Dialogue in the Dark - A Doorway to a different World!

Words will fail when describing about the experience at 'Dialogue in the Dark' because it is so unique and one of a kind. I can stress and harp further on this but trust me you may not be able to configure it unless you witness it first hand yourself.

I came with a bunch of pre-conceived notions about the place but it turned out being much beyond that and to put it simply it was an engaging, enthralling and exhilarating experience. It is based on the concept of darkness and I've not been subject to this kind of pitch blackness ever before. They ask you to deposit your gadgets, glasses and stuff before entering so as to prevent even the minutest ray of light being emitted.

The staffs and waiters are all visually impaired and it will give you a sense of enlightenment as to how much capability and potential is hidden inside these wonderful differently abled souls. Once you enter the aerodrome, you are lost and it's these folks who lighten up your life by taking you through the entire walk through and taking care of you when you're completely in a hopeless state not knowing what hit you. It makes you feel insignificant as a person and realise the livelihood of these individuals who are perennially in the dark day in and day out.

The whole purpose is about empowering the visually challenged through jobs which are ideally suited to them. And when you visit Dialogue in the Dark, trust me you will be bowled over by the ability which they possess. It felt like they were the boss and you really wouldn't be able to do anything without depending on them and following their assistance and guidance. It was quite baffling to see these individuals move about swiftly in an atmosphere where we are totally lights out and completely in the dark not knowing what to do.

I wouldn't want to disseminate details on what happens inside during the 45 odd minutes you spend as divulging will take the sheen off and I suggest you witness (or rather not witness :D) it for yourself. But I can however guarantee that you will have a fascinating experience.

This was meant to be a food review and I cannot but not speak about it. We were served Indian food in a tiffin container and I got to eat Roti, rice, starter and main course. Eating without clicking pictures and looking at the food was again a radical shift but for a change it was enjoyable. The rice was flavourful, the panneer starter had the right amount of punch and the gravy went well with both rice and roti. The meal was sans dessert but I believe it's just a matter of time before that will be subject to the set course menu. The service was admirable, our man was completely in charge and handled the situation with aplomb giving us step by step instructions and making our dining memorable. Also a point to note is that the menu changes everyday.

Visiting any restaurant, it's the food which always takes center stage but in Dialogue in the Dark, the food is just one element as part of a holistic experience which will leave you completely mesmerised. Operations in India began in Hyderabad in 2011 and since then branched out to Bangalore, Raipur, Chatisgarh and now in Chennai. It has been prevalent here since the last 2 years but tasting the darkness ie fine dining has started only very recently. It's a lovely concept and hoping there are more takers lapping it up.

It'll create an awareness, throw some enlightenment, showcase empowerment and display an experience which you will never get anywhere else. Do check out Dialogue in the Dark and enable your senses to make your world look beautiful. For me personally, this was a spellbinding roller coaster ride which I can certify as mind blowing.

Va Pho - Asian for the win!

Va Pho is delightfully Asian. The place is all bright, colourful and infused with traditional elements depicting the culture of Pan Asia. It isn't an exceptionally quiet place by any stretch and I wouldn't term it as the private setup ideal for a perfect fine dining ambiance but the buzz is kind of nice and it feels like you're right in the middle of China town especially with the immaculate surrounding local influence.

The Oriental spread traverses across a number of countries bringing to the fore chinese, thai, Vietnamese, indo, philipino, korean, burmese, Malaysian and Singapore cuisine. The menu itself is rather quirky with a mosaic of mandarin based touches. They have interesting categories like Bao's and Dim sums too in the mix.

We started proceedings by having a shot at the local Vietnamese soup titled 'Saigon Pho'. It was a light brownish soup with plenty of veggies circling in the liquid water. The flavouring was done up very nicely and left a lasting impression on the tongue.

On the starter/appetiser section, I tried the Bao's which are steamed buns with a choice of filling for which i went with the crispy BBQ mushroom. The buns were super duper soft and sprayed with mayo indicating a mexican feel but on the inside with the preparation of mushroom gave it a more south east asian touch. It went along really well forming a beautiful alliance.

On main course we tried the homemade wheat noodles which were slightly soaked and very thin in structure. It contained sauces and a bunch of ingredients making it good enough to consume by it's own. Anyways for accompaniment tasted the green curry potatoes which were both soft and crispy and touched upon with green curry sauce more in the nature of Thai cuisine.

We ended our course with the Burmese Falooda. It was pretty decent but I expected to be more filling and topped with a bunch of more ingredients. It nevertheless was good enough with the sweetened essence being largely prevalent.

Overall, the food can be termed to be a positive. If you're a meat eater chances are that you'll love to hog down this place. Another huge plus point is the rates. They are very aptly priced for the size, portions and spread which tilts it big time in it's favour. The service was done up amicably. A number of people were constantly trickling down and they were able to manage the situation rather well.

Va Pho is just in it's nascent stages but still witnessing thronging crowds which is a very good sign. They also have select offerings for lunch. Initial impressions tell me that they have embarked on a really stellar opening. Here's hoping they keep up the quality and raise the bar with time moving forward. Wishing the team of Va Pho all the very best and I hope to revisit very soon.

Bazar @ GRT - An absolutely riveting encounter!

The all day dining restaurant at GRT has received a tremendous facelift and has been rechristened by the name 'Bazaar'. From the moniker it can be easily gauged that the theme must be in relation to the local influx of culture and folklore. But it's much more than just that. A significant amount of homework has been done studying into the potpourri of diversity of the bazaar streamline across India, middle east and the Turkish region.

The ambiance amazes and how. They have captured many intricate details and brought about the rusticity in a very arty form. There is a lot of kitsch associated but you don't feel it to be overdone one bit and only ends up being suave and sophisticated. The usual buffet restaurant's at the star hotels tend to be one dimensional with bright lights and opulent interiors. But Bazaar, GRT bucks the trend by creating a niche trend of it's own which is beautifully appealing and appealingly beautiful.

Some particular anecdotes worth mentioning include incorporating elements from the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul. The 5 different kaleidoscope tile pattern have been imported from Cairo. And adding India to the fray, wooden casks have been used for the ceilings just like how it tends to be in a market. The walls were inscribed with items from the field belonging to the GRT group. The decor overall seemed very impressive with a swirl of colours of different proportions making up the surroundings.

The spread on offer was replete with an oeuvre of delectation spanning across various cuisines predominantly oeiental, Indian and continental. They had various sorts of add ons and specific counters for salads, desserts, chaats and an area to dish up one of their specialities namely the 'superbowl' which is apparently a nutrient filled diet rich food constituent made in the ad lib style. Another interesting thing was on the largesse main course section, they separated the stands and there was one exclusively for vegetarian and another for non vegetarian. Along with all these, we also got a crack at some of their special fusion based ala carte cuisine.

It would end up being a dossier if I had to list each of the items and give a description. Briefly to put it in place, the Moroccan soup was mildly spicy containing plenty of ingredients and felt flavourful. The pizza was an absolute delicacy with a string of exotic veggies over a thin crust layer suffused with a tantalising layer of cheese. The sandwiches and burger somehow seemed a little too plain for the liking. The dosa however presented in an immaculate fashion in the form of newspapers were wonderful to consume along with 3 varieties of chutneys and an esculently tasting sambhar. The Panneer Tikka starter was super succulent and packed a punch. The other one's on the day were pretty good too. The superbowl concept however seemed a bit too far fetched. It was massively advertised but felt more like a new age wine in an old bottle. Wouldn't really term it as unique as I have tried similar stuff having different naming convenient elsewhere.

The main course section had a lovely varied spread and most of the things which I had a shot at seemed pleasant to taste. It was of immense proportion and there were options galore. I loved most of the Indian and Continental stock whatever I got to taste. A whirlpool of chaats were another great add on to the mix. We also got to have shots at various mocktail creations. The strawberry banana shake served in a tall glass was lovely. A chocolate shake with pieces of orange peels on them tasted a little odd. The other drinks and Mojito though were immensely refreshing. The dessert draw had quite a feast on offer with a melange of Indian and western sweets and pastries. The service was hospitable and rates are par for the course.

Adumbrating on the whole, it was a fascinating experience visiting Bazaar with it's all encompassing extravaganza and attention to detail on all fronts totally bowling us over. Highly recommended choice for those looking for a grand upscale one of a kind fine dining escapade.

Cafe Glitterati - Right in the middle of a mall!

Cafe Glitterati is a lovely little cafe located on the ground floor of the Express Avenue Mall. What is different here is that they have made it up from an open space by adding glitter in the form of it's decor comprising of soft cushioned red and gold embossed sofa settings which are very comfortable and a stack of tray containing some of their signature dessert creations.

It gives a very favourable vibe and appeal and feels like an idyllic outlet to gulp down beverages, munch a bunch of short eats and cuddle up exotic dessert delicacies. The menu is a very simple one pager consisting of all the items. They do not have non veg and all of the stuff are veg with egg added to the mix especially on the dessert frontage.

I was called for an invite to give a verdict about the place. I must say it was a very nice engaging experience. I immensely enjoyed most of the things which I consumed. The strawberry shake was a delightful thirst quencher having the right amount of milk and froth. The momo was a rather surprising twist in a cafe such as this but I enjoyed gobbling this down with the spinach and spicy chutney which proved such able foil. On the pasta side had a crack at both the red sauce Arabbiatta as well as the white sauce based Primavera verdi e crema and they were well delivered. The toppings were sufficient with the sauce being thick and the construction overall was good. The red saucy however felt a wee bit better, the white sauce lacked a little bit on flavour. The stand out however on the savoury side was the delightful quesadillas. They were soft in texture containing an aromatic mix of items largely of kidney beans and veggies beautifully pureed and it just felt so wonderful in the mouth and bang on right on all areas.

On the dessert draw, the waffles felt passable but it was more of the routine stuff and I didn't find anything different. It did taste decent though. However the cakes in the form of belgian chocolate truffle and the salted white caramel were absolutely ravishing. It was simply superb softly pruning the layerings one by one and putting them onto your tongue. The french based pastry was equally good.

Looking at it on a holistic picture, Cafe Glitterati appeased me and I found the experience quite nice. The service duration seemed ideal and it felt right on most counts. I wouldn't comment on the rates as it was over an invite but yes I would like to mention that for the quality of stuff on offer, it seems justifiable. If you're in and around Express Avenue and looking to chill over for a bit, Cafe Glitterati seems to be a perfect destination to head to.