The Tiny Taster’s Fantasie Party. And a Wave of Childhood Memories

I am a 90’s child. I grew up in an era where life was simpler, less commercialized, and cell phones were kept away at dinner tables. Where Happy Cow cheese was our idea of international Swiss cheese, and where you had to request your neighbor aunty to buy you Toblerone when she returned from the ‘Gulf’. And chocolates in the country were limited to Dairy Milk and the likes. And then there was Fantasie – exquisite, gourmet, specially crafted chocolates – that seemed like such a prized catch back then. And in some ways it still is.

My introduction to Fantasie chocolates happened via an old family friend of ours. This lovely lady, a classmate of my grandmother, would come to visit us every six months. And everytime she visited, without fail, she would bring along a huge box of assorted Fantasie chocolates for the family. My grandmother knew I loved the chocolates so much that no one else was allowed to eat them. It was my first introduction to the world of gourmet chocolates, the first time I may have tried caramel, or praline, or mint in a chocolate. I  would guard the box with all my life, and sustain every bit of self control to eat only one piece from the box everyday after dinner. Aah, memories! 

Continue Reading

Raise a Toast – Santé, Review

I remember learning the meaning of santé during my short and futile stint at studying French during my junior college days. ‘A votre santé’ is what is typically said when you raise a toast ‘to your health’. The Santé closer back home also forces you to raise a toast and make merry. Santé in Bandra is one of the many bars that infest the Queen of the Suburbs, but I’m not complaining. More the merrier, I say! Hic Hic Hurray!

After many that came and went, Santé is the latest entrant to occupy space at the C’est La Vie club in Hill road. Divided into an outside section with exposed brick walls…yet again, twinkling fairy light, and a chariot that’s converted into a love seat for two; along with an inside section which we couldn’t step into that night because of a group of exuberant adolescents celebrating their graduation. A table filled with food lovers/bloggers, mid week drinking, and finger food – my evening was looking bright. 

Out of all the appetizers I stuffed my face with, and all the cocktails I gulped down, here are my picks off Sante’s menu. Yes, you’ll are welcome.

Continue Reading

My Visa for Burma Burma Finally Arrived

Burma Burma, Fort’s all vegetarian Burmese restaurant is over a year old, is still running packed, and has received brilliant reviews. Then why eat there, and review it now, after all this time? Because sometimes your meal is just so spectacular or lackluster that I feel it’s mandatory to blog about it. This meal was a bit of both. Started off beautifully only to end with a sour taste in my mouth.

Burma Burma has been in the news ever since it has launched, and I’ve never heard such contradictory opinions about any place. Bloggers have been raving about the food, I know friends who frequent the place on a monthly basis – they love the food that much. And then there is the social media outrage over their reservation policy and how exclusively snooty they are behaving. Always booked, no tables whenever you call and reserve. 

Bee and I were in that part of the city one Sunday afternoon, and I decided to pay a visit and clear the confusion myself. I also believe that the best reviews are done a few weeks after a restaurant is launched. All teething troubles get eliminated, staff is trained, and you get to see the actual representation of the restaurant. This on the other hand is a tad bit too late. LOL 

Continue Reading

Get Baked – Happy, Healthy Treats

I cannot begin to tell you’ll how tired I was of eating out and eating unhealthy this past week. So when I got a call from Sinhaar, co-owner of Get Baked to try out their product line, I was all ready to decline him politely. Until he mentioned his products were a healthy, nutritional snacking range. And then I succumbed to temptation.

Two cousins operate out of their aunt’s Colaba kitchen, aiming to serve healthy treats as alternatives to the sugar and maida laden snacks we are used to. Their menu is limited to ‘crunch rocks’ and two types of cookies, all of which I tried. 

Continue Reading

Beauty Bites: Inside my March MSM Box

Remember me going all gaga over my February MSM box? I was really impressed with this monthly beauty box subscription and blogged about it here. Right from the packaging, to the beauty samples, to the full size products and the extra gifts – everything was perfect. They raised the bar ohh so high, that I was eagerly looking forward to this month’s box.

Continue Reading