Art House - The Fern Residency : Food Review, Zomato

Nice relaxed ambiance, a small place but doesnt feel claustrophobic,

Was here on weekend, they have buffet as well as a la carte,

With family, went for a la carte,

Loved Paneer Tikka, Veg Biryani and Moong Dal Halwa - recommended,

Portions very big, quite value for money,

The ONLY drawback, as others have also pointed- service! So slow! Took us 15 minutes to find someone to place order, another half hour for starters to arrive, another 15 minutes for main course to arrive...

They seem to be short staffed, food is good but if service is abysmally slow, people will get impatient!

If they get more staff (staff is lovely,no problems in their behavior,but service is very slow),then food here is good to get people back

Tiffinbox Etc. Bandra Kurla Complex : Food Review, Zomato

Dedicated to bringing Indian food from various parts of India, with some little twist, idea is so good, 

Authentic too in many respects, must try their tiffin, 

Huge place with good ambiance to go with friends or family, 

A bit expensive though only the tiffins are value for money because they are huge in portion, 

Service was good and reasonably fast, 

We had Vada Pav ricotta sliders, made our day, cheesy vada pav without being too spicy! 

Loved mirchiwale aloo, it is stuffed aloo and tastes like paneer tikka, just have it!

 In main course Paneer Kadhai with garlic naan is must have, authentic and filling, 

In dessert,I love kulfi sundae which is huge and like a meal in itself, 

overall a good place, a bit in the remote part of BKC.

The Bayview Restaurant - Marine Plaza : Food Review, Zomato

Honestly one of the best places to have a buffet lunch in Mumbai, visited twice and not been disappointed so far!

USP is definitely the beautiful view of marine drive, can sit and stare for hours!

Service is superlative, staff takes feedback on everything,

In buffet they have some really healthy options in salads which are enough to fill anyone up!

Fresh and juicy veggies, love them,

In main course, jeera rice, steamed rice, pulao, kofta, daal, ratatouille, pasta and more is there, everything tastes as it should,

Dessert section can have more options for eggless but the ones they have are pretty nice too, I especially love their chocolate mousse and pastries, my hubby only goes for cut fruits and loves them,

Despite being a buffet they have not handled it like -'just put something spicy and sweet out there,'every dish has been carefully planned and made that's what I like about them,

They have several festivals like-streetfood or mediterranean going on from time to time too, will be back for them!

Book Review & Opinion : Story of a suicide by Sriram Ayer

Suicide is a topic none of us have been remain untouched of! So often we come across newspaper articles of students having committed suicide because they could not score high in exams or lovers committing suicide because their families were against their alliance or brides/grooms committing suicide due to relationship problems or money problems and so on. And every time, our collective hearts break because every human life is precious and to see it all go out before it time in such a cruel way is really sad. Every one of us, who has a soul and humanity inside, cries out and thinks what can we do to stop it. It is such a vast topic and that is why I am happy I read the novel The Story of a Suicide by Sriram Ayer! This novel is accessible for free and I believe it is a must read!

The main characters in the novel are Hari, Mani, Charu and Sam who are all college students at prestigious KIT college and bound together by bonds of friendship, intimacy, trust and the story shows us how this converts into miscommunication, breakup, jealousy, misunderstanding, revenge leading to a web of lies, backstabbing, stalking and ultimate of course suicide! The way the story is written is a complete page-turner and it is impossible to not finish it in one reading! While Hari and Mani are grappling with issues of sexual abuse, sexual identity and passion, Sam and Charu are grappling with gender issues, power complex and online stalking/cyberbullying. Their relationships are expressed in such a way that it forces all of us to look within us.

Do we not make homosexuals feel dirty?

Do we not raise our boys and girls differently, telling the boys that they can do anything while telling the girls that they should shut up and listen?

Do we not twist our loved ones' words to suit our own agenda when we are angry with them?

Don't the youngsters of today indulge in stalking and bullying each other online?

Do we not force our youngsters to follow the footsteps we have chosen for them, be an engineer or doctor whether they want to or not?

Do we not ignore the pleas of children who might be victims of sexual abuse by saying 'you must have dreamed it'?

These are issues that plague each and every household, yet we somehow have become experts in ignoring them. This novel brings them out in a simple language that forces us to introspect and change. I especially relate to the character of Hari, who despite having been through a huge incident in life, is a believer in non-violence, extremely kind and looking for love. He tries to see the best in everyone even though in the very childhood, he had to go through the worst pain imaginable. He tries to be the best son, best friend, best partner for as long as he can but keeps getting backstabbed by those he trusts. I feel his pain has been brought out in the liveliest way by Sriram Ayer. I can see many youngsters like him around, yearning for meaning, trying to make the best of circumstances, getting disappointed by society yet moving on, not being able to give words to the pain within. 

I also love the illustrations by Ghana which aptly describe the demons hiding inside every suicidal person.

I believe that the best thing this novel has done is taken a glimpse of our young world today and put some classic situations inside that are relatable to all. The language they speak, the time they spend on social media, the way they connect with each other, the way they yearn for freedom has all been fantastically put down. It also makes us think about suicide as a means of getting out. When the going gets tough, there are always people who will think that suicide will make everything right. It is not their fault, rather it is the fault of us, the society who have burdened them with so much pressure that they cannot cope with it. We need to buckle up so that no more precious lives are lost to this menace. A few tips that come to mind are-

1. Embrace every moment of life, let everything come and go, meditate, relax, be close to friends and families, share your deepest fears with someone and don't let it all overwhelm you.
2. Have hobbies like traveling, photography, dancing etc. to keep mind off the depressing turn of events in life when they happen.
3. Stay away from alcohol, drugs and bad company who may push you in the nadir or depression and suicidal thoughts.
4. Social media bullying must stop, we must not indulge in spreading rumors or gossip about anyone because it is mean, inhumane and we do not know how the other person might react. Let us nip the demon in the bud.
5. The stigma related to mental health issues must stop. Must applaud actors like Deepika Padukone who had the courage to come forward with her depression issues, while the most of society says that it is just 'pagalpan'. Having depression or getting suicidal thoughts can be normal and cured with the help of psychiatrists. Let us treat it as just another condition like fever instead of making these people feel worse and take the drastic step of suicide!

  

 

So I recommend The Story of A Suicide as a must read book for everyone, let this become a movement for a better society!

Source of Pictures : 1-http://www.storyofasuicide.com/
2-http://allianceforsuicideprevention.org/about-suicide/ 
3- http://www.journeywithjudith.com/?tag=hope

Health & parenting : Importance of catching up on lost growth

As a mom myself, I am well aware of the struggles faced by every parent on this planet! My child also refuses to eat vegetables, fruits and basically anything nutritious. It is almost impossible to give any child nowadays a balanced nutritious diet the way our parents did, and now I have more respect for my mother-I have no idea how she managed to make me so healthy for life! 

I have many friends who are also parents like me and absolutely out of ideas on how to make their children eat right. I even have heard of instances where inadequate nutrition has led to decreased activity, immunity, lack of growth in children! It is worrying indeed when one feels like so out of control when it comes to looking after one's own child. They are little pieces of our hearts moving around in this world and it is impossible to stop fretting over them. Regular questions and comparisons of how healthy my kid is,what is his height,his weight and are these parameters being fulfilled by him as good as his friends, haunt me and several parents like me everyday! All those school lessons of planning a balanced diet have gone out the window ever since my kid refuses to go near green vegetables and focuses only on few chosen veggies or fruits and considers bread-jam as the perfect lunch and maggi as perfect dinner!

After all, it is when kids are small and in their early stages of development that they need the most nutrition. Their cells develop at almost double the rate of adults, they need extra energy to burn through the day while playing,studying,immersed in activities like swimming or even cycling, their metabolism needs to be at top level so as not to fall asleep in class or show signs of decreased activity, their cognitive development is also very much dependent on their diet and nutrition and in fact the child's cognitive development in their childhood is what ensures a balanced emotional state of mind for the rest of their life! Add to all this plus physical development, it is also during these early years that a child develops immunity to battle all sorts of health problems for the rest of his or her life. Now we would not want any of this to be affected for lack of nutrition, right?

It is thus crucial that all of us parents pay special attention to our kids' growth and development during ages 3-9 which show the most crucial markers. I want my child to be the best,not in terms of a mindless race, but in best mental,physical and emotional shape for the rest of his life, that is why I am glad to have come across Horlicks Growth+ as the perfect nutritional friend for him! Regular check ups are also not ruled out but at least now I can heave a sigh of relief. I am going to keep thinking of ways to make sure that there is not nutritional deficiency from my side, but even though he is a fussy eater, I am going to be happy that Horlicks Growth+ will provide him with all the extra nutrients he needs at this crucial juncture in life!

* “Horlicks Growth+ is a specialized nutrition product designed by international pediatric experts for children in age group of 3-9 years who are lagging behind in height and weight. It contains high quality whey protein with added nutrients that are known to enable children to catch up on lost growth. It has been clinically proven for visible growth in children in 6 months.”

Datsun Redi - Go: A test drive to remember!

My family has been waiting to go on a long drive forever! The only thing is we all want to go together in our own car and it has been difficult to zero down on a car that can take everything that our roads throw at it! More importantly,we have zeroed down on a road trip through Bihar, a state my mother has had strong connection with and I have mapped a whole route of important landmarks and historical sites to be visited. But the roads there are not in the best shape possible. So the biggest decision for us is to zero down on a car that would be able to provide us with the best road trip while combating every problem robustly while navigating through a problematic, uneven, unpredictable and rural terrain. It is the driving blues that we experience when we drive on our roads that deters most of us from making that long awaited trip with our loved ones. Nobody wants to get stuck in a strange place with any problem in their car and thus we need nothing less than the very best.

When I came to know of Datsun Redi-GO being launched,my interest was piqued since my dad has always been a big Datsun fan,he always says that they care of comfort, style and best of technology. I just gave a look over at the various features and indeed I am convinced that taking it out for a test drive would definitely be an occasion to remember. If you ask why, here are the reasons-

• It gives superior comfort, I am particularly impressed with superior air conditioning which has been optimized especially for Indian weather. My journey needs to be comfortable and cool, I cannot really focus on driving if I am sweating buckets! I love how the integrated center AC vent will make sure that 50% of air flow is given to rear passengers so that all of us can enjoy the views outside rather than worrying about gruelling weather!
• Safety is paramount and for that,I am happy that Datsun Pro-Safe 7 is here to protect us. Performance Augmented Brakes for shortest braking distance, Reinforced Crash Protection Shell with high strength body, Force Absorbing Bolster Support, Energy Absorbing Steering and Airbag are just some features that make me feel like I am in secured hands, with a reliable friend!
• Fuel Economy wherein the 799cc engine provides an impressive fuel economy of 25.17 km/L is very appealing especially nowadays in light of continuous hike in fuel prices! What more could a typical middle class family like mine need from our car. This is perfect in all respects!

Having gone through quite a few choices where we have to choose between style and comfort, it is heartening to see Datsun redi-GO which gives us all that we need all together at one place with the safety and assurance of a big brand name that we deserve. I am sure that the regular worries that plague our minds and give us driving blues will be far from my mind when I take my family on the much awaited road trip through some of the most amazing, historical heritage places of Bihar, as we rediscover our history, Datsun redi-GO will be our trusted friend to protect us, cool us, transport us steadily and bring back home hale & hearty!

I am ready to take this test drive which will surely be an occasion to remember!

Fun. Freedom. Confidence. The ultimate Urban Cross - Datsun redi-GO - the capability of a crossover with the convenience of a hatchback.

Nutrition is fun with #QuakerBowl Indimeet!

I have been a part of Indiblogger for far shorter duration than many other bloggers,so whenever there is an IndiBlogger meet,I get very excited to attend it because they are fun and it is always nice to connect with other passionate bloggers! When I got invite for attending a Quaker Bowl Indimeet being organized in conjunction with Quaker Oats, I almost jumped with happiness because I am not a good cook but I love oats. Not only do I use it for breakfast with fruits but also in making poha and uttapam,something that I learnt from my mom! The IndiBlogger meet was on Sunday 10th April at the gorgeous J W Marriott, Juhu and we were going to meet a surprise celebrity chef.

The event started a bit late but it was made up for by the huge fun we had. First we had the brilliant IndiBlogger team making us laugh by showing us Taher Shah's Angel and making us dance a bit and then the surprise was revealed-we had Chef Vikas Khanna joining us! He is PepsiCo's Nutrition Ambassador and heavily involved in the process of spreading message of health and battling malnutrition. Wow, not only is he so handsome, he is also so humble! He made the morning lively with jokes, a lot of stories about Punjab and his childhood and also knowledge about health and nutrition. As I said,I am not a good cook but I loved how he explained about the importance of using oats in versatile ways,such as in making soups and gravies instead of using butter and cream.

He also asked us some fun questions and then the fun soup-shot blind-taste round happened. There were more than 15 ingredients used in making these soups! Who could have thought of that? He also told us about increasing gluten intolerance and malnutrition statistics that made us all think of the huge impact food has on our lives and societies. Frankly, Quaker is the first name I think of when I think 'Oats' but now that I know that PepsiCo and Chef Vikas Khanna are involved in such noble task of spreading message of nutrition, my respect for Quaker has gone up manifold.

There was a food contest for us all where we used many vegetables and fruits to make something delicious out of oats. I took this opportunity to roam around and look at all the dishes other teams were making. Chef Vikas tasted all the dishes and came up with the winner which was team 10 based on taste and beauty of the dish. My team was good but we were just enjoying the event more than focusing on any contest. After all the food for thought,we were served some amazing dishes in the brunch that followed. I was amazed to find some delicious dishes made with oats such as brownies and paneer makhani gravy that are traditionally made using loads of butter,ghee etc.! Such a healthy initiative this is! 

We were all given a parting gift of a pack of Quaker Oats and a cookbook. I am still trying to get my strength to actually try these recipes. But I will never forget how much amazing knowledge I have gathered by joining in this event and how down to earth Chef Vikas is! He personally went around taking hundreds of selfies with every person present there. Add to that,the brilliant Indiblogger team made sure that we were all taken care of,even the ones who are new to this family! And PepsiCo,Quaker Team made sure that they brought home the message of nutrition which is the need of the hour. Thank you Indiblogger and Quaker India for this opportunity.