International Barbecuing At Cafe Knosh...

Cafe Knosh at The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, Delhi takes pride in celebrating the arrival of winter with aplomb. The savory festivity of an International Barbecue Festival over a period of a fortnight invites to take your taste buds for a ride. There is more than you could have thought of here to convert your day (or evening) into a memorable one.

Frangipani, some outdoor patios, an open air setting with the warm sun in this nippy chill, and numerous live grills to celebrate delicious food from around the world. Being at Cafe Knosh for the launch of the said festival, I could relish the dishes made of fresh vegetables, meat, and seafood, finely curated by Executive Chef Rohit Tokhi.

The grills promise to produce each preparation to perfection. The servings were accompanied by international marinades, and one could pair it with a drink of one's liking. A cherry on the cake, however, was their dessert platter and in particular, their Barbecued Fruits served with a scoop of Vanilla Ice cream. :)

A meal at Cafe Knosh for the ongoing festival, being a Buffet concept, starts at an economical pricing of ₹999. That is a superb offer coming from the International Barbecue Festival. It is a true feast for all barbecue lovers. The food is absolutely perfect to the extent of presenting the best of tastes from across the globe.

In fact, I would like to call it the most scrumptious barbecue grills and that too with international flavors and elegance. The fortnight-long festival that began on Republic Day 2017 and is set to continue till 11 February is a super-hit phenomenon already because you can treat yourself to four magnificently designed menus mapping delicacies from among Indian, Oriental, American, and European terrains.

This concept, in fact, teleports you to the world of global barbecue roasts, exotic salads, fine selection of cheeses, and mouth-watering desserts. Once in America, you have the classic setting of food trucks. To introduce the palate to the taste and experience of European cuisine you have British tables, beautiful canopies, and English Retro music.

Oriental cuisine brings along a class with Tofu, Chicken Satay, Lamb Chops and the likes. And as an icing on the cake, you have a chance to relish our own Indian dishes including finely prepared Jhinga, Multani Paneer, Murgh, Dal Makhni and Indian Breads.

Ensure to reserve your seats to enjoy the best cuisines from all across the globe at The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, Delhi.

The Lunch Timings are 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM. The Dinner Timings are 7:00 PM- 11:00 PM. A notable point is that Lunch is open only on Weekends. The last weekend of the festival is just round the corner, so make sure you're there at Cafe Knosh.

There are four slabs in prices. Lunch BBQ is just ₹999. If you want to go for BBQ with unlimited Beer, it is ₹1299. Dinner is ₹1299 for BBQ and INR 1599 for BBQ with unlimited Beer.

International Barbecue Festival has been creating a buzz all through and I am sure that the festival will have a fantastic conclusion too. :)

#NamahDiaries Revisited For #MMTLuxuryStays...

It is a breeze to recollect some cherished moments spent at Namah Resort, Jim Corbett, that has been voted as the tenth best hotel in India by Tripadvisor in recent times. This recent news has made me reminisce a number of sweet memories of my stay at the resort. In fact, I remember each moment of my stay there that begins with our road journey towards the mighty mountain range of Sitabani adjoining the calming currents of river Kosi. What a fabulous luxurious gateway Namah Resort proved to be, and that too nestled in the lap of nature!

What else would you expect from a luxury stay in the lap of nature itself? Somehow, nature has been my muse since I was a child, and probably this particular stay made me collect a bouquet of sweet memories to take back home. I was at Namah during the weekend of 19-22 June 2016 on the occasion of International Yoga Day.

It took us seven hours to reach Namah Resort via road, wherein the road trip was also enriched with the myriad hues that nature had to present to us. Reaching the resort presented us with a true-blue folk welcome, a vibrant reception, a scenic lotus pond adjacent to the reception, and plenty of mango boughs spread all across the vast expanse of Namah, that made me relive my summer vacations at my grandparents' place as a child. And thereafter, each moment enriched the memorable experience.

Namah Resort has a vast expanse with visuals that are second to none. There are in-house carts that can ferry you all over the property. And while one of the carts ferries you on a joy ride, the scenic views with the lush green cover all around will keep you fully engaged. Probably you will feel like admiring the beautiful nature around. I definitely did.

Being lodged in a Premium room at Namah Resort is like the icing if being nestled in nature's lap shall be considered the cake there. There are sixteen Premium Rooms in total at Namah. In addition, there are twenty-eight Superior Rooms and four Suites.

Being at Namah is a luxury. The mornings begin on a refreshing note, with the royal aesthetics presenting a visual treat with the warm, resplendent Sun emerging out of the mighty mountains of Sitabani and at the same time the soothing springs of River Kosi in sight, together create a great panoramic view. The first morning presented us with a healing overview in the form of Yoga at Namah's banquet – Kosi, that is a spacious hall that has been separated into Hall 1 and Hall 2 with the help of a partition in the middle.

The elegant restaurant Pratha offers multiple sumptuous spreads for the meals of the day. The ambiance, decor, setup, musical evenings, and the preparation and presentation of dishes are all second to none. Their Boond, adjacent to Pratha has quite an aesthetic range of beverages to its credit.

Being cajoled by cool breeze at the pool-side is quite an experience. Namah's Open Air Amphitheatre had played host to us and conservationist, Imran Khan, who has worked closely in Jim Corbett over the past many years. 

Make sure to treat yourself to a royal rejuvenation at their Tatva Spa or lose yourself as a child at their recreation center to which Pratha serves as an entrance.

All in all, Namah Resort was the perfect host for a weekend getaway nestled in the lap of nature for us, on the occasion of International Yoga Day, with #TheRoyalRejuvenation.

I have chronicled various elements of my stay at Namah in a three-part series titled #NamahDiaries in the past. Do read those descriptive accounts if Namah has piqued your curiosity enough to plan a stay with them, through any of the numerous long weekends lined up in 2017. :)

 ~~~ 

I am blogging about my luxury stay experience for an activity at BlogAdda in association with MakeMyTrip. 

Celebrating Basmati With Daawat...

What?
LT Food's celebration of Basmati Rice with Daawat

When?
Friday, January 20

Where?
Longchamp, Taj Mansingh Hotel

Rice is India's staple grain and LT Foods is a pioneer when it comes to Basmati with brands like Daawat, Heritage and Royal in regions across the global, leading effortlessly in India and quite competitively in The U.S. In a celebration held at Taj Mansingh, LT Foods brought together one of the rising chefs of the U.S, Chef Joseph “JJ” Johnson and India’s own Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, along with numerous other renowned chefs of the capital city.

Chef JJ, an awarded chef in New York, who is extensively working with rice and other grains was invited by LT Foods to visit the basmati cultivation farms in India to dwell in India’s culinary and cultural heritage.

At the event, he interacted with some of the most renowned Chefs in India and was given a demonstration on the culinary goodness of Basmati, the Queen of Fragrance, by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, with him preparing a flavorful Subz Dum Biryani and Mirch Ka Salan. Also attending the event was a team from Star Chefs Media who are partnering with LT Foods in promoting Basmati amongst the chefs in the U.S.

Speaking on the occasion Chef Sanjeev Kapoor said:

“I have been associated with LT Foods long before I started working with their brand Daawat. One of the main factors for this long association has been LT Food’s commitment to not only supply extremely good quality products which we can use to highlight our recipes, but also their strong commitment to the chef community and working with them in delivering solutions that are relevant to the chefs. I was happy to note how LT Foods is working similarly in the U.S and across the globe to spread the magic of Basmati which I believe is one of the finest rice grains. I was delighted to share the secret of Biryani cooking with Chef JJ and through him into the U.S.”

Mr. Vijay Kumar Arora, CMD - LT Foods Ltd. said:

“Daawat is now a globally recognized brand and our focus towards ensuring its growth to the farthest corners of the world has now borne fruit in the form of Daawat and Royal becoming an integral part of American households and reaching the No. 1 position in the Basmati rice category in North America. We strive to further deliver on the expectations of our beloved customers and will look to conquer many more hearts and markets across the globe in the coming years.”

On his unique trip to India, Chef JJ said:

“I am in love with India!  I just can't get enough of its vibrant Flavours, Spices, and Culture.  To be around and see where authentic basmati rice is grown, and to meet the local farmers has been a game changer for me!  Thanks to Royal Basmati and LTFA I have a whole new respect for one of my favorite types of rice to cook with. And I can’t wait to get back and share my journey in some new dishes I will create using Basmati and all that I have learned about Indian food and culture!”

It was indeed a culinary extravaganza with Daawat celebrating the essence of Basmati in the presence of Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, Chef JJ and numerous other elite chefs of Delhi and India at large. It was a delight to witness Chef Kapoor doing what he does best - cook with a smile - in person and savoring his beautiful preparation afterward, along with a tete-a-tete of course.

Being one of the consumers of Daawat since the past many years, I hope and wish LT Foods all the success to keep glorifying this culinary heritage for times to come.