Celebrate Style and the spirit of individual expression with Blenders Pride Reserve Collection

Venerated Bollywood actor and sportsman Rahul Bose along with folk musicians, Karakura Ensemble blended a stylish evening in Bengaluru on 28th March :)

Away from the stereotypical definition of style, Blenders Pride Reserve Collection curated an evening amalgamating style with substance. A voice which has etched out a niche for himself in Bollywood, Rahul Bose mesmerized the audience with his unconventional idea of style that is born out of conviction. Sustaining the euphoria and the mood for the evening, Karakura Ensemble strung together a symphony paying ode to style which permeates the soul of the city.

Blenders Pride Reserve Collection crafted an evening exclusively for the palate with a desire for the exquisite. Beyond glitz and glamour, the evening was infused with substance and unique self-expression for a definition of style that represents sophistication and hand-crafted details that only a connoisseur can bring to his craft.

Rahul Bose, a personality with multiple facets, elaborated on his expression of style saying, "Style is a unique identity that reflects the persona of one’s inner self which goes beyond the visible and Blenders Pride Reserve Collection brings this to the fore completely. My style is the relationship that I have with myself which outlines my personality. In my career path, I have divulged into diametrically opposite professions and discovered myself in the process. My voyage from a sportsperson to a man in-front of and behind-the camera and then starting my own non-profit foundation, defines me - I choose to call it my personal style. I feel extremely fortunate to be a part of Blenders Pride Reserve Collection, where I can redefine the stereotypical notion attached with style and go beyond the usual"

Karakura Ensemble combines soaring folk vocals with the beat of the world percussion creating a pacy rhythm which forms the vibe of the band.

A talk with Rahul Bose revealed his sense of style and the impact of style in individual's life.

Launch of LIVA - new age fabric brand

On 27th March 2015 at JW Marriott Mumbai, a revolution was made. Birla Cellulose, from Aditya Birla Group, unveiled their much awaited new age fabric brand, LIVA with their new stylish brand ambassador Kangana Ranaut with an exclusive fashion show titled “PANCHTATVA".

The evening saw a beautiful amalgamation of the five elements to bring out the essence of LIVA,. James Ferreira, renowned for his subtle non-literal infusion of Indian elements, presented the LIVA Collection themed AIR, Puja Nayyar, known for her unique ideation towards experimentation in design, used EARTH as an element to showcase the expanse of the fabric, Narendra Kumar, well known for his structured silhouette and sharp tailoring, displayed the fluidity of the fabric, using WATER as the inspiration and Anita Dongre, who is known for her wide range, traditional to contemporary, classic to avant-garde and desi to global, took inspiration from FIRE to bring alive the fiery fluidity of LIVA. The highlight of the showcase was show stopper Kangana Ranaut.

Actress Kangana Ranaut was impressed with LIVA and said, "When I saw the fabric I was really surprised at how flowy and fluid it was. It draped by body in just the right way, wasn’t too boxy or too tight. The fabric moved as I moved. I think it’s the kind of fabric that can go well with any clothing and occasion. Moreover, I personally feel that LIVA is going to play a very important role in the world of fashion. People always want something new, something exciting and I can see it happening with LIVA”.

The evening was hosted by Mr K.K. Maheshwari, Managing Director - Grasim Industries and Group Director - Textiles, she expressed her happiness by saying, "I am delighted to announce that we are launching this product under the brand name “Liva” with the very simple but very meaningful and attractive proposition of 'Natural Fluid Fashion' ".

LIVA is a new age fabric that is natural, fluid, and fashionable made with natural fibres from Pulp & Fibre Business of Aditya Birla Group. The fluid fabric gives a glamorous drape leaving the skin feel great as it is soft. The fabric takes the shape of the body which helps in giving you a perfect look and doesn't tug out like other stiff fabrics. It also has a natural shine that makes it look dressy. Since it is natural, it has great breathability and it is extremely comfortable to wear. Isn't this what we women were waiting for?

"If LIVA has you intrigued then please do get in touch with Media Moments (www.mediamoments.in

 

) for further details!"

Go cashless at restaurants with Binge

Noroc Solutions Pvt. Ltd. a Bangalore based technology start-up has launched Binge – an innovative payment application for the F&B industry, in Bangalore. Co- founded by Santosh Martin, Christopher Lopez, Shankar Sukrutaraj, Gaurav Arora, Amit Roy & Ajay Joseph this distinctive application focusses on Food & Beverage industry. The application is available for download today on Android and iOS.

It provides the ability to the user to see his live bill & any updates of the bill on his phone, as and when orders are placed, and to pay on-the-go directly from their mobile.  The application provides for upto 4 credit/debit cards to be pre-loaded; also provides for splitting of the bill amongst friends;  ability to pre-load a wallet;  allows for loyalty programs to be redeemed etc.

Some of the unique features that Binge offers are privacy wherein the users do not have to share their mobile numbers and can check-in with their unique Binge ID. With this application, one can save multiple visa/master debit/credit cards securely as these are stored in a vault. The card details are available on the phone only as a token and no one has access to the data.  One could also see their friends on Binge and add them to the table. With Binge, one could split the bill with their friends in real time without the hassle of a calculator. The ability to tip is in built into the app so the user can tip the steward.

Binge has already tied up with 25 restaurants in Bangalore like Skyye, Toscano, Sanchos, Sinkong, Opus, Blimey, Bootlegger etc. Binge is looking to expand its presence in Delhi and Mumbai by May and further partner with over a 1000 restaurants in Bangalore by the end of 2015. The company has tied up with Uber in Bangalore to offer its customers exclusive deals like discounts on Uber rides.

Sizzling day at Yana Sizzlers

Yana Sizzlers, it is a famous name in Pune for around 12-13 years. They have an outlet in Bangalore too. It is operating from 5-6 years. I wonder how did I ever miss this place? The Bangalore outlet is in the busy street of Koramangala 60 feet road, next to Shree Krishna cafe (Now that is how I was explained the location). It is near Anand sweets.

I do like sizzlers but finding it very difficult to find a good place for my regular visits. As Indijoe closed down on Church street, with Yana Sizzlers I could heave a sigh of relief.

On a Sunny Sunday, I was invited by Vivek to come and try out their sizzlers and more at Yana Sizzlers. I was very late for lunch so i preferred to have just one sizzler, Spicy Fish Fillet. It was served with veggies, rice and mashed potatoes. After a long time, I had some good mashed potatoes. The fish was sizzling hot and tasted extremely spicy. Now that is something which could spice up my Sunday. Upon request, I got to know that one can cancel the veggies and rice for extra portion of meat. My next visit will surely have more meat.

As I accompanied my sizzler with a peach iced tea.

Yana Sizzlers offers more than 125 sizzler options with 26 options in veg category, seriously too many options to choose from. The sizzlers here are healthier as the veggies are either boiled or blanched and the usage of oil is also minimal. The taste at Yana Sizzlers has remained the same throughout all outlets and also over the years.

Apart from Sizzlers they also serve soups, salads, starters, pasta and more which makes it an ideal place for everyone to enjoy their meal.

For desserts, sizzling brownie with vanilla and hot chocolate is the usual option for many at any sizzler place. It tasted well, I cannot write much as I had very little. Their signature desserts - the sizzling banana walnut cake with butterscotch and the sizzling apple pie with ice cream and apple sauce are a must try here, had a taste of both and they were extremely delish. They taste differently and definitely better than any other place.

Ummm, you can surely drool over the pics as I have captured sizzling apple pie with ice cream and apple sauce sizzle

Sizzling banana walnut cake with butterscotch

I also tried caramel custard which was good but little on the sweeter side for my taste. I will try all of them in good portion in my next visit.

Some mint candies post your meal?

I am definitely going here again to try their different sizzlers as I feel I need to taste more of it till I am satisfied completely. My tummy is asking for more. Thanks Yana Sizzlers for coming to Bangalore :)

Happy faces at Yana Sizzlers :)

The Italian festival at Bene, Sheraton Bangalore

And I was at Bene again, this time for the Italian festival. My earlier visits have always been great and I was glad to exclusively review the festival. For those who haven't read my earlier blog post, you should read it. The Italian menu is crafted by Chef Mori La Greca from Sheraton Milan.

Chef Moris started his career in Milano in 2001. He progressed from most fashionable clubs in Milan to a well-renowned restaurant La petit plage in Juan les Pins, France. He is now heading at ll Canneto as master chef at the Iconic Sheraton Milan. He has come to Bangalore to share his delicious dishes with the people of Bangalore.

After a conversation with Chef Moris and Chef Marty, executive chef at Sheraton Bangalore, we learnt a lot about the festival. Chef Moris isn't very well off with English but the way he communicated was impressive. he made sure he asked for our preferences and made all our food from the scratch. As the menu was very vast, it was very difficult for me to choose my meal for the evening. I left it to Chef Moris's choice and trusted him completely with my meal.

The pictures of the meal are of baby portion. So do not judge the portion by this blogpost. The variety of choices on the menu is something to watch out for. The non veg section has variety of meat and sea food too. One must try it for a meaty delight. Well, the veggies also have a great option. Pretty happy to see such a menu catering to veggies and non veggies very well. Well, if you are a vegan then inform the chef and he will cook something specially for you.

To begin with, a cranberry iced tea was refreshing after a hectic and hot day. After this I enjoyed a watermelon mocktail during my meal.

Antipasti (Appetizers)

Started my meal with Capesante scottate passito papkrika, crema di lentichhie which was Pan seared scallops with paprika and brown lentil sauce. It looked like an art on the plate. With minimal ingredients, the taste of scallops was enhanced. Did you notice the small flowers used for plating? Chef Marty who loves gardening, enjoys plating with flowers and veggies grown in Sheraton garden. So Chef Moris took his advice on the same.

Insalatina di astice, verdurine di stagione con coulisi di pomodoro piccante which was a lobster salad with seasonal vegetables with spicy tomato coulis was served. Yay I was happy to see lobster on my plate. The plating was done beautifully. Chef Marty informed us that the veggies were chemical free as they were procured from First Agro farms, taking me back to time during my visit to the First Agro farms.

Soup

Minestra di Zucchine was served which was a Green zucchini soup with mascarpone. I wish it was non veg but nevertheless. It was creamy and very filling. I am sure a regular portion can fill a normal person.

Pizza

A simple Pizza Margherita with served which had mozzarella, tomatoes and fresh herbs. It was a clean sweep on the table. It is quite light to eat and a simple pizza. I enjoyed every bite.

A veg calzone was also served. I don't remember the Italian name, unfortunately. It was served hot and filled with goodness of veggies.

Primi Piatti (Pasta Dish)

Cannelloni di anatra, ricotta funghi e crocante di parmigianno. This is a Cannelloni of duck with ricotta cheese, mushrooms and crispy parmesan. I'm fond of trying different meat so I was excited for this. It was cooked perfectly and the meat tasted good. a filling dish, I'm going back for this again.

I Risotti (Rice Dish)

Risotto ai Funghi porcini, this is a risotto with chicken, fresh herbs and truffle oil. I have a taste for risotto so I enjoyed every spoon. The rice was cooked well and the taste of chicken with herbs added to the flavor.

I Dolci (Sweets & desserts)

Mousse di ricotta, cioccolato, limone candito, cialda croccante e crema di pistacchi which is ricotta mousse, chocolate, candied lemon, crispy wafer and pistachio cream. I would like to have this a little more to write about it.

Tiramisu espuma is the Chef Moris style of Tiramisu served at Bene. Chef had all praises for the Tiramisu served at Bene so he gave us the pleasure to try the famous Bene Tiramisu and also his version. I was in love with Chef's Moris's version which is a foamed Tiramisu making a light dessert, I could have another serving of this for sure.

Bene Special tiramisu

Tartino di cioccola, crema inglese vanilla e gelato alla canella was served last which is a chocolate fondant with vanilla sauce and homemade vanilla cinnamon ice cream. A mix of hot and cold on the plate, is always a delight like Jalebi and ice cream? The ice cream compliments the fondant and it is a filling dessert. Chef Moris was very particular about the cream used for plating too.

The Sommelier, Viraj is expected to pair each dish with a wine. The management is expected to launch a four - five course meal, with and without wine soon.

If you are confused with the meal then leave the choices with Chef Moris and tell him your preferences and let him do the magic.

The Italian festival starts on 21st March and ends on 29th March. Make sure you enjoy the taste of Italy in Bangalore during this time. Chef Moris will be glad to serve you.