A Trip To London At I Sacked Newton...

I Sacked Newton is one of the newest and worthiest additions to the F&B scene in Noida. A recent shopping spree concluded in a hearty meal at this thoughtfully designed property.

The brainchild of Utkarsh Chandra who is a former cricketer & Ranji trophy winner for the Uttar Pradesh Cricket team, the establishment is the fructification of his visits to England.

Modeled as a gastropub, the name being a spinoff on legendary British Scientist Isaac Newton, I Sacked Newton is the best of both worlds - England and India - lounging and snacking comfortably in Delhi.

It is a different world the moment you set foot at I Sacked Newton. Plush interiors, vintage decor, artworks depicting London's Big Ben, a bird's eye view of Noida, soft lighting, and sophisticated rhythms in the backdrop make I Sacked Newton a favorite, now that I have witnessed their hospitality in person.

Its strategic location on the rooftop of Logix City Centre Noida and its proximity in terms of being at a stone's throw from the Noida City Centre Metro Station work in favor of I Sacked Newton.

While the indoor seating arrangement spells comfort and leisure, outdoors is perfect for basking in the warm winter sun over a flavorful meal.

The menu boasts of a variety of preparations from across Indian and International cuisines, and it's hard to pick a favorite as each of the dishes that I relished stood out in their own right.

With a well-stocked bar, the concept of Cocktail of the Day (read alcohol), and Snap-o-cino (read caffeine with a portrait) to their credit, I Sacked Newton had it all covered.

While I savored a predominantly Indian meal with Oriental and Italian preparations interspersed, feel free to proceed as per your liking and preference.

To begin with, commence the meal on a warm note, with the warm broths be it Indian or Oriental preparations like Sweet Corn, Mushroom and Chicken, or Manchow respectively.

For appetizers, do opt for the Stuffed Idli Platter which stands apart for being an attempt on a staple from down south, with a twist on the dips served along with.

The Maggi Bowl is yet again, a unique take on the nation's favorite snack, with customizations available for the spiciness of the prep, as well as the variants.

I tried the Amristsari Paneer Tikka bowl, and it was a cheesy delight.

Down the Indian route, try the Palak Makai Seekh and Peshawari Paneer Tikka. While the former is a hot, flavorful minced delight, the latter is a nutty and cheesy combination done the Indian way.

If Dumplings are your snack of choice, opt for Garlic, Mushroom, Spinach and Corn Dimsums steamed to perfection. Served with an assortment of Oriental dips, this one is a mix-and-match favorite.

For Mains, do yourself a favor and stroll down the Italian alleys with wood-fired pizzas being an in-house special at I Sacked Newton, and a flavorful Broccoli and Mushroom Risotto being worth the wait.

Back home though for Main Course, try the home-like Khumb Matar Ki Sabzi with an assorted bread basket.

I must commend I Sacked Newton for their sweet conclusions which make the home-run and take all the applause. Even the classic, rather cliched hot and cold combination is given a new lease of life, so to say, with I Sacked Newton acing the aesthetic and culinary appeal, all at the same time.

Do me a favor and opt for the Indian desserts. The Chilled Puddings (of two kinds) and the Caramelised Carrot Mould had a piece of my heart with their presentation, not to mention, the flavors were equally amazing.

Among the English counterparts, try the Apple and Cinnamon Pancakes, served like Rolls with a dollop of ice-cream topped with chocolate syrup.

On the whole, I Sacked Newton is now on my hall of fame for top-notch eateries in Delhi NCR and I would recommend it to patrons of all age groups and kinds. :)

A Blast From The Past With #YaaronKiBaraat...

Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave and impossible to forget. As far as the concept of friendship is concerned, I believe it to be a rocky path, for the core of a relationship between two individuals is always put to test through thick and thin and being friends with a person who comes across as a stranger at first is no easy task. More often than not, we end up befriending foes in the skin of friends, ultimately learning from bad or poor judgement of the multiple facets to an individual's personality.

As far my brain's blind spot takes me, the fondest and most cherished memories that I have of pleasant times with good friends dates back to two phases of my life - to my college days and to the early days of when I had joined the teaching profession - the latter being as early as stepping out of college and immediately stepping into the profession which has been with me since three decades. While I defy the popular notion of naivety by having befriended wolves concealed in sheepskin multiple times over, it is also true that I've kept it a low-key affair throughout, as far as friendship is concerned, by having a close-knit circle of the three of us.

When I navigate through the memory maze to recall, I am taken back to the times when we had to pen our dissertation for my M.Sc.(Anthropology), researching on the growth pattern and physical characteristics of Pahadi natives.

I have always been a well-read individual taking interest in and performing my best all through my academics. For me, it was never rote that worked, but my grasp on concepts in the subject of my liking.

While I may (and always have) come across a bookworm-like geeky nerd to all the fun-loving divas and hunks, devising pranks, gossiping and taking advantage of another person's humility have never been my cup of tea (or coffee) and it is the sole reason that I have taken pride in solitude, never loneliness.

My principle in life has been clear as a crystal - The lion(ess) walks alone while the sheep (wolves) flock together. I am of the opinion that it is not always necessary to be surrounded to be valued, and it is true that I had as many (or lesser) friends, enough to count on my fingers, for it was not easy for me to gel well with people whose point of view did not resonate with mine or whose ideals took an entirely different trajectory as opposed to mine.

My circle of friends was not a #YaaronKiBaraat in the true sense of the phrase. Neither do I believe that a #YaaronKiBaraat has to be pivotal to your survival in society. But, if you have been part of one, or pride in having maintained a #YaaronKiBaarat in your circle, I need to take tips from you on the art of pleasing everyone, for sure.

It was during my college years that I came across two ladies who I believe, mirrored my thought process, and it is then that we gelled well - getting to know each other, sharing similar experiences from the past, and reacting in a unanimous fashion to situations, being each others pillar of support, and as far as I can recall - never having faced a bone of contention. It is this commendable sync of ideologies that I miss, now that we have drifted apart - in distance and time - never in hearts, though.

The other anecdote of friendship from my life was with a colleague, who became a dear friend in the long run. From having joined the profession of teaching together at the age of 22, to mastering in the same discipline in academics, to sharing the same birthday month and even the same name, we had many things in common for this particular friendship to work.

Why I'm recalling these two episodes from my life is because I noticed that #YaaronKiBaraat - Celebrating Friendships, a new initiative by Zee TV, hosted by Sajid Khan and Riteish Deshmukh is going to air on weekends, beginning tomorrow with the iconic pair of Amitabh Bachchan and Shatrughan Sinha gracing the stage together for their maiden episode.

I hope that this series turns out to be a roller-coaster ride of sorts, with celebs recalling their pleasant blast from the past as I have, through this post on my blog.