GET ON THIS RIDE!

What is it that you look forward to after a rough day at work?  Well, for me its yummy food and this evening (Sep 25, 2013) I got lucky by being invited to Mumbai's most unique ride!

This was no dated drive around the trafficked city but a unique concept of journeying through four different restaurants and having a separate course of food and wine at each of these venues organised by Sula Wines. This ride was by invitation only but whispers tell me it may soon get more accessible!

So our journey began at my most favorite resto bar of the city Cafe Zoe, where Sovna Puri of Sula wines, gave us an insight into food and wine pairing, by highlighting that wine pairing is more like an amalgamation of individual flavors on your palette to create a distinct third flavor.  We paired the Sula Brut with some cheesy fattening risotto balls and an awesome plum, apple dip specially prepared for the wine riders !!  

Next up was Busaba, (don't miss the heart warming lace hanging lights), where we were welcomed with some lovely Sula Sauvignon Blanc coupled with a hot indonesian salad dressed with peanuts for vegetarians and maki rolls for non-veg eaters. This experimental pairing, proved its mettle on our palettes and left us as excited to dig into our main course.

The mains were divided into two destinations, first of which was at Spaghetti Kitchen, where the pairing comprised of spinach cannelloni and the very aromatic Sula Riesling. One of the rather interesting conversations on the table was how wine lovers come up various names to associate the smell of wine. For instance, a wine being called woody or paper like seemed amateurish as we had some interesting associations spoken, such as asparagus and even petrol!

As the say, save the best for the last, we arrived at our final destination, Sula's very own, Vinoteca, where we completed our meal with a supremely yummy dish which has a rather complex name but in simple words is flavorful baked aubergine. Normally, I would avoid ordering a dish with just aubergine in it but I am so glad I tried this because it was the one time the whole pairing concept fell in its exact place for me. The bursts of tomato and cheese with eggplant just brought out such a twist on my palette, when it was served with the Sula Rasa, the first red wine of the ride! 

After all of this yummy food..when I started visualizing my cozy bedding..we were presented miniature versions of the chocolate mousse with dessert wine.! I had to push my sweet dreams a little further because this was truly the icing on the cake of the whole wine ride!

By this end of this wonderful gourmet experience, I certainly learnt a lot more about wines, such as their pairing, storage, aging, etc.. and of course the thumb rule, 'see, swirl, sniff and sip' from the wonderful hosts at Sula, Sovna Puri and Neha Poojara!

But this evening was more enjoyable as we I met different people sharing the same curiosity and passion for food and wine ! It was a pleasant change to have an evening with people other than friends, family and colleagues. A Thumps Up to Sula for introducing this amazing concept and bringing in newer ways to entertainment!

10 rules for survival in Mumbai

Rule 1: Get ready to see more debits than credits in your bank account

Rule 2: City officials care a lot for your health. Thus, roads are inspired by acupuncture so that your car is well maintained

Rule 3: Get used to promises that are made in the morning and forgotten by evening due to a traffic jam

Rule 4: Vegetables and fruits can cost more than some of the shares on the stock exchange

Rule 5: Learn about marketing and strategies from our politicians and newspapers

Rule 6: Every dry day is celebrated on its eve

Rule 7: Festivals will be celebrated on the streets, so that all those who are not concerned/bothered don't feel left out

Rule 8: Rains are the real test, if you survive them, you will definitely win Takeshi's Castle

Rule 9: Be ready to contribute generously for the social welfare of bollywood.

Rule 10: Last but not the least, make sure you keep taking yoga or spiritual classes regularly, in order to maintain love, compassion and patience, towards yourself, throughout the day (especially, if you drive)!

Saa Re Gaa Maa!!

Music is such a stress reliever.. It gets you completely charged, positive and pepped about yourself and your emotions.. hadn't it been for some musician's bathroom singing, we wouldn't have a song for heart break, falling in love and just drunken dancing.!

You know the most popular songs are the ones that praise your sexiness, beauty and happiness..any idea why that is.. well may be because a lot of people are not very expressive about these things..or may be because they are the most relevant feelings one deals with all the time.. Whatever is the reason, I truly rely upon music therapy for a lot of things. To give you an example, when I would need to wake up really early for exam revision, I would tune into some really fast punjabi bhangra to wake me up and get my head shaking to some energy..!

Similarly, when I need to get myself to vent, I often listen to sad songs and saturate myself soo much till I am bored with it and eventually want to break out and listen to a happy song or do something else rather than feel sad.. Conversely, to pep oneself up before starting a Monday or a meeting its heart warming to hear some feel good music, such as Coke studio or safri duo or  some music centric song, for it helps you focus on the different sounds..and your work consequently.

Try it and tell me if this works for you too..until then because its this hour of the night and I have had lovely evening, lets give it up for Flo Rider...you spin my head!