Ginger Hotels expands its footprint in Mumbai with Ginger Mumbai – Andheri East

Mumbai, July 17, 2017: Ginger Hotels, the dominant budget hotel chain from the house of TATA continues its growth in the country with the opening of Ginger Mumbai, Andheri East. This is their second hotel in Mumbai.

Strategically located off the Western Express highway, 3.5 kms from the airport, Ginger Mumbai, Andheri East is in close proximity to the Bombay Exhibition Center as well as the railway station. The hotel also provides convenient access to the city’s thriving corporate hub on the Andheri Kurla Road.  

With 142 smartly designed comfortable rooms, a caring and professional team to serve with a smile, this sparkling clean hotel offers a unique check-in experience of Coffee and Keys, an interactive social  lobby, seamless high speed free Wi-Fi, a multi-cuisine restaurant and bar, a pan Asian eatery, a state-of-art fitness center, RFID access control and efficient meeting facilities. Ginger is a great choice for today’s value conscious and discerning travelers. 

Sharing his thoughts on the opening, Rahul Pandit, MD & CEO, Ginger Hotels said, “We are proud to expand our presence in the commercial capital of India with the opening of Ginger Mumbai – Andheri East, our second hotel in Mumbai. This Ginger hotel gives our customers a small insight into the refreshed Ginger experience. Ginger Hotels is the pioneer and the largest chain of branded budget hotels in India with a resilient promise of safety, cleanliness, a relaxing sleep experience, an invigorating shower experience, a hearty breakfast and seamless Wi-Fi. We assure travelers of a consistently pleasant experience across our 42 properties in 30 locations around the nation.”

A Breezy Afternoon through SodaBottleOpenerWala

I have been a huge fan of the SodaBottleOpenerWala restaurant at Cyber Hub, Gurgaon for quite a while. Moving to Hyderabad, I was curious to explore their outlet here. Sometimes multi-city brands dilute over expansion in different cities. Sometimes they change and evolve. So I was all set to venture into their branch in swank Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad and find for myself, how it is. 

I must say I loved the restaurant at first look. The outdoor porch area is full of antique bric a brac with character and colour. Inside, it is a much more spacious restaurant with all the quirky fixtures one associates with Parsi memorabilia. Quaint, black and white family portraits, vintage furniture, hand written menu items on blackboards, a checkered black and white floor, red and white check tablecloths and bright hanging lamps and retro bollywood music(I always end up hearing 'Mannu Bhai motor chill pom pom pom'.  On one side is an entire row of high tables with perched chairs and natural light seeping in through lace curtains for cosy couples who still have the 'looking deep into each other's eyes' thing going. 

Rest of the tables have eclectic seating to choose from depending on your mood and company.With SodaBottleOpenerWala, the Olive group gives you a concept that is unique to India; the dying legacy of the wonderful chaotic, crowded, bustling, colourful, quirky, cluttered, eccentric world of an Irani café. One can only be thankful for  their clever and aesthetic revival of the dying legacy of the disappearing race of these cafes.

SodaBottleOpenerWala is your quintessential Bombay Irani Café and Bar with all its idiosyncrasies in place. It brings with it typical Parsi cuisine, some Irani specialties, pearls that sparkle on the streets of Bombay and signatures from old-world clubs, along with a well-stocked bar - in a fun, quirky and contemporary avatar.

Crispy Corn Bhel

Gwarfali Cutlet

We start with the perky Raspberry Soda that can literally chase the blues away with its radiant redness. I wanted to try something different from my usual favourites. So we start with the Crispy Corn Bhel and Gwarphali Cutlets. Both are such startling vegetarian creations that I savoured truly. The crunchy cheeslings and pomegranate seeds in the Bhel is a nice touch. The Gwarphali inside is soft and firm at the same time with a cheesy and creamy texture and golden-hued crunchiness on the outside. I do try an old favourite nevertheless which is the Kolmi Fry, I think the best dish ever with brown onions as the absolute stars!

Talahuwa Gosht from Hyderabadi section

Hyderabadi Biryani

This SodaBottleOpenerWala also has a special Hyderabadi food section to cater to local clientele and lend the restaurant a distinct flavour. I am told the quintessential Hyderabadis love their staples too dearly to let go of them. Thus from this section, we tried the legendary Talahuwa Gosht and Hyderabadi Biryani. I am reaching a Biryani numbness by now, living in Hyderabad so would say the biryani was fine. Talahuwa Gosht was nice and tender, coated with just the right amount of masala, making it a great bar snack. I was lucky to even try the Anaida Haleem and Irani Haleem which was part of their Gyarah Handi Haleem during Ramzan. The Anaida Haleem, created by noted pop singer of yesteryears exclusively for SodaBottleOpenerwala gets my vote. There are many more Hyderabadi options that I am sure to try in my future visits such as - Marag with Naan, Nihari and Khatti Dal. This time I stick to the eternal Parsi favourite Mutton Dhansak maintains its richness with the irresistible brown caramelised rice.

There is no scope for dessert but we get tempted to share the Red Velvet Brownie and ReadyMoney Cheese Cake Jar. The Red Velvet is a delicious melange of white chocolate and cream cheese, one of the best I have had. The jar has layers of raspberry green tea infused cream cheese, biscuit and chocolate shavings that fill you with wholesome gooeyness. It is multi-layered and multi-flavoured, just like the facets of a microcosm like India, and you come away appreciating and embracing India's rich diversity a little bit more each time!

5-Week Boutique Yoga Workshop at The Hungry Monkey

What: 5-Week Boutique Yoga Workshop - Vinyasa Power Yoga

Where: The Hungry Monkey, B 6/6, Second Floor, DDA Market, Safdarjung Enclave

Date: 12th June to 16th July 2017

Days: Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Time: Group 1 - 7:00 AM to 8:15 AM

          Group 2 - 8:45 AM to 10:00 AM

Charges: INR 10,000 Per Student (Inclusive Taxes)

About The Workshop: The classes are designed to progressively increase in intensity over the 5week period; so whether you are a newbie trying out yoga for the first time, or you are looking to take your existing yoga practice to the next level, the workshop will help you to effectively and holistically adopt yoga into your fitness routine. 

Energizing Full-body workout with specially curated Vinyasa-Power Yoga sequences includes ASANA - for targeted muscle strengthening, toning and improved flexibility, PRANAYAMA - for improved stamina and breath-focus, and MEDITATION- for blissful relaxation, de-stress and mindfulness.

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Facebook event link: https://www.facebook.com/events/1376921325716793/​

Enjoy the best of Asian Street Food delicacies at Machan at The Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delh

One of the most preferred dining destinations in the heart of the city, the legendary Machan at The Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi offers yet another exceptional treat this summer, with its Asian Street Food Festival. 

Experience walking through the streets of Singapore, Hainan and Korea as the Master Chefs at Taj present topography inspired delicacies such as the Singapore chilli crab, Gad Pad Prik, Hainanese chicken rice, Malaysian Fish Balls Noodle Soup amongst other culinary creations paired with a premium range of fragrant cocktails made of Asian ingredients such as galangal, lemongrass, coconut and jaggery. 

• Dates: June 15^th to July 15^th, 2017
• Time: 19:00 – 23:00 hours
• Price: A la carte
• Venue: Machan, The Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi

For reservations call Machan at 011-66513114 / 3244.