Explorer of Experiences

The mesmerizing sunset I captured from a traditional abra at the Dubai Creek. At the time of writing this post, I have completed seven months living in Dubai. In this time, I have explored so much of the city (as much as I possibly could) but there is still a whole lot waiting to be discovered. I feel like I have been here for a really long time but that speaks volumes about how easily I settled in to my new life here. If you're planning to move to Dubai, here's some essential reading just to get an initial sense of the vibe here.   1. You'll need to watch your money. Dubai has everything aspirational from the finest restaurants to the most desirable retail brands to global events. But we know experiences cost money, and can be on the slightly expensive side. Can you do without that brunch? Certainly your stomach can. Do you need that jacket? Winter isn't for another 6 months. Introspective conversations like these are good practice to avoid overspending.  ...

Eating a meal when you're traveling around a new city is an experience in itself. Breakfasts, lunches, dinners and tea/coffee breaks become integral in your itinerary and carry the spirit of exploration and discovery of the local culture. Last year I went to Spain with friends and zipping across Madrid, Valencia, Toledo and Barcelona, we got to taste so many flavours new to our palate. It was fun recapturing those tasty memories as I sat down to share with you our epicurean adventures... Museo Del Jamon, Madrid This is a unique restaurant frequented by locals and tourists since 1978 for particularly two things: beer and ham. Plain and simple. The space almost has a 'retail' and 'deli' feel to it with fresh cheeses and charcuterie with lovely shades of orange, red and brown on display as well as a wide variety of smoked hams suspended from the ceiling. Expect the finest quality of cured meat here. Its popularity has rendered it a spot on a must-visit attrac...

Recently, I was fortunate to visit Abu Dhabi. The city has an impressive resume - it's UAE's political, cultural and commercial centre, UAE's capital city, Dubai's satellite city and over 8 years ago was even declared as the world's richest city by Fortune Magazine.  Abu Dhabi didn't disappoint. I had a great time there and found the city fairly easy to navigate. Distances are not too much, taxis are abundant and the fares don;t really burn a hole in the wallet. People are friendly and you sink into comfort zone when you spot familiar brand names in shopping malls.  Here's what you simply must explore if you find yourself #inAbuDhabi. 48 HOURS IN ABU DHABI Experience Arabian Opulence at The Royal Rose Hotel This is a luxury five star hotel propped right in the heart of the city. Major attractions are not too far from here making this a convenient stay option. At first glance, the exterior of the hotel which is inspired by 17th cen...

Size Matters It is news when in a real estate-crunched city like Pune you have a restaurant that’s bagged a space that spans 15,000 sq ft. It is rare still to walk into a restaurant that is that big; a restaurant with an indoor section, a huge outdoor dining area and even an amphitheatre. Without an intention to compare, when you walk in, Classic Rock feels like High Spirits v 2.0, mature and mammoth-sized. Its sprawling premises promises to easily harbor about 1500 revelers. And where they score over lots of restaurants is their parking lot that can accommodate almost 200 vehicles. Obviously, their manning is huge with 80 people on the payroll. Cocktails & Coffee At Classic Rock, they take both their coffee and cocktails very seriously. Let’s talk Arabica first. They source their coffee beans from Kerala and even have a glistening silver roasting machine on site. Beans are roasted and grinded, so you’re guaranteed a freshly brewed Cappuccino (Rs 140). If you’re int...

Last weekend, I got a unique opportunity to visit Gowardhan Cheese Factory in Manchar district, a good two hour drive from Pune city. The owning home-grown company Parag Milk Foods brand portfolio includes Gowardhan and GO boasting of a range of dairy products that have been retailed across Mumbai and Pune over the last decade. I first started using their yoghurt when the local kirana store ran out of my usual preference of Amul , Danone and Britannia . One spoon of it and I instantly found it so fresh, light and 'unprocessed'. I have always loved cheese but now I even prefer it over chocolate. So when I was scheduled to visit the GO factory, it bore semblance to winning the golden ticket and entering glistening gates to its factory much like the popular Roald Dahl 's  Charlie . Except that it was not all that dramatic! 

Simple flavours and honest food define this new feather in Koregaon Park’s edible hat. Ranbir Batra, a fourth generation restaurateur sets foot into Pune’s food firmament with his new 50 seater American-style bistro Frisco. He’s let his chef Sourabh Kulkarni take the reigns and the menu is a labour of his love for simple fresh flavours and thorough research – he knows what the city’s diners aren’t getting to eat at existing restaurants and aims to fill in the void with his offerings. Pune born and bred, Kulkarni has previously worked in hotels going from being primarily a pastry chef to being a commis, a garde manger, holding rank in every possible wing in the kitchen.

Where Else promises to be unique in Viman Nagar, a neighbourhood already brimming with so many eateries.   Four young friends came together to put their love for food and travel experiences in a melting pot called ‘Where Else’. This new café and bar is the brainchild of sibling duo Ardesh and Daisy Rustomjee and best friend duo Amritha Shrikumar and Sweta Jobanputra. These Viman Nagar residents have been firsthand witnesses to the rise of new eateries in their locality. With ‘Where Else’ they aim to fill in the void of a place that offers all-day breakfast and good quality indulgent food. We drove to the outlet in its first week of opening to find out if ‘Where Else’ is the place to be.   

Food Story’s authentic Hyderabadi cuisine is delicious enough to move you… Subhash S. is a restaurateur par excellence. His resume boasts of his still-popular 20-year old restaurant ‘Eden Park’ in Bengaluru and 15-year old recently closed iconic 800 cover restaurant ‘Our Place’ in Hyderabad. He set his eyes on Pune for his next culinary venture. Enter ‘Food Story’. June has brought with it not only the monsoons but this old-world Hyderabadi restaurant for the city’s gourmands.   The restaurant name and décor does not trigger preconceived notions of the cuisine it serves or the kind of experience it will offer. This is deliberate. Subhash wants you to walk in hungry and with a clean slate. We concluded the interiors to be simple, toned-down and unassuming; the only striking elements being two 19 th century-esque chandeliers. The variety of dishes for both non-vegetarians and vegetarians is inviting and enticing. Subhash is hands-on and was rearing to serve us. We happily ...

Everyone’s favorite hangout Brooklyn Shuffle has gone a notch up turning from ‘Diner’ to ‘Bar’. The lighting is dimmer, the up-tempo music played louder and kids don’t fit their target audience especially after 5pm. They have what are probably the city’s longest Happy Hours from 11AM to 8PM to cajole the tipple-lovers into busying their bar. On offer are beer, vodka and whiskey for a stunning Rs 99, unlimited draught mug for Rs 500 and cocktail pitchers for Rs 700. Now that’s what we call a sweet deal. 

  The good folks behind Brooklyn Shuffle , Jimmy Hu and WTF! , now bring the nearly year-old The Bombay Bronx from Mumbai to Pune. This is an all-day bar where everything, from the interiors to the food unbridles the soul of Mumbai. Enter the bar, and it feels like you’ve chanced upon a set of a movie that is an ode to the maximum city. The Bombay Bronx is fitted with installations reminiscent of the city – take for instance the local train-style booth seating with train handles suspended from the ceiling, Irani café-style tables and chairs, a wall-sized painting of Amitabh Bachchan in his Deewar attire, tin fittings on the bar resembling the roofing of Dharavi ’s slum houses, train routes mapped out on the ceiling, lights fitted into loud-coloured dabbas and the neon signage of the iconic Eros theatre. Clearly, subtlety was not the brief to the interior designer. It is little wonder that we caught many wild-eyed walk-in diners taking a tour of the place before settling...

This is a picture of the Bhaktapur Darbar Square from my trip to Nepal in April 2012. Exactly three years ago. I was lucky to have visited this beautiful country and to have been witness to Kathmandu's wealth in terms of culture and heritage. As we speak, these centuries-old structures have been wiped out. The earthquake that so many feared for so many years hit Kathmandu on 25th April 2015. The death toll has been steadily on the rise and stands at 4,400 ( according to CNN ) and has left 8 million affected. As an economy which heavily depends on tourism, I want to encourage you to continue to maintain Nepal on your travel bucket list. Below, I recount some faded memories from my 2012 trip where I spent an overwhelmingly amazing trip touring Kathmandu and Pokhara.  I never anticipated Kathmandu to be the tourist-haven it is. We went shopping in Thamel, a thriving tourist hotspot, sipping on hot coffee along the way. April is peak season, so we found Kathmandu to be flocked...

For the uninitiated, the thali is the quintessential complete Indian meal. A traditional thali includes protein – dal , meat, fish, vegetables and salad; dairy –  kadhi ,  raita ,  dahi , carbs –  roti , rice; fat –  ghee ; dessert and a digestive drink – buttermilk,  sol kadi  or  kahwa . An Indian thali is a nourishing meal with the right balance of proteins, vitamins and carbs. Chicken Thali Maratha Samrat ,  Kothrud Maratha Samrat is the place if you want to expereince regional Maharashtrian flavours. Regulars swear by their Mutton Chops Thali where the chops are served with rich and spicy brown gravy and the Kalla Chicken Thali with chicken cooked in traditional  kala masala  which gives the gravy mild coconut flavor and a unique aroma. Served in moderate portions, the thalicomes with chapati ,  Kolhapuri-style red hot  tambda rassa  andcreamy white  pandhra rassa, biryani  and egg curry coo...

There’s a new friendly neighborhood bistro whose food and desserts have got the town talking. I make the drive to Baner to find out what’s in store… Desserterie. Patisserie. Bistro. Minus 18 Degrees in Baner is all this and more. What catches curious eyes is the view of the top storey of Minus 18 Degrees of busy chefs with their gloved hands working on dish after dish. This 45-seater bistro is the vibrant new kid on the block. Stark navy blue and white walls could have made the place look clinical, but the smart interior designer has blended it together with subtle touches of teal - on the upholstery, the menu and the picture frames on the wall. With the chosen color palette, Minus 18 Degrees could have been the perfect naval office canteen. There is alfresco seating but you really want to sit where all the action is happening – indoors. Push open the door and you are greeted with a sweet aroma. It’s a bustling scene inside - young waiters energetically atten...