It's unbelievable... I went to the shop where I generally buy drinks from.
Was picking up a bottle of Budweiser and just happened to ask the shopkeeper if he has got anything new. He mentioned the word 'Stella'
I asked him again ..."Are you sure it's Stella Artois"? He said yes. I was amazed. This is a famous lager beer from Belgium.
Then I asked him what else does he have. He mentioned that he has got 'Hoegarden'. That stunned me! I asked him to get it out immediately!
Hoegarden is a very famous Belgium beer and it's primary content is wheat unlike typical barley beers. It is spiced with coriander and orange peel. It is kept unfiltered and therefore cloudy in appearance. So its a very unique beer and it comes from the village of Hoegaarden. It has a rich history and has undergone a lot of transitions. Most recently its production was moved out of Hoegarden amidst loud protests, national coverage...After few years, it returned back to the town of Hoegarden with many public cheers
An entire Wikipedia link is devoted to it
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoegaarden_(beer)
It was the surprise of Year 2009! I have enjoyed Hoegarden but never ever could get access to it in India! And now it's in Pune
The small pint bottle costs Rs 160 because it was imported (as compared to Rs 55 to Rs 60 for standard beers manufactured in India). But inspite of 3 times the cost, I had no second thoughts in buying the pint bottle and enjoying it on Saturday evening
So the day ended so sweetly!
India has truly arrived and there is no looking back... Pune rocks...It always has and will continue to be the city that evolves constantly. Now I have my own Belgium beer corner in Pune!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
A relaxing trip to Bali, Indonesia
Just returned back from a short but very relaxing trip to the island of Bali in Indonesia. With my earlier trip tour getting cancelled, I badly wanted to atleast go on a short break and finally managed to get that.
The island of Bali is very famous among Australians and Europeans. The tourism in Bali got badly hit because of the Bali terrorist bombings. But it is slowly recovering.
I stayed at a luxury resort in front of one of the most famous beaches in Bali at Kuta (where the bombings happened and were targetted at the Western tourists).
So all the evenings were reserved for walks on the beach watching the sun go down or just sitting on the beach.
Hard to do that because you are surrounded by bikini clad European women and beer drinking men with hunky bodies and all sorts of things happening on the beach among men and women. But neverthless it was very very relaxing. It's hard being single in such places and walking around as you get approached by prostitutes, pimps, women wanting to give you massages...
Lot of amateur surfers trying their hands at surfing. The tidal wave was not very strong and hence even amateurs were comfortable surfing.
Bali is strongly Hindu. It follows all the customs of Hindu culture. So there are lots of old temples spread in every corner of Bali dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva
I saw statues of Ganesh, stories from Mahabharat and more
Visited some of the famous temples including Tanah lot. My Indonesian guide was explaining all about Bali culture, the belief in Trimurti, Ramayana, Mahabharat. Hindus went to the island around 7th century and Hindu culture spread rapidly
Bali continues to be a romantic place. My guide kept on reminding me that I need to get myself a girlfriend again and bring her to Bali next year OR Marry someone and take her to Bali....
I enjoyed the hotel where I stayed. It was the Hard Rock hotel with plenty of facilities for relaxing(spas, bars, many fine restaurants, largest swimming pool in Bali, sports facilities) and more importantly bang in front of the most popular beach in Bali called Kuta beach. The town of Kuta was commericial with the famous fashion brand shops around, restaurants, bars and more. It was safe...and great to walk around. Out of nowhere suddenly I would bump into an old temple.
So my impressions of Bali (beach, sunsets, beer, honeymooners, bikinis, a lot of sex, Hindu temples, rice fields, culture and simple local people)
Since I have turned vegeterian, there is very little choice. Pork is a stable diet along with rice. So naturally ended up eating mostly continental vegeterian stuff. Ofcourse the popular Indonesian fried rice (Nasi goreng) was enjoyed
Had a lot of beer. Just a lovely time with a glass of Bintang (Indonesia beer) pilsener.
Best moments in Bali...Probably when I was sitting in the Starbucks coffee house in the open air, enjoying coffee and watching women...who were out there to show their bodies and those many moments when I just watched the vast ocean especially when the sun went down creating beautiful coloured sunsets in Bali.
The island of Bali is very famous among Australians and Europeans. The tourism in Bali got badly hit because of the Bali terrorist bombings. But it is slowly recovering.
I stayed at a luxury resort in front of one of the most famous beaches in Bali at Kuta (where the bombings happened and were targetted at the Western tourists).
So all the evenings were reserved for walks on the beach watching the sun go down or just sitting on the beach.
Hard to do that because you are surrounded by bikini clad European women and beer drinking men with hunky bodies and all sorts of things happening on the beach among men and women. But neverthless it was very very relaxing. It's hard being single in such places and walking around as you get approached by prostitutes, pimps, women wanting to give you massages...
Lot of amateur surfers trying their hands at surfing. The tidal wave was not very strong and hence even amateurs were comfortable surfing.
Bali is strongly Hindu. It follows all the customs of Hindu culture. So there are lots of old temples spread in every corner of Bali dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva
I saw statues of Ganesh, stories from Mahabharat and more
Visited some of the famous temples including Tanah lot. My Indonesian guide was explaining all about Bali culture, the belief in Trimurti, Ramayana, Mahabharat. Hindus went to the island around 7th century and Hindu culture spread rapidly
Bali continues to be a romantic place. My guide kept on reminding me that I need to get myself a girlfriend again and bring her to Bali next year OR Marry someone and take her to Bali....
I enjoyed the hotel where I stayed. It was the Hard Rock hotel with plenty of facilities for relaxing(spas, bars, many fine restaurants, largest swimming pool in Bali, sports facilities) and more importantly bang in front of the most popular beach in Bali called Kuta beach. The town of Kuta was commericial with the famous fashion brand shops around, restaurants, bars and more. It was safe...and great to walk around. Out of nowhere suddenly I would bump into an old temple.
So my impressions of Bali (beach, sunsets, beer, honeymooners, bikinis, a lot of sex, Hindu temples, rice fields, culture and simple local people)
Since I have turned vegeterian, there is very little choice. Pork is a stable diet along with rice. So naturally ended up eating mostly continental vegeterian stuff. Ofcourse the popular Indonesian fried rice (Nasi goreng) was enjoyed
Had a lot of beer. Just a lovely time with a glass of Bintang (Indonesia beer) pilsener.
Best moments in Bali...Probably when I was sitting in the Starbucks coffee house in the open air, enjoying coffee and watching women...who were out there to show their bodies and those many moments when I just watched the vast ocean especially when the sun went down creating beautiful coloured sunsets in Bali.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Darshan restaurant at end of Prabhat road
Darshan is a nice cozy restaurant at the end of Prabhat road (near the Police Chowki). It's been around for many many years (atleast 30 years I think)
It's probably among the first restaurants in Pune to start the multi-cuisine culture.
It serves a delightful combination of continental, snacks, Mexican & some typical Indian popular snacks
Darshan is not authentic. You can't expect an authentic Italian pasta or pizza here. But whatever Darshan serves tastes very good, is reasonably priced and it remains unique to Darshan
Their menu revolves around sandwiches, burgers, augratins, pizzas, pastas, Mexican favourites (like tacos), & really nice milk shakes
Their popular starter is baked beans on toast prepared in a sweet & tangy way. It's very unique to Darshan and this dish is very very popular. Don't expect the very British baked beans on toast, but eat without any bias and enjoy the dish
You can order their Darshan special snack dish which has sandwiches, cutlets, chips etc.
Darshan sandwiches are delightful. They have unique fillings (e.g moong & french beans)
Veg Augratin will not dissappoint. Their grilled sandwiches are nice too. Don't forget the variety of milkshakes (dry Anjir, Sitaphal (seasonal) & more)
Darshan Chana Bhatura is also extremely popular
Go there anytime (for lunch, afternoon snacks or evening dinner). Believe me you will not get dissappointed.
It's probably among the first restaurants in Pune to start the multi-cuisine culture.
It serves a delightful combination of continental, snacks, Mexican & some typical Indian popular snacks
Darshan is not authentic. You can't expect an authentic Italian pasta or pizza here. But whatever Darshan serves tastes very good, is reasonably priced and it remains unique to Darshan
Their menu revolves around sandwiches, burgers, augratins, pizzas, pastas, Mexican favourites (like tacos), & really nice milk shakes
Their popular starter is baked beans on toast prepared in a sweet & tangy way. It's very unique to Darshan and this dish is very very popular. Don't expect the very British baked beans on toast, but eat without any bias and enjoy the dish
You can order their Darshan special snack dish which has sandwiches, cutlets, chips etc.
Darshan sandwiches are delightful. They have unique fillings (e.g moong & french beans)
Veg Augratin will not dissappoint. Their grilled sandwiches are nice too. Don't forget the variety of milkshakes (dry Anjir, Sitaphal (seasonal) & more)
Darshan Chana Bhatura is also extremely popular
Go there anytime (for lunch, afternoon snacks or evening dinner). Believe me you will not get dissappointed.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Speciality beers have arrived in India!
Finally the real beers have arrived in India!. Currently one distributor in Delhi seems to import the famous Belgium & German Beers and distribute it to beer enthusiasts across the country (if ordered).
I recently came across their advertisement in "Sommelier India", India's only wine magazine (which I always buy). In that advertisment were shown photos of the most exquisite Belgian trappist beers (Beers brewed by Monks for centuries involving wild yeast fermentation)
They have launched a website http://www.craftbeer.in/ but it's incomplete
It shows photos of "Schneider Weisse" (German Wheat beer). But there is nothing more apart from the photos on the website. They have also provided a contact number.
I need to check with my regular beer shop if they can order these beers from this distributor.
But this is the beginning of something very special! I have waited for such a long time for this to happen.
The wine scene in India and especially Maharashtra is fantastic (because of the Nashik winery revolution) but when it comes to beer most people don't even know anything beyond standard lager and neither do beer shops.
But this announcement is just the beginning of the beer revolution.
Ofcourse I am probably one of the very few who regularly buys the Indian wine magazine and must be one of the very few in the country to even have spotted the advertisment. But its a 'spark', fire will follow!
I recently came across their advertisement in "Sommelier India", India's only wine magazine (which I always buy). In that advertisment were shown photos of the most exquisite Belgian trappist beers (Beers brewed by Monks for centuries involving wild yeast fermentation)
They have launched a website http://www.craftbeer.in/ but it's incomplete
It shows photos of "Schneider Weisse" (German Wheat beer). But there is nothing more apart from the photos on the website. They have also provided a contact number.
I need to check with my regular beer shop if they can order these beers from this distributor.
But this is the beginning of something very special! I have waited for such a long time for this to happen.
The wine scene in India and especially Maharashtra is fantastic (because of the Nashik winery revolution) but when it comes to beer most people don't even know anything beyond standard lager and neither do beer shops.
But this announcement is just the beginning of the beer revolution.
Ofcourse I am probably one of the very few who regularly buys the Indian wine magazine and must be one of the very few in the country to even have spotted the advertisment. But its a 'spark', fire will follow!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
In search of authentic Thai in Pune
The search for authentic Thai/Malaysian food in Pune ends at "Spice Island", Le Meridian
"Whispering Bamboo" in Blue Diamond comes close but I would give thumbs up to "Spice Island".
It certainly is one of the most romantic ambience restaurants in Pune
Most recently I enjoyed Penang vegetable curry (Thai-Malaysian) which was so perfect...absolutely fresh coconut milk and the freshness of brocollis, beans and more.
I also had a classic braised eggplant in yellow bean sauce. The egglant was so delicately fried and it's texture was perfect.
The nice part of the meal was the option to go for half portions which effectively means you pay 50% of the price as compared to the normal portion and you can opt for 2 different varieties of vegetables.
It's a highly rated restaurant. They have a limited menu but whatever they have is high quality. The claypot menu is also very good and is a speciality of the restaurant.
The service is excellent. Even the chopsticks are perfect!. And they have a live band singing very romantic love songs.
All in all it's a wonderful experience. It should be reserved for very special occassions but for food enthusiasts, they have to go to this place for the perfect Thai food experience
"Whispering Bamboo" in Blue Diamond comes close but I would give thumbs up to "Spice Island".
It certainly is one of the most romantic ambience restaurants in Pune
Most recently I enjoyed Penang vegetable curry (Thai-Malaysian) which was so perfect...absolutely fresh coconut milk and the freshness of brocollis, beans and more.
I also had a classic braised eggplant in yellow bean sauce. The egglant was so delicately fried and it's texture was perfect.
The nice part of the meal was the option to go for half portions which effectively means you pay 50% of the price as compared to the normal portion and you can opt for 2 different varieties of vegetables.
It's a highly rated restaurant. They have a limited menu but whatever they have is high quality. The claypot menu is also very good and is a speciality of the restaurant.
The service is excellent. Even the chopsticks are perfect!. And they have a live band singing very romantic love songs.
All in all it's a wonderful experience. It should be reserved for very special occassions but for food enthusiasts, they have to go to this place for the perfect Thai food experience
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Peppinos on F.C road
Situated at Cafe Goodluck chowk at the starting of F.C road, 'Peppinos' brought in the trendy concept of serving healthy snacks (sandwiches, salads, pastas, juices & smoothies) to Puneites.
Their menu card is simple. Its split into 4 sections,
Option 1 caters exclusively to grilled sandwiches with a choice of brown/white bread. They have some nice options including one which serves a Mexican grilled sandwich with beans and sour cream
Another section is for Salads. They even have options of Greek salads and a German potato salad. (expect a generous dose of Mayo)
They have few Italian pasta options and even serve Nachos with refried beans (to bring in a Mexican flavour)
Among the smoothies and juices, they are large number of options. Guava is among the novel varities. They even have mix of pomegranate, watermelon juices
This small joint caters again to the F.C road cosmopoliton crowd.
It has limited seating arrangement but does brisk business. The restaurant is clean and well maintained and the staff works hard.
The crowd entering the place is the type who embrances the healthy sandwich + salad + juice options.
Many young 'couples' (boys & girls still in college) are seen frequenting this place
Go for it. It's a nice place and will not dissappoint. Among the very few places in Pune offering this type of food, it will also remind one of the small cafe/restaurant joints in the U.S & Europe
Their menu card is simple. Its split into 4 sections,
Option 1 caters exclusively to grilled sandwiches with a choice of brown/white bread. They have some nice options including one which serves a Mexican grilled sandwich with beans and sour cream
Another section is for Salads. They even have options of Greek salads and a German potato salad. (expect a generous dose of Mayo)
They have few Italian pasta options and even serve Nachos with refried beans (to bring in a Mexican flavour)
Among the smoothies and juices, they are large number of options. Guava is among the novel varities. They even have mix of pomegranate, watermelon juices
This small joint caters again to the F.C road cosmopoliton crowd.
It has limited seating arrangement but does brisk business. The restaurant is clean and well maintained and the staff works hard.
The crowd entering the place is the type who embrances the healthy sandwich + salad + juice options.
Many young 'couples' (boys & girls still in college) are seen frequenting this place
Go for it. It's a nice place and will not dissappoint. Among the very few places in Pune offering this type of food, it will also remind one of the small cafe/restaurant joints in the U.S & Europe
Cafe Goodluck
Situated at the Bhandarkar road & F.C road junction is the old Irani Cafe joint of "Cafe Goodluck". It's been there for years and years (since 1935) and the chowk is named after this cafe.
Many people call it a "Bachelors adda". It typifies the Irani cafe culture which spread across Mumbai, Pune in the late sixties.
Goodluck prices are very very reasonable and hence it is extremely popular among the college going crowd.
Here you can sit down and have a superb "Bun muska" or a luscious "Bun Omelette" with chai ofcourse. The bun is so fresh. You can smell the baked yeasty aroma of the bun and the muska (butter) is spread generously inside.
You can order some nice grilled sandwiches (cheese tomato grilled...sounds so very English) or you can dig into the many non vegeterian specialities (kheema pav, mutton curries, egg curries, chicken dishes etc)
I am Cafe Good luck's loyal customer. I happen to get something or eat something at 'Goodluck' virtually once every week. Although I have turned vegeterian, I eat eggs.
So 'Goodluck' continues to be on my list of places that I make it a point to visit.
You can have excellent lunch, breakfast, afternoon snack, or dinner. It's open whole day and it is packed. The waiters are warm, friendly and efficient
Goodluck in my opinion serves the best Jeera rice in town. The rice is perfectly cooked and dry, they spread friend onion on top of the rice with coriander. Have it with their simple dal fry
Sure it's not an upscale restaurant and rarely will you find families sitting there but it's a fantastic place to sit down and experience the real Pune. Young people move in & out. You can find the Irani owners sitting there. You will hardly hear marathi being spoken because its so popular among especially people staying in hostels...
Vegeterians do find it hard to sit in 'Goodluck' because most people order the famous non vegeterian dishes and to see meaty & greasy food moved around can be a difficult sight.
Many families opt to take parcels because they just find "Cafe Goodluck" food delicious but find it difficult to seat there (especially Maharashtrians:))
The other 2 nice Irani cafes in the Deccan area "Cafe Sunrise" and 'Lucky' have dissappeared and I sincerely wish "Cafe Good luck" stays there just like it has for many many years
Many loyal customers swear by the tastes of non veg food in 'Goodluck'. I did that too when I was eating non-veg. But as often, there are so many good vegeterian dishes that one can also enjoy... (or you can say 'eggaterian' dishes around)
To enter the Cafe and smell the fresh buns is a feeling that cannot be described.
To bite into a 2 egg omellete placed between the bun folds and then dig into the soft smooth bun cannot be described...It can only be experienced.
You don't need to be dressed well to go to Goodluck. You just gotta to be there, being yourself...
Pune is changing constantly and the new crowd who visits 'Goodluck' are young ladies from college. They come in groups and go away in Groups
It's a delightful place to experience the young cosmpolitan city
Many people call it a "Bachelors adda". It typifies the Irani cafe culture which spread across Mumbai, Pune in the late sixties.
Goodluck prices are very very reasonable and hence it is extremely popular among the college going crowd.
Here you can sit down and have a superb "Bun muska" or a luscious "Bun Omelette" with chai ofcourse. The bun is so fresh. You can smell the baked yeasty aroma of the bun and the muska (butter) is spread generously inside.
You can order some nice grilled sandwiches (cheese tomato grilled...sounds so very English) or you can dig into the many non vegeterian specialities (kheema pav, mutton curries, egg curries, chicken dishes etc)
I am Cafe Good luck's loyal customer. I happen to get something or eat something at 'Goodluck' virtually once every week. Although I have turned vegeterian, I eat eggs.
So 'Goodluck' continues to be on my list of places that I make it a point to visit.
You can have excellent lunch, breakfast, afternoon snack, or dinner. It's open whole day and it is packed. The waiters are warm, friendly and efficient
Goodluck in my opinion serves the best Jeera rice in town. The rice is perfectly cooked and dry, they spread friend onion on top of the rice with coriander. Have it with their simple dal fry
Sure it's not an upscale restaurant and rarely will you find families sitting there but it's a fantastic place to sit down and experience the real Pune. Young people move in & out. You can find the Irani owners sitting there. You will hardly hear marathi being spoken because its so popular among especially people staying in hostels...
Vegeterians do find it hard to sit in 'Goodluck' because most people order the famous non vegeterian dishes and to see meaty & greasy food moved around can be a difficult sight.
Many families opt to take parcels because they just find "Cafe Goodluck" food delicious but find it difficult to seat there (especially Maharashtrians:))
The other 2 nice Irani cafes in the Deccan area "Cafe Sunrise" and 'Lucky' have dissappeared and I sincerely wish "Cafe Good luck" stays there just like it has for many many years
Many loyal customers swear by the tastes of non veg food in 'Goodluck'. I did that too when I was eating non-veg. But as often, there are so many good vegeterian dishes that one can also enjoy... (or you can say 'eggaterian' dishes around)
To enter the Cafe and smell the fresh buns is a feeling that cannot be described.
To bite into a 2 egg omellete placed between the bun folds and then dig into the soft smooth bun cannot be described...It can only be experienced.
You don't need to be dressed well to go to Goodluck. You just gotta to be there, being yourself...
Pune is changing constantly and the new crowd who visits 'Goodluck' are young ladies from college. They come in groups and go away in Groups
It's a delightful place to experience the young cosmpolitan city
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Sandwich times
Ever wondered why a sandwich is so popular and tastes so good anywhere in the world!
It can have literally any filling, any type of bread, one never gets bored of a sandwich (atleast I don't!)
The "Earl of Sandwich made it a popular snack dish in England and that's how the name sandwich got coined to anything eaten 'sandwiched' between 2 breads
I can go on and on describing various sandwiches I have had in different parts of the world.
But to begin somewhere, I would start off describing first the popular American sandwich chains. The Subways, Togos, Quiznos...
Subway-- Had subway sandwiches for 3 years day in, day out! A subway sandwich used to be a typical lunch for me
Parmesan oregano bread, roasted chicken breast/veggie delite...yum... I always went for all options (lots of veggies, cheese, mayo)
Togos-- The best egg salad sandwich I have ever had and still can't get that taste out of my mouth. The chewy bread made it extremely tasty.
Quiznos-- The toasted sandwich chain... and their mouth watering veggie sandwich with guacamole, olives, red onions, mushrooms and toasted to perfection. Sandwich to die for
Staying in Pune gives me access to a variety of sandwich places.
Subway on F.C road is an easy access and never dissappoints. Enter a Subway restaurant and you can smell the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread
I am still waiting for a restaurant to open in Pune serving just Gourmet Sandwiches
Grilled Sandwiches, cold sandwiches with a variety of fillings from meats to veggies
Still remember the "Italian Panini" I had in Carmel (California) which was served with fresh mozarella, tomatoes, olive oil and basil inside a Ciabata. Amazing..
Then there are the Vietnamese sandwiches which are served inside baguettes (French influence from French colonial days)
These days with the new generation of people caught in the dilemma of "white bread", they miss a simple piece of food eaten for hundreds of years by Europeans and now made popular all over the world.
Give me a good sandwich, a glass of lager and I am experiencing a piece of heaven anytime, anywhere.
I try to locate restaurants in Pune which specialize in Sandwiches. 'Pepinos' on F.C road serves interesting sandwiches
More on sandwiches in following blogs
But here is a nice Wikipedia link about the different types of sandwiches
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandwich
It can have literally any filling, any type of bread, one never gets bored of a sandwich (atleast I don't!)
The "Earl of Sandwich made it a popular snack dish in England and that's how the name sandwich got coined to anything eaten 'sandwiched' between 2 breads
I can go on and on describing various sandwiches I have had in different parts of the world.
But to begin somewhere, I would start off describing first the popular American sandwich chains. The Subways, Togos, Quiznos...
Subway-- Had subway sandwiches for 3 years day in, day out! A subway sandwich used to be a typical lunch for me
Parmesan oregano bread, roasted chicken breast/veggie delite...yum... I always went for all options (lots of veggies, cheese, mayo)
Togos-- The best egg salad sandwich I have ever had and still can't get that taste out of my mouth. The chewy bread made it extremely tasty.
Quiznos-- The toasted sandwich chain... and their mouth watering veggie sandwich with guacamole, olives, red onions, mushrooms and toasted to perfection. Sandwich to die for
Staying in Pune gives me access to a variety of sandwich places.
Subway on F.C road is an easy access and never dissappoints. Enter a Subway restaurant and you can smell the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread
I am still waiting for a restaurant to open in Pune serving just Gourmet Sandwiches
Grilled Sandwiches, cold sandwiches with a variety of fillings from meats to veggies
Still remember the "Italian Panini" I had in Carmel (California) which was served with fresh mozarella, tomatoes, olive oil and basil inside a Ciabata. Amazing..
Then there are the Vietnamese sandwiches which are served inside baguettes (French influence from French colonial days)
These days with the new generation of people caught in the dilemma of "white bread", they miss a simple piece of food eaten for hundreds of years by Europeans and now made popular all over the world.
Give me a good sandwich, a glass of lager and I am experiencing a piece of heaven anytime, anywhere.
I try to locate restaurants in Pune which specialize in Sandwiches. 'Pepinos' on F.C road serves interesting sandwiches
More on sandwiches in following blogs
But here is a nice Wikipedia link about the different types of sandwiches
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandwich
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Tuborg beer from Denmark, now in India
The Danish invasion of the Indian beer market has started! First it was Carlsberg and now it's subsidiary Tuborg who has launched it's flagship beer product. "Tuborg green"
Both Carlsberg and Tuborg are incredible institutions of beer making.
Tuborg brewery was established in late 18th century (1880) in the town of Tuborg in Denmark close to Copenhagen. However the big moment came when Tuborg switched to the bottom fermented pilsener.
It probably is the first brewery in the world to offer bottled beer and its most famous pilsener product has been available in a Green bottle for many many years.
Carlsberg and Tuborg merged in 1970 and ever since that time Tuborg is operated as a subsidiary of Carlsberg. However Tuborg continues to be marketed and sold independently and has its presence in 70 countries
They came to India and advertised for a long time. Their advertising focusses again on the young party going crowd of India. Unfortunately that creates a poor reputation for their brand (in my opinion)
Tuborg is a very well known brand in Europe and it is for beer enthusiasts and not just for a party crowd. However internationally they are following the same advertising campaign
Its a great time in India as we all experience the constant changes in different markets. Everything's becoming available here.
I emptied the entire bottle of Tuborg yesterday. It has a lovely foamy head, a beautiful golden colour and it's more hoppy. It's fresh, light and a perfect drink for a summer evening. If you let the head settle and taste it, it gives a lemony taste.
The bottle has an easy to peel off cap. Dosen't require a separate bottle opener and that's such a fantastic thing.
I am really hoping the beer market continues to evolve and as more and more brands come in, someday it should lead to the microbrewery culture, the shift from lager to other types (e.g ale, stout etc)
Both Carlsberg and Tuborg are incredible institutions of beer making.
Tuborg brewery was established in late 18th century (1880) in the town of Tuborg in Denmark close to Copenhagen. However the big moment came when Tuborg switched to the bottom fermented pilsener.
It probably is the first brewery in the world to offer bottled beer and its most famous pilsener product has been available in a Green bottle for many many years.
Carlsberg and Tuborg merged in 1970 and ever since that time Tuborg is operated as a subsidiary of Carlsberg. However Tuborg continues to be marketed and sold independently and has its presence in 70 countries
They came to India and advertised for a long time. Their advertising focusses again on the young party going crowd of India. Unfortunately that creates a poor reputation for their brand (in my opinion)
Tuborg is a very well known brand in Europe and it is for beer enthusiasts and not just for a party crowd. However internationally they are following the same advertising campaign
Its a great time in India as we all experience the constant changes in different markets. Everything's becoming available here.
I emptied the entire bottle of Tuborg yesterday. It has a lovely foamy head, a beautiful golden colour and it's more hoppy. It's fresh, light and a perfect drink for a summer evening. If you let the head settle and taste it, it gives a lemony taste.
The bottle has an easy to peel off cap. Dosen't require a separate bottle opener and that's such a fantastic thing.
I am really hoping the beer market continues to evolve and as more and more brands come in, someday it should lead to the microbrewery culture, the shift from lager to other types (e.g ale, stout etc)
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Curve, ABC farms, Koregoan park Wood oven Pizzas
Went out on last Saturday evening to Curve, located in ABC farms, Koregoan park
It is a lounge+restaurant+bar type of place for the young and trendy Pune-ites to hangout.
They serve some excellent wood oven fired pizzas. We ordered a 3 pasta salad, pannini and a classic pizza margherita
The salad was not bad, came with pastas with herbs, sundried tomato and lots of olive oil. Always love olive oil!
The service was generally nice. Since we sat on their upper floor deck, we were virtually having a dedicated person looking out for us and he was good and knowledgable. I tested him by asking more about Pizza Margherita and he knew exactly what I was talking about.
We ordered classic Martinis as aperitifs. The bartender also does jugglery with the cocktail glasses
I went for the most authentic and classic Martini.(Gin+Vermouth) and my friend went for the more contempary/trendy Vodka Martini. Oh and it was stirred not shaken (written on the Menu card). James Bond's preference!
Martin...extra dry...probably the most famous cocktail ever invented.
They even had 'Vespa' which is also considered Bond's favourite on the menu card.
The Pizza was obviously the main reason why went there in the first place
The wood oven crust was obvious. The crust was classically Italian. Very thin and it was hand tossed.
The mozarella was well spread and thin and importantly it was with lots of fresh basil leaves which really are the key ingredient of the Naples classic. Exactly how a Pizza Margherita is supposed to be!
All the mass production American pizza chains often forget what makes the authentic
Naples Pizza Margerita so special.
Not to say I don't enjoy American Pizzas! (thick base, cheese added for gluttons!...I do enjoy that also. Hard for me to not enjoy anything!).
But once someone gets hooked onto authentic stuff, then there is no looking back...
Pizza Margherita was invented in Naples, Southern Italy by a Naples chef as an afternoon snack to serve Queen Margherita who was visiting Naples.
The colours of the Pizza correspond to the Italian flag (red tomato base, green basil and white buffalo mozarella). This was the beginning on the Pizza revolution.
When American soldiers returned back from Italy after the end of World war 2, they craved for Pizzas and thats how Pizzas became an American favourite. And with typically American brand marketing, these days most people associate Pizzas with Pizza huts, Dominos etc...
Many of my American friends also told me that Italian Pizzas are bad! They have less cheese! Amazing joke because many of them have never developed more refined tastes...
People with refined tastes know exactly the difference between loads of mass produced cheese spread over a thick Pizza...and a thin layer of fresh Mozzarella cheese over a thin handtossed pizza base!
I am definitely for authentic stuff...and a thinner layer with fresh mozarella tastes... thats my taste
So I would never comment back but just smile because the truth is inside me!.
It's not different from many Indian friends who go out to claim that they get better Indian food in the U.S! It's a joke...but never mind... What's the point of proving to people who know nothing... and say things simply to prove themselves right
But I used to love Chicago style Pizzas in the U.S and there were also many many authentic Italian Pizza chains in the U.S...
Here's a nice article about Pizza
From the Wikipedia link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pizza
Neapolitan pizza (pizza napoletana): Authentic Neapolitan pizzas are made with local ingredients like San Marzano tomatoes, which grow on the volcanic plains to the south of Mount Vesuvius, and Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, made with the milk from water buffalo raised in the marshlands of Campania and Lazio in a semi-wild state (this mozzarella is protected with its own European protected designation of origin).[1] According to the rules proposed by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, the genuine Neapolitan pizza dough consists of Italian wheat flour (type 0 or 00, or a mixture of both), natural Neapolitan yeast or brewer's yeast, salt and water. For proper results, strong flour with high protein content (as used for bread-making rather than cakes) must be used. The dough must be kneaded by hand or with a low-speed mixer. After the rising process, the dough must be formed by hand without the help of a rolling pin or other mechanical device, and may be no more than 3 mm (¹⁄₈ in) thick. The pizza must be baked for 60–90 seconds in a 485 °C (905 °F) stone oven with an oak-wood fire.[2] When cooked, it should be crispy, tender and fragrant. Neapolitan pizza has been given the status of a "guaranteed traditional specialty" in Italy.
This allows only three official variants: pizza marinara, which is made with tomato, garlic, oregano and extra virgin olive oil (although most Neapolitan pizzerias also add basil to the marinara), pizza Margherita, made with tomato, sliced mozzarella, basil and extra-virgin olive oil, and pizza Margherita extra made with tomato, mozzarella from Campania in fillets, basil and extra virgin olive oil.
I remember my trip to Italy and especially the moment of going into one fine Pizza restaurant on one of the cold evenings and tasting heaven...The taste lingers in the mouth forever...
Anyway I like Curve and would go there again. I would go there for the atmosphere and for pizzas and some nice drinks. The restaurant is not cheap but none of the restaurants in ABC farms are cheap.
Without drinks, you are likely to spend Rs 250 to Rs 300. With drinks, its likely
to be in excess of Rs 500 per person.
But for a nice evening for especially young couples, it's a near perfect place
And what more, I was being given a treat that day.
It is a lounge+restaurant+bar type of place for the young and trendy Pune-ites to hangout.
They serve some excellent wood oven fired pizzas. We ordered a 3 pasta salad, pannini and a classic pizza margherita
The salad was not bad, came with pastas with herbs, sundried tomato and lots of olive oil. Always love olive oil!
The service was generally nice. Since we sat on their upper floor deck, we were virtually having a dedicated person looking out for us and he was good and knowledgable. I tested him by asking more about Pizza Margherita and he knew exactly what I was talking about.
We ordered classic Martinis as aperitifs. The bartender also does jugglery with the cocktail glasses
I went for the most authentic and classic Martini.(Gin+Vermouth) and my friend went for the more contempary/trendy Vodka Martini. Oh and it was stirred not shaken (written on the Menu card). James Bond's preference!
Martin...extra dry...probably the most famous cocktail ever invented.
They even had 'Vespa' which is also considered Bond's favourite on the menu card.
The Pizza was obviously the main reason why went there in the first place
The wood oven crust was obvious. The crust was classically Italian. Very thin and it was hand tossed.
The mozarella was well spread and thin and importantly it was with lots of fresh basil leaves which really are the key ingredient of the Naples classic. Exactly how a Pizza Margherita is supposed to be!
All the mass production American pizza chains often forget what makes the authentic
Naples Pizza Margerita so special.
Not to say I don't enjoy American Pizzas! (thick base, cheese added for gluttons!...I do enjoy that also. Hard for me to not enjoy anything!).
But once someone gets hooked onto authentic stuff, then there is no looking back...
Pizza Margherita was invented in Naples, Southern Italy by a Naples chef as an afternoon snack to serve Queen Margherita who was visiting Naples.
The colours of the Pizza correspond to the Italian flag (red tomato base, green basil and white buffalo mozarella). This was the beginning on the Pizza revolution.
When American soldiers returned back from Italy after the end of World war 2, they craved for Pizzas and thats how Pizzas became an American favourite. And with typically American brand marketing, these days most people associate Pizzas with Pizza huts, Dominos etc...
Many of my American friends also told me that Italian Pizzas are bad! They have less cheese! Amazing joke because many of them have never developed more refined tastes...
People with refined tastes know exactly the difference between loads of mass produced cheese spread over a thick Pizza...and a thin layer of fresh Mozzarella cheese over a thin handtossed pizza base!
I am definitely for authentic stuff...and a thinner layer with fresh mozarella tastes... thats my taste
So I would never comment back but just smile because the truth is inside me!.
It's not different from many Indian friends who go out to claim that they get better Indian food in the U.S! It's a joke...but never mind... What's the point of proving to people who know nothing... and say things simply to prove themselves right
But I used to love Chicago style Pizzas in the U.S and there were also many many authentic Italian Pizza chains in the U.S...
Here's a nice article about Pizza
From the Wikipedia link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pizza
Neapolitan pizza (pizza napoletana): Authentic Neapolitan pizzas are made with local ingredients like San Marzano tomatoes, which grow on the volcanic plains to the south of Mount Vesuvius, and Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, made with the milk from water buffalo raised in the marshlands of Campania and Lazio in a semi-wild state (this mozzarella is protected with its own European protected designation of origin).[1] According to the rules proposed by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, the genuine Neapolitan pizza dough consists of Italian wheat flour (type 0 or 00, or a mixture of both), natural Neapolitan yeast or brewer's yeast, salt and water. For proper results, strong flour with high protein content (as used for bread-making rather than cakes) must be used. The dough must be kneaded by hand or with a low-speed mixer. After the rising process, the dough must be formed by hand without the help of a rolling pin or other mechanical device, and may be no more than 3 mm (¹⁄₈ in) thick. The pizza must be baked for 60–90 seconds in a 485 °C (905 °F) stone oven with an oak-wood fire.[2] When cooked, it should be crispy, tender and fragrant. Neapolitan pizza has been given the status of a "guaranteed traditional specialty" in Italy.
This allows only three official variants: pizza marinara, which is made with tomato, garlic, oregano and extra virgin olive oil (although most Neapolitan pizzerias also add basil to the marinara), pizza Margherita, made with tomato, sliced mozzarella, basil and extra-virgin olive oil, and pizza Margherita extra made with tomato, mozzarella from Campania in fillets, basil and extra virgin olive oil.
I remember my trip to Italy and especially the moment of going into one fine Pizza restaurant on one of the cold evenings and tasting heaven...The taste lingers in the mouth forever...
Anyway I like Curve and would go there again. I would go there for the atmosphere and for pizzas and some nice drinks. The restaurant is not cheap but none of the restaurants in ABC farms are cheap.
Without drinks, you are likely to spend Rs 250 to Rs 300. With drinks, its likely
to be in excess of Rs 500 per person.
But for a nice evening for especially young couples, it's a near perfect place
And what more, I was being given a treat that day.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Bellevie, Chateau Haute Rozier red wine
Bordeaux...the famous region of France, most famous for it's red wines, which cost a fortune to buy and which brings images of famous Bordeaux Chateaus selling years and years of carefully matured wines. Bordeaux continues to be the mecca for old world wines for hundreds of years.
Interestingly Bordeaux continues to focus on grape variety blends. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot being the most common type of grapes used in its blends.
Cabernet brings the structure, tannins and Merlot brings in the mellowness and fruitiness.
Chauteau D'ori is promoting a wine in India called 'Bellevie' from the house of Haute Rozier, which it imports from Bordeaux. It's a year 2004 wine.
Recently I opened the bottle which I have had for several months and have been gulping glasses of red wine for last few days. It's 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
Wonderful wine. Being Merlot dominant, naturally it's mellow and avoids the heavy tannins. But Cabernet Sauvignon does give it a nice structure and dosen't make it far too fruity
It's really a nice wine.
Someday I hope to experience the legendary Bordeux's which are always described by the words silk...As smooth and soft as silk.
From the Medoc wine region
Haut Medoc - Margaux - Saint Estephe - Pauillac - Saint Julien
From the graves wine region:
Graves - Sauternes - Barsac
Rivers wine region:
Bordeaux aoc/Bordeaux supérieur - Entre deux mers
From the Cotes wine region:
Saint Emilion , Pomerol
If any wine expert starts off with a fine wine discussion, he in-evitably turns to Bordeaux.
Historically the English popularized Bordeaux with the world 'claret'
Bordeaux and Burgundy...Two very famous regions of France along with Champagne and Cognac. All regions of France which have become such big brands that people often call the sparkling wine as Champagne, red wine as Bordeaux...
Interestingly Bordeaux continues to focus on grape variety blends. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot being the most common type of grapes used in its blends.
Cabernet brings the structure, tannins and Merlot brings in the mellowness and fruitiness.
Chauteau D'ori is promoting a wine in India called 'Bellevie' from the house of Haute Rozier, which it imports from Bordeaux. It's a year 2004 wine.
Recently I opened the bottle which I have had for several months and have been gulping glasses of red wine for last few days. It's 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
Wonderful wine. Being Merlot dominant, naturally it's mellow and avoids the heavy tannins. But Cabernet Sauvignon does give it a nice structure and dosen't make it far too fruity
It's really a nice wine.
Someday I hope to experience the legendary Bordeux's which are always described by the words silk...As smooth and soft as silk.
From the Medoc wine region
Haut Medoc - Margaux - Saint Estephe - Pauillac - Saint Julien
From the graves wine region:
Graves - Sauternes - Barsac
Rivers wine region:
Bordeaux aoc/Bordeaux supérieur - Entre deux mers
From the Cotes wine region:
Saint Emilion , Pomerol
If any wine expert starts off with a fine wine discussion, he in-evitably turns to Bordeaux.
Historically the English popularized Bordeaux with the world 'claret'
Bordeaux and Burgundy...Two very famous regions of France along with Champagne and Cognac. All regions of France which have become such big brands that people often call the sparkling wine as Champagne, red wine as Bordeaux...
June 2006-Central Eastern Europe tour Prague, Czech Republic
Welcome to the fairy tale city of Prague in Czech Republic.
For most part of our Eastern Europe tour, we had a Czech driver, a nice guy with a mischievous smile. How happy he was when we crossed into Czech republic and entered Prague late evening.
The sun had gone down and the city had taken on a magical glow in the fading evening light. The spires of many cathedrals in Prague were a sight to behold. It's the city of a hundred spires on the River Vltava
Next morning we began our city tour of Prague. We had a lovely Czech girl as our guide and naturally all the members of the group were more than
enthusiastic to begin walking in the city of Prague:)
The walk was going to be 5 to 6 hours through different parts of the city...but every second of it was worth it.
We began our tour in the Prague Castle. We visited the old Town square with the famous Astronomical clock, St Vitus Cathedral and many other 15/16 century buildings
We walked over the famous 600 year old Charles Bridge which gives incredible views of Prague. Jazz musicians played on the sides of the bridge, there were painters sketching/painting on their canvases.
It was Prague at it's very best. Medieval, pretty, very European and really really hard to describe it's beauty. It was a fairy tale city.
Skoda cars everywhere and all sorts of models...The car from Czech republic, now owned by Volkswagen has become very popular in India as a luxury car.
Afternoon right close to the Town Square, we sat down to drink 'Gambrinus', a popular Czech beer. Czech republic is undoubtedly the beer mecca. On a per capita basis, Czech people drink more beer than anybody else in the world, even more than the Germans.
Prague offers a wide range of beers from many of the 430 breweries within the Czech Republic. A country where the first pilsner beers were brewed, Prague is a paradise to any beer enthusiast.
The famous German poet Goethe has labeled Prague "the most precious stone in the crown of towns,"
Next day we visited Brno, Czech Republic's second largest city. Our Guide, this time a different Czech girl..We strongly suspected she was drunk!.
The whole group was laughing...and it was the most hilarious moment of the entire trip. We stopped by a nice castle in the countryside on the way between Prague and Brno and then visited Brno.
It was Euro 2006 football time. Czech republic was considered the strongest team and it lost in the early rounds. So we all sat down with our Czech bus driver that evening and consoled him. He told us... When Czech team loses, people drink 6 to 7 pints of beer to forget the loss...So we asked him what happens when the team wins. He promptly replied, we drink 13 pints!
That evening he did drink 5 pints and talked about his adventures...adventures with women.
We started towards our last leg in the tour. Eastern part of Germany. As we neared the Czech border, we noticed prostitutes everywhere walking freely on the roads tempting rich Germans.
Germany...It wasn't the first time I was visiting Germany. On my tour of Western Europe I had seen the lovely parts of Germany...All the pretty, pretty and clinically German towns.
But the moment we crossed the border, Germany with it's very very neat roads, villages, very pretty houses, with crystal clear road signs, the most efficient transportation, burst onto the scene. This was Germany...Everyone wants to drive German cars (Mercedes, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche...) Germany continues to stand for quality, efficieny and much much more
But we were entering Eastern Germany, the part which was Commumist earlier and which was getting transformed
More about Eastern part of Germany in the following blog posts
For most part of our Eastern Europe tour, we had a Czech driver, a nice guy with a mischievous smile. How happy he was when we crossed into Czech republic and entered Prague late evening.
The sun had gone down and the city had taken on a magical glow in the fading evening light. The spires of many cathedrals in Prague were a sight to behold. It's the city of a hundred spires on the River Vltava
Next morning we began our city tour of Prague. We had a lovely Czech girl as our guide and naturally all the members of the group were more than
enthusiastic to begin walking in the city of Prague:)
The walk was going to be 5 to 6 hours through different parts of the city...but every second of it was worth it.
We began our tour in the Prague Castle. We visited the old Town square with the famous Astronomical clock, St Vitus Cathedral and many other 15/16 century buildings
We walked over the famous 600 year old Charles Bridge which gives incredible views of Prague. Jazz musicians played on the sides of the bridge, there were painters sketching/painting on their canvases.
It was Prague at it's very best. Medieval, pretty, very European and really really hard to describe it's beauty. It was a fairy tale city.
Skoda cars everywhere and all sorts of models...The car from Czech republic, now owned by Volkswagen has become very popular in India as a luxury car.
Afternoon right close to the Town Square, we sat down to drink 'Gambrinus', a popular Czech beer. Czech republic is undoubtedly the beer mecca. On a per capita basis, Czech people drink more beer than anybody else in the world, even more than the Germans.
Prague offers a wide range of beers from many of the 430 breweries within the Czech Republic. A country where the first pilsner beers were brewed, Prague is a paradise to any beer enthusiast.
The famous German poet Goethe has labeled Prague "the most precious stone in the crown of towns,"
Next day we visited Brno, Czech Republic's second largest city. Our Guide, this time a different Czech girl..We strongly suspected she was drunk!.
The whole group was laughing...and it was the most hilarious moment of the entire trip. We stopped by a nice castle in the countryside on the way between Prague and Brno and then visited Brno.
It was Euro 2006 football time. Czech republic was considered the strongest team and it lost in the early rounds. So we all sat down with our Czech bus driver that evening and consoled him. He told us... When Czech team loses, people drink 6 to 7 pints of beer to forget the loss...So we asked him what happens when the team wins. He promptly replied, we drink 13 pints!
That evening he did drink 5 pints and talked about his adventures...adventures with women.
We started towards our last leg in the tour. Eastern part of Germany. As we neared the Czech border, we noticed prostitutes everywhere walking freely on the roads tempting rich Germans.
Germany...It wasn't the first time I was visiting Germany. On my tour of Western Europe I had seen the lovely parts of Germany...All the pretty, pretty and clinically German towns.
But the moment we crossed the border, Germany with it's very very neat roads, villages, very pretty houses, with crystal clear road signs, the most efficient transportation, burst onto the scene. This was Germany...Everyone wants to drive German cars (Mercedes, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche...) Germany continues to stand for quality, efficieny and much much more
But we were entering Eastern Germany, the part which was Commumist earlier and which was getting transformed
More about Eastern part of Germany in the following blog posts
Sunday, March 29, 2009
June 2006 Central Europe tour (third stop Vienna, Austria)
Vienna, Austria...Just the name is enough to bring to mind everything that is stately, refined and culturally rich.
Viennese coffee houses (cafes), a tradition which has resulted into coffee shops all over the world... Vienna remains the absolute heart of Western Classic music (with many music festivals all round the year in celebration of all the famous artists who made Vienna their home.. The likes of Mozart...)
Vienna still retains it's imperial character and prides itself in displaying the its glorious architectural forms.
Horse drawn carriages carry you for visits of the Hofburg palace. The town hill is architecturally rich and so are the parliamentary houses
We had 2 doctors with us who wanted to visit the famous Sigmund Freud museum and they did.
The character of Vienna is very German. We had an Austrian guide who had a very German character, always precise about historical facts and not allowing even a second to get lost anywhere.
Hard for Indians who are not always a disciplined lot. He behaved like our master and we listened to him. In a way I felt that it was too much of discipline because we were tourists and tourists are bound to feel a need to take pictures, gaze at the lovely streets etc.
But his point was well taken. 5 mins extra at one place can start getting accumulated and at the end of the day, we would end up missing many good sights
Personally I like to spend time just walking on the streets instead of ensuring every moument, every cathedral needs to be covered...And so I did. I told the guide that I am around taking pictures of people, streets, trams and he was happy to allow me, provided I was clock precise when rejoining the group (which I am normally)
We stopped at an Indian restaurant for lunch and he even scolded the owners of the restaurant for bringing nans late!
But then he sat down to enjoy the Indian meal and described how much he loves India and how many times he has been too India...and all of us were stunned. He loved especially the Southern part of India.
Walking on the streets of Vienna was a lovely experience. Beautiful red and off white trams passed through the streets. The frequency of trams was high and talked a lot of about a very high quality public transportation system in Vienna.
We visited the Hofburg palace in the afternoon which is very massive. I ofcourse did souvenier shopping.
Vienna is famous for it's very very heavy and creamy desserts served with Veinnesse coffee. For viennese schnitzer (Wiener Schnitzel)
The trip from Hungary to Austria was filled with stunningly beautiful countryside
Vienna was beautiful even on a rainy day...
We had stayed overnight at the city of 'Linz'. Linz is a beautiful town.
Next day after doing the day tour of Vienna we had returned back to Linz
In the evening, we sat at a table in the middle of the street drinking beer and observing the snow capped mountains, the young and trendy people of Linz enjoying themselves the summer time in Europe. The waterfront was so pretty. Bright flowers kept at every corner, the snow capped mountains, the sun doing down amongst this beautiful evening weather... As evening faded into night, the lights came up and everything looked magical.
Next day we bid goodbye to Austria to go to Czech Republic. We were about to witness Europe's medieval treasure...The fairy tale city of Prague.
Viennese coffee houses (cafes), a tradition which has resulted into coffee shops all over the world... Vienna remains the absolute heart of Western Classic music (with many music festivals all round the year in celebration of all the famous artists who made Vienna their home.. The likes of Mozart...)
Vienna still retains it's imperial character and prides itself in displaying the its glorious architectural forms.
Horse drawn carriages carry you for visits of the Hofburg palace. The town hill is architecturally rich and so are the parliamentary houses
We had 2 doctors with us who wanted to visit the famous Sigmund Freud museum and they did.
The character of Vienna is very German. We had an Austrian guide who had a very German character, always precise about historical facts and not allowing even a second to get lost anywhere.
Hard for Indians who are not always a disciplined lot. He behaved like our master and we listened to him. In a way I felt that it was too much of discipline because we were tourists and tourists are bound to feel a need to take pictures, gaze at the lovely streets etc.
But his point was well taken. 5 mins extra at one place can start getting accumulated and at the end of the day, we would end up missing many good sights
Personally I like to spend time just walking on the streets instead of ensuring every moument, every cathedral needs to be covered...And so I did. I told the guide that I am around taking pictures of people, streets, trams and he was happy to allow me, provided I was clock precise when rejoining the group (which I am normally)
We stopped at an Indian restaurant for lunch and he even scolded the owners of the restaurant for bringing nans late!
But then he sat down to enjoy the Indian meal and described how much he loves India and how many times he has been too India...and all of us were stunned. He loved especially the Southern part of India.
Walking on the streets of Vienna was a lovely experience. Beautiful red and off white trams passed through the streets. The frequency of trams was high and talked a lot of about a very high quality public transportation system in Vienna.
We visited the Hofburg palace in the afternoon which is very massive. I ofcourse did souvenier shopping.
Vienna is famous for it's very very heavy and creamy desserts served with Veinnesse coffee. For viennese schnitzer (Wiener Schnitzel)
The trip from Hungary to Austria was filled with stunningly beautiful countryside
Vienna was beautiful even on a rainy day...
We had stayed overnight at the city of 'Linz'. Linz is a beautiful town.
Next day after doing the day tour of Vienna we had returned back to Linz
In the evening, we sat at a table in the middle of the street drinking beer and observing the snow capped mountains, the young and trendy people of Linz enjoying themselves the summer time in Europe. The waterfront was so pretty. Bright flowers kept at every corner, the snow capped mountains, the sun doing down amongst this beautiful evening weather... As evening faded into night, the lights came up and everything looked magical.
Next day we bid goodbye to Austria to go to Czech Republic. We were about to witness Europe's medieval treasure...The fairy tale city of Prague.
The music of James Last
Among light instrumentalists, another artist who has made light instrumental music consistently popular is James Last. He is a German composer and orchestra leader. Very popular for band music instrumentals of popular songs, medleys, catchy beats, James Last is a great composer for listening to music which has a fast catchy tempo
Here are some of the 'Youtube' video links to his music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Carnn8XWNCM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFT0vYMNiCg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrHr6MLUnrs&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYQt95pfXP8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0g2MlaCAFQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqny26sFonQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SWuI9vlzfc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeoERIAjk2U&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkZjK0mR39U&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goBCurNa7TM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrHr6MLUnrs&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2epsvd9EjzU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sOnOJuzE0Q&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQlUAhdvkXA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2gdLK2njQs&feature=related
Here are some of the 'Youtube' video links to his music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Carnn8XWNCM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFT0vYMNiCg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrHr6MLUnrs&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYQt95pfXP8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0g2MlaCAFQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqny26sFonQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SWuI9vlzfc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeoERIAjk2U&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkZjK0mR39U&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goBCurNa7TM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrHr6MLUnrs&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2epsvd9EjzU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sOnOJuzE0Q&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQlUAhdvkXA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2gdLK2njQs&feature=related
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Malaka Spice- South East Asian specialities
Went to "Malaka spice", the South East Asian restaurant in Koregaon park today.
The restaurant has moved it's location to Lane 5 in Koregoan park.
But the experience continues to be absolutely wonderful. The restaurant has become very spacious and comfortable
The menu card which is probably the best designed menu card I have come across ever in my entire "culinary odyssey", is still the same.
It's creativity, history, food and coziness, all packaged into one very special menu card.
The restaurant continues to display paintings of upcoming artists.
And the food...simply high quality Asian cuisine and in many cases very close to authentic.
We had skewered vegetables (tofu, mushrooms and green pepper etc) served with nice peanut sauce as a starter.
We ordered one glass of red wine (Ivy Malbec for me) and Rose Zinfandel for my lady friend.
After that we had herbed brown rice and egg plant preparation done with tamarind and chilli sauce. The preparations were exquiste...The taste still lingers in mouth. The perfume and aromas of basil in the brown herbed rice, the delicate texture of grilled tofu. Wonderful.
This surely is the best South east Asian restaurant featuring cuisines from Thailand, Vietnam,Burma, Malaysia, Laos, China & Japan.
And frankly after having been to many South East Asian restaurants in different parts of the world, I would put "Malaka Spice" among the best.
Here is the website link of the restaurant.
http://www.malakaspice.com/home.html
After the really nice lunch, watched the movie "The Reader". Liked it a lot. Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes in a post war German setting.
I always enjoy movies with European settings more... In this case, the movie was shot in Germany.
The music, the acting, the cultural background all contribute to the experience...
For e.g in one scene the young boy takes Kate Winslet on a cycle trip in the countryside and stops at a church to listen to a choir (similar to a Viennesse boy choir). The trams going past small European towns, the images of post war run down buildings...
This movie dosen't dissappoint at all. Both Kate Winslet and Ralph Fineness are fine British actors. With a small but intense storyline, the movie continues to hold the audience through very intense acting moments. Winslet went onto win an Oscar for her fine performance.
The movie is for an audience with a mature taste. The idea of a boy reading Homer's Odyssey or Anton Chekov's short story is unlikely to appeal or even make sense to a primarily teenage audience at E-Square.
The restaurant has moved it's location to Lane 5 in Koregoan park.
But the experience continues to be absolutely wonderful. The restaurant has become very spacious and comfortable
The menu card which is probably the best designed menu card I have come across ever in my entire "culinary odyssey", is still the same.
It's creativity, history, food and coziness, all packaged into one very special menu card.
The restaurant continues to display paintings of upcoming artists.
And the food...simply high quality Asian cuisine and in many cases very close to authentic.
We had skewered vegetables (tofu, mushrooms and green pepper etc) served with nice peanut sauce as a starter.
We ordered one glass of red wine (Ivy Malbec for me) and Rose Zinfandel for my lady friend.
After that we had herbed brown rice and egg plant preparation done with tamarind and chilli sauce. The preparations were exquiste...The taste still lingers in mouth. The perfume and aromas of basil in the brown herbed rice, the delicate texture of grilled tofu. Wonderful.
This surely is the best South east Asian restaurant featuring cuisines from Thailand, Vietnam,Burma, Malaysia, Laos, China & Japan.
And frankly after having been to many South East Asian restaurants in different parts of the world, I would put "Malaka Spice" among the best.
Here is the website link of the restaurant.
http://www.malakaspice.com/home.html
After the really nice lunch, watched the movie "The Reader". Liked it a lot. Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes in a post war German setting.
I always enjoy movies with European settings more... In this case, the movie was shot in Germany.
The music, the acting, the cultural background all contribute to the experience...
For e.g in one scene the young boy takes Kate Winslet on a cycle trip in the countryside and stops at a church to listen to a choir (similar to a Viennesse boy choir). The trams going past small European towns, the images of post war run down buildings...
This movie dosen't dissappoint at all. Both Kate Winslet and Ralph Fineness are fine British actors. With a small but intense storyline, the movie continues to hold the audience through very intense acting moments. Winslet went onto win an Oscar for her fine performance.
The movie is for an audience with a mature taste. The idea of a boy reading Homer's Odyssey or Anton Chekov's short story is unlikely to appeal or even make sense to a primarily teenage audience at E-Square.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Gudi Padwa festival food
"Gudi Padwa" is celebrated all over Maharashtra today. It's the first day of the new calendar year for Maharashtrians and it begins the season of spring(Vasant)
The sun starts increasing its intensity. The harvested crops are ready for consumption, Mangoes start appearing in markets, flowers bloom...
The day marks the end of one harvest and beginning of another.
There are many legends associated with this day, but the most important one is about Brahma(the creator) creating life on this day.
We all begin the festivities by eating the bitter leaves of the neem tree. The neem tree is considered extremely good for purifying the body of all the bad elements.
It's the right way to begin the new year!
Ofcourse I eat it because I like it a lot:) The leaves themselves are bitter but when grounded and mixed with little jaggery & crushed dal (with entire mixture made into a paste), it's a lovely combination of bitter-sweet taste.
I feasted on 'pooris' (wheat/maida dough balls which are fried) and boiled potato vegetable. I had lots of neem chutney
And it dosent stop there.... The amrakhand (mango skhrikhand) was also there but I am going to have all that in the evening
All in all the new marathi calender year truly began in a nice relaxing way, with all the food goodies...
The sun starts increasing its intensity. The harvested crops are ready for consumption, Mangoes start appearing in markets, flowers bloom...
The day marks the end of one harvest and beginning of another.
There are many legends associated with this day, but the most important one is about Brahma(the creator) creating life on this day.
We all begin the festivities by eating the bitter leaves of the neem tree. The neem tree is considered extremely good for purifying the body of all the bad elements.
It's the right way to begin the new year!
Ofcourse I eat it because I like it a lot:) The leaves themselves are bitter but when grounded and mixed with little jaggery & crushed dal (with entire mixture made into a paste), it's a lovely combination of bitter-sweet taste.
I feasted on 'pooris' (wheat/maida dough balls which are fried) and boiled potato vegetable. I had lots of neem chutney
And it dosent stop there.... The amrakhand (mango skhrikhand) was also there but I am going to have all that in the evening
All in all the new marathi calender year truly began in a nice relaxing way, with all the food goodies...
Sunday, March 22, 2009
More light instrumental music for a weekend afternoon
Paul Mauriat's Penelope...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFaaQlMnnnA
As I am listening to another Paul Mauriat tune, but this time with vocal background by Danielle Licari. A perfect light instrumental about the beautiful city of Paris and a nice video too
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crGVlhxz7d4&feature=related
Some more of Francis Lai's music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKGnw4LkZFE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfc4NPNMFro&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-QbDnsmsx0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYO930drqCk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmPGytQzcXY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90_KjzN3-Rw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTY-vvnO1AA&feature=related
Raymond Lefevre
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ci-N0KLfwk4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFuZhQWNMgU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltGgHbtCm70&feature=related
Danielle Licari version of Love Story
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzqLTSzA8XE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFaaQlMnnnA
As I am listening to another Paul Mauriat tune, but this time with vocal background by Danielle Licari. A perfect light instrumental about the beautiful city of Paris and a nice video too
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crGVlhxz7d4&feature=related
Some more of Francis Lai's music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKGnw4LkZFE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfc4NPNMFro&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-QbDnsmsx0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYO930drqCk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmPGytQzcXY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90_KjzN3-Rw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTY-vvnO1AA&feature=related
Raymond Lefevre
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ci-N0KLfwk4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFuZhQWNMgU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltGgHbtCm70&feature=related
Danielle Licari version of Love Story
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzqLTSzA8XE&feature=related
Grill food restaurant in Pune
Went to "Mad House Grill" restaurant in Koregoan park, one of those rare restaurants in Pune focussing on grilled food. This one is surely for grilled meat lovers.
When I was eating meat, this was one of the really nice restaurants for eating grilled meat which was lightly spiced. Grilled Lamb especially was very good.
However since I have turned vegeterian, I am left with choices which are still good
Had a grilled veggie plate with herbed rice. It was very good. The vegetables were really nicely grilled and served in a tomato sauce. The rice had small pieces of red pepper and was beautifully herbed.
My friend ate the restaurant speciality which was cottage cheese stuffed with spinach served with mashed potatoes, grilled veggies and served with a brown wine sauce
Excellent....
A very good restaurant if one prefers something non-greasy, light on spices with resonable portions.
Perfect for a Sunday morning lunch.
When I was eating meat, this was one of the really nice restaurants for eating grilled meat which was lightly spiced. Grilled Lamb especially was very good.
However since I have turned vegeterian, I am left with choices which are still good
Had a grilled veggie plate with herbed rice. It was very good. The vegetables were really nicely grilled and served in a tomato sauce. The rice had small pieces of red pepper and was beautifully herbed.
My friend ate the restaurant speciality which was cottage cheese stuffed with spinach served with mashed potatoes, grilled veggies and served with a brown wine sauce
Excellent....
A very good restaurant if one prefers something non-greasy, light on spices with resonable portions.
Perfect for a Sunday morning lunch.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
A windy evening with shades of autumn hue -- Paul Mauriat music
When the evening is soft, the sun goes down and different colours spread over the sky
there is nothing which can express this moment in time. There are no words. I can only think of beautiful music at this time.
I am just posting more Paul Mauriat links...Soft instrumentals. Not too overtly romantic but conveying feelings which are mixed and perfect for a beautiful windy evening, with the evening light showing autumn colour hues.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtuowSjlt6k&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKeTAx7EHSE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfBK7WJrowg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-_I93drMCk&feature=related
Lovely photo of a typical Paris street in autumn after a shower. The lovely hue and colours in the slide of the Paris street... Perfect for my thoughts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cer9BKQHDew&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9ktXOLULmo&feature=related
Wish I could make such beautiful music! That is not possible in this lifetime!
there is nothing which can express this moment in time. There are no words. I can only think of beautiful music at this time.
I am just posting more Paul Mauriat links...Soft instrumentals. Not too overtly romantic but conveying feelings which are mixed and perfect for a beautiful windy evening, with the evening light showing autumn colour hues.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtuowSjlt6k&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKeTAx7EHSE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfBK7WJrowg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-_I93drMCk&feature=related
Lovely photo of a typical Paris street in autumn after a shower. The lovely hue and colours in the slide of the Paris street... Perfect for my thoughts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cer9BKQHDew&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9ktXOLULmo&feature=related
Wish I could make such beautiful music! That is not possible in this lifetime!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
The genius of Miyazaki
Everyone of us grows up watching American animation/cartoons. Some of them are really nice but half of them are actually very violent and naturally kids get addicted to them...I still enjoyed watching American animation but it was turning out to be predictable (the animals, the songs, the constant bashing/hammering )
In the animation industry, 'Pixar' studio in Los Angeles does produce really high quality films and sets the standards of animation technology. However many of these films tend to express American cultural values.
The characters are computer generated and lack a human touch. They are nice, enjoyable neverthless.
Anyway... one fine day when I was picking up a rental movie in a nearby 'Blockbuster' U.S video store, I bumped into an animation film produced by a Japanese animation artist.
Little did I know what world is going to open up for me. I watched the film. It was "Princess Mononake" by Hayao Miyazaki and the production house was Studio 'Ghibili'.
The film changed my world. It was so beautiful and so stunningly done. The animation was taken to a level I had not ever imagined. But more importantly, it brought back tenderness and human values into the films. You could see Miyazaki telling us something constantly in his films, a theme which expresses a message of telling all of us to go back to our roots and look at the world we have left behind. The forests, the springs, the simple life, family, old people... and much much more. On many occassions, he wants us to believe in the fairly tales...the tales that our grannies told us and the ones which we were told not to believe in, after we grow up. And the animation...when we watch his films we experience the shades of trees, the changing weather, the sunshine on the leaves after a shower...unbelievable...
I watched many of his films and have started forming a DVD collection
"My friend Totoro", "Spirited Away", "Kiki's delivery Service"...
I am posting one lovely Youtube video from his film "My friend Totoro"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIhQ4XEo3Is
The world is unlikely to see another 'Miyazaki' getting created. Miyazaki still produces hand drawn animation instead of computer generated characters and his characters look so very natural. His studio spends years and years tireless working on a film. The end result is for all of us to see and experience.
In my mind, if there is one country which deserves all the respect, it's Japan.
Japan is a miracle...Every engineer knows and understands that. It's a country with
zero natural resources. It was completely destroyed after World War 2.
But today, we can blindfold ourselves and buy Japanese products and they are always high quality. I am so glad, Japan produced an artist who gives so much joy to me and to many people in the world who have been lucky to watch his films.
Here is a wonderful site for all the Miyazaki fans around the world
http://www.nausicaa.net/wiki/Main_Page
In the animation industry, 'Pixar' studio in Los Angeles does produce really high quality films and sets the standards of animation technology. However many of these films tend to express American cultural values.
The characters are computer generated and lack a human touch. They are nice, enjoyable neverthless.
Anyway... one fine day when I was picking up a rental movie in a nearby 'Blockbuster' U.S video store, I bumped into an animation film produced by a Japanese animation artist.
Little did I know what world is going to open up for me. I watched the film. It was "Princess Mononake" by Hayao Miyazaki and the production house was Studio 'Ghibili'.
The film changed my world. It was so beautiful and so stunningly done. The animation was taken to a level I had not ever imagined. But more importantly, it brought back tenderness and human values into the films. You could see Miyazaki telling us something constantly in his films, a theme which expresses a message of telling all of us to go back to our roots and look at the world we have left behind. The forests, the springs, the simple life, family, old people... and much much more. On many occassions, he wants us to believe in the fairly tales...the tales that our grannies told us and the ones which we were told not to believe in, after we grow up. And the animation...when we watch his films we experience the shades of trees, the changing weather, the sunshine on the leaves after a shower...unbelievable...
I watched many of his films and have started forming a DVD collection
"My friend Totoro", "Spirited Away", "Kiki's delivery Service"...
I am posting one lovely Youtube video from his film "My friend Totoro"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIhQ4XEo3Is
The world is unlikely to see another 'Miyazaki' getting created. Miyazaki still produces hand drawn animation instead of computer generated characters and his characters look so very natural. His studio spends years and years tireless working on a film. The end result is for all of us to see and experience.
In my mind, if there is one country which deserves all the respect, it's Japan.
Japan is a miracle...Every engineer knows and understands that. It's a country with
zero natural resources. It was completely destroyed after World War 2.
But today, we can blindfold ourselves and buy Japanese products and they are always high quality. I am so glad, Japan produced an artist who gives so much joy to me and to many people in the world who have been lucky to watch his films.
Here is a wonderful site for all the Miyazaki fans around the world
http://www.nausicaa.net/wiki/Main_Page
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Swiss food in Pune
Yesterday evening we went to Swiss Cheese Garden, the restaurant in A.B.C farms, Koregaon park for enjoying Swiss food.
This restaurant has been around for a long time and I still remember the first time I went there was way back in 1996. It's still remained exactly the same.
The restaurant has a Norwegian touch to it's interior design. The interiors are made from babul logs, which create an atmosphere of Swiss Log Huts. But it was too warm inside and hence we opted to sit outside.
Swiss cheese garden serves excellent 'Fondue' (The famous Swiss dish. It's a pot of melting cheese brought on the table with bread croutons where each person can take the bread piece and dip it into the melting pot of cheese).
The table given to us was tucked into the corner and we really had a good time. We ordered a plate of mixed vegetable rosti (standard potato rosti but mixed with veggies).
We also ordered a pasta with mushroom sauce. Both of them turned out to be excellent. And we had a pint of Kingfisher beer with garlic bread as a starter dish.
The beer complimented the food extremely well.
With me ofcourse was the special person that I am interacting with, these days. She expressed that she tries to avoid cheese and hence the Swiss Fondue plan was dropped.
The Swiss Fondue is done really nicely in Swiss Cheese garden. The cheese comes from ABC farms and I strongly recommend everyone visiting Swiss cheese garden to taste authentic Swiss Fondue.
I enjoyed Saturday evening and it was with someone very special. We have differences unfortunately... And that keeps a check on my feelings. But hey nothing will stop us from spending evenings at these nice places in Pune!.
More important...I am extremely proud of the city of Pune which has the ability to remain very cosmopoliton (by opening Swiss restaurants 15 years back..Who would have thought of that) and yet very traditional. Most people don't know this side of Pune and don't realize it either.
Swiss food does remind me of Switzerland. It is a very pretty country.
I still remember my Year 2000 trip to Switzerland...The picture postcard views of the Alps, the red Swiss trains, the very modest Swiss towns, beautifully preserved from the 16th century and the clock work precision of everything that is Swiss.
Swiss people are very hard working and extremely well mannered
Alpine meadows, snow capped peaks..Church bells, alpine cow bells, the sound of trains climbing up the Alps, the beautiful cities of Lucerne, Zurich...
Switzerland remains one of the richest countries in the world. But the well mannered and modest Swiss never show off their wealth.
So no glitzy malls,no artififical lighting... No big houses either...
Just quaint towns everywhere in the country... Once in a while one can walk on BanfhofStrasse in Zurich and ofcourse realize why it is one of the richest countries in the world but in most cases the commoners walk along side the world's super rich and thats a rare sight in the world but a common sight in Switzerland.
So popular is Switzerland among Indians, that Indians account for 25 per cent of tourists visiting Switzerland. One even finds notices in Gujrathi. It is an amazing sight to bump into one.
It's a country where the goverment officials take trains to go to their offices and a classy Swiss tennis player like Roger Federer can walk as an absolutely normal person on the roads without ever getting noticed.
It's one country that I will love to visit again and will.
This restaurant has been around for a long time and I still remember the first time I went there was way back in 1996. It's still remained exactly the same.
The restaurant has a Norwegian touch to it's interior design. The interiors are made from babul logs, which create an atmosphere of Swiss Log Huts. But it was too warm inside and hence we opted to sit outside.
Swiss cheese garden serves excellent 'Fondue' (The famous Swiss dish. It's a pot of melting cheese brought on the table with bread croutons where each person can take the bread piece and dip it into the melting pot of cheese).
The table given to us was tucked into the corner and we really had a good time. We ordered a plate of mixed vegetable rosti (standard potato rosti but mixed with veggies).
We also ordered a pasta with mushroom sauce. Both of them turned out to be excellent. And we had a pint of Kingfisher beer with garlic bread as a starter dish.
The beer complimented the food extremely well.
With me ofcourse was the special person that I am interacting with, these days. She expressed that she tries to avoid cheese and hence the Swiss Fondue plan was dropped.
The Swiss Fondue is done really nicely in Swiss Cheese garden. The cheese comes from ABC farms and I strongly recommend everyone visiting Swiss cheese garden to taste authentic Swiss Fondue.
I enjoyed Saturday evening and it was with someone very special. We have differences unfortunately... And that keeps a check on my feelings. But hey nothing will stop us from spending evenings at these nice places in Pune!.
More important...I am extremely proud of the city of Pune which has the ability to remain very cosmopoliton (by opening Swiss restaurants 15 years back..Who would have thought of that) and yet very traditional. Most people don't know this side of Pune and don't realize it either.
Swiss food does remind me of Switzerland. It is a very pretty country.
I still remember my Year 2000 trip to Switzerland...The picture postcard views of the Alps, the red Swiss trains, the very modest Swiss towns, beautifully preserved from the 16th century and the clock work precision of everything that is Swiss.
Swiss people are very hard working and extremely well mannered
Alpine meadows, snow capped peaks..Church bells, alpine cow bells, the sound of trains climbing up the Alps, the beautiful cities of Lucerne, Zurich...
Switzerland remains one of the richest countries in the world. But the well mannered and modest Swiss never show off their wealth.
So no glitzy malls,no artififical lighting... No big houses either...
Just quaint towns everywhere in the country... Once in a while one can walk on BanfhofStrasse in Zurich and ofcourse realize why it is one of the richest countries in the world but in most cases the commoners walk along side the world's super rich and thats a rare sight in the world but a common sight in Switzerland.
So popular is Switzerland among Indians, that Indians account for 25 per cent of tourists visiting Switzerland. One even finds notices in Gujrathi. It is an amazing sight to bump into one.
It's a country where the goverment officials take trains to go to their offices and a classy Swiss tennis player like Roger Federer can walk as an absolutely normal person on the roads without ever getting noticed.
It's one country that I will love to visit again and will.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
June 2006 Central Europe tour (second stop Hungary)
The Polish airflines flight from Warsaw (Poland) to Budapest (Hungary) was surprisingly very nice. Very spacious seats.
We arrived at Budapest in the evening. It so happened that some of members Hungarian VISA were expiring the very day we landed. So on paper, we had few hours in Hungary!
We were all worried...But everyone was allowed entry and we all expressed Hurrah.
We had a very soft spoken Hungarian guide with us. He talked about Hungary's history and its post World War 2 experimentation with Socialism and Communism. Hungary always viewed India as a role model for being a socialist country. The guide told us how the Indian PM Nehru was very popular among the Hungarians. Hungary respected India's non aggressive approach to tackle the communist-capatilist fight.
Budapest is actually made up of 2 cities Buda & Pest. The Danube river flows between the 2 cities. We went out for dinner late evening and then requested our bus driver to drive us around Budapest in the night.
It was an extraordinary sight...Paris by night is special. But Budapest was out of the blue. The famous Chain bridge (most Indians would recogize it from the climax scene from the film "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam") looked so stunning. The cities of Buda and Pest, the parliment buildings at night beautifully lit was a sight none of the group members could forget for the entire tour. If there was one magic moment of the tour, this was it
Next morning after having our breakfast, we were waiting for our bus to arrive in our hotel to take us on a day tour of Budapest. But it did not. So the travel company arrange taxis and it was fun. Taxi drivers were very excited about an Indian group doing sightseeing in their city. They all talked about the usual topic of Hindi movies. It amazes me how much Indian cinema spans across the globe without having a marketing engine like Hollywood.
Everyone talk about one theme of Indian cinema. The emphasis on family culture and values seen. This is something which attracts Europeans strongly because this system has dissappeared in many parts of Europe
We reached the Parliament house. It is built in the 19th century. It is huge
President George Bush was supposed to arrive in Budapest just the day after we were visiting the Parliament. So the security was tight.
The views from the back side of the Parliament were magnificent. The Danube river flowed beatifully and we could see small sight seeing cruises along the river.
After that we went to see the Buda Castle located ontop of a hill
After that castle visit, we moved to the castle-like Fisherman’s Bastion, well-known for the wonderful panoramic views it provides of the city of Budapest. The castle-like Fisherman’s Bastion was built in 1905, mainly for decorative purposes. It’s located near Matthias Church in the Castle District of this interesting city.
Finally we stopped at the Chain Bridge. There was a live music concert on the Chain Bridge. Me and my friend walked along the Chain Bridge taking lot of pictures of the bridge and all the festive atmosphere.
The 1230ft long and 16 meter wide bridge was considered a superb engineering feat and was opened in 1849.
The bridge ignited the economic revival that would lead to Budapest's golden century and it was one of the factors that made the towns of Pest and Buda into a fast-growing metropolitan. In 1989 people demonstrated on the chain bridge for freedom and independence. Since then, the bridge has become a symbol of Hungarian liberty.
After that we had our lunch in an Indian restaurant nearby. The food was excellent. Yup Punjabi food in Budapest! In came all the nans, dal makhanis, raitas, papads, butter chicken ... And how can anyone not have beer! The restaurant was very popular with lots of Hungarians sitting inside enjoying Indian food.
As it happens everywhere, the Indian restaurant owners go out of the way to make Indian groups happy.
After our heavy lunch, we went back and sat idling around in the beautiful park before the entrance to the Chain Bridge. All the couples went around teasing me about my single status and asking me when I am going to dip
But Budapest was on my mind. Nothing else mattered...
What a magnificent day it was and it continued to be. Later in the day we started for the long bus journey to Vienna, Austria.
If there is a name which brings back images of being stately, refined, polished and culturally rich city with a beautiful name, it's Vienna
I was experiencing parts of the famous Austro-Hungarian empire. And now it was Austria.
We passed through many beautiful villages, passing over the Danube bend, passing many orchard farms.. As we moved closer to Austria, the countryside became very beautiful
Austria is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. A recent Hindi movie 'Yuvraaj' captures Austrian countryside very well.
This is where the movie "Sound of music" was made.
My heart and my mind carrying images of Budapest was now very much looking forward to visiting Vienna
More about Vienna in the next few posts.
We arrived at Budapest in the evening. It so happened that some of members Hungarian VISA were expiring the very day we landed. So on paper, we had few hours in Hungary!
We were all worried...But everyone was allowed entry and we all expressed Hurrah.
We had a very soft spoken Hungarian guide with us. He talked about Hungary's history and its post World War 2 experimentation with Socialism and Communism. Hungary always viewed India as a role model for being a socialist country. The guide told us how the Indian PM Nehru was very popular among the Hungarians. Hungary respected India's non aggressive approach to tackle the communist-capatilist fight.
Budapest is actually made up of 2 cities Buda & Pest. The Danube river flows between the 2 cities. We went out for dinner late evening and then requested our bus driver to drive us around Budapest in the night.
It was an extraordinary sight...Paris by night is special. But Budapest was out of the blue. The famous Chain bridge (most Indians would recogize it from the climax scene from the film "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam") looked so stunning. The cities of Buda and Pest, the parliment buildings at night beautifully lit was a sight none of the group members could forget for the entire tour. If there was one magic moment of the tour, this was it
Next morning after having our breakfast, we were waiting for our bus to arrive in our hotel to take us on a day tour of Budapest. But it did not. So the travel company arrange taxis and it was fun. Taxi drivers were very excited about an Indian group doing sightseeing in their city. They all talked about the usual topic of Hindi movies. It amazes me how much Indian cinema spans across the globe without having a marketing engine like Hollywood.
Everyone talk about one theme of Indian cinema. The emphasis on family culture and values seen. This is something which attracts Europeans strongly because this system has dissappeared in many parts of Europe
We reached the Parliament house. It is built in the 19th century. It is huge
President George Bush was supposed to arrive in Budapest just the day after we were visiting the Parliament. So the security was tight.
The views from the back side of the Parliament were magnificent. The Danube river flowed beatifully and we could see small sight seeing cruises along the river.
After that we went to see the Buda Castle located ontop of a hill
After that castle visit, we moved to the castle-like Fisherman’s Bastion, well-known for the wonderful panoramic views it provides of the city of Budapest. The castle-like Fisherman’s Bastion was built in 1905, mainly for decorative purposes. It’s located near Matthias Church in the Castle District of this interesting city.
Finally we stopped at the Chain Bridge. There was a live music concert on the Chain Bridge. Me and my friend walked along the Chain Bridge taking lot of pictures of the bridge and all the festive atmosphere.
The 1230ft long and 16 meter wide bridge was considered a superb engineering feat and was opened in 1849.
The bridge ignited the economic revival that would lead to Budapest's golden century and it was one of the factors that made the towns of Pest and Buda into a fast-growing metropolitan. In 1989 people demonstrated on the chain bridge for freedom and independence. Since then, the bridge has become a symbol of Hungarian liberty.
After that we had our lunch in an Indian restaurant nearby. The food was excellent. Yup Punjabi food in Budapest! In came all the nans, dal makhanis, raitas, papads, butter chicken ... And how can anyone not have beer! The restaurant was very popular with lots of Hungarians sitting inside enjoying Indian food.
As it happens everywhere, the Indian restaurant owners go out of the way to make Indian groups happy.
After our heavy lunch, we went back and sat idling around in the beautiful park before the entrance to the Chain Bridge. All the couples went around teasing me about my single status and asking me when I am going to dip
But Budapest was on my mind. Nothing else mattered...
What a magnificent day it was and it continued to be. Later in the day we started for the long bus journey to Vienna, Austria.
If there is a name which brings back images of being stately, refined, polished and culturally rich city with a beautiful name, it's Vienna
I was experiencing parts of the famous Austro-Hungarian empire. And now it was Austria.
We passed through many beautiful villages, passing over the Danube bend, passing many orchard farms.. As we moved closer to Austria, the countryside became very beautiful
Austria is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. A recent Hindi movie 'Yuvraaj' captures Austrian countryside very well.
This is where the movie "Sound of music" was made.
My heart and my mind carrying images of Budapest was now very much looking forward to visiting Vienna
More about Vienna in the next few posts.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
The talent of George Michael
Most people of my generation grew up listening to George Michael. Year after year he produced singles which topped the charts.
George is a Greek immigrant to the U.K. He went on to become one the most successful pop artists of the U.K ever. Was considered by many as the sexiest male star ever, his videos features super models, his songs became bold and
However as he matured, he produced songs of jazzy dreamy quality. Not too many people would remember these songs of George Michael.
But the talent of George Michael is so very obvious.
Listen to these songs which George sings with a smooth jazzy voice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A36irEo4to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSyOCx6ZXfM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTowiDF-KbQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7E4W1G1bdc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaDGXXF5Ve0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDGN0mgE0Ow&feature=related
Who forgets "Careless whisper" and the strong saxophone and a very young George Michael.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Wt3lSsQMNY
And I also got tempted to put one of his very sexy videos which became a huge hit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz9DBy2dhZ8&feature=related
It is a sexy song, no other words for it.
Even today he continues to make funky songs and videos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyyoIWIB_-E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBo3HWqcq8k&feature=related
Thats why I like George Michael! Huge talent and ability to switch between jazzy, funky, pop, and very different genre songs.
George is a Greek immigrant to the U.K. He went on to become one the most successful pop artists of the U.K ever. Was considered by many as the sexiest male star ever, his videos features super models, his songs became bold and
However as he matured, he produced songs of jazzy dreamy quality. Not too many people would remember these songs of George Michael.
But the talent of George Michael is so very obvious.
Listen to these songs which George sings with a smooth jazzy voice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A36irEo4to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSyOCx6ZXfM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTowiDF-KbQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7E4W1G1bdc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaDGXXF5Ve0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDGN0mgE0Ow&feature=related
Who forgets "Careless whisper" and the strong saxophone and a very young George Michael.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Wt3lSsQMNY
And I also got tempted to put one of his very sexy videos which became a huge hit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz9DBy2dhZ8&feature=related
It is a sexy song, no other words for it.
Even today he continues to make funky songs and videos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyyoIWIB_-E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBo3HWqcq8k&feature=related
Thats why I like George Michael! Huge talent and ability to switch between jazzy, funky, pop, and very different genre songs.
Friday, February 27, 2009
June 2006 tour of Central-Eastern Europe(First stop in Poland)
With a team of few travel enthusiasts, I took a tour of Central Eastern Europe.
Countries of Poland, Hungary, Czech republic, Austria and finally eastern part of Germany. The tour was focussed on visiting the capital and important cities of each of these countries but the drive was through some unique parts of each of these countries.
I have travelled to Western part of Europe and loved it. It's absolutely beautiful...But everyone goes there from India!.
To take a tour in Central and Eastern part of Europe was a dream come true.
These were the countries who suffered a lot in World War 2 and regained back in a typically European way. They became communist countries and hence the influence of Communism and a rush towards new found freedom and democracy has created a strange culture.
They did not have money but they still reconstructed each and every town exactly like the way it was in the past.
Modernity is nice but to experience quaint European towns is a pleasure beyond description.
Cobblestone streets, fountains, old architectures, old town market squares, beautiful cathedrals...It's very European.
But there's a big twist. Many of these countries were the old communist block countries and Russian influence with gray buildings is still seen everywhere
The first stop was in Warsaw, Poland.
We covered the historical sites such as the Ghetto Memorial, the monument of Warsaw Uprising, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Grand Theatre, Chopin's monument, the Belvedere Palace and the Old Town.
In the Old Town we walked passed the Castle Square, King Sigismund's Column, St. John's Cathedral, the Old Town Market Square and the Barbican.
What was interesting to see was the very strong Catholic influence on day to day life of Polish people. We saw lot of nuns dressed in white dresses walking to churches which were
Poland has ofcourse produced brilliant scientists. And we saw Madame Curies house
The hightlight of the visit to Warsaw was going to a famous University. Our guide was a lovely Polish lady. She knew a lot of history of Poland. We walked through the University gardens and the interesting part of the garden was that it was on the roof of the University and through the glass of the roof we could see students
When we came outside, we were stunned to see a description of the Universe in Sanskit. After further enquiries the guide told us that famous Polish scientists acknowledge the amazing contribution of ancient India to science in many fields and foremost being astronomy.
That evening 3 of us headed back to the old town square and it was beautifully lit.
We ordered a classic beetroot soup (Borscht), sausages and beer! Wonderful
We visitied the Jewish memorial. Poland with its large concentration of Jews was the place of ghettos...
Warsaw ghetto, divided into 2 sections (the Small Ghetto at the southern end and the Large Ghetto on the north) 450,000 Jews were forced to live in very crowded conditions. By the time deportations to the extermination camps began, about 100,000 residents of the Ghetto had died of starvation or disease.
A gruesome reminder of moments in history which should never be forgotten
We then visited the Wilanow Park, dating back to the 17th century. It covers the area of 43 ha. Its central Italian-styled area corresponds to the ancient, renaissance and baroque forms of the palace. The palace has a baroque garden, laid out in the Italian-French style, abounds in decorative vases and scultpures of ancient gods which are easily distinguishable in the rich vegetation all around.
The Wilanow Park has also a lot to offer to romantic souls. Once the Wilanow Park was reputed as one of the most beautiful water gardens in Europe.
We also visited Lazienki Park
The Lazienki Park is one of the most beautiful park and palace complexes in Europe.
Palace on the Water , Theatre on the Island, the Myslewicki Palace, the Old Orangerie, the Belweder, the Astronomical Observatory.
The Lazienki Park covers the area of 76 ha.. The unique character and history of the park is reflected in its landscape architecture (pavilions, sculptures, bridges, cascades, ponds) and vegetation (domestic and foreign species of trees and bushes).
The Lazienki Park also attracts music lovers who attend summer concerts which take place at the foot of Fryderyk Chopin's monument.
The Botanical Garden, dating back to the 18th century, is also a part of the Lazienki Park.
As a bunch of Indians walking in this park, we never expected to meet Indians. But we ran into 3 college girls from Mumbai who had come to Poland to stay for 2 months.
It was amazing...We were in a country where Indians will not venture into and out of nowwhere we bump into cute college girls.
To celebrate the moment we had lunch in an Indian restaurant in Warsaw. The polish waiter was a big fan of everything Indian. Indian food, Indian culture, Indian dresses...and Indian cinema. The 3 college girls were completely overwhelmed.
They had been staying away from home for a long time and when they met Indians, their joy was obvious. They were talking to old people in our group with warmth that only Indians can express.
One of them started asking me far too me details showing obvious interest in my single status! So characteritically I resorted to my way of answering 'politically'
All in all it was a wonderful trip to Poland.
After that we flew to Hungary and landed at Budapest. More about Budapest in my next few posts.
Countries of Poland, Hungary, Czech republic, Austria and finally eastern part of Germany. The tour was focussed on visiting the capital and important cities of each of these countries but the drive was through some unique parts of each of these countries.
I have travelled to Western part of Europe and loved it. It's absolutely beautiful...But everyone goes there from India!.
To take a tour in Central and Eastern part of Europe was a dream come true.
These were the countries who suffered a lot in World War 2 and regained back in a typically European way. They became communist countries and hence the influence of Communism and a rush towards new found freedom and democracy has created a strange culture.
They did not have money but they still reconstructed each and every town exactly like the way it was in the past.
Modernity is nice but to experience quaint European towns is a pleasure beyond description.
Cobblestone streets, fountains, old architectures, old town market squares, beautiful cathedrals...It's very European.
But there's a big twist. Many of these countries were the old communist block countries and Russian influence with gray buildings is still seen everywhere
The first stop was in Warsaw, Poland.
We covered the historical sites such as the Ghetto Memorial, the monument of Warsaw Uprising, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Grand Theatre, Chopin's monument, the Belvedere Palace and the Old Town.
In the Old Town we walked passed the Castle Square, King Sigismund's Column, St. John's Cathedral, the Old Town Market Square and the Barbican.
What was interesting to see was the very strong Catholic influence on day to day life of Polish people. We saw lot of nuns dressed in white dresses walking to churches which were
Poland has ofcourse produced brilliant scientists. And we saw Madame Curies house
The hightlight of the visit to Warsaw was going to a famous University. Our guide was a lovely Polish lady. She knew a lot of history of Poland. We walked through the University gardens and the interesting part of the garden was that it was on the roof of the University and through the glass of the roof we could see students
When we came outside, we were stunned to see a description of the Universe in Sanskit. After further enquiries the guide told us that famous Polish scientists acknowledge the amazing contribution of ancient India to science in many fields and foremost being astronomy.
That evening 3 of us headed back to the old town square and it was beautifully lit.
We ordered a classic beetroot soup (Borscht), sausages and beer! Wonderful
We visitied the Jewish memorial. Poland with its large concentration of Jews was the place of ghettos...
Warsaw ghetto, divided into 2 sections (the Small Ghetto at the southern end and the Large Ghetto on the north) 450,000 Jews were forced to live in very crowded conditions. By the time deportations to the extermination camps began, about 100,000 residents of the Ghetto had died of starvation or disease.
A gruesome reminder of moments in history which should never be forgotten
We then visited the Wilanow Park, dating back to the 17th century. It covers the area of 43 ha. Its central Italian-styled area corresponds to the ancient, renaissance and baroque forms of the palace. The palace has a baroque garden, laid out in the Italian-French style, abounds in decorative vases and scultpures of ancient gods which are easily distinguishable in the rich vegetation all around.
The Wilanow Park has also a lot to offer to romantic souls. Once the Wilanow Park was reputed as one of the most beautiful water gardens in Europe.
We also visited Lazienki Park
The Lazienki Park is one of the most beautiful park and palace complexes in Europe.
Palace on the Water , Theatre on the Island, the Myslewicki Palace, the Old Orangerie, the Belweder, the Astronomical Observatory.
The Lazienki Park covers the area of 76 ha.. The unique character and history of the park is reflected in its landscape architecture (pavilions, sculptures, bridges, cascades, ponds) and vegetation (domestic and foreign species of trees and bushes).
The Lazienki Park also attracts music lovers who attend summer concerts which take place at the foot of Fryderyk Chopin's monument.
The Botanical Garden, dating back to the 18th century, is also a part of the Lazienki Park.
As a bunch of Indians walking in this park, we never expected to meet Indians. But we ran into 3 college girls from Mumbai who had come to Poland to stay for 2 months.
It was amazing...We were in a country where Indians will not venture into and out of nowwhere we bump into cute college girls.
To celebrate the moment we had lunch in an Indian restaurant in Warsaw. The polish waiter was a big fan of everything Indian. Indian food, Indian culture, Indian dresses...and Indian cinema. The 3 college girls were completely overwhelmed.
They had been staying away from home for a long time and when they met Indians, their joy was obvious. They were talking to old people in our group with warmth that only Indians can express.
One of them started asking me far too me details showing obvious interest in my single status! So characteritically I resorted to my way of answering 'politically'
All in all it was a wonderful trip to Poland.
After that we flew to Hungary and landed at Budapest. More about Budapest in my next few posts.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
"Sarsoon ka Saag" at Sarjaa restaurant, Aundh
Went to 'Sarjaa' restaurant after a long time. It feels nice because the restaurant is very 'familiar'. At one point (8 to 10 years back), most of my office parties were at 'Sarjaa' because many people were from the Aundh area.
The restaurant is owned by the Mangeshkar family and was started in 1996.
Ever since that time, its built a good reputation for being a tradional family restaurant which dosen't dissappoint. I wont say that it's anything special but it gives generally good food.
Ordered a pint of 'Carlsberg' and the typical Punjabi dish "Sarsoon ka saag" with Missi roti. And it was nicely done. I enjoy Saag a lot whether it's Sarson (mustard leaves) or Plain palak(spinach) saag.
My 'date' had makkai(corn) rotis which are the norm with Sarsoon ka Saag.
So it was a 'quissential' Punjabi lunch on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Makes up for a perfect day!
Ofcourse "Sarsoon ka saag" and "makki di Roti" is even more special on cold winter evenings when it's traditionally had.
This is what 'UpperCrust' magazine says
"The paddy fields are ready with Basmati rice and the mustard greens are in full bloom. It is the season for the state delicacy. Sarson Ka Saag and Makkai Di Roti. Mustard greens are cooked in earthen pots with spicy and hot green chillies, ginger and garlic, and this is had with corn rotis on which huge blobs of fresh butter are generously dabbed"
I will recommend this restaurant anyday when you feel like having a little bit of extra spices/a little bit of extra oil and some rich Punjabi food.
Did not have any dessert.
The restaurant is owned by the Mangeshkar family and was started in 1996.
Ever since that time, its built a good reputation for being a tradional family restaurant which dosen't dissappoint. I wont say that it's anything special but it gives generally good food.
Ordered a pint of 'Carlsberg' and the typical Punjabi dish "Sarsoon ka saag" with Missi roti. And it was nicely done. I enjoy Saag a lot whether it's Sarson (mustard leaves) or Plain palak(spinach) saag.
My 'date' had makkai(corn) rotis which are the norm with Sarsoon ka Saag.
So it was a 'quissential' Punjabi lunch on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Makes up for a perfect day!
Ofcourse "Sarsoon ka saag" and "makki di Roti" is even more special on cold winter evenings when it's traditionally had.
This is what 'UpperCrust' magazine says
"The paddy fields are ready with Basmati rice and the mustard greens are in full bloom. It is the season for the state delicacy. Sarson Ka Saag and Makkai Di Roti. Mustard greens are cooked in earthen pots with spicy and hot green chillies, ginger and garlic, and this is had with corn rotis on which huge blobs of fresh butter are generously dabbed"
I will recommend this restaurant anyday when you feel like having a little bit of extra spices/a little bit of extra oil and some rich Punjabi food.
Did not have any dessert.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Beautiful 'youtube' music videos for the romantic heart
This post is only for people with a soft, romantic heart
And before listening to the music videos, an important note
Listen to all the music with headphones on!
"Je t'aime... moi non plus"
Certainly the most controversial French song by Serge Gainsborg and Jane Birkin about two lovers making love. But the music is lovely and the video is nice with both of them giving such lovely smiling expressions throughout the video. Clearly they were enjoying the moment when they were very much in love. Serge was an old man and Jane a very young girl...They met, got married and after many years the break up...but there is no question about their musical talent
So here it is "Je t'aime moi non plus"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bNsI9eXpAc&feature=related
And another Frenchman Paul Mauriat's beautiful rendering of "Je t'aime moi non plus". Paul's compositions and orchestra, always such clear violin rendering. He just made music sound so beautiful and clean. Someone has created a lovely video too for his music
So here it is again "Je t'aime moi non plus" rendered by Paul Mauriat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEVRhBYs074&feature=related
Here's another romantic video on Paul Mauriat's music "Love in every room"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMEhDxa8tCI
And before listening to the music videos, an important note
Listen to all the music with headphones on!
"Je t'aime... moi non plus"
Certainly the most controversial French song by Serge Gainsborg and Jane Birkin about two lovers making love. But the music is lovely and the video is nice with both of them giving such lovely smiling expressions throughout the video. Clearly they were enjoying the moment when they were very much in love. Serge was an old man and Jane a very young girl...They met, got married and after many years the break up...but there is no question about their musical talent
So here it is "Je t'aime moi non plus"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bNsI9eXpAc&feature=related
And another Frenchman Paul Mauriat's beautiful rendering of "Je t'aime moi non plus". Paul's compositions and orchestra, always such clear violin rendering. He just made music sound so beautiful and clean. Someone has created a lovely video too for his music
So here it is again "Je t'aime moi non plus" rendered by Paul Mauriat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEVRhBYs074&feature=related
Here's another romantic video on Paul Mauriat's music "Love in every room"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMEhDxa8tCI
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Somewhere in time...
This song with music composed by John Barry is soft, tender and so very romantic.
I like the romantic wordings and posting them here
Somewhere in time,
We met on timeless hills...
and in the evening midst we kissed,
and time stood still;
Before the dawn, we found forever...
moments are timeless
when I feel your caress;
Love never goes...
once it has touched your heart...
just like the scent of wine,
that's left as two lips part;
The taste of love will linger after...
I find a meaning now in all that I see;
You're always here inside of me and...
I know where love is true,
it's always with you;
Somewhere in time,
I came to realize
LOVE NEVER GOES
I like the romantic wordings and posting them here
Somewhere in time,
We met on timeless hills...
and in the evening midst we kissed,
and time stood still;
Before the dawn, we found forever...
moments are timeless
when I feel your caress;
Love never goes...
once it has touched your heart...
just like the scent of wine,
that's left as two lips part;
The taste of love will linger after...
I find a meaning now in all that I see;
You're always here inside of me and...
I know where love is true,
it's always with you;
Somewhere in time,
I came to realize
LOVE NEVER GOES
Beers/Ales in English pubs!
Well now that's a real man's topic to discuss!
If anyone has moved around in the U.K and visited good old English pubs, they would realize what I am talking about. The English Ale's are simply out of this world
I can take so many names of famous beers from the U.K
Timothy Taylor's landlord, Greene King's IPA, Abbot Ale, Guiness
They all are magnificent beers/ale's
For beer novices...
Beers are either lagers or an ales. Ales are brewed with top-fermenting yeast and Lagers are brewed with bottom-fermenting yeast
Lagers allows the malt and hops to assert their fine flavours. Lager tends to be paler, drier and less alcoholic than ales. They are refreshing drinks.
Think a hot summers day and a lager goes well
Lager variations exist. Pilsener originated in Bohemia (Yes from the 'Pilzen' town from Czech republic)
What an experience I had drinking Pilsener in Prague, Czech republic. Sat in the middle of a beautiful square in Prague, drinking pilsener, watching people...
Prague is such a beautiful city and it is full of beautiful people. It is an absolute jewel.
And then there are famous German lagers (with typical german high quality controls) wheat beers and so on...all to be had with German sausages and mustard:)
But this blog is really about Ales and specifically the ones from the U.K.
Ales are further categorized into porters, stouts
Porter is a heavy beer of strong bitterness, reddish-brown to chocolate dark brown, but is usually lighter in body and malt character than stout) to pale ales and wheat beer. Ales are higher in alcohol, and complex than lagers.
An IPA (India Pale Ale) is an ale created by the British. Regular beer would spoil on the 6 month trip to India, so brewers created a beer with more alcohol and more hops, each of which helped to preserve the beer on the long hot journey.
Yup when I think of happy days, I think of an English pub with hearty English food (with very English names...take "Bangers & Mash", some really good club sandwiches,... ) and a glass of pure, fresh English ale poured at room temperature in the pint glass from a hand drawn pump
Nothing compares to this experience.
The list of great beers is infinite...I can talk about Belgium beers, German beers, Czech beers, American beers,...and so on...
In India, most people are not aware of anything but lager. Most people associate beer with 'Kingfisher' lager which isn't bad at all. But for someone like me who has tasted much more, its a pain because I can't get anything except lager in India.
What a shame. I am confident however things will change with time. The world of wine has gone an incredible change with so many varieties of wine from all over the world available in India. But beer market continues to be conservative.
I could make trips to Europe to just experience the wonderful beers. Well unofficially I have already done that! Just never thought my trip would be to experience just beer...Every corner of Europe has such a great tradition of beer making.
To sit in a typical European square with 500 year old cobble stone streets and ornate architecture, all beautifully maintained is an experience. To sit with a beer glass in hand and experience is heaven.
I am hoping the Indian market and tastes mature and we start getting different varieties.
Lager market is definitely improving. We are now getting 'Carlberg' (The Danish beer).
Till then, I just need to keep visiting Europe, U.K!
If anyone has moved around in the U.K and visited good old English pubs, they would realize what I am talking about. The English Ale's are simply out of this world
I can take so many names of famous beers from the U.K
Timothy Taylor's landlord, Greene King's IPA, Abbot Ale, Guiness
They all are magnificent beers/ale's
For beer novices...
Beers are either lagers or an ales. Ales are brewed with top-fermenting yeast and Lagers are brewed with bottom-fermenting yeast
Lagers allows the malt and hops to assert their fine flavours. Lager tends to be paler, drier and less alcoholic than ales. They are refreshing drinks.
Think a hot summers day and a lager goes well
Lager variations exist. Pilsener originated in Bohemia (Yes from the 'Pilzen' town from Czech republic)
What an experience I had drinking Pilsener in Prague, Czech republic. Sat in the middle of a beautiful square in Prague, drinking pilsener, watching people...
Prague is such a beautiful city and it is full of beautiful people. It is an absolute jewel.
And then there are famous German lagers (with typical german high quality controls) wheat beers and so on...all to be had with German sausages and mustard:)
But this blog is really about Ales and specifically the ones from the U.K.
Ales are further categorized into porters, stouts
Porter is a heavy beer of strong bitterness, reddish-brown to chocolate dark brown, but is usually lighter in body and malt character than stout) to pale ales and wheat beer. Ales are higher in alcohol, and complex than lagers.
An IPA (India Pale Ale) is an ale created by the British. Regular beer would spoil on the 6 month trip to India, so brewers created a beer with more alcohol and more hops, each of which helped to preserve the beer on the long hot journey.
Yup when I think of happy days, I think of an English pub with hearty English food (with very English names...take "Bangers & Mash", some really good club sandwiches,... ) and a glass of pure, fresh English ale poured at room temperature in the pint glass from a hand drawn pump
Nothing compares to this experience.
The list of great beers is infinite...I can talk about Belgium beers, German beers, Czech beers, American beers,...and so on...
In India, most people are not aware of anything but lager. Most people associate beer with 'Kingfisher' lager which isn't bad at all. But for someone like me who has tasted much more, its a pain because I can't get anything except lager in India.
What a shame. I am confident however things will change with time. The world of wine has gone an incredible change with so many varieties of wine from all over the world available in India. But beer market continues to be conservative.
I could make trips to Europe to just experience the wonderful beers. Well unofficially I have already done that! Just never thought my trip would be to experience just beer...Every corner of Europe has such a great tradition of beer making.
To sit in a typical European square with 500 year old cobble stone streets and ornate architecture, all beautifully maintained is an experience. To sit with a beer glass in hand and experience is heaven.
I am hoping the Indian market and tastes mature and we start getting different varieties.
Lager market is definitely improving. We are now getting 'Carlberg' (The Danish beer).
Till then, I just need to keep visiting Europe, U.K!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
The music of John Barry
People often take music of John Barry for granted. All the classic James Bond movie themes have been composed by John Barry
But John Barry is much much more
And here are some of the links which show John Barry at his best when composing movie themes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOOce7IS1oo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_fAEdw7ts0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GY6BYD3s28&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPUmIzjOR-U&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYHtYuHCso4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFOCqZxRDU0&feature=related
But John Barry is much much more
And here are some of the links which show John Barry at his best when composing movie themes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOOce7IS1oo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_fAEdw7ts0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GY6BYD3s28&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPUmIzjOR-U&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYHtYuHCso4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFOCqZxRDU0&feature=related
Fausto Papetti and his Saxophone
One of my favourite instrumental artist is Fausto Papetti and the way he plays his saxophone. Its so very sensual and have never seen anyone who plays saxophone the way Fausto does. Its unfortunate that many people have not even heard of this artist in India and very rarely will you come across his CD
But there's Youtube! and the music that I have loved for so many years is back
And whats more, I can share it with others too
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkjF6CKArwg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrJdE4sqPKk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ciDOQIeP7s&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDzbhLTkyKU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz0A8ZUU5U0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEcYhez7qyM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXkrPA7yi3c&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzmYTyeynWI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrYz4pP9EMk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_OHyfuvEq8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJD26tFLn64&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blveCs63HIY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GBiKjhYdSo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxffZY7dVJ8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D8xfT4p370&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhc_YCbIcOU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDOG8Eej_lU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3A5ebqGDNo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--owR9p6VXY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6FR1i112v0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zymm55YYxa8&feature=related
But there's Youtube! and the music that I have loved for so many years is back
And whats more, I can share it with others too
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkjF6CKArwg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrJdE4sqPKk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ciDOQIeP7s&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDzbhLTkyKU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz0A8ZUU5U0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEcYhez7qyM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXkrPA7yi3c&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzmYTyeynWI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrYz4pP9EMk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_OHyfuvEq8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJD26tFLn64&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blveCs63HIY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GBiKjhYdSo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxffZY7dVJ8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D8xfT4p370&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhc_YCbIcOU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDOG8Eej_lU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3A5ebqGDNo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--owR9p6VXY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6FR1i112v0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zymm55YYxa8&feature=related
French style cuisine at Aurther's theme
Went to a restaurant which never dissappoints.
Arthurs theme in Koregaon park
Link to its website
http://www.arthurstheme.com/
The cuisine is French and continental. The menu is extensive and sophisticated. The decor is nice.
The only thing which is bad about this restaurant is loud music played (sometimes).
Just dosen't go well with the ambience and culinary sophistication levels which has been achieved by this restaurant.
And yes it has all the French classics including the deserts (e.g Crepes suzette)
Because the French dishes will be hard to pronounce for Puneites, the owner has given names of well known entities in French & European history to different dishes (e.g there is a dish called Jeanne'D Arc)
I have been going to this restaurant for the past 10 years and every single time have enjoyed it.
Today I had a dry dish made up of a potato pancake and ratatouille while she had a dish of mushrooms in a tomato sauce
I always like the parseley which they keep in every single dish. I was feeling like ordering a glass of beer. But instead went for iced tea in the end.
Arthurs theme in Koregaon park
Link to its website
http://www.arthurstheme.com/
The cuisine is French and continental. The menu is extensive and sophisticated. The decor is nice.
The only thing which is bad about this restaurant is loud music played (sometimes).
Just dosen't go well with the ambience and culinary sophistication levels which has been achieved by this restaurant.
And yes it has all the French classics including the deserts (e.g Crepes suzette)
Because the French dishes will be hard to pronounce for Puneites, the owner has given names of well known entities in French & European history to different dishes (e.g there is a dish called Jeanne'D Arc)
I have been going to this restaurant for the past 10 years and every single time have enjoyed it.
Today I had a dry dish made up of a potato pancake and ratatouille while she had a dish of mushrooms in a tomato sauce
I always like the parseley which they keep in every single dish. I was feeling like ordering a glass of beer. But instead went for iced tea in the end.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Romantic thoughts and beautiful music
Sometimes I get inspired to listen to some of my favourite music composers to take my soul to a level which is not tangible and which can be described to noone but can only be felt.
Today I did get inspired to post some video links of my favourite composers
Thank you to all founders of 'Youtube'. What a fantastic site you have created...
And thank you all the artists that I have listed below for creating music which takes me to a different level.
Here's just few of the many music clips which I enjoy of some of my favourite artists
Francis Lai
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDRyk85cklA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrQSzo0tOMI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLTKVh8SrIU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-QbDnsmsx0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYO930drqCk&feature=related
Paul Mauriat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfkIWnThTB4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8KTBNZnFyU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9FYD1dlw4E&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm0KYe2P1lo&feature=related
Henri Mancini
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUpO-zRSHLM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEzH0FuL8qo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvMJEDzY304
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaA2WiyqO1E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X13IWZuc-pk
I will continue to post more and more...
Fausto Papetti, Micheal Legrand and so many more to come...
Today I did get inspired to post some video links of my favourite composers
Thank you to all founders of 'Youtube'. What a fantastic site you have created...
And thank you all the artists that I have listed below for creating music which takes me to a different level.
Here's just few of the many music clips which I enjoy of some of my favourite artists
Francis Lai
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDRyk85cklA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrQSzo0tOMI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLTKVh8SrIU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-QbDnsmsx0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYO930drqCk&feature=related
Paul Mauriat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfkIWnThTB4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8KTBNZnFyU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9FYD1dlw4E&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm0KYe2P1lo&feature=related
Henri Mancini
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUpO-zRSHLM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEzH0FuL8qo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvMJEDzY304
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaA2WiyqO1E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X13IWZuc-pk
I will continue to post more and more...
Fausto Papetti, Micheal Legrand and so many more to come...
Nine Hills 'Shiraz' red wine
Picked up a bottle of Nine Hills Shiraz red wine.
The tannins are soft just like the bottle says. I like this wine.
I am not a big fan of 'Shiraz' because sometimes it can be overwhelming and Indian Shiraz gives a very spicy and capsicumy flavour. But this one is soft and tender.
So liked it
Shiraz...dont understand how the French word Syrah got transformed into Shiraz (made popular by the Australians). Shiraz is a place in Iran and is also a popular first name among Parsi ladies.
Anyway Shiraz has come out with full force all over the world, let by the Australians and is a bold wine.
But Shiraz is not about subtelity, softness..so its nice but dosen't always appeal to him.
The tannins are soft just like the bottle says. I like this wine.
I am not a big fan of 'Shiraz' because sometimes it can be overwhelming and Indian Shiraz gives a very spicy and capsicumy flavour. But this one is soft and tender.
So liked it
Shiraz...dont understand how the French word Syrah got transformed into Shiraz (made popular by the Australians). Shiraz is a place in Iran and is also a popular first name among Parsi ladies.
Anyway Shiraz has come out with full force all over the world, let by the Australians and is a bold wine.
But Shiraz is not about subtelity, softness..so its nice but dosen't always appeal to him.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
'Campari' at Le Meridian
Went to the "Le Meridian" Bar. Had just one round of drinks.
The lady with me wanted something on the sweet side and I suggested her Bristol cream 'Sherry', which I believe she enjoyed.
Sherry is an after dinner drink but not for the Spanish! The Spaniards have Sherry with Tapas.
I had 'Campari'. It's a wonderful bitter aperitif made by the Campari family in Italy. Supposed to contain 60 different herbs. Love Campari straight on the rocks (and not mixed with any Soda which is how it's normally had).
Both of us did not enjoy the live vocal music at the bar.
All in all a wonderful evening. Drinks never dissappoint if taken socially/lightly and if a man gets a good company, what more does he want:)
Cheers
The lady with me wanted something on the sweet side and I suggested her Bristol cream 'Sherry', which I believe she enjoyed.
Sherry is an after dinner drink but not for the Spanish! The Spaniards have Sherry with Tapas.
I had 'Campari'. It's a wonderful bitter aperitif made by the Campari family in Italy. Supposed to contain 60 different herbs. Love Campari straight on the rocks (and not mixed with any Soda which is how it's normally had).
Both of us did not enjoy the live vocal music at the bar.
All in all a wonderful evening. Drinks never dissappoint if taken socially/lightly and if a man gets a good company, what more does he want:)
Cheers
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Four Seasons Chenin Blanc white wine
Tried recently Four Seasons Chenin Blanc. Was not very impressed. I could never get the flavours of a typical Chenin Blanc (honey, floral, melon, ...)
My choice of food pairing with this wine was also not great. So I really dont want to blame the UB group yet. Need to try again
The Sula late harvest Chenin Blanc 2008, a desert wine which I had tried recently still continues to override my tastes when I go for Chenin Blanc. It was very sweet, infact too sweet even for being a desert wine. But it was a nice change. And it displayed the characteristics of a desert wine.
My choice of food pairing with this wine was also not great. So I really dont want to blame the UB group yet. Need to try again
The Sula late harvest Chenin Blanc 2008, a desert wine which I had tried recently still continues to override my tastes when I go for Chenin Blanc. It was very sweet, infact too sweet even for being a desert wine. But it was a nice change. And it displayed the characteristics of a desert wine.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
My music tastes
Movie music composers, light instrumental orchestras, singer song writers
Paul Mauriat (French)
Francis Lai (French)
Michael Legrand (French)
Franck Pourcel (French)
Raymond Lefevre. (French)
Fausto Papetti (Italian)
Ennio Morricone (Italian)
John Barry (British)
Burt Bacharach (American)
Dionne Warwick (American)
Diana Ross (American)
Barbara Streisand (American)
Admire many of the artists/rock groups from the British isles
Queen, Pink Floyd, Beatles, Dire Straits, Eric Clapton, Elton John, U2, George Michael (although he is supposed to be Greek, was brought up in the U.K)...I think the list is endless. I don't necessarily listen to all these artists anymore but admire them
Paul Mauriat (French)
Francis Lai (French)
Michael Legrand (French)
Franck Pourcel (French)
Raymond Lefevre. (French)
Fausto Papetti (Italian)
Ennio Morricone (Italian)
John Barry (British)
Burt Bacharach (American)
Dionne Warwick (American)
Diana Ross (American)
Barbara Streisand (American)
Admire many of the artists/rock groups from the British isles
Queen, Pink Floyd, Beatles, Dire Straits, Eric Clapton, Elton John, U2, George Michael (although he is supposed to be Greek, was brought up in the U.K)...I think the list is endless. I don't necessarily listen to all these artists anymore but admire them
Four Seasons
Tried "Four Seasons" 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon and liked it.
It is indeed having soft tannins but am little confused about the label saying its full bodied. At 12.5 % alcohol I will be more tempted to call it medium modied.
I could sense the whiff of tobacco but black berries..Naah. I don't remember how black berries taste and hence cannot really associate that taste with this wine
Overall impressions positive.
It is indeed having soft tannins but am little confused about the label saying its full bodied. At 12.5 % alcohol I will be more tempted to call it medium modied.
I could sense the whiff of tobacco but black berries..Naah. I don't remember how black berries taste and hence cannot really associate that taste with this wine
Overall impressions positive.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)