Tag: Mumbai

Seriously an Adventurous Trip!

The moment we stepped into Della and walked into Parsi Dhaba for lunch,

The A.C wasn’t functioning properly.

We moved into another table and lunch was served, a few minutes later a living fly was found on my dad’s plate while he was eating Mutton Dhansak,

So the service staff, wondered what should be done, they got a fresh plate and little mutton dhansak without a mutton piece.

This was just the beginning, we walked into our rooms filled with dampness. No, we did not get an early check-in. This was normal check-in time. No Towels, Tap holder not present.

We did post a social media review, immediately the team asked to pull it off and informed us the team would resolve our issues.

We did go For the dinner too much talked about Villa Bistro and it would the highlight of our stay. We did not get any call or nobody met us.

Got a call at 11 pm, Sir You did not come for dinner today.

Breakfast: We asked for a Cappuccino. But the staff said we don’t serve it for breakfast. We did enjoy the Dosa, Eggs, Waffles and pancake with Nutella and Maple Syrup

And decide to explore the property a little more, during the day and we’re walking by the poolside, where I noticed the coffee machine set up and not just that, there were guests, who were enjoying latté and cappuccino because I peeped into their cup and noticed the frothy milk.

So then I decided to go get one for myself.

The Staff refused to give a cappuccino sighting it’s not functional. I could very well see the steam and the machine switched on.

Ok! That did not bother me, but while I was still around a cup of Hot Capuccino was requested by another guest and served to him. But not me, even I too was an In-house guest staying at Della.

Hair Dryer & Iron too were not functional

I have been disappointed and dissatisfied totally. If you can’t serve to the full capacity or handle the crowd. Limit it.

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. 

Some Thoughts Running on My Mind.

The Rain drizzling and fading away the view, making it blur for the eyes to see what comes across next.

In the midst of the joy! You look back and remember it was just summer now!

And now here monsoon has arrived.

The honking on the streets have subdued,

The rejection of not finding any public transport is dearly missed.

The argument over, not having any change and deciding who will forge the “change”

Every day was a new day! Yet every day some of the battles were same.

Whether it was what to order today

or whether it was were to begin today?

The frustrations and anxiety to explain the delivery boys the address was the same every day,

Google occasionally on some applications was stubborn to get it accurate.

Some Days – We ate out one meal where we looked at the menu to decide what to eat, unlike the struggle of making a menu every day at home for three meals.

While some filtered and cancelled

the outdoor sound with their earphones, Others got used to the terrific traffic sound that nearly deafened them until they reached their destinations.

The Bumper to Bumper traffic has been out of sight, yet is still in the mind.

The sound of the crowds at crowded places, the fight to squeeze yourself in and find a place is long forgotten.

The sound of the coffee machine pouring out some freshly brewed coffee with some eggs & desserts is occasionally remembered.

#LFW 2019 !

Lakme Fashion Week was something that I always wanted to experience to know why do people rave about it so much,And what happens in a fashion show. But,Then again I had to wait for a couple of years to witness #LFW.

At the entrance , outside they have photo opportunities with Branding all over, A cafe styled counter and everybody drinking and smoking and soaking in the light showers with an Ariel view of Mumbai. 8th Floor they had designers participating and showcasing their collection. These weren’t the one’s that were going to showcase their collection at the show. These were talented designers, Who were part of the most talked about fashion show. 45 minutes before the gates open to the auditorium, where the “Runway” Show will happen. We are all Queued up. The Queue was long, We are coming in .Moments later,We hear there is a slight delay, as the models aren’t ready.

We are literally Warming up ,by sweating it out waiting for the gates to open.

Gates open,Guest are making their way into the auditorium,As we reach the gates we are stopped. And Preferences to the Guest who have a designated seat number, make their way to the auditorium, We just hoped we shouldn’t be sent back home, If the auditorium is filled up to the capacity. Minutes later we make our way through the auditorium.Looking at the stage, the lights the people out there who have come to watch the show. And the whole ambience.

The Set, Was like a night at the Desert. With Metal Catus and bushes.

The Music began, The Models started making their way through and posing for the Paparazzi. The Collection was subtle and colourful by the designer. The designer was Kunal Rawal. Who’s one of the Men designers I admire for the collection and style. The style is normally Indian,Elegant and simple. The collection he showcased was known as Confluence. Right from Shirts, to jackets to pants all so simply stylish. In the End It was the best evening to attend the lake fashion show and that too of Kunal Rawal – who’s collection of classic Indian wear is the best in the business.

Russia!

The Moment we landed, and got off the aircraft, walking towards the passport control. We knew we had arrived and waiting for Russia & Russians to welcome us. 
At the passport control, the representative kept scanning the passport and kept looking at me, without my glasses, with my glasses and what seemed to bother him the most, I believe was my Red Yankees cap. It had been fifteen minutes both my parents were now cleared, It was only me from the family that was waiting to be cleared and I guess because it was my first visa on my new passport and that too a Russian, that bothered him way too much,I guess that he couldn’t find anything more suspicious besides my “Red Yankees” that he finally set me free. And that was my “Warm welcome to Russia” 
Moscow is the capital of Russia and is named after the river  Moscow and pronounced Moskva.
The city famous landmark includes the Redsquare -The name Red Square has nothing to do with communism but derives from the word “Krasnyi”, which meant “beautiful”.
St.Basil Cathedral that was made by Ivan the terrible one of the landmark that is recognized as Moscow. The story goes Ivan the Terrible blinded the architecture after he constructed the st. Basil Cathedral. Another interesting fact about the cathedral. It was painted white to match the colour of Kremlin, the word ‘kremlin’ is used to describe a castle or an important Russian fortified complex. But, in 1700 the colours were added. And since 1990 St.Basil Cathedral has been part of Unesco Heritage Site. Moscow’s sightseeing is all around the red square, making it accessible to walk around all the sights. 
The other beauty of this city and country lies deep down underground. “The Underground Metro station” is a sight in itself with the detailing in design to the colours and style of each metro station being different right from the ancient design to the modern design the metro stations are all worth visiting. 
The Escalator lye minimum 150ft deep to 300ft.
The St. Petersburg Admiralteyskaya metro is   2nd deepest in the world.
Russia as a country was even more challenging than Japan, As here they just couldn’t understand English one bit. 
It’s a fact there are around 11 million more women than men.
We used the local “Gett” App Uber for Russia and the drivers too couldn’t understand anything, we had to always stay stationed around hotels like Four season & St.Regis to have our drivers meet us. Else we would have been fleeced and literally being taken for a ride. Traffic in Moscow is so bad that wealthy Russians hire fake ambulances to beat the jams.
St.Petersburg after being in Moscow for the last five days, we travelled to st. Petersburg- Was once named Petrograd  ‘Peters’ city but in 1991 it was renamed to its original German name “Sankt-Peterburg” in English it’s pronounced “Saint Petersburg”, It’s also the  Cultural capital of Russia with a lot of Museum’s. 
 The hermitage museum is one of the world’s largest art museum. Where even if you spend a minute admiring each art piece, you will take eleven years to see the complete collection. 
50 cats are employed in the State Hermitage. To protect the items from rats and mice.
Saint Petersburg will remind you a lot “like Venice” “Budapest” a little like  “Prague” “Germany”  and “ Amsterdam” With the bridges and the water all around The Neva river and Fontanka River. The Kazan Cathedral is best viewed from Dom Knigi “House of Books” Singer Cafe. 
The Midnight cruise from one am to two forty am is the best way to see the city by night, you can see the drawing bridges not one but a couple of them. And enjoy the sunrise at three am.
Interesting Trivia about Russia:
  • It has more time zones (11) than any other country, but only nine are used now.
  • The first railway of Russia appeared in Petersburg
  • Christ the Saviour Construction of the temple lasted for almost 44 years: it was founded in 1839, and consecrated – in 1883. It’s a unique cathedral with a height of 103,5 meters, The temple is visible from any point of the city, its bell ringing was resounded far beyond Moscow. 
  • The Hotel Astoria in St.Petersburg is where Hitler planned to hold a huge celebratory banquet once he’d conquered the city
  • Writer Alexei Tolstoi gave the cellar its name as he and others looked for a cultural refuge in the city, saying “Why are we running around like stray dogs?” And the name stuck.“The idea of the cafe was to establish a place where young creative people, maybe not always well-known, could get together, talk to each other and become inspired to create something.”