Sunset at White Rann- Kutch- Gujarat

Boundless White Rann

I had only heard of white rann and had never dreamt of watching it with my own eyes ever. When the opportunity came for us to spend a day at Rann utsav , I was absolutely clear that my date with White Rann has arrived.

Beautiful view

It was the evening for which I was already eagerly waiting. As we started for White Rann by bus by 5 pm , all of us were superexited. A riot of colour sprinkled on the white salt desert as musicians played music. It was absolutely mesmerizing view , with peace and eternal beauty as far as one’s eye could see. It was a fascinating view from the folds of a semi-arid landscape.

Camel and sun

The vast white desert with its deafening quietness was blowing talking winds in our ears. We took a camel cart to move around in the desert and enjoyed the glimpse of eternal beauty. While moving around during sunset at White Rann, it was amazing to capture camel and sun together. The view was memorable. We were actually able to hear the sound of winds vibrating the water bottles.

Then as the sun chose to set slowly kissing the sands , my moment of peace and eternity came. 

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Nidhi KM

Sun merging with White Rann

Submerged sun at White Rann

Viharin.com- Divine Sunset at White Rann leaving orange hues behind

Ilha de Calma at Ghoghla Beach, Diu- India

Ilha De Calma at Diu

The Ghoghla Beach is a sandy beach in Diu. The former colony includes the island of Diu itself, about 11 Kms long by three Kms wide, separated from the coast by a narrow channel. There are also two tiny mainland enclaves. One of these, on which the village of Ghoghla stands, is the entry point of Diu if you arrive through the town of Una.

Beautiful Sunrise

It is the largest and most gentle beach of Diu. The Golden sand beach undulates into the horizon while the Arabian Sea laps away at the edge as though imploring the sands to let it find its own peach.

Rising Sun

Our experience of Ilha de Calma

We planned to spend a day in Sugati Beach Resort in Diu. After enjoying the overnight stay in the resort , we eagerly waited for the sunrise the next morning. As the locks of the resort boundary wall were opened for us , I realized this was my moment of eternity in this private beach. It was absolutely mesmerizing and as I entered the beach, we were the only one around. We saw one of the most memorable sunrises of my life.

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Golden hour at Ilha de Calma, Diu

Nidhi KM

Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon’s first Wedding Bazaar

Showcase of wedding decoration with coloured lights

Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon hosted its first wedding bazar on March 22nd, 2015 offering the perfect setting to plan every detail to perfection, for a special day!

Mandap setting

The elaborate day long Wedding Bazaar opened its doors by showcasing the latest collections of bridal trousseaus, traditional & fashion jewelry, wedding accessories, beauty treatments, cosmetics, wedding card manufacturers, decorators, wedding planners, tarot card reader and a lot more.

Stage set up for Bride and groom

With over 5500 square feet of banqueting space, the venue showcased various themes designed by their expertise wedding planners. Veda & Mantra, Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon’s newly inaugurated social space showcased vibrant colors of Yellow, Orange and Cream whereas Aangan and Baithak displayed Green and Orange and The Courtyard presented warm colors of Pink and White.

Designer umbrellas and beautiful flower decoration

“The Wedding Bazaar was a unification of our thought to showcase our new banquets and provide guests with all elements that go into planning a wedding, under one roof. With 5500 square feet of overall banquet space along with an attached pool venue, the stunningly designed area is perfect to host any wedding celebration. The fair showcased how we are flexible and cater to every pocket. The event closed as a great success!” said Anuj Soin, Events Manager, Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon.

Exhibitors of jewellery, clothing at Wedding Bazaar

Executive Chef, Amit Dash showcased seven cuisines including Awadhi, Punjabi, Oriental, South Indian & Hyderabadi, Rajasthani & Gujarati, Kolkata & Oriya, Italian & Western along with an extensive dessert station. Each cuisine had three signature dishes with one live station for guests to relish the sumptuous culinary fare the hotel has to offer.
The event was a treat for the eyes for the guests with photography shoots, makeovers, gourmet and many more attractions. The Wedding Bazaar showcased how good the team at Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon are to create a perfect wedding day.

Flower decorated stairs

My experience @ Gurgaon’s first Wedding Bazaar by Courtyard by Marriott 

Shehnai Vadan at entrance of Wedding Bazaar

Ambiance

As I entered, there was a traditional Indian wedding set up for shahnai vadan. Lobby was beautifully decorated with flowers and designer lights to provide a feeling of wedding destination.On going further, there were stalls of spas, jewellery, Bangladesh Sarees and other stuff related to weddings.

Banqueting space a visual treat

At many places there was a display of an event like phere in Mandap. It seemed to be as well thought layout.

Wedding colours

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Nidhi KM

Restaurant review- The Ancient Bar Be Que, Noida

Ambience at The Ancient Bar Be Que, Noida

The Ancient Bar Be Que is a chain of restaurants in Gurgaon and Noida having Bar Be Que as a concept of starters.The regular cuisine served at TAB is a blend of American, Mediterranean, Oriental and Indian and is available in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices. One can grill their own starters in a choice of flavors the restaurant provides with the marinades and sauces to enjoy them right off the grill on the table! The buffet is full-course with a full complement of soups, salads, main dishes and desserts and mocktails.

Ambiance

Ambience at The Ancient Bar Be Que, Noida

The restaurant had a grand space with wooden look all over and nicely decorated with cieling lights. I liked the decor of the restaurant as it had a high ceiling, quality furniture to which a planters added an elegance.

Chilly chicken

We did not try soups although they had Vegetraian Veg clear soup and Non vegetarian Chicken manchow soup

Main course

There was a lavish spread of main course. Vegetarian dishes- Dal Makhani, Paneer Lababdar, Rajma rasile, Punjabi kadhi pakora, Lipta khumb, Akkha makai palak, Malai pulao, Steamed rice, Chilli garlic noodles, Vegetable in hot bean sauce and Non- Vegetarian- Keema Meat, Chicken –do-pyaza,Murg dum biryani, Diced chicken in schezwan sauce and Fish chilli oyster sauce.

Punjabi Kadhi Pakoda and Rajma Rasile

Out of these we tasted few as we were almost full. Lipta khumb, Noodles with hot bean sauce were delicious along with chicken dishes. Normally in a restaurant with Bar be que or starters concept, I do not relish the main course much. But in The Ancient Bar Be Que, Noida, I liked the main course as well.

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Nidhi KM

Kulfi Nation review @Barbeque Nation, West Delhi

Barbeque Nation

Renowned restaurant chain Barbeque Nation has initiated a new concept Kulfi Nation at all of its outlet. We have been to Barbeque Nation many times but this time we really were curious to experience this new concept of Kulfi Nation.

Ambience

As part of starters, we loved khumb makai Masala, tandoori corn grill veg, BBQ pineapple. They had perfect blend of spices and juices. In non vegetarian snacks, we relished chicken satay,  achari murg pankhudi. These dishes were really soft and juicey. Kids loved Chicken tangdi. Fresh lime soda was a delectable breather in between snacks. After snacks, we had sumptuous meal with awadhi kadhi, non spicy paneer lababdar for kids , aaloo hare pyaz ki sabzi which was an appropriate mix of ingredients and spices.

Kulfi Nation new concept

Royal design of Kulfi

Remarkable kulfi presentations in different flavours

Enticing presentation

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Nidhi KM

White Rann, Kutch- Gujarat, an eternal bliss

Boundless White Rann

White Rann is one of the largest wetlands on earth which turns into white salt desert during winters. White Rann or Great Rann of Kutch is just 5-6 kms away from Rann Utsav in Kutch, Gujarat. Rann Utsav organizes trips to this magnificent White Rann. It’s a God’s gift to travelers all across the world , who want to enjoy moments of eternal bliss at White Rann.

When to visit White Rann

Magnificent

White Rann turns totally white in December and January. The view is as if its snow all over. The scenery is specially spectacular during the full moon night. Special trips are organized by Rann Utsav on the full moon night. The beauty of the place multiplies during full moon night when moonlight reflects on the glistening white sands. One should plan a trip according to the full moon. We could not do it though.

Our experience at White Rann

Serene and mighty White Rann

We spent an evening in White Rann as a part of our Rann Utsav one day excurtion. We reached by bus from the Rann Utsav and reached White Rann in 15 minutes. The bus driver had parked the bus far before the White Rann and we had to walk a little. All the passengers requested the driver to take the bus further to which he did not agree. Later we realized that the bus driver was correct. It being a wetland, there is a vast marsh beyond which it is not advisable to even walk as it can result dangerous. We saw two cars stuck in the wetland. People could not pull those cars and the owners had to leave them until the rescue team arrived.

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Nidhi KM

Somnath Temple, Gujarat- India

Arabian Sea behind Somnath Temple

The legendary shore temple of Somnath is located near Veraval township. It is about 80 kms from Junagadh. The Somnath temple is one of the twelve most sacred shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva in Hindu mythology. The temple contains the Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva. This temple has a very long history.

Somnath Temple

According to the legends, the Somnath temple is very old and was originally built in gold by the Somraj, the Moon God. Later, it was rebuilt by Ravana, in silver; then by Krishna in wood and by Bhimdev in stone.

Mahmud of Ghazni, upon hearing the description of the richness of the Somnath temple by Al Biruni, an Arab traveller, visited this temple in 1024 AD. At that time, this temple had about 300 musicians, 500 dancing girls and 300 barbers to shave off the heads of pilgrims. After a 2 days battle, Mahmud destroyed the temple and carried away jewels and gold to his homeland. Hence, a tradition got started, the Muslims destroy the temples and the Hindus rebuilt them. The Somnath Temple was raided again and again. In all, the Somnath temple was rebuilt and destroyed eight times.

Lord Shiva

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Nidhi KM

Eclairs at Le Meridien inspired by Delhi flavours

Pinapple eclairs with ginger jaggery eclairs at Le Meridien, Delhi

Le Meridien Hotels and Resorts hosted the world renowned pastry Chef and LM100 member Johnny Iuzzini in New Delhi to reinvent the signature Le Meridien Éclair as part of the India chapter of the Le Meridien’s Éclair Diaries.

Chef Johnny is an author of Dessert FourPlay and Sugar Rush. He  has served as Head Judge on Bravo's "Top Chef Just Desserts". Chef Johnny has mire than 20 years of kitchen experience at some of top restaurants in New York City. He owns a pastry and culinary arts consulting company- Sugar Fueled Inc. He showcased modern takes on the Le Meridien brand’s signature éclairs. He is a classically trained Chef who adds modern twist to Eclairs.

Event- Eclairs at Le Meridien inspired by Delhi flavours

I got an opportunity to attend the event of showcase of eclairs at Le Meridien New Delhi held on 12th of March, 2015.

Ginger Jaggery, Darjeeling Tea, Kalakand Cardamom Eclairs at display

Le Meridien is committed to unlocking the destination through locally inspired cuisine. There were royal éclairs via Delhi inspired cuisine and flavours. I could see éclairs of variety of flavors including Jaggery, ginger, aniseed, coconut, Darjeeling Tea, Kalakand, rose cardamom and many more.

A video showing Chef Johnny Iuzzini exploring Delhi's Azadpur Mandi and grocery stores to get first hand understanding of cuisine, flavours,  fruits and vegetables, mouth freshners etc. Assimilating all this, the Chef put in his innovative and creative skills to invent these enticing éclairs.

A must must try whenever you are in Le Meridien.

Raw ingredients for eclairs at Le Meridien

Le Meridien hotels around the world will continue to feature a variety of destination inspired éclairs by their own chefs, offering guests an authentic taste of the local culture, from the Maple Bacon Éclair and Texas Honey Pecon Éclair at Le Meridien Dallas by the Galleria to Dulce de Leche Éclair, infused with coconut , from Le Meridien Panama. In Germany, Le Meridien Munich will offer a savory éclair with goat cheese, cranberry and pumpernickel crumbs, while Le Meridien Bangkok will feature a citrus-inspired- treat with mango, lime and ginger. Le Meridien New Delhi will feature the Jaggery Ginger Éclair, Rose Cardamom Éclair and Clotted Creame Kalakand Éclair to unlock the flavours of Delhi and Hazelenut Tamarind Éclair from Le Royal Meridien Chennai and Coconut Jaggery Cardamom from Le Meridien Kochi.

Rose Cardamom eclairs

The link for the éclair diaries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEEBtlqnlQM

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Nidhi KM

Review of Tupperware Steam it and Xtreme

Viharin.com- Steam it

Out of Steam it and Xtreme I will first tell about Steam it.

Steam it is a wonderful travel utility product. When I got to use it, my life became extremely easy to steam vegetables like corns, broccoli, carrots, beans, mushrooms etc. It is a very handy item to use. You have to have a pan big enough which can house this product comfortably.

Features of Steam it

Pans of Steam It

It is a double pan with a cover and little vents in the cover.
Bottom of both the pans have medium sized holes uniformly spread at the bottom of both the pans.
These holes allow the steam to pass on both the pans.
Holes being big, they can be cleaned easily
Good thing is that the outer side of the steam it pans never get heated. So, you can remove it from the big pan anytime you want.

Steam it in a big pan

What you need for 'Steam It'

1. One big pan
2. Hot water
3. Raw vegetables

The Xtreme

The Xtreme by Tupperware is very useful as well. It has a bottle and a box which have well air tight covers to avoid leakage as well as avoid any air contact.

Xtreme

I used both the items. The one that I used are dark in colour which allows to see contents while hiding them.

The bottle has a flip flop cover along with normal cover. Flip open cover is fast to use and allows no chance to slip from bottle or hand.

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Nidhi KM

Copyright Viharin.com

Executive Chef Sunil Kumar, JW Marriott-Mussoorie

Executive Chef Sunil Kumar

The Executive Chef- Sunil Kumar at JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort and Spa. Chef started his career with The Oberoi, Bangalore in the year 2000. He then worked with PNO Cruises for few years and finally joined the Marriott family in September 2005 at the Courtyard Marriott, Chennai followed by Goa Marriott Resort and Spa as the Executive Chef. 

In June 2014 he joined the JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort and Spa as the Executive Chef of the hotel.

Chef Sunil has won the Marriott International Award of Culinary Excellence in the year 2010 and is also a part of the honoured Culinary Advisory Board for Marriott – Asia Pacific.

Chef Sunil’s signature dishes include Rogan Josh, Dhaniya Murgh, Parchment of Fish, Wood-fired Pizzas, Homemade Stuffed Ravioli, Honey Walnut Tarts, Walnut Brownies and Soft Centre Chocolate chip cookies .

I got to interact with Executive Chef Sunil Kumar. Below is the snippet

Interaction with Executive Chef Sunil Kumar

What inspired you to join this profession?

Since childhood, I wanted to be a Chef. We have twenty members in our family out of which sixteen are chefs. I always used to see glamour in my family. They used to stand apart from the crowd. Having seen the special treatment provided to them since childhood, I was inspired to be a chef.

Which all cuisines you specialize in?

Western cuisine and bakery. I started my career with The Oberoi which was the most sorted after. I started there with Bakery.

Nalli ki nihari by Executive Chef Sunil Kumar

Which all countries you have traveled and which destination you would visit again and again to have its authentic cuisine?

Having worked as part of cruise chip, I have traveled widely to various International destinations like Jamaica, Caribbean, Hongkong, Singapore, Thailand, Europe, Brazil etc. Having worked with Marriott, I have traveled to Jakarta, Manila, Bangkok etc and have also spent 15-20 days internationally to learn various cuisines.

Within India, I have traveled to various states and cities. Chennai cuisine is popular anywhere on the Earth. There is lots to learn in Chennai Cuisine.

Goan cuisine is one of the popular cuisines as well.

We, in JW Marriott, Mussoorie are working on Garhwali Cuisine with the help of locals. We are having a separate counter for Garhwali counter cuisine which is rich in ingredients.

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Nidhi KM