The Masala Dosa Trail – III

Visiting Commercial Street on Diwali Eve and on New Year Eve has been an annual ritual. The idea is to soak in the festive spirit and indulge in a shopping spree amidst all the illumination.

Also, during every visit to the shopping paradise, a ‘munchathon’ at good ol’ Woody’s is a must. My favourite food at Woody’s is Channa Bhatura. Although, the taste of Channa Bhatura has dipped over the years I can’t help indulging in one during every visit to one of my favourite eat-outs in the city.

Woody’s endears to me not only because of its ambience but also because it is one restaurant that is friendly to single diners.

When I stepped out last Sunday for my much-awaited trip to Commercial Street I was full of anticipation. I literally sprang out of the auto to head for my plate of grub. As I neared Woody’s, I was in for a shock. The building was vacant! I stood still. Had they closed? A little notice on the glass pane offered a glimmer of hope. Apparently , they had moved. The sheet of paper had a map to guide diners to the new location on a parallel street.

I waded through the holiday crowd to get to the new location. I was there in a few minutes. I then remembered that the restaurant chain had opened this new joint some time back and I had dined here earlier. It is possible that plans to shift were on the cards many months back. “Madam, we have completely moved from there. This is our new location. A new showroom will be opening at the other building,” said the man at the counter. He continued,”There is no question of us moving back”.

The air was filled with the aroma of filter coffee. And there were plates of masala dosa at the service counter waiting to be picked up. The dosas looked too enticing to be ignored. I decided to forego having Channa Bhatura and ordered masala dosa and coffee instead. “You can pick up one of the dosas, madam. Coffee is served at the last counter”, said the man at the counter in full exuberance.

“Wow, that was quick”, I said to myself as I walked with a plate of Masala dosa to a tiny table at the corner.

The dosa was folded neatly and arranged on a plantain leaf on a white plate along with sambar and chutney as accompaniments. The dosa had turned a little cold but nevertheless made for a great eat. I preferred the chutney over the sambar. The coffee was good.

Despite the masala dosa, I continued to feel hungry. I chose to have a chaat.

After going through the chaat menu, I was spoilt for choice. Finally, I decided to have Masala Puri.

The chaat tasted good. I looked around as I enjoyed my plate of chaat. The ambience was not as flattering as the ambience at the old building. Maybe, the interiors will get a makeover in the months to come?

I left the place happy with all that I partook and with Maddur vada and Pathrode as takeaways.

I would rate my dining experience at Woody’s as 4.5/5.

After an hour of window shopping, I decided to head back home. I can’t wait for my next visit on New Year’s Eve. 😃😃

Fashion Bytes – X

Pretty in pink

Image courtesy: Kajol’s official Instagram page

I just love Kajol’s lovely fuchsia pink saree and her pose. The Manish Malhotra creation perfectly complements her bubbly personality. To add to that, the sequinned frilly edges are an absolute delight and accentuate Kajol’s girlish charm and effervescent personality.

Kajol’s make-up is flawless and the shade of lipstick adds to the look.

Image courtesy: Kajol’s official Instagram page

A closer look reveals the bling on the frills.

Image courtesy: Kajol’s official Instagram page.

Not much can be seen of the choli. Clearly, the saree has stolen the thunder. The minakari neckpiece with three stone-studded chains brings in more glitter. The absence of earrings are hardly felt. Kajol’s pulled back hairdo completes the look.

Black Friday

I have still not come to terms with the loss of two of my pets Airawat and Sandy both of whom were killed. As if that is not enough, I lost another one.

Peppermint was born a year back. He was born without one eye. I did not put him up for adoption as the chances of a one-eyed kitten getting adopted were slim. Also, finding homes for kittens is as it is very tough. Peppermint was a very sweet kitten and a lapcat. Despite having only one eye he was very active and was all over the house. He sometimes indulged in misadventures because of which he injured his left hind leg twice. His injury came in the way of his mobility. He was unable to run as fast as he used to before.

Peppermint playing mother to Beethoven and Picasso, both rescued kittens

Whenever I noticed him outside my gate, I would carry him inside and chide him. I did not want to risk him getting chased by dogs because he could not run fast and the chances of him getting grievously injured were high. When Peppermint was only 6 months old, he was chased by a killer dog not once but twice. He gave the dog the slip on both occasions.

On Friday, 7 October, my mom and I stepped out in the afternoon as we had to go to the bank. Little did we know of the disaster that would await us.

Peppermint on top of the bookshelf

When I came back home three hours later, I realised something was amiss but never thought much about it. It was only an hour or two later when I had to step out again, that I noticed Peppermint was missing. I asked my mother whether she had seen him after we came back. She replied in the negative.

I headed towards the red storage drum which was his favourite roost. He wasn’t there. I then looked above the bookshelf which was another favourite spot of his. He wasn’t there too. I called out to him and went around my house. There was no response at all. I began panicking and raced up the stairs to the terrace. He wasn’t on the terrace either.

There was only one person who knew that we would be away from home and she also knew approximately how long we would take to come back. I ran up to her and asked her about Peppermint. She said she had no idea although her body language gave a lot of room for suspicion. I gave her a dazed look. “Hey, do not doubt me. I would never harm any cat,” she said looking at me as I gazed at her.

There was nothing much I could do. I felt helpless and returned home. The lady I spoke to (let me call her Lady A) was clearly directly or indirectly involved in Peppermint’s disappearance. He couldn’t run fast and would have easily been caught. There was a likelihood that Lady A would have tipped off someone (let me call him Mister A). Mister A would have got hold of Peppermint and either relocated him or else taken him somewhere and killed him or else thrown him somewhere.

“When you know what kind of a place you are living in and when you know that two of your cats have already been killed, why didn’t you lock Peppermint inside before you left?” said my animal rescuer friend in a reproachful tone. She was right. I never in my wildest thoughts imagined that Peppermint would go missing in my absence. The least I could have done is locked him up inside one of the rooms. It was not a big task. How could I have been so careless! I felt terrible. My negligence led to the loss of Peppermint. In all probability, he is dead now. Given his disability, his chances of survival are zero.

The red storage drum and a spot above the bookshelf are stark reminders that till a few days back my sweet little buddy who was so dear to me used to nap there often.

The Masala Dosa Trail – II

On Day 7 of Navaratri, I had a rare culinary experience thanks to a late evening meeting. And what is more, in the august company of two friends, one a reservoir of humour and the other a fitness queen.

Mini Samrat is a teeny-weeny restaurant on Miller’s Road, near Ambedkar Bhavan, to be precise. It is what I would call a little subset of the famous Samrat Restaurant in Chalukya Hotel where I had dined a week ago before it shut shop. Mini-Samrat is much smaller than Samrat was. The furniture is the same. The glossy decorative chairs at the older Samrat have found their way here. The lighting is muted and lends to the aesthetics of the place.

I chose to have Masala Dosa and coffee. Unlike at the older Samrat, the masala dosa arrived in record time. It was the signature Samrat masala dosa with chutney and sambar as accompaniments. “Yikes!” said my fitness queen friend showing her ten fingers. “Look at the oil!” she continued sounding a tad upset. The dosa was oily and a fitness freak’s nightmare. I continued munching even as I watched the myriad expressions she displayed every second. Though oily, the dosa was tasty and crunchy and just melted in my mouth. The dosa tasted better with the çhutney. The doses of humour thrown in by the humorist brought in elements of fun to the overall dining experience.So the culinary experience was a combination of yummy food, some drama and some fun.

If you are missing dining at the good ol’ Samrat Restaurant at Chalukya Hotel just hop in at mini-Samrat. It is a chip of the old block.

The coffee arrived last in mini-cups. I must admit the coffee in the little cup did not taste as great as the coffee at the old Samrat.

Divas rock the festive look

With Dasara coming to an end and the festival of lights around the corner, I scouted the net to capture pictures of divas from all walks of life at their festive best. Scroll down and have a look at some of the vivid creations and their gorgeous wearers:

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Picture courtesy: Aishwarya Rai’s official Instagram page

Ash looks stunning in this red Manish Malhotra ensemble. The heavily embroidered ankle-length kurta catches the eye. The intricate golden thread embroidery is master class. The red dupatta with its embroidered border perfectly complements the dazzling kurta. Don’t miss the golden sandals! The gracious actress chose to accessorise the embroidery-laden ethnic creation with heavy jewellery. Her silken mane sits pretty on her shoulders to complete her festive look not to forget her flawless make-up.

PV Sindhu

Image courtesy: PV Sindhu’s official Instagram page

Images from PV Sindhu’s official Instagram page

The pictures prove that the lanky shuttler does not only set the badminton courts on fire but if given an opportunity the ramp too. Here she stuns in a bright red embroidered Geethika Kanumilli anarkali suit. The exquisite work on the outfit vies for attention with the pearl neckpiece. It helps that Sindu is tall. Her dazzling smile adds to the look. The beautifully tailored suit could not have found a more perfect model than the badminton queen.

Deepika Padukone

Image courtesy: Deepika Padukone’s official Instagram page

Images from Deepika Padukone’s official Instagram page

Deepika sports the girl-next-door look in this graceful kurta-palazzo combination. The elaborate embroidery on the yoke jazzes up the pretty polka-dotted kurta. The little patch of embroidery on the back of the kurta breaks the monotony of the dots. The beige palazzos with lace trimmings contrast the kurta well. Deepika chose to wear golden pump stilettoes to go with the outfit. The large chand bali earrings look alluring. The hairstyle is way too simple but accentuates the beauty of the earrings. The demure dupatta completes the look.

Madhuri Dixit–Nene

Image courtesy: Madhuri Dixit-Nene’s official Instagram page

Images from Madhuri Dixit-Nene’s official Instagram page

The bubbly actress dazzles in an orange silken saree with a pretty mirror embroidered border. Don’t miss the little motifs on the saree body. The spaghetti-strapped choli with Aztec designs stands out. Madhuri managed to find the right jewellery to go with her ensemble. The saree is from Madhuri’s own line of sarees. To complete the look, the ‘Ek Do Teen…’ girl has let down her hair in soft curls.

Suhasini Manirathnam

Image courtesy: Suhasini Manirathnam’s official Instagram page

Images from Suhasini Manirathnam’s official Instagram page

Suhasini presents a traditional look with a difference. The comely actress exudes grace in a lovely zari-work saree. The pièce de résistance is the blouse with its collars and frills. I just love it for the creativity. It steals the thunder from the saree. The hardly-there jewellery does not make any difference.

Mithali Raj

Images from Mithali Raj’s official Instagram page

The Indian cricket stalwart bowls her fans over with this stunning Gutergoo saree. Mithali has draped the six yards so well! The multi-coloured and multi-layered satin saree is a visual delight. The seams and border are enlivened with zardozi and pearl to usher in a magical effect. Mithali’s choice of saree is commendable. The blouse is simple. The elegant coiffure and choker add to the look.

Aditi Rao-Hydari

Image courtesy: Aditi Rao-Hydari’s official Instagram page

Image courtest: Aditi Rao-Hydari’s official Instagram page

Aditi Rao-Hydari is a stunner all the way in this scintillating saree-blouse combination. The saree vies for attention with the multi-hued blouse. If you look closely you can find all the colours that are there on the multi-coloured blouse on the saree too. Truly, a great work of craftsmanship! The choker with green and red stones is eye-catching. Aditi’s sleek hairstyle adds to the glam quotient. Look out for the tiny bindi.

Rukmini Maitra

Image courtesy: Rukmini Maitra’s official Instagram page

Image courtesy: Rukmini Maitra’s official Instagram page

The Bengali matinee queen rocks the festive look in this richly embroidered Shantanu Goenka kalidaar suit. The work on the border, jacket, cuffs and dupatta is so beautiful that it is difficult to take your eyes off it. Not everyone can carry this look like Rukmini has. The champagne red outfit is voluminous and would require the wearer to be tall and have a fab figure.