New Menu at Alba, JW Marriott Bangalore

Alba, the Italian fine dining restaurant at JW Marriott has been one of my favorite places to dine.  I have usually celebrated some of my and my friend's special days here. Some of my favorites have always been Insalata, risotto, ravioli and their desserts.

When I heard about some new additions to the menu, I couldn't resist myself but try them. Celebrating my dad's birthday, I and Mom visited Alba for dinner. Chef Antonello greeted us and presented the set menu which one can choose from or order from the menu. We chose the set menu for the dinner.

I recently had a very bad experience of my memory card getting corrupted and the pics were not recoverable. With some help, I could get some pics which I will upload in this post. Apologies for the one's missing.

We started with Antipasti, while I chose Insalata Di Asparagie Bocconcini Alle Olive, a veg Italian salad with mixed greens, olives, tomatoes, bocconcini, asparagus, extra virgin crouton. I loved every bite of it and will go again for this. Mom chose Coscette Di Pollo Alla Aceto Balsamico, which is grilled chicken with lemon, rosemary, balsamic and caponnata. I had a taste of this too but couldn't make a judgement with a bite.

Next course was Zuppa, I chose Minestrone Alla Contadina, a veg soup with locally sourced vegetables, tomato and basil and Mom had Zuppa Di Cipolle, Finocchietto E Pollo, chicken, baked onion and fennel soup. While the veg soup was very refreshing, the chicken soup was a little sweet. I liked both and couldn't choose one as my favorite.

Next course was Primi, after having vegetarian in the first two course I chose the non veg option. While I had Cotoletta Di Pollo Alla Parmigiana, which was Chicken parmigiana, mozzarella, spagetti pomodoro. I did not enjoy the chicken as I found it hard and dry but I really liked the spaghetti pomodoro. Next time, I would like to have a course of only spaghetti pomodoro. I remember, in my earlier visit too, I never enjoyed the chicken much.

Mom had Triangoli Di Ricotta which was spinach-ricotta ravioli with parmesan truffle cream sauce. Both of us liked this a lot and my love for ravioli remains :)

While I had the main course, I also had a spicy mocktail with a base of guava juice. Now spicy mocktails have caught my attention lately and this one too was liked. I guess I will try making this at home as it tasted refreshing.

I was still hungry for some more food so before heading to the last course, I ordered for some Veg risotto which I and Mom shared and after this, I was contended.

Before we ate our last course of meal, Chef wanted to show me how he made Amaretti define amaretti which is an Italian almond-flavoured biscuits. It was such a treat to watch him make the biscuits and sharing his experiences from Italy while he made them.

And for the last course Dolci, I chose Bonet which had Amaretti on a chocolate pudding while Mom took advantage of me getting busy with the chef in conversation and ate Tiramisu which had Mascarpone, coffee and lady fingers.

The quantity of Tiramisu was big and a huge amount of time was taken to finish the cup full of Tiramisu. Bonet was a different dessert for me to try and I liked the presentation and the taste of it, especially amaretti which was made in front of me.

I initially thought the quantity of the course could not be filling but by the end of the meal, especially Tiramisu I was full. Who would want to leave the restaurant when Chef Antonello starts playing his guitar and sings some amazing songs. Chef started playing his guitar and he was joined by his guest friend and a quick jamming session started while we sipped on some Cappuccino to end the dinner.

It was a fabulous night with amazing food served. Thanks to chef Antonello and Chef Grenal was serving us and treating us so well.

Nioxin Product review: Did it work?

You would have read about my Nioxin experience at a bloggers meet. Nixon treatment is only for those suffering from hair thinning issue. I had a consultation suring the meet to identify my hair problem and it was noticed that I was suffering from Normal to thin looking hair and TREATMENT 5 was recommended for me. We were given the products to try on ourselves for 3-4 weeks so I followed it and here I will be writing about my experience.

Here are the results of the trial at home. I followed the treatment, not very religiously as its normal with me. I guess many of us are like me too, we start with enthusiasm and then slowly become lazy about it. I used the products 3 times a week.

Step 1 was a cleanser. Treat this as a shampoo, I applied it on the scalp, massage it until lathers, leaving it for a couple of minutes and then rinse it completely.

Step 2 was Scalp revitaliser. This acts like a conditioner but can be applied on the scalp too. massaging the lotion from scalp to tip of the hair and allowing it to rest for 3-5 minutes helps the scalp condition.

Step 3 was a Leave-in Scalp treatment. Apply this leave in lotion onto the scalp and massage it. Allow it to rest and the 3 step treatment is completed.

While I followed this process 3 times a week, I did not blow dry my hair ever. I always used a wide tooth comb for my hair and occasionally oiled my hair.

What I saw? I had very less hair fall so here it did not make much difference. But the thickness of my hair is slightly increased and I notices this as I rush my fingers through my hair very often and also by my hair band. Hair has become comparatively softer which makes me touch my hair again and again.

On Day 1 of the treatment, at Bodycraft salon

After a month:

From the picture its not clear about the thickness or the texture but it has become considerably better in a month's time.

So all those experiencing hair thinning issue should consult for Nioxin treatment and feel the difference.

You can try and experience #NioxinNowIndia at your nearest salon. This activity is in association with BlogAdda.com

Ye Hai Mohabbatein: Leap postponed currently

Leaps are a norm in Balaji Telefilms show and Ye Hai Mohabbatein fell prey to it. As the viewers were hooked to the most loved show, the news of a generation leap started floating.

The viewers took the social media by storm against the upcoming leap. Never ending request to cancel the leap were sent to the makers and everyone involved with the show. Not just viewers, even the actors like Aly Goni and Divyanka Tripathi expressed their disapproval for the leap.

Looks like the prayers have been answered and the makers of the show have decided to postpone the leap.

Anita Hassanandani revealed on her social networking page that the the leap has been postponed along with a cute picture with her best friend and producer of the show, Ekta Kapoor.

Pic credits: Anita's instagram page

The viewers aka YHM lovers have heaved a sigh of relief after this news but they still insisit of the leap being cancelled. Lets wait and watch what is in store for us with respect to Ye Hai Mohabbatein.

Louis Philippe Cup

One morning I received a call and I was invited to be part of the most prestigious Louis Philippe Cup Pro-Am award dinner and the tournament. I do not follow golf much so the entire LP cup did not excite me but when my friend Sakshi explained about the entire tournament, I was a little curious to be part of it. I was part of the Pro-Am awards dinner followed by the LP cup tournament which returns to Bangalore, one of India’s most popular golfing destinations and a favourite with the players, where it began in 2012. Louis Philippe thrives on excellence, elegance and opulence. Louis Philippe is proud to be associated with the fourth edition of the prestigious golf tournament `Louis Philippe Cup’.

The 4th edition of the Louis Philippe Cup saw a strong cast of India’s elite professionals from the Asian Tour and Professional Golf Tour of India led by Jyoti Randhawa, SSP Chowrasia, Rahil Gangjee, Gaganjeet Bhullar and Rashid Khan. Players competed for seven city teams in India’s only annual Professional Team golf event at the Karnataka Golf Association, Bengaluru from 11th-13th June 2015. The three day, 54 hole tournament with a prize purse of Rs. 1.2 crore, is specially approved by the Professional Golf Tournament of India (PGTI), and conceived and promoted by RN Golf Management (RNGM). Louis Philippe symbolises itself with panache and elegance, characteristics that are beautifully reflected in golf.

Gaganjeet Bhullar

Jyoti Randhawa

Rahil Gangjee

The Louis Philippe Cup which has always associated itself with sports and sportsmanship, hosted the Celebrity Pro-Am event at the Karnataka Golf Association, Bangalore. The tournament was followed by a star studded dinner at the ITC Gardenia, Bangalore. The Celebrity Pro-Am Dinner & Prize Distribution was held at the ITC Royal Gardenia, where stalwarts from the corporate, sports and entertainment worlds, such as Sharmila Nicolette, Syed Kirmani, Mittu Chandilya, Tarun Rai, Parul Yadav and Meghana Goankar among others, were seen adding grandeur to the event. The fourth edition of the prestigious tournament saw the participation of celebrities such as commentator Charu Sharma, standup comedian Papa CJ, accomplished former athlete and actress Ashwini Nachappa , among several other dignitaries.

Pro Golfer Jyoti Randhawa wearing Louis Philippe Walks the Ramp at the Louis Philippe Pro Am Dinner

Actress Meghana Goankar walks the ramp with Charu Sharma at the Louis Philippe Pro Am Dinner

Mithun Perera lead from the front to shoot five-under, 67 at Karnataka Golf Association to ensure that his team Navratna Ahmedabad defended its Louis Philippe Cup title. This is Navratna Ahmedabad’s third Louis Philippe Cup title over four years of the tournament. Navratna Ahmedabad’s three-day total was 13-under 419 and tied with TAKE Chennai, but Ahmedabad’s final day score of six-under 138 gave them victory and a winning cheque of Rs. 36 lacs.

Navratna Ahmedabad L-R - Mithun Perera, Anura Rohana and Shankar Das

Winners Navratna Ahmedabad L-R - Mithun Perera, Devang shah (owner), Anura Rohana and Shankar Das

Khalin Joshi from Chennai collected a cheque of Rs. 7 lacs as he became the individual strokeplay winner with a 54-Hole total of 12-under par.

Khalin Joshi from Take Chennai wins the individual performer of the tournament

The tournament has ended and we all are waiting for Louis Philippe Cup 2016.

AbRam Khan enjoying in Barcelona? Check out his latest pic

AbRam Khan is surely a star himself. Every pic of his grabs eye balls. This cutie pie can get the world on his feet with just a mere look.

I found a latest pic of AbRam on a social networking site. He is enjoying Barcelona and this pic was captured with his cousin Alia. This was confirmed by Shah Rukh Khan himself few minutes ago on twitter but I saw this pic a couple of hours ago, posted by AbRam's older brother Aryan Khan. Both father-son duo loves this Young Khan.

Shah Rukh Khan dots on his son and also keeps an eye on him from Bulgaria where he is currently shooting with Kajol for 'Dilwale'. Abram looks absolutely cute in this pic. Isn't he adorable?

New man in Mona Singh's life?

Remember Mona Singh from Jassi jaisi koi nahi? or the winner of Jhalak Dikhla Jaa? Mona Singh is a successful TV actor. Apart from hosting reality shows, we last saw her in Balaji Telefilms' Kya Hua Tera Vaada.

Mona Singh has been single post her break up with boyfriend Vidyut Jamwal. There were no news of her dating anyone. But looks like love is the air again. Mona Singh was spotted enjoying her holiday and celebrating Ekta Kapoor's birthday in Hong Kong along with Ekta and her close friends Anita Hassanandani and her handsome dimple cheeked beau Rohit Reddy, Mushtaq Sheikh, Tanusri Dasgupta and Ruchikaa kapoor. But what's new in this?

A pic posted by Rohit Reddy on his instagram made a difference. Check it out for yourself :)

Is Mona Singh dating Mushtaq Sheikh? The pic was captioned " Colour coordinated 'couples' ". Is something brewing between Mushtaq and Mona? This pic was taken at Ekta Kapoor's party post her holiday, looks like its birthmonth for darling Ekta and just not a birthday :) Ekta has played cupid to Additi Gupta and Rizwan Bachav in the past and I guess the same would apply for Mona and Mushtaq. If there is love between Mushtaq and Mona, then we wish the couple lots of love and happiness.

With time we shall know if this piece of news is true :)

Divyanka Tripathi lays down rules for an intimate scene in Ye Hai Mohabbatein

Ye Hai Mohabbatein is loved by all, an interesting drama by Balaji telefilms showcasing love and matured relationships. It is based on the book named 'Custody'.

In the coming episodes, viewers will witness more love and romance from Ishita and Raman. After having confessed their love for each other, IshRa (as they are popularly known as) will take their relationship to the next level. I wonder it took them 18+ months to take this step, but never mind, viewers are all ready to see their romance.

Raman and Ishita will consummate their marriage and for this particular scene, Divyanka Tripathi has laid down few rules with the production has to agree on. She wants minimal people on the set when the scene is shot and also, she wants to pick her own attire for the scene. She wants the scene to be shot aesthetically. She has agreed to shoot the scene if her conditions are agreed and followed.

IshRa fans have been waiting to watch Raman and Ishita romance and I guess its time for it to be shown. lets wait and watch for the episode.

Post the consummation scene, a generation leap has been planned but there is no confirmation for the same. We still wish that there is no leap in the show.

All pics belong to the original uploader, no credit taken.

Ye Hai Mohabbatein: Spoiler for the leap

I have been watching 'Ye Hai Mohabbatein' for a while and for now I read many articles on the upcoming leap which might take place in July or August. Let me share the same with you.

Post Ishita-Raman consummating their relation, Ishita will find out that she has critical tuberculosis (she had faced TB earlier in her childhood too which we get to know when she faints during navratra vrat) and her survival chances are minimal. Just to make sure that her family is happy after her and they are able to forget her and move on, she will create circumstances for Raman and her family to believe that she has an affair with Subbu and they are rekindling their past relationship.

Ishita gets Shagun back in Raman and Bhalla family's life once she finds out that she has changed and make sure Shagun takes Ishita's place. Ishita will leave the family and move to Australia with Subbu making everyone believe that she has cheated on Raman with Subbu, shattering Raman and the family. A huge leap on the show will follow this.

There is no confirmation for the above track yet. But the lead of the show, Divyanka Tripathi is supposedly not happy with the leap either. I hope this track is not true and no leap takes place. Wishing for an interesting track in the current scenario. Now who would not want to see Ruhi, the life of the show, for some more time? And also Ishita and Raman's banter which is being missed for sometime now?

All pics belong to the original uploader, no credit taken.

Ruchika Rajput enters 'Ye Hai Mohabbatein'

'Ye hai Mohabbatein' will have a new cast. Ruchika Rajput is all set to join Balaji Telefilms' famous show as Vinnie's mother.

As seen now, amidst all chaos between Subbu and Bhalla family, a budding attraction is taking place. Aditya aka Adi is attracted to Vinnie and joins the summer entrepreneurship classes. Ruchika will play the role of Vinnie's mother who is rich and positive and she dots on her child and Vinnie's father will be Raman's prime investor. With time, Adi and Vinnie will start liking each other.

How will Ishita-Raman handle Adi-Vinnie's attraction for each other will be seen in the upcoming episode.

Mexifornia 2015 at California Pizza Kitchen

Recovering from a throat infection, I made my way to California Pizza Kitchen to enjoy the 'Mexifornia' festival. You can enjoy the on-going festival too, but only till 21st June. The exclusive menu starts from Rs. 305+ for one to savor the goodness of zesty Mexican cuisine with a twist of California panache.

The menu varies from appetizers, salad, pizza, pasta, CPK speciality and desserts. The options are not much to choose from. I started my evening with Aloha which had mango juice and peach syrup in equal quantity. I preferred it with no ice and for once, a warm juice did taste a little good.

Aloha

Mango Tango

From appetizers, I tried Chicken Tomatillo Chille, chicken strips tossed with garlic, onion and trio peppers in new Mexican green chilli sauce. This is a spicy dish so if you are ordering one, then make sure you mention the level of spice in the dish. I personally liked it, may be because after a long time I had something spicy and on a rainy night, this could be the best dish on the table.

CPK Nachos was next which had California style nachos with cheese sauce, jalapenos and tomatoes. I was expecting some beans as it is Mexican cuisine but to my disappointment there were none. Tangy jalapenos, cheese with nachos were a wipe out on table till the mail course arrived.

Corn and Jalapeno Empanada, sweet corn and jalapeno chilli with choose was baked to perfection. I found the filling less in the empanada's.

Southwestern Chille Chicken, grilled chicken breast with south west green chilli and cheese on a bed of mashed potatoes was good. The quantity of mashed potatoes matched the chicken. I usually have a problem with restaurants serving more mashed potatoes and less chicken. This was a balanced dish.

Chicken Asada pizza is one of the hot selling from the menu and I decided to try it out. This is spicy again because of new Mexican green chilli sauce. Cilantro pesto is one of my favorite topping on the pizza and clubbing it with sliced chicken would be the best one for me. This pizza has cheddar and fontina cheese and roasted peppers resting on their traditional crust.

In Pasta, I tried Fettuccine Heide. This is the spiciest dish I have ever had, also the spice stays on your tongue for long. I just couldn't resist having it despite the spice. Fettuccine wasn't available so I had this with penne in Mexican green chilli sauce tossed with garlic, onion and peppers.

New Mexican Basa fish in banana leaf was next. I have tried this earlier in many asian restaurants so wanted to see what CPK has to offer. It is baked and the taste was different than the asian taste. I always love seafood and my love for it made me try it.

Out of 2 desserts, my favorite Mexican Caramel banana Flan. A classic banana Mexican flan served on bed of vanilla sponge topped with banana cream and caramel sauce

Trio of chocolate mousse was good too but my love for banana dessert was more. Rich chocolate mousse flavored with three layers of Mexican white, milk and dark chocolate with hint of coffee served in dark chocolate cup. This was a fantastic looking dessert and my friends loved this more.

The entire menu was average with few good dishes though the options were more in Mexifornia 2014. I enjoyed my dinner. Hope you enjoyed reading my experience, Looking forward to know your favorites.