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.

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 1981

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!

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.