Le Brasserie| Le Meridien| Review | Bangalore |

We all love some pampering, once we’re up from the deep slumber. Nothing really uplifts your mood, better than a nice & a well-thought out breakfast. Think about it, your hunger ensconced by sleep, raving madly to be let loose, once the blocky lines of dreams are erased. 

Not on all days, do you have a ravenous morning appetite, but on the days you do hear a lot of grumbles, treat yourself to the buffet breakfast at ” La Brasserie “, situated inside “Le Meridien” .

Come along, let’s break some bread 🍞 

Decor : The decor is that of an empyrean old world charm. The classic chairs, do more than just elevate the ambience. Perfect comfort is what I love. The colour theme is a nice rustic neutral palette, with a little green metal framework to break the monotony. 

Hospitality : It’s really no doubt, about how these hotels train their staff to be impeccable. With the head chefs coming and asking you about how your experience is to the wait staff smiling and making you comfortable is commendable. 

The Grub Story : Buffet Breakfast (Rs.850/- for an Adult & Rs.390/- for a child above 6 years)

The buffet has a lot to offer. It starts with a decent variety of cereals, a good table of cheese samplers, delectable smoothies & flavoured yogurts, cut fruits, etc. 

The mains are where your heart & appetite are left undecided. There’s just so much to choose from, Indian breakfast fare like idlis to American breakfast fare like baked beans. But here are my favourite ones…

My to go were these delectable buttered veggies and grilled tomatoes, followed by sautéed mushrooms & corn cheese bake. 

The vegetable Hakka noodles were just on spot! 

The Indian fare, even had samosa’s & the usual midday snacking options 😋😋 Fatten me up La Brassiere, fatten me up!!

You also had a great selection of breads to choose from, for your toasts. 

They had a live section, where the chef made you the on spot preparations as per your liking. I tried the poori bhaji, and all I could say was delicious! Loved the less use of masala, more concentration on right spices for more  flavour and the puffy pooris that were melt in the mouth.

The chef was thoughtful enough to make my husbster the “Omelette du fromage Burger”, when he asked for it. Our whims and fancies!! 

The dessert section was a decent selection of muffins, danishs,croissants,ice creams and tea cakes. Here’s a glimpse..

Verdict: Basically, I couldn’t be happier. The price tag, that comes with it is completely justifiable, for the amount of variety that they have to offer. The non vegetarians will be pleasantly pleased with the meat based fares too. 

I, give the “La Brasserie “, well deserved 4 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Location : Le Meridien. 28, Sankey Road, Vasanthnagar, Bengaluru-560052

Failed Resolutions and You?

And, it’s that time of the year, when we start making resolutions and give ourselves the hope to make the current year a better one. It’s just the most beautiful gift that you can give yourself. A hope to love yourself more, to make yourself a happier person and to fill your life with more positivity. 

I, hear and do see, a lot of negativity when some friend or a family member announces their resolutions or hopes for the year. 

The most heard statement is, ” Oh! You wanna do _____, this year? Isn’t it just the same thing you wanted last year, but failed miserably at? Don’t get your hopes high.. you’ll only break them” Along with hearing that, you also get to hear the snorts, snickers and guffaws of the evil one.

And that starts a vicious cycle of self-mistrust. Once the doubt steps in, you often start believing that, you really have set an outrageous and a steep goal. What happens is more often than not, you fail, not because you couldn’t do it, but because you couldn’t believe that you could do it! 

C’mon go ahead.. make those resolutions and goals. Don’t let the negativity set you back & certainly don’t let someone else decide what you are capable of, because even YOU don’t know what you are capable of, if you put your heart and soul to doing something. 

Believe in yourself, dream a little more and push your limits because dreams do come true and only you can make it happen! 

So, don’t doubt yourself, go jump right into making one or a hundred resolutions and take your time in fulfilling them. Give it your all and give yourself a pat on the back, every time you take one baby step closer to your resolution. 

Let’s make it all about loving yourself this year!! 

2017, we got you here❤️❤️

Saadeddin Pastry|Review|Saudi Arabia|

I, usually don’t really have a dominant sweet tooth. My equation with dessert or anything sweet is that of availability. If it’s there, oh well, I might as well just taste it. If it isn’t there.. then.. I just saved some precious calories.

But, there is this one brilliantly perfect place, which is ne plus ultra when it comes to proffering Middle Eastern / Arabian desserts. This place, is such a huge part of my childhood. It was the place, I loved barging in and taking a piece of everything. Nothing used to make me more happy than the sight of those dark green cardboard boxes with calligraphy on them.

Whether it was cakes or the traditional Kunafa. I loved em all!! What a huge surprise it was, when.. Papa sent me huge tin boxes of my favourite things for my wedding anniversary 😋🤤

It was a pleasure to savour a memory from childhood. This isn’t just a dessert, it’s a moment, a moment that captured a phase in my life and every time I, indulge in that moment.. I see the little Me. It’s amazing how powerful a certain food is and how you concoct memories with it. 

Let me tell you this, that nothing.. absolutely nothing has changed! This boulangerie/ patisserie/ chocolaterie is one of the best in the kingdom. Not only are their products delicious, they are also prepared with stringently high quality ingredients. 

I love this box of goodies, which is an assortment of all kinds of Arabian desserts. These are the baklava’s and Mamouls nestled in the tin box. These special boxes are solely for the purpose of gifting. These stay good for a whopping month.( if, you can control the craving to not finish them at one go)

My favourite has to be baklava fingers, hands down. Goodness Gracious!! The punch of sugary flavour with the softness of pistachios and cashews, is just outta the world! 

I,simply love their in house Chocolates too. Though they are nothing extraordinary, they surely are a pleasure to eat and a deviant from the snickers, flakes, twix and kit kats. “Cornflake chocolates” are worth a special mention, because I, simply love the feel of biting into a chocolate cylinder and finding crisp bunch of individual cornflakes. It’s like a piñata in your mouth.. out comes the confetti, when you hit it 👍🏻 One bite and you will know, what I mean. 

So, if you ever get a chance.. then please.. do give this place a visit and stuff your face with these babies! Make sure, this gets into your bucket list ❤️❤️



And now it’s Carrie Fisher?

If the heartbreak of George Michael’s death wasn’t enough, we now have to battle the demons of nostalgia, while mourning for Carrie’s death. 😭

If Michael was your Prince Charming, then Carrie was your Princess Leia. These were the icons that redefined romanticism and brave thinking, who loved the life they lived, who were figures that gave others inspiration. 

George Michael made all of us sync with pure romance & Carrie Fisher made all of us think we were inevitable. You just had adrenaline pumping through when you saw “Princess Leia”. A good 2 days after the movie and you’d still wanna shout “scruffy nerf-header” at someone who irritated the beeping ” F” outta you 😔 

Princess Leia was one of the prominent catalyst for the birth of today’s adventure heroine. 

Though Princess Leia remains, there will be no one to do her justice. Carrie Fisher was synonymous with Leia and today, we’ve lost her! 😭 

Let’s bid adieu to Carrie Fisher and Princess Leia as well. Star War fans.. I can only fathom how bad you feel! 😢

Goodbye to 2 icons, who never lived to see the sunrise of 2017. 

George Michael and Carrie Fisher, we will miss you!! This truly was your “Last Christmas” 🎄 

Smoor Chocolates |Restaurant Review| Indiranagar| Bangalore|

So, things have been alarmingly quiet these days around my food blogging. That doesn’t mean that I haven’t been eating around the town. 

Holy Smokes.. I’ve been gorging for starters. These past few months have been so hectic & during those hectic times, I found a total gem 💎 in Indiranagar. 

Bliss brings to you their newest venture ” Smoor Chocolates”. With your inner child jumping up and down and tugging those heartstrings, you really can’t miss this place for anything. Not only are they a par excellence chocolaterie, but are also a par excellence cafe with a wide range of comfort foods for your soul. Just how stupendously impressive the team is, is an understatement. So, without anything to carp on, let’s get right into the topic. 

Decor: The place is done in the most elegant yet simple terms of decor. The colour theme absolutely looks nothing less than gorgeous. I loved the perfectly muted tones of colour. The splash of spark white on the wall, the deep yet mute blue & the gold calligraphy were just right. 

Hospitality:  As the food sings its way right into your mouth, so does the hospitality. They just make you smile with joy.

The Grub Story:  The fare isn’t just limited to pleasing your sweet tooth therefore don’t be fooled into thinking that this place can have awesome desserts and mediocre starters and mains. The menu resonates of some Italian, a little pinch of French and Asian cuisine.

My favourite picks that get to be featured over here are as follows: 

• Ravioli with pumpkin in almond butter sauce (Rs.275/-): Love happens and it happened at the first sight with me. Yup, I’m talking about these little works of art laced with a beautiful warm scent of almond and butter on plate. The Ravioli’s had just the most softest texture ever. They melted in my mouth like a dream. The pumpkin filling when doused with the butter sauce was an explosion of sweet and salty flavour. The pumpkin gave you the sweetness and the golden yellow butter sauce balanced it with the salt. The right pinch of salt, if you may! Garnished with a heavy hand of almonds, this one here is a must must must have!!

• Chicken Lasagne / Veg Lasagne (Rs.295 & Rs.275 respectively) :The Lasagne here is just the most dangerously delicious one. As I’m a vegetarian, my vegetarian Lasagne was a beautiful amalgamation of tangy flavours and veggies. The pasta sheets just blended into each other and gave me the right amount of delicious. The hubby on the other hand, said his chicken Lasagne was good too, but a little on the dry side. 



• The special holiday menu (Rs.750/-all inclusive ) : The last time that I went, they had a special menu for the holiday season. Here’s what the menu looked like 

• Amberine: As stated this mocktail was a beautiful mix of grenadine syrup, litchi syrup, tonic water & lime juice. The result was a mildly sweet drink, which fizzed around and actually did a great job complementing the mains.

• Veg dumpling soup: I really need to take a moment here.. the soup was pure bliss. The dumplings? Soft and melt in the mouth kinds. The soup had a delicious umami taste, garnished with finely sliced carrots and greens and though, I’m not a fan of clear soups; I loved this bowl of goodness.

• Veg Dumplings: If there is a favourite that I have, while visiting an orient restaurant.. it’s the gawwjus dimsums, dumplings, momos.. call them what you may. 9/10 times, if the restaurant serves a great dumpling, rest assured that the fare following it will be good. I wasn’t really expecting anything from the dimsums actually, after all smoor is a multicusine cafe. But when I actually sunk my teeth into these soft, outta world dimsums.. I was a believer! The dip that they served with these dimsums takes all the credit. I mean… how does a dip taste so good? I shamelessly have to admit that, I wiped the ceramic dip bowl clean with my fingers. It’s doused in butter, the perfect amount of salt.. I just can’t!! You need to get a taste of this 🤤

• Stir Fried Cottage Cheese in Chilli Basil Sauce: The cottage cheese gravy was served with a generous helping of wok tossed noodles, served with some well marinated kimchi. As with every other thing on the menu, even this tasted good but nothing outta the ordinary to be honest.

• Chocolate Almond Cake for dessert: Super duper loved the pastry, the course couldn’t have ended any better. The cake was a pretty sight and an even prettier taste in the mouth. Served with some chocolate soil, the cake was intense with the chocolate. 

Smoor is a true chocolate enthusiast’s dream. The true love of someone who doesn’t have just a sweet tooth, but a whole set of sweet teeth. The milkshakes and sundaes are again outta the world and the pastries match up to 5 star chocolateries/patisseries. I, super love it so much, that any celebration is incomplete without it! Check this one out, that I had for our 5 year wedding anniversary. It’s a Belgian chocolate truffle, which doesn’t just taste decadent, but is also mesmerising!

Verdict: I, can pretty much pretend play to be an augur and tell you that this place is going to nestle itself right into your hearts and round tummies. It’s gonna be a favourite among our favourites. 

A well deserved 4.5/5 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

* all prices are exclusive of taxes.

Where Have I Been?

I, honestly need some of my good ole advisory panel aka blogger buddies to rattle my rusted brains into turning the cogs right back on. 

Where have I been? If anyone really ever noticed me missing off the blogging world from the past 10 whooping months, then I’d like to say I really wasn’t doing anything significant. 

Well, nothing significantly great except baking another baby in the oven. Yup!! There i said it. 

“Surprise everybody” shouts me. 

Yes.. You read that right.. I just popped another life outta me. It was quite a surprise for us too. And boy… Do I love surprises 😏

Oh reminds me.. it’s a boy, btw!! 

 I was hoping it would be a girl, so that i could indulge in some sparkly Elsa-esque headbands & sequinned frocks.. Maybe some Ariel-esque green mermaid fins ( don’t get me wrong, I don’t wanna metamorph my human child to the mermaid kind, but who wouldn’t wanna be Ariel for a day? )

And here, i am still stuck with batman logo tees & hideous Spider-Man watches. 😂

Ergo, If you find any of your blogger buddies outta sight for a few months, rest assured that they aren’t dead, but just pregnant 🤰 And technically, the aftermath of being pregnant does actually equal to being dead. Much more zombie-ish, if you may?? So.. yeah.. you can think they are dead actually 😐

Now haven’t i been discreet 😎. *slaps my runny mascara face with a pancake* 

I had to stay off the blog for more reasons than just this one. After a lot of self vituperation, I’ve gotten back on track. Vowing to never,ever and ever do the incognito move again. 

But, these 10 months have been quite a rollercoaster ride. From finding out that I was expecting to travelling around and from working on a book to learning a few life skills like baking & relaxation techniques ( did you see how those two were just said in the same breath? )

Ok! Listen to this… I went offline from all forms of social media. No Facebook, no WhatsApp, no Twitter and no Instagram. Trust me, it was hard.. like hell yeah! But it’s been the most wisest decision I’ve taken. It just makes you realise, just how much you’ve stopped giving time to understanding your true self. 

It was in these 10 months, that I realised what I really wanted and what I didn’t. Social media is great, don’t get me wrong.. I’m not in the Social media nazi league, but I do have to confess that by not being constantly on the social media, gave me a fairly good marker of my priorities. I mean, media puts you into a vicious cycle of “Wanting”. 

I just had an epiphany of sorts and realised what I really wanted. 🤓🤓  *philosophical much?? I need to shut up*

So, here I am back on the “media”, back from the sabbatical, much calmer and discerning towards my laws of happiness.. and those are.. 

“Looney Ballooney.. I need the fishing 🎣 social media…I need to stop the b***sh***ing philosophy.. I ain’t no philanthropist, I love the vicious cycle.. Keeps you fuelling for more.. Nothing better than this for sure” 😆🤡

I’m just the same old noorain save for 10 months older, a little more ridiculous than before, more in love with my wanting to be in touch with y’all, much more in throes of literary passion (nothing like a satisfying post that you finish publishing) & with 2 kids.. 

Gosh!! That sounds quite snazzy eh? 

My posts will rather lean more towards a delusional side, as I’ve got a newborn, who refuses to sleep when I want to..  Like right about now.. it’s 4 A.M and he has had 2 post midnight snacks till now. 

Dude!! I don’t snack in my sleep.. who does that??🤤 And that leaves me with 2 hours to sleep before he wakes up again at 6:30 😥 

So off I go.. Giving a big virtual hug to y’all.. 🤗

Looking forward to hearing from you guys!! 

Happy Belly Bakes| Frasertown| Review|

All of us, have that one favourite boulangerie in the neighbourhood. A place, where you’re welcomed with warm aromas, smiling faces & lipsmacking fare. A place, you find yourself going to more often than not, even though you’ve vowed to explore the newer pop ups happening. 

Now, for me, that kinda place is the “Happy Belly Bakes”. Isn’t the name too kawaii? I can imagine a little paunchy panda, mimicking a tummy rub as their mascot.

   

 Happy Belly Bakes is a perfect little bistro, you will fall in gustatory love with. Nothing, can ease you better than some bites of baked goods. Welcome to baked heaven, in and around Frasertown! 

   

 Decor: The decor is, super cute with the ambience cajoling you to stay put. The chairs & tables are contemporary rustic. The quirk factor scores a good point with me. A totally great place to just hang around as a loner or with the Brady bunch!

   

   
Hospitality: As this is just a small little bistro, there isn’t a lot of staff coming & pampering you. You are welcomed with a huge heartfelt smile by “Mr.Kiran” & he helps you decide what you really should try out. It’s just like family here. 

Food: The bakes are always so fresh & delicious. They have just about everything you need, from chocolate truffles to customised cakes. 

   

 Something, I super love at this place are the “Chicken Quiches” & “Volcano Tarts”. I, hoard them. Like 10 pieces each or so. 

Allow me to give you an insight into my 2 most favourite things over here! 

• Chicken Quiche (Rs.90/-) : Before, I turned vegetarian, this was the thing that got me going through a stressed day. I, fondly remember, biting into the melt in the mouth crust & being welcomed with generous amount of chicken, seasoned well. The lightness of chicken, used to favour my palate pretty well. Topped with a generous amount of cheese & olives.  The pastry was always buttery & crumbed under a bite. Something, I sorely miss, while the hubster gorges on his share 😢😢 *sniff sniff* I, hope they come up with mushroom quiches!! 

  

These quiches are for home, nothing for me 😢

 

• Volcano Tarts(Rs.80/-): The only sweet thing, I can eat 2 portions of. The tart, is just amazing with the warm, explosive & gooey chocolate flow. The pastry again is just right, with that nice soft crunch & buttery feel to it. Thank Goodness, I haven’t turned vegan. 

  

Verdict: The place treats you well, feeds you well & doesn’t really burn a hole in your pocket. A must try, if you’re in the neighbourhood. Chances are, you’ll be back before you know it. 

Rating : 4/5 stars

Location: Diagonally opposite to French Loaf, Clarks Road. Frasertown.

Mani’s Yummy Sweet Cocktail- Product Review

Umm.. My story’s pretty much the same. Food gives me a phantasmagoria of life, where life is made out of panacotta, croquembouche, & saffron tuiles! Quite an absurd imagination, I possess? But the facts remain strong, life is all about making your passion, a part of your essence. Don’t beat yourself up, when you’re faced with the twirly morass, that life throws at you. Let’s remember our passions make us more congruent to lead a life. Your passion is your secret weapon, a trait that distinguishes you from the rest. Love it, nurture it & cherish it. ❤️❤️❤️

Now, for the review. Sorry, for The unsolicited advice, but it’s definitely something, I thought I’d share. 

We all face the dilemma of having  to skip lunch or breakfast or the dilemma of what to fill yourself up with at “Pang hours” or the dilemma of just making unhealthy choices.

 I’m a huge shape shifter, as in, I keep shifting from being a good girl to a bad one. One day, I’m gonna eat all the veggies & the other day, I’m gonna munch binge on fries. 

But, from the past few months, my dilemmas aren’t that ghoulish. They seem sorted. One of the ways, I battle it, is with these on the go packs of goodness. The company “Mani”, has been stringent in maintaining the quality of their products. On that note, let me just say,”holy guacamole, their products are just my must haves. “  

They have a varied product range & it’s great, to know that “Mani” has received a lot of accolades for being the best in business. Today, I’m gonna talk about my recent binge snack. It’s the “Yummy- Sweet Cocktail”. 

This is a delicious & a nutritious blend of fruit & nuts. You have almonds, pistachios, cashews, sultanas, pineapple & papaya pieces. The sweet- salt combination of this cocktail is simply marvellous. Apart, from being great in taste, this has a super power punch of nutrition. 

 

So, the next time you feel like making a bad decision, undo it by popping a pack of this. Wishing these babies start retailing in India soon!! 😍😍🙏🏼

 

How the hubster surprised me on New Year’s Eve.

So, it was a pretty bland day. I just went on with life with the most pessimistic view ever.

“It’s the last day of the year. Good. It’s one year down of my life. I’ve been a major dolt with falling ill, screwing my Koh Samui plans, looking like an idiot on my anniversary..blah, blah, blah”

 I was happy, I was alive & there wasn’t anything wrong with me. Yet, I was upset at the way things had turned out. I, personally don’t celebrate the New Year Day 😒😒 Honestly, I find it lame. I’m not gonna go all happy, over losing a year of my life, even at the cost of welcoming a new one. Yet, I love wishing everyone with the New Years greeting. It’s just a weird thing, I love the whole sharing love & happiness thingamaflip, but I won’t celebrate it. But.. Hey! That’s just me!!

I’m reading this book & The hubster barges in and says, ” Hey, why don’t you get dressed to the nines & we’ll go for dinner? No questions asked please.” 

“Well, OK.” Says,I. 

Then, we head towards “Le Méridien” & I see, like loads of people in lines & I’m thinking.. “Oops a daisy!! That’s a lot of people. They all are here for the New Year’s Eve.This guy has gotta be cray. This is for the party going crowd, what am I gonna do here?”

Just then, he says “Ooh! Baby.. They got a New Year Eve thing going on, let’s just go, shall we? It’s near the poolside. Listen to some music, have some dinner & get back home?”

” I’ve got no problem honey, but it makes no sense, when I’m clearly not gonna party. And, I’ll be the only one overdressed. Girls looking gorgeous in funky minis, micro minis, cage tops, tube tops etc & I’m gonna look like a sore symptom of SIDS, with hijab, jacket & a maxi dress. I’m dressed for a dinner love, not a party cum dinner. So, let’s just go somewhere for dinner shall we??” Blurts, i. 

After some convincing on how “Supermodel-ish Bombshell” I looked & how I could give the girls a run for their lives, even with being overdressed made me take the plunge. 

The evening went on pleasant, with almost everyone giving me the looks like,” Yo!! You lost your way?? Why you here?” But, then.. It’s just understandable!! Like, Holy Moly, I would’ve done the same. 

The clock struck one & we all had to leave. The hubster says “I need to use the washroom”. While he’s gone, I’m in the lobby, reading a magazine & 15 minutes pass by. Hubster doesn’t turn up. 

He then arrives & says “Hey babe..There’s a special waltz for couples, on the second floor”

“So?? I’m tired.. I’m not gonna salsa or waltz. Let’s go home!”

Another convincing session & I go, quite irritated. 

” Where is it? These are rooms. Are you sure it’s here? I can’t even hear the music”

He opens a room door. It takes me a moment to register what’s happening. But before I can pass a comment, I see a chocolate gateaux, candles strewn across, a dress & a card that says,”Happy Anniversary My Love”.

My eyes swell with tears & I, can only manage a feeble, “I love you”. I’m totally gobsmacked. Then the voice within my head says, ” So, now can you stop the crib fest please?”

“I can, I surely can” 😌😌😁

Moral of the story: Sometimes, falling ill on your anniversary can really, be a blessing in disguise.   

p.s: Look at what we got after breakfast from the kitchen. That was the most cutest cupcake & the most sweetest gesture by the staff at Le Mèridien.