Dinner buffet at Sanctum Club

I have been to Sanctum many times and reviewed it once during their Special anniversary menu  under Chef Joaquin Albarreal Arjona. a lot has changed over the time. I was very impressed with the menu and the taste then so lets see what was in store for me this time. Owner, Baba Chandk was open to suggestions for the review.

This was a dinner buffet clubbed with ladies night. The buffet is priced at Rs.800 with a drink. I enjoyed a watermelon mocktail and also tasted virgin pina colada, both needed improvement. 

I had sweet corn soup, and then the starters came in. Veg pizza, Diced chicken in lemon grass, Paneer tikka lababdar, Schezwan chicken, Murgh malai tikka, Green peas tikki & Baby corn Manchurian. The starters was good and it tasted well, my favorites were Green peas tikki and Veg pizza. Chicken was a little cold else I would liked it too.

Then came the main course, Chicken biryani which was very tasty. Mutton masala where the meat was tender and it had extra tomatoes in it. Kadhai chicken gravy was tasty and it was enjoyed with roti and naan. Apart from these three, Mixed vegetables in hot garlic sauce, Subz Miloni, Paneer Subzi, Veg Pulao and Daal. These were enjoyed with roti/naan and rice.

They also had a live counter for Pasta.

For desserts, Malpua, Fruit cake with sauce and Chocolate mousse which had a combo of dark and white chocolate. I was surprised that ice-cream wasn't on the menu. The desserts can be changed as this was disappointing. 

Overall, the crowd was less for ladies night, but one can enjoy the music with drink and food at Sanctum which has been nominated for the Times Food Awards 2017.

Rejuvenate and pamper yourself at Bodycraft Spa & Salon

Bodycraft Spa & Salon is Bangalore’s destination for salon, skin and spa services. Across its six luxurious locations, Bodycraft provides the most comprehensive range of services in Hair Styling, Skin Care & Cosmetology, Spa & Wellness, Nails & Personal Grooming, Bridal and Medical Treatment, all under one roof and at affordable pricing.

I have always been a fan of Bodycraft's facial and have been a regular here. Be it any favorite occasion or special event in my life, I have always visited Bodycraft to feel good. Birthday's, trips and even for my latest visit to Oscars 2016, I made sure I pampered myself with their facial, manicure and pedicure so that I look my best among everyone from other countries.

This time, I tried their 'Perfect custom-made services' which made sure I got personalised solutions tailoring to meet my skin needs after a detailed consultation with their specialist. We normally tend to choose our services without understanding the need of our skin, so its always better to consult the specialist before choosing the services,

A consultation was very much required for my skin as I have been facing acne and breakouts very frequently. After consulting the doctor, who recommended some medicine to calm my breakouts and suggested the facial required for my skin coupled with a protein pack.

I would recommend Cleopatra's milk treatment for manicure and pedicure as it helps you de-tan and also pamper your hands and feet. But I continued with AHA manicure and pedicure which helped to give my nails, hand and feet a new look. This also nourishes the nails and prevents anti-ageing with the AHA mask. I coupled this with Lightening pack for my arms which did not work for me much as I couldn't see any different on my arm after the treatment.

Ainhoa Purity Facial was chosen for my skin, it is a deep cleaning treatment for blemishes, it helps to reduce blemishes, pimples, blackheads, irritation and redness. The skin appears calm and pores refined. I felt this facial was tailor-made for my skin so i had to choose it. It was also because of Ainhoa which I wanted to try for my face. Ainhoa products will help to re-hydrate the skin cells, rebuild elasticity and regenerate, invigorate and rejuvenate your skin.

To those who do not know Ainhoa, let me mention some details to you. It is originated in Spain having a rich history of over 15 years. The ingredients of the products are mostly natural which allows it to be used on wide variety of skin types. This range is for the serious skin care user who wants the latest cutting edge products for their skin and to achieve fast fantastic results. Ainhoa is one of Europe's most innovative cosmetic and skin care brands developed with the latest scientific advances, combined with natural ingredients. Using highly active ingredients such as gold, caviar and diamond dust, as well as the cutting edge development of vegetable stem cells and marine DNA.

I added Under-eye treatment to my facial for my dark circles and fine circles. I was very impressed with the under-eye treatment as it worked instantly on my eyes and they made my eyes look fresh and less dark. I would suggest everyone to add this treatment with your facial or clean-ups to make your skin feel good and make yourself feel fresh. Ainhoa Purity Facial was rejuvenating and I believe a regular Ainhoa purity facial will help my blemishes to reduce over the period of time.

After an intensive pampering session at Bodycraft spa & salon, I intend to visit them again and try their hair treatment as I feel my hair needs care. But for now, for all you reading this, do try their Ainhoa purity facial or a facial suitable to your skin and add an under-eye treatment for sure. You can enjoy AHA manicure and pedicure regularly or treat yourself like Cleaopatra which ever suits you.

New entrants to the menu of SodaBottleOpenerWala

I have always expressed fondness for parsi cuisine and SodaBottleOpenerWala has been my favorite place which doesn't make me miss Bombay Irani Cafe's in Bengaluru. A lot has been written on them and so have I too, you can read my earlier review here .

SodaBottleOpenerWala have added some new additions to their menu and Bengaluru is the first city to incorporate it. They made some changes in preparation in some of their items too. Mohit Balachandran took us through the menu and every dish served for the meal. Read on to know more.

As we started our lunch, classic Bollywood and International pop music was played in the background. While my friend's enjoyed their cocktails, I preferred to go with Shakes this time, I tried the Mawa shake and Date & Saffron shake, while my friends enjoyed Raspberry Soda which is more pulpy than before, Sekanje Bin, Mumma Nu Double Dose, a cocktail made of whiskey, rum, saffron, dates flavor, and beaten eggs. Bombay Julep, A cocktail made of Bacardi rum, mint, Apricot, honey, and lime juice which is served in a cute Julep glass garnished with flowers. The Bumsuckerwala, A cocktail made of frozen Raspberry, thyme, and Vodka. Oh there is a story behind this name of the drink, do read that :)

Then the starters were served, a mix of old and new menu but none of these were tried by me earlier so I was excited.

Crispy Corn and Bhel came in first and as we amunched on this classic Bombay bhel with crispy corn tossed with tangy chutney, Next was Chicken Chilli cheese pav, a fluffly pav with lagan nu achar, chillies and chicken topping.

 

Raasta Sandwich for the veggies which was made of multigrain bread, veggies, and cheese; served with spicy French fries. ‘Boil’ Egg Sandwich which was my favorite, had fillings of boiled eggs, green chili, and cheese; served with spicy French fries. It was just the way my Mom makes.

Bacon Vada Pav but those who tried found bacon to be missing.

Cafreal Chicken Salad made of Cafreal masala, lettuce, and pickled beet. I was wondering how did this dish find a place in a parsi menu?

Then main course was served, though I was craving for dhansak, I made sure I look beyond it and try the other dishes :)

First came Saturday Jardaloo Ma Gosh which is Parsi families Saturday special mutton dish in a thick gravy with apricots hence you would find this sweet. From the combo menu, we tried the 'Paneer Sanju Baba' and 'Khattu Meethu Pumpkin', which had a mix of sweet & sour taste. Some may know that a dish is served in Noor Mohammadi Restaurant in Mumbai which claims that Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt has given them the recipe so SBOW had a veg version to it.

Without edu, a parsi dish or meal can never be complete so as the menu states 'When in doubt, break an edu (egg) on it', we tried 2 interesting dishes - 'Friday Sausage Par Eeda' and 'Guava Jelly and Onion Par Eedu'. Friday Sausage Par Eeda had bacon in it so I did not try it while Guava Jelly and Onion Par Eedu did not interest my palatte much. These sunny's side up dishes can be enjoyed with pav. We also had Jaloo's famous Malai na paratha which was very tasty but it could be very filling too.

From their 'Bar Snacks' menu came Parsi style Jumbo Prawns served with coconut milk gravy and steamed rice which can be enjoyed as bar snack or as a main course. 'Brinjal and Drumstick Kari' served with steamed rice and Kachumbar was a veg option which came along.

I have never tried their Berry Pulav so this was my day. The berries and fried cashews on a mildly spiced pulav was a favorite on the table. We also tried the Bambaiyya Chicken Biryani which is the classic Bombay style biryani. I skipped Paatra ni Machhi and tried Tarela Rainbow Trout which is baked with traditional parsi spices, this became an instant favorite on the table.

With a mix of veg and non veg options for food, we ended our meal with their tempting desserts. Mawa cake will always be my favorite. Chocolate peanut butter cheesecake was loved by all but I am not a fan of peanut butter so I enjoyed it the least. Irani Falooda had high expectations from me but I did not enjoy it much as I have had better falooda at other places. Mixed berry truffle and White chocolate hazelnut orange brownie was also enjoyed. However, everyone loved Matunga Coffee Cake the most which was served in a filter coffee vessel is a must try for the coffee lovers but I gave it a miss as it had liquor. Lagan Nu Custer is a famous parsi wedding custard which was relished by all.

The menu now has a variety of options for veg and non veg which makes this place a must visit for everyone who would love to have good parsi meal coupled with great music giving it Bombay irani cafe feel.