Tag: ITC

Kolkata – Durga Puja Festival!

Four Years ago… The First time we visited Kolkata for a Bengali wedding….In the heart of kolkata Park Street. We spent two days doing the most obvious kolkata things… Having the Kolkata Paan, Puchka and visiting the tourist attraction like Victoria museum besides attending the Punjabi- Bengali wedding… we visited Flurys one of the oldest Cafes in Kolkata almost 100 years old today.
To visiting a Chinese restaurant and having Indian Chinese since … Hakka Noodles we’re first discovered here in Kolkata. We also had the Rolls from Kusum .. Kolkata is popularly known for their Rolls!
While we had meals! How could we miss out on the desserts… Misthi Doi from Balaram Mullick one of the oldest sweet shop now has multiple outlets across kolkata. To having the Nolen Gur Ice cream & Paan ice cream from Pabrai to enjoying an Bengali-French meal at 6th Ballygunge restaurant.
Four years later…
We tried most of these things again … But visited places that we had missed Peter Cat & Mocambo known for their Chelo Kebab & Crab meat In Mustard Sauce & Pork Nuggets Both of these places are owned by the same owners, have same interiors but both offer a different menu… Besides the regular meal break we took.. we visited the Roastery House Cafe in Hindustan Park… A cafe done in an old bungalow with mustard colour walls and simple interiors.. Any place we visited Kolkata without booking we had a waiting for about forty minutes… but, Wait!
We did not just Eat & Sleep.
We also attended grand Bengali ceremony Durga Puja! One day we toured across the city visiting Durga Puja Pandal, that were beautifully designed keeping a theme & idea behind and with such creativity and deadlines…From Library, to the lockdown life to Football & Bollywood were some of the pandal we visited.
You keep wondering why isn’t Kolkata visited by Tourist or why don’t people from other states come here!! And why don’t travel magazines promote Kolkata as a destination… why just Rajasthan, Goa, Mumbai and Bangalore?
The visit couldn’t be more kolkata, when we met the Superstar of Bengali Cinema Parambrata Chatterjee who is a very popular face in Bengali Cinema and someone who acted in a Bollywood movie Kahaani! The film made me first want to visit Kolkata….

So Yes! I believe I have been lucky to have seen Kolkata like a local both times!!

Durga puja Pandal

Coffee From India #Kaffeécino #2

Always had a capsule coffee machine at your place and ran out of the Nespresso capsules?
There are a couple of options available. 
Vero Coffee: 
Besides, eating Indian chocolates. I also ended up having a lot of Indian coffee. Having got a Nespresso capsules machine and ran out of capsules. I looked for options and found Vero coffee as the best bet. With variety such as Malabar coffee, Irish Coffee and Arabica coffee. Vero was a surprise package and in all, they have 13 flavours to choose from. Starting from ₹390 for a pack of ten capsules 
Bonhomia Coffee:    This pandemic also allowed me to try another capsule coffee where it’s very economical compared to Nespresso capsules and flavours too are the same as Nespresso, but the highlight they also offer Green Tea & Black Tea for tea lovers and the only tea capsule that are available In India. So both The Tea & Coffee drinkers can enjoy themselves. Bonhomia also has its coffee machines that are worth investing.The pricing too is very economical and the quality is great too. ₹1500 for a pack of thirty capsules 

Instant Coffee:

Rage: An instant Ethiopian Coffee served in a test tube is a brand from Delhi that’s also the first plant-based Coffee in the world and I had been itching to try this one, even though I am not a fan of instant coffees and Rage has been one of the coffee that is Good! 
Roasted Coffee:
Bru Filter Coffee: 
After I ran out of my Italian grounded coffee. I  Tasted the Bru Filter roasted Coffee and it was just like South Indian filter coffee Dark & Strong and is very easily available and well priced 
Sunbean ITC Gourmet Coffee:
ITC has been a huge surprise for me when it comes to the Fabelle chocolates, The Coffee as it’s not easy to associate a company that has been known for Sunfeast Dark Fantasy Biscuits in the FMGC category and otherwise have been identified as a toboacco and hospitality company. 
The Packaging of the product to the taste of the coffee it is one Indian company that’s worth trusting. And having just two options of grounded coffee available one that’s made in the hills of the south and the other one inspired by southern America both the packing have a motif that’s are significant of the coffee region.

Speciality Grounded Coffee:

Cohoma Coffee Company: 
For the longest time I thought it was an international brand the typography used for their brand name and the combinations offered with the beautiful black packaging with a coloured design on the bottles as well as the Tin boxes. This couldn’t have been India and when I googled the country of origin for this there it was an  Indian brand.
This coffee is very bitter in taste and isn’t everyone’s cup of Coffee and those who like their coffee very strong will enjoy it.  
Araku: it’s not every day you hear about coffee that’s more popular in Europe than in India for the packing and for the flavours it has to offer. Araku isn’t necessarily strong or dark coffee but is mild with interesting coffee notes like peppers, Red fruit and dark chocolate that’s the signature collection to the toffee, Dark chocolate and sugarcane been the selection collection and many more collections to offer. They also have capsule coffee and a wider range for the European market that isn’t available in India Yet. 
Araku should be on your list to try… 
Third Wave Roasters: A speciality coffee place from Bangalore! That I had been reading a lot about and so when I was looking to try something different I tried their signature south Indian Filter Blend and it tasted and reminded you of the strong, Dark South Indian coffee. Third Wave Roaster also has cafes in Pune & Hyderabad besides Bangalore if you would like to visit them or you can order them from Amazon!  
The packing of Third Wave Roaster reminded me of Blue Bottle the USA coffee Chain that offer an interesting range of coffee flavours and the simplicity of the design in packing. 
Subko: While reading a  digital magazines publication issue! I came across this cafe in Mumbai! Though they were supposed to open in March! The lockdown forced them to keep shut! And a few months later they opened in Bandra. I haven’t been to the cafe yet! As I am not in Mumbai anymore…
But, that did not stop me from trying out their roast by ordering them from their website. They have a range of roast right from Meghalaya to the southern estate. 
The packaging and the taste of coffee are well balanced. I ordered the Woodway estate that has flavours of Carmel, Dates and cocoa a good coffee option if you are looking for something that’s not sweet but also slightly dark. 
KC Roaster- Marahulla Grounded Coffee : 
Home became the new destination. I had just ordered Pour-over Coffee equipment. 
It’s like having drip Coffee, that’s known as V60 as it’s a 60-degree angle in a v shape where you need to add filter paper and have a carafe below for the coffee to drip down. So to enjoy this I ordered grounded coffee from one of my favourite cafes in Mumbai.
And having already enjoyed all Indian homegrown coffee & chocolates. This has been one of the smoothest coffees with notes of Cocoa & Caramel. 
Kelagur washed was another good smooth coffee that was not too strong even though it’s said to be an ultra Dark Roast 
but had the taste of dark chocolate and a little buttery. You should try these two from KC Roaster. 

A Year Made In India -Chocolates #1


The Indian Chocolate and coffee experience this year has been a good surprise especially when you don’t have the options of going out at all. 
Amul chocolates :
Dark chocolates, it wasn’t easy to find good dark chocolates as such in India. 
And when you have run out of your Lindt dark chocolate stock, And aren’t going to be travelling until things settle,  imports to aren’t coming by easily. You have to look out for options. And Amul dark chocolate was the only option I had in my city. Yes, I have had mason & Co and Fidler & Frank in the past. two of the finest dark chocolates I have eaten. But unfortunately, they aren’t available in my city, and I am a little hesitant to order them online. Amul chocolate became my saviour. It’s got the perfect balance of sweetness and bitterness. And if you haven’t tried it yet. 
You are underestimating one of the best Indian Brands that have flavours like Mocha, Orange, Hazelnut and single-origin flavours from Venezuela, Peru, India 
₹100 onwards for each bar of chocolate 
All Things Chocolate:  I am not sure! How many of you have even heard about this? These chocolates were divine! The combination and the feel of the packaging make you wonder are these truly from & Made in India, Jaipur These chocolates were so good! That we made a special visit to the Clove store in Mumbai to pick them up. 
₹180 onwards for each bar of chocolate 
La folie: One of my favourite cafe in Mumbai, Bandra and when you hear they also have chocolate you want to try the dark chocolate. But with jaggery replaced instead of white sugar, this chocolate wasn’t tasting like chocolate though… ₹250 for each bar of chocolate 
Soklet Chocolates:   Hadn’t known about this brand at all until I visited foodhall in Mumbai last year and discovered and tried it recently  The mint Nibs with dark chocolate and was slightly disappointed with the taste as it was more like honey after taste. ₹200 onwards for each bar of chocolates 
Dider & Frank:   If there is one of gourmet make in India Chocolate who’s whole range I have tried is this one right from the coffee, Orange and Mint chocolate all are very very good!! ₹300 for each bar of chocolate 
Mason & Co:  Bassed in Auroville, Tamil Nadu.A Chocolate that’s I first noticed at a cafe in Mumbai, The Pantry and a few later noticed it again Blue Tokai it was a few months later did I finally try the 70% Dark Chocolate and it was good! This was the first time I tried a gourmet Indian dark chocolate that has flavours like Mint in Dark Chocolate, Espresso dark chocolate and Coconut Dark Chocolate. ₹295 for each bar of chocolate. 
Fabelle: ITC ( Indian Tobacco Company) It is difficult to associate a Cigarette brand and hotel chain with Chocolates especially when you think of chocolate it’s always Cadbury. But, if you haven’t tried the range of Fabelle chocolates from ITC you certainly have missed trying out one of the most underrated chocolates that just melt in your mouth. There are chocolate bars as well tin gift boxes available from Fabelle. ₹450 for each bar of chocolate. 
Smoor Chocolate: A Cafe Brand from Bangalore that is known not only for their cafe but their chocolates too. I tried the cranberry Dark Chocolate and instantly loved the taste of the chocolate. Smoor since the last time I tried has a range of things to offers. Dark thins, Brittles and a whole new range of dark chocolate additions. 
₹300 onwards for each bar of chocolate. 

How many have you tried? And which one is your favourite?