luxury living

Nowruz Celebrations at Zarin by Fairmont Jaipur

March 21, 2017

It’s always a pleasure being back at Fairmont Jaipur. That ‘Royalty State Of Mind’ experience is something I always look forward to on my travel times. The month of March is the time for celebrations as Gulf countries and Parsi community celebrates ‘Nowruz’, the Persian New Year. Celebrating the occasion in an Indo-Persian-Parsi style, Fairmont Jaipur recently invited me and a couple of other food influences to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of Zarin, India’s only Indo-Persian restaurant. Candlelit restaurant, intricately painted ceilings, chandeliers, rainy winds gushing through the corridors and a set menu offering the finest of the Persian dishes being prepared by Chef Deepak Gurung & Chef Rehman was what we witnessed on the eve of Nowruz. The ‘Forgotten Recipes of Persia’ food festival will go on till 1st of April, offering finest of the fine Persian and Parsi recipes at Zarin. Also, in accordance is the celebration of Zarin’s 2nd anniversary since its launch in March 2015. Considering the feedbacks that they’ve received from their elite customers over the course of time, Chefs have introduced a menu for Zarin that consists of an array of Vegetarian dishes in the fresh carte du jour. The amalgamation between Indo-Persion style of cooking, techniques and usage of herbs is what resonates throughout the menu of Zarin. Let me take you on a pictorial journey of what I tried at Zarin from their newly launched menu. Table condiments Ajika, Hummus, Parsi coconut green chutney, Parsi tomato chutney with House Salad (Romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomato, carrots and olives served with house dressing) & Persian breads. Soup Soup – E – Joe – Slowly cooked barley soup with Persian spices. The soup was quite refreshing, light and mildly infused with herbs keeping the freshness of the vegetables intact. For non-vegetarian counterpart, the menu also had Harira …

Continue reading

The Umrao – Luxury Hotel

January 5, 2017

If you happen to be from or be in Delhi travelling towards the Airport or Gurgaon on NH-8, you might have definitely come across the luxurious glimpses of a boutique hotel ‘The Umrao’ which is famous for A-list weddings in the city. With its expansive borderline and an architecture appealing to the expensive strength, The Umrao stands out as a resort hotel perfect for a private getaway or a Destination Wedding appeal; among its pears. Having won the award Luxury New Hotel title at World Luxury Hotel Awards 2016, The Umrao definitely assures a luxurious experience on their property; be it for dining, wedding function or stay services. I too got a chance to stay at this lovely property for 2 nights and 3 days, experiencing the best that their restaurants have to offer and unwinding by their pool side spa and comfortable accomodation facilities. The Umrao is situated on National Highway-8, which is nearby the Indira Gandhi International Airport and is a drive away from the Gurgaon City Hub. If we talk about its architecture, then the hotel has been designed utilising the grand 15-acre land to its full potential. With beautifully manicured lawns, green patches all throughout, calming water bodies in terms of fountains and pool; the hotel does make you feel relaxed and closer to nature while being settled in the contemporary architecture of its main concrete buildings. As you enter the property, green covered driveway leading you to the main reception dome transports you to a world away from the hustle bustle of the busy city life. Taking advantage of the space, The Umrao’s lobby has been designed in the most contemporary style, with middle-eastern decor elements, a see-through dome that leads you to the reception area, right next to the Waffle Tea Lounge/Pastry Shop. While you …

Continue reading

Presidential Suite Life of Novotel Kolkata

November 18, 2016

Frequenting hotel rooms for travellers in no biggie. While most of the travellers take hotel accomodation as just their place to dump their bags at and to call it a night, others (like me) are more keen on living up the extravagant life and give attention to details. Novotel Kolkata Hotel & Residences by Accor Hotels Group, is one such hospitality establishment in the Salt Lake area of Kolkata that has anted up the accommodation standards of Kolkata hospitality life. This stands true to the fact that celebrities like Abhishek Bachchan and many Tollywood actors book Novotel Kolkata’s Presidential Suite during their visit in Bengal everytime. The Presidential Suite has been built up combining space of 7 Novotel Superior Rooms. The suite opens up to a beautifully done living room with hand-picked artefacts to enhance the luxurious setup of the suite. Gold Luxe colour theme, metallic pottery, chandeliers and Indo-western furniture design reflects the Indian contemporary decor of accomodation. The living room also has a personalised bar, wherein the residents can indulge in hard-drink conversations with friends and family. The bar gives way to the dining space with a private dining table alongside a fully-functional kitchen on the side. Each Presidential Suite experience comes in with a complimentary butler service. The master bedroom is designed with rara avis decor elements, a personal couch-tv experience, a study desk and a view of Kolkata that definitely is breathtaking! What actually store my heart away is the Presidential Suite’s bathroom, which has been designed to reflect ‘lavishness’ in its best possible manner. A walk-in closet section, to store all your ensembles, followed by a well-spaced powder room for he & she. But it is the bath-tub & shower space overlooking the skyline of Kolkata that puts this Presidential Suite as one of the ‘Best …

Continue reading