'Race your way to Sepang' challenge

The Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix™ is scheduled for 27-29 March 2015 at the Sepang Interantional Circuit (SIC). This will be the second stop in the F1 calendar after the Rolex Australian Grand Prix™. With plenty of movement of top drivers across teams and the return of Honda into the championship, the tone is set to be competitive for the title this year.

With India riding high on the racing popularity wave, Tourism Malaysia and the Sepang International Circuit is holding the ‘Race your way to Sepang’ challenge among corporates to promote the Malaysian leg of the F1 craze. At the event, a special Formula 1 Package with travel partner Yatra.com will also be launched.

Malaysia Tourism 'Corporate Go Kart Challenge' Bangalore

 “We have been promoting the Petronas Formula 1 event for a few years now and the response has been quite encouraging. For this year's promotions we have planned 2 corporate events in Mumbai and Bangalore where the participants will compete in Go Karting racing Challenges. The fastest team stands a chance to win an all expense paid trip to Malaysia to watch the race live,” said Mr Manoharan Periasamy, Director, Tourism Malaysia. The winning team will be hosted by Starwood Hotels and the Air tickets will be sponsored by Malaysia Airlines.

Winners of Malaysia Tourism 'Corporate Go Kart Challenge' Bangalore

This year Malaysia celebrates Malaysia Year of Festivals (MyFEST) 2015. Themed "Endless Celebrations", the year-long calender is packed with festivities of every genre; for instance cultural festivals, shopping extravanganzas, international acclaimed events, eco-tourism events, arts, music showcases, food promotion and other themed events. Continuing the momentum and efforts to promote the destination, MyFEST 2015 is set to make Malaysia the top-of-the-mind tourist destination, encouraging tourists to stay longer in order to enjoy the festival offerings nationwide added Mr. Manoharan Periasamy.

The race this year is dubbed as the F1 carnival – the first of its kind at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC), the 2015 Formula 1 PETRONAS Malaysia Grand Prix™ will have something for everyone. From go-karting at the Xtrack or just chilling at the Cool Zone complete with a water-course while waiting for the excitement to begin on track. And of course, what better way to end the exciting day than by enjoying a fantastic performance at the After Race Concert once the dust has settled on the track says Ms. Sharmila Nadarajah.

The Malaysian Grand Prix tickets are sold from as low as INR 1,640 for Hillstand seats. The Grandstand seats are sold from INR 5,720 for F stands and INR 13,470 for K1 stands, where fans will have a perfect view fronting the first turn of the circuit. The main grandstand starts from INR 6,940 to as high as INR 36,100 for the best view.

For those who like to enjoy the race in a more stylish way complete with fine dining, come over to the Club Suite and experience the race from inside Sepang International Circuit (SIC) luxury suites. Choose between a view fronting the pit or catch the entire action from the race on the Southern track. Price per person starts from INR 93,800. For Club Suite reservation, please email to enquiries@sepangcircuit.com

For any further query, please visit:
Website: www.tourism.gov.my
Facebook: www.facebook.com/malaysiajao
Twitter: www.twitter.com/malaysiajao

Sinful blend of Chocolate and Coffee with Magnum

Who doesn't love chocolate and coffee? I do and my excitement was at its peak when I was invited for the Magnum's Choco Cappuccino launch. Last year I was part of the launch of Magnum ice cream with its three flavors and this was the forth one.

I have many memories of chocolate and a sweet tooth for it too. I usually do not share my chocolates and one should be really special to be lucky to share my chocolate. Another memory of chocolate I have is, whenever I am unwell, I need a chocolate and definitely one when I am getting an injection from the doctor else I will never get one done.

With Coffee, I used to like very mild coffee's like a Latte in the initial but later developed a strong taste for coffee and now I cannot live without a cappuccino. Coffee shops have been my favorite place to hang out and my usual drink is a cappuccino. A lot of my conversations happen over a cappuccino.

A blend of coffee and chocolate can be named a sinful blend. A blend of it remind me of Mocha. But I knew this was Magnum and the blend would be more than just Mocha. The launch of Magnum's new flavor was done by renowned Pastry Chef Janice Wong and World Barista Champion Fritz Storm at JW Marriott, Bangalore.

The Pastry Chef Janice Wong spoke about chocolate and prepared different mixes for all the guests. Among all the mixes, I loved the chocolate chilli the most. The taste of chocolate on my tongue with a choky chilli flavor on my throat made me crave for it more. A mix with cinnamon was also made.

World Barista Champion Fritz Storm spoke about coffee and he prepared Expresso Champagne which I tasted. The expresso champagne was refreshing and bitter.

Then Janice and Fritz paired up to make something together and it looked sinful. Those that got the pleasure to had it were very lucky. It was a Choco Martini.

The time was here for which the crowd was present, Magnum's new flavor was presented to all. The entire crowd tasted the the new flavor at once and we were one of the lucky one's to taste it before the country did. The crackling sound of the Belgium chocolate with a crunchy bite of coffee bean along with creamy vanilla ice-cream with coffee syrup was the perfect time of the evening. Everyone present at the venue were busy eating the ice-cream and moaning 'Hmmmm' with every bite. A cool ice-cream on a windy evening was the best treat given by Magnum.

A conversation with Janice and Fritz got me to know more about them and the flavor.

The new flavour is available from March 1st, 2015 throughout the country.

JW Marriott's Bangalore Baking Company Delights

My love for JW Marriott is very evident among the people who know me so this time I was invited on a Saturday morning for some BBC Delight (Bangalore Baking Company). I always wonder why does JW Marriott make me wake up early in the morning, be it their cook off at First Agro farms or cook off at a village. Nevertheless, they have always given me a memory with their every visit so I was looking forward for the day.

Bangalore Baking Company has a very cosy ambiance with large glass windows and marble interiors which makes it very spacious and peaceful with some indoor and outdoor seating. It also has a library which has a extensive collection of coffee table books on many subjects. It has wifi and plug in service which makes it an ideal place for hangout and meeting. Well, I have spent hours here reading, meetings and even indulging in their delicacies.

Chef Daniel has been conducting baking classes at BBC for a while now where he also offers amateur bakers a chance to be pastry chef for a day with some personalized baking experience.

Chef Daniel and Chef Grenal took us through the evening showcasing us some new additions on the menu and also some secrets behind the recipe's and cooking. Grenal started with a Taco salad, a Mexican salad with the goodness of veggies in a different shaped taco. Not being a veggie lover, I was indulging in this spicy salad the most. A sure to try when you visit BBC next.

Next was Caribbean jerk chicken sandwich which had some thyme, cinnamon, chillies, nutmeg, garlic, tomato between a focaccia bread served with some chips. I truly feel Chef Grenal has some magic when it comes to non-veg, the jerk chicken sandwich will make you want for more which will tantalize every taste buds.

or veggies, there was Caprese sandwich which had fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil which made the veggies want for more. I personally did not like this one as much as the other dishes.

Chef Daniel made his special Chocolate lava and also shared tips while making this one. Hot chocolate oozing out from a warm cake, what does one need now? 5 ingredients put together will make this extremely delicious dessert. The recipe is extremely simple but the magic of Chef Daniel's hand as an added advantage made it heavenly and sinful. You should try this at BBC.

I think I can try these simple recipe's at home, Ummm I think I better head to my favorite BBC to enjoy them :) Thank you Chef Grenal, Chef Daniel and the team at JW Marriott for a wonderful Saturday morning/

Bon6 mystery box unveiled

In my earlier post on Bon6, I had mentioned that I had received a mystery box which got me curious. I unveiled the box to find out the mystery.

Check my video while I unveiled #BonTheOriginal

Oh it was such a chocolaty surprise, it is truly a friend finder as no one would ever say NO to this bourbon biscuit and it would be easy to start a conversation and carry it for hours in the company of New Britannia Bourbon.

I was lucky to be part of the entire mystery box. Now, I will enjoy the biscuit. Let me know how you found the entire mystery in the comments below :)

Lingering Lunch at Shiro with GourmetItUp experience

Mid week blues hit me and I wanted some change in my routine. Shiro was at my rescue service. I was invited by GourmetItUp for a review of the Lingering lunches at Shiro. I have been to Shiro many times and I knew my afternoon is going to be good with Chef Priyank taking care of the menu.

A little bit about GourmetItUp, it creates and curates customized food experiences. They are in their third year currently and have a strong hold in Mumbai, Delhi and Pune, entering the Bangalore market. They help in creating unique and exclusive dining experiences for its members, from off-menu meals to tasting experiences.

You must be wondering on how GourmetItUp works? Here is the answer: Diners register at GourmetItUp.com and browse through an extensive set of exclusive dining experiences. Diners can make a reservation at the click of a button and payments are made directly at the restaurant. Each experience clearly displays the menu, pricing and table availability and the GourmetItUp concierge can be easily reached via a call or live chat to answer any questions about an experience or to suggest experiences that best fit the occasion. 

I starter my meal with a refreshing mocktail names Orange and min virgin mojito. This is also Chef Priyank's favorite and has been on my order every time. It is refreshing and pairs my food well. During my meal I also had a mocktail with watermelon and soda.

The lingering lunches have 2 options for unlimited food apart from ala carte service. One can choose from Unlimited dim sums special and Unlimited Sushi and Maki special, both priced at Rs.850 plus charges and taxes. 

I started with the assorted veg dim sum platter which had Zucchini and coriander dumpling, spinach and corn dumpling, celery and pepper mushroom dumpling and chi chow dumpling. Can you believe that I enjoyed all the veg dim sums? I was very amazed with the taste and authenticity of the dim sums that I loved every bite. Without any dip, I enjoyed all, you can try with soya sauce or chilli paste which is served with it. Even I find it hard to believe that I enjoyed a veg platter more ;)

Next came the assorted non veg dim sum platter which had Celery and prawn dumpling, sui mai, hargau and chicken gyoza along with steamed chicken and shitake mushroom. I personally did not like marinated steamed chicken and shitake mushroom much. But the dumplings were amazing. As a prawn person, I loved hargau which had marinated prawns and steamed inside a translucent wrapper. While Sui mai had minced chicken and prawns and shitake mushroom steamed in a wonton wrapper. Given any weekday, I would prefer a dim sum special and have unlimited dims sums which floored my taste buds.

Steamed chicken and shitake mushroom

Next was Sushi and Maki Special. Starting with Veg sushi, I tried the cucumber, asparagus and shitake mushroom. I enjoyed the cucumber and asparagus sushi more than shitake mushroom. In non veg, I tried the red snapper sushi. I do not have taste buds for non veg sushi so I was hesitant to try tuna, spicy tuna mayo and salmon sushi.

Veg Maki and Veg Sushi (Left to right)

Non veg Sushi

Then came Maki. I have had Maki many times earlier but nothing tasted as good as Shiro. In veg, Crispy spicy avocado, vegetarian spicy California and Kappa maki was served which tasted exceptionally well. In non veg, california maki, tuna maki, prawn maki, new york maki, spicy chicken with shitake maki was served. I have developed a strong taste for Maki. I never knew they could be tasty especially when Chef Priyank has got his innovations too.

Non veg Maki

Ended my meal by having a cup of green tea which was very refreshing. I rarely have enjoy a good cup of green tea but Shiro did a fabulous job in bringing this lunch together. 

I had an amazing lunch taking my mid week blues out and raring to enjoy the weekend.

You can check the menu below for lingering lunch (ignore the spelling error in my name)