Tailor-Made Gastronomy At The Darzi Bar...

The Darzi Bar, located in Connaught Place is one of the places in Delhi's F&B space dedicated to providing a bespoke culinary experience.

Simply put in the words of MasterChef India Season 2 Winner Shipra Khanna whose brainchild Darzi is, as clothes are custom-made for the body, the dishes plated at Darzi are custom-made for the belly.

Located up a flight of stairs with a designated neon-lit trial room at the entrance overlooking a wall full of thread bobbins, the interiors at Darzi stay true to the theme from the word go.

There are neon-lit banners across the outlet, the bar counter is bordered with an inch-tape like inscription, there are tailoring machines for lamps, and life-like tailoring scissors put up on the walls.

Coming to the nomenclature of the dishes on the menu, that too is inspired from Master Ji's dialect and tailoring terms strewn across.

On the whole, the menu has a good variety to offer across Indian, Oriental, Italian, and Continental cuisines and it would be best to go by Chef's recommendation.

Here's what you must try when at The Darzi Bar & Kitchen...

Beverages:

Eye Blinker, a concoction of kokum, chili, mint, lime, and cumin, making the eyes blink in the first sip, true to its name.

Peachy Zipper was a grainy blend of peach and watermelon.

Inch Tape was a pineapple and lavender beverage presented in a vial of smoky liquid nitrogen.

Soup & Salad:

Mexican Tomato and Red Kidney Bean is the classic tomato broth done the Darzi way.

The Original Greek Salad tossed in vinaigrette is done right at Darzi with a hearty mix of tomatoes, olives, feta, and onions finished with oregano.

From the All Day Menu...

Kuliya Ki Chaat was reminiscent of Old Delhi in being a bite-sized fruit and vegetable chaat that had scooped cucumber, apple, and tomato stuffed with an eclectic mix of pomegranate seeds, boiled chickpeas and chaat masala.

ISBT Makhani Maggi was also prepared the street food way with cheese and makhani gravy.

Appetizers:

Kandhari Paneer Tikka is a Darzi specialty and a true must-have, with soft cottage cheese cubes being marinated in beetroot and topped with a couple of pomegranate seeds.

Veg Quesadilla was a true-blue Mexican style platter with salsa and sour cream on the side. The tortilla was crisp, the filling was ample too.

Dahi Ke Kebab was the authentic hung curd snack prepared right at Darzi.

Amritsari Machchi was the classic Fish 'n' Chips platter done right with crisp fish fillet - mustard tartar dip and crinkle fries on the side.

BBQ Chicken Wings rendered in hot barbeque sauce with crinkle fries on the side.

Sulemani Anda is the ultimate egg dish at Darzi, being a one-pan meal with minced egg filled inside a baked egg preparation.

Main Course:

Achari Paneer Pizza at Darzi is a thin-crust veggies and pickled cottage cheese pizza.

Desserts:

Shahi Tukda Croquants were rendered in a pool of Rasmalai, topped with a scoop of Kesar Pista ice cream and garnished with chocolate chips.

Pineapple Halwa is a good break from the run-of-mill Moong Dal Halwa at Darzi.

All in all, I had a great time at The Darzi Bar & Kitchen. :)

UNICEF Applauds National Stamp Designs for Child Rights...

The Department of Posts, in association with UNICEF on the occasion of Children's Day in India (Nov 14) announced the winners of the 2019 Stamp Design Competition, whilst also commemorating thirty years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The top two winning entries have been adapted as stamps.

More than 14,000 children from across India participated with stamp designs in the annual competition run by the Department of Posts, this year in partnership with the Ministry of Communication, the Government of India and UNICEF. The theme for this year’s competition was child rights.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted by the United Nations on 20 November 1989, and is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history. India ratified the CRC in 1992, committing to protect and promote all rights of children. In partnership with Government, civil society, communities and children across India, UNICEF is celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of the CRC and 70 years in India working for the rights of every child. 

Speaking on this year’s stamp design competition, a senior official from the Department of Posts said, 

“Every year, the Department of Posts holds a Stamp Design Competition on Children’s Day inviting drawings, paintings and sketches from children on a particular theme. The theme of this year’s Children’s Day Stamp Design Competition was ‘Child Rights’.” 

On the partnership with UNICEF, the Department official continued, 

“The partnership with UNICEF this year has served twin objectives: on one hand, it is generating awareness about philately and on the other hand, it is creating awareness about child rights. Children have sent us excellent art work on what the CRC means for them. Today, children clearly identify new challenges facing them as well as available opportunities. Young people are speaking out for their right to education, demanding an end to discrimination, calling for end to violence, striking for action on the climate crisis, campaigning for digital reform and calling on leaders to protect their future.”

The winning entries – three winners and five consolation prices – will be awarded at a national event in New Delhi on 20 November 2019, World Children’s Day. While the top two designs on child rights are adapted as stamps, the remaining are used for preparing various philatelic items including first day cover, brochure etc. The 1st prize winner will win a cash prize of INR 50,000. The 2nd and 3rd prize winners will receive INR 25,000 and INR 10,000 respectively. The five consolation prizes are worth INR 5,000 each. 

Congratulating the winners and all children who participated, Foroogh Foyouzat, Deputy Representative for UNICEF in India said, 

“Indian children have brought the Convention on the Rights of the Child to life with their inspiring and beautiful stamp designs. Every child who participated is a winner in our shared responsibility to work tirelessly so that every child in India realizes all of his or her rights. In their entries, we can see girls and boys dreams for themselves and for all children. At a time when children and childhood itself are faced with new challenges in a rapidly changing world, these powerful images by children are a great reminder that we must all do more to put child rights at the heart of India now and for all future generations.” 

The following children have been declared as Winners:

First prize winner              :     Ms. Nidhi Rahul Mhatre (15), Boisar, Maharashtra

Second prize winner          :     Ms. Vibhushi Agarwal (12), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh

Third prize winner            :      Ms. Deepali Midha (17), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh

Consolation prize winners:      (i) Master Rupam Mahanty (10), Jamshedpur, Jharkhand

                                                 (ii) Ms. Vaidehi Vikas Shirsath (17), Bengaluru, Karnataka

                                                 (iii) Ms. Arya Thapa (14), Tadong, Sikkim

                                                 (iv) Master Sarvesh Suresh Joshi (07), Parbhani, Maharashtra

                                                 (v) Ms. Kratika Chittoriya (14), Nagra, Rajasthan

An Anglo-Indian Gastronomic Sojourn...

Indian food is known across the world for its sheer variety and is characterized by its elaborate use of different ingredients and cooking techniques. But little do we realize that many of our acclaimed cuisines are a by-product of our unique history. 

For centuries, the Indian subcontinent attracted immense interest from all parts of the world, particularly that of contemporary European traders, who coveted the one cargo which was literally worth its weight in gold, spices.  In a welcome but rather unexpected twist of irony, the very spices which drove The British Empire to undertake this mammoth responsibility of colonial subjugation also became a reason for bridging two different cultures and winning over the hearts and minds of the 'masters', instead of the intended another way around. 

Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth Century, British and other European settlers would often be enthralled by the spectacular assortment of food and spices from the myriad regions of the Indian subcontinent. The flavours were exciting and the aromas enchanting, unlike anything they had ever tasted before. But to be truly palatable to most British settlers, these centuries-old recipes needed to be 're-imagined' with a little bit of good old British 'flavour fundamentals'. 

Here lay the foundations of what we now know as 'Anglo-Indian' cuisine, a hallmark of India's culture of acceptance and co-existence. 

The British essentially mellowed down and anglicised certain Indian dishes with acceptable levels of spice and tweaked some of their signature English meals with Indian flavours. The resulting cuisine was relished in formal settings and on evenings when English Sahibs, Indian Princes and bejewelled ladies would gather together to enjoy the finest whiskeys and wines, and the elaborate and extensive menus each night, prepared laboriously by the cooks were only outdone by others the next night. Their fare was honed to perfection at quintessential colonial institutions like gentleman’s clubs, railway kitchens and Army messes. 

The fairly new Anglow is a one of its kind Anglo-Indian Themed Whiskey Bar and Kitchen that embodies the spirit of this culture for its sentimental patrons who still reminisce about the glorious days of the British Raj. Situated in central Delhi's Khan Market (often compared to the famous Regent Street in London), Anglow is the brainchild of Ajit Singh and Arpan Gupta, two seasoned restaurateurs who have curated a one-of-a-kind Anglo-Indian dining experience. Anglow goes beyond its exquisite food and whiskeys, it's a deep dive into our shared cultural history and the way it shaped our cuisines of today, a unique tradition handed down over generations.

Anglow pays tribute to the Khansamas, the Indian cooks of the Memsahibs of the British era. Inspired by the tales of well-kept secrets of the Anglo-Indian kitchens that only a few from the previous generations have managed to keep alive, Anglow promises to bring us the stunning flavours from our past in a setting which is inspired by the grandeur of our colonial heritage. 

Offering an array of options for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian diners, the restaurant specializes in distinctly Anglo-Indian fare ranging from the aesthetic Deviled Scotch Eggs, to the dish that became legendary among European settlers here in India, the Fish Fingers, which the classically panko fried River Sole strips. The kitchen also serves up a popular Anglo-Indian dish that owes its origins to a north Indian staple we all know as Khichri, made to include a few 'western-world' herbs and ingredients like parsley and flaked fish and lovingly called Kedegree by its growing base of fans back in England. Sweet conclusions like Tipsy Pudding layered with cake, custard, and fruit chunks make the meal worthwhile. 

To complement this one-of-a-kind food experience, Anglow offers a carefully curated selection of beverages to ensure that even the most rigid connoisseurs end up with a sly grin of satisfaction when they enter the elegant surroundings of Anglow, namely Ginger Smoke with the distinct subtlety of nutmeg and the authentic Virgin Mary served in a salt-rimmed glass. 

The setting is elegant and posh, evocative of Drinking Parlours and Clubs of colonial India with memorabilia predating Independence, collected and unassumingly displayed for the keen observer. Anglow exudes old-world charm fused unequivocally with present-day India to bring forth a wholehearted celebration of our rich Anglo-Indian cultural inheritance.  :)

Derma Woes Begone With Ultherapy By Merz...

Advocated by Hollywood A-listers Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, and International beauty editors from Vogue US, Bazaar, to Marie Clarie, a non-invasive face lift technique that helps us defy aging is here in India. People especially women have increasingly been flocking for firming treatments that ditch the knife, understandably so, as minimizing complications and recovery time are priorities in view of leading such hectic lives in today's day and age.

For the first time in India Dr. Tatjana Pavicic - Global Ultherapy Trainer & Faculty of Merz Institute of Advance Studies introduced uniquely customized treatment packages using combination treatment of Botulinum toxin, Fillers and Ultherapy  for fulfilling the need of Indian patients during the DEEPSEE Master Course event at New Delhi organized specially for Ultherapy users in India to aid to their learning on a new Ultherapy treatment protocol and Merz Aesthetics Serendipity Journey (MASJ) treatment packages.

Ultherapy is a collagen boosting treatment and is the only non-invasive FDA-cleared procedure aimed at lifting the skin and improving the appearance of lines and wrinkles on the décolletage. Developed by one of the world’s leading aesthetics and neurotoxin companies, Merz Aesthetics which is part of the global Merz Pharma Group, Ultherapy was introduced in India a couple of days back at the said event. 

Organised to provide a platform to Indian aesthetic practitioners in skill upgradation through DEEPSEE Courses offered by Merz India for combination treatment with toxin, fillers and micro-focused ultrasound with visualization (MFU-V) offered as unique Merz Portfolio, welcoming the gathering and setting the tone for the event Mr. Raymond Ong – Regional Commercial Director, Merz Aesthetics said 

Till date more than 1.5 million treatments have been accomplished globally with Ultherapy. We’re very happy to see how it has been received, and are inspired to continue providing patients with more ways to have access to Ultherapy as Merz enjoys 111th year of existence in the industry. Also, as the world of aesthetic treatment is now moving towards a combination treatment approach, we are happy to remain the only company in the world to offer a combination of toxin, dermal fillers and energy-based devices for skin lifting & tightening to the patients. 

Merz India Country Manager - Manju Garg said, 

Since it received US FDA clearance in 2009, Ultherapy has been improving and innovating with its technology, while still maintaining its unparalleled patient safety and efficacy. It is a great addition to the country's beauty and wellness industry. There is great demand for non-invasive procedures, especially for skin lifting. Ultherapy answers that call for people as the procedure is non-invasive, safe and a natural way of stimulating body’s response to aging and it’s for Indians to try their hands on. 

She further added, “We’re proud how Indians have responded to Ultherapy. Till now it has been made available at more than 20 accredited partner clinics across all metro cities in India and we hope to be able to widen its reach in coming years.”

The DEEPSEE Master Course event saw multiple theory as well as practical sessions by Global thought leader Dr. Tatjana Pavicic, wherein she broke down this beauty breakthrough and why it’s gained a lot of popularity. 

“Ultherapy’s patented DeepSee visualization technology is unique as it helps a doctor to reach to the deeper skin layers and treating them without any damage to the outer layers. Other treatments either treat on the surface (e.g. lasers) or do not reach to the all the layers where treatment is required for skin tightening (e.g. radio-frequency). These treatments may also not be US FDA-cleared to lift the skin”, said Dr. Tatjana Pavicic. 

As a thought leader on aesthetic treatments and being regarded as one of the forwards concerning the combination treatment approach globally, Dr. Tatjana has been an advocate of an aesthetic treatment plan customized to the patient’s need.

Because of how convenient and flexible the treatment is, it’s no surprise that women & men of all ages and lifestyles are drawn to it. Moreover, Ultherapy works on patients ranging from as young as 20 years to as old as 70 years and more, with results lasting from anywhere between 1 year to 1.5 years after a single treatment. 

All in all, it was an insightful session being introduced to Ultherapy thanks to Merz Pharma. :)