2017 - What are you grateful for?

2017 is coming to an end and everyone has been busy making plans to party, holiday or spend time at home with family and close ones. But have you paused for a while and thought of all the moments spent this year, be it good or bad?

Sometimes I feel 2017 started just few days back when I shifted to my new home and sometimes I feel it was such a long year. Like every year, this year has also given us good and bad times. We usually tend to think of the bad times more and wish for a better 2018, our brains are so used to keeping the bad times more fresh in our memories. But have you counted your blessings this year?

Life is a roller coaster ride and there will always be ups and downs. Enjoy the downs of life as much as you enjoy it on the roller coaster. Take few minutes out from before 2017 comes to an end and think of all the good things that has happened this year, be it work, money, travel, smiles, happiness, new friends, good health, self love, self confidence, prayers and see the magic 2018 will bring for you.

2018 has a lot of hopes, happiness, love and peace for you, it will come with some tears or sadness but that is when you will truly enjoy the happiness and value it. Just keep that smile on your face and bring in the new year with lots of happiness.

Pampering session at Bodycraft Spa and Salon

2017 is coming to an end and the whole year has taken a toll in your health, hair and skin. Its important to take regular care of your skin and body.

Towards the year end I decided to pamper myself with a good facial at my favourite spa for facials which is Bodycraft Spa and Salon. I got my skin consulted and White Secrets facial was chosen for me. My skin is filled with blemishes and pimples due to change of skin routine and my skin is sensitive. White Secrets Facial helps my skin concerns perfectly with de-pigmentation and skin lightening, available for sensitive skin too. The complimentary hand, feet and back massage just adds cherry on the cake and gives you a complete body spa, and not just facial.

Coming to Bodycraft and not taking another service is not acceptable. I decided on facial alone but had to give in to a good Pedicure too. Bodycraft Spa and Salon has always provided me with the best facial and pedicure and has always been my go to place to pamper myself.

Be it any situation, special days like birthday or my visit to Oscars 2016 or MTV Video Music Awards 2017 or any travel, I always make sure I pamper nyself at Bodycraft Spa and Salon and look my best. Bodycraft has always made me look best and feel best about myself. If you wanna feel the same like I do then take an appointment at Bodycraft Spa and Salon and feel the difference. Love yourself first and then the world around you will love you too.

This Winter At Monkey Bar With One Bowl Winter Menu

Winter is just setting in and what better than warm comfort food to share with friends and family. Monkey Bar is bringing their One Bowl Winter menu and wants to be part of your winter celebrations. The promotional menu is now available in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore from November 15, 2017- Jan 15, 2018. You and your entire taste buds will be satisfied with such meal in a bowl.

Food has many memories and feelings attached to it and on cold days all you want is these comfort food. Monkey Bar is offering such 12 hearty one-bowl meals packed with nostalgia. You have options to choose from different texture, taste or just simple food. I opted to enjoy some beef so I chose Korean Bibimbap made which had spicy gochujang steak with pink sticky rice, topped with fried eggs. I could easily eat another bowl of it for its flavors but I held on to try Kashmiri Yakhni, which has succulent mutton pieces cooked in yogurt and spices which was paired with a saffron pulao. These 2 bowls are my favorite from the menu and are a must try for those who have similar taste as mine.

For vegetarian friends, home-style Rajma Bowl or Kadhi Chawal, else Moroccan Vegetable Tagine with couscous za'atar or Wild Mushroom Khichdi would appetise you.

Chicken lovers would love to try spicy Nagarjuna Inspired Chilli Chicken with malabari parota or Sesame Teriyaki Chicken Bowl on a bed of sticky rice.

Seafood lovers will surely enjoy Goan Xacuti served with barnyard millets, Seafood Linguine, Prawn Pad Thai Noodles or Panch Phoron and Kasundi Mach with gobindobhog rice.

The menu has a bowl for every taste and every person. It's just time for you to head to the nearest Monkey Bar and enjoy a bowl full of flavors.

Say No To Concentrate with B Natural Juices

ITC entered the Fruit-based juices and beverages market with B Natural Fruit beverages. B Natural is the only brand in India to launch packaged fruit beverages made directly from fruit & not from concentrate. The proposition "Made from fruit & not from concentrate" is promoted by Mrs. Shilpa Shetty Kundra, the brand ambassador who is a well known movie star celebrity with established credentials as a Fitness and Yoga enthusiast.

B Natural has a range of exciting variants for every mood - Be it Mango, Apple, Guava, Litchi, 100% Pomegranate, Mixed Fruit, Orange, Pineapple, Jamun and Punjab Da Kinnow. These juices have the goodness of fruits and are luscious, thick and taste closest to the natural taste of fruits.

Most packaged fruit juices available in the market are made from 'fruit concentrates', unlike B Natural juices which is made from fruit. The 100% Pomegranate juice has no added sugar, color, preservatives or flavor so it might taste bitter but very healthy. Mango, Guava and Litchi juice were thick and tasted close to the fruit.

Adding a glass of juice in everyday diet is a must and if fresh juice is not available around then adding B Natural juices to your diet would be better than most other juices. So time to say no to concentrate and sip B Natural juices. ITC is helping people make a choice towards a healthy lifestyle.

RMZ Ecoworld welcomes Bombay Brasserie

RMZ Ecoworld on Outer ring road is the next tech park where restaurants are opening their outlets. The latest entrant at The Bay is Bombay Brasserie. I have visited their Indiranagar outlet for mostly evening snacks, so this time it was would for a lunch meal. The interiors are very elegant and very nicely done, I am in love with their table with swings, picturesque place for sure.

Bombay Brasserie is famous for their pauwa cocktails and food so I was excited to try the same. Let me talk about the best drink which has impressed me the most, Calcutta Kick cocktail which has fresh betel leaves, gulkand and saunf blended with vodka, this spiked Calcutta saada paan is worth trying. The cocktail was praised so much that I wanted to try the mocktail version of it which is Not-So-Saada with additions of ice-cream and additional gulkand, surely a smoothie on another level.

For those who wanna enjoy a fresh cooler then Melon Magic is for you which has musk melon and fresh orange juice with coconut extract for a refreshing taste buds. If you enjoy raw mango then Kairi Sherbet is the drink, a tangy cooler for accompany your meals.

I went with the recommendation of the server to try Naga Ghost Pepper Wings, these roasted and smoked chicken wings and flavored with 'Bhoot Jolokia', the famous Naga chilli which is 400 times hotter than tobasco sauce. You will want to eat more of this with every bite. The next dish which I tried was Kashmiri Naan Kebab, minced mutton seekh with flavors of Kebab chini served on saffron-brushed naan, accompanied by doon chetin, the best dip one could taste, a Kashmiri-based creamy yogurt dip. I could just eat the dip with the naan endlessly. Culcatta Club Fish Fry was the next dish, Fish fry with Bengal's famous Kashundi mustard dip and grilled ananas-alphonso salsa. While I loved the fish fry with kashundi, my friend preferred it with ananas-alphonso salsa.

While my taste buds were asking for more, but my tummy couldn't take much, so decided to try one main course and it happened to be Bombay Dabba Gosht, this baked Bombay Bohri style dish with melt in the mouth mutton masala topped with fried egg is a must try with Bombay Brasserie specialty Chur Chur Paratha which is crispy, flaky and hand-crushed.

With a heavy tummy, it was time to relish some desserts before ending the meal. I chose Amritsari Kulfa, a must try dessert which has Kulfi and creamy rabdi on a bed of badami phirni, topped with falooda and rose syrup. This dessert can fill you up completely. The next dessert which I tried was Ras-e-Aam with Rosgulla in rabdi topped with aamras. with this dessert, east is meeting the west.

 The restaurant is open to public and people living near RMZ Ecoworld, Sarjapur, Outer ring road and Indiranagar should give Bombay Brasserie a try and try my favorites or share your favorites with me. This place will not disappoint you.

Wok to Plate festival at Shizusan Shophouse & Bar

Asian food has been my latest favorite and the variety of food festivals and restaurants serving them is incredible. Shizusan is a Southeast Asian Shophouse & Bar located in Phoenix Market City, they are introducing a special menu in Bangalore, Mumbai and Pune, inspired by the wok culture that prevails across Southeast Asia.

12 types of rice and noodles dishes specially created by Chef Paul Kinny will transport you to the streets of Asia. For those who prefer noodles over rice like me, then start your meal with Yum Woom Sen which is Thai glass noodles with spicy sriracha rub, wood ear mushrooms, shredded snow peas and edamame beans. This salad will transport you to Thailand and is great to start your meal with.
The next best dish which I loved was E-Fu which is a Cantonese flat noodles with straw & enoki mushrooms, pea shoots, alfa sprouts and baby pok choy. The burst of flavors in every bite is something I will always remember.

In rice, Lo Mai Gai which is sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf with pickled cucumber, broccoli, carrot, bean sprouts and green peas. This dish was worth the wait and the best of the rice dishes. I also tried Khao Phad Kaprow which was another best rice dish, it is Thai basil scented fried rice with bird’s eye chili and caramelized scallions, I tried it with Chicken.

Shizusan is also serving classic Mee Sua which is salted buckwheat noodles with light soya, bird’s eye chili and winter vegetables. I am not fond of very salty dish so this did not make it to my favorite. They also have another classic, Pan Fried Noodles with street style crispy noodles with smoked duck, soy braised vegetables, Chinese cabbage and kalian leaves.

Ending the meal with some sweetness, Purple Rice which is a traditional sweet rice with sago pearls, mangosteen extract and grapefruit segments.

Noodles and rice can be topped with chicken, tenderloin or prawns. Rice is priced from Rs.525 and noodles from Rs. 495. This one food festival is not to be missed and I cannot wait to go back to try my favorites and the other dishes from the menu. The festival is on from 15th November in Bangalore, Pune and Mumbai.
PC: Shizusan