10 reasons to stay at Sheraton Macao

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A hotel / stay become a very integral part in any travel as it becomes an enabler of the wholesome experiences and memories that we carry back with us. Hence, picking a hotel becomes one of the most important decisions after deciding on a destination. With a holiday in my mind and Macao topping my list, here are 10 reasons (not in any particular order) why I'd stay at Sheraton Macao Hotel and also highly recommend the same for you to consider:

1. Part of the bustling Sands Cotai Central 

Sands Cotai Central is Macao's newest and most exciting fully integrated resort. The bustling Sands Cotai Central plays host to over 100 world-class retail stores, 2 casinos, 20 restaurants and cafes, loads of live entertainment and a host of amenities for the discerning business or leisure traveller. 

Aptly located right in the middle of Macao's premier destination; Sands Cotai Central, Sheraton Macao Hotel is in the heart of the bustling resort yet got a location that is comfortable and sophisticated. Can there be a better location?

2. Largest Sheraton in the world

Owner and managed by Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Sheraton Macao Hotel is the largest hotel in Macao as well as the largest Sheraton in the world. Spread over two towers - Sky and Earth, the hotel houses 3896 guest rooms and suites which exude style, warmth, sophistication and amenities that promise tech, social, work and relaxation conveniences.

Offering fine Asian and International cuisines are the 3 signature restaurants of Sheraton - Bene, Feast and Xin. Being located in the middle of Cotai Central, guests residing at #SheratonMacao also have convenient access to a wide range of diverse dining avenues hosted in the Sands Cotai Central resort property.

3. Dreamwork's Experience 

It's all about the experience; be it for a traveler on leisure or business; with family, friends or children, there is something for all to experience. You get to stay in Dreamworks themed suites, dine with, meet and greet or celebrate birthdays with Dreamworks characters like Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Puss in the Boots and likes. 

The signature 'DreamWorks Animation All-Star Parade' is a daily parade involving 12 characters, a troop of dancers, stilt walkers and performers set the tempo high and entertain the guests at Sands Cotai. They dance their way through the shoppes at  Cotai Central, wave and shake hands with the crowd as they parade on hit themes of Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon and more.

Stay at Sheraton Macao Hotel and you are sure to have a blast over 'Shrekfast' - a fairytale breakfast feast fit for a king. It involves an exclusive performance on stage by the DreamWorks characters followed by an intimate breakfast with the world’s favorite gang. Irrespective of your age group, you are sure to have a blast at this exclusive experience like no other. 

That’s #DreamworksExperience in a nutshell. Here's more on the exclusive range of DreamWorks Experiences

4. Dragon Training Camp

Who doesn't love 'Toothless the Night Fury' the most mysterious yet adorable dragon of all? 

Like DreamWorks Experience, the #DragonTrainingCamp quite excites me. Sheraton Macao recreates the magic of the Island of Berk to take kids through  a series of training zones like helmet decoration, interactive computer games, fun art and craft activities, dressing up kids with Viking paints and more before the meet with 'Toothless the Night Fury' and go on to become 'Certified Junior Dragon Trainers'.

Though this camp is designed for children of the age 4 to 12, I'd love to be a part this dragon training camp. If you'd like to be a part of it too, here's more about the Dragon Training Camp

5. Internally connected to the top hotels like Venetian and more 

Staying at Sheraton Macao Hotel provides for an experience like no other. Being connected to a host of amenities, local attractions, access to various hotels and casinos is the key. Staying at #SheratonMacao provides for all of this including access to Venetian, Holiday Inn, Sands Cotai Central Shoppes, various dining venues, live entertainment and loads of other facilities.

6. Casinos for some gambling kick

I am no regular or professional gambler just a tourist who loves to experience and make the most of it. Gambling to me is something I play for kicks. So not being a professional, playing just for kicks and fun of it Macao seems apt to enjoy a night or two at the casino for the affordability that comes with the currency exchange of HKDINR (1 HKD = ~8 INR).

Being centrally located in Sands Cotai Resort property, Guests have access to multiple casinos - 2 Casinos at Sands Cotai and also at Venetian and the likes. 

7. Business Meetings, Conferences & Events (MICE)

Be it Business Meetings, conferences, corporate events, weddings (Indian style or any), Sheraton Macao Hotel is all geared up to provide the most holistic experience. Yes! Even Indian Weddings; they are all set for an extravagant Indian wedding right from organizing the rituals to the food of every state and Union Territory, every need for a grand wedding is met here. 

Pillar-less Grand Ballroom, 9 junior ballrooms, over 150 breakout rooms with direct room access make Sheraton Macao the most comprehensive and versatile hotel to handle meetings and events of any magnitude. With nearly 3900 stylish guest rooms and suites, a world of amenities, apt location and 19,000 SQMT (includes 5,000 SQMT of Sands Cotai space) of meeting and event space, Sheraton Macao also has the most extensive inventory to accommodate a board room meeting for as low as 12 guests to a theatre style event for 5,000 guests.

At Sheraton it does not end with the space and amenities. A host of critical services are offered to cover a wide range of event needs like event manager, audio and video system, sound and light system, computer technology services and the list goes on. Chefs from all over the world are brought in-house to cater to the discerning palate of the globe trotter. 

Planning an event at Sheraton Macao? Head here

8. World of Benefits with SPG

With instant membership to over 1100 hotels falling under 9 distinctive brands in over 100 countries; a single Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) account is a key to earn holidays while you stay or use amenities at member properties. With member properties like #SheratonHotels, W Hotels, St. Regis and more, you get to earn free award nights, access to special events, early check-in, late check-out and a world of benefits. With the ability to convert points into air miles, who knows you’d be flying free to your dream destination the next time around!

Are you a Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG)? If not please enroll for it now to get yourself access to a wide range of offers that are rolled out exclusively for SPG members.

9. Pay for 2 night and stay an additional night for FREE

What's caught my attention in the most recent offers is the 'Pay for 2 nights and stay an additional night for free'. 

What are you waiting for? Book your stay now and get an additional night FREE.

10. Unwind in the Pools

It's hard to beat a good dip in a pool on a lazy day. And when to unwind, you have not one but three pools in the property with each focused on serving a different need; it clearly makes for an unforgettable holiday. 

Jaya, Sala and Tiki are the 3 pools that come with private cabanas and a chilled out poolside cafe for some snacks and light meals. 

Well, there are a lot more reasons and the list can go on. Why not go for yourself and experience the world of dreams and return with a custom duty free baggage of wonderful experiences and memories.

Do not forget to share your experience with me... Cheers!

Have a great Holiday!

Address: Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central, Estrada do Istmo. s/n, Cotai, Macao SAR, P.R. China

Phone Number: 835 2880 2000

Getting into Bali (Indonesia) has never been easier 'Visa on Arrival Decoded'

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Bali - a floating island state of Indonesia has a very distinctive culture. It may best be described as a wonderful marriage of complimentary opposites. A famous tourist destination among the Australians; this Indonesian state has been attracting a lot of visitors from India as well. 

A vacation was on the cards and the destinations of our pick were Bangkok and Hua Hin in Thailand and Bali in Indonesia. Bali was our first destination for the holiday. We flew Thai Airways (via Bangkok) and the flight brought us into Denpasar, Bali at around 2 past noon. With a lot of the day already being spent travelling to get to Bali; we headed straight to the immigration counters.

The process was really simple and technically does not need more than a few minutes. If you are an Indian passport holder and travelling to Bali, here's a checklist of what you will need to carry with you and to get through the immigration process on arriving at Bali:

• Passport must be valid for more than 6 months as on the completion date of travel
• 2 passport size photos on a white background (>80% coverage)
• Visa fee of USD 35 per person as an entry fee to Bali
• Completed application forms (immigration and customs form) provided on flight to Bali
• Itinerary and return air tickets

With the necessary requirements met, here's what you can expect on arriving at Bali - 

• Get ready for your immigration process by sliding in your boarding pass and completed immigration and customs form in between your passport pages.
• Follow the airport sign boards and you will be guided to the payment counters where USD 35 per person will be collected against each passport as an entry fee into Bali. Retain the payment receipt in the passport along with the boarding pass and other forms.
• Head to the immigration counter where you will be asked to produce your passport along with the boarding pass, visa payment receipt and the immigration form.
• Get ready for a photograph at the immigration counter and receive your passport with a 30 day visa stamp.
• Proceed to baggage carousal, collect your baggage and then head towards the custom clearance counter before finally heading out of the airport to your desired destination in Bali.

Quick Tips:

Keep your itinerary and return tickets handy for the need of these may arise at the immigration counters.

With the influx of travelers, the queue can get really long and thus taking at least an hour or more to get through the complete process.

Note: An exit fee of IDR 200,000 (equivalent of approx. USD 20)  is levied at the airport during departure from Bali. The currency needed is IDR - the local currency of Indonesia.

Happy & Safe Travels!

International Travel: With plenty of time at the airport.. here's what you can do

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It might be really hard to find someone who does not love to travel. Everyone travels for a purpose - may be for business, leisure or any other. Even with the same purpose, the objectives of each traveler or a travel group differs. Likewise, be it business or leisure, I love travel for it lets me explore, learn, rejuvenate, experience the life, culture, food, create memories for life and so on...

Okay, so I tend to arrive at the airport close to 3 hours before the departure time and this allows me to comfortably get through the check-in process, immigration counters, security checks and leaves me enough time to go explore and go around the international terminal in a look out for anything random and interesting.

I love everything about travel be it - driving to the airport, queue at the check-in counters, sometimes annoying but the necessary security checks, transits at the airport, shopping at the duty free, announcements for boarding the flight, sipping beer and grabbing some food at the airport; knowing that's exactly what I'd be doing on flight other than finding means to pass time. For me, all of these activities build in the excitement, create a tempo and make me look forward to the good times ahead. Close your eyes, think of it and... don't they do so for you as well?

Here are some tips on what's available at the Bangalore International Airport beyond the security check counters:

Duty Free Shopping:

• Shop perfumes, liquor, chocolates, heritage goods, cigarettes, cigars,and a lot more.
• We all know it; a single passport and boarding pass  is also a ticket to a maximum of 2 liters of liquor from the Duty Free Shop at Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL). This is the norm at most if not all international airports across the globe. 
• Pick your favorite whiskey or explore from the fabulous range of different liquors on sale. I must tell you, "The pricing at KIAL is better than most airports I have traveled through or purchased liquor from. Dubai included - Beat that!" 
• #DidYouKnow - You get a minimum of 5% off when you pre-order as you depart from Bangalore; Your order is ready for pick-up at the Arrival duty free when you return from your travel.

Food & Beverages:

• 7 Tawas & Noodle Bar - A one stop shop for hot and fresh Indian and Chinese food. For me kathi rolls from 7 Tawas have been the best bet so far. 

• Bar 380 - When at airport, nothing beats a bar with a view. Seated at Bar 380 provides spectacular view of the Airport runway and Nandi hills across it.

• Urban Food Market - Not enough time sit and enjoy a good bite? How about a quick bite for the road! This is exactly what Urban Food Market caters to.

Shopping:

• There surely aren't extensive shopping opportunities but a fair selection of books, travel accessories, gifting and more. There are also stores like Shoppers Stop, Fab India and the likes.

Spa: 

• Kick start you holiday with a relaxing foot massage or a spa package while you have the time to board your flight. O2 Spa offers a wide range of services so why not treat yourself special from the very beginning of the travel.

Power Sockets:

• Grab a comfortable chair, and make the best of your time. Read a book, browse the Internet with the available free wifi. 
• Worried about electronic devices running out of charge? I'll say, "Worry no more, most seats are equipped with charging facilities for all electronic devices.

Smoking Chambers:

• Smoking is prohibited in the public areas at the airport but care has been taken to provide for specifically designed chambers where travellers can smoke.

For a more detailed review, please visit my previous blog-post on Kempegowda International airport ==>> Click Here

#Hotel Review - Comfort isn't Complicated @ Four Points By Sheraton - Now in Bangalore

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Bangalore has been witnessing the opening of a lot of new business hotels. Each very different from the other. What's common is that they belong to the 'Starwood' brand. In July, we saw the opening and launch of a quirky, trendy, vibrant, playful and tech savvy Aloft Hotels at Cesna Business Park and now is Bangalore's first Four Points by Sheraton which believes and lives by the motto - 'Comfort isn't Complicated'.

A group of bloggers were invited to experience this new business hotel in Whitefield and what better way to do it that to plan a stay over in the very middle of the week. Located in Whitefield, this Four Points by Sheraton (FPBSBengaluru) is in close proximity to ITPL and the surrounding IT/Business parks.

All I knew about this hotel was it's location and everything from there turned out to be a surprise; a good one indeed. Wow! 10 minutes drive from and to work? Awesome! I was pretty excited. I drove from work to arrive at Four Points by Sheraton at 6 PM.

Welcomed by the staff, and the necessary security check, I was guided through the lobby to the check-in desks. The lobby was very simplistically done, architect-ed to make the best of natural day light, lots of free floor space and with all this exuded an elegance of sorts. The check-in was quite fast and required no forms or what so ever to be filled; yet ensuring the security protocols (Valid ID card) were followed.

The Reception

Library Lounge @ The Lobby

The room is where comfort begins and aptly named, it was 'Comfort Room - King Bed' for me. It was well equipped right from a well stocked bar, safety locker, a work desk, iron board, tea/coffee maker, in-room service, alarm clock to wake a sound sleeper and a lot more. The overhead wall of the bed has beautiful wall paintings of places of prominence and importance around Karnataka.

Overhead Canvas

Life outside the room was quite interesting as well. Additionally to meet the business needs, #FPBSBengaluru also houses meeting spaces to host either board meetings or banquets for events; all of which come equipped with latest audiovisual technology.

The rooftop at the hotel houses a well equipped gym, a lovely pool on the rooftop on one side and an open terrace on the other being readied to provide guests with an exclusive offering and experience. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait for a while to hear about what's in store for us.

 The first floor houses 'The Best Brew' - a pub that boasts of a vast selection of lager beer (#BestBrews) from across the globe, some very interesting beer cocktails and of-course the classics. Again revolving around the theme of Karnataka, munchies like muruku, kodbelle, nippat etc are served along with the drinks on every table. 

Famous Snacks from Karnataka

Karl, the man behind the bar does a fabulous job of showcasing and concocting some wonderful beer cocktails. The food that kept beer / beer cocktails company was delicious as well. For the non-vegetarians it was the spicy and delicious chicken tikka and a fried prawn starter that was perfectly cooked to leave the prawn moist and juicy. 

Karl concocted some fabulous beer cocktails

We juggled in and out of this place until it was last order. As the cop came chasing us down (not literarily) to place our last order it only meant a round of shots to make a grand finish. Open to both resident and non-resident guests, 'The Best Brew' is a nice place to unwind after a long day at work.

On the other side of the floor is their multi-cuisine restaurant 'The Eatery' which serves both a-la carte and buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Here, we got to experience the masterclass by none other that Chef Michael Swamy and Chef Kurley. At this time, we not only got to hear the sizzle of the preparations but also the clicks of camera that kept going, as did the masterclass. It was an overload of starters, hence I settled for just Mutton Bhuna Ghost and an oriental fish dish with naan and noodles for dinner from the buffet spread. The food was quite good.

Chef Michael Swamy

A fabulous Prawn dish by Chef Kurley - 'Dehekte Ginger Jhinge'

Mutton Bhuna Ghost

Post dinner, it was time to call it a day and what better than an inviting #FourComfortBed - a signature mattress customized for FourPoints world over to ensure a good nights sleep. With temperature set at the right temperature, I dozed like a log knowing that I had an additional hour to sleep with office in the vicinity – A rarity for me who travels for over an hour to work. Yippee! Good Night!

Hello, Good Morning!

The bathroom was well equipped with the necessary personal care products and plush bathroom fittings. The day saver for me was the presence of a dental kit which I had missed including in my baggage.

I could have slept more but it was for the love of breakfast that I was up and running. Breakfast can be ordered to the room or like I did; head down to The Eatery for their breakfast buffet. It surely was a great way to start the day with a nice coffee, eggs made to order, juices to go along (both fresh and canned), cereals, fruits, breads, breakfast desserts and more.

All right, time for quick and hassle free check-out. After this wonderful experience at the youngest business hotel in Whitefield, I was all set to head to work close to ITPL which was less than a 10 minute drive away.

Address: 43/3 Whitefield Main Road, Bengaluru - 560066

Phone Number: +91 80 4030 1212

#Food - 'Home Delivered' via 'FoodPanda'

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The synergy of food and technology is quite fascinating and that's what urged me to make my first post on food and technology a few months ago. Technology is not only bringing people closer but is also making everything under the sun much more accessible. All of this giving utmost importance to the time of the consumer.

Be it websites for online shopping, movie ticket, event ticketing, travel planner, flight bookings, hotel bookings, online food delivery sites etc are all examples of technology becoming an enabler of a better lifestyle.

From my experience of online shopping, I have enjoyed the conveniences like - 

- Shopping from my seat, 

- No interruption/shadowing from a sales person, 

- A range of brands to select from, 

- Flexibility to receive my order at my doorstep, 

- Exchange / return facilities as may be necessary, 

- Pay by cash or card and many more.

I must say, "The online shopping segment of e-commerce has really grown and evolved in our country in the last few years."On similar lines, shopping for food online / home delivery is also gaining popularity. Home delivery via a phone has existed for ages and continues to be a popular mode of ordering food for home delivery or take away. In today's age of advanced technology, internet, smart phones, laptops and tablets, there clearly are various ways of getting food home delivered. 

On a lazy sunday, scouting for options to eat in the confines of my home I took it to the internet and stumbled upon FoodPanda - the online food delivery site. Exploring this site, I learnt of their global presence and soon navigated to their page specific to Bangalore City. In no time, I was on my way to confirming my first order via FoodPanda. I hit 'Confirm' and the order was placed.

The very same evening, I needed food delivered to my home again and this time, on the move, I hit the website on my mobile phone browser. Instantly, I was led to the FoodPanda mobile app download page. Most of the times having an app on the mobile make browsing much easier and again, I was all set to place an order for the second time on the very same day.

On the good side, for both the orders - 

- Since the menu cards and listed on the website, it was easy to pick and add or reduce the number of dishes being ordered.

- I received a confirmation message almost instantly notifying the order being received and confirmed by the restaurant,

- A phone call was received where the menu price had changed but was not reflected on the website,

- Cash on delivery was a mode of payment,

- The food was delivered in the estimated time mentioned upfront even before the order was placed.

- For a registered user, it gets even more convenient as one does not need to re-enter the delivery address (if it is same) as the history gets recorded and stored.

On the flip side, I wish the system got a wider listing of restaurants that are willing to deliver food at the doorstep. It would also be nice to better handle the search and filtering criteria based o n locality or area.

Unsure of the service experience and what to expect, I was a happy customer at the end of the day. 

As for the food review.. It will be up soon :)

Cheers!

Event Update: 'Jamva Chalo Ji' - Parsi Food Festival @Cubbon Pavilion, ITC Gardenia, Bangalore

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Food festivals are the best way to experience great food and learn about their culture. With the Parsi Food Festival on at ITC Gardenia's Cubbon Pavilion, I looked forward to the Parsi food on offer but also learnt that -

(1) Parsi food is a mix of Persian food influenced by Gujarati style of cooking.

(2) Fish is a symbol of good luck and is always a dish at celebrations and feasts.

Seated on a designated table, we walked around to explore the buffet which was expansive not just in terms of the dishes but also the cuisines and courses.What centered the buffet and remained my focus was the Parsi food which had various vegetarian and non-vegetarian classics as a part of the spread. 

Parsi Food - Vegetarian Spread

Parsi Food - Non-Vegetarian Spread

For starters, there was 'Paneer Akuri' and 'Bharuchi Akuri / Egg Akuri' both eaten with bread. There was also the wonderful 'Patra-Ni-Machhi' and 'Prawn Kebabs' in starters for the non-vegetarians. What I loved about the 'Patra-Ni-Machhi' was that the fish wrapped and steamed in banana leaf parcels was the ever fabulous white pomfret. The marinate of coriander and mint successfully soaked in the flavor of the banana leaf which in all completeness paired beautifully with the perfectly steamed fish.
Caution! Not being a fillet, do expect bones as you eat.

Patra-Ni-Machhi - In the steamer

Patra-Ni-Machhi - On my plate

Prawn Kebabs

For the mains, there was 'Salli-Ma-Murgi' and 'Mutton Dhansak with Dhansak rice, kuchumber and meat balls'. 'Salli-Ma-Murgi' - spiced chicken garnished with finely sliced fried potatoes (Salli) is best enjoyed with Indian breads (Rotlis to be specific). 

Salli-Ma-Murgi

Mutton Dhansak is a whole meal by itself. Traditionally, Parsi families assemble their Dhansak on their own to suit their taste buds and that's how it is served here as well. Mine was fully loaded with rice,  mutton meat balls, mutton dhansak (lots of mutton) and kachumber salad to top it all. I liked this preparation - the meat balls and mutton were delicious and the daal added to the flavor. For me, the only weak-link in this otherwise wonderful dish was the kachumber. I've known kachumber to primarily include slivers of onion (if not only onions) but here it was chunks of carrots that drove the show.

Mutton Dhansak with rice, kachumber & Mutton meat balls

For the vegetarians, there was a veg. version of dhansak (with out mutton) and the 'Tarkari-Nu-Kebab' taking the place of delicious meat balls. There was also 'Kharo Papeto' and more but my focus for this dinner remained the non-vegetarian food.

Being a part of the buffet; in addition to the Parsi section, there was a whole range of cuisines spanning the globe wide horizon right from Japanese to the American with a whole lot in between. In terms of courses, there were soups, breads, Anti-Pasti (cute little mono-portions of salads and meat), starters, mains, desserts and tea/coffee to finish with.

It is believed that no Parsi meal is complete with out their signature dessert - Lagan-Nu-Custard and 'Yes' it was there. This was my first taste of 'Lagan-Nu-Custard' and I loved this dessert. The sweetness and flavor of the cardamom was really well balanced and the texture was smooth and fluffy right in between the consistency of jelly and mousse.

Lagan-Nu-Custard

Don't remember the name of this dessert

With Chef Parvez Patel of Ideal Corner, Mumbai at the helm of things - the Indian section of the buffet at Cubbon Pavilion has been taken over to represent the wonderful Parsi cuisine for the remainder of this week. So 'Yes' each night for dinner; on till the 21st of September, the buffet at Cubbon Pavilion, ITC Gardenia will feature Parsi cuisine along with its standard elaborate offering at the regular price of Rs. 1600 plus taxes.

Address: No. 1, Residency Road, Bengaluru - 560025

Phone Number: +91 80 2211 9898

Kashmiri Food Festival: Kashmiri Wazwan @ The Pink Poppadom, Hyatt Bangalore

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Kashmiri Wazwan is a meal crafted specially for Kashmiri weddings and celebrations. It's an extravagant affair and a feast for both the vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. It has always been on my list of foods to try. Well, this statement holds good until a year ago when on one fine day, I got to experience the wazwan at a specially curated foodie event by Suresh Hinduja. It was love at first taste. 

Again, Suresh Hinduja the force behind wazwan in Bangalore; this time has teamed up with Chef Gautam Chaudhry of The Pink Poppadom, Hyatt Bangalore, M.G. Road to curate a fabulous Kashmiri Food Festival offering the wazwan meal. I flipped at the chance to experience this extravagance once again and only realized I loved it more that I ever did.

What makes this event special is the fact that, there are specific ingredients and dishes that are being flown down right from Kashmir to add to the authenticity of the experience. On only till the 7th of September for dinners, the food here has all the ingredients to teleport you to the magical land of Kashmir. 

Chef Gautam Chaudhry 

At 'The Pink Poppadom' it was an evening of deliciousness, excellence and interesting insights on the famous Kashmiri Wazwan by Suresh Hinduja. We took a good 2.5 hours to go over this dinner and all that is required from an individual is a serious appetite.

The start was announced with the arrival of 'Tabakh Maaz' and 'Murgh Gadh' soon to be followed by the 'Nadru Kabab' and 'Chaman Pakoda' for the vegetarians. I got to try all of them and my personal favorites were the 'Tabak Maaz' - tender ribs the meat of which melted in the mouth and the 'Nadru Kabab' that was so subtle in flavor and was enjoyed best with 'Doon Chetin' - a walnut chutney made in curds flavored with cumin seeds. What surely was a surprise was the super tender and succulent 'Murgh Gadh' but for me, its 'Tabakh Maaz' all the way for the inherit flavor of the meat itself.

In soup, it was the delicious 'Gosht Yakhini Shorba' which clearly had the wonderful flavor of the lamb broth, yogurt and hints of saffron. For vegetarians, there is a 'Khumb aur Pista ki Yakhani'.

Left: 'Khumb aur Pista ki Yakhani'; Right: 'Gosht Yakhani Shorba'

Mains, started the nontraditional way and this was done intentionally to enhance the dining experience. Normally the last of the mains to be served; 'GhushtaBa' arrived first for the sole reason that a dish as wonderful as this is best enjoyed on a nearly empty stomach rather than a point where the wazwan has our stomach and mind hitting the food wall. We were warned of the magnitude of the food yet to arrive but were so mesmerized by the 'GhushtaBa' that there was no stopping us from asking for the second helping. 

In addition to the 'GhushtaBa', mains also included the ever famous 'Roganjosh' - a classic Kashmiri preparation of lamb curry, 'Dhaniwal Murgh' for the non-vegetarians and in vegetarian it was 'Rawangan Chaman' (Paneer), 'Nadru Yakhani' (lotus stems in thin yogurt curry), 'Mutter Haddar' (whole button mushrooms and green peas), 'Dum Aloo' (in a spicy red gravy) and again the classic - 'Rahmah' (needs no introduction).

Accompanying the mains were the traditional Kashmiri breads which included the really soft and fuffy 'Gilafi Kulcha' and the fabulous 'Bakharkhani' rich in flavors of cashew and aniseed. In rice, there is steamed rice and the delicately flavored 'Kashmiri Pulao'.

For dessert it is 'Apple Firni' which is a Kashmiri twist to the classic firni and includes chunks of apple in the flavored rice pudding. A Kashmiri meal cannot end with a nice hot cup of 'Kahwa' - Kashmiri green team flavored with green cardamoms, cinnamon and of course saffron.

Priced at Rs. 1400 + taxes for non-vegetarians and Rs. 1250 + Taxes for vegetarians, the spread is possibly the best that can be experienced.

What more! At a special price of Rs. 500 get unlimited beer and at Rs. 750 its Wine.

Cheers!

Address: Hyatt Bangalore M.G. Road, 1/1 Swami Vivekanda Road, Next to MG Road, Ulsoor, Bangalore - 560008

Phone Number: +91 80 4936 1234