Life happened in those eleven years......

That says so much in just four words: joy, pain, love, loss, survival, transformation - may be all of it. 

The beauty of it all is that I can sit back and ,look at my journey until now and I am encouraged and invigorated.

Yes, I still have many lessons to learn. Yes, I will fail and fall again.

But I know this much: I will rise. I will soar.

Because life - with all its chaos and calm, is BEAUTIFUL!

9th June 2020

(A draft, never published)

A Journey So far....!!

I know I haven't updated this space in so many months.....months???...NO...YEARS!!! Its been 7 LONG YEARS....Phewwwwww!!!!! Let's say I was preoccupied....naah!! I would lie if I say so. Well, frankly, Pastel Potpurri  took a back seat...actually, I had forgotten about it as soon as Love happened in 2013 ;)  And From the last post till now, a lot has happened.....!!

Just a thought, when someone asks us whats happening, our standard reply is 'the usual'. It's strange that things remain same, our routine remains unchanged, however, when we look back, days - maybe months - or say years....loads seem to have changed!!  This has exactly happened with me.  

After getting married in 2014 to the love of my life, Deepak, we were blessed with a beautiful princess, ANVI and life has been a roller coaster ever since. Anvi is 5+ years now and each day she reminds me that yes life is beautiful!!! 

The usual home-office-home cycle continued. 

Its not the destination that matters but the journey that leads to it!!
I wonder who decides the destination in life. Who decides what the journey is going to be?

In the pursuit of happiness......Till I meet myself again !

An Evening with African Flavours

The Food, the Ambience n of course good company is always a promise for good times…....!!!

Eating out is a passion for me & trying out new places in the city adds to that passion. UZURI Deck & Dining, offering a perfect fusion of African - European experience is a newest addition to my list. Dinning @ Uzuri at the start of the festive season with my very favourite friends, Gauri & Kartick was truly an amazing experience.

'Uzuri' coming from Swahili, literally meaning 'goodness' is justified by what UZURI Deck & Dining had to offer.

Spread on the first & the second floor of the bustling GK 2 M Block Market, the first impressions of this restaurant & especially the Deck were quite nice & kept me busy clicking pictures of the place. Perfect for a private party or a lazy sunday lunch in winters, the ambience at the deck is warm & pleasant. The interiors with a wonderful play of props & colors of the African wilds, the jungles & the animal prints is interesting. The african music in the background adds to the feel of the place.  Not to miss the warmth the humble staff offers, further makes the whole experience of dining here very alluring. 

We began our journey into a mesmerizing evening with a delightful palate teasers and a mix of insanely delicious mocktails. Sea Bass & Kaffir Mojito were my kind of drinks. Their liquor license was still awaited and was expected soon!!

Not only the menu of the restaurant was appealing to the eyes but triggered the taste buds too. To start with, we were served with freshly baked warm breads along with a selection of specialty butters - Garlic, Paprika & Pesto. Though Pesto butter was interesting but Garlic butter is my preferred choice always. Since we had left the menu choice to the Chef, we were served the best dishes on offer. Amongst the other appetizers, Cape Malay Fish Cake with Saffron Mayo & Nutty Capers deserves a special mention. Mustard Lamb Shoulder with Wild Spinach & Hazelnut Salsa Verde was certainly cooked to perfection in 48 hours. Spicy Chicken & Roast Carrots, Pickled Onions with Chilli Creme Dressings as its name suggests was a little too spicy for my palate but will do justice for all those who love an extra dash of spices :)

The salad selection was indeed different. Trio of Beetroot & Goat Cheese Mousse, & Toasted Pumpkin Seeds served with Warm Bread and Beetroot & Cream Dressing, where the 'trio' came from Beetroot cooked in 3 ways - salted, pickled, & braised was according to me like a miniature portion & a little too expensive for the price. Cocoon prawns & Feta Cheese with Parma Ham & Melon Vodka Dressing was refreshing.

Our Main course was a mix of Pressed Pork Belly, Apples Cider Mash & Warm Fennel & Star Anise Jus; African Spiced Leg of Lamb, Braised Radishes, Mint Crusted Potatoes & Caramalised Onion with Confit Garlic & Caper Jus; and Coffee Paprika Crusted Tenderloin, Truffle Compound Butter, Marrow Roast Potatoes & Seasonal Vegetables. The selection was tempered with African spices, giving all the dishes the perfect texture & crunch they required. The medium-rare done Tenderloin proved that the Chefs @ Uzuri take their meats seriously!! Pork Belly was delicious & one of my favourites from the evening. The Main Course portions were satisfactorily big and full.

For the Desserts, we had Vanilla Panacotta with Raspberry Coulis and Chocolate Soil, Semi Frozen Truffles with Caramelised Nuts. I thought the desserts were a little low in making me go drool-drool-drool!! Would love to have more options in chocolate & fruity African creatives in the dessert section. 

Kudos to the masterminds here & special Thanks to Chef Rishim & Chef Guy for conceptualising a unique & innovative blend of speciality cuisine!! 

Thank you for hosting us & for such a wonderful evening.

Wishing the team at Uzuri all the best!!

Cheers!!

Friends, Gupshup & Food :)

When Nachi, Radhika & Shuchi are together, a riot of laughter, unlimited rounds of GuPsHup along with Mojito's n LIIT's and sumptuous grub are a perfect combination!!

Though a regular at Cafe Delhi Heights @ Cross Point Mall in Gurgaon, it was our plan to make our London-wali food blogger friend, Nachi to visit the place with us this time.
The first impression of this place is simple, casual yet cozy. It greets with a very chic ambience. The scintillating music in the background & aromas of the world cuisine add a lil' magic to the atmosphere here. Radhika n I are kind of addicted to come here....be it for a meal or coffee or just desserts, it is our home every second day!! & after going ga-ga over the food, & the place infront of Nachi for days together, we were here for dinner with her, FINALLY!!!

The foodie that Nachi is, it is very difficult to make her like something so easily. And when she DOES NOT like what she orders, boy-oh-boy, its 'Alles Gute' to the restaurant!! ;)
The same thing happened here as well. The Chicken Chettinad & the accompanying Bread was not up to our guest of honour's expectations. On our serious recommendation, we ordered the high-demand item on their menu - their  signature dish, a jumbo sized Juicy Lucy Burger, made out of lamb mince meat & generously loaded with sauces and veggies. Yeah, this lucy is indeed juicy :) The oozing cheese from the lamb patty is absolutely delish.......Served with a generous helping of golden brown potato wedges, this lamb loader with molten cheese needs a serious appetite to tackle it!!!

As we opened our jaws as wide as we could to bite into this heavenly meaty perfection, we were, like always, the happy girls with our dimples going 'ting'.

Not to miss the selection of desserts which added a zing to friends smiles!!

The very friendly staff & excellent service always adds to the experience :)

Apart from the longish wait to get the seat (even on weekdays!), there is nothing to complaint for.

That's an old count...Count up till last week had reached 18300 :)

Next visit due with another foodie couple, Gauri & Kartick....make it soon to Gurgaon, guys!!

Cheers,

Happy 4th April!!

"When a loved one becomes a memory, that memory becomes a treasure."

                                                                                                   -Unknown

Come April & our house used to be beaming with the long list of Birthdays & Anniversaries for the month. It started with the very special 4th April, our dearest Kuku Chachu's Birthday......a person who was forever smiling.....infact, a person with the most infectious smile, a pillar of strength & courage, a person who was most passionate about life & all things good, and a dear friend to everybody he knew. He achieved success as he lived well, laughed often, & loved much. Out of so many valuable things that he taught me, I live by his mantra that 'Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning how to dance in the rain.' 

4th April is surely different today. Chachu, we miss you!! We miss you in so many ways; we miss you in the things you used to say and when we recall the old times, we miss you most of all!!

Today, we celebrate his life, with thoughts of remembrance & memories of happiness!! 

Happy birthday, Chachu!! I hope they have the best birthday celebrations in Heaven :)

Forever remembered, forever missed!!