A Fantabulous New Year Beginning..

The long awaited 20-10(as ppl call it) has arrived and brought in a lot of new stuffs that i experienced for the very first time in my life. I know its a little late to write but the new year bash was celebrated and carried over to the whole of the weekend. The first feeling of excitement and happiness came in when the new year brought in a continuous stretch of holidays for three days. On 31st night the pre new year welcome was started by setting fire on the dance floor by people of all ages at the Karnataka State Cricket Association Club. Dancing for 3 hours nonstop was a hell lot of experience to actually be lost into the celebrations. There was like no stopping to the fun and frolic.

The New year began with happiness of being satisfied to achieve and enjoy lot of new stuffs. With the exploration of new restaurants came in tatsing the flavors at Chowka in Indiranagar. A restaurant which serves Rajasthani meal with the real feel as the ambience and the clothes of the waiters are similar to ones wore in Rajasthan. A sumptous meal and taste that fills one to their hearts content. The thali contains dal baati, roti, sabzi, dahi chaat etc. All spices and flavors come authentically as per Rajasthani taste.




Saturday brought in more element of surprise to the place visited. Barbeque Nation in Indiranagar. Its an exquisite and exotic place for a variety of starters that are grilled on the table and one can enjoy them served hot. The restaurant is in-house and also rooftop. Sitting on the rooftop added to the excitement. The starters keep getting served unless the flag beside on the table is put down. The starters are followed by an unlimited buffet. With great starters to healthy starters, north indian main course and side dishes to tempting and delicious desserts including fruits, ice cream, sweet, pastry and mousse, its a complete enriching experience and worth every penny you spend to enjoy the food with the service and ambience matching the high standards.

Sunday came closer with shopping around at Oasis Mall in Koramangala followed by lunch at Mast Kalandar( about which I had written earlier- http://anjubafna.blogspot.com/2009/11/foodie-weekend.html) A long wait and serching around made us land at this restaurant as places where buzzing with people at all places. A Halka phulka meal as a perfect north indian really would crave one to visit this place again. The weekend ended on a perfect note by watching '3 Idiots'. Its a movie which would entertain nonstop with every scene coming in with a thought to ponder over and inspiring to change the way the education system operates and to encourage one to study and become what he/she aspires.

The great new year celebration with the never-done-before activities really makes it most memorable and a cherishing one. Wishing for such a happening life all throughout the year.

New year wishes with a twist

This is one of the e-mail I received as part of the new year wishes. An interesting one with a REAL twist. Hope u enjoy reading it too.

For all those I've made promises to and never kept - it was not deliberate but I will "improve" in 2010.

• For those that have supported me and made me smile through all my hardships...I salute you! halaala.

• For those I've disagreed with, argued with and just never got along with......well, I'm Sorry!!!!!!! Let's try again next year.

• Those that I've hurt.....unintentionally/intentionally....I've already apologized "I'm Sorry" again...

• For those that stuck a knife in my back the past is all forgotten.... forgiveness is the best revenge Maybe!!!

• For those that have let me down.....oh well.... I should have known better

• All the true friends that I have: you Rock!!..Awesome!

• Congratulations to all the new mommies & fathers, newly weds etc..., no funerals please guys

But all in all, you guys have made 2009 a great year; I wish you and your loved ones prosperity, good health, wealth, happiness, greener pastures, abundant blessings,

• And Oh!! a wonderful festive season.

May 2010 be the year you achieve wonderful things in God's guidance and strength.

May God Be With You.........Be Blessed!!!!!!!

Southern Taste Bud(die)s

The time is moving on with exploration of various flavors across the food points in Bangalore. The new venture this time was to taste the traditional southern flavors at the most reputed and visited place for the meals. MTR(Mavalli Tiffin Rooms) is a must visit to enjoy the various southern spices within a meal. Starting with few starters to the main course everything comes unlimited with the price paid. Though on a little expensive side its really worth the pay for the various dishes served on the platter(on the banana leaf of course!!). A walk to remember took place at the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens before we could enjoy the meal, as being really excited that we reached an hour earlier before they could open up. A heavy meal that lingers all your taste buds is the true experience gained from here.

Another rich experience of the same flavor came in the same week at MTR Maiya's which is a more sophisticated place for a meal. A long wait for around an hour was even agreed to eat at that place looking at the crowd even on a weekday as holidays had approached and nevertheless people are big foodie out here. A clean hygienic place with ordinary and special meals both serving unlimited dishes, just that the latter added a few more dishes. A meal could keep one filled for whole day and feel contended to eat at a great place.

Initially having thought as MTR Vs Maiya's but finally I realize that both places are exquisite in their own ways. Visiting these places really makes one crave for the real southern taste buds.

When things just dont go our way!!

Every new day in our lives bring in a new challenge to face up n live to the best of it. How diffcult it is to be calm ansd normal at these times. Most of the times we lose out our temper and feel being at the end of reaching what we aspire for. Its a natural human tendency to lose out hope at times when we are stressed out giving numerous try and not being able to achieve it within the prescribed time limit.

One such experience happened for getting a L.L.R for driving a four wheeler. With great efforts one reaches out to the driving school, submits required documents, thinking all done, and there emerges one hitch after the other, specifying this is not available etc. Rushing through for arranging one more document to running to the R.T.O to get it duly registered and taking up the test (keeping in mind that the R.T.O is open for such only for two hours). Here is when a gap is created between in what we percieve and what we expect.

At the end of it, when things finally fall in place we realize the various hardships that we face. But in the due course we forget to realize that their were lots of other minds and hands that played a signifiacnat role in helping us get what we wanted. Hence its essential that we control our temper and analyse how the process goes on, and if there are deviations that occur and not going as per our way, we should try to foresee those aspects ahead of steeping into it. Having control on one's self will help us determine our aspirations in a more significant manner.

Foodie Weekend

Exams taking a toll the last week and long unending hours of study and less sleep, called for a great celebration this weekend to mark the end of it and getting back in to the exploration of Bangalore.
With the exams ending on saturday, it really meant that a great lunch would indeed make it special to start off. For this special lunch i landed up in a great northern cuisine style place called Mast Kalandar at Brigade Road.

Mast kalandar is set up on the roof top with cool breeze making u still temptingly wait for the hot and delicious flavor of the northern spices added to the food. It has limited set of items, but such that fulfills everyone's desire and the taste. With a range of combos consisting of Rajasthani rotis and sabzi, to pure north indian food to the biriyani platter, it makes the meal not only enjoying but also colorful. With a starter such a dahi puri and a welcome drink of Shikanji (Lime juice), which is the basic drink that one could ask for, still makes it the best. A full meal with essential requirements well made, hygienic conditions and great ambience is a definite place to visit with friends and family. For details visit http://bangalore.hungryzone.com/index.php/restaurant/Mast-Kalandar-Church-Street/5139/North-Indian-Food-in-Combos/church-street

Sunday marked the start from the movie Kurbaan and then the flavor of South Indian meal for lunch to linger on the tongue. With a desperate wish to eat the south indian meals, a place called Krishna Cafe attracted us. Its placed in Koramangala, a place with buzz and usual humming around. Its a very usual set up of a restaurant, served rice and other varients like poriyal, sambar, vada, applam, payasam, curd, buttermilk etc. on the banana leaf and u can keep asking for more and more to satisfy your hunger till u end up finging no place to put in another bite at very reasonable price. good quality food and efficient service from the staff states its uniqueness.

Evening was more delighting with dinner at an exquisite restaurant 'Jalpaan'. Situated opposite to Nethradhama, kanakpura road, it establishes itself on the higher end. Expensive on the whole it serves a range of north indian dishes which makes us think as to how to go on with ordering the food, but ends up in a great taste. Being Sunday and huge crowds at the hotel makes people wait for atleast an hour, which really makes lose patience if accompanied with children and huge storm of hunger in each one's stomach knocking for food. The service was slow, but the feel good factor was added by the receptionist who kept smiling though people kept raging their fire on her. Well thats what they claim to stand for- Service with a smile. With a little more improvement in the efficiency of the staff, it would make it more of happy experience than just a ere visit.

Firangi Paani/ Sahib Sindh Sultan

With an ongoing journey to explore all places in and around Bangalore, I landed up at a finest restaurant named Sahib Sindh Sultan at the Forum Mall in Bangalore. With its exceptional and mind dangling ambience and the great artistic touch given to the shades of the place, it really soothes each one's soul. It gives the feel of the perfect romantic atmosphere to spend best time with your loved ones.

Set up with the look and remembrance around the time when the sultans ruled over India, the restaurant by the BJN group, is designed in such a way that one would feel having reached to those times. Each customer is treated being like a sultan with the grace and pleasant meal served on. From the clothes designed for the waiters and manager, who actually has worn a uniform of a security personnel, the music of olden times, the tone of engines heard every now and then, to the specially designed coach. It would really amaze one as to how much of artistic work has gone into designing such a restaurant.

The food served is another unique feature or one can call it their USP. With a complimentary stater in the form of soup sticks and tempting side dishes would make one take a guess instantly as to how the entire course of meal would be. The names of the dishes themselves portray how royal and rich them seem to be. Their welcome drinks include rich flavors of saffron and sandalwood. Th quantity served is proportionate to the huge hunger one would carry to this place. Each bite would make one feel the real taste of the spices and varieties that the Sultans enjoyed as a part of their everyday meal. With such a good ambience around, one would feel like asking for a minute more, any number of times before leaving this place.

A very special moment celebrated here would add more happiness and memories is definitely certified. The smiles carried on by each of the staff member makes it still more pleasant and alluring. A little on the expensive side, but a place that offers one so many things under one roof is definitely worth the pay. A place must to visit when in Bangalore.
For more details you can visit http://bangalore.hungryzone.com/index.php/restaurant/Sahib-Sindh-Sultan/16/North-Indian/koramangala

Shopaholics

A mystery lingers around my mind when the very nature of shopaholics surrounds my thoughts. Shopaholics in general are considered people who have enormous time and hard currency(both notes and plastic card considered) to spend around satisfying all their needs, actually above their needs at any particular time. When such people do not mind spending money for all the essential( which only they consider to be), why dont they spend on things which are truly essential considered by the total mass.

Here are a few facts which lead me to think about this:

• Shopaholics spent huge amounts on clothes, accessories( for their mobiles too) but they always have only single digit balance in their mobile phones.
• These people roam around to various places in bus, not willing to spend for the auto fare.
• These people spend thousands of rupees for a branded stuff, but bargain for every rupee at a local store.
  

These are just few of the instances noted by me. I wonder how people cannot afford to recharge their mobiles which costs way less than their single showroom purchase bills. All of u reading this blog could definitely help in resolving this mystery.