Archive for October 24, 2007
Behind the paint
| Gullible as we all are, we don’t really bother to check the ingredients of cosmetics we use, blindly trusting a brand, or because nothing happened to all other people using them, finds BHUMIKA K.…More |
A chef of instinct
The Hindu :
Walter Chung’s father declared that he was an “outstanding” student when he was 12 years old. At school in Kolkata, Walter was always ‘standing out’ of his class. His father was scared and packed him off to train at Flor
a Restaurant, where he began with washing plates. He says: “The Chinese were always wary of famines. So, my father who felt I’ll starve to death thought I’ll be safest working in a kitchen. He knew I’ll never grow hungry as I’d always have food to eat!”
Then, Walter started picking up his own tricks of the trade. Like something of an exotic Amy Tan novel he says: “I knew which chef to follow and which to avoid – judging by the plates I was washing. If there was some food left, then I didn’t look up to him. And clean, polished off plates meant that the chef was good and the customer happy!”
Walter left a long food trail and packed his bags to arrive in Bangalore in ’85. He assisted his uncle in his restaurant “Canton” for three years before he joined the Grand Ashok. “I felt I needed to know more and explore my culinary skills. In the hotel, the menu was large and went beyond ‘niche’ chefs who, for their whole lives just know how to make fried rice, momos, chilli chicken or sweet corn and perfect on it.” And in ’88, he was involved in establishing his cousin’s restaurant Chung Wah. It was in ’94 that he started his first restaurant, Kim Lee, in Rajajinagar along with his brother.
He declares: “Meet me at seven in the morning or 11 at night, I will still greet and welcome you to my restaurant and serve you well-prepared food.” The dynamic cook says he trains his staff to keep their passion soaring high, whether it is the beginning of the day or closing…More
Sheer indulgence
The Hindu :
Ambience: Five star
Service: Attentive
Specialty: Undhiyun
Wallet factor: Expensive
The Gujarati food festival at the gracious Jamavar at the Leela Palace offers a wide range of vegetarian delights as Chief Executive Chef Farman Ali said beamingly. Not that the non-vegetarian need to feel short changed as there was a range of delica
cies thanks to the cuisine of Bohra Muslims — from the velvety kebabs to the deliciously layered patrani fish, there was enough and more to tantalise the taste buds.
There is a choice between a set menu and the thali and one went with the set menu. For starters, there were the dhoklas, khandvi and the layered leafy delight, the patra. Spicy chutneys added the right amount of zing to the proceedings.
For the main course, the dal was a revelation of tastes with an excellent texture, it was to die for. There was also a rather different tasting kadi. Different because it tasted nothing like the Punjabi kadi pakori or the mor kozhambu we…More
Simply grilled
The Hindu :
For a mid-week sabbatical from life’s frenzied pace, head to F&B’s concept lounge Madira every Wednesday. Madira is hosting “Wishful Wednesdays”, where you can unwind and treat yourself to unlimited cocktails and scrumptio
us grills for Rs. 950.
The cocktail line-up ranges from the classic margaritas, daiquiris, and Long Island ice tea, to the more inventive blend of red wine and lime juice topped with soda water, called “French Kiss”. If you prefer mocktails, try the “Madira Fantasy” – a mix of guava juice, strawberry crush, lime and ginger juice, or “Bobby Cocktail” – orange juice and sugar syrup with fresh cream.
The food menu is a delicious offering of barbequed favourites from across the world. Vegetarians will relish the makai sheikh kabab, pressed focaccia sandwich and barbequed American corn, and non-vegetarians are in for a treat with murg hari mirch kabab, squid oriental style, beef satay and fish skewers.
With soothing music filling the interiors and superlative food and drinks, “Wishful Wednesdays” will be a great way to unwind and bring back the weekend spirit. Madira at F&B, No. 8, Excellency, Papanna Street, St. Mark’s Road. Call 4033 3888. Valet parking is available.
Dasara celebrations
The Hindu :
The Kara Drama Karnival will be held at the Crossword Bookstore, Residency Road on October 27. The event, which begins at 11 a.m., will feature a “Dasara Drama Extravaganza” presented by Kara Kindergartens. The play is a musical drama 
220;specifically designed for young children”.
The team from Kara will also explore the power of reading through communicative, auditory and visual arts and use these tools to help students develop skills as story tellers, story builders and story makers, say the organisers. Rhymes, riddles, tales about castles and kings, and music are the other activities that children can look forward to. For details, call 9844145454 or email dave@kara.in
River runs thru’ it
The Hindu :
The Ganges is one of the most powerful tropes of India, standing equally for mysticism and materialism, for cultivation and commerce, the exotic and the everyday. Discovery Channel is bringing this mighty river to life in a beautifully-shot three-par
t series, “Ganges”.
The first episode in the series, “Daughter of the Mountains” tells the story of the origin of the river — a matter of faith, as much as geography. There are four sacred spots from where the Ganga is believed to have originated. And the series follows the river to its sacred source in the ice cave, a spot only the most determined devotee visits.
Along the way we also get to see the varied wild life from the stealthy sinuous snow leopard to the sensibly reclusive musk deer. There are others including the shambling Asiatic brown bears, the great bearded vultures and the blind river dolphins. Then there are some truly magical sights like the Valley of Flowers with undulating meadows of the most spectacular carpets of flowers imaginable.
If the first episode had the soaring Himalayas for locales, the second episode, “River of Life”, features the foothills. The episode features the river as an ever-changing timeline to civilisation. It goes back to the beginning of time when the Indian subcontinent hurtled at breakneck pace (in geological terms) and crashed into the Asian land mass. The resulting collision caused the land to crumple and fold up to create the highest mountain range in the world, the Himalayas.
The episode traces the rise and fall of civilisations along the banks of this mighty river — from the early settlers to the Mughals and the British.
Each visitor bought with them their own understandings and cosmic rationale. So if the early settlers marvelled at the fertility of the river and celebrated the diversity of wildlife, the Mughals brought in architecture, engineering and science to understand the flora and fauna of…More
Diwali mela
The Hindu :
The CSB Diwali Mela is back again this year on October 24 at the Grand Ashok Hotel, Kumara Krupa Road. The event on between 10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m., offers all the diwali stuff under one roof, say the organisers.
There will be stalls with candles and diyas, torans, pooja thalis, diwali decorations, trays with silver and enamel works, stands, Tanjore paintings, African baskets, chocolate gift boxes and Italian marble sculptures to name a few.
Besides these, you can also pick up designer saris, fabrics, kurtis, skirts, jewellery and accessories.
The event also provides for some lip smacking chaats at the food stalls.
Another thing that visitors can look forward to is to win the prizes for holiday destinations.
All the proceeds will go towards charity.
I have the Blues
The Hindu :
We first got peanuts. But we’re still making music. We’re not rich. But we’re rich musically.” Sitting in a dimly lit Blues club, appropriately called Haze, Rudy of Soulmate describes his musical passions. Hailing from Shillong, Soulmate is Blues-guitar player, songwriter and singer Rudy, vocalist Tipriti, bass guitarist Ferdy and drummer Sam. This six-year-old group is often touted as the best Blues group of the country. Their first album “Shillong” did very well and now they are working on the second album. Some 15 songs have been readied for it. It should be out by the end of the year.
“The recurrent theme is love,” says Rudy, adding, “It is what you were before and what you are now.” The yet untitled album includes Rudy’s compositions besides a few instrumental pieces. He sees this album as a move away from “Shillong”. It is a move away from a “certain rawness” to the Blues rock style of Jimi Hendrix. “We try to sound like we are on stage, for this album,” he says.
This Blues rock style of Soulmate has enabled them to straddle both rock and blues. They were initially apprehensive about performing with a hard rock band like Them Clones. But the show ended up being a huge hit. “Blues speaks everyone’s language,” he says with pride.
In February, Soulmate made history of sorts by performing at the Memphis Tennessee International Blues Challenge. Courtesy the Blues Club of India, they ended up being the only Indian Blues bands to perform at the venue.
Shillong has often been identified as the English music capital of the country. It is host to the Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley festivals. “Walking down the roads in Shillong you can hear music from every window,” Rudy says, explaining the connection of the North-East with English music.
This time, Rudy and his band play only covers at the gig at Haze. But…More
Bold and beautiful
The Hindu :
Kunika. Does the name ring a bell? Yes, she was one of the last vamps on the big screen whose catty eyes and svelte figure tested the hero’s character. Today, Kunika is Kunickaa. After a dalliance with the spa and restaurant business, she has t
urned writer-producer with a Bhojpuri film, Maatti.
“These days Bipasha Basu does my job. Even the term ‘vamp’ has been replaced by heroine in a negative role.” Though she doesn’t look her age, Kunickaa feels actors must respect their screen age. “I can still dance with John Abraham, but the youngsters who saw me in Swabhimaan when they were kids won’t be able to digest it.”
But isn’t the hero of her film Ravi Kissen almost the same age? And, interestingly, Kunickaa is playing his mother in the film. “Yes, it is true, but fortunately he could not make an impact on the Hindi audience when he started off. He still looks fresh. In my case, everybody knows me, I can’t hide anything.”
Changed scenario
Going down memory lane, Kunickaa recalls how she ran away from her home in Delhi with Rs. 2,000 in hand to Mumbai to become a heroine. “Without doubt, I was heroine material, but I didn’t have the finances to sustain me in the big city. I accepted whatever was offered to me. I am the daughter of an Air Force officer, and, in those days, few girls from families of defence personnel entered showbiz. My father didn’t speak to me for five years. Today, every second beauty queen comes from a services background.”
She feels it was the entry of Karishma and Kareena Kapoor that changed the perspective. “Earlier, parents used to think that film stars didn’t allow their girls to work in the industry and, therefore exploited outsiders,” says…More
