Rivayaat-e-Rampur

Rampur has a special place in the Mughal cuisine tradition. It was eminently created by the chefs of Nawabs. The distinct flavors and dishes that emerged from the cuisine include quirky and innovative foods like adrak ka halwa, doodhiya biryani, daal khichada, etc. Courtesy the Three Sixty One degrees restaurant at Oberoi, Gurgaon, an initiative as delicious as #RivaayateRampur was undertaken.

With a comprehensive menu for both vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes with their Rampuri twist, the culinary event is a pure bliss for the taste buds. Being on a vegetarian spree, I began my tryst with Rampuri cuisine with appetizers as innovative as kathal ki shammi and Rampuri kebab platter. Never have I tasted kathal(jackfruit) carry such a sublime and subtle flavor. It had just the right amount of spices and was completely mashed in a way that it completely melted inside the mouth. The Rampuri kebab platter was a comprehensive assortment of various kebabs. Now these included the green peas kebabs, hare-bhare kebabs, dahi kebabs(that were made out of hung curd), etc. The appetizers were so fulfilling that we had little room left for the main course.

For main course, we opted for the Mughlai paneer(paneer is an imperative vegetarian exotic dish for me), the arbi masala and karele ki chidiya(named so because it resembles a beak of a sparrow, as explained by the Chef). The highlight of the maincourse was truly the khameeri roti, fermented soft and mouth watering, one could even eat this bread per se. The mughlai paneer was high on richness with pure desi ghee evident, the arbi masala had an exotic flavor, the karele ki chidiya had huge karelas(very big sizes) I think which made the pleasures last longer. Heavy appetizers and heavier main course, even though the satiation point was achieved, it didn't stop us from having the superb dessert.

Now the part we all wait for. I could see my dessert arriving in a mini terracotta bowl. I opted for "Gulathi", a rampur speciality made of condensed milk. I don't quite know whether it was the sweet dish itself or the bowl it was served in, that made the flavor of the dessert so memorable and authentic. Embellished by dry fruits, the dessert looked perfect. Not to mention, it was beyond amazing.

In addition to the food, the ambiance and design of Three Sixty Degrees is worth it. A massive water body in the background, lightened glass structures of the hotel, the restaurant serves to be a perfect vantage point. Not to mention, its immensely romantic with its decor and the theme. The other feather on the hat is the service and hospitality. As Oberoi Hotel chains are anyways in vogue cause of their top notch hospitality, the restaurant is no exception to this fact.

As the culinary event is on till 5th of March' 15, I suggest you to buckle up and taste the flavors of history!

The Vegetarian a la carte menu

Kathal ki Shammi

Reasons to visit #RivaayateRampur:

1. Its a must try for all the Gourmets, especially the ones particularly fond of red meat. Nothing better than dining the shahi way.

2. Three Sixty One Degrees a perfect place to go on a date at. Beautiful, social, amazing ambiance, top notch showrooms(if one needs to shop).

3. The Oberoi hospitality is famous. You don't even need to say the word and its already there. No need to keep staring at the waiter till you make an eye contact, as they're looking at you already!

4. Its all about feeling the Old Delhi Charm in the luxurious confines of a Five Star Hotel. 

5. The items in the menu are decently priced, considering the food and the opulent ambiance.

#VogueWeddingShow2014

With a venue as aesthetic and grandiloquent as the Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi, and a 'wedding' theme which is the heart and soul of Delhi, the event is set to rock. Its a must-attend event for every fashionista who's all set to walk down the aisle. The show has catered well to the wedding needs of every bride-to-be from lehengas for various occasions, jewelry, wedding cards, wedding decorations, planners, destinations to the return gifts. Its a one stop shop where you can personally interact with the renowned Indian designers, and all your wedding queries are handled well.

During the #Day1 of the event, I explored the following brands:

Forever Mark- All that glitters are Forever mark diamonds. The collections on display had the crown and oriental collections. The collections mostly had floral designs. A huge solitaire ring with a 1.4 carat diamond was priced at 5.28 lacs.

Swarovski- The sight of a crystal mandap set up by these people is so picturesque and elegant. The collection included wedding cushions with the name of the bride and groom embossed on it(how romantic!!) with swarovski crystals. The crystal decorative items oozed class and sophistication. A crystal favorite that Swarovski is, its indulgence into willy-nilly of weddings such as napkins, tea pot covers, etc. covered the entire gamut of a wedding ceremony. The crystal mandap decorations are priced at Rs.15 lacs, the cushion covers decently ranged from Rs.2,500-5,000. The wedding gifts ranged from Rs. 3,000-15,000. Aesthetic candles would glitter the event of your life at around Rs. 20,000. The various themes such as 'High Tea', 'Spring Garden', 'Midnight Magic' etc. have been set to make your choice of art more easy and convenient. So, flower mandaps are a passe, try the crystal mandap now, BIG UP!!

Puneet Gupta Invitations- If you aren't the kind who invite the friends and family to an event over facebook, this is a section for you. When the invitation to a particular event is as decorative and exquisite as the kinds on display at Puneet Gupta's, the anticipations for your weddings would surely reach the zenith. Whatever is the wedding theme that you have, there's a invitation card equivalent for that. If you're planning a destination wedding, the card would itself reflect the culture and history of the place. His collections at display included peacock themed cards, Jaipur-wedding cards that opened up to a majestic hand fan, a Shikara themed card if you're getting married in Kashmir, a trousseau trunk, etc. If you're the innovative and creative kind, these are the wedding cards you'd love!!!

The Flagship Store:Ferns and Petals- They give a floral touch to everything at your wedding. With a customized mannequin that wore a rose-flooded lehenga, a flowery kamarbandh, to floral sandals and flowery trousseau, their section will totally catch your attention with their innovative floral maneuver. They do decorations, they make customized floral jewelries for you, they will even get you a floral trousseau you can bloom in the glory of.

Swarovski crystal mandap and cushions

Swarovski crystal glassic

Puneet Gupta peacock themed cards

Puneet Gupta cards

Flagship store: Ferns and Petals

The not so amazing spider man!!

First things first: I saw the movie dubbed in hindi.Yes, I did. That was the only show available. Adding to the dismay, Irrfan Khan didn't dub for himself in Hindi. It was like you are watching Irrfan Khan who is not Irrfan Khan. His USP indeed is his nonchalant voice. A baritone which indeed brings in laughter just the way he talks. Plus, he was more like a cameo than the villain. After he is saved from being killed, he vanishes. What do we reckon? He was too busy for shooting further?

There was no Mary Jane. The fact that you change the name of the lead of an eternal super hero romance, which somehow has imbibed into us, is bad. This Gwen name didn't quite sink in.

I think it would only be the Incredible Hulk who could end up wearing 3D  glasses with ease. Mine slipped every now and then. Whom are they designed for? Nobody's that vast. And it was more like watching spider man swishing his web on you. He swung from one building to another. Just like some big outdoor circus.

There was no secrecy about spider man. Even Mary Jane...arrrggghhh Gwen was told he was the large scale spidey. He didn't mind taking the mask off. Being to public about your super powers to attract a beautiful blonde girl from your class is not what super heroes do. They wait till she finds out by herself. It also leads to a three way romance. Peter liking the gal, girl liking spider man, spiderman can't tell the girl. Half of the prior spider man movies were just about the chase for romance. This spider man was way too cool to be showing off.

The leads were better looking indeed. But too much too and fro like a pendulum around buildings made me feel dizzy. In all, a good time pass with family. (Mom can't stop talking about how much she liked the movie. P.S. she has not seen the previous spider man movies.)

Maybe we should't compare this much. The 3D has such an impact on me that I feel like a web would spring out of the screen. I gotto recuperate. I ain't against it. Go watch the movie. But in english.

signs that she is cheating on you

Men have no exclusive franchise of cheating on their partners. Women, too, have the required incorrigible tendency to cheat on their mate, and be very well able to camouflage the same, effortlessly. With the instances of increasing infidelity in living beings as a whole, you might not always wish to hire a professional sleuth to track the veracity of your girl’s statements. Even the most intrepid thief leaves back some hint or the other at every crime scene. Read on to know ways of knowing if things are fishier than what they seem:

1.       Out of conversation- There have been days when you and her would talk through out the night till you hear the birds chirping, and now you are suddenly out of conversation. It’s not your fault. Guys are more of listeners than talkers, unless you are Navjot Singh Siddhu. Gals have an innate ability to make the conversation endless, or make the other person ending up feeling guilty of why he called. If she isn’t that participative or initiative the way she used to be, the probability of her finding a new chat mate are suddenly rocketed.

2.       Uncomfortable- She makes repulsive body gestures when you try getting close. Didn’t she like it when you whispered in her ear? And now all of a sudden she finds it lame and kiddish. She doesn’t even meet often. Hugs have become a far cry? Semi-hugs? Not even hand-shakes? You doubt if you are suffering from some terminal disease which only she’s aware of or you have developed some annoying body fragrance? There’s nothing wrong with you, it’s her.

3.       The number is busy- You don’t remember the last time you called her and her phone wasn’t busy. You either are kept waiting for unconventionally long time or not even that. Every time you ask her whom she was chatting with, the person at the other end of line is always a girl or a relative. She’s all blabbermouth with rest of the world, and out of conversation with you. This is insane. It’s definitely more than a girl-mate or a relative. It’s your competition.

4.       Escapades- She is all adventurous these days. From slumber party with the girls to rock climbing at a hill station, she’s doing it all. Sometimes it’s also an office party at a happening bar and you are only an MCP if you try digging for details. All you get to know is, she’s going and she could have asked you but you wouldn’t feel comfortable, i.e. she wouldn’t feel comfortable.

5.       Doubtfulness- Her behavior is nowhere near a healthy relationship. She snaps back whenever you unleash the inquisitive you. She looks at you in a way, as if saying, “Ask me no questions, and I will tell you no lies.” She pounces for rescue even if you try slyly checking her phone. She thinks you are too narrow minded when you ask her who all friends had she been partying with. She doesn’t let you extract even the vague details. She has something to hide. And you have something to find out.