He Made It!

Finally, Boon arrived on Monday night. It's the epitome of travelling light. He had sent his stuff with Su earlier, so all he had to do was saunter through Immigration and Customs with two bottles of duty free.

First order of business, since he had so little time here, was a visit to Taika. Just enough time to check the place out and have one drink.

Afternoon Delight?

In our perpetual search for some place air conditioned, we ended up at the Eskibar in Holland Village. This after a buffet lunch binge at the Pariss at Ngee Ann City. Yes, the Canadian oysters had no chance!

B & E were quite intent on trying the different cocktails. Unfortunately, my impending cold meant I wasn't even scoffing the beer I had ordered. Surprisingly, we did not venture into their ice room for some chilled vodka.

B headed off to another dinner and E and I met LH and TK for dinner at Ding Tai Feng followed by guess what? Karaoke until 3 in the morning. Hahaha.

Coffee Anyone?

A misnomer truly when you see the huge bar the minute you enter. B introduced us to this as as the Japanese Whiskey Bar, which I think is so much more appropriate. I must admit I didn't even check if there was coffee on the menu.

We were looking for somewhere 'AC-cool' to adjourn to after dinner and this was where we ended up. Ambience was pretty good and there was lots of seating and one could actually hear himself think. We were most excited by the crystal and the ice ball; and I must say that was the prettiest fruit platter, just the way the Japanese would serve it.

I didn't take a picture of it but they actually installed one of these fancy toilet seats with all the buttons on the side. You almost feel like you needn't do anything apart from push some buttons when you're done.

I thought we had taken a private jet and flown the entourage to Shinjuku... not quite but it was very different indeed.

Little Bangkok

Taika goes through a transformation every Sunday afternoons. Four sois appear where street stalls abound. I was pleasantly surprised by the carts with their red umbrellas.

Started off with a coconut drink served authentically in a plastic bag with a straw. It was most refreshing. I ended up having more of those without any alcohol whatsoever the entire afternoon.

Food was great. So much so that I actually forgot to take pictures of them. Loved the variety of seafood done Thai style. Deep fried drumstick, so sinful, especially after the KFC I had last night.

There was also plenty of activities to keep everyone busy; from 'tattoos' to foot massages and even board games. All this while, a live band was playing. I think they really go the atmosphere right. And when you enjoy the company, what more can one ask for.

A welcome change from the usual Sunday brunches at the five-stars; especially when you only pay about half the price!

Breezy Sunday...

Or was it a whirlwind? How much activity can one actually squeeze into one day. We thought we'd take it slow. No breakfast but we'll proceed directly for the champagne brunch at Mynt, Taj West End. Lovely spread that included oysters, caviar and parma ham. But the price had also been increased. So even with the OWC discount, it wasn't cheaper than Singapore.

Check out the desserts. In terms of presentation, I think this is the best in all of Bangalore. But guess what Ed concluded at the end, "In India, desserts look much better than they taste." I think that also depends on what you pick. Pastries are usually much better.

After all that stuffing, we decided a walk would be a good thing. The grounds of the Taj was lovely. Even in the afternoon heat, there was sufficient shade that offered respite.

We then headed off to the Grand Ashok for a sale. Rummaging through piles of various tops, we manage to come away with a large bag each. Next stop, Bombay Store. Annie managed to get most of the gifts she wanted in the form of more than 10 dupattas. Needed a drink badly after that - Kappi Nirvana, Iced Eskimo and Strawberry Iced Tea at Cafe Coffee Day.

We then had a housewarming to get to. Stopped by Empire to pick up some barbecue chicken and leg of lamb. Annie and Ed had the first hand experience of IST, Indian stretchable time. We were told it would only take five minutes for them to send a leg of lamb from their main branch. Wasn't surprised when it took more than 15. Even knowledge of the fact aforehand did not make it any less frustrating.

Singaloreans Neo and Sharon had their housewarming. Main feature - Hainanese chicken rice that was prepared from scratch. Excellent! Other capable chefs also contributed to the feast. Needless to say, mahjong and football were also the order of the day.

Of course I had to show our visitors a little of the night life in Bangalore, even if it was for a quick drink. Olive Beach also happened to be showing the works of a photographer whose name I forget. But that really added to the atmosphere there.

We ran in birthday boy Patrick, whose party we had just attended the night before. He had Jason and Jeff with him. They were actually taking a breather between parties. They had gone for Gautam's farewell at i-Bar, then Fuga. After their drink, the were off to another party at the Meridien.

We decided that it was time to call it a night. Ed had some packing to do for an early flight and frankly, I was pooped. It's a good thing Monday was going to be a public holiday.

Introductions

It was Audrey's first trip to Bangalore and big sister and brother-in-law decided to show her around. One of the first places we usually bring visitors to? Cosmo Village. Love the ambience even though we definitely felt the first signs of the summer heat sitting there on the terrace.

Old trusted orders of tom yam goong, phad thai and spicy lamb curry. It still tasted pretty good but the portions and small but noticeable differences prompted us to enquire if there had been a change of chefs. The DJ also hadn't turned up for work and we therefore only Madonna to accompany us through most of the evening.

An old acquaintance dropped by after getting rid of some 'official burden', to relive the good old days. All in all, a rather relaxing evening to see us through the rest of the week.

Catching Up

It must have been two years since I last met Sharath Hegde (aka Zach Hedge in Oz, go figure!) He's back for a visit and big sister was showing him around. We went to Olive since he's not been and there was a new Australian bartender in town. Luck would have it, he actually knew Zach. And for that we ended up paying more for our drinks. Guess what? Drinks mixed by mixoligist Jay costs more, even if its only a vodka with muddled lime and soda...

But the food was still excellent. Highly recommended: thinly sliced tea smoked duck breast on thyme crouton, wild mushroom duxelle and clove infused port glaze. Mmmmm...

Adjourned to Blue after that and the place was hopping. Russell Peters played an extra show that night and the crowd had stayed back to party. Sudeep exercised his influence to keep our whistles wet way past our bed times. Surprisingly the cops were a no show. Perfect!

And I had actually intended to have an early night.

Amy's Do

Saturday was also Amrita's birthday. As she only a quiet celebration, Sonam organised this small gathering at the Cosmo Village Boutique Lounge.

However, small and quiet doesn't mean simple. Pat had pulled out all the stops on the menu. The evening started by the first floor bar with champagne and strawberries & cream. Assorted starters were brought out but my favourite was the crab cake served in it's shell.

We then adjourned to the second floor where a long table had been laid out especially for us. Woon sen was served immediately. This was followed by an exquisite thom yam that was laden with seafood, which enriched the broth trememdously. Then came the phad thai. We were next served an excellent green curry with romali roti, an interesting combination indeed. Dessert was cut fruits with ice cream.

It was almost a black and white party, even though no theme had been decided on. But we could always count on Sari and Pat to add some colour to the night. Cosmo must have assigned half the staff to attend to our party as our glasses were being filled continuously.

But what would a night out in Bangalore be without a little visit from our friendly neighbourhood police. We had to call it a night round midnight.

However, all was not lost as some of us adjourned to Sari's. The weather at night is still perfect and so her terrace was the ideal place to wind down the party.

The Beast is Back

Something started by the Singalorean ladies that still has a lingering effect - calling everyone by the name of an X-men character. TC was Beast and that stuck. Storm, Rogue, Jubilee...

Beast was in India on another one of his whirlwind tours of duty. He would have stayed another day had the bandh not been called off.

We were back at one of our fave hangouts. Tom Yum soup, Phad Thai and hot chilli lamb curry, we order these each time we are there. Can't go wrong.

Entertainment was pretty much at the expense of TC. Thomas Chan, not a chance. Of course it was Poohbearie's successor here in Bangalore.

Slow Chill

It never rains but it pours. Another Friday night when there was more than one event to attend.

Sowmya had asked us to join a wine tasting that was going on at Zero G. I had assumed that it would be a fairly casual affair. So Sari and I decided that we would not be the idiots that were always early and just be a little late. When Sowmya kept calling and asking, "where are you?", we knew something was amiss.

It turned out that this was a sit-down, full on blind tasting. Met Devesh there as well. He's a member of the Bangalore Wine Club and he rightly pointed out that I would have been more comfortable at a beer tasting event. Like I always say; with wines, I only know what I do not like. After six whites, two roses and six more reds, I didn't think I could tell the difference any more. One thing I did take away from this particular event, do not buy any of the Seagram's "Nine Hills" wines. Yucks! However, looking forward to Sowmya's "naka" and "maya" ones. Good luck!

We managed to get to ICE for their anniversary celebration just after 10, not sure if the party would make it past 11.30. But true to the Taj party traditions, it did. Great party by all counts. New bartender was on hand but our old friends were also there to take care of us.

Like with any good party, there must be some entertainment or comic relief, even if it was provided by the invited guests. Several bits of undergarment were on display, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Guess who this patriotic soul was. No prizes though.

Of course the usual suspects were there. It wouldn't quite be an event worth covering by the Bangalore Times otherwise. Poolside was lovely in the weather and neat little pots of coal were there to provide a little respite for the ladies in their party attires.

The food was laid out on both sides of the pool. We stood by the oyster bar for a good time and were in serious danger of overloading on the cholesterol. Interesting section of various fondues. Just wished the choice of what you actually dipped in them was more exciting.

The party came to an end close to 2. Savio gave us a ride home to Sari's. We had a drink there so that they could admire the apartment. Everyone always get so excited when they hear Sari's bought an apartment because we're all wishing that she would move there and give up this one. Take a number, eh?

A Belated...

Pat wanted to give me a treat for my birthday, so even though that was ten days ago, it didn't stop us from having a nice quiet evening out. Olive arguably has the best ambience of all the restaurants in Bangalore. And this time of year in Bangalore, an outdoor dinner in the courtyard cannot be beat.

Over wine and dinner, we caught up and discussed the state of the world... Ya, right, we had better things too talk about. Like who's doing what to whom. Just kidding. Good food, good wine, one could talk about everything under the sun and nothing. Thank you for a lovely evening.

What Happened?

Today was kind of a strange day. Not quite the doing of Murphy but kinda close. Sari was supposed to host a small dinner at home and then she ran out of gas. Pat then called to say it was Taika's 2nd Anniversary and that we should all go there. Then she herself was a no-show as she was stuck at Tiana's school for some show the kids were doing.

Anyway, Seamus (the man who doesn't do smiles) was there. A few people I haven't met in a while also showed up. Wasn't a bad night. But really not quite what I was expecting.

I still insist the anniversary of Taika is the 17th of December as I have pictures from the day itself of all the last minute preparation work that went into it to make opening night happen.

I See You

Taika & Arjun Rampal celebrated the music of his yet to be released movie "I See You".

Never been to an event like this before so it was great fun to be a true paparazzi this time. A few tracks from the album were then played in the disco. The success of many Bollywood films are tied to their soundtracks, so it'd be interesting to see how this one fares.

Certainly an interesting way to spend a Sunday evening; rubbing shoulders with Bollywood.

Quiet Night Out

After the surprise of the previous, a quiet evening felt like the perfect antidote. I guess that's how it always starts. Dinner at Cosmo's was only for four of us as most of the Keppelites were tied up with people from headoffice. Everyone just loves the new terrace. And I love the kick that has been reinstated into the tom yam.

After dinner, JT joined us and we headed out to another chill-out place, Blue Bar. Managed to get a table outside, which was lovely in the Bangalore weather this time of year. I surprised everyone by ordering a Long Island Iced Tea. Hey, what's wrong with a change every now and then.

After the bar closed, we actually adjourned to Mynt for a cuppa. Not a bad way to end an evening if you ask me. Ternasser made some new blunders which cracked us up. She actually thought doctors slap new-borns in the face to make them cry. Thomas chipped in, "That's only if your face looks like an ass."

Saigon-Taika Combo

This appears to have become a routine for the Singaloreans. Due to the proximity of two of our favourite places, it has become a routine that we first have dinner at Saigon and then drinks at Taika. And since Thomas is back in town for a visit and he has never been to Saigon or the refurbished Taika, it seemed the natural thing to do.

Another Opening

"I, NYX, the Greek goddess of the night, invite you to my club, on Residency Road. Let me make your night a magical rendezvous. Experience the carnal pleasures of my reign, and become one with me in wild abandon."

That's what the invite to "NYX elite club" said. A case of over-promising and under-delivering?

This latest addition to the Bangalore night scene is located on the terrace of what used to be Black Cadillac. The building is kinda past its prime, so it was a wise decision to erect an external elevator that would take guests directly to the terrace.

When we arrived, we were told that this wasn't working and were guided to an old lift further inside the building. About eight people were ahead of us, so we decided to let them take that car. Wise choice. Doors shut. Two seconds later, this guy was manually prying them open again. Amrita and I didn't need any further encouragement to hike up the four floors.

The access by the stairs? OK but not great, especially since there was a set of metal access stairs partially obstructing the main entrance. But once you enter, you're fine. You do forget that you are actually on the roof terrace of a rather old building on a very busy street.

Unfortunately I had forgotten my camera again. The place has been quite nicely done up. The L-shaped restaurant at one side looked promising. Not sure if the Greek theme is really there. We ran into Sean and Mom and Sanjeev and Tina. Quite a feww well-known DJs were also there. But your usual page 3 crowd appeared to have stayed away.

It was only when we were leaving that we ran into an ex-Olive hostess who knew Amrita and she told us about what existed on the other side of the island bar. The disco was extremely well sound-proofed, so I never even guessed it was there. Room next to it was called the 'Exclusiv Opulent Lounge' that included a couple of massage chairs. Another room upstairs that was all white with windows overlooking the dance floor. The stark look and the crowd in there at the time made it look somewhat sleazy rather than the exclusivity it promised. Everyone there looked at us like we had stumbled onto some illicit transaction.

Conclusion: Liked the open air Island Bar and the Med & Sufi Restaurant (tried a little of the beef, good.) Sasha reminded us, "Don't judge a place by the opening night. Allow two weeks for it to settle down and then go back." That's probably what I'll do. Then pictures!

The Journey Continues

18 Sep 2006, Monday. Met Freddy, Ranjan, Clarence, Doris and Hoi Peng. After little deliberation, decided on chinese for a change. Min Jiang was suggested by Freddy. He had actually forgotten that he had a discount card from them as service recovery from a previous occasion. Excellent choice as it turned out.

Loved almost every dish we ordered. Coincidentally, an article had appeared in the Sunday Times the day before, featuring the chef and the famous Peking duck that the restaurant served. Definitely worth holding out for.

As it was still early after dinner, we popped down the road to 1 Rochester for a drink. A wedding reception was being held there. Must be wedding season! We asked for sepcials and had some coconut and watermelon martinis. Must say they were not as good as the ones I have had in Bangalore.