Indonesian Food Festival at L-14, by Renaissance Lucknow

"Once the rice is pudding, it's too late to reclaim the rice!" - Indonesian Proverb

Since I was I kid, every time someone used the word "Indonesia", my first thoughts about the place flashed as an island full of volcanoes, jungles and people eating rice. Or re-framing it, rice always came first because my daddy said Indonesians eat too much rice, so you know why I used that proverb above! PS : I haven't still visited the country but today, several years later I feel incredible writing down this post for you sharing my first experience with the Indonesian cuisine.

So, the food and beverages team at Renaissance Lucknow Hotel put together an amazing Indonesian dinner buffet to gorge upon naming it AYAM : flavours from Indonesia to relish the Awadhi palette, at their L-14 restaurant. I was invited to taste the bit along with my friend Azman like always who reviews the non veg delicacies because I refrain from doing it anymore! Anyway, let's get down to read my take on the Indonesian cuisine as served with love at the on-going Indonesian food festival.

Many of you must already know that Indonesian food is full of colors and flavours, mainly because its indigenous techniques and ingredients have been greatly influenced by other cuisines, including Chinese, Indian, European and Dutch, but has been adapted and modified to suit the local palate. Upon researching, I got to know that there are six main Indonesian cooking methods that are used to prepare the best of meals : frying, roasting, grilling, sautéing, boiling and steaming. With that, I was also told by Chef Balvinder at Renaissance Hotel that Indonesian food is usually cooked in advance and served at room temperature, although there are some dishes that should be consumed hot and fresh from the stove or barbecue - like the 'satays'!

If you now feel excited enough, scroll down to take a quick look at what all I tasted!

STARTERS

Unlike my other visits at the hotel, this time it was so much more fun. You could say it was so because I dropped in after 3 whole months and everyone greeted me with so much warmth since it had been so long we saw each other. Well, I was served some veggie satays including Paneer Satay and Babycorn-Mushroom Satay first. To notify, "Satay" (or sate as they put in Indonesian spelling) is a dish of seasoned, skewered and grilled veggies, served with a sauce. Its one of the most loved recipe in the cuisine and tbh, I loved it even more. The soft, succulent, grilled satays were a blast of spicy, tangy flavours in my mouth!

Along with that, I also tried the Khow Suey soup which in real is a Burmese dish but it was served with just green onion and one of the world's hottest and Indonesia's favorite pepper as the core ingredient, the Bird Eye Chilli. For all those who watched the coverage LIVE, already know I could just sip like 5 spoons and I was done because man, that chilli was HOT, but tasted yum! 

Veggie Satays, Paneer Satay (cottage cheese)

Khow Suey Soup

MAIN COURSE

After that real awakening from the hottest punch ever, I really wanted something subtle and hence took some Bani Goreng, also known as Mie Goreng, which is a flavorful and spicy fried noodle dish common in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. The veggies in there helped me cut down the extra spice from the soup, with some Caponata which is a Sicilian dish consisting of a cooked vegetable salad made from chopped fried eggplant and celery seasoned with vinegar, with capers in a sweet and sour sauce. Too many vegetables for the night, ah!

Let's talk about my favorite for the night - Nasi Goreng, a fried rice dish with vegetables and spices (notably cardamom, coriander, cumin, ginger, onions and garlic), the Spanish chilli, and peanuts. I took some Stir Fried Chilli Basil Vegetable Curry along with it and some Mushroom Fricassee on the side which tasted heaven in white sauce. Rice is the staple food of Indonesians and the aromatic rice they use is unmatchable. Well, I tasted just that! Beautifully soaked flavours in rice with the perfect crunch of veggies.

Bani Goreng

Nasi Goreng

Caponata

Stir Fried Chilli Basil Vegetable Curry

Mushroom Fricassee

Some aficionados never go beyond the usual Nasi Goreng, Bani Goreng or Satay but for the more adventurous there is a wonderful variety of tasty treats available at this food fest! My first experience with the Indonesian food has been exemplary in real and has provoked me to repeat the entire course (hehe)!

PS : Don't forget to try the delightful tender coconut mocktail blended with orange juice and served in a coconut shell topped with mint and strawberries. 

DESSERTS

You know, desserts are something I eat before the meal every time, but while writing my posts for you guys, I put it at the last because that's my favorite thing! At L-14, apparently most of the chefs now know how much I love Mahalabia. So much so that I tried the same at other hotel in another city recently and told them its nowhere close to the heavenly dessert I eat at Renaissance. So ofcourse, 3 bowls of Mahalabia to taste, and a Sago Pudding (made of sabudana in and garnished with mango) were my first picks.

The second round of desserts after the meal included some Brownies, Orange Baked Yogurt, Fresh Fruit Savarin, Chocolate Pastry and Meringue. Well, I did a third round too as Chef Balvinder puts it "there's always a side space in your tummy for abundance of desserts", and I was served another bowl of Mahalabia to complete my meal!

Round 1

Round 2

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If you liked reading this post, do share it across and subscribe to this blog for all new post updates. And, the Indonesian Food Festival at L-14, Renaissance Lucknow Hotel is up till 12th Feb, 2017. If you're a real food lover, you must go and check it out! Make reservations HERE.

 

Photographed by : Azman Khan

~xoxo~

Farewell Makeovers with Juice Salon Lucknow

Hey my pretty readers! I hope its all going amazing at your end. Talking of the boards group, I hope you're scheduling your study days well and also prepping up for your school farewell parties. If not yet, its high time you do that because farewell is an important landmark in the life of any student, whether school-going or college-going. And we all know how much our lovely lasses love to flaunt their traditional avatar on this particular occasion. In India, for girls the dress code is often 'sarees' and for the boys its a 'formal suit', and we all want to dress up and look our best on the special day!

When I was in high school and attended my first farewell party, I had a plastered leg to show off under my pretty saree, borrowed from my mom's wardrobe (well, 95% girls actually get it from their mums only). But still I enjoyed every bit flaunting the drapes too. While I also saw my brother getting his hands on one of the suits from my dad's collection during his intermediate schooling.

Anyway, the time has changed a bit and today and we all want to get dressed by professionals, who could groom us well and transform us into gorgeous looking fashionistas! And for people looking out for similar services, I have this post exactly for you, in association with JUICE SALON LUCKNOW which is a unisex service salon providing makeovers at the most affordable rates! I have 2 looks (one for female and the other for male) with pictures and their details below. Scroll down to peek in now..

FEMALE MAKEOVER

MAKEUP : You are a school going girl and people are accustomed to see the natural, no make-up side of you. So you definitely do not want to look like an unrecognisable chic walking in the school hall with abundance of foundation, because of course its no wedding happening there too! As for my subtle look, the artist at Juice salon gave me bold smokey eyes with a blend of black, cream and brown that matched my complexion well. She also filled in my eyebrows and added false lashes to give the entire eye area an oomph! You can ditch the false lashes if you're not comfortable wearing it but I'd recommend to girls who have thinner lashes like me to actually opt for it! It just makes your eyes look bigger and prettier.

The next step was my face makeup which included a waterproof day type foundation with a base and concealer, and to finish off some pink blush on the cheeks. Kiran, the artist mentioned that I didn't need any contouring as my face cut is quite defined but she did put on a dark contour stick to complete the process, while giving me bright pink lips with a lip pencil and then filling in with a lipstick! 

The final makeup look.

HAIR STYLING : I am very particular about my hair, and don't really let people play with it in literal sense, but for many girls like me Juice is a place where they treat your hair as the most precious possession of yours! So you know you're in the right hands, when they amazingly blow dry your hair and then twine them into fairy braids. For my look, Kiran separated sections of my hair and intertwined two braids on one side, rolled up the other section for some bounce and then pinned it as a lose ribbon from the front onto the other side and curled the hair at the back to keep intact a soft girly look.

The final hair look from the back.

SAREE DRAPING : As I mentioned above, I borrowed a saree from my mom during my first farewell party and yes this was it! If my friends from school are reading this post they could recall it from 7 years because I kept on discussing that I want to wear a pretty pastel color saree which looks mesmerising! At that time, I draped it casually like regular saree drapes, but at Juice this time, Kiran and Mitali tried a new draping style with 7 plates and a turn at the back helping me cover up my butt with the twisted design! They also pinned up a fold on the front making it look super stylish, while the border was plated into sleek folds and tucked high up on my shoulder so that its easier to walk around, because you definitely don't want to trip over a lose saree end and embarrass yourself!

I loved the complete makeover and especially the fact that it makes me look elegant and young makes me feel like it was yesterday I was getting ready for my farewell party! The face indeed looks fresh, and the choice of my saree paired with a black full sleeved blouse with minimal jewelry including just earrings and finger rings sorts it all. With that, I'd always suggest you girls to wear the highest heels (but something that you're comfortable in) because it helps the saree fall splendidly!

The female makeover costs Rs.5000 that includes makeup : 2000/-, hair : 2000/- and saree draping : 1000/-. Well, that's quite a fair deal for the ladies!

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MALE MAKEOVER

BEARD & HAIR STYLING : Now, we all know that men take the least time getting ready but still manage to look good enough. They hardly need makeup but head and facial hair are something they're really distinct about! At Juice Salon, the process for men styling starts with a close-trimmed beard to give a designer stubble because in just 3 days again it would grown like the one donned by Ben Affleck, eh? For Prateek (the guy in the pictures here), the stylist Shahwaz gave him a sleek cut on the sides, narrowing the beard to pop up some face and accentuate the jaw, and sharpened the front under his lips to give the face an edge that looked more masculine!

Coming to the hair styling, Prateek was given the 'pompadour' style which is a type of undercut hairstyle that is unique because a large volume of hair is swept upwards in the front to create a 'pomp' as well call it. Or, in simpler words you could say, the hair just above the forehead is the highest point and gradually falls towards the back of your head as looking appropriate with your face.

Beard Trimming

Hair Trimming

Hair Cutting

Hair & Beard Washing

Hair Setting with a TIGI Hair Spray 

Hair Setting/Styling

At Juice, a men's makeover costs just Rs. 1000 which includes a hair cut, beard trimming and hair styling. The complete grooming session for less than half of what women's charges are, is another reason you should drop into this salon for styling! Also, they use the most renowned brand products which leaves everyone with no worries about their skin or hair getting hampered.

PS : To all the men reading this, if you're choosing a formal suit for your farewell party this time, do pick in some sexy tuxedos and play with colors. Darker shade shirts often look good but never refrain experimenting with pastel hues. Finish off the look with a tie, belt and formal lace shoes and some cool attitude with grace!

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For all of you who are getting excited for your farewell parties but still don't know what to wear, how to dress and where to get the styling done from, take ques from this post and do visit Juice Salon Lucknow and let me know if it helped! I'd be glad to see your farewell looks as well, so don't forget to share it all with me on my social media (instagram/facebook/twitter) or you could also email it to me on shubhigarg04@gmail.com! Until next time, lots of love and best wishes.

Photographed by : Jaya Agnihotri  |  Special Thanks : Prateek Nagpal

~xoxo~

The Sizzling Sizzler Festival at KAVA, by Fairfield Marriot

Bonjour people! Hope y'all have been enjoying the bright sunny days all this while. But I'm quite afraid about the gloomy days which are going to be back soon as weather reports suggest! Well, I'm all set for that too, with all my winter essentials and mainly some hot, sizzling food to keep myself warm enough from inside. And, today's post is just about one of my favorite hot meals - the sizzlers.

I recently attended the on-going Sizzler Festival at KAVA restaurant situated at Fairfield, by Marriott which opened recently in Lucknow to serve the Nawabs of town some exclusive delicacies from the Chinese, North Indian and Continental cuisines to soothe their hearts.

Talking of the restaurant, I've been there quite a number of times and I personally love the interiors, decorated in bright orange and yellow walls with some black geometric lines on it. It feels so energetic and full of life with the LIVE kitchen and the buffet counter being operated, that I love visiting and re-visiting the restaurant often. The ambience feels strong and positive with a courteous set of staff to welcome you warmly inside the tall building of Fairfield, a brand new stylish hotel by Marriott, standing opposite IGP in Vibhuti Khand area to provide everything you require for a distinctive experience!

STARTERS

While on my recent visit to the KAVA restaurant, Mr. Vishal, the manager and Chef Prashant welcomed me and my friend Azman with some crispy Dahi Batashas decorated fancily with all the yummy filling and sev to top. Now, batashas are something I absolutely enjoy consuming without fail and these were some super ones! Apart from that we were also served Aloo Bharwan Tikki (made of mashed potatoes and cashews, roasted beautifully in golden) and Dahi Kebabs (made of hung curd blended with toothsome spices), both being the succulent and delightful! The dahi kebabs won that round though because it looked pretty luscious and irresistibly impressible.   

Dahi Batasha

Aloo Bharwan Tikki

Dahi Kebabs

MAIN COURSE

Since I was at Kava to attend the sizzler festival, Chef Prashant very sweetly came to me to discuss my preferences from their lavish sizzler menu. A bunch of things caught my eye and it was very difficult to choose a single sizzler platter all for myself, but he helped me with the choices and I finally decided upon the Paneer Shashlik in Sweet n Sour Sauce with Spicy French Fries and Vegetable Noodles. 

The origin of the sizzler probably goes back the teppanyaki-sizzled dishes of Japan where the steaks are generally prepared using high-heat to sear the outside and leaving the inside moist. Once plated, the steak lets off a dramatic hiss of steam, which is its great appeal. Well, while I was researching about the origin of sizzlers, the Indian history of the same, however, seemed to have begun in Bombay in 1963, when Firoz Irani started a restaurant named 'The Sizzler' near Excelsior Cinema, to showcase this novelty, and as he put it, "the secret of the perfect sizzler, apparently depends on the precise temperature of the metal platter."

Apparently, everything said about the sizzler now made sense and just for all those who still don't know what it looks like, a vegetarian sizzler is an open-roasted, grilled or shallow fried pieces of paneer (cottage cheese) with vegetable patty, served with french fries, noodles, shredded cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, french beans etc., served on a metal or stone hot plate, kept on a wooden base. And, the word "sizzler" comes from the sizzle that one hears when, after heating the dish under a grill, the sauce based gravy is poured on, which dribbles on the hot plate and heats up,  keeping with the modern preferences of people.

Having said that, my sizzler platter looked nothing less than a beautiful decoration in itself, with the sizzling paneer dipped in sweet and sour sauce, clubbed with french fries and noodles and some boiled veggies (carrots, broccoli, mushrooms) to balance the entire meal. Hot, fresh and divine! These three words describe my entire experience of a sizzler at Kava.

DESSERTS

Marriott food is amazing and that's just no secret, but their desserts are beyond heavenly and I can totally vouch for it. The wonderful sweet dishes at the buffet counter laid at the KAVA restaurant looked so mouthwatering and amazingly appetising! Though Azman and I just tried the Phirni, Rasgullas, Banana Cake and Chocolate Fudge Brownie, and needless to say there were soft, juicy and very scrumptious! 

An Array of Desserts

Banana Cake, Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Rasgullas

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Over All Rating :

Food - 4.5/5

(beautiful presentation, palatable, super yummy in taste)

Service - 5/5

(quick services & courteous staff)

Ambience - 5/5

(vibrant, positive feels and so appealing)

 

I hope this post made you drool like never before. The sizzlers at the KAVA restaurant are a must try and if you're in Lucknow till 29th January, 2016 then you just have to attend this on-going food festival and do let me know about your experience! PS : You can make your bookings for the same at Kava by clicking HERE.

Photographed by : Azman Khan

~xoxo~