All posts filed under: Wining & Dining

Restaurants, pubs, lounges, brunches, cocktails, drinks

In search of the perfect mojito

Published by Anita

The mojito is Cuba’s national drink. “The original Cuban recipe uses spearmint or yerba buena, a mint variety very popular on the island. It’s combination of sweetness, refreshing citrus and mint flavors is intended to complement the potent kick of the rum, and have made this clear highball a popular summer drink. The cocktail has a relatively low alcohol content (about 10 percent alcohol by volume).” Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mojito In search of the perfect mojito, I landed up at Hard Rock Cafe, for their Mojito Mania festival one evening. With the lure of real fruit added to the mojitos, it was an offer hard to resist. But before I get to the mojitos, here’s a recipe for those of you who are adventurous enough to try it at home. There are variations to the mojito that will give it a different taste/flavour. Spread before us were around 15 mojitos with flavours ranging from strawberry, kiwi fruit, grape, bell pepper to green apple. Quite a visual and sensory treat! If you’re looking for a mojito, this might …

Food, wine and conversation

Published by Anita

Food and wine together are an irresistible combination. Especially on a weekend, when it’s time to let the hair down, rejuvenate and relax! However hot Bangalore is turning during the day, the evenings are relatively pleasant. At least outside. So one Saturday evening, with a couple of friends, I decided to stroll through Indiranagar trying out different wines and restaurants. This is a frequent event organized by Poshvine (if you haven’t visited this site, do it right now! – it’s a treasure trove of interesting experiences in Bangalore and other cities). Christened the Jacob’s Creek Gourmet Stroll, it turned out to be quite a culinary experience. Not to mention a chance to sample some of their wines as we hopped along. We began with Bricklane Grill, where we gathered in a rather charming and cosy setting by the poolside. We started our culinary journey with a sparkling Jacob’s Creek Chardonnay, just the right accompaniment to the delicious aperitifs and starters for the evening. The finger food kept coming by and I especially remember the mushrooms with cheese – simply …

Pizzas

Mexifornia is the flavour of the season at California Pizza Kitchen

Published by Anita

The 5th of May is an important date in the history of Mexico. According to Wikipedia, a battle took place on this very date in 1862 near the city of Puebladuring the French intervention in Mexico. The battle ended in a victory Mexican Army over the occupying French forces. This holiday remains very popular in the United States where it is celebrated annually as Cinco de Mayo. So what better month is there than May to launch a new festival? Californian, with a twist of Mexican – Mexifornia! The proposition sounded interesting and so last Friday evening I found myself trying out the new “Mexifornia” menu launched by California Pizza Kitchen in Phoenix City Mall in Whitefield. It will also be available at their outlets in Mumbai and Bangalore from April 29 to May 19. I rarely eat pizza when I’m eating out since I’m not too much of a fan. So when I do, I want really good pizza! But besides pizza, I know Mexican food can be pretty interesting with their traditional styles of cooking and the …

new banana cafe

The search for good food in Pondicherry

Published by Anita

It’s no secret that I love good food. And I will go to extreme lengths to find it! I chanced upon the Banana Cafe, thanks to my sister who currently calls this town her abode. It was a small hole in the wall operation, but going by its popularity, I knew that something was obviously attracting a lot of customers. And since it was a restaurant, I deduced it had to be the quality of the food! I tried it and loved it. On a later trip to Pondi, my sister informed me that the cafe had since been shut down as they had to vacate the small space they were operating from (it was a part of a larger house). Which was a pity since it was walking distance from where my sister lives. But the story doesn’t end there. A few months later, on another trip I was given the good news. The owner had managed to find another place for his business. It’s now tucked away in a quiet lane called Cazy street and you’ll …

Wine and sunshine

Wine and sunshine in California

Published by Anita

The roads stretched out in front of us, winding from one winery to another. There was a winery at every corner as we drove into Sonoma, our first stop on the wine tour. If you’re a wine aficionado visiting the valley area, you’ll probably be recommended a tour of the Californian wine country. It would be unwise to leave without a customary visit around this wine producing region, responsible for producing 90% of all US wine. The day actually began on a gloomy note. Our guide for the day, Vlad, a Russian settled in San Francisco, assured us that it would not be long before the weather cleared and the sun shone down on us. And he was right. As soon as we reached the outskirts of the city across the Golden Gate bridge, the skies cleared and magically the sun was out. We were quite cheerful already. To which Vlad added that we shouldn’t rejoice too early, as we would probably have trouble find our way back by the end of the tour. We …