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The Hindu :

Jean-Yves Hardy is in awe of the energy and the vibrancy that Indian cities offer

Loving it The temperate weather and Indian food

Born in France, Jean-Yves Hardy is a global entrepreneur. He has served in various capacities across the world and founded Valtech, a successful global web agency. He is currently director of Seven India Hotels.

On his India experience, Hardy says, “It has been very nice and rather comfortable. I had visited Bangalore many times before deciding to settle down here. I did not face any cultural shock as such.”

He says, “People used to warn me about the crumbling infrastructure and the horrible traffic jams in the city. Though there are issues, it is not as bad as I imagined it to be.”

Hardy feels, “Bangalore is undergoing many changes and is on course of emerging as a key world-city. These infrastructure changesreminds me of the modernisation drives conducted some years ago in Paris.” With a grin, he says, “I think of myself as lucky to be witness to the building of a great city. I am confident that in a few years, Bangalore willemerge as a developed global city.”

Hardy quips, “Paris and many other cities in Europe have all the infrastructure facilities, but I feel these cities lack the vibrancy and energy that most Indian cities manage to bring out. Moreover, I love the temperate climate that the city offers.”

Being involved in the restaurant business, food has never been a major concern. “I get multiple choices in the restaurants. I enjoy Indian food, especially the tandoor preparations. I feel that the focus has now shifted from spice to flavouring, which makes the food delightful. Some of the dishes are also similar to French preparations, rich with butter and superb on the taste also.”

He adds, “I also have continental meals occasionally in our other restaurants.I am never fed up of Indian food…More

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The Structural School of Fine Arts will present Prof. R. Bharadwaj’s experimental Kannada play “Vrukodara Vruttanata” a story on Bheema.

Venue: Guru Narasimha Kalyana Mantapa, Bull Temple Road, Basavanagudi

Date: July 26, 4. 30 p.m.

Contact: 23387572

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The Hindu : y>Lina Tipnis brings her fall winter collection in jewelled tones to the Bangalore Fashion Week

The shimmer and shine And all things fine

Mumbai-based designer Lina Tipnis is showcasing her Fall/Winter collection at the Bangalore Fashion Week this weekend.

Lina Tipnis is a name synonymous with diffusion clothing and prêt, and she has carved a niche in the fashion arena with innovative styling. Her label is known for impeccable finish and a distinctive look, which combines classic elegance with soft sensuality.

The FW 09 collection is an invitation to celebrate India with its glorious heritage, splendid jewels, carefully woven textiles and illustrious craftsmanship.

The colour palette pays a tribute to the golden age of India. The collection hues include jewelled tones such as emerald green and kum kum red, colours of vegetable dyes such as indigo, brick and haldi. The neutral colours include mahogany, black and ivory.

The silhouettes are clean and emphasize the natural curves of the body and are a synthesis of Indian and global sensibilities, where the garments have a linear pleating texture integrating the geometric motifs usually seen on Ikkat fabrics, using Pablo Piccaso’s cubism theory. The outfits are marked by a strong interplay of geometry with precision.

Besides successfully retailing in stores in India, Europe, Middle East, the U.S and South Africa, Lina has also been a consultant to the Raymond group for setting up their designer prêt stores — BE. Her fusion lines, available across Europe, are simultaneously sold in India at fashion stores like Melange, Mogra and Fuel in Mumbai, Rudraksh in Pune, Ffolio and Raintree in Banagalore, Elahe, Oorja and Stanza in Hyderabad, Kali, Zenon & Espee in Kolkata and Amethyst and Silkworm in Chennai.

She is one of the very few designers to showcase her lines at Fashion Weeks in India as well as CPD (Collection Premieren Dusseldorf) -IGEDO Co. in 1997 and 2006. In 2005 she had an…More

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EasyLib.com, is hosting a Literary Meet, where the participants have to write a short story between 100 and 600 words, which will be read out for a discussion. To keep the critique sound and uninfluenced by identity issues, the stories will be kept anonymous. The session is moderated by writer Shinie Antony.

Date: July 25

Venue: EasyLib,

Koramangala

Time: 3.30 p.m.

Contact: 41102231

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The Hindu :

Terracotta at Vivanta by the Taj offers a variety of dishes and a great taste

Spicy and nice While chicken marinated in garam masala is char-grilled, the vegetarian dishes are cooked in a traditional Lahori style

At the naturally-bright Terracotta at Vivanta by the Taj, you would not get the feeling that you are settling in for a typically heavy North-West Frontier cuisine and ambience too. The light streams in, the furniture and cutlery is contemporary and chic and there are no dim lights or heavy velvet curtains and dark wall-to-wall carpeting. The kitchen is open, with the aroma of breads floating from atraditional Moroccan oven. You could start your meal in the outdoor section with starters and drinks, before moving indoors to a more formal setting.

Chefs Anwar Ansari and Sheroy Kermani have laid out a limited spread after accessing eating trends and choices.

You learn that chef Anwar Ansari from Lucknow is particular about his chutneys and spices. They are sourced from Delhi and Chandigarh and are ground in a traditional stone grinder to retain authentic tastes.You can choose from different types of meals — the traditional four-course meal with kebabs, tawa and kadai dishes with Indian breads, curries and biryani and desserts. The plated grills is the one-dish meal for people on the go. This meal type uses ‘higher-end’ meats cut in the Western style that are imported, laced with light Indian spices. There are miniature home-baked crispy papads with interesting dips of avocado and apple.

Now onto meaty stuff. The Lucknowi red snapper fillet,marinated infresh coriander and mint, spiced with mustard and cooked in the tandoor, is so creamy and soft that it melts in your mouth. The galoti lamb smoked with whole spices just crumbles on tasting it. The mathania chilli flavoured chicken morsels flavoured with cardamom is char-grilled.The mint and cheddar chicken thighs are marinated with garam masala,…More

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Junkyard Groove from Chennai will perform in the city.

Venue: Opus, Palace Cross Road

Date: July 25

Time: 9 p.m.

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The Hindu : MUKUND PADMANABHAN

Opinions vary drastically, as they should, on what the best Indian wine is. They are considerably less diverse about what the best — all right, let’s just say the most reliable — Indian winery is. Clearly, Sula emerges as the favourite in this category.

In a country that produces wine of staggeringly diverse quality — from moderately good to tolerably okay to unspeakably bad — Sula serves up the most consistent range. Of course, some others do produce a decent wine or two that is as good as Sula’s best (for example Vintage’s Reveilo Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve and Chateau d’Ori’s Cabernet Merlot). But in terms of an overall consistency, Sula has an edge over pretty much everyone else. Yes, you are best advised to stay well clear of their low-end wines; the Sula Maderas and the Sameras are almost undrinkable. But if you are in a dilemma about which Indian wine to order off a wine list in a restaurant, the chances are that you will be safer with a Sula. You are unlikely to have an oenophilic epiphany but there is at least the comfort in knowing you won’t gag at the throat. With a Sula at least you know what you get.

Why are overall satisfaction levels higher with Sula than with other wineries? It is unlikely that this lies in distinct viticulture and winemaking practices — its grapes are both estate grown and contracted and the winemaking technology is not unlike that of many other wineries. The real difference I suspect lies in the fact that it has been around for much longer than most others. Sula is ten years old now. This is but a blip in the history of a standard French Chateau. But in a country, where most wineries are putting up their first or second vintages on the market, it is a huge starting advantage…More

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There will be a workshop where you can write a unique story that is the creation of your imagination, and with the help of tarot cards.

The workshop is open to those aged 15 years and above.

There will also be a two-day workshop on crystals. Both workshops will be held at Mother Tree, Indiranagar on July 25.

The writing workshop begins at 2.30 p.m., while the crystal session starts at 10 a.m.

The fee for the writing workshop is Rs. 600 and Rs. 10,000 for the crystal training. Contact 41649044.

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Suresh Padmanabhan, an international speaker and author of the bestseller “I Love Money”, will conduct a “Money Workshop” on July 25 and 26.

The workshop is said to assist participants to identify their personal money blue prints.

The event will be held at Century Club, 1 Seshadri Road, Cubbon Park between 9 a.m. and 6.30 p.m.

For registration call Padmanabhan on 09841438486 or log on tohttp://www.themoneyworkshop.com/.

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An exhibition of paintings by Dipankar Ray.

Venue: Right Lines Art Gallery, Indiranagar

Date: July 25 to August 6

Contact: 080-25272827

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A book reading session by Githa Hariharan to celebrate the release of her latest work “Fugitive Histories”.

Venue: Ranga Shankara

Date: July 26

Time: 11 a.m.

Contact: 26493982

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