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The first thing that drew our attention was that the waiter brought some tid-bits to nibble while we ordered our things. The starters were quite tasty though we missed our favourite Veg platter (not available here). We ordered several vegetarian dishes in the main course and these were well cooked and had nice aroma.  This joint offers several dishes from Punjab and Kashmir.

A word of caution: the waiter will bring 2 menus one for Punjabi dishes and one for Kashmiri. Don’t just read one thinking that the other is just another copy.

They have a nice collection of mocktails and we ordered the chilled Kashmiri Kahva with peach (don’t recall the name, sorry). It was quite nice though the Kahva part was subdued under the peach.

The paan shot at the end is a pleasant surprise and works as a nice mouth freshner (it is on the house).  Overall, it was a nice evening out with my family. Check it out.

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Your comments are welcome and don’t forget to contact Webile people if you want your blog to be available on a mobile phone too. Their fee is so low, you might actually fall off your chair.

I love their Kesaria Rabri, Jodhpuri mirch pakoda, mini gulab jamun, almond laddoo with chocolate sauce on top – well the list goes on and on. They even have a hot dishes counter near the front-gate. However I do wish they also carried the Kesaria ice-cream as they do in the Kankurgachi outlet.

In my humble opinion, Bhikharam’s bhujia snacks are better and fresher compared to Haldiram’s and you are well advised to try them the next time you are shopping at the City Centre.

Located nicely, bang opposite the RDB Boulevard, at the ground floor, it has opened very recently and therefore some of the stalls were not even open. But lots of choices were still available. The pasta and pizza stall, the south Indian fare, chats of Kolkata were all there. There is a special counter for shakes and drinks (no hard drinks naturally).

I must specially mention the Biryani and Rolls counter which are the biggest pull for a Calcuttan. Don’t we just love the rolls and mutton biryani.

If you hurry, you can still catch the introductory 20% discount on all items. Check out the place – you should enjoy there.

I recently saw in a newspaper that Ambuja Realty has unveiled their new, all-white (Afraa means white) restaurant and got excited to try it out. I was sceptic of getting a quick seat on a Sunday evening, but took a chance anyway hoping that not-too many people have heard about it. I was surprised to see a fairly large number of people already dining out. You can’t keep a good thing hidden for long.

2 things struck me immediately upon entry. The layout is well spread out and there are multiple pockets of a few tables each. You don’t get to see a large number of tables lined up and this gives you a much better sense of privacy. The interiors are simple and elegant and mostly in white to justify the name. I cannot but mention the wall decoration with glass jars which looks quite striking. If you can, try to get a seat with a view of the Kund area of the City Centre – it looks great from up there.

The menu spread was a little sparse and on asking about it, the manager advised that they will be adding several more items once the lounge bar opens by end-March. The choice is varied with Continental items ruling the list. There are a few Indian and Chinese items also. This being a new place for us and because of our strict vegetarian preferences, we asked the floor manager to suggest some good dishes and I must say, we were delighted by the items he got for us.

There was a surprise waiting for us after the dessert – they offered us some really cool chocolate dipped paan. I do not know if this is just an introductory offer or they intend to continue offering these but you should really like them.

At the end, we took a prevew tour of the fabulous lounge below and I will be talking about that in a future post. Meanwhile if you are thinking of visiting Afraa, it is on the 7th floor of the G-block (the block with Fern and Petals near the car entry gate). Enjoy and do post a comment here after you come back.

Ok, let me tell you the open secret I am talking about the thousands of Durga Puja pandals that have sprung up on the roads, in the parks, in the various complexes and even private houses. These are heavily decorated, themed and house the Goddess supreme, Ma Durga who is always reminding us the good always wins over evil.

Almost everyone who lives in Calcutta or is here on a vacation, is out on the streets, hopping from one pandal to the next, appreciating the themed decoration and the blessings that Mother is showering on the devotees. Children are busy buying toys and street hawkers and roadside stalls are serving fast food for the hungry souls who have walked miles and miles forgetting the tiredness in the excitement.

The TV channels are vying with each other to cover the largest number of Pujas, and conferring a variety of awards to the deserving and the smart alecs are cashing in by running in SMS contests.

Do you miss the Puja fun and frolic? The community food, dressing up and roaming the streets all night, the adda and sneaking a look at that flame? Share your feelings with us and lighten up. We will pass these on to Ma Durga.

Sorry I have not visited this outlet yet, so I cannot give you a first hand report. If you have been there, why don’t you share your experience with us by posting a comment below?

The best part about Gautam’s is, it is open late nights also. So in case you want to go for a drive with friends, cousins or family and want to sip coffee or tea then Gautam’s is the ideal place to be. It has got number of shops lined up. Coffee out there is amazing and along with it you can go for some good snacks as well.

Go there with friends or cousins and you come to know what fun you can have.

N.B: Gautam’s is very much addictive! So watch out before going. You may land up going there quite often!

Barista is my favorite hangout when I am with friends and it is again a favorite hangout for people who wish to spend sometime with their loved ones and no one else!

Barista has got a number of outlets in Calcutta but my all time favorite remains Park Street outlet just opposite to Oxford Book Store or the Park Hotel. Recently they have come up with a new outlet next to the back gate of Forum in Elgin road.

The two hot coffees, Café Mocha and Cappuccino out there at Barista remains an all time favorite. And how can I forget black forest and the brownie with ice cream?!? They are simply irresistible! And the sandwiches available there are even good bargain for the amount of money you give. Try out the iced tea as well but lemon flavor. Other flavors are not that good.

The ambience at Barista is so soothing with the soft music being played in the background that you don’t at all feel uncomfortable sitting there and spending time with who ever he/she might be!

Mind you: At Barista, you have to help yourself.