Foodie Trails At The Zodiac, Chandigarh...

My visit to The Zodiac, that is popular for providing a bird's eye view of the city of Chandigarh, thanks to it being a revolving restaurant situated on the top floor of Hotel Turquoise came about as a consequence of my stay at the said hotel.

An instant reminder was that of Parikrama - The Revolving Restaurant in Connaught Place, Delhi which can be called the Daddy of this restaurant (mind you Parikrama revolves on the TWENTY FOURTH floor, while Zodiac is on the eighth (top) floor of Turquoise)

The Zodiac is a themed restaurant based on the twelve zodiac signs - a fact that reflects in its decor, with a ceiling reflecting the sun signs, lit with each of its characteristic elemental colors - Fire, Earth, Air, Water.

We had reached the hotel late in the afternoon, from Delhi, and hence headed straight for lunch with a scenic view. The interiors are finely done with paintings adorning the walls and plush seating, with the option of indoor or outdoor seating.

The stewards were prompt to take the order and address a minor query related to the content of the curries, though service could have been a bit fast. The wait was however worth it because we observed the revolving floor, thus presenting a new view of the city every couple of minutes.

After a quick look through the Menu, we decided to order:

• Kasseri Pulao - Long-grain rice infused with saffron and topped with greens,
• Paneer Tikka Lababdar - Curry with cottage cheese chunks and capsicum and onion slices,
• Chicken Tikka Lababdar - Curry with the option of bone pieces or boneless chicken chunks topped with garlic shavngs - opted for the latter and informed the steward to communicate to the kitchen but this one had a re-run, being sent back to the kitchen with bone pieces, and,
• Lasuni Naan and Paneer Naan - Both done well with appreciable stuffing and crisply layered with butter. 

The meal was served along with salad and poppadoms.

Topped a filling meal with an even better dessert - lukewarm Badam Phirni - generously topped with sliced almond and cashew chunks.

Wishing the Team at The Zodiac the best, so that they continue to amass the compliments of their patrons at Turquoise and even otherwise. :)

Witnessing Powerful Cleaning With Bosch Power Tools...

What?
Launch of High Pressure Washers for sparkling clean vehicles by Bosch.

When?
Saturday, October 22.

Where?
The Lalit, Chandigarh

Bosch is a pioneer in the Indian market, with their Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. Additionally, Bosch has in India the largest development center outside Germany, for end to end engineering and technology solutions.

It came as no surprise that the pioneers in consumer goods come up with a product that embodies convenience. Bosch Power Tools India, leading the power tools segment with panache, hosted an event in Chandigarh that witnessed participation from prominent biker groups and jeep enthusiasts of the city, with media and bloggers in attendance of course.

The agenda for the day was to unveil a range of High Pressure Washers (HPWs) created by Bosch - AQT 35-12 and AQT 37-13. The first sight was that of a stage set in the green lawns of The Lalit, hosting some vehicles that had been through some off-road muddy waters earlier in the day.

It was a messy affair to say the least. A lot of sweat had to be put in for sure, if one were to aspire for a cleaner version of the otherwise magnificent beasts.

Coming into picture as a savior, cutting down on all the heavy duty work that would go into obtaining a spick-and-span vehicle post a long journey on bumpy roads, or after some adventures off-road. While some of the attendees indulged in getting down and dirty, splashing mud on the cars parked on stage, others shared their experience in toiling to clean a messed up affair.

While we as riders or drivers are passionate about our mean machines, keeping them spotless and immaculate for the next ride is essential. The convenience of use and the portability of the washers make it a preference more than a necessity. 

It was interesting to witness the HPW AQT 35-12 and AQT 37-13 removing stubborn dirt with ease and learning that these can perform in the most rugged environments. This makes it a tool useful for home and garden purposes.

At the close of the launch, Mr. Panish PK, Regional Sales Director and Business Head - India and SAARC - Bosch Power Tools said:

"The passion and enthusiasm among the two and four wheeler community is very infectious. It is exciting to see our range of high pressure washers being quite useful to them, especially during monsoon. The use of our high pressure washers is quite versatile in itself and can be used effectively by the riding community as it can be by the construction sector".

'Lighten Up' With Canola Oil, This Diwali...

Diwali is not just about the festive fervor that influences everyone, the lit-up premises, the gifting frenzy, the ethnic wear that everyone roots for, and the traditional connect that calls out.

In a grand way, the festival of lights is also about food - primarily sweets, but also savories. :)

It came as no surprise then, that Canola and Chef Surjan Singh "Jolly" decided to host a Diwali bash for food bloggers and culinary enthusiasts earlier this week at the Indian Women's Press Corps.

Though it is not the first time that my blog is hosting Canola and Chef Jolly, the first tryst with healthy cooking thanks to Canola Oil was in 2014, here.

While Canola Oil was the agenda for the day this time as well, it was supplemented by the festive vibe culminating in a 'Jolly Good Master Class' with delicacies prepared using Canola Oil, decorated with the goodness of authentic अखरोट (Walnut),  नदरू (Lotus Stem) and अन्जीर (Fig) टिक्की and Smoked Chicken cooked in Canola Oil by Chef Jolly and his assistant Chef Vishal. Also, on offer were festive savories from the kitchen such as पनीर टिक्का, शामी कबाब, छोले भठूरे and आलू टिक्की, not to the forget the sweet ending with freshly made जलेबी.

Canola India gave a full-fledged welcome to festive fervor with decked up shamianas, marigold decked trees, Diwali Rangoli and a game of Hoopla for all the attendees.

Canola's neutrality to taste is the attribute that makes it quite suitable for Indian flavors. Thus, Canola gels well with Indian spices. Also, being free of trans fat and cholesterol has made it the third most consumed cooking oil worldwide.

While Chef Jolly applauded the low viscosity, high smoke point and light texture that Canola Oil possesses, thus making it a staple in his kitchen, Mr. Bruce Jowett, Vice President of Market Development, Canola Council of Canada (CCC) was quick to remark that more and more Indian consumers were opting for Canola Oil owing to its versatility, suitability for any cooking technique or cuisine, and its health benefits.

Given the fact that India is burdened with being the host of heart disease and diabetes more than any other illness that plagues the world, Canola is the most well-suited oil of all, to our contemporary urban lifestyle.

Here's wishing my readers an enjoyable and prosperous festive season. If you would, do gift yourself the goodness of Canola Oil and embrace a healthy lifestyle, this Diwali. :)

A Flying Jatt Comes To TV...

As a Blogger, I have had multiple rendezvous with celebrities pursuing their careers in various fields, ever since I began blogging in April 2013.

Be it luminaries from the field of science and research or able leaders of the likes of our former President, Kalam Sir, or top-guns of global technology firms such as Microsoft and Google, or top-notch sportspersons, Sachin Tendulkar and Vishy Anand, or celebrities from our most-loved and diverse Indian Film Industry, beginning with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, the caravan hasn’t stopped, and why should it?

Another addition to such rendezvous was when the star-cast of A Flying Jatt flew down to Delhi in August at a Media Briefing, grooving to the quirky track from the upcoming flick that gradually became talk-of-town - Beat Pe Booty.

Witnessing Tiger Shroff, Jacqueline Fernandez and Nathan Jones in person taking the fun factor up a few notches, amid loud cheers, was a delight! :)

Now, that Zee Cinema has come up with the World Television Premiere of this flick, scheduled for tomorrow night, I thought I must tell my readers some reasons as to why A Flying Jatt makes for a decent watch.

The movie is about our Desi Superhero Tiger Shroff. The other lead and supporting actors in the movie are Jacqueline Fernandez, Nathan Jones, Amrita Singh, and Kay Kay Menon. Remo D’Souza is the director and choreographer of A Flying Jatt, and Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms is its Producer. The story is about Aman (Tiger Shroff), a meek boy.

Accidentally, the boy acquires superpowers and becomes a superhero. But he doesn’t realize the presence of his powers and thus doesn’t know how and where to use them. Despite gaining superpowers, the boy is terrorized of heights.

He is quite an obedient boy and abides everything his mother tells him. He is deeply concerned about society, nature, and environment. He is an Indian Superhero and the story moves around the fundamental issue of pollution. In severe crisis, it is our hero who steps forward to save the town.

Now, we all know that there is always a fight between good and bad, in whichever scenario, right since the conception of our planet. On the same lines, in this movie also, we have a powerful villain against our superhero.

The villain Raka (Nathan Jones) is an ill-willed person who intends to aggravate the damage caused by pollution in the city. So when Raka decides to harm the innocent civilians by using pollution as his weapon, our superhero decides to fight him and save the people and his city.

You must meet our desi superhero and watch the movie to see the interesting outcome when this good fights against evil. A Flying Jatt is all about this. But, there is a lot more that will compel you to watch this movie on Zee Cinema on 22 October at 8 PM. A few of those compelling reasons are as below:

1. A Flying Jatt presents India’s first flying Superhero

Our Desi superhero is India’s first Flying Jatt. Besides this superpower, our hero  can also display some jaw-dropping martial art moves. And, of course some incredible dance moves.

2. The story of a Superhero and a Supermom

Against the regular tradition in most of the superhero movies so far where the superheroes lose their parents to an accident, there is a twist in A Flying Jatt. Our superhero has a supermom who maintains superb control on her son. She never forgets to remind him of his duties. The supermom is a typical Indian mother that scolds her son every time he shows reluctance to use his superpowers for good.

3. Superpowers and Super Dance Moves make our Superhero extraordinary

We all know about Superman, Spider-Man, and Batman but our Flying Jatt has an extra edge over all other such superheroes. It is all about his killer dance moves. While saving the world, he is also setting the dance floor on fire with the same vigor and zeal.

4. Our Superhero is the youngest among all

In comparison to Hrithik Roshan and Shah Rukh Khan who also had special powers in movies like Krrish and Ra.One respectively, Tiger Shroff has an extra edge, yet again.  It is his age that sets him apart from all others. He is just 26 and has  grabbed  a superhero movie as his third film. On the other hand, Baadshah SRK and Greek God Hrithik had a longer run in films and had a long career preceding their superhero ventures.

5. A Jatt who Flies

Flying Jatt is about a superhero who decides to protect his city against all odds. At the same time, he also believes in helping mankind as it is his prime duty and religion. This is a unique combination of religious sensibilities and a humane outlook in saving his city.

6. Superhero by accident

He is not born with these superpowers. Rather it is a serious accident that results in this. That is why he becomes a superhero by accident. Otherwise he is a true superhero by heart, having tremendous courage to fight against any evil to save people of his city. Although he is scared but he is resolute to save his city. And that gives him a lot of inner strength and courage.

7. Chores and the ‘चोरs’

The boy has to be quite humble and polite at home. He is an extraordinary superhero but at home he is as ordinary as anybody else. He is a boy-next-door. In fact, at home he has to perform all the chores as any other child would do. He has to lend a helping hand in cleaning the house. He also has to buy groceries and other necessary items from the market.

8. A superhero with a conscience

Our superhero believes in giving back to society rather than keep expecting from it. He would do anything in this regard. He is a savior and protector by default. Additionally, he is against pollution and destruction to nature.

9. A superhero with a child’s heart

Whatever intense job he has to perform in the normal run, he is a child at heart. That uniqueness sets him apart from all others.

10. He is coming to meet you

Now when he is coming home to you, don’t shy away from meeting him. Rather welcome him with open arms and a warm heart. He has already decided to meet you and save his beloved city of Amritsar. Watch the World Television Premiere of A Flying Jatt on Saturday, 22nd October at 8PM on Zee Cinema. Be there to welcome him, and share your excitement on social media by tagging Zee Cinema using @ZeeCinema on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/ZeeCinemaChannel on Facebook.

Bid Adieu To Travel Woes With YuMiGo!

The first round of YuMiGo’s funding closure goes along with the launch of new age travel website. October marks an auspicious festive season in India. And the same rings true for all Indians residing abroad. YuMiGo announced raising $300,000 in its first round of funding on 15 October. The launch of its innovative travel website aims to pacify the pain points of international travelers. Whether you are travelling for the first time or are a frequent traveler, YuMiGo is your best companion to tackle all travel related issues.

The best thing is that it helps you not only while planning but also during the trip. Though there are plenty of websites pitching hotels, flights etc., but those are limited just to providing info on these. No other website takes care of everything before and after, which is still unstructured and unorganized.

Rishabh Sood, co-founder, YuMiGo, says,“I realized how frustrating it gets to plan a trip abroad because a traveler has to engage with multiple service providers for getting a visa done, buying foreign currency or a calling card and figuring out the right travel insurance. We came up with the idea of not just helping out a traveler, but also creating a systematic honest search that will not leave a traveler swindled.”

“While selling flights or hotels, nobody is thinking about the traveler”, adds Pratyush Kukreja, who teams up with Rishabh as co-founder for their second startup together. ”If a business solves more than one pain point for a traveller, it can engage at a deeper level - which translates into increased loyalty, a larger share of traveller’s wallet, higher LTV and lower CAC.” The duo’s sole purpose of launching the company is to fill the wide gap in the online industry. The purpose also embarks making a difference in the travel industry. It is, in fact, about revamping the travel and forex markets. This will probably create a new benchmark in Indian travel industry services.

As a matter of fact the credit of organizing the funding goes to Pooja Bansal, Pratyush’s spouse. She had put them in touch with Hemant Sahni, who is running many businesses and gradually decided to invest an amount of $300,000 in YuMiGo. The overall concept, plans and YuMiGo’s unique positioning was so impressive to make it happen so easily. He finds a tremendous scope in this business. The launch was at Rrala’s Habibi at the MGF Metropolitan Mall. A couple of presentations by the founders were crisply able to ensure highlighting the crux of the matter.

A Demo of Virtual Reality - Try Before You Fly

YuMiGo is fully operational. It offers currency for more than 100 countries all over the world. There are more than 50 voice plus data bundles. These plans are highly flexible to suit every traveler's unique demand. The company also offers travel insurance plans from multiple service providers. In addition, there is a dedicated visa service for all major countries. YuMiGo also plans to launch services related to travel and destination so as to engage traveler offering them an end-to-end solution. There are a number of announcements in the pipeline.

Finally, the team adds, “15th October marks a day of immense historic significance; 8 decades ago on this day, JRD Tata flew India’s first commercial flight. From that one aircraft, it grew to what we know as Air India today. We want to achieve a similar impact on the India’s travel landscape through YuMiGo”.

A Swagath To Multi-Cuisine Goodness...

Swagath is no new name to the food and hospitality sector and is quite literally, a warm welcome into a good time with delicious food. It comes as no surprise then, that when their newest outlet at DLF Mall Of India invited me over, I had to accept it in the blink of an eye. I had an extravaganza presented to me as a Food Blogger.

The pre-set Menu that the folks had designed for a Blogger's Table encompassed the best of what all they had on offer, and each dish was relished. The taste as well as presentation of each dish was something to look forward to, being plated in a novel manner.

Begun the meal with their Kokum drink, with coconut powder mixed into it, and proceeded to the aesthetically presented appetizers:

Cigar Rolls: Served in glasses in a platter, rolls stuffed with various kinds of melted cheese (Mozzarella, Feta etc.). Quite a hot selling item at Swagath.

Mushroom Boom: Presented on a platter, these Mushroom Tikkas were presented as colorful lollipops, with Peri Peri Sauce.

Paneer Tikka Pudina: Flavorful chunks of cottage cheese marinated in Mint.

Murg Gulafi: Minced Chicken spiced with herbs.

Chicken Wings: Sauced up with BBQ style dip.

Also relished their Kiwi Heaven, presented with a cherry and a beach umbrella on its side.

For Main Course, we were presented with some of the gravies accompanied by a diverse Bread Basket:

Handi Murg: Quintessentially chicken, slow-cooked in Indian style.

Fish Koliwada: Spiced up and stylized in line with South India's prevalent taste.

Fish Malabari: Served along with authentic Malabari Parantha and Appam.

Paneer Lababdar: Again, an Indian Curry, with delicious chunks of Cottage Cheese.

Rounded up an excellent meal with desserts - Chocolate Brownie glazed with syrup, and Fried Ice-cream, coated with cornflakes - tried this one as a first and found it to be a burst of two distinct flavors on the palate.

I had a lovely time at Swagath and would like to believe that they carry the brand name's patronage for years to come, with this outlet and the rest.