Sunday, November 23, 2014

Above Sea Level @Raintree, St Mary's Road

Its the ambiance which blows you away. Surely stakes claim for being one of the best outdoor restaurant's in the city. The panoramic view is just wondrous and has to be witnessed to be believed. Its a place to experience the beauty of the night sky over a quiet dinner.

The food is primarily of North Indian and Sea food and you would be hard done if you're vegetarian. However at Above Sea Level its more about being there and enjoying the zephyr billow across your face than about the food and drinks you have.

I went plain sailing on this occasion and just had a mocktail, a baked nachos for a starter and a grilled panneer dish for main course. The mocktail was a concoction of apple , orange and lemon and pretty nice on the mouth. The Nachos was strictly ok, i found the juiciness and creaminess to be missing and also expected it to be more wholesome and evenly spread out but it didn't turn out that way with some being abundantly layered with cheese , jalapeno and toppings and some being just plain dry tortilla chips with nothing on them. The grilled paneer was a skewer type also containing brocolis in between the chunks of cottage cheese with some salad and potato wedges for company. Both the panneer and brocolli were well cooked but however felt the zing was missing.

It really wasn't a night where I was in the mood to go full out on the food. Quite interested to try out some of their North Indian Bread and Curries on another visit perhaps. The rates are obviously expensive burning quite a fire hole on your credit card. Felt the service to be slow taking enormous amount of time to bring in the food.

But whatever said of the minuses , this is a place to enjoy the scenery and sereneness engulfing you. A perfect place for a candlelit dinner , special occasion or even just to enjoy a relaxed soothing dinner away from the vicissitude of life. You should experience Above Sea Level atleast once!.

Friday, October 3, 2014

ARR Concert at Nehru Indoor Stadium!

The ARR concert at the Nehru Indoor Stadium was a mixed bag. The show started off with Vaanga Makka Vaanga rendered by Haricharan even before Rahman made an entry and then the showman arrived in a palanquin to an absolutely deafening roar. The crowd were literally on their feet giving a raptourous welcome and then when he got underway to perform Oorvasi Oorvasi the atmosphere was electrifying.

The unplugged on piano was lovely comprising of Thendrale Thendrale , Anjali Anjali and Netru Illadha Maatram. The choice of selection of songs were good and included a lot of his early 90's which I am extremely fond of and biassed. The thud of the opening Mridangam and the resonating flute bits made Narumugaye delightful , Chandralekha / Mukaala Mukaabala / Kaloori Salai / Endrendrum Punnagai were high octane trailblazing and set the stage on fire , Minsaara Kanna began sedately and then Srinivas and Kalpana unleashed absolute brilliance going forward making it one of the highlights of the show , Aathangaara Marame was cherubic and fun esp with the added attraction of the set , En Kaadhale by Hari and Mano with sax backing brought back childhood memories of repeated listening of this gem in napster & winamp eons ago. In the recent songs Aila Aila acored high where the female singer Natalie who seems to have a dynamic voice range gave an awe inspiring energetic rendition.

The stage set up , lighting and design was top notch and the wonderful array of colors glittering across the venue was a bedazzling spectacle. It was so chic and quirky especially witnessing the fireworks sparkling from the guitars.

There were also a lot of scope for the instrumentalists and they did a fabulous job. Raghav Sachar played sax with elan and Punya Srinivas on the veena along with a duet on the sitar with Azad Khan made Netru Illadha sound even sweeter. Naveen pirichu menjified in his flute portions and Violinist Ganesh took Ennavale and Kedaram to a different plane. Sivamani playing different percussions was entertaining as usual.

However some of the disappointments were the show began extremely late which is happening time and again and there is no excuse for starting a show at quarter to 8 when scheduled for 6.30. There were some off pitching and slip up's by the singers in certain songs , also the sound of the vocals appeared quite jarring at places and to boot were some obviously visible minus one tracks in the background.

Personally would have liked the concert to end with Thai Manne Vanakkam as opposed to a Jai Ho. Despite some of the quibbles overall it was a decent experience and I enjoyed it much more than the previous ARR concert at YMCA in Dec , 2012.

Pros :
- Breathtaking entry by ARR
- Nice selection of songs comprising vintage 90's and fairly recent ones
- Wonderful set design and lighting
- Great scope and performance by instrumentalists and percussionists

Cons :
- Very delayed start and early completion making the concert last less than three hours .. Also ARR being the man of the show not being constantly on stage was a touch disappointing
- Too much time wasting in between songs .. (Thankfully no anchor)
- Going off shruti by singers in quite a few numbers and also missing lines or singing in advance
- Some obvious in your face karaoke tracks

List of Songs :
1) Vaanga Makka Vaanga - Kaaviya Thalaivan
2) Karna Veeran - Kochadaiyaan
3) Oorvasi Oorvasi - Kadhalan
4) Thendrale Thendrale - Kadhal Desam
5) Anjali Anjali - Duet
6) Netru Illadha Maatram - Kadhalan
7) Kannodu Kaanbathellaam - Jeans
8) Narumugaye - Iruvar
9) Rasathi - Thiruda Thiruda
10) Thirai Kaadhu - En Swasa Kaatre
11) Naan En Pirandhen - Coke Studio
12) Sa Re Ga Me - Boys
13) Kanden - Ambikapathy
14) Kalloori Salai - Kadhal Desam
15) Nenjukkule - Kadal
16) En Kadhale - Duet
17) Aathangaara Marame - Kizhakku Seemaiyile
18) Ennavale Adi Ennavale - Kadhalan
19) Nenje Ezhu - Mariyaan
20) Minsara Kanna - Padayappa
21) Konjam Nilavu - Thiruda Thiruda
22) Enge Pogudhe - Kochadaiyaan
23) Oruvan Oruvan Mudhalaali - Muthu
24) Maatram Ondrudhaan - Kochadaiyaan
25) Aila Aila - I
26) Mukaala Mukabala - Kadhalan
27) Endrendrum Punnagai - Alai Payudhey
28) Jai Ho - Slumdog Millionaire

Friday, September 12, 2014

Bombay Brasserie - Indian Food and French Renaissance !!

Finally dawned upon the chance to have a peekaboo into the most happening and trending restaurant in Chennai right now. I was simply taken aback by the sheer class of this place. Both the exteriors and interiors have been so tastefully designed that you just can't but marvel about the opulence glittering right across you. The picturesque setup and the different palate of colors esp. their signature Turquoise blue make it look so cool , chic , urban , quirky and delightfully appealing. This Hi-fi restaurant is totally designed to excellence and the place sure stakes claim for being perhaps the most good looking restaurant in town . The ambience is superlative and needs to be experienced to be believed.

Speaking about all the good looks , you wonder whether the food quotient will be able to match up to the class of the decor. This place primarily focuses on the culinary delicacies from the North of India. Started off on our foodie journey by having a Nariyal Aur Subz shorba which was a watery coconut soup with veggies mostly comprising of smudged pieces of cottage cheese. It was light on the tummy and felt like having rasam.

Coming to the starters and this being a predominantly Tandoori restaurant you sure were going to have a veritable Paneer affair on the cards. It is one thing which never fails to excite me and seeing copious offerings of it on the menu with different names decided to ask the waiter to help in choosing and the suggestion was Lucknowi Paneer Paraath. They were just 4 pieces but large in size and jawdropping in taste. They were succulently soft and marshmellowy mellow and you could literally feel them melting juicily into the mouth. It was also pretty unique as it was coated on top with a masala which looked like a layer of omelette , but whatever it was surely didn't let any stones unturned and was delightfully salivating. The non veg starters ordered met with a kind of mixed response.

For the main course , decided to go only with Indian Bread and ordered Naan , Chilli cheese Kulcha , Hare Pyaaz Kulcha. The kulcha's especially were soft and fluffy and loaded inside judiciously with the relevant toppings. It sure was intriguing and felt as if they could do justice on their own without any side dish.

However we did order couple of gravies , one being the Dum Ke Kali Dal and the Tarkari Masaledar. The Black Dal was good but the zing was missing somewhere and it wasn't as creamy as some of the Makhani's i've had elsewhere. The Masala gravy was pretty nice with an amalgam of veggies comprising Aloo , Gobi , Paneer , Capsicum , Peas etc.

Ended our dinner sojourn by having a Paper baked chocolate pudding. I envisaged this dessert in some way but the resultant was something else. It was basically fudged chocolate cake in one strata with vanilla ice cream on another and chocolate sauce to dip in a small bowl. The ice cream to accompany the cake was quite too little and nothing much to write home about on this one.

Overall had a mixed experience on the foodie side with some items standing out and some bordering on the decent category. In relative terms with the ambience factor , the food part has some catching up to do. The service was ok but the refilling of water and the add-ons could have been a wee bit quicker. The rates are on the high side but justified considering the location and the resplendent setting.

Nungambakkam is home to some of the finest dine outs and can boast of being the Numero Uno in the food circle of Chennai. With Bombay Brasserie , its reputation just got elevated a notch further up the ladder.

Saturday, August 30, 2014

An evening with Jalpaan!

After hearing all the rave reviews , a visit to Jalpaan was always on the cards. Having heard that they had opened their new outlet closer to home at Adyar , was all the more looking to seize the opportunity to dine at this place and finally the transition from 'Wishlist' to 'Been there list' was complete as I headed here for dinner on a Saturday evening.

It is located in Sardar Patel Road in the complex that also houses GRT Jewellers. It is on the 3rd floor and as you peekaboo from below , it looks like a pretty small place but on actually entering you find that it is very spacious and can accomodate quite a large bunch of customers. There is a lot of brownness converging the surroundings with Brown seats and surfaces. In between the walls are square lit yellow coverings and the roofs are smeared with an array of small bright lights sparkling over. It gives you that mild Punjabi feel and flavour.

The plates and glasses were covered with silver coating and the menu was in the form of a thick binded album book running across quite a few pages comprising mainly of Tandoori and Italian food. We started our foray with the Big Nachos which had large thin slices of the Tortilla chips garnished on the side with an amalgam of exotic veggies. It was deceptive in appearance as when you unveil the bottom portion of the chips you find a luxurious spread of Red kidney beans with cheese topping. It was very heavy and totally relishing. Wanted to try one of their chats and the Karara Palak chat looked interesting. It was like a Dahi Puri chaat with Fried spinach pieces replacing the Puris and sprinkled with the curd and the desired sweet and spices. It was different and kudos for the experimentation.

The next in line was the much awaited Paneer Tikka. In many restaurants , the taste of Paneer seems to have a big weightage in rating the overall portfolio of the cuisine and as an evergreen lover of this sinful delicacy my curiosity and temptation was pretty high. And it perfectly lived up to the billing by being superlative. Had the SARSONWALA PANEER which were marinated in yoghurt paste tossed up with herbs and spices. It was spongy soft and it was an experience slicing and dicing the yellow square and seeing it melt waftly in the mouth :)

For the main course had a Naan , Paneer Kulcha and Jalpaan Dal. The Indian Bread was fluffy and well made and their signature Dal Makhani was out of the world. The lentils were simmering over the delightful gravy giving the perfect feel to the taste buds. Easily one of the best Black Dals i have ever had. Also had a Boondi Raita for additional company which was decent with a slight tinge of masala. Rounded off dinner by having one of their mocktails "Pink Panther" flavoured with a dash of strawberry , pineapple , almond and hazelnut blended with cream and it was absolutely delightful and a perfect signal to end a very satisfying meal.

The pricing is par for the course and the service was pretty quick barring the regular refilling of water which could have been more prompt. The ambience is pretty neat but still a little way off from being exceptional. But the most important part the food is scrumptious and that's what holds the key. All in all looks like another epicurean success story. For me personally , another welcome addition to the list of good restaurants to dine out in the city thus further widening the radar :).

Monday, July 28, 2014

Remembering the melody King V Kumar!

V Kumar was an excellent composer whose melodies continue to hold stead even today. Most of his tunes are embellished with such a fine melody structure and the nonchalant way in which he has played with the swaras in his compositions are such a delight.

The mellifluous melody "Unnidam Mayanguguren" rendered by KJ Yesudas with the scintillating piano run-ins is haunting to this day , still remember how captivated I was listening to the arresting tune of "Oru Naal Yaaro" for the first time , the hilariously tuned Tam Brahm dialect based song "Aduthatha Ambujathai Paarthela" is so much fun and always brings a smile and what can one say about his other beautiful compositions such as "Punnagai Mannan Poovizhi Kannan" , "Oraayiram Karpanai" , "Kathodu Naan Paaduven" , "Vaazhvil Sowbagiyam" , "Sapthaswaram Punnagayil" , "Madhanorchavam Rathiyoduthaan" , "Naan Unnai Vaazhtthi Paadugiren" etc which have truly stood the test of time. Many of K Balachander's movies are adorned with musical gems thanks to this man.

Remembering the melody king Mr V Kumar on his birth anniversary !!

Unnidam Mayangugiren - Then Sindhudhe Vaanam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc1v6uBKtKs

Oru Naal Yaaro - Major Chandrakanth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFHqu24QevA

Aduthathu Ambujatha Paathela - Edhir Neechal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gfOuldRWzU

A nice playlist comprising some of V Kumar's best compositions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNFckaXXUwE&list=PL5CAKqOYehDv0x_aUviFfzcyR_FFPwtfz

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Mahela's SSC Love Affair!

The love affair between Mahela Jayawardene and SSC just simply refuses to stop brewing.
It is almost like an unwritten rule that Mahela has to always score a truckload of runs each and every time he goes on to bat on this feather-bed of a track tailor-made just for him to keep making centuries.

The eye-popping hegemonic 11 centuries at the SSC apart , it has been a truly defining test career for Sri Lanka's Mr Silken Touch. Over 11 and a half thousand runs , highest ever test score of 374 by a right handed batsman , highest ever partnership of 624 runs with his buddy Sangakkara , 34 test centuries equalling the likes of legends like Sunny and Lara.

The caressing drive through the covers , the finessely timed late cut and the clinicality of his inside out shot will always hold a special place in the hearts of cricket lovers. When Mahela is on song its truly a sight to behold. We will truly miss you.

Monday, July 21, 2014

The 28 year special syndrome!

28 years after Kapil Dev won the world cup in 1983, Mahendra Dhoni does the same in 2011.
And now 28 years after Kapil took India to victory in the Lords test in 1986, Dhoni follows the same path by taking India to a famous win in 2014.

Whether you are an average cricket fan or connoisseur or a cricketer toiling his sweat out in the field , nothing can beat the satisfaction and happiness of a compelling hard fought test victory and if it happens overseas it just makes it all the more sweeter and memorable and when it happens in the historic so called Mecca of cricket 'Lords' , it just makes the occasion more so very extra special and momentous.

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Remembering 24 years of Anjali (1990)

Anjali is a special film in many ways. An emotional tearjerker showcasing the plight of a family dealing with a special child. The subtleties, poignancy and undercurrent prevailing are all wonderfully captured on Motion Picture. And the way it portrayed the community/colony style of living makes every child growing up in the 80's and 90's to really connect with the movie.

Above all it is the music which gives life to the scenes. The title music leaves a lump in your throat and is so powerful to even move a precipice, the end score shatters and breaks your heart into smithereens and all the pieces which come in between are so precisionly scored and timed elevating the movie viewing experience to another level. A masterpiece of a re-recording worth celebrating for eons, listen to the full Background score and relive the experience of the magical force behind this motion picture.

Remembering 24 years of Anjali which released on 12th July 1990!

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Unthinkable 10 Year Tennis Hegemony on Clay and Grass

From 2005 to 2014 barring the 2013 Wimbledon final alone , either Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal have been part of every single French Open and Wimbledon final contested in the last 10 years.

Beat that which accounts to a staggering 19 of a possible 20 Grand Slam Finals *_* out of which they themselves have contested in 7 of these Grand Finales.
This is something more than just domination , hegemony , ruthlessness and legendryness.

Hats off to Rafa and Fedex !! _^_

Monday, July 7, 2014

Disappointment of a Federer Wimbledon Defeat

So disappointed that Federer lost. As a young kid , was so fascinated reading the name William Renshaw all over the winners list, then personally saw the best of Sampras and was witness to him equal the record set of Renshaw by winning 7 wimbledon's.

And now when I hoped that Roger Federer will do the impossible by winning his 8th Wimbledon , he falls agonisingly short in a humdinger of a 5 setter. I know serving first always helps in a decider but after the way you fought back in the 4th and the way you started in the 5th by winning your initial games to love, really can't accept nor digest this defeat.

However well played Djokovic, it will do you a world of good for defeating the greatest grass court player ever in a wimbledon final and also in the process get the mickey off your back which has clung on to you in your last 3 slam finals.

As a lover of statistics and a fan of Federer, a tinge of disappointment remains but thanks for the breathtaking entertainment provided on thy hallowed turf of grass at Wimbledon.