Restaurant Review: Amaranta – The Oberoi (The Oberoi,Udyog Vihar, Gurgaon) – 4/5 Stars

This is a very underrated place. My first experience here was so memorable. It was the birth of my best friend’s twins and the couple was throwing a celebratory party. Amaranta is a breath of fresh air amongst the many many such that serve restaurants Sea Food. 

We were very happy to learn that the sea food is flown in fresh on a daily basis. The Oberoi hospitality is and has always been fantastic. 

The malabari paratha is one of my most favourite things but I wish they could have done it a little better. Pepper Prawns and the Andhra Fish Curry were both to good to believe. 

The decor is minimalistic yet fancy. Amaranta is an expensive place but it is worth every penny.

Restaurant Review: Hachi Ba (26, Saraswati Kunj, Golf Course Road, Gurgaon) – 3.5/5 Stars

I like restaurants who focus on food more than the decor. Hachi Ba is one such place. The decor isn’t too fancy and won’t wow you in any way. 

The service and the food are fantastic though. Everything on the menu looked interesting and we did not know what to order. I always think if you are confused just ask the staff what to get. I have always ended up satisfied when the staff has surprised me with their choices. 

We asked for recommendations and we finally went with Chicken Munchow soup, Chicken Momos, Hachi Ba Noodles and Shredded Lamb. My personal favourite was the Shredded Lamb. It was delectable. It is fun to hang out at Hachi Ba during winters. 

The wooden rustic tables are wonderful. I feel very comfortable dining at this restaurant. The food is good, service is nice and quick.

Restaurant Review: Gola Southend (9, Defence Colony Market, New Delhi) – 3/5 Stars

My partner finished work and asked me to pick her up at the Defence Colony Market. I was excited about going to the Defence Colony Market after such a long time. We had our very first date at Moet’s!



I don’t know if I took a wrong turn or it was due to excessive traffic but I was completely lost until I used my Sat Nav to reach the Defence Colony Market where she was waiting eagerly for me in a lovely pink dress. 

The first thing she said to me was: “I’m so hungry!” and I just said instantly, let’s get into the first restaurant we see and the first restaurant we both looked at together was Gola! 

The restaurant has two floors and isn’t crowded at all so couples get a lot of solitude here. The decor is so far away from special that it lingers close to the Government run canteens. What did we start with? We started with Golden Fried Prawns and Chicken Spring Rolls. 

I liked the prawns but the spring rolls were a huge disappointment. It was hard to understand why they seemed so soggy! What was next? Our main course consisted of Chicken Chooza, Murg Makhni and Hydrabadi Biryani. I have to admit I am never in my life going to order hydrabadi biryani because they just cannot make biryani like awadhi’s do! 

The sauce base for murg makhni was quite good but if you ask me the food reminded me of what you would eat at a wedding, which means, too much oil and very little attention to detail. How did it end? We just decided to order a round of drinks because we hadn’t finished talking so we had some fruit beer which was surprisingly nice. 

Is Gola recommended? 

Not so much!

Restaurant Review: Dhaba By Claridges, DLF Cyber City - 5/5 Stars

Dhaba By Claridges, as I am sure everyone knows by now, is a new funked up franchise of the very popular Claridges Hotel. I say funked up coz the interiors have taken the essence of a roadside Dhaba and added the colour of a Karan Johar movie and the coolth of a Tarantino flick. I mean coloured cutting chai glasses as chandeliers, 'theka' styled steel grills hiding single malts, the interiors itself are worth the price of admission. 

Over to the menu now and at first glance it seems like any other North Indian restaurant however Corporate Chef Ravi Saxena, who very graciously accompanied us, told how each dish has been carefully thought of, keeping actual roadside 'dhabas' in mind. Like authentic dhaba food, dishes here are freshly prepared and served and certain dishes once finished, will not be prepared again in true dhaba style.

You cannot visit this place without trying their cocktails that are named after desi 'tharras'. They come in brilliant little 'tharra' bottles along with salt and spice laced glasses to pour your drink in and are they delicious or what! I had almost all of them and I would highly recommend the 'Santari', 'Toofan' and 'Narangi' (although all others were equally brilliant). If you want to know what is in these drinks, go try for yourself. 

Coming to the food, we started with a mix of veg and non veg fare like Veg galouti kebabs, Tandoori Bhune Aloo, Dhaba Murgh roast, Dhaba Prawns and Tawa Mutton. 

Veg galouti was absolutely sublime and as the Chef said it did not contain any of the traditional ingredients (like rajma) used elsewhere for galoutis. Just everyday vegetables mixed with the right kind of spices.

Tandoori Bhune Aloo were a revelation because they were so perfectly roasted. It reminded me of top London Restaurants serving fantastic roast potatoes cooked in goose fat. They came with a saunth chutney and more importantly that sprinkling of fresh onions and tomatoes, Dhaba style. 

Dhaba murgh roast and the Prawns were again great but the best starter was Tawa Mutton. Fantastic pieces of perfectly cooked mutton and an amazingly light (uncommon for meat dishes) and flavourful curry. This dish was truly the work of a master chef.

In between the starters and the mains, the Dhaba staff did a jig on 'Badtameez Dil' and I was just one 'Santari' shy of joining them. Much to everyone's relief I did not. 

The mains included Butter Chicken, Dal Dhaba, Amritsari Chole , Balti Meat, Kanastari Baingan Bharta (Chef's specal recommendations) and a magnificent Chicken Pulao. 

Now, the Butter chicken and Daal were expectedly great but the Baingan ka Bharta was drool-worthy. It was the best I've ever had (Sorry mom) and its genius lies in its simplicity. 

The Balti meat was again great and a special mention has to be given to the amount of meat that this dish has. A carnivores wet dream I say (Hows that for a South Indian reference).

I really loved the Chole too especially that tamarind water accompaniment, which elevated it to greatness.

This is one of those few places where I categorically did not miss non vegetarian food at all and I never thought it will be possible.

My stomach still had space for desserts, (not kidding) and they did not disappoint. The phirni was wow!. It might be a tad sweeter than most places but I like that more (Sorry Karims). The Badam Halwa was outstanding and so were the Gulab Jamuns but I genuinely think I had great Rasmalai after aeons. Soft, 'chenadaar' and subtly sweet, I was a bite away from a proposal (No really!!). 

Finally our meal was topped of with a 'Panditji' ka special meetha paan, reminding us of the restaurant's roots.

There is also a very cool weighing machine at the entrance that gives away your fortune by placing coins in it ( Don't worry the coins are provided by the restaurant).

I think Dhaba by Claridges is a phenomenal restaurant where food, ambience and mood create a very unique blend. It is a place you are going to go repeatedly and puts a smile on your face. When was the last time you visited a restaurant like that?

Photo Credit: Shivangi Reviews 
(www.shivangireviews.com)

MNIK- A significant film

Since I have so many opinions on movies I decided to take Shivangi's advice and review films that I see from now on. The last flick I saw was an impressive My Name is Khan and here is my review.

There is something about SRK. Over the years he has taught us to romance, to overact, to self promote but has done all of this with a lot of charm and energy. These two words along with sincerity are what make MNIK worth watching.

The film is basically about Rizwan Khan, who is a simple and pure person at heart and thus sees the world as black and white. People are either good or bad (as his mother had taught him when he was young) and leads his life as such (reflected cleverly in his salesman scenes). He comes to America falls in love with Mandira (Kajol) and ends up marrying her. They live a happy "suburban dream life" till 9/11 happens. Post 9/11 they are victimised for being Muslims and when Mandira loses her son to a bunch of yobs she blames Rizwan's last name for all of this. SRK then travels through America to meet the President and tell him what all of us know by heart by now ..My name is Khan and I'm not a terrorist.

Credit must be given where its due. It is commendable that Karan Johar has finally listened to his critics and made a film that has heart and rooted in reality. Especially heart warming is the detailing shown by Johar with respect to the house and locality Rizwan stays in. This coming from a director who not too long ago showed Ferraris speeding through Chandni Chowk! Even the technical department is five star with rural America never looking this pretty in a long time.

Coming to the performances Kajol is good though better than her character allows her to be. Her role is not too well written with most cliches intact but it takes an actor like Kajol to make everything seem effortless. She shines in a few scenes though (the hospital scene comes to mind) but her chemistry with SRK is just so natural and warm you seriously wish them endless screen time.

Shah Rukh Khan on the other hand delivers a stellar performance. His performance might not be Naseeruddin Shah in Sparsh or even Hrithik in Koi Mil Gaya but he has such fantastic believability and charm that he does win everyone over. When SRK underacts he is most enjoyable (Swades and Chak de case in point), in this film however he has treaded that fine line between believability and histrionics beautifully. There are many parts in the film where you cannot but have a lump in your throat and all because of Shah Rukh Khan's honesty .

This film is not above flaws though. It is still marred by Johar's habit of schmaltz and the background score jars at all the wrong moments. In fact those bits that do not have SRK tend to drag but the moment SRK comes on screen you are engaged.

A journalist recently asked Karan Johar how many years does he think the superstars of our industry have as out and out heroes and he said 3 to 4 years at the most. I think of all the current superstars Shah Rukh is really the one who has tried to somewhat break the mould in the last 5 years. With My Name is Khan he has taken it to another level.

Last 8 months

I am returning to blog after a very very very long time...I do like writing so after dithering here I am posting for the first time in nine months and what an incredible learning curve these nine months have been. Most of them have been career related...Interviews, assessment centres and what not...company after company, big..small...niche..I have tried everywhere...Everything has been so near yet so far...I have been in touching distance but not quite made it as yet...Rolls Royce, Cadbury, exxon, Shell, deloitte, L'oreal,P&G..;phew the list is huge...and in between I have stirred my soul, asked myself questions and found no answers....is it all worth?..why have I been shortlisted among 10000 applications but cant make it when it comes to the final four?....
To start of, I knew of the supposedly unsurmountable challenge I had to climb.... A foreign national graduate who wanted to make it on his own terms..he did not want to compromise and get into any graduate job...The last 2 years and a bit have been a challenge but I have enjoyed my time...the journey , the self discovery. I have literally seen myself develop a ruthless side to me , a new tough mayank...However, it has just not been good enough... To be fair I have been mostly positive during this entire time...fighting through each interview, taking on board every feedback, learning from my mistakes....but as I said before not good enough...
the world is about results and rightly or wrongly I view myself with the eyes of the world. Although I must admit, I have started to believe that life is more about how you reach your goal than the actual goal itself. The more one chases the end result, the more frustrating it gets....and one loses the meaning of why he/she has embarked upon the arduous journey. Life is not just about success/failure because no matter how society views you , you are not a success or failure till you feel that way. Societies' views are transient, spur of the moment...they change..but one should not take them too seriously....
There are too many personalities out there who have achieved immortality by enjoying what life has brought them than worrying about succeeding/failing...winning/losing....David Ogilvy went on an Amish farm, was a chef in Paris..before becoming the ad genius we know of. Steve Jobs, Richard Branson...even Narayana Murthy..These guys have never worried too much about the end goal, more about how you get there...I think that has made them fearless..and ultimately successful...

Hype of Incredible India

Recently, the Incredible India bandwagon was in NYC, (or is it still thr I dont remember). I do not understand the purpose of this event. If it is to showcase India's diversity and attract tourists then its fantastic cause it has helped in making India the top destination for tourists this year. Kudos. But what I seriously find stupid is that a part of the 'Incredible India' event is to educate the rest of the world that 'India has arrived' or 'It's our time now'. Where has India arrived? Everything that is happening in our country and will happen in the future is still 'to be achieved'. Don't get me wrong because I am not some intellectual cynic or doomsdayer , but let's make noise of something noteworthy.
Take the last 30 years or so and think about the economies that have taken of, countries that have transformed themselves, Japan, Eastern Asian countries, China and then think how many of them campaigned about how incredible their countries were?.. None I'd say. But still they were able to capture the imagination of the world .. How??.. Quite simply because their work did the talking. This is something we have to concentrate on.. how do we, India and Indians, use our strengths to captivate the people of the world. I am not against blowing our trumpet but we got to choose the right moments. The celebrations after winning the 20-20 world cup was acceptable but telling the average foreigner that 'India's time has come' is not , because if anyone buys into how 'great' India is and reaches one of our creaking airports, to be greeted by impoverished kids, the entire illusion is broken.