Au Bon Pain's stunning Cheese Pull Garlic Baguette

After satisfying my sugar craving thanks to Theobrama, my next target was to attack something cheesy. Pizza is too far fetched a task for a single person and so gave it the pass and then exploring further options I came across this quirky outlet 'Au Bon Pain' with a board inscribed on the outside mentioning the introduction of the garlic baguette - a crusty pull apart baguette loaded with mozzarella cheese and loads of garlic butter. It was almost like a telepathic experience and just something I was looking forward to.

The ambiance inside is very zany and looks thoroughly professional. The wood work speaks a touch of class and the lighting just goes so much in sync with the surrounding. It feels like the perfect place for gorging over delightful nic nacs amidst working with your laptop. The color yellow is pretty predominant and it gives a very nice vibe overall. They have outside seating arrangement too and overall paints a pretty picture of the entire set up.

I just went for the regular sized version of the baguette and needless to say I absolutely loved it. It was a delight pulling apart the pieces of bread with the cheese oozing out with all svelte. The aroma of butter with the esculent garlic and herb touch up made it quite a scrumptious experience. It was enjoyable laying my hands on this and getting all squishy, juicy and drooly consuming this crusty piece of bread ingrained with the rightful essentials.

They have plenty of other stuff in the attic and from the looks of it they all seem to be of high quality. This bakery cafe is a fantastic place for munchies and ideally suited for working professionals.

Theobrama for the first time!

 Investing in mutual funds comes with the disclaimer "Please read the offer document carefully before investing". Similarly investing in the cakes and pastries at Theobrama requires careful consideration as it's immensely deceitful and just the looks of these jaw dropping delicacies can lure in totally to fall for them. Even if you're the mild sweet craver, this place can hoodwink you and make you fall in love with the delightful creations that they dish out.

I was here at DLF Cyber Hub and the signboard 'food of the gods" led me into this store only to be bowled over by all the colourful stuff stacked on the arrays. Theobrama is famous for their brownies and though I haven't tasted the same from this flagship, I have however had a shot at brownies of different chocolate variations in different places. The one which caught my attention was the red velvet brownie with swirls of red and white coloured rays spllashed on the rectangular piece which seemed very appealing. Hence I decided to go for this varied brownie as opposed to other luscious and exotic cakes.

This one totally lived up to it's billing and I thoroughly enjoyed slurping this up. It looked just so attractive and ignited that forthcoming look of coming to you soon. In effect it slowly lures you in and gives the sucker punch smack to the mouth with all it's vigour. I couldn't try anything else as there were too many options to try at this sprawling hub and I did want to do justice elsewhere as well. But must say it was hard to resist.

The seating space outside comprising of teal green chairs and tables feels really comfortable and laidback. No doubt a truly landmark place to involve in some indulgence.

Sunset Grill - A surreal sky lit roof top dining encounter!

There is no better dining setup than a rooftop terrace with shrubs of palm trees placed evenly along with dim lit lights suffusing the oh so pleasant feel and to boot the zephyr from outside gently caressing the mind and soul. The sunset grills absolutely nails it on the ambiance front and this is one place where you will truly enjoy your dinner sojourn with peace and quietude surrounding the atmosphere. The mild music adds to the feel good factor and the passage passing across the swimming pool to get to the restaurant space of Sunset Grills makes it look all so exquisite.

Another rarity here is this is one restaurant in a star enclave specialising exclusively in middle eastern and Arabic based cuisine which places it in a different league from the rest. We were here as part of the celebrations of 'Mezze and Grill' festival where a sample few items from the Ala carte menu have been specially handpicked and re-designed as a set piece menu. The night lit ambient is just perfect to gorge barbeques and with drinks added to the fray, this becomes a superlative wine&dine option.

First up was the mezze side of things. We got inklings of fried pita bread with Maskatare - a yoghurt based dip and pickled vegetables. This was just an initial feeler as what arrived next included a platter of breads consisting of Zhatar, Iranian and soft pita breads and for able company were a delightful bunch of dips in the form of hummus, baba ganoush and burani spinach. I make no bones in saying that the hummus was one of the best I've ever had and it just made you thwack your bread with gregarious coating of it and it was quite a wonderful feeling slathering the dip jocularly over the breads. The Baba ganoush had a slight sweet tinge to it and the spinach one having hung curd was pleasantly good too but have to say it was the Hummus which stole the show on this front. We also got some very nice well made soft focaccia bread with olives inscribed on them.

And in the grill section was the main course comprising of veggie skewers and cottage cheese subzi kabab along with flavoured saffron rice and a pomegranate based veg dish. I found the skewers to be pretty routine stuff and they didn't really appease. The panneer pieces though were super succulent and melt in the mouth kinds. The rice though flavoured lacked the zing and the gravy didn't do much to help. There was romesco sauce spread out in the plate which was absolute wow stuff. We ordered a separate plate of cottage cheese and the repeat was even better than the first in terms of taste and presentation.

It would be a crime if I don't mention the intermediate and finishing stuff amidst the Mezze and Grills. The lentil soup was totally enticing with an esculent aroma of green vegetables and cumin. I was just bewitched by the soup. For drinks I was pretty content with my big glass of Hoegarrden which was quite a refresher in between consuming flavoured middle eastern cuisine. The AG47 wine from Argentina also played able foil. The little sip of the mock tails which I got to drink seemed pretty good as well. And in the dessert draw the Baklava and Omali both blew us away. The former is a specialty and they did great justice on it. The latter was an absolute revelation with the twang of sweetness prevailing long after the tongue being smacked with this delight. The service was really hospitable and it was a pleasure to enjoy a lovely dinner here. The rates don't come into equation as it was over an invite. It may seem a tad pricy but the experience will bowl you over.

On a holistic picture, Sunset Grills have pulled off this 'Mezze and Grill' festival with elan by showcasing their repertoire and playing to the gallery by bringing out a well suited set course menu going perfectly in sync with the wondrous ambiance.

Simon & Garfunkel - Central Park

The groove, riffs, acoustics, arrangements, progressions and patterns make for the perfect ensemble. Paul Simon was an effing genius to come up with such poignant lyrics and is definitely one of the best songwriters ever. And Arty Garfunkel used to nail it with his all ranging vocals. This duo re-defined great American music and the New York style whip in their sound gives the much desired whiff of fresh air.

These guys just killed it back in the day. The lyrics in the compositions are so profound and at times also symbolic. The strum of the guitar couldn't sound more sonorous. This is one pair I certainly connect with on an emotional ground. When in the solivagant mood, S&G just come in so damn handy and is a default go to choice. (Night time walks at Boat club away from the wilderness listening to S&G is quite surreal).

Even the scat wordings are so kickass - Lai la Lai, Koo ka choo etc ensuring they blend so well with the music. And the deeper meanings "Heaven holds a place for those who pray", "A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest", "vision that was planted in my brain still remains" et al are thought provoking and connects densely and spiritually with the soul.

The Beatles and the Beach boys were the dominant force in the 60's but S&G have a magnetic quality in their music which makes them so imperial. Despite the creative differences they churned out many brilliant songs and it's an irony that the most colossal of all their numbers "Like a bridge over troubled waters" led to the eventual split.

The time stamp of the numbers maybe ephemeral but the impact is everlasting. The music of Simon & Garfunkel (erstwhile Tom & Jerry) is ethereal and if ever I could go back on time, I would like to witness the free concert at Central Park in 1981 along with half a million spectators thronging away swaying and swirling to the tone of S&G.

Pudhucheri Kacheri - A sheer combined brilliance of Kodambakkam

சரக்கிருக்கு
Sa ri ga ma pa
முறுக்கிருக்கு
Ri ga ma pa da
எனக்கெதுக்கு 
Ga ma pa da ni
மனக் கவலை
Ma pa da ni sa

What tongue in cheek word play by Vaali, side gap la Ilayaraaja teaches Sarali varisai with vocal harmony in background. SPB does a rollicking voice over and Kamal dances to glory in his bagpiper avatar.

Kodambakkam was once infested with such sheer creativity. Audacious levels of thought process and bang on execution. And the fecundity to conjure up brilliance at that pace was astonishing. Such joy this song is, with lyrics weaved magically. Wonder where all the talent got dissipated down the years. Those days, those days only. 25 years old and certified agmark gold. Absolutely delightful!

For the Love of Food!

What is love? 
A - Love is aromatic Arancini balls
B - Love is bonding over beer
C - Love is craving for cheese
D - Love is doe eyeing doughnuts
E - Love is egging the eggs to come on
F - Love is furtively glancing the falafel
G - Love is gobbling up golgappas/gulab jamun
H - Love is all hunky dory with honey in the hitch
I - Love is an increased scoop of ice-cream
J - Love is jacking up jalapenos in the sub
K - Love is a kaleidoscope of kulfi/kozhakattais
L - Love is licking lollipops
M - Love is mushing over marshmallow
N - Love is nibbling nutella
O - Love is oodles of okra/orange
P - Love is the pulchritude of a popped up pizza
Q - Love is quirky like quiche
R - Love is a rivulet of rasagollas
S - Love is stashing strawberries
T - Love is toying with tofu
U - Love is uplifting uthappam/upma
V - Love is velvety vol-au-vents
W - Love is wallowing on waffles/white sauce pasta
X - Love is slurping xerox of xmas cakes and cookies
Y - Love is yummylicious yoghurt
Z - Love is zingy like zucchini
#AtoZoflove #ValentinesDay #Foodaholic #loveinfood #foodislove 

Residency @ Crowne Plaza - Inducing the good ol times!

From times immemorial, the Residency at Crowne Plaza (formerly Park Sheraton) is known for their penchant of putting up lavish and extravagant spreads. They are tagged by the moniker "Ferrari of all buffets" as it happens to be one of the first places to serve a widespread buffet on a daily basis for both lunch and dinner. The restaurant has lived up to it's reputation over time and continues to be a popular destination for an up scale fine dining buffet spread. They are known for their variegated cuisine spanning across Indian, oriental and continental.

On the occasion of the Indo French chamber of association celebrating 40 years, they decided to come up with a unique theme celebrating the rather unchartered territories of Re union islands and unravel the cloak surrounding the mystery of these islands located in the Indian ocean. It may be pretty intriguing to note but the Re union islands have a huge influence of the South of India in it's culture, lifestyle and even food. Plenty of people from down south migrated to these islands and the influx of tradition has inherently been carried over. Turmeric, cumin, coconut, masala, spices and other predominant ingredients which form a feature of south indian recipes are part and parcel of the food dished out in these islands.

The concept sounded interesting and it wasn't like a showcase to prove that they were trying to be different. Though it was radical, it came across as being very natural and warming. I really found the whole thing to be unique and inventive. They brought in a chef exclusively from the islands and put forth a rather interesting fare of delicacies proving the authenticity in a righteous manner. Another remarkable feature was the music being spiced out with the native band members swooning away on those 'off the cuff' rustic instruments bringing a refreshing sound. The music was a little louder for the set up but it just pepped up the whole atmosphere and it was fantastic listening to the baila like dance form of music from the heart of the land of Re union.

On the food they didn't divert completely to have everything Re-union but instead played safe by keeping the tried and tested Tandoori, chinese and continental along with having an equal measure of cuisine from France and the Re union islands. I felt this was well played as they played to the gallery by ensuring that everyone's pallet goes well suited. I managed to taste most of the veg stuff from Re union islands and must say I found the experience interesting. The coconut vegetable soup was an eye opener and top notch. The sweet potato based dessert was one of a kind and very enjoyable. The french style savoury crepes were another hands on winner. The potato based stuff were immaculately good and the lemony tinge with shredded onions seem to be a usual part of the food from this region. I also did try my hand at a bit of North Indian and the gravies be it the shahi panneer and rajma masala were marvellous. The chinese side of things too were pretty good with the tofu curry being a delight. Apart from all these they also had a large salad counter with a special section for cheese and a sprawling dessert draw. A bunch of starters and chaat were also served on the table along with a refreshing multi coloured welcome drink.

The food was truly pleasing and it was indeed a feast gorging on an array of delicacies amidst the high octane lively music. The decor comprising of ivory coloured cushion seating was really comfortable. The ambiance is another big plus point. It mirrors a confluence of the old and new by retaining the old world charm in the midst of the newness surrounding the interiors. As the event was over an invite, pricing goes out of question. It is no doubt though on the higher side but this is an experience you wouldn't mind paying a hefty sum once in a while as what you get in return will ensure that you will not go home without taking back 'something to remember'. The service was spot on and the hospitality shown towards us was welcoming.

This was indeed a meet to remember. They just 'upped the ante' via this theme of 'Reunion Islands' and delivered the result with elan and finesse. It was a pleasure to participate in the celebrations. I believe there are more interesting themes to come and just taking the Re union food festival as an illustration, it is certain that more good times are here to come for the Residency at Crowne Plaza.

Cheese Poem - For the eternal love of Cheese!

Dear Cheese,

You can truly make me melt;
Coz I feel for you so heartfelt

The emotions you generate are as soft as a feather;
But, the stranglehold you have on me is harder than leather

You will always and forever be my crush;
Just your mere presence is enough to make me blush

One bite into you and I'm bowled;
And in your clutch I'm owned

Bottom or up, sideways or midways you always add value;
That's precisely the reason I fall heels over head in love with you :)

Thank you for being a part of me;
Let the romance continue to be!