the job well and needless to say this one hit the mark.
- Mummy Ka Magical Maggi : This maggi thing has picked up quite a bit and I see lot's of places adopting the same. Different flavors of maggi are whipped up and what we were served was the chilli cheese version. It felt a little dry and being more soaky would have helped. Maggi being a home made snack, the jury is still not out on me regarding the feasibility of paying a higher premium for something you always eat in your house as a quick bite.
- Burger : Tried the Don't call me burger which was more of the usual stuff. It felt well curried with the insertion of tempura fried chilli pickle which added a bit to the zing.
- Sapad : In this section, we had a bite at the Mac & Cheese which was undoubtedly the star performer of the day. They nailed this one completely with the melting cheese macaroni being super slurpy and going jocularly well with olives and jalapeno's in being partners of cheesiness. The soft pieces of garlic bread were added joy. Every one of us thoroughly enjoyed this lip smacking dish. The other try we savoured was the Indian based Ghar ka Khana containing ghee rice, jeera aloo and dal makhni. This one too didn't lack intensity with the black based lentils being absolutely spectacular and enjoying a tete-a-tete with the flavoured rice. The jeera also too was made to perfection having a riveting aroma to it. You give particular importance to the main course especially and this one won the day hands down.
- Desserts : We had a shot at all 4 of the one's which were mentioned in the menu viz drunken doughnuts, crazy custard, golden ice cream and treslechees. Especially took favour to the fried coconut golden layered ice cream with tinge of jaggery. The drunken doughnuts infused with a chocolate coating and cream was pretty nice too. The custard and mango based one didn't really set the ball rolling. The waffles served with the maple syrup though was really soft and great to munch.
Overall it was a full on very satisfactory meal. We got to try a number of items from the attic and a majority of them were rewarding. Extra brownie points especially for dishing up the main course which pleased us to punch. The service was bang on time never really making us wait and also felt very friendly and hospitable. Pricing goes out of the picture as it was via an invite but however must say they are priced to the point and competitive.
Cafe Central is definitely a nice little place to head to if you're looking for a relaxed and comfortable time to spend your day over with the much important supplement of good food for company.
It's constructed in a 2 storey building having ample parking space. The ambiance strikes of being quirky and trendy. It doesn't adopt a particular theme but gives that shiz vibe about it. The rustic wall setup, the woodwork in place, the sparkle of different shades in the seatings/pillow designs, the colour papers sticking out, the lighting etc all give a lovely new age feel to it.
The menu in a newspaper style in different sections with a predominant red shade is quite elaborate. They are well categorised and options available almost equate to a fine dining restaurant. This is impressive as it gives the customer plenty of choices to gorge upon. We were here on an invite and below is a brief summary on the dine side of things.
- Fries in Ishtyle : Fries have become too cliche off late coming in different concoctions but what we got were the namma fries smeared with podi and infused with ghee. It had a liquidy bright dripping touch to it and we even got additional cup of ghee as condiment for the fries. This was totally different from all the kind of fries I've tasted and signalled a buttery way to start proceedings.
- Fry it out : Under this section, we got served the crumb fried paneer and I must say this was delightful. It came with potato wedges, salad and a dip for company and the rolls were well battered and breaded with juicy pieces of paneer going well with the accompaniments.
- Tit Bits : Here we got served the beer vengayam with the onion rings battered with beer with curry leaves and a dash of lemon giving it a chettinadu twist. They were fairly decent in taste but I would have preferred a more spicier dip as opposed to the regular mayonnaise.
- Cold Beverages/cold press/smoothies/milkshakes : We tried quite a bit in this side of the draw and what impressed were the healthy&mazedaar cold press juice which felt very fresh with a tonic of several fruits and the kiwi soda where the frothy layer over lemon ice cream did the trick. The melon breezer beverage was kinda nice but lacked the punch and the vanilla frosty was rather decent. Beat the Heat comprising beetroot, coconut water and flesh just didn't set ice with any of us and had a very putrid taste.
- Salads : Took a shot at the Greek salad where instantly I was appealed with the immaculate presentation. Feta cheese, olives and lettuces always do the job well and needless to say this one hit the mark.
- Mummy Ka Magical Maggi : This maggi thing has picked up quite a bit and I see lot's of places adopting the same. Different flavors of maggi are whipped up and what we were served was the chilli cheese version. It felt a little dry and being more soaky would have helped. Maggi being a home made snack, the jury is still not out on me regarding the feasibility of paying a higher premium for something you always eat in your house as a quick bite.
- Burger : Tried the Don't call me burger which was more of the usual stuff. It felt well curried with the insertion of tempura fried chilli pickle which added a bit to the zing.
- Sapad : In this section, we had a bite at the Mac & Cheese which was undoubtedly the star performer of the day. They nailed this one completely with the melting cheese macaroni being super slurpy and going jocularly well with olives and jalapeno's in being partners of cheesiness. The soft pieces of garlic bread were added joy. Every one of us thoroughly enjoyed this lip smacking dish. The other try we savoured was the Indian based Ghar ka Khana containing ghee rice, jeera aloo and dal makhni. This one too didn't lack intensity with the black based lentils being absolutely spectacular and enjoying a tete-a-tete with the flavoured rice. The jeera also too was made to perfection having a riveting aroma to it. You give particular importance to the main course especially and this one won the day hands down.
- Desserts : We had a shot at all 4 of the one's which were mentioned in the menu viz drunken doughnuts, crazy custard, golden ice cream and treslechees. Especially took favour to the fried coconut golden layered ice cream with tinge of jaggery. The drunken doughnuts infused with a chocolate coating and cream was pretty nice too. The custard and mango based one didn't really set the ball rolling. The waffles served with the maple syrup though was really soft and great to munch.
Overall it was a full on very satisfactory meal. We got to try a number of items from the attic and a majority of them were rewarding. Extra brownie points especially for dishing up the main course which pleased us to punch. The service was bang on time never really making us wait and also felt very friendly and hospitable. Pricing goes out of the picture as it was via an invite but however must say they are priced to the point and competitive.
Cafe Central is definitely a nice little place to head to if you're looking for a relaxed and comfortable time to spend your day over with the much important supplement of good food for company.
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Dhoni's Adieu as Captain!
India as a cricketing nation generally used to always be a touch submissive and never really in charge when facing a crunch. Panicking was inherent and many a time we have lost our way needlessly handing over matches to the opposition unceremoniously much to the chagrin of cricket lovers. There was always an urge that we needed a leader who could shield us and handle any kind of situation in the most sangfroid of manners.
With Ganguly came being aggressive where India didn't take anything lying down and knew how to fight like terriers. But it was truly with the arrival of this burly milk loving drinking man from the town of Ranchi that India really 'upped the ante' and gave the much desired confidence to it's fans. With Dhoni came a new found resoluteness and pride that India could test the surface of any waters and come out unscathed.
He re-defined leadership and just that simple swagger was enough to inspire a legion of fans. His eyes spoke so much and the control he had over proceedings was totally remarkable. That uncanny knack of being unfazed in the most difficult of occasions was part and parcel of his game and the master strategist was always at play inducing fear in the opposition camp everytime he was involved.
There was a certain charisma about MS which made even people who knew zilch about cricket swooning and falling for him. That magnetic persona in him struck a chord and binded the entire nation. There have been many a time you've felt this guy was simply not a human with the way he kept his emotions under check. He was a man of steel and beyond emulation when it came to coolness.
Take it in writing, it just wouldn't have been possible to win the T20 World cup, ICC World Cup and the Champions Trophy without him being under the helm. He changed the face of Indian cricket and the results achieved under him are unparalleled. It's hard to even imagine that India conquered so much in his captaincy tenure of less than a decade.
Simply put, there was no one like Mahi.
Captaincy will miss you.
Leadership will miss you.
And we definitely will miss you.
Thanks for all the memories and playing your own takeaway by making many of us to be confident in our walks of life all because of getting inspired by you
Captaincy will miss you.
Leadership will miss you.
And we definitely will miss you.
Thanks for all the memories and playing your own takeaway by making many of us to be confident in our walks of life all because of getting inspired by you
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