My parents think pizza is some freak food. When I was young, my mother used to take stale bread, put leftover vegetables or curry on it and leave it on the tawa for a while. On the days we were served that as breakfast, we knew something had gone terribly wrong. May be, she is unwell, she woke up late, someone skipped dinner so there is too much leftover food – it was never good news. Pizzas reminded her of those desperate mornings. My father…Continue Reading “Amici – Defence Colony”
In one my earlier rants about why all bloggers should go on a strike, I had mentioned how most bloggers are ready to work for food and why every blogger should go on a strike. I was ashamed of the fact at that time. Now, it sounds like a motto I can live by. Few days back, I got the lonely perk of being a reviewer on Zomato – an invitation to one of their meet ups. The event was to be held at Pirates…Continue Reading “Pirates of the Grill – Zomato Meet Up”
Old cities are like celebrities. You form a thousand preconceived notions about them even before meeting them. Sometimes, they are flattering, most of the times, not. For instance, I am a reluctant explorer when it comes to these relic towns. Though I have taken a thousand walks in Old Delhi, I love sitting around Connaught Place more. In spite of being amazed by the crowds and the 24/7 life of Cuttack, I have always preferred the orderliness of Bhubaneswar better. So, I was not exactly…Continue Reading “Hazratganj, Lucknow (I)”
I don’t like reward programs. They remind me of giving up my bachelorhood. They are all about giving up the freedom and being tied up. There was a time when having a Shoppers Stop loyalty card seemed like an achievement. I kept one for three years and earned myself a pair of socks at the end of it. There were clear reasons why it didn’t work for me. One of them being that the card was store specific. And, Shoppers Stop was not alone. I…Continue Reading “MoMark Rewards APP & what mobile based loyalty programs are”
For good or bad, we all are a few “types”. We are either the Allen Solly or the Fab India type, the slip or the lace shoe type, the restro bar or the family restaurant type… there can be a zillion more. I am not the Indian thali in a faux ethnic setting type. I never went to Chokhi Dhani despite being to Jaipur so many times. I strictly avoid the Rajasthan stall at Delhi Haat and all other such made up places. What if…Continue Reading “Rajdhani Thali Restaurant – Saket & CP”
UPDATED REVIEW – 10th FEBRUARY, 2017 I ordered a study table their last year which went well. Then I ordered a set of glasses and this sofa in January. They sent a wrong set of glasses, I returned it, they said they ran out of those glasses, I asked for refund, they refused a refund because they had the glasses back in stock, I said ok, they sent wrong glasses again, refused to pick up and after a month I got them to pick them…Continue Reading “My experience with online shopping: Fabfurnish Review”
Eons back, when I was studying at Delhi University, I had been to the Karim’s at Kamla Nagar. The memory is distant and faded. Apart from that, I have been to any of their branches. Whenever I craved meat, I will join a few friends and take the long road down to the original near Jama Masjid. But when a branch opened a stone’s throw away from my house, I had to do the honours. This time I was accompanied by a friend’s father who…Continue Reading “Karim’s, Lajpat Nagar”
Born close to the beach, I always had a weak spot for the hills. When the whole of Delhi migrates to Goa or Jaipur during the winters, I race to the hills. When the city heads to Kerala during the monsoon, I sneak into the hill stations to see the droplets from up close, to listen to the mighty waterfalls and to dip my feet into the streams and go to sleep. Recently, a friend bought a flat in Rishikesh. It was not just fully…Continue Reading “A house in the hills”
Apple does not make lower end phones. Maruti does not make luxury cars. There is overwhelming marketing logic why brands stick to their target segments. So, when we saw Bikanervala fine dining, our first reaction was to laugh and the second one was of sympathy. Food business is extremely image conscious and this Indian fast food chain is known for self service, simplistic interiors and reasonably priced food. In fact, there is no precedent for any other Indian chain having transformed and upgraded under the…Continue Reading “Bikanervala Bliss – Fine Dining in Rajouri Garden”
Flipkart is now a marketplace. Just like Snapdeal. And, Infibeam. And, eBay. But is everything same as before? No. Quite a few things remain the same and a few others change when an ecommerce portal turns into a marketplace. You can see my earlier review of Flipkart, if you want to now why they were so good. First, now Flipkart does not control the products that will be sold on the website. So, each product does not go through the selection process that it earlier…Continue Reading “My experience with online shopping: Review of sellers on Flipkart”
During my twelve years in Delhi, I have been to the CR Park durga puja only three years. It is that tough. The traffic is bad. The queues to see the pandals are the longest. The food is expensive. There is never any parking and when you come back to your car, people would have parked around in a circle. Last few years, we braved the crowds and made the mandatory trip. This time, we were smarter. We went there only after midnight. Most of…Continue Reading “Durga Puja Pandal, CR Park”
I am the worst guy to write about South Indian food. It’s like asking a teenager to write a critical review of the Twilight series. I would rather write hymns and sing bhakti sangeet about dosa and rasam than write a review. Part of the reason why, even after frequenting almost all the South Indian places in Delhi, I have never written about them. Oh wait, I have written about one – the South Indian stall at Jantar Mantar. DiscIosure: I am not from South…Continue Reading “Sarvana Bhavan, Connaught Place ( CP )”
I was never interested in politics. It’s a dirty business. One vote won’t make a difference. Saare chor hain…the sense of dismissal was absolute. But I am looking forward to the coming election. There is only one explanation – I have grown up and matured. No matter how powerful the urge to refrain from this politics business, elections are important. You are not being asked to clean public toilets, teach slum kids, start a foundation or adopt a child. Definitely, voting is the most convenient…Continue Reading “So, who are you voting for this time?”
Do you know why godmen around the country are going berserk? It seems that the task they have been assigned is too much for the 33 crore gods in Hindu religion – to keep you from pulling out your lulu and spraying holy water. Translation: Urinating here is prohibited. The diverse uses of Gods that we have found is unparalleled in the world. We have been hanging them on doors for profit, leaving them by the roadside for donations etc etc. But to keep men…Continue Reading “Stop peeing, for god’s sake”
I am not a big fan of chhole kulche. The number of times I had it in life can be counted on the fingers of a single hand. What’s the deal with a bland mashed peas and blander bread? I don’t think the dish will survive without the mandatory garnishing of lime juice, tomato and onions. During the last few days, I have had it at Bikanervala, Haldiram’s and at a street stall. A sign that I am hanging out with totally the wrong set…Continue Reading “Chole Kulche, Miranda House”
I know what you are thinking. When you see a beautiful woman, you think it’s too much make up. You see a great photo, and you think instagram or photoshop. Now, let me tell you, you skeptic scumbag, these photos have not been airbrushed, nor have they ever seen a software from inside. They are taken from an aeroplane and here they are, from the memory card of Kaptaan Siddhartha to your computer. The way this conversation is going, let’s not talk anymore. Monsoon skies…Continue Reading “Monsoon Sky – The kind you have not seen before”
As it happens, India’s hill stations have never been a part of the country. Culinarily speaking, that is. Mussorie has amazing Chinese food, though it serves overwhelming Punjabi cuisine too. Macleodganj is a heaven for Israeli and Italian. Shimla has fish and chips and English breakfasts. Darjeeling, many say, has the best of Tibetan food. The higher the hills, better the food. Unless, you are on a religious circuit like Kedarnath, Badrinath, you can eat interestingly diverse and good food. I avoid travelling to religious…Continue Reading “Devraj Coffee Corner a.k.a The German Bakery, Rishikesh”