Food tasting event : Tea Trails, Law College Road - Pune

Tea trails a easily noticeable cafe on the busy roads of the law college road. The plus side is they do have few parking spots to save you the pain for finding one.

After missing the blogger's invite about a month back, when I got the invite again from Esha from Large Peg for Tea Trails Bubble Tea Fest - I did not take a second to schedule a meet.


But a lot of confusions crept up - the concerned person who was my point of contact for my visit to Tea Trails did not turn up. Alas, I was left in the hands of the confused server who made every attempt to educate me about the drinks as a part of the sampling procedure. Kudos to the server - job well done, from coordinating with his manager to handling the sampling and equally being professional. A little more organised meet and well informed staff about the guest when specifically having invited for sampling would have helped and would have proved more fruitful. Never the less.... 😩

So back to where we were, as you climb up to the 1st floor - you would find 2 sets of garden chair and table at the patio  - interestingly there was "Cafe Books" written on the wall at one end - wonder what that was?! If it signifies what I am anticipating then it is bliss. 😊
They do have few garden chairs and table placed on the ground floor too - it would be enjoyable to sip a evening chai here.
There were an interesting engravings on the walls, that of kettle and cups - nicely articulated.So much for living up to the name, yeah!! 😃
Stepping inside, you would notice about 7-8 small comfy arm chairs placed inside the cafe and the kitchen counter right opposite to the entrance.

I would say the center of attraction on  the floor for reasons unknown was the wall adorned with various types of tea, mugs with cute message inscribed on it and the colorful  kullads. The white base was really eye catchy - and the protruding extensions somewhat reminded me of the magical walls shown in Harry Potter movies.💙

There were quite some pictures put up mostly holding significance to tea of course -  people from different parts of the world sipping and enjoying their tea. There were others which were just showcasing the technicalities of tea brewing.

As I started with the sampling, in no time there were a galore of drinks on the table.
The VEGAN CHOCOLATE BUBBLE TEA - a frothy soy milk drink with rich dark chocolate base and embedded with black pearls.The black pearls are Tapioca Sabu i.e sabudana in lay man's term. Frankly I was educated today with the word Tapioca. For my love of chocolate, this drink did impress me - just the Tapioca was too chewy, it disrupted with the continuity of my drink. 😏
The below were cool drinks consisting of the Japanese green tea as the base with two fruit filled flavors and the other as the tapioca boba drink.
The DETOX LATTE BUBBLE TEA - was a spicy, chilled drink with essence of turmeric and I did find essence of saffron too.Sound of turmeric in any drink sends shivers down my spine with a big noooo. But astonishingly this drink was just flawless and I enjoyed my drink without any discomfort of the presence of turmeric. It was interesting tweak to the normal drinks we have else where.
The MANGO BUBBLE TEA was an innovative and equally perplexing drink - mango flavored drink with bubbles filled below. As you swirl and are ready to sip,you are in for a surprise - when along with your drink there are these bubbles which come along in your mouth. And before you could react they would just POP!hahahaha....felt so child like!!These bubbles are nothing but fruit jellies which burst in your mouth giving a happy and tingly feeling - wonders that food can do eh!! 😎
The LYCHEE BUBBLE TEA another fruit filled drink with lychee flavors imbibing similar concepts of the mango bubble tea.
Any day I would prefer the fruit jellies over the tapioca balls.I loved the popping!! 💝 I would say the bubble tea served in Tea Trails was indeed an unique drink if not exceptional.

Digging a little more into the concept of bubble tea - it was intriguing to know it is actually a Taiwanese tea based drink invented in the 1980s. It contains tea based mixture infused with exciting flavors. Thanks Tea Trails for introducing this to the masses.

For food we ordered for the PASTA ARRABIATA - pasta tossed in basil infused not so spicy tomato sauce, loaded with olives, baby corns and bell peppers. Relished the well cooked pasta with its generous garnishing which blended really well.
Next in line was the MUMBAI MASALA SANDWICH - could not imagine them going wrong with this simple dish with just veggies like tomatoes,onions and cucumber layered with chutney in grilled bread. There was something which was very typical about the chutney that was used. Nah, did not go well with me.
Although I did not order - their menu had an interesting dish Egg Kejriwal - politics anyone?! 😈

Few pictures from the visit:

Mango bubble tea

Vegan Chocolate Pearl Bubble tea

Lychee Bubble Tea

Detox latte bubble tea

Pasta Arrabiata

Mumbai Masala Sandwich

~Bon Appétit!!


P.S All the pictures have been taken by me. J

Food tasting event : Box 8, Magarpatta City - Pune

Finally I got to lay my hands on the food from Box 8 - it has been forever that I had been just thinking of ordering in from Box8.

When I got an invite from Ankush Goyal who is part of their core team to sample the food from Box 8 - no one was more ecstatic than me. 😃

Looked down at their menu online – it was an extensive, organised and fuller menu conceptualized on food being served in a box as one full meal.

They have divided their menu into sections of : All-in-1-meals,Pizza, 100% Natural Ice creams,Staples box,Biryani,Wraps,Sandwiches,Salads,Alacarte,Drinks and Desserts.

"So the idea of Box8 had come up from wondering why the likes of McDonalds & Dominos haven't emerged from India. Box 8 is just trying to be the answer- A Made in Indian chain for sumptuous Indian meals. A large urban population in metro cities frequently eats outside, courtesy their lifestyle or living away from family. And Box 8 intents to become a ‘go to’ brand for this set of customers.

Box 8 focuses in preparing food which is delicious, easy on the stomach and made from quality ingredients, allowing the consumers to order food frequently

Their mantra is: Serve what we love to eat.

They have a two fold intent, one is to offer the customers different experience through different categories and second is to be a one stop solution for a full course meal or for snacks:-

‘All in one’ offers a wholesome Indian meal with a main curry and a side curry along with rice or paratha and a dessert to compliment. ‘Box’ offers fusion of different indian delicacies like dal, Paneer, rice along with Chatni, salad etc.

Wraps, sandwich and salads in many cases acts like evening or late night snack.

Technology has helped Box 8 build platform between customers, delivery units, kitchen and vendors – which in turn has helped in seamless exchange of information, automated operations, and allowed them to take better, informed decisions."

Once the food arrived – which was loads of packages I must say.;) First and foremost thing that I did was click a picture of all the boxes with their lovely cute packaging and the interesting one liners on the packages.

The packaging of the food was very neat - everything lay intact, nothing spilt over!!

Coming to the verdict - I had ordered in for dinner the following items:

CHICKEN MAHARAJA MEAL - It was a fusion of the DESI CHICKEN IN SPICY CURRY, GRILLED KEBABS,DILLI CHOLE,RICE,SALAD and BROWNIE. The grilled kebabs were good but lacked flavors I would say. The dilli chole was my absolute favorite among-st all in the box. The rice based meal – chole combined with rice –waah!!

CHICKEN TIKKA BIRYANI - Tikka style chicken in a biryani, I had a small portion of the biryani and I absolutely relished it. Albeit, it was quite masaledar I would say - it can be reduced to a great extent. The chicken chunks had been tikka-ed and cooked in an assortment of the biryani masala and layered beautifully between the Basmati rice - the smell was sharp! It came with raita.

CHICKEN MUGHLAI - was a fusion of tandoor-ed pieces of chicken in way too dark brown-ish colored gravy. There was something very distinctive about all the masalas that were added in the chicken preparations in this dish and the desi chicken in spicy curry in the chicken maharaja meal that did not go quite well with me. It was a so-so dish.

TAWA PARATHA - loved the way they had been cut into them into small pieces and parceled into the tiny disposable boxes.

CHOCO LAVA CAKE - recently I had seen few posts on Instagram about their fabulous choco lava cake, it always amazes me to see how the chocolate oozes out as you slice through the tiny wonder. Obviously due to its similarity in name it totally draws its comparison to the choco lava cake from Dominos. Alas apart from the appearance, it could not match up to its counterpart in the taste ki duniya.

MASALA LEMONADE - a fresh drink to quench your thirst. Really first of a kind where I found a bottled lemonade close to what one could prepare at home. J

ICED TEA – nah, did not appeal me.

The service was prompt - yet Umesh who took my order had informed me well in hand there could be possible delays. I am fine with delays as long as they are notified ones. 😊

Few pictures:

Happy me with loads of colorful packaging

Chicken Tikka Biryani

Chicken Tikka Biryani

Chicken Tikka Biryani

Chicken Mughlai

Chicken Mughlai

Chicken Maharaja Meal

Chicken Maharaja Meal

Tawa Paratha

Tawa Paratha

Choco Lava cake

Choco Lava cake

Masala lemonade, Iced Tea

Choco Lava cake

~Bon Appétit!!

P.S All the pictures have been taken by me. J

Food tasting event : Culinary Collection - Paasha, JW Marriott Senapati Bapat Road - Pune

My first visit to the JW Marriott in SB Road and what can I say – I am aww-struck with the place. Fantaboulous!

I was here on a blogger’s table invite, organized by Hundred Percent PR who handle the PR activities of JW Marriott in Pune.

It was a food tasting event for JW Marriott's biggest Food Festival titled as the 'Culinary Collection'. The festival has started on the 1^stof October and will be on till the 15^th October - a duration of 15 days.
The festival has definitely vouched to offer every food lover the taste they would want to submerge themselves in – a foodie’s paradise.

Culinary collection unites chefs from around the world, to showcase their expertise in the field.

From the excerpts:
Executive Chef Mayur Tiwari said, “This is our humble attempt to showcase the culinary art that most foodies relish. We have tried to bring different unique food experiences to Pune so that our guests can indulge in a memorable food journey.

The Culinary Collection has the following to offer:

·  ‘Refreshing Sri Lankan’ at Spice Kitchen by Chef Mahesh Wanniarachchi and Chef Thushara  Ranathunga from Colombo

·   ‘Italian Awesome Twosome’ at Alto Vino by Chef Christian Huber’s twin, Chef Andreas Huber

·   ‘Deliciously Arabian’ at Paasha by Chef Nicola Kadmos

·   ‘Temple Temptations’ at Shakahari by Chef Jai Kishen

·   ‘Chocolate on Canvas’ at Pune Baking Company by Chef Vikas Bagul

We had the immense pleasure of meeting with the pioneer of the “Deliciously Arabian” concept, Chef Nicola Kadmos. I won’t shy away from admitting – in addition to presenting us with a sample of authentic Arabian delicacy, the man was one handsome guy – I totally regret not having taking a picture with him. Alas!
We also met up with the curator of the “Italian Awesome Twosome” – Chef Andreas Huber.
The chef explained to us about the food that was served, the ingredients - how is it prepared.

I was highly impressed when I saw that JW Marriott has been awarded with the LEED Gold certification, which is Leadership in Energy and environmental design – the building produce less waste products and are more energy efficient. Kudos!

From the time you step into their premises, the reception - the hospitality - the conviviality of the staff is worth mentioning about. 

It was Friday night, and they were running house full - there was a gush of people out there.

The interiors of the JW Marriott are plush premium, posh. The beautiful light fixture hanging at the lobby was an eye catchy piece. The beautiful vases in various shapes with the packed flowers in colors of white, yellow and pink added more color and freshness to the place.

My door obsession took over - this was the great door to their convention center.

I was astounded on spotting the wish tree. The wish tree, which would help fulfill the wishes of those who need you. This was their contribution to the Joy of Giving Week - Daan Utsav. This is my first, where I had noticed the wish tree put up in a 5 star luxurious hotel – could I be more dazzled?!

The paintings in the lobby to the elegant human bronze sculptures – every inch of the walk through the lobby to the lift I was in total wonder struck-ness. I was in love with the sculptures – the 3 pieces was the art chosen in its best form. Superb!

As usual Shantanu and Rajani from Hundred Percent PR, were excellent and cordial hosts. We had Mansi from JW Marriott, who walked us about the entire concept of the Culinary Collection. Again a perfect host having taken this onus task and she excuted it beautifully - organised!
She provided us with lot of detailing, kept us enthralled and she was one cheerful lady. :)

Our journey started with the quick tour of the 'Chocolate on Canvas' – the display was stupendous. Even in my wildest dreams I wouldn’t have guessed, the beautiful artifacts on display were delicately crafted chocolate, which further had been shaped to the art work with expertise and utmost precision. Beat that even the varnish was edible.

Such chefs, creating magic with their hands – how, how?!  Masterpiece – see it to believe it. It truly lived to its name – 'Chocolate on canvas'

There were these cute edible toy chocolates – such cuteness and looked so toy like. One could easily give it a miss to be toys on display. Applaud to the extremely talented chef to have come up with this enchanting concept in all – artistry at its best!

Take a glimpse of the art work with chocolate:

 

       
                                      

                                   

Next we headed to Paasha, where the food tasting was to be held. We had the opportunity of tasting the best of the food items from each of the above culinary collection.

Paasha, an elegant rooftop restaurant located on the 24^th floor.

They showcased a variety of wine and other alcohol bottles in the delicate glass fixtures on the wall – this was imparting a different glassy glamour.

The indoor seating was wooden themed. Meant for fine dining with dim lights, and heavy wooden furniture and sofas, each table embellished with modish table settings. The tables by the glass walls with the stunning view of city were epic. Classy! 

The view from the restaurant:

They have an outdoor seating with the view of the city to die for – utterly relaxing ambiance. Any day, a quiet dinner under a star studded sky with a view is worth your money. You could also plan out your exit time, you can easily spot the traffic on the Pune roads. ;) 
Just chill!

We seated ourselves comfortably on the sofas, where they brought in the addictive munching-s. They were served in a boat shaped cutlery which was filled with fried cashew nuts and some crispy chips.

By this time, my grumpy stomach was screeching food, food!! 

And there it was, the flair started with the “Deliciously Arabian” – we were served with the MEZZE PLATTER which was a combination of

·         Hummus,a creamy thick dip,a combination of mashed chick peas, blended well with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, garlic and tahini. Hummus and pita bread is always a regal combination and you can’t miss out on this delicacy.

·         Moutabel was cooked eggplant mixed with tomatoes, olive oil, a dash of pomegranate and various seasonings.

·         Fattoush was more of a bread salad with fried bread crumbs loaded with greens and various herbs and seasoning with a subtle hint of tangy-ness.

·         Falafel was crispy fried balls.

·         Labneh was the drained yogurt with mint and an overdose of olive oil – with prominent sour flavors imparted from the yogurt.

·         Muhamarra was a dip of chili paste garnished with walnuts and olive oil.

The above dips could be had with the pita bread - for some reason the pita bread was little dry and seemed crispy.

To conclude,the mezze platter was a trip to the Middle East - thoroughly enjoyed the authentic delicious healthy Arabian cuisine.

Next in line were dishes from the “Refreshing Sri Lankan”. 
It started off with the a fried SQUID dish - not a fan of sea food, hence this was not tried by me. This was followed by the PUTTU accompanied with a bowl of refreshing soup – PUTTU had distinct flavors of rice flour mixed with grated coconut, very close to a kind of pitha that is prepared in Odissa.

In the meantime our drink for the day – FRESH and FRUITY was served. But it did taste very much like the VIRGIN MOHITO with the loaded mint leaves and lime. I am not sure if the drink got mixed up.:P

After little rest to our satiated tummies, it was followed by another round of dishes from the 'Temple Temptations' - this constituted of the main course dishes.
The CHORCHORI won my heart, since we did not get to meet the chef and we couldn’t be told about the ingredients of the dish – but it tasted so similar to the Bengali dish which is like vegetable mélange, done very simply yet tasty.

BEAN PAPRU– another simple curry with French beans, cooked with spices and grated coconut.

The LANGAR KI DAL – a rich dish with a mix of pulses.

The DAL DHOKLI – yellow dal with mustard seeds with a twist of dhokla slices in it. Interesting!

                                                                                                                                                     

The above was served along with the bread assortment - soft and well made.

The pure vegetarian delicacies were a true reminisce of the scrumptious traditional Bhog that is offered in the temple.

Next in line was , the  ‘Italian Awesome Twosome’  - a nice break from the usual Italian dishes that we gorge on, the same old pastas, pizzas. 
We got a chance to relish their North Italian delicacies.

SPINACH AND CHEESE DUMPLING – is prepared with a combination of stale bread, cheese, spinach. The cheese made the dumpling gooey – simple and of course, it had distinct flavors of spinach.

POTATO RAVIOLLI WITH MUSHROOMS, FUTINA CREAM WITH TRUFFLE OIL – the two dough layers with a beautiful filling of potato and mushrooms sealed. The layers were kind of thick – not the thin layers as I had expected.

The GRILLED PEPPER CHICKEN BREAST, SPINACH, BRAISED LEEKS and CUCUMBER CAVIAR - grilled tender chicken breast pieces which were juicy and had the perfect balance of the flavors. It was plated beautifully - specially the cucumber caviar.

Finally it was time to give in to my sweet tooth - we were served with an exclusive platter of their best signature chocolates. Look at them - they appear like little precious gems.
I loved the PASSION FRUIT TRUFFLE the most of the lot - beautifully crafted outer white chocolate cover with milk chocolate as filling.

Starting the orange piece - going clockwise - Passion fruit gel,coconut and lime,Irish whisky and maple, Coffee fudge, Earl grey Ganache

Starting from the yellow piece -Coconut and lime, raspberry creme,coffee fudge,passion fruit truffle,sea salt caramel

The staff was very cordial and the servers are well acquainted with the names of each of the dishes, they were serving.

Savor the world flavors with simplicity at its best. 

In all, I was left the JW Marriott, elated and utterly satisfied with the flavorsome spread – satiated.

Saziare!

Of course for all the readers, there is something for everyone to enjoy at Culinary Collection. :)

#bloggerstableinvite #culinarycollection #culinaryart

~Bon Appétit!! 

P.S All pictures have been taken by me, except the last one. :)