October's Here - Lot's of Fun Things to Do

[Image courtesy- The Grub Fest]

The nip in the early morning air is unmistakable, and the cooling down of temperatures signals the start of the festive season here in Delhi. If you are a lover of food, as well as art and design, then October is the best time of the year to be in Delhi/Gurgaon. There is something happening almost every weekend, and the added bonus is, with the pleasant weather, it’s actually fun being outdoors!

So here is a list of some of the events happening in and around Delhi this Month.

Gurgaon Farmers' Market by Karen Anand  (10^th & 11^th October)

Kicking things off is the Gurgaon Farmers' Market  at DLF Cyber Hub, which will be on over the weekend. You can expect to see some exotic as well as local produce ranging from fruit and vegetables to meats, cheeses, confectionery and a whole lot more! Check out their FB page Here.

A Festival of Art, Design & Music  (17th & 18th October)

Expect to see everything from home wares to saris as well as art and photography, and a vintage flea market to boot! And all in a beautiful old Haveli. The Festival of Art, Design & Music at Serendipity promises to be a great way to spend the day, with some good food and bring in the sun set with some great live performances. More on this festival Here. 

Ode to Earth Market Event  (23rd – 25th October)

The annual Ode To Earth Market at The Epicentre, Gurgaon, will showcase handcrafted products of more than 40 artisans from across the country. So a must visit if you like ethnic Indian wares. More on this event Here. 

Grub Fest 2.0 (23rd – 25th October)

It's time to ‪#‎GetGrubbed again! This year the Grub Fest will be held on the Ambience Lawns, Gurgaon. Grub Fest 2.0 promises to be bigger and better this year. I went last year and had a blast. More on The Grub Fest Here.

The Menon's Weekend Getaway to Neemrana Fort Palace

Ever since Adhira arrived, it feels like the hubs and I have been running around like headless chickens. And for some reason, we seem to be tired all the time! :) So when the long weekend came up at the beginning of May, we decided to head off to the Neemrana Fort Palace with some friends for a night. It would be Adhira's first overnight trip with us and we were quite excited and just a little nervous too.

Last year the hubs and I visited Kesroli Hill Fort hotel, another property of the Neemrana group, and I've been wanting to visit Neemrana ever since then. The Neemrana Fort Palace is actually a hotel, in fact one of India's oldest heritage hotels and it's about a 90 minute drive from Gurgaon. It's a beautiful structure that is nestled on a hillock and offers magnificent views of the surrounding area. 

We had a great time there, spent some fun time in their pool, sipped on some cool beers while the kids played, and I, of course, spent some quality time in their Spa. The spa offers some great treatments, although a little on the pricey side, and to be honest, I have had better massages, but they do a nice facial, which I really did enjoy. 

The rooms in Neemrana are pleasant enough, although I think they need a little bit of attention in terms of upkeep. The ac in our room was leaking, but we just couldn't be asked to complain, since we spent most of our time out of the rooms. The food, though, is wonderful and their lunch spread is especially good. A little word of caution, with this hotel though, my view is that the Neemrana Fort Palace hotel, while lovely and romantic, does throw up some issues for infants as well as for anyone with knee problems. There are just so many steps to climb, and everything is spread out over such a distance, that at one point I got lost in search of the lunch room :) For me, Kesroli Fort, because of its smaller size, offers a much more intimate setting, with beautiful rural scenery and you can let your kids run arounds without fear of them toppling down stairs :)

While I wanted to stay on for another night, the hubs wisely decided to keep it to one. According to him, we would need the rest of the weekend to recuperate from the trip. While initially there was quite an animated 'discussion' over this, I concede that in hindsight he was right (for once). Travelling with a child is quite tiring :) In between all the swimming, spa time and running around behind Adhi, I did manage to click a few pics ... enjoy!

[All images by Shalini Pereira. Please do not use without prior written permission]

When the Menons Got #Grubbed!

This post is long over due... A lot of things have happened since my last post, and life is working on a whole different schedule, one where sitting down and composing ones thought's are a luxury! So what's got me so busy that I don't have time to check in with you guys? Well... we have a new addition to the family! Last month the hubs and I welcomed our little princess Adhira into our family and ever since then, life has never been the same... and in the most amazing way too!

Anyway getting back to the point, between 3rd and 5th April, a few weeks after we brought our princess home, The Grub Fest came up , and we felt that Adhira was settled enough to go on a family outing. So off we went, looking forward to some good food and some nice memories to be found on the sprawling lawns of Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Sadly, having an infant means you run according to their schedules, so we ended up reaching the grounds at around 2pm, probably the hottest part of the day. Finding a parking was a breeze since there were ample parking facilities and this was a real plus when compared to The Palete Food Festival held at Nehru Park last year. The one disappointment was the rude staff at the security (the lady doing the checking was a real piece of work). And I'm not sure why bags need to be manually checked if they have already been through a scanning machine!

That being said, once we arrived on the scene, we were all pretty impressed with the carnival-like atmosphere, the sheer number of stand alone restaurants represented, and the well organised and systematic manner in which all the exhibiting restaurant's stalls had been laid out. There were all kinds of foods on offer and it was great to see big names and newcomers alike, all in one location. It truly was a carnival of food! Kudos to Aman Kumar, Arjun Jain, Chaitanya mathur and Mani Singh Cheema, whose idea this festival was. 

Aside from the restaurant stalls, there were food trucks and a Grub Market where organic and fresh produce was available as well as baked goods, condiments and other goodies too! 

Here are a few images of our time at The Grub Fest... 

Some of the installations at the venue

Thought these bell peppers were cute and kinda freaky too :)

Getting to the Food

What The Truck!

Finally got a taste of the keema pao served by What The Truck... 

one word... AWESOME! Not such a big fan of their 

chips 'n' cheese though :(

We enjoyed some cool Buds and some great dim sum at Dao. 

This is the crab and prawn roll and it was delish!

When things got a little too hot we cooled off with some Old fashioneds 

and an Elderflower Spritzer at the ATM & PCO area. I know... 

Whisky in the afternoon! Try not to judge :)

The Elderflower Spritzer

The Old Fashioned

The Eton Mess... served at ATM PCO was a little disappointing...

And that's us! Our princess was getting a little cranky by this point!

Overall our visit to The Grub Fest was a great family outing. Well organised and an awesome group of restaurants represented. That being said, toilets were an issue, as always... and thankfully I didn't have to change any diapers... but I did pity the moms who did! 

Timing was also an issue. I think food festivals like these need to be held when it's cooler, so walking around is fun, even in the afternoon. In terms of location, if you were to honestly ask me, I'd say Nehru Park trumps JN stadium. For me, it is such a beautiful park, with tall trees that offer shade and large lawn areas where you can sit and have a picnic of sorts- a far prettier place for a food festival. I look forward to next year, I'm sure it will be bigger, bolder and much improved! 

[All images by Shalini Pereira. Please do not use without prior written permission]

India Design ID 2015 Round Up

The Last last two weeks have been a dream for those of us who love art, design and culture. First the India Art Fair, followed by the India Design ID and its satellite events and then the I Haat Delhi festival over the weekend. As you can imagine, it was quite an eventful week!

A lot of crazy deadlines meant that I couldn't attend any of the satellite events I had planned to during Design ID week. I did however manage to squeeze out a day to attend the Exhibition and Symposium on Friday. Big shout out to Vani Ganesh of Perfect Relations, who arranged a pass for me for the symposium. BV Doshi was to attend and speak on the day I went, but sadly he cancelled last minute :(

ID Symposium

The main Exhibition Pavilion included a lot of established names like Valaya Home, Casa Pop by Raseel Gujral, Sarita Handa, Apartment 9 and The Charcoal Project. This exhibition area focused mostly on decor and home styling, while the Design Pavilion focused on Indian Designers & Design and included names like Neeru Kumar, Godrej Design Lab, ThePurpleTurtles and EDIDA 2014 winners. 

Some of the stalls and booths were beautifully set up and I have included images of these. Others, I felt tried to crowd too much in and it was impossible to navigate through. One big issue I had was that a few design booths and stalls didn't allow visitors to take photographs. Come on guys, we are giving you free promotion! Besides that, if having your designs copied is an issue, take a leaf out of Coco Chanel's philosophy. For her, copying was the greatest compliment you could give her besides the free publicity. Besides, she had the confidence in her product to know that even if it was copied, it would never be the same as the real thing. And if having your products photographed is still such an issue, please put up a sign stating very clearly that photography of your stall is not permitted! I saw a lot of visitors and students trying to take pictures only to be scolded. I believe this platform is one based on the idea of promoting design and sharing ideas and this attitude is the very antithesis of that idea.

This was the set up by Krea and I absolutely love their contemporary furniture that has a mid-century modern feel. They have some beautifully designed chairs and benches- a couple of pieces that have gone on my 'someday maybe' list :) Their flagship store is in Sultanpur, on MG Road and I am planning a visit soon.

I totally fell for this black wall of distressed antique frames. Cool how they work so well together in spite being different shapes, sizes and shades. Something to ponder on maybe? 

Cute and eclectic as always, Nur's display was fun, playful and very whimsical, which pretty much sums up their range of products. I liked their colorful rugs and doormats and their quirky cushion covers.

Saw these cute and colorful seats, part of the Retyrement Plan range of occasional furniture by Anu Tandon Viera for Godrej Design Lab. They are made from discarded tyres and colorful ropes. That pouffe/table is so going on my wishlist :)

The AKFD design booth was another set up that I loved. The minimal grey backdrop was the perfect foil for their contemporary designs that offer a fresh take on traditional Indian crafts. My favorites were their Lamp designs. 

The Neeru Kumar design booth has some truly beautiful textiles for the home ranging from cushion covers and rugs to framed wall hangings. It was delightful speaking with Neeru, a pioneer who has made a huge impact on the Indian Textile scene. 

Look who I bumped into! My senior from IED, Hardik Gandhi, who is the founder of DesignGandhi, India. He and his colleague, Ritika Nanda of Mother Gone Mad Design Studio displayed their works in furniture and custom lighting in this booth.

'When ideas crystallize- ThePurpleTurtles

The Trends Pavilion included installations of designers interpretations of color and color trends forecasting. There were a few interesting installations, but honestly, and at the risk of sounding very stupid, I found this pavilion the least visitor friendly. This is why... 

When I visited, all I saw were various installations where it was obvious a certain color or set of colors were being used. However, I think to properly explain this to visitors, there needs to be a few people at each installation who are knowledgeable about color and can explain these trends to the visitors. 

Secondly I think it would be nice to also have a few color themed collage-like displays (moodboards?), kind of like the ones you see in decor magazines. I think this is also a really great method of conveying color and colors that are trending. 

This is just my own little opinion, and I'm the first to admit I'm no expert here.

Finally, the outdoors spaces also had various installations by designers like Martand khosla, Mukul Goyal and Alex Davis. Now here is where I was a little disappointed. I really felt like the outdoor spaces should have been utilised more. What I would love to see more of are bigger and bolder installations that have a sense of scale. Things like an installation that could also be a kids play area- where art and design meet the built environment. Otherwise it's just art for arts sake.

This installation was along the lines of what I was hoping for. Visitors could go in and experience it as well as its relation to the surroundings. But it was very small in terms of scale. 

This on the other hand was more of an arty sculpture, and while I liked it, and it was certainly interesting, I think it may have been more relevant in an art fair.

There were a number of F&B stalls as well, from Guppy by ai to Dunkin Donuts, Elma's brasserie and Coast Cafe, to name just a few. I really hope that next year (keeping in mind the lovely weather we have in February) more of the F&B stalls are outside. I love the idea of an outdoor food courtyard, a place where maybe kids can run around and people can chat. It would also give the food stalls more space for seating, something that became a bit of an issue during peak lunch hours at the Design ID. 

An incredibly refreshing raspberry soda from SodaBottleOpenerWala... 

all it needed was some vodka :)

Loved these chili tuna rolls from Guppy by ai, the tuna was fresh, the rolls were crispy on the outside and bursting with flavour. I wasn't too impressed with their chicken curry with sticky rice though.

An interesting installation in the F&B area of the Exhibition pavilion

This was the third installation of India Design ID but the first time I attended. I spent most of the day there, dividing my time between the Symposium and the Exhibition spaces, with a break for a delicious lunch which I enjoyed at the Guppy by Ai & SodaBottleOpenerWala stall. It was a great day that was enlightening and informative. The India Design ID is a great  way for designers and design enthusiasts to source  products for the  home and it is also an amazing way to interact with design icons and experts in the field.  The  events were very well  organised and  the exhibition  areas well  laid out. I'm looking forward to next years event.

[All images by Shalini Pereira. Please do not use without prior written permission]

India's Definitive Design Week is Almost Here

OK, so... we’ve had our fill of art, with the India Art Fair, an incredible 3 day event which ended last Sunday. Now it’s time to get our quota of design! The India Design ID 2015, India's most definitive design week, is just around the corner. It's scheduled to kick off from Feb 9^th and is a weeklong celebration of all things design, covering Architecture, Interiors, Product Design and more.  

The India Design ID has 3 main parts- Firstly, the exhibition, which starts next weekend, 13^th - 15^th Feb, which will involve, the exhibit areas where visitors can view the finest in home decoration and design. Secondly, the symposium, which will involve discussions and lectures by eminent designers. The third aspect of the India Design ID are the satellite events which involve events across the design districts of Delhi, areas known for their ‘hip’ design vibe.

All in all, this event is going to be a dream for all of us who love design and are interested in a dialogue and discussion on design, where it is and where it’s going. If you are planning to attend, you can find all the details on the India Design ID website.

I am going to be there, with an eyes open and ears to the ground to get a scoop on the latest trends and the latest happenings in the design world… hope I see you there! 

Oh and if this wasn't enough, the I Haat Delhi festival is also taking place on 14th & 15th Feb at the Garden of Five Senses. It's a festival that is bringing together Delhi's food, markets, music and art like and it sounds like a blast! 

Art Meets Coffee & Glimpses of the India Art Fair 2015

I love this time of the year in Delhi. If you love art, culture and design, then this is the place to be for the next few weeks. It's peak season for all things cultural here in the capital, and there is such a buzz around with festivals, art & design fairs and food bazaars taking place almost every weekend. Last weekend saw the 7th edition of the India Art Fair being held at its usual venue, the NSIC grounds. I try and visit every year and each time I'm impressed by how much more vibrant it is. It's quite a spectacle and an amazing place to see and be seen. And it's so much more than just art! You can really get a feel for Delhi street fashion style, from artists, to art students and the hip and happening of the capital's social scene all strutting their stuff :)

This year I was invited by Le Meridien Delhi to attend an event titled Barista Meet Artista, where Dutch born barista and latte artist, Esther Maasdam worked in sync with Indian visual artist, Sohan Jakhar to create some interesting and signature coffee art inspired by Sohan's designs. I was quite amazed with Esther's steady hand while making tiny and intricate designs in coffee foam. It was quite an interesting experience and quite a novel concept by Le Meridian Delhi. A nice way to combine food and art. I was glad I could attend. 

After the event, I ambled around, soaking in the feel of the fair. There was some incredible art on display and it was nice to take it all in. Food also made a big contribution to the Art Fair, and this year there were so many Pop Up restaurants from Lodhi- garden restaurant, to Elma's, Sodabottleopenerwalla, Guppy by Ai and La Bodega, to name a few. I had a quick bite at the La Bodega pop up stall in the VIP area and loved their Chicken Cipotle tostadas. The first time I visited the fair, a few years ago, it felt like the fair more about art and sales and it didn't feel like a festival. This time it was a celebration of art and the fact that so many restaurants made their presence felt, meant that it became a great place for a days outing with the entire family. 

There were so many positives at this years fair and I look forward to a bigger and better show next year. Negatives? I won't go into issues like restroom facilities (a perennial problem at all events such as these) but I would like to see some performing artists like mime artists and perhaps even some live jazz by contemporary Indian artists. There is so much open space around the tented areas where people were sitting around and talking, and performing art would have made things so much more lively. 

All things said and done a very successful event and and I can't wait for next year!

[All images by Shalini Pereira. Please do not use without prior written permission]

A Visit to Humayun's Tomb

I had planned to do this post ages ago, but somehow never got around to it. But since I've recently done a post on Delhi sights, I thought I'd follow it up with this one.

Sometime back I had visited Humayun’s Tomb with family who were visiting during Diwali break. This was my second visit, the first being years before, when I was too young to remember/appreciate much. It was a cool Novemeber day when we visited, but the sun was shining brightly and the sky was clear and bright blue. We arrived late in the morning, and luckily it wasn’t too crowded.

Located in Nizamuddin, East Delhi, Humayun’s tomb is a must see if you are visiting Delhi. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and I think it’s magnificent, bearing a striking resemblance to the Taj Mahal. This structure of red sandstone and white marble is a beautiful example of Mughal Architecture. The Tomb lies in the centre of a Char Bagh Garden, a Persian style garden with a quadrilateral layout. The highly geometrical layout of the garden, with its channels of flowing water creates a soothing atmosphere- its as though an air of tranquility hangs over the entire area. This was one of the things I really loved about my visit here, the sense of calm that the garden was originally meant to provide could really be experienced, unlike the almost manic experience of visiting the Taj, with its noisy, surging crowds that detract from the serenity the structure was meant to portray.

Come here on a weekend, with family or friends and enjoy the architecture, breathe in the history and the atmosphere in peace. There are also several spots surrounding the structure, where you can sit under the shade of orange trees and catch your breath after all the exploring.

Here are a few images I clicked...

Facts- Open daily

            Nearest metro stations is JLN Metro Station or Central Secretariat metro station

[Images- Shalini Pereira]