Tushar Mangl's Blog, page 21

Bunta Bar - Janpath - New Delhi

Located right opposite the famed Janpath Market is the Bunta Bar on the second floor of an office building. It has been set up with uber cool interiors with a hint of nostalgia with bunta bottles (marbles) all around the place.



Drinks

I went to this place on a hot and humid evening. The weather demanded cooling and soothing drinks and Bunta Bar did not disappoint. They serve excellently curated cocktails. I would definitely recommend the one they call Babaji ko Booti which comes in a Kettle and served in tea cups. If you want to soak into some nostalgia you can have the Bunta Bottles, which once used to be regular lemonade-based drinks but lost their charm when multinationals bulldozed their own brands. Bunta Bar has brought in the old bottles back into fashion with some exciting mixology.



Bunta Bottles                                                 Solan Monk, served Desi Pauwa style
Babaji ki Booti

Dinner
Dinner was Chicken Tikka Masala and Bengal Mutton Curry served with Malabar and plain Paranthas. A great choice, I could not find any fault with either of them, cooked so well and portion size was generous.










Desserts
Brownie with Ice Cream was the suggestion given by the server and it was yum and chocolaty.



Nearest Metro Station - Janpath 

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Why these Presidential elections makes one lose all hope in the Modi government

The Presidential election is a matter of prestige and pride for a ruling party to affirm its position in the Indian politics. The NDA government had no doubt an upper hand and the BJP has an excellent opportunity to place before the country a statesman figure with stature and respect to become India's first citizen.
Instead, what the BJP did was to reduce this election to caste and identity politics. It conveniently forgot that Dalits are no longer impressed with such shallow symbolism as is evident from decline of popularity of major Dalit leaders like Mayawati. In fact, by trying to force casteism in a simple political election, the BJP today stands totally exposed. 
That the government is bereft of any imagination is quite evident as most of its major achievements are actually carry forwards of the previous UPA regime. The GST, Aadhar and other reforms were halfheartedly pushed by the UPA and carried with a vigor by the NDA. On the Kashmir issue, on joblessness, on manufacturing growth, this government is totally clueless. Even the way they are appearing gung ho about cows and their welfare or demonetization of currency notes shows little imagination on the part of powers to be.

Further more, by picking up a little known face from the political field, someone who has lost two elections to lead this prestigious post, shows how the BJP is getting bankrupt of leadership. They could have easily elevated a sitting chief minister or a popular cabinet minister who had wide experience and acceptance. But then in last three years little has the Modi government done to nurture new leaders. The most apparent reason why no present senior leader was chosen is that their is no one to replace them. The crucial defense ministry is awaiting a new Minister for a few months now and the government is clueless whom to assign it. This is ironical given the large majority the government enjoys in the Parliament.
It is a huge disappointment that a seemingly progressive government falls back to old age caste identities to shore up a few extra brownie points. It is a clear indicator that it is desperate for a new constituency without even trying to fulfill aspirations of its loyal follower base.

Batli 29 - Sector 29 Gurgaon

Tucked away in a neat corner of sector 29 main market is this great brewpub and cafe, Batli 29 with imposing facade and spread over multiple floors. I went their on a hot summer evening for some Beer and loads of food. This place is a favored after office hang out place for many office goers in Gurgaon.

Beer

Batli has its own micro brewery which churns out some great Beer which is thick and makes you want to slurp it all down. Do try their dark beer and if you like experiments with your Beer, try their Batli Bomb which is a cocktail of Beer, Vodka and Rum.

What I tried and would recommend 

Starters

Schizwan pepper prawns - Fried prawns
Chilli cheese toast- Very tasty and crisp
Dahi  ke shole - Were fried way too much. You can avoid as much better stuff on the menu
Nimbu paneer tikka- A lemony twist to our favorite paneer tikkas
Bhatti Ka murg-.Chicken, the way we all love it.
Ching chow corn - Fried Corns, prepared well. Excellent flavor.
Panko fish finger- I recommend this.
Veg pizza sliders- They were good
Cheese nuggets- The best in Vegetarian dishes

Dinner
 Makhmali Boti -  Delicious Mutton with soft Indian bread. If you like mutton, this dish will please your taste buds.

Chandni chowk kulcha- What is also called as Amritsari Kulcha comes with a tangy onion chutney and chickpease. Crisp and good to eat.




Desserts

Apple cinnamon Tart and gulkand gulab jamun both are very good. If have to pick the better one, I say Gulab Jamuns. The way they are bottled up in those jars calling you to gobble them up makes you drool.

Chef Suresh and his team are weaving quite a magic at this place with the right kind of food to go with the drinks and without.


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Raasta - Cyber Hub Gurgaon

Situated on the second floor of Cyber Hub, Gurgaon, Raasta has been around for some time now tucked right in between Sutra and Imperfecto. The trio makes up for much of the evening scenes (for groups especially) at Cyber Hub. 
Raasta is inspired by the Rastafarian lifestyle and the Carribean living with Bob Marley vibes all around the place. It is a perfect place to unwind after a long day at work as it transports you to another world which is cool and relaxed.

What we ordered?

Non veg Barbados platter

(Caribbean Chicken Strips, Grilled Chicken Skewers, Cheese Cigars with Lamb and Jalapenos and Fish Finger (in place of chicken bacon wrapper) )

Veg Barbados Platter

(Paneer Faffa, Trilla, Jalapenos Cheese Cigars and Oven Roasted Potatoes)

Chicken Faffa

Paneer Faffa

Dylan's Galauti



Tropical Chicken Salad

Shawarma

Veg Mezze Platter


36-24-36 Pizza

Pepperoni Pizza

Penne Alfredo

Trilla

Jalapeno Cheese Cigars

Jamaican Pepper Lamb

Caribbean Chicken Curry

Veg Thai Curry

Mushroonoff

Trinity (Cottage Cheese Steak)

Red Velvet

Banoffie Pie

Chocolate Brownie




























































































Tale of the BongTails
Chances are when you look at their bar menu, you miss out on a separate menu which lists Bong Tails. Prepared in Bong Jars, these cocktails are house specialties, and if you look experimenting with your drinks, you should definitely try one.





      Supernatural Bongtail                     Emerald Jack Bongtail                   Purple Haze Bongtail
































































































































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Yeti - The Himalayan Kitchen - Hauz Khaz Village, Delhi

The Himalayas are one of the largest mountain ranges in the World. They span across India, Nepal, and Bhutan. What unites the massive Himalayas apart from their topography is the food. People living in the Himalayan regions have a distinct style of cooking and preparing food. Their choice of ingredients is also unique because not much can be grown in high altitudes and wastage is to be avoided because access is limited. 

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Ministry of Beer - Connaught Place - Delhi

After a long day at work, stepping into Ministry of Beer is like entering a different land altogether. The C.P. one is located on the outer circle (M Block) and occupies like 4 levels having different seating plans.

When I visited the place, the Sushi, Dimsums and Beer festival was on and its a great festival. The Chefs of the place had lined up some great sushi dishes with an array of dimsums. Accompanying them was the Beer, (Bira Brand, 3 Pints). All this for Rs. 1099 only. And yes you get a dessert too.

They have set up their own microbrewery, and I wish it starts soon. I hear that permissions have delayed its operations which is kind of sad. In Ludhiana, we got a microbrewery place years ago.  And Delhi is still not able to cope up with the fact that Microbreweries are popular and in demand.

Coming back to the Sushis. It is a rare place, especially in NCR which serves excellent Sushi especially a stand alone place. They have a variety of options for Sushi but Salmon Sigri is the best of the lot.

In Dimsums, they have an exotic vegetable dim sum variation which is yum. I also tried the Chicken Kothe dim sum, which I would definitely recommend.

Done with the amazing Sushis and Dim Sums, we ordered the traditional Chicken dishes although Chicken Afghani was not that good, the Chicken Tikka was awesomely prepared. It had the right mix of spices and marinated quite well before preparation.





























































































































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Fat Lulu's Cafe & Bar - Cross Point Mall Gurgaon

Recently went to this place to experience a new menu. Although I have heard loads of good things about the place, never been here before. Cross Point has so many other options and somehow couldn't visit this place.  



Fat Lulu is a name associated with amazing pizzas cooked fresh and tasty. I decided to delve deeper into their specialties and found that the place is much more than a Pizza paradise. Their chicken sizzler (Windies Chicken Sizzler) is one of the best chicken sizzlers I have ever had.




Desserts

Fat Lulu has an association with Bom Bakery for desserts. The blueberry cheese cake in cute jam bottles is a must try. The chocolate cake is so good and fulfilling so much so that I almost neglected the red velvet cheesecake.
























































I even tried my hand on some Pizza Making, all thanks to the Chef and his team who were gracious enough to welcome me into thier kitchen.




























































































The service was amazing. [image error]

Lord of the drinks barrel house Sector 29 Gurgaon

Sector 29 Main Market in Gurgaon is witnessing a flurry of activity with plenty of top notch brands opening shop here.

Recently I went to Lord of the Drinks - Barrel House which has opened up shutters at the same building where Fork You Too ran shop. The first thing you notice when you enter is how huge and spacious this place is. The interiors have this wide and grand vibe to it. I simply loved how they have used skull designs in decor and crockery. The plates in their bright colors look so good and pleasant amidst a warm decor. 

This place is a great place for you if you like your drinks. They have two levels and a bar in both of them. A huge bar with a wide range of liquor options including a micro brewery which I think will start very soon. 



In terms of service, the eatery has a huge staff even going by the space they have, it seems they have been generous enough to hire so many bartenders and service staff. This ensures that the service is quick and prompt and someone is always  around to refill your glass.




















































































Must Try - The Pasta 

Nearest Metro Station - Huda City Centre

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Website review - Rateral.com

Rateral.com is a young website with promising innovation. It is a Q & A oriented website, which focusses on discussions around shopping.

They are trying to connect shoppers with other buyers who have already experienced or bought a similar product.



That's why you need a place likRateral so that you can connect with current consumers of that thing and know that how they feel about your next buy

Interface

The first thing you observe in a website is its interface. This site has a user-friendly interface. Navigation between pages is pretty easy and it does not give you a cluttered or overcrowded look.

The story of willful fraud by Paytm to loot its customers with forged documents

This is in regards to a wilful fraud perpetrated upon me by the team at Paytm by closing my account without consent or information and by denying knowledge about my money and important transactions.
Last evening, I received a call from Paytm, where the employee told me that many such accounts are being closed without information or consent and when I asked him about where is all that money going, he said I can raise an escalation about it. Kindly note that even though, after raising the issue, I have got Paytm to admit that they have not disclosed where my money and I am forcing Paytm to give back my money, Paytm as the employee said has no knowledge either where money is or when it will be returned to people.
This sounds like a huge case of fraud and embezzlement wherein without any information Paytm is closing accounts and keeping the money to self.
It is also important to note here that in all interactions with Paytm, the employees are not giving their names or designation at Paytm. 
Now that I have raised repeated escalations, they are claiming to have documents which do not exist which state that I replied to them on 19th, and reverted on Ganesh's email on 19th. If that is the case, those emails are clear fabrications and forged documents created by Paytm at their CEO's direction who is aware of this. Indeed, while Vijay Shekhar Sharma is buying a posh 82 crore Lutyen's Delhi home, he has the inside knowledge of how the fraud is happening. I have repeatedly emailed him and raised the issue through his social accounts, but he has been unable to reply because of all the Chinese money he is counting. Apparently, it was less for him, so he began swindling his own customers it seems.
__________
How did I come to know about this?
I had an important payment to make at a shop and instead of withdrawing cash I thought of paying it through Paytm. The account didn't work and no one at Paytm helped. They failed to recognize my details. Upon repeated escalations, they admitted they just erased my account on a whim.
_________
I want my account reinstated to its previous standing. I don't know how it will be done. The consumer forum can't help. The media is too enamored by the Chinese funding Paytm has so doesn't raise its voice. Its strange that so many people have been duped by paytm on various occasions, I have read so many stories in the past week, but shockingly, not one media raises its voice.
It had long-standing coupons ensuring cashback every month till December. I had already used coupons until April.
It has very important transaction details.