Not Finishing the Job - India's cricketing story in Big Ticket ICC Events

It's not always that you come so close to winning championships. India have no doubt been good enough continuously coming to the final stages of ICC world events, but there is a thing called 'finishing the job' and we have failed at that miserably.

Since the WC win in 2011, the results in ICC events are listed below. After 2013 Champions Trophy, a big ticket victory has eluded India despite coming close on several occassions
2011 WC - Winners
2012 T20 WC - Group Elimination
2013 CT - Winners
2014 T20 WC - Runners-up
2015 WC - Semi finals
2016 T20 WC - Semi finals
2017 CT - Runners-up

We handed the 2014 T20 WC final to Sri Lanka in a platter through a horrendous batting performance by getting an abysmal score of 129 off 20 overs having lost just 3 wickets. Then again in the semi of the T20 WC 2016 vs West Indies where we spilled regulation chances, not doing our basics right and allowing them to chase over 190 preventing us from having a shot at the final at home.

And today's result is the culmination of all disappointment. First it was against Pakistan and more so in an ICC world tournament final. We allowed them to bat first when we should have stocked up and put the runs beyond their wherewithal. Instead we bowled and did that despicably without any planning and leaking runs by the second. And when the batting was expected to come up trumps, we just caved into pressure and fell off even without offering a fight. This will rank as one of the most embarrassing defeats for India.

Sorry, if we are to compare ourselves to the Aussie team of yore, we are just not there. That ruthlessness and killer attitude just didn't come up when especially needed. Personally am extremely disgruntled and no amount of our past ICC tournament wins against Pakistan is going to be of any solace.

As a hard nut Indian cricket fan, defeats hurt but this one is just too personal to swallow 😐.

Holy Grill - Rousing Smoke!

The rousing smell of firing coal hits you as soon as you enter Holy Grill. This is another of the truck load of barbecue restaurants which are much in prominence these days. Come to think of it, it's easy eating as you really don't endure a long waiting time and get to attack straight on. And once you're done with packing your stomach to the rafters, you even have the luxury of main course being brought directly to the table. Most of these kind of restaurants serve a mix of both meat and veg but at Holy Grill it's exclusive out and out vegetarian. It ain't a bad ploy as there are always pesky sets of people who have issues dining at a place anything to do with non veg and in such cases this is an ideal foil.

The ambiance is done up decently within the available space. There are graffiti wall arts which are rather nice. A quote inscribed on the love for food is also catchy. The wood setting is apt and the black sofa seating is comfortable. The zig zag patterned lights adds a bit of fillip. On the whole, it's par for the course and nothing really over the top.

We were here for the  "THE EAT STREET BY HOLY GRILL" festival where they dished out a few additional kababs than the usual which proved to be top notch. A special word of appreciation for the 3 items listed below;
- Dahi Chilli Kebab : I immensely enjoyed these lip smacking Dahi Kebabs. You fork it and you'll see oodles of hung curd inside. The breaded balls were baked with the right texture and with this mixture of curd and chilli, it indeed proved to be a great starter.
Hazrate Hare Ulte Tawa ke Kabab - This minced veg cutlet based starter with strong essence of green peas and a dip of mayo coated over on top was quite a winner.
Crispy Fried Yam : Perhaps my favourite starter from the street food festival taking place at Holy Grill. This crispy fried yam did encomiums to it's name by being truly crispy and having a delightful taste. A chilli mayo starter would have done it even more wonders.

Apart from the special items, the food on the whole was pretty good. In the starters, the panneer tikka stood out and by some distance from the rest of the pack. It was supremely succulent and felt like a moisturising cream and it was a delight wallowing and feeling it across the month. The pineapple one was pretty good too but the others failed to pack a punch and were just about decent. The small pieces of potato especially was a complete damp squib. The potatoes weren't even roasted properly and just for the heck of it was slathered with a sauce which felt more like a chilli mayo.

However some of the let down of the starters was made up big time by the main course. All the curries were wonderful. The panneer gravy was very creamy with soft chunks of cottage cheese, the veg kofta was very well played with the touch of tanginess and the Dal Makhni was top notch. The Pindi chole also was great and the side dishes went really well with the Indian bread. The biryani too was really flavourful and great on taste.

The dessert side was pedestrian. There was a mousse which got over even before I could have a shot of it. The gulab jamun and gajar ka halwa were quite nice. The mango ice cream was of the usual kinds. The shorba soup served in the beginning had a nice almond flavour to it. And the mocktails were pretty refreshing sans the milk based mango smoothie which needed some tightening.

The entire fare costs a touch under 700 bucks tax inclusive which isn't bad considering the widespread items on offer. No real complaints on the service as they were quick and accessible. The main course was immensely enjoyable and so were the special starters served but they should up the ante on the barbecue bit as that is supposed to be their forte. And a bit of amelioration on the dessert side will be a plus. Overall a good choice for a North Indian dine in.

Melting Pot - Magnanimous Sunday Buffet!

The Sunday brunch at Melting Pot, Intercontinental can be considered hands down one of the best buffets I've ever encountered. It virtually had everything you could think of and much more. They had literally laid out a feast for the food craving denizen in all it's splendour. Consuming this kind of a spread also requires some carefully worked out strategy as there is just so much on the table and you're completely spoilt for choice.

I wouldn't go in to the specifics of each of the items as it would end up being a thesis but instead will highlight a brief on some of the stand out stellar stars of the day. One counter which caught our attention happened to be the 'Mediterranean' where they had stacked it up with various hummus dips ranging from the usual plain one to a beetroot based to a spinach slurp to a cream cheese layered to so many more and all of em which I had a shot tasted absolutely jaw dropping. Even the pita breads were of different kinds and they did full justice to the region of Mediterranean by bringing out the best of each of the nations. Also it was beautifully presented with some nice diagrams showcasing a culinary trail.

Another area where they lorded big time was on the continental front. This was a sumptuous feast of epic proportions. I tasted perhaps the best ravioli I've ever had and it was not just one version but a couple of varieties with cheese floating along like a marmalade and the pockety pieces of pasta floating on a deck of cheese sauce both of the red and white variety with cream and herbs infused was just simply out of the world. On the baked section, the Lasagne was a total stunner. Softish squares in a prancing red sauce was simply sinister (pun intended). The Mac'n'cheese pasta was enveloped with cheese flowing from all sides like an avalanche and even the most hard core cheese lover would be taken by surprise with the way it was melting along with gay abandon.

The Indian side of things was no less. From exotic curries delivered in sterling style be it the panneer makhni, black dal, malai kofta and much more. And we had the roti's, naans and biryani to back them up really well. The Pan Asian section too did justice with a potpourri of stuff worth all it's weight to make you go gaga.

The dessert front ignites the cheshire cat instinct making you smirk with merryfull excitement. An entire tray was laid out with exquisite delectation, with which just a mere glance would make you all sugary eyed. The mounded up toothsome delicacies is sure to make the mouth all mushy with ghee and tongue wag with glee abandon. From ice cream cones to cookies to sweet pulps to cupcakes to lollipops to cotton candies to pastries to many more variegated sweetened avatars, this stall right royally packed a punch for the sweet craving aficionado.

It was a sunny afternoon raided with all kinds of food to make the heart quench with satisfaction. I seldom have seen such a lavish spread where items kept overflowing like a volcano. It was a marvellous feast of epic proportions. This is a kind of brunch that I have never experienced before. It was one thing packing the brunch with stuff aplenty but the other and more important thing which they nailed was getting it right on virtually everything that was put forth which happened to be truly laudable giving this place a huge huge win.

The service was more of self serve being the buffet kind but they were more than willing to aid us whenever required extending their hands on all occasions we needed them. The pricing is not mentioned as it was over an invite. I must say that even though it may seemingly be high, the kind of takeaway that you get will not be a debar in spending for this celebration fit for a king.

The whole experience was one of a kind by being very engaging and pleasant. The place is pretty far off from the city but if you're the one looking forward to chillax a Sunday afternoon away from the hustle and bustle of the city and wanting to spend a laid back relaxed day with fantabulous food for company amidst the scenic ambiance of this gigantic waterside property, you just cannot think or even dream of a place better than the Melting Pot, Intercontinental.

Shape of You - Veena fusion!

I tried experimenting with the immensely popular 'Shape of You' from Ed Sheeran's album "Divide" on a string instrument. A major portion of the notes are clustered around particular singular notes. In fact the opening vocal line uses the same note for a record duration repeatedly tempered across various phrases. It might seemingly tend to denote a dissonance but in essence is such a catchy composition. From a classical parlance, it's based on the minor scale of 'Natabhairavi' with more specific usage of Sa Ga2 Ma1 Pa Ni2 Sa making you look it up as 'Suddha Dhanyasi' which effectively can be considered as the derivative of the former (debatable?) by dropping the Rishabam and Dhaivatam. The excitement of playing this track made me attempt a bit of gimmicks here and there. I'm very much a greenhorn in this oceanic field of music and I hope the rendition wasn't all that bad. Bouquets and brickbats both welcome :).

Stix - Chinese Premier!

The Stix at Hyatt Regency happens to be one of the premier Chinese restaurant's in the city. The ambiance feels very pleasant with the dim lights just about ideal for a private fine dining rendezvous. The decor is super comfortable and cozy. It is one place you can go without any inhibitions as the end result will most likely end up pleasing you.

We were here on an invite to try out the Business Lunch menu. I chose the veg option and the choices happen to be pretty good. There is no soup and we straight away got on with the starters. The good thing here is that unlike the usual expected bets, there were some unexpected twists. Lotus stem was something radical for a starter which I immensely enjoyed. It was slightly tangy and it was enjoyable consuming this which had the right juice and spice. The momos were more of the expected stuff and it tasted how it should. And on the slightly spicier side, we were provided a chilli based spring beans titled as "Dou Ban Jiang". It was nicely seasoned and pretty flavourful.

On the main course side, the 5 spiced fried rice was quite good having a strong essence of various spices and it was a little sticky in texture. The pan fried noodles was quite a meal by itself with benevolent topping of szcheuan sauce on top of the crispy noodles along with veggies for company. And for company we had a broccoli and lotus stem made in black bean sauce which went really well with both the rice and noodles. The chinese style chilli vegetables also proved to be able foil being curried nicely with plenty of different veggies.

The food was overall very good but the best part was reserved for the last with the dessert fare. We also got to sample a few from the nearby Italian neighbour Foccacia and they turned out to be absolutely wonderful. From the attic of Stix, I absolutely fell for the Fried Ice cream which was rolled like a blanket quilt with vanilla ice cream oozing from the inset with nuts and raisins decorated at the top along with a touch of raspberry jam and a maple dip for company. The whole delicacy was both chunky and crunchy. The berry cheese cake too was no slouch by being rich on taste and melting like marmalade on the mouth. It was definitely one of the better cheese cakes which I have consumed.

From the larger picture, the meal was a sure shot win. It covered most grounds and also ended up being good on most fronts. The service was amiable and friendly. They didn't take too much time in between dishes and they were ever courteous and acceding to all our requests. As the meet was over am invite, I will refrain from commenting about the prices. This business lunch is certainly a good deal put up by Hyatt and is certain to satisfy your taste buds.