Eating out: TGIF @ Banjara Hills

Thank God It's Friday!

Well, I haven't been saying that for awhile now but I still echo the same sentiments when my friends says that on Facebook.

Back to point. Lunch on Sunday was at this American diner that is quite far away from where we stay. Food was not the main draw that convinced us to take that long dusty auto ride. The hubby wanted to go to this electronic shop - Croma to buy his netbook and TGIF was enroute.

Place was quite empty for a sunday afternoon but the service was good. I had the chicken quesadilla and hubby had a 12oz ribeye. They had enough staff on hand that when I asked if the ice tea was homebrewed, the server said no but they could do a special order. Hubby raised his eyebrows and said he would stick to drinking coke. Well, no tummy troubles for me and I enjoyed the ice tea that had mint leaves in there too!


Initally, I had wanted to order wings as well but I knew it would have been too much. :( Oh, have to mention that they do serve ribs here and you have a choice of Indian ribs or imported ribs. The imported ribs costs like 1.5 times more than the imported ones! Well, I guess some pigs die a worthier death.

The food met my expectations, portions were generous and the meat was also of a good cut. Nothing to rave about but in a city like this, coupled with the ambience, it does make a good Sunday brunch place. In total, the meal costs around SGD40 for us both.

Yes, I will be back again for their wings with ranch sauce and probably tenderloin quesadillas again. I admit to be a boring eater once I find food that hits my sweet spot. :)

Shanghai Baby!

We are headed to Shanghai in November for a week! Woo hoo!

Haven't been to China for about 2.5 years now. Am thinking of the foot reflexology sessions, massages, eating the xiao long paos, shopping at the markets...

Reason for the Shanghai trip is because Hubby will be attending a 3 day conference there and we will extend the trip. As I was planning for the trip, I realise that one of the easier routes to get to Shanghai is to transit through Singapore! This took me awhile to accept, considering the fact that China and India are neighbouring countries.

First of all, there are no direct flights from Hyderabad to Shanghai. We have to transit either in New Delhi or Bombay. To get to either of these 2 cities, it was equivalent to flying halfway back to Singapore. Throw in the terrible transit time where you have to wait for hours, we would have arrived at Changi Airport.

Secondly, the flight time from either Bombay/ Delhi to Shanghai is about the same as from Singapore. Though when I checked online, Singapore is about 500 nautical miles further. Few reasons that I could throw up was use of different aircraft type or wind directions?

Lastly, when it comes down to between Singapore Airlines and Air India, the choice is very obvious isn't it? Also helps that it didn't cost that much more to transit in Singapore.

Our grand plans have been hatched. We are choosing the longer transit time for both transits in Singapore. This will let us go home first to pack the clothes we need for Shanghai and on the way back, we can stock up on essentials for India! Another thing that I am very excited about is picking up my new camera before the trip. I have been eyeing on the LX5 even before its release a few weeks ago, so its time to get my hands on it.

Initial plans for Shanghai now also includes meeting up with a few friends while Hubby is in conference, do all my favourite activities and throw in a day trip to Zhou Zhuang and Suzhou. While flying, I never really took pictures of Shanghai. Felt that it was too touristy then. So now, I am going all out to photo document this trip!

November is still like a long 1.5 months away. I know most people will tell me that time flies and its true only when you look back at time.

Just a few days ago was our 2 months wedding anniversary. When I told Hubby " Happy 2 months anniversary", we both agreed that it had felt like 2 years. Now, who can tell me if that is a good thing or not?

Countdown to Shanghai: 51 days

BLACKOUT

There is a new phrase that has come into my daily routine - Power Cuts.

In this country where demand for electricity outstrips supply, what happens is that electricity gets cut in certain areas. Sometimes it is planned and you can check the newspaper if your area is scheduled for one and at what time but more often than not, the cuts are just unexpected.

Because of this, one of the criteria we had for selecting an apartment is that they should have backup generators. Else, we will have to go get inverters to keep the important appliances up and that does not mean aircon. That will be your fridge, computer and a essential lightings. Usually when there is a power cut, the backup generator will kick in within 5-10 seconds but sometimes it doesn't.

These power cuts just continually reminds me of how uncertain things are in this country. On a good day, it would happen once or twice,with the generator kicking in almost immediately. I absolutely dread it to happen when you are showering after dark. Remember that it is not only this block that has a power cut. It is the entire area, including the street lights, so it is pitch dark. Luckily, I haven't been in that situation yet but the hubby has. We usually do not move for the first few seconds, crossing fingers that the power would come back up. Else, we would be inching for the torch or powerlight that we have in the house.

Everything goes down during the power cuts, including the internet connection that takes some time to start up again. Sometimes in the evening, I will sit on the couch trying to see how often is this going to be and if I should start cooking because I am totally not interested to cook in the dark.

So far most things are quite tolerable but this really can be unbearable. Everyone has been telling me about it gets only worse in summer when everyone wants the aircon/ fan/ cooler switched on. With temperature going up to as hgh as 40 degrees, I can only imagine. In any case, my backup plan is to run back to Singapore if it gets so bad. HA!

Eating out: Hard Rock Cafe @ Banjara Hills

Never did I think one day that I would be in possession of this. When I started my collection, this cafe was not even in existence!

 I don't remember exactly when but somewhere during my flying days, I started collecting Hard Rock Cafe (HRC) shotglasses. Not sure how many I have altogether now but there should be about 30-40 of them. For my collection of HRC shotglasses, I make it a point to buy them only if I have been to those places. That's why I will always tell friends not to buy me HRC shotglasses when they travel because they have been there, not me! 

When I was moving to the hubby's place, I had to pack them all into a box and while packing, many memories came back to me. When I look at each location, it reminds me of the city and sometimes, finding HRC in a foreign city is not easy at all!

In Seoul, I was alone and had walked for almost 1.5 hours before I found Hard Rock. I had a good time walking in the city but I had almost gave up. I still remember what the restaurant looks like in my mind. On a hot afternoon in Sydney, this kind stewardess had offered to go with me in a cab to HRC. At Niagara Falls, we took our passports along so that we can walk through immigration to the Canada side, Ontario to buy a different one. And my Boston's shotglass is still with Keith!

Some of the HRC shotglasses that I have are collector's items because they have shut operations in the city. And it goes on and on and on...

Last Saturday, I was brooding at home with no appetite as I felt the onset of a flu. When the hubby asked where we should go for dinner, my moody reply was I don't want dinner. It was already coming to 9pm and thought we would phone for food delivery eventually. That was until I watched Man vs Food on cable television. The host was in one of the American states trying to conquer some eating challenge and when I saw the humongous steak sandwich, my stomach gave a weak growl. I want my steak too! The power of television...

Beef is not a staple in most restaurants, so besides a hotel, it would be HRC that is closest to us. The menu is largely the same as the other outlets but of course, they had plenty of Indian vegetarian options too.

I didn't have to think because all I wanted was the 8oz steak. Hubby had the burger as usual. I must have been hungry because I found the 8oz steak not enough! A 10oz would have been perfect.

We only found out that the fryer was not working when the food was served and the onion rings were replaced by nachos instead. Was a tad disappointed because what is a burger without fries or onion rings with ketchup? I was so looking forward to snitching the onion rings from the hubby.

Anyway, the place was buzzing with really loud music (FYI: not Indie music) and cricket was being screened. Conversation was difficult with the loud music but it is interesting to people watch instead. HRC Hyderabad opened late last year. Though it is not as crowded as the HRC back home, it is one of the happening place to be with a young crowd and small number of expats. However, it is a different story on Thurs nights when the local crowd throng this place to listen to performing bands. The last time we went on a Thurs, we couldn't even get near the door.


As we left, the music was still buzzing in our ears. So, even though I have bought my shotglass, this will not be a one time visit. I will be definitely still be back to get my steak fix from time to time. Just hope that the fryer is working!

Update: For the third time that we were there, there was still no onion rings available. Makes me think that maybe they do not serve it at all!

Day of Coffee and Postcard

Most days, my day to day routine is the same as mentioned but today, I made a new friend. She is a Singaporean Chinese who has been living in the city for awhile and we had made plans for coffee. I was quite looking forward to the meeting as I am always open to making new friends and partly also because I get to go hang out which is not something I do often here!

We went to this place called The Chocolate Room - a local cafe chain. The coffee was ok but the waffle that came with ice cream was harder than biscuits! A bit disappointing but nevertheless, the ambience was nice for a coffee session.

So over the hardened waffle and coffee, we bonded over common topics like family, skincare, fashion, etc. She gave me a lot of good advice and tips about living here. Hope to be able to catch up with her more often in future. What an angel sent by God!


As I was returning to the apartment, I had this prompting to check the mailbox and I did. Finally, the postcard that Lea had sent to me arrived!!! I had asked her to send a postcard to me just to test the local post. What a surprise because I had been prepared not to receive it all all. This is my first mail received in India and it is not a bill. :) Thanks babe!

The postcard had taken about 10 days to arrive which is not too bad. My friend was saying that postal here can be a bit erratic. She receives most mails within 1-2 weeks but there were some that took a month. What happened in between is anybody's guess!

Eating out: Deccan Pavilion @ ITC Kakatiya Hotel

ITC Kakatiya is a 5 star hotel that is near our apartment. Reviews online for this restaurant seemed pretty good and so off we went last sat night for dinner.

Price?
Buffet dinner with free flow beverages (alcoholic drinks included) - Rs 1300 / SGD40+.


As usual, we were the early diners. In India, the dinner crowd only starts to build up around 9pm+. Ambience was cozy with live music playing love ballads.


Though I would think that this is pricey for the locals, the restaurant had only about 1 or 2 tables of Caucasian guests and the rest were locals. I have been told that people in this city are considered to have good spending power. Guess I am just starting to see this for myself.


When the hubby had wanted to order from the a-la-carte menu instead of having the buffet, they were flexible enough to accommodate to his request. Not surprising, he had ordered his comfort food of burgers.

Me with my Mojito; Hubby with his American Burger

The buffet spread was quite extensive, covering a good range of local and international food.


As it was the ramzan (ramadan) month for the Muslim, there was a selection of food just for these guests. There was the spread of dates, bread and this item called Haleem. Since I arrived, I have been reading the local paper about this food called Haleem. Available only during ramzan, people travel all over town to get the best Haleem. Made out of wheat, lentils and meat, it is like a stew but so thick that it looks like a paste.


Of course I had to give it a try! The waiter was very kind to explain to me how Haleem was made and then offered to get fresh naan to be sent to the table to be eaten with the Haleem. The taste is not overwhelming as there are no spices and I felt like I was eating the filling of a chicken mayo sandwich except that it is warm. Overall, I would eat it again if I see it but not as a whole meal and I definitely will not go all over town hunting for it.


There was a grill counter available and I went straight for that. 3 servings of grilled beef steak, prawns, pineapples, eggplant and mushrooms. So satisfied. I so missed my red meat.


With my palate satisfied, I went around the buffet line again looking for interesting food. There it was - a corner labelling Rajastani food. Looking like the lost Asian, the waiter came up to me and explained that they are promoting Rajastani food in the buffet today. Food from this region is spicy and the must have is this combination of wheat ball (bati) and lentils (churma) eaten together. The wheat ball is dry and crumbly but when eaten together with the lentils, it is quite alright. Anyway, it was so spicy that I could not finish eating it.


Just for kicks, I took a bit of the briyanis and different curries though I wasn't really craving for it. The selection is so great that it is impossible to finish sampling them.


Then came desserts! As there are many vegetarians in the city, you will find many of the desserts made without eggs to cater to them. So I had eggless brownies, bread pudding, apple crumble, panacotta. It is these city cosmopolitan desserts that I miss eating!


Polishing all of that off with a cup of tea, its a perfect end to the evening. And yes, it is a place that I would return to again.

Satisfied...

Settling In

This post is long overdue and I know it because it has been sitting in my head for a few days now. Of course I have the 101 excuses of internet access being not reliable, busy cleaning up, cooking, etc but the real reasons are really getting hooked on watching TVB drama series online, chasing CSI episodes on cable TV and reading.


It has been about 1.5 weeks now since we moved in. Most of the setup has been done - sofa arrived, broadband up, gas stove cooking. Top question given to me these days is: How do you spend your day?


Ok, if this doesn't bore you: I get up with the hubby at around 815am and prepare breakfast for him. When he goes off around 9am, I go back to dreamland for awhile - usually not more than 90mins. Then begins my favourite period of the day when I have my "me time". I eat my breakfast with my favourite cup of tea, read the local papers and Straits Times online, the mandatory Facebook catchup and whatever else I feel like which could be reading, updating the blog, replying emails, etc.


By then, the cleaning lady would have arrived and I spend the next 1-2 hours watching her do her chores. Everyone including the locals tells me that you should never lose sight of them. Seriously, though I do not do the chores but just watching her and giving her simple instructions is also tiring!


I have a late lunch after she leaves and do the chores that I prefer to do myself like washing clothes, ironing, airing and making the bed. Then, it's the planning of menu for dinner and lunch tomorrow. Dishes that I want to cook but do not know how, there is always the world wide web. Or Skype to call mummy! The internet really "rawks"!


Its rock and roll time now with the pots and pans. If I have not mentioned it before, I really hate washing! There is just so much to wash all the time! Bleah. I try to get everything done by 8pm so that I can go shower and sit in comfort before MasterChef Australia shows on telly! It's usually snack and telly time while waiting for the hubby to come back to have dinner together. This is a great time to msn/ video call with nocturnal friends who are still online.


The hubby gets home anytime between 1030pm to midnight. Dinner is when we catch up on what happened in the day. Though it's been a long day for him, the hubby will still want to do the dishes for me and take out the trash. :)


Weekends are a break from the kitchen and we will go out to different places to eat. Last sat, we went to the ITC Kakatiya Hotel for their buffet dinner. There was a grill counter and I went all out for the steak. Super satisfied. Free flow of alcohol too! Has anyone tried an Indian Shiraz? I have!


To end off the week, Sunday is a go slow day for us where we do not really plan. The hubby gets up so early every other morning that he really deserves to sleep in on Sundays. Going to church is on the cards but we are looking for a church that has evening English services.


Right now, I am not feeling bored yet and am rather enjoying the time I have to myself.


If case you have not noticed, I have not mentioned anything about going out at all during weekdays. Surely, I have set my own record of staying home 5 days in a row. 


But this is fine with me so far because I think it is important to find my routine and feel settled first before introducing other activities. What I have in mind now is maybe going to the gym twice a week.


There are 2 places which I have shortlisted and the one that I prefer charges ridiculous prices that is comparable to what I pay in Singapore for gym membership! So let's see which I decide on next week.