Monthly Archives: November 2011

Kobe Sizzlers and a Spoonful of Sugar

Yesterday was my last working from office day so we all had a small send-off kind of lunch.

Our original intent was to try Vietnamese food at Phobidden Fruit, something none of us had tried before. However, we chickened out at the last minute (we are all strict vegetarians) and were unsure about the amount of choice we would have.

On an impulse, we saw a signpost for Kobe Sizzlers and immediately decided to give it a try. Situated on the quieter side of CMH Road in Indra Nagar, Kobe Sizzlers has a very nondescript, almost vanilla appearance. The interiors are also pretty plain. But, the food? It’s pretty yumm.

All of us opted for sizzlers with some minor variations. Mine was a standard vegetable sizzler that I customized with pepper sauce and noodles. Another one we ordered was the Chef’s specialty – a Paneer sizzler.

All the sizzlers were delicious and extremely filling.

A photo of the veg sizzler - Photo taken from the Kobe website

Don’t be fooled by the above photo. In this case, the actual sizzlers looked far more delicious and substantial. I probably ate an entire day’s worth of calories in that single meal . But, the taste is totally worth it and I am already planning on bringing my family here when they next come to visit.

After that humongous meal, I was all set to go back to work, but the sweet-toothed friend amongst us insisted that she must have dessert. So, then off we went to try A Spoonful of Sugar – a bakery that also serves some basic small eats.

Located in a small side-street in Indra Nagar behind Nilgiri’s Department store, this place is very easy to miss. You have to go specifically looking for it to spot it. I guess that’s a good thing too, because it’s really teeny, probably can seat only 3-4 tables at a max.

Their menu is extensive, but they seem to make only limited quantities of stuff.

Some of the stuff on display at Spoonful of Sugar

We ordered a tiramisu and a chocolate walnut cake and shared it amongst us. The tiramisu was mind-blowing, really light, fresh and fluffy. It just melted in the mouth. The chocolate walnut cake was good too, but a little heavy for my taste, especially after coming out of a super-heavy meal. Altogether, it was an extremely satisfying experience, and I highly recommend both Kobe and Spoonful of Sugar.

Warning, the prices in both places were higher than I expected. Not many people would appreciate spending Rs.150 on a tiramisu or Rs.350 and above on a sizzler, but for me the taste was absolutely worth it. I rarely eat outside and on the few occasions that I do, it makes sense to pay a little extra for good quality.

About these ads

A Personal Update

16 Replies

I have been a bit distracted lately and haven’t been focusing on books, blogs, or anything online really.

Why? Well, there is no subtle way of letting out this news. We are expecting a new addition to our family in December. It’s been very difficult keeping very quiet with this news all this time, but there were plenty of ups and downs in my pregnancy journey that it just seemed wiser to keep it quiet until things settle down.

I first found out the good news when I got my blood tested for a nasty bout of flu sometime in March, and my life has simply been a roller-coaster ride since then. Where did the time go?

First thing I did when I found out was immediately go online and look up the Chinese Birth Calendar, which is supposed to provide accurate gender predictions. It’s a boy!! and chances are the calendar is at least 50% correct .

Also, 2011 is the year of the metal rabbit (Chinese astrology), and this is what metal rabbits are made of:

RABBIT INFANT AND CHILD
Young Rabbits are very sensitive children. They tend to let their emotions get the best of them and will cry with no remorse. At school, these children often get teased for being so sensitive and become branded crybabies by other boys and girls. Rabbit children are especially close to their mothers and maintain a wonderfully close relationship with them throughout their lives. They depend on their mothers for advice and support and will reciprocate when necessary. Rabbit children are desperate for stability and routine and require a sort of scheduling to do their best work. Like the adult Rabbit, Rabbit children are likely to be quite interested in the arts, particularly in music, a subject in which most Rabbit children thrive.

Very nice! I am not too sure about the cry baby part though . The snubnose was a colicky baby and really ran roughshod all over me through the early months, so I am really hoping that we get a break with the next one. Also, I was an inexperienced, panicky mom, and I hope I am more experienced this time around.

As per Western astrology, the baby could turn out to be a Sagittarius or a Capricorn . Chances are 50-50 either way.

So, here I am now, about 35 weeks along as huge as a whale, desperately trying to complete all pending office work before I go on leave two weeks from now.

As for reading, I am seeing some increased strain on my eyes, so I have pretty much switched over to audio books and e-books. E-books are great because I can read them in low light (very nice for uncomfortable sleepless nights), and I can modify the font size to suit my comfort. I love this feature so much, and I highly recommend e-books for elderly people, or people with vision problems.

Audio books are a slightly different story. Maybe it’s the book I am currently listening to, but I have a tendency to drift off, and then having to rewind to listen to it again. I don’t think this will ever be my favorite way of consuming any reading matter.

Anyway, for now I am giving a hard stop to my personal updates. It’s really difficult to know where to draw the line. I could keep on rambling like this for ages.

In terms of my blog, I hope to keep updating it for as long as is feasible, but I am not going to kill myself over it. If I read a book, but don’t find the time to blog about it, well it will not be the end of the world.

All depends on how smoothly things pan out in my real life over the next few months. I do plan to ghost in and out of the blog world, commenting on my favorite blogs, and keeping in touch with close virtual friends.

That’s the plan. Let’s see if I have the time and energy to implement it .

The Tulleeho Book of Cocktails – A Book Review

Leave a reply

The Tulleeho Book of Cocktails

I have never reviewed non-fiction on my blog. Doesn’t mean I don’t read them though.

I do peruse recipe/fitness/technology/child-rearing related non-fiction, but I don’t read them from cover to cover, which is why I feel uncomfortable recommending or dissing non-fiction. How can I comment when I haven’t really read for pleasure, only for knowledge, and that too specific bits of information?

I didn’t have a problem reviewing this book however – The Tulleeho Book of Cocktails by Tulleeho Inc. is a pretty awesome book that I devoured from page 1 to the end.

Why this sudden interest in cocktails? I don’t even drink all that much. However, my husband is quite the drink connoisseur and I have always fantasized about whipping up fancy stuff to entertain him and his friends…the only problem is that I am a novice and never knew where to start.

This book came in pretty handy for me. It starts off with a brief introduction explaining the different types of alcohols (rums, vodkas, whiskeys), the type of equipment required (different types of glasses, stirrer), and more requirements for garnishes (limes, fruits, spices).

It’s comprehensive enough that a user doesn’t have any nasty surprises waiting while mixing a drink. I have tried out so many food recipes and realizing midway through that I don’t have some essential ingredient so I am really grateful for this introduction. I also especially like the pictures that they have used to show what they mean. Remember, I am a novice, so I didn’t even have an idea what a shot glass is supposed to look like. So far, so good.

Now on to the recipes. There are plenty of recipes for all kinds of occasions, palates, and comfort levels. Even if you have never mixed a drink before, there are several cocktail recipes that are simple and goof-proof.

There are some pretty complicated recipes also for the more advanced. However, the techniques could have been explained in a little more detail. For example, there is a cocktail recipe that involves “flaming” a drink. Now, this is stuff I’ve seen bartenders doing in movies, and it definitely looks complicated and dangerous. I would have liked a bit more hand-holding in sections like these. But, that’s just a minor quibble. I do know that the next party I host is definitely going to include some cocktails from this book.

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

Are you Excited About The Hobbit?

8 Replies

I know I am…I loved the Lord of the Rings trilogy and I can’t wait for Hollywood director Peter Jackson’s adaptation of The Hobbit. The Hobbit is the lesser known but still really good prequel to The Lord of the Rings, and it was the first and still most favorite Fantasy book I read.

So, when I saw these youtube videos of Peter Jackson’s diaries, I loved them and had to share them with you all.

I am so going to be following his video updates until the movie comes out end of next year. What about you? Are you interested in The Hobbit, or are you done with the series?