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. :)

Revisiting The Untouched Valley With CaratLane...

CaratLane - a Tanishq partnership, India’s first omnichannel jewelry brand was founded in 2008, by Mithun Sacheti and Srinivasa Gopalan, with a simple but courageous objective – to make beautiful jewelry accessible, affordable and forever wearable. All CaratLane collections draw design inspirations from a strong historical legacy and interpret them in a modern theme. 

With the new-age woman as a muse, the design philosophy at CaratLane is to make jewelry which makes the wearer ‘feel’ beautiful, drawing out her compelling individuality, inner confidence, and self-esteem. 

With a strategic investment from Titan Company Limited, CaratLane is now partners with India’s largest retail jeweler, Tanishq. The partnership aims to work towards a common mission – to offer customers beautiful jewelry and a distinctive shopping experience that fits today’s values and lifestyles - enabling CaratLane to grow as India’s 21st-century jewelry brand. 

CaratLane is also known for its signature jewelry-buying experience across all platforms. Along with the website, which is India’s largest online jewelry destination, CaratLane, has over 42 brand stores across the country. The stores bring the seamless jewelry buying experience with a no barrier access to all jewelry, along with Magic Mirrors for #CaratLaneVirtualTryOn. 

CaratLane also pioneered a unique Try@Home feature for jewelry buyers in the country, where customers can book an appointment, get their desired jewelry delivered at their doorsteps, and try them at their comfort with no-obligations to buy. Further CaratLane also launched a revolutionary virtual try-on app – the Perfect Look App – which enables jewelry buyers to try multiple pieces without, literally, having to putting them on. 

With the launch of their twelfth store at Vikas Marg, situated at one of the most happening shopping destinations in New Delhi, CaratLane brings in a uniquely smart jewelry buying experience. 

Mithun Sacheti, Founder & CEO CaratLane said, while speaking about the launch,

“Delhi is one of our key markets as our simplistic yet trendy designs are very well received and loved by the consumers here. This has encouraged us to launch our twelfth store which will help us make modern jewelry even more accessible. Located on East Delhi’s most prominent area Vikas Marg, the Shankar Vihar store will give users easy access to our jewelry including our latest collection ‘Noor-e-Kashmir’ inspired by the mesmerizing colors of the Valley. Like all our other stores, here too we've created a whole new world of precious jewelry - beautifully urbane and edgy designs for everyday wear.” 

As is evident, CaratLane stores are different from the typical Indian jewelry stores. They are designed for a truly omnichannel experience. 

For a brand that’s on a mission to democratize access to jewelry, this store launch, the twelfth in New Delhi and forty-second in the country, is another step forward in that direction. 

Should you wish to witness the beauty of the valley rendered by delicate craftsmanship, head to 18, Shankar Vihar, Vikas Marg, Delhi - 92 right away! :)

Stumping The Lounge At Sixth Empirica...

Sixth Empirica is one of the popular party places situated on Punjabi Bagh Club Road. Spread across two floors with a dedicated elevator, it is a moderately / dimly lit place and the in-house DJ is the most popular entity at Sixth Empirica, more than even the dishes on the menu, I suppose.

The seating is comfy and the couches and overall decor give a premium lounge-like feel to the outlet. The overall service was good. There were Bollywood Chartbusters being played throughout our meal, so much so, that the music would stop in between for the crowd to complete the song. That's when the modulation in amplitude could be felt.

Coming to the food and beverages, the Menu has a good amount of variety across Indian, Italian, and Continental cuisines and you can conveniently ask the steward at hand if a dish of your liking is available or otherwise.

Here's what I tried at Sixth Empirica. The meal was a mix of hits and misses on the whole, yet the overall vibe of the place is good enough.

Among beverages, you can try the Iced Tea, Appletini, Tangerine Mojito, or Cold Coffee as per your liking. While Appletini was a mix of apple and pineapple juices with a green apple topping on the side, the mojito had a hint of citrus in its taste.

While Fish Amritsari had soft fish fillets done with a hint of Indian spices, Fish Orly had a crunchy crust to go well with the tartar sauce.

There is another fish dish with Sabudana crisps, so just to try the crispy Sabudana, I went ahead. But there was a disappointment that those were not authentic Sago crisps but the South Indian style poppadoms on which the large fish chunks had been placed. On its own, the preparation of the fish was all good.

There is also a Bit Bites platter on the Menu that supposedly had bite-sized snacks but I feel that its presentation can be improved and the repetitive elements on the dish can be removed, as one of the elements on the menu, i.e. Golgappas were missing.

The vegetarian platter is one of the good appetizers with Chef's selection passing the litmus test. The platter that I tried had five appetizers - Soya Chaap, Kalmi Vada, Paneer Tikka, Dahi Kebab, and Seekh Kebab - all were nice taste wise.

If you are a cheese fanatic, you can try the Paneer Tikka Parmigiana that had parmesan cheese stuffed in cottage cheese chunks.

Among Salads and Soups, you can opt for Multiple Mushroom on the Indian side, Manchow on the Oriental side, or Trois In Un, that is a corn chowder.

We went for the Red Melon Feta and Mint Salad, that had a scooped Watermelon shell containing balls of melon, with a handful of feta cheese. The proportion of melon to cheese can be improved as there was a lot of melon as opposed to feta as garnish.

From the Oriental section, we also tried the Crystal Chicken Dimsums, though the flavor was nice, I feel that the nomenclature and preparation did not match as the outer shell of the dumplings was not transparent, as is the case with the term 'crystal'.

For the Main Course, we opted for the Fungi Risotto which was the nicest dish of the meal, both aesthetics, and flavor considered.

Among Desserts, we went ahead with Brownie & Ice Cream that was missing the chocolate balloon presentation (mismatch), though the walnut brownie was soft.

I also tried the Pineapple Halwa that had an appealing aesthetic with the almonds and caramel net, and it was not too overboard with the sweetness, which I liked.

On the whole, I had a good meal at Sixth Empirica, though I believe that if they improve on the minute shortcomings, they have a long inning in the F&B space ahead of them. :)

Experiencing An Urban Village At Surajgarh...

With rapid urbanization and the intrusion of technology more or less into our daily lives, we have become screen slaves 24x7. Add to it the woes of work-life balance and you'll have little or absolutely no personal space left.

Now, more than ever, cities have become concrete jungles in the true sense and there is the need for a relaxing escapade from the daily grind. One such escapade with the interesting concept of ‘Urban Village’ - Surajgarh Gurugram - was inaugurated a couple of days back.

Situated on the Golf Course Extension, Gurugram, Surajgarh is spread across a magnanimous area of over fifteen acres, and this heritage village has now been proclaimed open to the general public.

The launch of this unique ‘Village in City’ was attended by the media and residents of Gurugram, Delhi, and Noida. Located in the heart of the city, next to the lush green Golf Course, Surajgarh Gurugram offers an unparalleled glimpse at heritage, traditional Indian delicacies, mesmerizing village beauty, alluring garden areas, soothing fresh air, adventure sports activities and much more for the city dwellers, tourists, and explorers at large.

An amalgamation of cultures of Haryana and Rajasthan reflects in the architecture, rural vehicles at the doorstep and the cordial folk welcome at Surajgarh Gurugram, and brings forth the real forts and villages of India, enriching the quality leisure time spent with family and friends.

The lively and cheerful ambiance of Surajgarh Gurugram is synonymous to a perfect outing destination which is situated just a short drive away from the hassle of a fast-paced life and perilous pollution, adjoining the beautiful golf course of Gurugram.

The major highlights of the opening ceremony included the exquisite folk dance showcased by Rajasthani artistes and beautiful handcrafted decoration by the rural artists beautifying the walls.

Apart from that, there was also puppetry, games, obstacle course, camel and horse rides, and a meal at the in-house Khaan-Paan to enjoy. A breathtaking view of the Aravali hills also complemented the leisurely experience.

 At Khaan-Paan, village style food is slow-cooked on mud baked stoves in the traditional manner by the ladies of Rajasthan.

There is also an ornate brick-walled well to soak in the village belle experience and a duck pond, rabbits, goats, and birds to appreciate being carefree.

On the occasion of the launch, Mr. Anil Yadav, Director, Surajgarh Gurugram, had this to say.

“We are proud to bring India’s picturesque villages and the heart of our colorful nation to Gurugram. Our motive is to preserve and showcase the passive village life in the era of rapid urbanization. Today, when people are reaching farthest corners of the country in search of calm and serene villages, peaceful rural life experiences and a soul-satisfying journey, Surajgarh has brought the fusion of real Indian heritage villages of Rajasthan and Haryana in the mid of the metro city for all those who want a short break from their busy lifestyles and want to enjoy the vibrant culture of ethnic Indian life.”

All in all, a visit to Surajgarh Gurugram ensures a vivid and memorable experience for all patrons. :)