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BONJOURNovember 2011 ISSUE 1

Best Coco Chanel Kept Beauty Inside Story Secrets The Writer Reminising at Sea Hepburn

The Great Escape: ‘Murud Fort’ The Classic Issue

• How to jet-set in style • Sweet tooth Bengali delicacies Rs. 90 • Discover the Classic Beauties of all times UNITED COLORS OF BENETTON Contents

Beauty & Wellness Pages 8-9

Yoga or Pilates Pages 10-11

Audrey Hepburn: The Funny Face Pages 14-19

Coco Chanel: The Rebel Pages 26-29

Bonjour Shops Pages 40-41

Bonjour Loves Pages 44-45

The Writer At Sea Pages 46-47

Classic Beauties Pages 48-59

Bonne Apettite Pages 60-66

Wine Pairing Pages 70-71

The Great Escape Pages 72-75

4 Bonjour

Beauty & Wellness food for skin in the winters MOISTURISING: In this season, this step is too crucial to be left out. the kind of products used for this time should be the ones which have the ability to lock the After saying au revoir to the sweaty sea- moisture in your skin as the skin’s water balance should son, keeping aside the oil control cosmet- be maintained. You should pick a moisturizer which ics and giving way to the hydrating cosmet- is 30 SPF, it is a misconception that sun only damag- ics, let’s welcome the season of mistletoe. es in summers, It damages skin in the winters as well.

To maintain a flawless skin throughout the winters We tend to notice that our skin is better in sum- is a worrisome job for many of us who have got a mers because we take a lot of fluids dur- busy schedule but there are three very basic steps ing the season, it shouldn’t be forgotten dur- we need to follow for that much craved flawless ing the chilly winters as usual water intake (i.e. 8 and glowing skin. Cleansing. Toning. Moisturising. – 12 glasses) itself makes the skin glow and radiant.

EXFOLIATING: This is a step which precedes the pro- The routine obviously consists of taking a relaxing hot cedure of keeping the skin full of life because first we water bath. As inviting as it sounds in this season, it’s need to remove the dead parts of our skin to make bad for the skin as it dehydrates the skin leaving it it alive. It is an essential part of the regime as it keeps thirsty. The best way to fight it is by applying essential the skin stimulated though nothing too aggressive oils to the body as soon as you step out of the bath. should be used as it can damage the skin. The prod- uct used should be a blend of exfoliators and skin Apart from nourishing the skin from out- lubricators or softeners so as to maintain a balance. side, you should nourish it by eating green vegetables like broccoli, spinach, etc. CLEANSING: Cleansing is an utmost important part of our daily lives especially when it comes to remov- ing makeup. The sebum which is produces on our skin pores is due to the changes in the temperature around us and that is why cleansing is necessary, but the product which is used should not be the kind which leaves your skin dry, stretched or taught. You need something which keeps it balanced.

TONING: In order to keep the dust particles go- ing into the pores of your skin, toner should be used to close the skin pores, but in winters its best to use the ones which are meant for dry skin as it will leave your skin supple and smooth rather than leaving it tight and stretched.

8 Bonjour Bonjour 9 which one Yoga Pilates to choose?

This question is asked by most of the beginners in which concentrates on breathing which the field of workouts as they want to aim at a holis- helps in increasing the oxygen flow tic workout. I was in the same situation when I was in the body and flush out the toxins. in my high school, my father being a yoga enthusi- ast taught me different asana but I had just heard The focus of Pilates is strengthening of the core, of this new way of workout called ‘pilates’ as there muscle control, flexibility, coordination, etc. this was a workshop being held at our school and I form was created by Joseph Pilates in the ear- jumped forward to catch this opportunity. I got to ly 20th century, he designed a series of exercises learn many new things about pilates that day and to help tone and strengthen injured soldiers after realised the differences in both of their approaches. World war I. he had also developed these ma- chines called ‘reformer’ and ‘Cadillac’. These When it comes to benefits, many people concen- machines helped enhance the properties of this trate on the aspects of gaining strength, stamina, exercise. This form includes calisthenics which fitness and slimming. Therefore they tend to opt for concentrate on different muscles of the body. exercises such as cardiovascular endurance, burn calories, building muscles, etc. but as the time is That day my pilates instructor, Abigail said “ I had passing by they are realising the value of stress re- met with an accident 2 years ago which result- lief, flexibility and harmony of mind, body and soul. ed in multiple fractures and ligament tears, I had This is when yoga and pilates play their roles. a long recovery in the hospital considering the medical aspects. But I was still not back to nor- The most basic difference in their approach is mal.” She added with a smile “That is when I start- dues to the origin of each of them. Yoga origi- ed with Pilates and now here I m standing in front nated in the east whereas pilates in the west. of you fully recovered in fact better than before.” When it comes down to the principles there In the end its for you to choose which one to choose is a world of difference between them. according to your own needs. If you want a more holistic, spiritual and relaxing workout then go for Yoga focuses on philosophical and spiritual as- yoga and if u want to strengthen your core or elon- pects of the body. It’s based on the concept of gate your muscles and provide yourself alignment movement of energy throughout the body, the with the physical aspects the pilates is the best. more freely the energy flows inside the body, the They both complement each other well so going healthier you are. The basic objective of this form with both of them wouldn’t be a bad choice either. is to provide flexibility of mind and body through stretching. The root of this form of workout is in the east where there is a lot of importance given to balance and composure in life which can be achieved by yoga. The physical exercises also tar- get the mind with the body and therefore uniting them. It is more of a meditative sort of a workout

10 Bonjour Bonjour 11

Audrey Hepburn: The Funny Face

The first was the white dress she wore in the tennis court, waiting for William Holden.

She was the incredibly juvenile was too long and her feet too large. Givenchy, thinking that it was Kath- Princess Ann in Roman Holiday, It was Givenchy who gave her such erine Hepburn, was overjoyed, the worried looking, yet flaw- a confident dressing statement since Audrey at that time wasn’t lessly elegant Nicole in How to that she used to refer to the dress- very well known. To his surprise Steal a Million, not to mention es he made for her as her ‘armour’. it turned out to be a slim, tall and The second was the crisp black suit she wore the scrawny flower-girl turned el- The most memorable story of pretty looking Audrey at his door- with a cap, in the scene where Holden sees her egant enchantress in My Fair Lady. Audrey’s career was how the two step. Givenchy being Givenchy, For Audrey Hepburn, grace was as met. In the early fifties, when then politely refused and pointed at Pembroke Station, and doesn’t recognise her. easy as breathing, and elegance both Hepburn and Givenchy were out collection he had produced was as constant as the smile Hu- in their mid twenties, and only the year before, and that she was bert de Givenchy had seeing her in just beginning an illustrious ca- most welcome to take whatever the Black Laced Dress he’d made reer, Givenchy received a phone she liked. Audrey walked to the for her, in How to Steal a Million. call from a certain ‘Ms. Hepburn’ wardrobe, and selected three Hepburn wasn’t a person who who wanted to use some of his dresses which eventually became was very happy with the way her designs from that year’s col- extremely popular when they body was, she thought her neck lection for a movie. Hubert de were used for the movie, ‘Sabrina’. 14 Bonjour Bonjour 15 The third was an elegant yet simple black dinner dress she wore in the scene where Humphrey Bogart takes her out to dinner.

In the scene where Fred Astaire is shooting her while she is fishing on a cruise, she wore a white coat and trousers with a sash and a hat. This Bohe- mian look was very different from the Audrey everyone knew as ‘Sabrina’.

After that came ‘Funny Face’, a movie in which Hepburn played a model for a fashionmaga- zine. This gave Givenchy a chance to show the people what he and Audrey could do. The movie exhibited some revolutionary trends in fashion, without being gaudy or imposing.

By far, the most dazzling of them all was a red dress she wore while running down the stairs of a building.

Also memorable from Funny Face, was the exceptional- ly unconventional yet beautiful wedding dress she wore.

16 Bonjour Bonjour 17 But, by far the most important statement the movie made about her was that she was one lady who could don male inspired garments, and still look like a dream. She would look equally beautiful wearing a simple shirt and trousers. My own personal favourite is the dress she wears at the As- cots, which is very flowery and cumbersome, but is car- ried with such a nimble elegance that only Audrey could portray.

Then along came here role as a socialite in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and with a single look, elegance was synonymous with the word Audrey.

Audrey’s way of setting trends did not end with My Fair Lady. In 1966 she starred alongside Peter O’ Toole in How to Steal a Million. She played the daughter of a Parisienne billionaire The black dress pictured in the movie became timeless, and forger. This time her character required and finds relevance even today. Natalie Portman once something much more crisp, imposing, and yet, wore it in an issue of Harper’s Bazaar. Although far from Audrey. Needless to say, Givenchy was the man looking like Audrey, she dons the dress with a charm, for the job, giving her a new look altogether. which is as close as anyone can get to Hepburn herself. 18 Bonjour Bonjour 19

These two quotes sum up Chanel’s whole person- ality. She was one of the most rebellious people of her time which is seen throughout her life history but also one of the people who believed in herself and had the conviction towards her dream unlike many of us who lose track of our dreams with time. She stuck to her own style of dressing, her own mean- ing of fashion throughout, never did we see any hint of change in her style even though the world around her changed. She always wanted to and succeeded in changing the world according to her.

Gabrielle Bonheur ‘Coco’ Chanel was born on 19th August 1883 in Saumur, France. She com- pulsively lied about her past, especially about her age because maybe she was not comfort- able keeping her weaknesses out in the pub- lic as she portrayed herself to be the strong one which was reflected in her fashion designing.

She had always designed easy to wear, comfort- able and practical clothes for herself since the time she started sewing clothes for herself which she learned during her stay in the orphanage of the Roman Catholic monastery of Aubazine and when she visited her aunts. She was the one who gave us the jerseys made out of the fabric originally used for men’s underwear, bell bottom pants, the most unforgettable ‘Little Black Dress’ for evening wear. Chanel was inspired by the clothes men used to wear and that is how everything we see in our wardrobe has been given to us by Chanel because if it wasn’t ‘Coco’ Chanel for her we’d still be stuck in corsets like straight- The Rebel jackets and dresses which had no end to them. “She looked like the girl at school who conned you into break- ing the rules with her, then let you take all the blame” – Karen Karbo in her book THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO COCO CHANEL

“ The most elegant woman who’s ever lived” – Giorgio Armani

26 Bonjour Bonjour 27 Chanel got her entry into fashion due to the help of Captain Arthur Edward ‘Boy’ Capel, her first love In 1971, then 87 years old still as she said. He had financed her first shops. Un- continued to go on with her fortunately he died in a car accident in late 1919, usual routine even though she this was the most devastating moment in her life. was tired and ailing watching the preparation for the spring collection. She died on the In 1924, she made an agreement with the 10th of January at Hotel Ritz, Wertheimer brothers creating another compa- where she had stayed since ny named ‘Perfums Chanel’ where the manu- she had established her maison facturing and distribution of the worlds most de couture at 31, rue Cambon. famous perfume ‘Chanel No. 5’ was started. Karl Lagerfeld has taken for- ward the fashion statement of She got a boost in her business after the Second chanel very well keeping the World War as the women accepted and adored new era in mind though he the practical sense of fashion by then because can never really take place of they had started working and needed comfort- Chanel because her dedica- able attire. During that time she was criticized for tion and conviction towards having an affair with Hans Günther von Dinck- her work was second to none. lage, a German military intelligence officer. There have been a number of In 1945, she had fled to Switzerland because movies and novels which have she had been charged as a collaborator with been dedicated to Coco. a Nazi. But she returned to Paris in 1954 and One of the most famous be- so she returned to the fashion world as well. ing “ Coco Avante Chanel” in which Audrey Tautou has en- acted Chanel so well so as to resemble her perfectly though the movie only concentrates on the initial stage of her life.

Coco Chanel is one of the most admired women In the world for her conviction, self confidence, vision and her fashion because she reminds every woman that time, place or barriers don’t matter, what matters is what you believe in and of the power they have even if they are lean and wear a simple little black dress.

28 Bonjour Bonjour 29

Edited By Varshita Rao Prada The Best Buys This Month

Bonjour Louis Vuitton Ralph Lauren shops

Burberry Prorsum

WINTER FALL Emporio Armani Channel the vibe of this season with Bonjour picks. With designers look- ing around the globe for inspiration, fashion is going places this winters. Beat the winters with style, comfort & breathe easy jackets.

Tommy Hilfiger MANGO Gucci 40 Bonjour Bonjour 41 What’s Your Style?

Drop Them Dead Edited By Gerson Pearson B njourEverything We Love This Month

Calvin Klien Beats By Dr. Dre Rs. 14,600/- Rs. 2,200/-

Tods Rs. 12,000/-

Dolce & Gabbana Rs. 16,250/- Louis Vuitton Gucci -Price on demand Rs. 26,700/-

Burberry Rs. 4,200/- Paul Smith Rs. 8,999/-

Carrera Rs. 23,000/- Calvin Klien Rs. 9,380/-

44 Bonjour Bonjour 45 Amitav Gosh and The Writer at Sea Amitav sails on opium again. Gerson Pearson his fetish writes about his adventure at sea. As I sit impatiently at the Bangalore airport, I see a man walking across who I faintly recognise. A minute later, a fellow passenger calls out to him for an autograph, the rest brood over bad weather, for nautical delayed flights, and failed administration. My mind trails back to the times when I had learned about him in school or home. And what a small world it is! I am skimming through the pages of his book. He is indeed a writer at sea who captures your imagination with brilliant storytelling, I think. themes As most of you would have known by now, it is Amitav Ghosh. The raconteur is back with yet an- other story of the sea to have you sail on opium this time. River of smoke is a title that captures sprawling themes on Canton, commerce and opium. With swarms of new and livid characters, the narrative revolves around the canton opium traders and the Chinese empire. Earlier, Amitav had written books about the life of a twelfth century Indian slave (In an antique land), the tidal ecology of the Sunderbans archipelago (The hungry tide) and the exile of the Burmese royal family’s house- hold in Ratnagiri(The glass palace). This time he takes you by surprise with RIVER OF SMOKE. Inden- tured migration, opium trade, gigantic labour is thematic trajectories we are bound to explore in his ardent writing. After all, he is a man with a fetish for nautical themes.

Man and opium have a relationship that goes back to the infancy of mankind. Human civilization is inconceivable without it,’ Amitav Ghosh said during an interview with an American radio station in 2008, shortly after the release of Sea Of Poppies (Penguin/ Viking, 2008). The acclaimed novelist, who was shortlisted to win the Booker Prize in 2008, painted the first vol- ume of his celebrated Ibis trilogy on an expansive and exquisitely detailed canvas, plotting his epic tale against the backdrop of two great Opium Wars, which the British Empire fought in the 1830s to subdue an impregnable and indomitable China. Under the premise of free trade, the British and other Western mercantile institutions with similar vested interests employed opium to enter the Dragon, and to eventually tame it. Indeed, Ghosh reminds us that the plotters of these wars believed that opium was ‘God’s instrument for opening the Chinese oyster.’ Ghosh’s picturesque prose transports the reader from the poppy fields of impoverished Bihar to the great opium factory at Ghazipur, (which stands to this day), and then amid a great ocean of characters aboard the Ibis, where a curious breed of Indian Ocean ship-people, the Lascars, cuss richly in their peculiar patois. The climactic finale of Poppies saw some of its characters sail away from the Ibis, which had depart- ed from Calcutta bearing both opium and indentured labourers drafted for the plantations of Mau- ritius. Readers who expect seamless continuity in River Of Smoke (Penguin/ Viking, 2011) might be surprised to discover that the second book picks up the thread in another time and place. Ever the artful storyteller, Ghosh departed from the idea of a sequential trilogy, choosing instead to regale his readers with three wholesome books peppered with mirrors, windows and trapdoors into each other.

I cannot recall his earlier works when he strived for readership by inviting us to unfamiliar places with edgy themes and thriving narratives of trade, slavery and survival. However, he never changed his niche for writing but waited patiently to produce his breed of readers. Reading his books makes you wonder how a man as him would scrawl through the cracks of history to bring you the most breath- taking, eloquent set of stories. He is a man who takes you on a journey of the past, to an unknown for- bidden land with most amusing stories. Amid the chaos at the airport, I carried the book along and was thrilled to be at sea while he captioned the ship.

46 Bonjour Bonjour 47 Classic Beauties

48 Bonjour Audrey Hepburn - The actress, style icon, and UNICEF Goodwill Ambas- sador was shockingly hum- ble about her looks: “I’m not beautiful. My mother once called me an ugly duckling,” she once said. “But, listed separately, I have a few good features.”

Grace Kelly - The stunning Oscar-winning actress who became a real-life princess in 1956 and has defined Holly- wood elegance for decades.

50 Bonjour Bonjour 51 Lena Horne - Even as she Sophia Loren - “Of all the grew older, the efferves- actresses I have met, So- cent jazz singer and actress phia Loren has always could unnerve men with her seemed to be the hardest- beauty: In 1981, the usu- working and easiest to get ally cool and collected Ed along with,” wrote LIFE Bradley, 20 years young- staffer Alfred Eisenstae- er than Horne, blushed dt, who captured this im- through an interview with age of Loren in 1961 and her on “60 Minutes.” photographed her count- less times over his career.

52 Bonjour Bonjour 53 Madhubala - Mumtaz Jahan Begum Dehlavi, known by Reita Faria - The first Indian her stage name Madhubala to win the Miss World title, in starred in several success- 1966. After winning the Miss ful movies in the 1950s and Bombay crown earlier that early 1960s, many of which year, she won the Eve’s Week- have attained a classic sta- ly Miss India contest and now tus. With her contemporar- she lives in Dublin, Ireland. ies Nargis and Meena Ku- mari, she is widely regarded as one of the most beauti- ful Hindi movie actresses.

54 Bonjour Bonjour 55 Gene Tierney - Yes, she was physically exquisite -- 20th Century Fox founder Daryl F. Zanuck once called her “undeniably the most beau- Dorothy Dandridge - As a tiful woman in movie histo- girl she toured the U.S. as ry.” But beyond her looks, part of a song-and-dance Tierney had a remarkable act with her sisters, and by inner strength that helped the time she was 32 had a her overcome numerous sizzling nightclub act and struggles: She battled bipo- an historic Academy Award lar disorder, had her heart nomination for Best Ac- broken by Oleg Cassini and tress (the first time a black John F. Kennedy, contract- woman was up for the hon- ed a case of rubella that left or). But it wasn’t until dec- the daughter she was carry- ades later that Dandridge’s ing deaf, partially blind, and legacy was truly appreci- mentally handicapped... ated: In 1999, Halle Berry and survived to write about dramatized her story in it all in her 1979 autobi- an HBO biopic, and three ography “Self-Portrait.” years later dedicated her Best Actress Oscar to Dan- dridge and other boundary- breaking black actresses.

56 Bonjour Bonjour 57 Princess Diana - Of all the tributes dedicated to the “people’s princess” since her tragic death in 1997, perhaps none was so moving or personal than this simple statement from Prince Wil- liam: “Her beaming smile greeted us from school. She kissed us last thing at night. She was, quite sim- ply, the best mother in the world. We miss her.”

Vivien Leigh - Like Gene Tierney, she struggled with mental and physical illness that threatened her career. But in her heyday, Leigh’s beauty was exceeded only by her talent: A British actress, she won both her Acad- emy Awards for transforming herself into the South- ern belles of “Gone With the Wind” and “A Streetcar Named Desire,” and held her own in stage and screen productions opposite second husband Laurence Olivier. 58 Bonjour Bonjour 59 FOOD PLEASURES IN AND OUTSIDE MANIPAL Bonne ApettiteEdited By Siddharth Shome

It is a common enough notion that one of the quickest and most pleasurable pathways to heaven lies in the pleasure of eating great food ...Some feminists will raise their fists at me here in dire distress because the epithet was at some time used to imply the extreme lengths a women went to attract their emnfolk or rather to be husbands !! However now ( and begging your esteemed pardon ladies..) this seems to apply to both the sexes with equal clarity !!!! And so i say ,that as I live and study in Manipal – a university of international standards , a hot pot of varied world cultures , a mixed kettle of thoughts , lifestyles, habits & not to forget – FOOD , my personal kudos goes out to my favourite lady - Virginia Woolfe who stated rightly that “ ONE CANNOT THINK WELL , LOVE WELL, SLEEP WELL , IF ONE HAS NOT DINED WELL “...!!! I agree ....whole heartledly. Ok...now if my treatise on ‘food’ is to be accepted by anyone let me quickly tell you that like all features , mine too has a specific purpose – it should work as a guide for the new entrant into the hallowed portals of Manipal university or for those who like to explore the extreme limits of food in any region. Just as we expect life to be meaningful, with purpose and yet with dollops of fun, food too should be viewed similarly ...it should be meaningful, with purpose and with loads of fun. I will begin with the epicurean delights available in Manipal and its nearby quarters as well . If we are starting anything , just anything at all ...on the local food of the Tuluvas or ‘Bunt’ food I have to begin with the simple , unostantatious yet raringly popular ‘SHETTY HOME’ at KUNDAPURA - orginally begun by a local gentleman - Thejappa Shetty in 1957 . Next In 1972 , his son Anupam Shetty, sensing the food’s popularity index began ‘ANUPAM ’ in Mangalore (and finally ‘COASTAL EXPRESS ’ in Bangalore)...where I have eaten many a time and have always come out feeling satiated and content of having got my money’s worth and more importantly overfed my taste buds with original Bunt food. (I only mentioned these continuations to show you how you can find the right food if you really want to).

So strong holds of Bunt cusine , best tasted at Shetty Lunch Home in Kundapur are:

• ‘Kori Rotti’ or Kundapur Chincken Curry – spicy chilli based chicken curry with crisp dry wafer like rotti’s ( but not the traditional ) made of dry flakes of boiled ). • Chicken Ghee roast • Kane fry (Both served with ghee rice or Iddli ( Khotte ) or ( Rice string hoppers) • ‘Bangude Pulimunchi’ or Scrumptious mackerels • ‘Neer ’ - delicate rice crepes (’meaning ‘water’ in Tullu) served with spicy or fish curry • ‘Patrode’ - leaves wrapped in spiced batter , cut and then deep fried). • Many varied Rice variations can be enjoyed in the forms of : ‘bisi beleanna’ , ‘chatranna’, ‘lemon rice’ & ‘khichdi’ . • Last but not the least mouth watering coastal cusine – for which i have kept an entirely seperate sec- tion

60 Bonjour Bonjour 61 FOOD FAVA DELHI – Among India’s most upscale eateries is ORIENT EXPRESS – a sample of an exclusive dish would Hi-end Gastronomic Delights for the Food Connoisseur be Kobe Mignon which costs Rs. 5500 ( USD 123 ). Costwise a similer dish even in chic Tao , (New York) woul cost 30% less . SAKURA in Delhi’s Hotel Nikko has made sushi the the choice of the Indian food Food .. fooder , nutrient , sustenence..provender...the list could go on ....its amazing how food is so com- lover and raw fish frenzy has attacked the capital with great vigour . It has minimalistic decor and a pletely omnipotent , so pervasive . Have you ever noticed how every second commercial is about food and serious sushi menu, and last but not the least has inspired many metro’s to open similar Japanese food how every serial ( regional or national ) is centered around the dining table ?? Good food can be mentally havens . BUKHARA voted ‘Best Indian Restaurant of the World’ and ‘Best Restaurant in Asia’ by Restau- stimulating , intellectually nourishing and give man a finer vision to life . It can mean an upliftment of the rant Magazine in the UK , is situated in ITC Maurya Sheraton Hotel – speciality dishes are Bukhara, soul and of course provide much food for thought & social activity . Will you be able to go 10 lengths Burra Kabab and Murg Malia Kabab. VEDA in Cannought Place , Delhi grabs your attention by its glitter- without bumping into an eatery or being assailed by food & spice flavours?? Its difficult ...almost unthink- ing decor which flickers and shimmers – starting from the candles , the mirrors , the chandeliers , the able. So yes... I’m back with my favourite topic – Epicurean delights – but with a difference – Luxury & Hi embellished glass dome set aganist deep , rich, red curtains –leg of lamb being the house speciality and end gastronomic treats to sooth the delicate souls and stomachs of the finer class. This time I am going to also a novel feature – a special menu for foreigners which allows them a varied menu of small portions do a short ‘food-a-logue’ in hi-end dining options in Manipal , Mangalore and the other metro’s – Bom- of many Indian delicacies. bay , Bangalore , , Hyderabad, Delhi and of course the Bengali food haven– . In fact I have given an entire seperate treatise to Kolkata and its many varied deserts . So if you are interested in food, MUMBAI - India’s newfound appetite for high-end cuisine is attracting the attention of A-list celebrity food with a differnce , food for the quality conscious, read on here dear reader , for the omnipresence of chefs. For example - “Iron Chef” Masaharu Morimoto, the Japanese mastermind behind the global Nobu fine luxury food is astounding indeed. sushi franchise, opened WASABI in Mumbai’s TAJ MAHAL PALACE . Also in TAJ MUMBAI New York- Take MANIPAL – It does’nt have a 5 star restaurant to contend with but it has Fortune Valley View which based chef Michel Nischan helped open the city’s first all-organic haute restaurant, with a menu that the best that we have in the 4 star category . It runs 2 restaurants – Cosmos – the 24 hour shop coffee tips its hat to local appetites (try the Kaffir lime martini and the Tamari shrimp and scallops). Sunday shop and Rangoli – the Indian food restaurant . Some specialities of this Manglorian restaurant are... But Brunch has caught on is a big way in Mumbai and is catered to in Colaba’s INDIGO which serves French , I wont dwell on Manipal anymore as we can all savour for ourselves the delights that Valley View offers ; I Italian , and continental favourites apart from Indian delicacies ( mimumum cost would be USD 1800 in- shall move onto Bangalore which has a Pandora’s Box of restaurants with many differnent cuisines – I have cluding alcohol). Come Sunday and it means come to SUN N SAND’s great Sunday brunch where you can chosen the top 10 luxury estabilishments with highlights of their epicurean delights . taste freshly grilled meat, salmon , carives to create rpaccio & many cold meat selections , exotic salads , breads and deserts . BLUE FROG in Lower Parel gives you Mumbai’s best live music & a delicious brunch BANGALORE – ‘SAHIB SINDH SULTAN’ specilises in MUGHLAI CUSINE – Located on the 2nd floor of Forum from 11am – 4pm and OLIVE BAR AND RESTAURANT strives to re-create the ambiance of a countryside Mall , Koramangla , it takes one through a colonial style ambience complete with train coaches, royal picnic with its ‘Sunday Wine Picnic’ theme in its Mediterranean spread. Others are MEZZO MEZZO in JW chairs and grand regal curtains...synonymous with Indian Royalty suring the British Raj . Menu specialities Marriot Juhu , VALHALLA in Eros , Churchgate and VISTA in Taj Land’s End , Bandra are other bruch op- are catalogued under references like ‘The Governor’s Brand’, ‘...and the 21-Gun-Salute’ and include Lady tions for the Mumbai food lover with a heavy pocket. Canning’s Reshmi Tikka ( char grilled paneer stuff with and spicy potatoe hash) , Thomp- son’s Atta Chicken ( spring chicken marinated overnight and packed in a case of dough/ ‘atta’, slow cooked CHENNAI – RAINTREE at Taj Connemara , DAKSHIN & KHYBER GRILL at Sheraton Park , SOUTHERN SPICE in a tandoor ), Maa ki Dal (lentils simmered overnight on tandoor flavoured and tempered with the chef’s at Taj Coromandal , NAVARATINA & KAYAL at Le Royal Meridian & PESHAWARI at Chola Sheraton serves special spices ) . Not to miss their Flambeed Gulab Jamoons with Brandy ( piping hot , huge gulab jamoons Indian cusine . Continetal specialities can be devoured at KEFI, Taj Mount Road , CAPPUCHINO & ON THE flambeed with brandy ). ‘SAMARKHAND’ for FRONTIER and AWADHI CUSINE in Gem Plaza, Infantry Road ROCKS at Sheraton Park, AQUA at the Park and AZULIA at the GRT Grand . Oriental specialities can be makes its mark with turbaned , pathan suit clad waiters with huge mustaches and its innovative menu has had at SHANGHAI CLUB ( Chola Sheraton ) , THE RESIDENCY at Sheraton, BAY VIEWPOINT at Taj Fisher- been designed in the form of a newspaper with small write ups and notes included. Specialities include man’s Cove, LOTUS , The Park & GOLDEN DRAGON at Taj Coromandal. ‘angoori nasha , bakhlava & khubani ka meetha’ ...and another notable point here is that the menu is so popular that the menu has not been changed since inception ! SUNNY’S for ITALIAN food in Vittal Mal- HYDERABAD – The Nizam heritage runs deep in this historic city and it is truely refelcted in the restau- laya Road , is named after the owner’s pet dog ! Their pasta’s are better than thair ’s especially their rants of the city as well . Beginning with JEWEL OF NIZAM in The Golkonda Hotel where the menu is penne in cream sauce , Norwegian fish fillet / grilled fish . For the sweet lovers - trichocolate mousse cake typically Hyderabadi and Mughlai cusine . Superlative Kacchi Gosht ki served with the famous , the , tarts and meringue cakes are scrumptiously decadent and mouth watering . EBONY Hyderabadi makes its mark with a unique Anokhi to top it off . Next in line among for PARSI ( Patra ni Machhi & Salli Boti ) , THAI ( Ghai Sarong & Charcoal grilled fish ) & FRENCH food on the eatery favourites is BARBEQUE NATION for North India , European , Mediterranean eats in the the 13th floor of Barton’s centre in M.G.Road is ideal for a lazy calorie splitting buffet. Bangalore also has Banjara Hills which has 17 kinds of soups ( veg & non veg ) , a salad bar with more than 50 scrumptious Korean food in SURASANG. Wine is another luxury item – a fine example is Chateau Lafite Rothschild’01 at salads and more than 20 deserts on their menu ! Phew ...you need to be a great eater to be able to do LEELA’s ZEN which costs Rs. Rs. 28000.00 ( USD 626 ) ...Even internatinally the cost is lesser ( USD 626). justice here. Choice is the order of the day I guess. Other bests are SIAA excelling in North Indian foods and HARD ROCK CAFE for American cusine. MANGALORE : THE GALLERY ( TAJ MANARJUN ) at Old Port Road , serves Indian , Continental & and Chi- Well as Julia Child once said “Life itself is the proper binge” ...so heres asking my readers to go right nese cusine , GOLDFINCH Mangalore has KABAB STUDIO - a newly opened kabab eatery. ahead !We only live once so go ahead.. use all that information I’ve given you to ..purely ..yes!.. BINGE!

62 Bonjour Bonjour 63 MADNESS AN ADDICTION TO BEHOLD IN BENGAL I follow a very simple policy – In any wedding or a party or any occassions for that matter I al- ways eat the sweetdish at the very beginning. I remember a quote by Ernestine Ulmer who said “Life is uncertain . Eat dessert first” - a saying which suits my philosophy - perfect ly and thrills my decadent soul with an eagerness to savour every moment of my dessert with slow burning intensity. In the lines ahead I shall try and give you snapshots of why I have become a com- plete ‘sweetoholic’ and how Bengal has been my greatest inspiration to my addiction for sweets .

Lets us start with the most common ‘Bengali’ sweet – The ‘rossogolla’ or the . However it is sur- prising to note that this dish which is commonly associated with Bengal actually has its origins in Oris- sa ( , ) . Its original name is the ‘Khira Mohana’ and it has been a traditional Oriya dish for centuries. Consisting typically of balls of Indian cottage cheese or ‘chenna’ and dough (suji) dipped in balls of syrup, it was introduced to Kolkata by one Nobin Chandra Das. His son K.C.Das carried forward the tradition and began canning the dish to provide greater accessibility. It was origi- nally brown in colour and served at room temperature or colder but can be served hot as well. The well knows Calcutta variation is pure white in colour and is sold generally in ‘bhands’ (handis) or packed for commercial purposes in cans. There is a saying that the sounds sweet because the speakers always have ‘rossogollas’ in their mouths ! Last but not the least in this family of sweets are the variations like ‘chhenapoda,chhenagajja,kheersagar, chamcham’ which are variations of the original.

Savouring the sweetness of just a rossogollah is not enough – I simply have to mention the unputdownable unbeatable ‘’ or sweet / dahi / yogurt. It is very popular in Bengal, Orissa and . It is made by boiling milk till it is thickened and then sweetening it with sugar , or date molasses . Then it is finally allowed to ferment overnight in earthern pots called ‘bhands’. It may befurther seasoned with cardammon or elaichi or even mango or rose petals.Next in the ladder of mouthwatering Bengali sweets comes the ‘Gulabjamun’ . The name has its origins from ‘gulabjal’ or rose scented water which is used as syrup and ‘jamun’ ( a South Asian fruit which looks similar is size and shape) . It made of a dough from milk solids or ‘khoya’ and flour mixed together , then rolled into balls and finally deep fried . These are then soaked in rose & cardammon flavoured sugar syrup overnight. These heavenly balls maybe served either cold or steaming hot, sometimes even with vanilla icecream for variation. It is interesting to note that the gulabjamun has its origins in an Arabic dessert called ‘ Luqmat Al-Qadi’ ( translating into ‘the judge’s bite’ ) which became popular in India during the Mughal era . Variation of this dish would be the ‘kalajamun’. Dancing along delicately comes the pale white ‘patishaptas’ ‘pithey’ or simply crepe rolls . They are made with a well balanced mixture of milk , flour & semolina being wisked together and being poured wafer thin onto a non stick tava to gently cook . A stuffing of coconut , jaggery and khoya is mixed and cooked together to be enveloped by the crepes . Served either hot or cold they are popular during the festive season of Poush Sankranti (Parban) or . Variations of this would be Gokul Pithey , Akshey Pithe , Shajer Pithey & lastly Pulli Pithey.

‘Payasam , kheer , or Payesh’ – its all and the same – basically a well cooked rice made by boiling rice, broken or wheat with milk and sugar flavoured with cardammon , raisons , saffron, cash- ewnuts and almonds. Served hot or cold it tastes beautiful and is eaten either on its own or as a dipping sauce for ’s and ’s . Hence it can be served as a dessert or as part of a meal. Popular in Kerala , North India and Bengal it is also served commonly in weddings and in religious ceremonies . Variations of this would be the ‘phirni’ or ‘firni’ which is eaten among the Muslim community in India and has a huge range of flavours - apricot , mango , fig , saffron , and custard apple to name a few !

Rossogollas of Bengal 64 Bonjour Bonjour 65 ‘Shondesh’ as pronouned in Bengali or in Hindi is a popular sweet which has originated in Bengal and created with milk and sugar , khoya and and sugar .It has its best makers in Dacca and Narail in Bangladesh and Kolkata in Bengal . Some of the popular names and varieties for this sweet favourite are Parijat , Rose cream , Dilkush , Abar Khabo , Chocolate Talsansh, Kacha golla , Jol bhora and some of the polular shops which sell them are Nakur , Bjim Nag , Makhon , and Nalin Sarkar .Makha sandesh yet another variation hails from in Bengal district . Variations of this dish would be the Rasmallai which is not dry as sandesh is but is soaked with clotted cream – Comilla from Bangladesh is the undisputed leader in this dish . Sandesh is displayed and sold in many shapes like the counch shell , elephants , fish , lotus etc. It si considered a bet- ter and healthy alternative snack when you compare once to deep fried sweets or sweets soaked in syrup.

I could go on and on when it comes to the sweets of Bengal and still not be satisfied – Beit the ‘’ or ‘lady keni’ , each sweet has a distinct place of origin and an intersting story be- hind it. For example the ‘pantua’ was renamed ‘lady keni’ when the famous sweetmaker Bhim Nag renamed his version of the pantua. It was on on the occassion of the birthday of Lady Char- lotte Canning , wife of Governor Canning and Bhim Nag specially prepared the sweets for her!

Someone famous once said “ I’m not a vegetarian, I’m a dessertarian” and I can see where he is going clearly . I for one shall be following him blindly for I strongly believe that if hard work is considered the ‘meat’ of life then surely dessert is the pure pleasure of it!

66 Bonjour

Choosing The Vintage... WineA Twenty Pairing Pence Tour

Red Bordeaux: Red Bor- The following are some of the sev- deaux wines have a bit of e owe it to the vindictive eral criteria to keep in mind when W Cabernet or Merlot in them. French, who decided that com- balancing the wine’s flavour: Chablis: These are lean, plicating an entire language with • It is all colour coded: This is They are thus of a more fla- dry white wines, with a hint a completely different pronun- the oldest and safest rule in voured vintage, thus going of the mineral content in ciation than other Latin tongues the book. Red wines go with really well with strong fla- taste. They go well with white simply just wasn’t enough. They red meat. White wines go with vours such as Beef or strong meats, lighter pork prepara- ort: Add a dash of brandy started pairing the wines, mix- white meat. cheese such as Rocquefort. P ing flavours, vintages and aromas • Flavour: If a wine is mild, it tions and seafood. Refrain while brewing a red wine, However, owing to its rich- with the right food. Though wine usually helps to pair it with a from accompanying them and the result is Port wine. ness, it should be avoided tasting is more of an art, wine milder taste of food, such as with heavier, fatty foods. They have a higher alcohol pairing is easier. The whole idea with acidic foods like vinegar a non spicy seafood, cheese content, and are also incred- of the concept is that the flavour or chicken preparation. If it is and citrus. of the food does not clash with rich in flavour, couple it with ibly sweet. They thus go best that of the wine, thus letting one a relatively bolder prepara- Chardonnay: It is one of as an after dinner accompa- know of its actual flavour. tion of food, such as a peppery the heaviest white wines, full niment with dessert, and are chicken. Red Burgundy: If you like bodied in flavour. Unless served in relatively smaller The most important attribute to • Tannins and Acid: If the vin- a flavourful Red Bordeaux, the food accompaniment is glasses. be taken into consideration while tage is an older one, or by any but need to make it go with comparatively very strong, pairing wine, is the character of reason has a high content of acidic sauces, then a Burgun- such as red meats and bar- the wine itself. As J.K. Rowling put tannin in it, it would be a safe dy is the answer. It is lighter it, the wand chooses the wizard. bet to taste it with something beque sauce, the Chardon- auvignon Blanc: These than the Bordeaux, but the S Similarly, the vintage chooses the rich in fat. A beef steak, or nay proves to be among the are light, crisp white wines flavour is more elegant, with viand. Having a rich, mild and fried chicken, or even a rich few white wines that are very slightly acidic in nature. They fatty wine with a relatively acidic a shade of tannin and the cheese would do well with it. versatile. go well with heavier white preparation of a lighter meat may This is because the tannin in vineyard terroir in it. It goes meats, citrus sauce and most work in human coupling, but in the wine cleanses the palate of great with all dishes, except seafood. They don’t do as well case of wines it spells disaster. Op- all previous flavours. distinct flavours like lamb posite flavours DO NOT attract, • Acid goes with acid: Always erlot: The Merlot is a with cream based sauces or and cream. M barring a few exceptions, like try to match a wine with a red wine a shade softer than red meats. Riesling and spice. higher acidity with relatively the Cabernet Sauvignon. It acidic food, such as vinegar, proves to be lighter in fla- lemon juice etc. In all instanc- Cabernet Sauvignon: This vour without removing the es, refrain from pairing it with is a full flavoured wine that is any dish that is cream based, elegance and smokiness in lest it tastes like cheese soaked usually accompanied by more taste from the Cabernet or in vinegar! lasting and heavier flavours Burgundy. It thus does well • Spice: Wine usually doesn’t go and textures, such as red everywhere that the Caber- well with spice. This is the pri- meat and mushrooms. Sea- net does, except that Pork is mary reason for the absence of food (barring Tuna), salads a bad idea alongside it. Also, a wine culture in India, where and dessert should be avoid- spice is a major character of because it is less acidic, avoid the preparation. However, ed with it. This is also one of using it with tangy food. Riesling and Gewurtztraminer the most popular wines in are two exceptions, and usu- the world, and is THE wine ally go fine with spicy dishes. to uncork at dinners.

70 Bonjour Bonjour 71 The Great Escape

72 Bonjour MURUD FORT - The silent witness to history

Murud is about 50km south ling for the first time out of Mum- ings built by the Siddis have most- strange feeing of being protected The Murud fort continues to of Alibag and the coastline con- bai and seeing their uncertainty ly crumbled and become ruins. persisted even though I don’t re- haunt me many reasons – Firstly necting them is a ‘must do’! So & insecurities, I offered to escort ally believe in these things. There because it’s the one fort that I yesterday I took an auto from them as we were all heading in By the time we got to Rajpuri was large sweet water well in the have seen which actually still ex- Alibag and spent the next hour the same direction anyway. So the sun was on its lowest shelves middle of the fort, which added ists physically in nearly full form gazing out at the fantastic scen- after freshening up we took a sim- and the beach had turned a toasty to the atmosphere of well being and not in ruins. ery to Murud. I passed Kashid ple lunch of roti, pickle and won- golden yellow, making it a de- and good planning. beach, which is 17km north of derful sabzi. Next, after running light to view. Since we had ample Its history fascinates me as its Murud and is supposed to be through my basic checklist of wa- time to visit and explore the fort, Our appointed one hour went ancestors intrigue me with their one of the nicest here. If I had ter, torch, band-aid and of course we clambered on to a very dicey whizzing by and as we boarded history of piracy and violence and a choice I would have definitely chocolate bar I suggested that looking boat steered by a most Raju’s boat there was a sense of yet they managed to find some- stopped for a while but as I was we head towards Murud’s most musically inclined boatman – he lingering regret – something we thing in Murud for them to build in an auto, I just watched it go famous attraction (apart from the regailed us with songs from Dil To were not really prepared for – the fort there. I wonder what is by. beaches) – the Janjira Fort. It is an Pagal Hai and Bombay much to here we were.happy but sad and it that they saw there to be able As usual, I hadn’t booked any imposing, island fortes built own our amusement ...but I must admit this conflict of feeling showed to make their decision. Were place to stay in advance and here 500 mts off the Konkan coast that it did add to the atmosphere openly on all our faces, as we they looking for someone? Or was keen to try some not – too- and the only way to visit it is by in the small boat! After all when sat swaying silently for the rest something? O merely hiding from expensive home-stays, which I boats, which ply from 8am – 6pm did song, wind and sea ever fail?? of the way... this time there was some heinous punishment for found online and looked pretty daily from Rajpuri (the nearest little singing from our end and it they’re past crimes? Maybe there decent with reasonable prices. port). Rarely! The boat didn’t look too seemed that we paid our respects was aromatic love story involved But upon calling, some of the strong and we feared of capsizing to the fort and its ancesters as we somewhere.... whatever be their homestays were closed and I always assumed that the every time a huge breaker came swung away from it. Raju our sole story. They definitely came, con- some were full, so I decided to fortress had been built by Shivaji up but it seemed to be daunted by musician sang his usual Hindi stuff quered and left behind one of the wait till I actually reached there but to my surprise we discovered the music delivered by out boat- and we heard him out seriously most fascinating proofs of their and then decide for myself. from some locals who we be- man (Raju) and left us to land and gave him a decent tip when existence. friended on the beach that it was safely after a precarious journey we offloaded. This trip to the Unfortunately, this took built much before Shivaji’s time of 10 minutes. Ultimately the Murud fort will always be a one longer than I expected. There (in the 12th century BC) by the girls joined into the singing and to remember and we gave Raju were not too many hotels and Siddi’s . Raju was grinning by the time we his due as it would not have been out of a couple that I checked landed. complete without his expert com- out, one looked quite run-down They were descendants of the ments and of course his musical and the other was too expen- traders who came from the Horn The entrance to the fort is prowess! sive. The couple of home-stays of Africa and had a history of uniquely hidden by 2 curved walls that I finally checked looked a piracy in the seas, prior to coming of the fort and is not seen until Upon alighting we hailed some little rough and too basic even to India and settling down here. the boat is really close. And when local transport aka bullock cart for me. Eventually I found a lit- Apparently even Shivaji made we did we saw the entrance sur- and shared it with some other tle hidden gem called ‘ Maria’s many attempts to capture it but rounded by many cannons and we very smelly fishermen to Murud Place’ which seemed brand all efforts failed and the Murud were amazed by the detail that still town – Murud is still a small fish- new and in fact some of it was fortress withstood all attempts of existed in the fort walls. It looked ing town and has managed to still incomplete .The rooms any takeover. Eventually Shivaji’s formidable and protective in the retain its natural and rural charm, were small but adequate and son Sambhaji Rao waged war in waning sunlight and we were told so we were delighted to see glow- all seemed within our budget. the 17th century and managed to to be back at the jettey in an hour. ing lamps flickering through small Pretty relieved to have found it! gain control over it. Even today We clambered up many steps and house windows and a definite There I met a couple of other the 12-mt high walls are proudly alleyways to get differing views of scarcity of street lamps and police students (all girls) from St Xavier’s tall and silent while most of the the island and the fort’s different posts to spoil the atmosphere. College Mumbai who were travel- other mosques and build- sections and somehow this

74 Bonjour Bonjour 75