A Happy Space. A Colourful Space

Anupamaa Store – Khan Market

Nestled in the heart of Khan Market, New Delhi, the vibrant colours and prints highlight and bring to fore the new Anupamaa by Anupama Dayal flagship store. Spanning 400 sq feet, the new store space brings alive the label’s true essence – vintage meets bold and western.

Anupamaa Store – Khan Market

Planned, conceived and designed by prominent fashion designer, Anupama Dayal, the store features hand-painted flowers and buds along the pale ochre walls and ceiling. Bringing alive the old Delhi, Mughal vibe in the label’s signature colour palette, the store echoes the brand’s ‘raison d’etre’ – revival of the ancient, almost forgotten hand printing techniques of India.

Anupamaa Store – Khan Market

Details like the mascot puppet Hosnara at the entrance, resplendent in a rose pink skirt and a headdress of a hundred flowers, the tapestries along the walls and the designed mirror inspired by the India Gate accentuate Anupamaa aesthetic. With myriad local elements and nuances running through the store, the design and concept has been carefully thought out to capture the label’s bohemian spirit.

Anupama Dayal

An expansion from the previous store in the same neighborhood, the new Anupamaa store encompasses the brand’s product range from the colourful and eclectic garments and accessories to the newly launched Anupamaa Home line.

Marsala collection by Lalit Dalmia

Marsala collection by Lalit Dalmia

Lalit Dalmia, the face behind the brand of the same name is a self-taught talent from Hisar who has left the world awestruck with his powerful and unique design vision. He has shown the world how his elegant designs for women can take luxury to a whole new level. He doesn’t consider himself as a designer but a creator, who just doesn’t want to make pretty clothes; instead, through his creations he wants to make every woman feel like an urban goddess.

Marsala collection by Lalit Dalmia

His inspirations are endless and can be drawn from anything & everything. His label is synonymous with opulence, contemporary Indian and Indo-Western wear. His intention has been to create glamourous ensembles with traditional textures, embroideries, and craftsmanship juxtaposed with modern designs. He experiments around unusual fabrics and textures to create masterpieces, which takes us back to the Victorian and Mughal period.

Marsala collection by Lalit Dalmia

To sum it all in a nutshell, Lalit attributes his collections as ‘clothes with international styling and Indian soul’. If you are looking for enchanting and sophisticated fusion of distinctive traditional and modern designs with the stroke of muted classy and reserved attitude, you know where to go now! The designer uses a colour palette, which makes one feel nostalgic about our intricate and ancient eras in history.

New Year Gifts by Kama Ayurveda

Madurai soy scented candle with brass holder by Kama Ayurveda

This New Year, Ayurveda label, KAMA Ayurveda introduces a scented Madurai soy candle made from the finest essential oils, and handpicked Mogra (Jasmine) flowers. Jacketed in a beautiful handmade brass holder, Kama Ayurveda’s Madurai soy scented candle contains soy wax base, which is completely eco-friendly and produces negligible soot. This elegant candle is the perfect gift for the season.

Kama Ayurveda cane basket

Also to further enhance your mood, they have a special offer wherein on a purchase of products above Rs.3500, Kama is providing beautiful cane basket packaging, perfect for gifting purpose. Kama Ayurveda harnesses the power of nature, using ancient wisdom and well-being traditions of ancient Ayurveda.

The varying colours of Indian and Tibetan arts & crafts

Dastkari Haat Samiti 2015

Jaya Jaitly, President of Dastkari Haat Samiti brings the best of Indian and Tibetan art at the 29th edition of Dastkari Haat Craft Bazaar at Dilli Haat, INA.

Dastkari Haat Samiti 2015

The Dastkari Haat Samiti is once again gearing up for its annual display of the finest handicrafts from all corners of India. The hugely popular craft bazaar has an added attraction this year—the intricate and beautiful handicrafts from Tibet, ancient craft handed down through generations of painstaking work and dedication.

Dastkari Haat Samiti 2015

The Dastkari Haat Samiti, now in its 29th year, is the brain child of Ms Jaya Jaitly, a renowned social activist who has dedicated four decades of her life and career to crafts and innovating newer ways to sustain craft and its people. She has also been a founding member of Dilli Haat, a single platform for craftsmen from the remotest areas the country to display and sell their finest wares.

Dastkari Haat Samiti 2015

Hundreds of items, the best of products of Indian and Tibetan artisans have been specially selected for the bazaar. This is also a great opportunity for the artisans to exchange their views at the Tibetan-Indian crafts and skill exchange workshop. The special feature every year is a workshop for International artisans. This time Tibetan crafts persons will engage in work with Indian counterparts from Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Dastkari Haat Samiti 2015

Visitors will also get to enjoy traditional music and dance performances. Traditional Ramdev folk singers from Kutch, Chhau dancers from Jharkhand and Tibetan traditional dancers will enrich the atmosphere throughout the day.

Dastkari Haat Samiti 2015

What- Dastkari Haat Samiti’s 29th Annual – Dastkari Haat Craft Bazaar

When- 1st to 15th January 2015

Where- Dilli Haat, INA New Delhi

Time- 11.00am -09.00pm daily

Entry- Rs 20

The Ancient Barbeque (aka TAB)—serving delicacies in a loving platter

The Ancient Barbeque

Situated at the heart of Noida, The Ancient Barbeque aka TAB, serves a delectable assortment of American, Mediterranean, oriental and Desi cuisine. And let me tell you one thing—if you like the idea of buffet, this is your go-to option!

The Ancient Barbeque

Ambience: As we entered the restaurant on a rather balmy Sunday afternoon, I was much taken by surprise to see the bustling crowd. Birthdays were being celebrated at one corner; groups of women laughed together, while sipping onto their mocktails, youngsters savored upon a rich assortment of kebabs and skewers, and colleagues sat together extending friendships beyond workplace, dipping their fingers in rich curries with much joy.

The Ancient Barbeque

Décor: The décor was a beautiful mélange of rustic and contemporary notes. The area was huge; it could probably house 100 people at one go. The tables were neatly placed in a linear order. Charcoal fired grills were mounted on each table for the starters. And one of the walls flaunted a huge map that looked ancient and worn-out – going perfectly well with the embodiment of the restaurant.

The Ancient Barbeque

Food: The food was undoubtedly mouth-watering. The buffet menu was varied and brought forth a blend of Indian and international cuisines. Although, the menu is fixed, they keep bringing in daily specials to keep you interested! I relished upon the live-grill serves that also come with an assortment of sauces to suit different palettes. The murg tikka surkhlal, tawa macchi, paneer tikka Jalandari and subj malai kurkuri were notably delicious. However, I would like to make a special mention here—the mutton burrah they served is by far the best I ever had; it was soft, succulent and down-right delicious.

The Ancient Barbeque

Now, they had a wide range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian salads and soups; but, like I said, I literally relished upon the starters way too much. So, I decided to move directly towards the main course section. Over there, I can promise, you will be spoilt for choice, which in turn leaves one hungry and confused. After much scrutiny and eyes rolling, I finally decided to try Hyderabadi chicken biriyani, mutton kundan kaliyan and paneer rara multani; they were truly magical. Lastly, my day was made after I tried the beetroot ka halwa—it was warm, slightly moist, dark red in colour with a sticky texture and it melted in my mouth, lovingly.

The Ancient Barbeque

Verdict: I absolutely loved the food; but most importantly, the warmth and hospitality of the staff made my dining experience an interactive one. The service was prompt and they never really stop getting those starters!

Address: H- 27/1A, Sector – 63, Noida

Meal for two: Rs.1000 approx.

Kylin Premier—an exclusive appetizing travelogue

Kylin Premier

Ambience- As I stepped into Kylin Premier at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, warm hospitality and pompous ambience blanketed me with much love—a perfect ending to a rather hectic Friday! Me and my partner were guided to the rooftop of the restaurant, wherein small cabana-sort setups, placed neatly in sync with the layout of the floor awaited us. We chose a corner for us—lit by a candle and enveloped by pristine white drapes. The area was well lit, with balmy breeze adding on to the romance quotient. Music was varied; genres like, house, lounge, soft trance and techno were floating in the backdrop in subtle tones.

Kylin Premier

What I loved the most about this place is the copious presence of greenery. Small pots, nestling plants of varied kinds were settled affectionately at every nook and corner of the space; thus, enhancing its prana. Overall, it was a visual delight for me. As I waited for my steward to arrive with the menu, delectably delicious aromas of sundry cuisines filled me up with layers of gastronomical expectations.

Kylin Premier

Hospitality- Special mention has to be given to the hospitality department at Kylin Premier. Not only were they warm and spontaneous, they always wore a comforting smile on their faces, ready to be at your disposal at the drop of a hat. Not overtly persistent, they knew the thin line between being there for you and giving you your space to have a fine dining experience. My experience was memorable.

Crystal Dim Sums at Kylin Premier

Food- This place serves Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and Thai cuisines. I love Sushi; so the first thing I ordered was a couple of Crabstick California Rolls, made to perfection. This was followed by Chicken Crystal Dim sums. Now, this was a first for me. The name ‘crystal’ intrigued me to order this dish and what can I say—I reached to gastro heaven and back. The dim sums were super soft; the coating was almost feather-like light in texture, the filling had the right amount of spices and it just melted in my mouth. Sigh.

Clay Pot at Kylin Premier

Further to this, we laid hands on the Yakitori and Robata Grill’s section. After much thought given to the rather sumptuous menu, we zeroed down upon Chicken and Leek Yakitori and Chicken Wings. Double thumbs up to the Chicken and Leek Yakitori. Now, for the main course we opted for a bowl meal, called Bang Bang Angry Chicken that comprised of piping hot spicy chicken with peanuts, spring onions and lots of hot chilies served on a bed of sticky rice. This was simply delicious. The chicken was soft and the gravy was slightly spicy—apt for a Bengali palette. Thereafter, we indulged in a Lamb Clay Pot. This is an ancient Oriental cooking style, wherein the lamb is cooked with radish, root vegetables, lotus stem, mushrooms and potatoes. The cooking process is slow and ginger, garlic, sesame oil, hoisin, star anise and rice wine are the key ingredients that make the dish so gratifying. This was accompanied by rice.

Hong Kong Style Mushroom Bay at Kylin Premier

Finally, dessert comprised of chocolate fondue that had hot molten chocolate sauce coupled with fresh fruits, marshmallows, warm and spongy chocolate brownies and some ice cream, placed adroitly in a platter. I loved every bit of the interesting mélange.

Kylin Premier

Recommendations- Do try out the bowl meals and the clay pot range for main course. And, don’t forget Sushi and Crystal Dim sums.

Menu @ Kylin Premier

Kylin Premier, T-302, 3rd Floor, Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi.
For reservations, call- 011-33105340
Meal for two costs about Rs 2000 for two people (approx.) with alcohol

Kama Ayurveda gift boxes for your loved ones

KAMA Ayurveda gift vouchers

This Diwali, gift your loved ones a box full of goodness, as Kama Ayurveda introduces a range of beautiful gift boxes that can be customised with products of your choice, making them the perfect Diwali gift for your dear ones.

KAMA Ayurveda gift boxes

Kama Ayurveda harnesses the power of nature, using ancient wisdom and well-being traditions of Ayurveda. The brand partners with Arya Vaidya Pharmacy (AVP) in Coimbatore that ensures strict quality control, tested effectiveness and highest standard of research and development, all while following ancient Ayurvedic texts.

Kama Ayurveda’s products are available at:
•Kama Ayurveda store, Khan Market, New Delhi
•Kama Ayurveda store, DLF Place Saket, New Delhi
•Kama Ayurveda store, Galleria, Gurgaon
•Kama Ayurveda store, Quest Mall, Kolkata
•Online at http://www.kamaayurveda.com