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Showing posts with label ice cream. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ice cream. Show all posts

An evening unveiling the Magnum

Who can say no to Chocolates? or for that matter Ice Creams, especially with Summer waiting to sneak up on us? Right! That is exactly what went through my mind when I saw the email invite to the Launch of Magnum Ice Cream event. 


On 27th March’13, evening I landed at  The Hyatt Regency,Teynampet,Chennai along with few other Foodies and bloggers. 

The session began late, instead of 7.30 pm, it started at 8 pm and then went on for a good hour. We had a blast during the one hour session, tasting different kinds of chocolates, ice creams, making our own Sundae and having a few minutes with the Chef. Oh, and we noticed the place was packed with quite a few Page 3 celebs, including Actor Prashanth [who just stood in the background] and I did spot Arya as we were leaving the Hotel. 


The evening began with an introduction to Chef Abhiru Biswas of Barry-Callebaut. After giving us a sneak peek into what to expect, he asked us to turn out attention to the 3 bowls in front of us. They were labelled 1, 2 and 3. We tasted the chocolate chips in the 1st one, and then had to describe the taste; the same followed on 2 and 3. Finally, we were quizzed on which one we thought was the Belgian, Swiss and the French. Not many got it right, but it was fun guessing. 


So, if you are a chocoholic but have no idea what is different between the different kinds, here goes, 

 No.1 The Belgian Chocolate has the perfect blend of all that makes us go ga ga goo goo over chocolate- sweet, dark, bitter, smooth and chocolate flavours. 
 No.2 The  Swiss Chocolate was smoother, creamier and milkier in taste
And finally No.3 was the  French chocolate was very dark and very bitter.

Now, moving on the highlight of the evening, the unveiling of the Magnum Ice cream. From the renowned brand of Kwality Walls, Magnum is a new line of ice creams made with Belgian Chocolate. It comes in 3 varieties- Classic[ good ol plain vanilla], Almond [ the outer chocolate had a lovely almond crunch in it] and the last one was Chocolate Truffle [ chocolate all the way through]




Just like the taste differs in the 3 kinds of chocolates, the ice creams too were different. The Classic was smoother, creamier and quite good. The Almond was less sweet but filled with bags of flavour and finally, the Truffle was rich chocolate in and out. 


So, after we dug into the Classic choco bar, the Chef announced there was a fun activity up for us in the audience. There was a sheet of paper with about 20 ingredients on it. We had to pick 5+ a sauce and create our own Sundae. Whoopie, what fun! The sheet was passed around and we finally had our ingredients -
Orange Cake
      Rosemary 
      Black Pepper
      Chocolate Sauce
Crushed Hazelnut
and Kiwi slices. 
Since Rosemary was not available, we substituted it with Mint and for the ice cream, we chose the Almond bar. 


Took us about 5 mins, a whole bunch of us all pepped up, shouting out orders to those who were layering the ice cream, and finally it was done. We named our creation "Harry's Citrus Burst". Why Harry? well, the connection to Magnum gun from the movie Dirty Harry.   

The Emcee and Chef went around tasting the sundaes, but after about 2 tables, they left it to us to taste and pass judgement. Ours was quite good, I just felt we should have done away with the Orange cake [it was dry]. I loved how the Black pepper worked beautifully with the ice cream. Am definitely going to sprinkle some next time I bring home an ice cream. 


Soon, the event was nearing its end and we noticed most of the crowd disappear. The bunch of us piled onto a table, and started shooting questions to the Chef, satiating our thirst. 

Priced at Rs75, these yummy desserts will be available at the nearest Walls outlets soon. Get ready to beat the heat~!! 
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Party inspiration

O tempo passa a correr... A Conchinha já vai fazer 3 anos, está naquela maravilhosa fase da vida em que tudo o que fala é querido e inocente, como só as crianças sabem ser!... Como faz anos a 25 de Março, o tempo não tem ajudado muito (chove sempre no dia de aniversário ou nos dias próximos) - e a minha casa é pequena, com a chuva não se consegue aproveitar o jardim para alargar o espaço. 

Mas, mesmo com as previsões de mau tempo, este ano decidi fazer-lhe uma pequena festinha - e ela anda entusiasmadíssima com o bolo, as pintarolas, o vestido de princesa (que já está a usar)... Só a perspectiva de a fazer feliz, dá-me imenso prazer e alegria!...

A Conchinha quer um bolo da Hello Kitty, com bolinhas. Nada que tenha a ver com o meu conceito habitual de festas infantis, mas tenho que aceitar este desafio. Claro que terei tendência a desvirtuar a decoração da festa, aproximando-a daquilo de que eu gosto mais (e que sei que ela também vai gostar), até porque podemos conduzir e ensinar às crianças o gosto pela beleza, fomentar o conhecimento de coisas novas... e ela ainda não tinha visto as Little Twin Stars! :)

Aqui estão algumas ideias que ando a engendrar apesar de, como já aconteceu, poder mudar tudo à última da hora... 






Time runs so fast... Conchinha is turning 3, she's in that wonderful stage of life where everything she says is cute and innocent, the way only children can be!... As her birthday is on the 25th of March, the weather hasn't helped much (not even on the days close to the date), as it usually rains and my home is too small to gather a nice party - we can't use the garden as an extension.

But, even with the raining forecast, this year I decided to throw her a little party - and she's so excited about the cake, the smarties and the princess dress (that she's been wearing already)! Just the thought of making her happy, gives me so much pleasure and joy!...

Concha wants a Hello Kitty cake, with smarties. Something that is quite far away from my liking, so I might conduct her to something different, equally beautiful, such as the Little Twins Stars theme. We have to show our kids other options, new stuff, so that they can grow their taste based on lots of information.

Here are some ideas that I've been thinking of, not being sure that this will be the final outcome... :)
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Haji Ali once again...

It was 28th January 2013. How do i remember the date so well? It was the day I got the Tata Indica Vista D90 for review :D


 That evening piled the family into the car, and we did a drive around the city, the marina beach, a quick bite at Vrindavan, New Woodlands and finally for desserts headed to Haji Ali on Greams Road. This place had a lot of memories for all of us.. The most recent being of friends landing here after dinner while I had to head back home. And they kept sharing pictures of stuff they ordered and dug into.. grrr... 

We walked in, found a table empty near the counter and started browsing through the menu card, wondering what to order. I wanted to try something different. 


While we were pondering over what to order, I spotted an entire order of Falooda waiting to be served to another table. Requested the guys behind the counter to allow me to take a photograph :D




And finally, we placed our order and waited....Here is Gramma's Strawberries and ice cream[ she had actually wanted cream but ordered ice cream]

 d I chose the Fresh Anjeer shake 

and finally Mom's Dry fruits Falooda, 

What a fun evening it turned out to be... as always.. To read about my 1st visit to Haji ali, click here


Service: Quite prompt- 8/10
Ambiance- Cosy and comfortable -9/0
Cost- Reasonable - these costed Rs268 [approx]

Location-
Haji Ali Juice Centre 
85B, Murugesa Naikar Complex,
Greams Road. 
Call             (044) 28292220       or 28292227 for details or home delivery.
and
Haji Ali juice Center
#124 Sterling Point, Near Bharathirajaa Speciality Hospital & Research Centre, 
G N Chetty Road, T Nagar, Chennai - 600017
Call             (044)-28342704      ,28342705,28342706
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Froyo Factory, Chennai


Without ice cream, there would be darkness and chaos. ~ Don Kardong

I am not the kind who craves desserts and ice creams, but fro-yo is a favorite. At home, there are days when i just whip up a smoothie [yoghurt+ice cubes+fruit]... So, one day last week when my friend I were catching up, we went out to dinner and decided to hop across to Froyo Factory for dessert. I had been chatting with Avanthi [one of the partners at Froyo] and was finally going to be visiting the outlet. We dint really know the location, so I got directions from her and tada, we were there. 

A small cozy outlet, the walls adorned with a few posters on health, and related elements, the place had a nice feel to it. With a few bar stool kinda chairs, it was one of those places you hop into, grab a dessert and hop away. 


We spent time reading through the menu, speaking to the man behind the counter and finally made our decision. My friend chose the Strawberry Madness, while i went for the Very Berry.



 These cute containers were filled with little treats, the guy in charge told me these were add ons for the sundaes- gems, nougat, caramel, dry fruits and so on. 




This is the Strawberry Madness [Rs100]- quite a  generous scoop of froyo with fresh strawberries and strawberry sauce - This was heavenly, esp for someone who loves the fruit.



 And this was mine- Very berry [Rs120]- Again, a generous scoop of froyo with freshly cut strawberries, some frozen blueberries and raspberries with a drizzle of strawberry sauce. - Loved it, it had the sweetness of the blueberry, tartness of raspberry and the freshness from the strawberries... 



We also got to taste the "Flavour of the day" which was "Cream & Cookies", quite nice. The best thing about Froyo desserts are the rich flavour combined with low sugar/sweetness. Also, the cup here might look small, but it is not, the portions are quite large...

If you are looking for some interesting dessert options, head straight here!! They are open till 10.30pm !! 

PS: I loved the spoons, they were different and almost like  lacrosse stick :D

Address:
Froyo Factory
#12, RajaChari Street, T. Nagar, 
Chennai- 600017
Ph- +91 9176255580
Directions: Head towards Joy Alukkas or BBQ Nation- There is a playground at the end of the roads, turn left, and then turn right along with the playground. You will find FroYo on your left, there is a bright white lit board :) 

Disclaimer:
The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember that restaurants and eat outs sometimes change with time, so does their food and service. So, kindly consider these factors while visiting the places. Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-)



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Haagen-Dazs arrives in Chennai


Häagen-Dazs, a name that brings a twinkle in every eye,
Häagen-Dazs, a brand that people who are into desserts, especially ice creams will know
Häagen-Dazs, need i say more?

Well, today, Chennai has a new entrant in the ice cream arena, that too in prime location- Khader Nawaz Khan road. Yes, you read it right. Even though all this while  Haagen-Dazs ice creams were available across select outlets in the city, a stand alone outlet sure changes things. It shows that the city has welcomed the brand, has shown them they have a place in this beautiful city. :-) 



Häagen-Dazs (pron.: /ˈhɑːɡəndɑːz/) is an ice cream brand, established by Reuben and Rose Mattus in the Bronx, New York, in 1961. Starting with only three flavors: vanilla, chocolate, and coffee, the company opened its first retail store in Brooklyn, New York, on November 15, 1976.  Häagen-Dazs produces ice cream, ice cream bars, ice cream cakes, sorbet and frozen yogurt.
~Source: Wikipedia 

The outlet is situated in the same complex as Cascade & Man mandir store in Khader Nawaz Khan road, and on the ground floor is where Haagen-Dazs is located. The Franchise is owned by Sam Paul, the one who opened Crimson Chakra on KNK road, and who also owns Toni & Guy salons in the city.


 The range of desserts-Top shelf- Brownie, Cookies[they were huge], Blueberry muffin and choco muffin; 2nd shelf-  Cheese cake, Blueberry cheese cake, Apple crumble pie and behind is the Minnesota Mud pie. 

 The waffle cones, they were divine- so crisp and beautiful


 Paradise- a layered heavenly dessert- ice cream scoops tucked between layers of waffles, served alongside fresh strawberry fresh cream and chocolate sauce.



Chef Anthony, addressing the crowd & answering queries


               The set of 3 cup cake ice cream desserts
                                                                                                                          The tub of ice cream we got when we left

The pricing is around,
Single Scoop Ice Cream Rs 180/- 
Double Scoop Ice Cream Rs 300/- 
Large Pint Ice Cream Rs 700/- 
Shakes/Drinks Rs 300/- odd 
Sundaes 3 Scoops+Sauces Rs 420/- 
3 Cup Cake Ice Cream Desserts Rs 550/-
There also offer elaborate desserts, almost like a meal, which cost around 800 bucks. So, take your time, sample the ice creams and then decide what you want :)

They are priced similar to Movenpick situated across the street. Only time will tell which of the two giants survive and which one buckles.  

Location:
 No. 32, Ground Floor, Platinum Towers, Khader Nawaz Khan Road, 
Nungambakkam, 
Chennai - 600034

Disclaimer:
The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember that restaurants and eat outs sometimes change with time, so does their food and service. So, kindly consider these factors while visiting the places. Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-)
reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Pazham Pori [Banana Fritters]

"Try some Pazham pori", she said bringing in a plate of what looked like Hot fritters.. It had a light golden colour on it and aroma wafting along the way was divine.... 

I bit into it cautiously aware of how hot it was and i went "Mmmmm".. It was sweet, but not overpoweringfly sweet, it was soft, but not mushy soft, it was yumm... All i missed was a scoop of Vanilla Ice cream, and ta da, before i knew it there was a scoop of ice cream on the table... This is what i call sinful.... 

It has been quite a few years, but still the memory lingers on...  The last time i had these was during the houseboat ride in Coir village Resort near Allepey in Kerala, during the holiday a couple of high school girl friends took :-) [yes, it was yours truly travelling with her 3 BFF]

When i asked the guy at the resort how he made it, this is what he had to say....  [this is in case you dont have any friends from Kerala or Mallu land ;o) ]

What you need-
Giving measurements for 4 bananas!!

Ripe Nendram Banana -  4
Maida- 1 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 tbsp (depending on the sweetness of the banana)
Salt - a pinch (optional)
Water- Enough to mix the flour in...
Oil - for frying

How to do it..

1. Mix the maida with water, salt and sugr to make a nice thick paste... [almost like Dosa batter consistency]
2. Cut the Bananas length wise into long strips... [2 slices off a banana]
3. Place a pan on the stove and add the necessary amount of oil, bring it to a good temperature [whatever is best suited for frying]
4. Dip the banana in the batter and fry till light golden brown


You can eat this as it is or with ice cream or chocolate sauce.... Bon Appetit!!
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Parfait3

So, finally i managed to visit the much hyped Parfait3, which is walking distance from home...  from the outside, it looked like a cafe, a bistro maybe...  but on entering i realised it is much more !!

The minimalistic decor and the colours are just perfect, adding to the experience... There was also an outdoor seating area, but we thought it might get hot. It is tucked away, and so one cant really see you while walking on the road...

The menu was damn interesting... I noticed you got yummy breakfast, and some Continental dishes as well. I tried their breakfast, pancakes and juice, while my friend tried the eggs... 

A friend who'd been here earlier recommended the hazelnut drink, which was sinful, and such a bang of flavours. I noticed they also had some Pastas, burgers, sandwiches along with fish n chips, and even mushroom pie... I liked the fact that they had a good mix of vegetarian and non vegetarian items on the menu.. 


Since i was there in the morning, i dint try any of the main dishes. The menu boats of an extensive Dessert list as well. From Shakes, ice cream, to cakes and cookies. 

We polished off the pancakes and drinks and walked out with a content look on our faces.. It was surprising to see the crowd in the morning... We decided to walk home, and on the way i noticed there was Arun ice cream and Cup o Cafe on the same road- both of which looked abandoned...

I am sure i would revisit Parfait 3 to sample some of the other dishes served. The cost i felt was just right, reasonable and it was a cool place to meet friends or just hang out on a lazy afternoon... 

When talking to the man behind the counter, i came to know they offer  Home delivery for places upto 3kms [Yayy, i sure do live within that radius]

Do visit here if you want to have something besides idli and dosa for breakfast!!

Ambiance- 4/5
Pricing- 4/5
Food- 4.5/5
Service-4/5

Address: 
No.16, manikeshwari road, Kilpauk,
Chennai-10.
They also have branches in Velachery (100 feet road) and Anna Nagar.

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Cream & Fudge Factory, Chennai

So, finally the visit to Cream & Fudge Factory happened last evening. It is a fairly small place, rather narrow and long space located near Auroville and Cafe Coffee Day lounge on Khader Nawaz Khan Road.

I had read about the Cold stone concept and how they mix the ice cream with fruits and sauces before serving it to you, ergo, i was curious to taste the end result... As you walk in through the doors, the display of ice creams and waffle cones are the 1st thing you see, but not before the warmth in that area has you break out into a sweat.. it was really warm there.. but the seating area was cool/cold wherever the ac worked!. I was fascinated with the 4 kinds of waffle cones and cups on display.
Plain Waffle
Waffle coated with Chocolate sauce
Waffle coated with Chocolate sauce and colourful sprinkles and finally  the
Waffle coated with Chocolate sauce and nuts

[Pic courtesy: Cream & Fudge Factory website]


After scanning through the extensive menu card, i decided on the Apple Crumble ice cream.. They also had a choose the flavours and create your own ice cream option

I love Apple Pie, and basically anything to do with Apples and Cinnamon... :-) 


I chose the Waffle coated with Chocolate sauce and colourful sprinkles in Medium size and waited for the treat to arrive.. My Friend chose the Rocky Road in the same waffle cup... 
  
It was sinful.. The flavour of apples, cinnamon and sweetness was just perfect.. I relished it to a point where i was nearly done and remembered i have not taken a picture of the dessert :D


The ice cream no doubt was good.. but i dont really know what the cold stone did to the dessert, it tasted like someone had mashed up an apple pie with ice cream, and dolloped it. The vanilla ice cream is nice and full of flavour and so is the fudge sauce.. And another thing was we were unable to enjoy the waffle cup, it is just there, towards the end of the ice cream, i kinda squished the waffle like a dosa and gobbled it up!!

Ok, to update, i was here again in the same week when another friend took me over for a treat.. And this time, i was wise, actually both of us were- we chose the simple plain cup for our ice creams. I had the berry ice cream with Cherry pie and it was good!! There was no place to sit, so we walked around the road devouring our ice creams and catching up on our lives... Was fun!!  

Ambiance- 7/10[Ac wasnt working in the area where you place the order, but it was cool in the seating area, dont know if it was a deliberate thing]
Service- Nothing to rate here as it is self service
Food- Good 8/10
Price- 5/10 [And it is quite expensive.... Albeit, it was friend's treat, but i did notice the prices!! ] 
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Haji Ali

The 1st time i heard of Haji Ali fruit center was through my cousin, and on a Sunday we decided to visit the place. As we turned into Greams Road, memories came flooding back... The Juice center is right next to my Ex-office, it had been 5yrs since i had been on that road... 

The ambiance was quite nice,  nothiing over the top, but quite simple and neat. We chose a table near the window and started scanning through the menu card. 

While they do serve juices, milkshakes and fruits with cream, they also have an extensive menu for food items- sandwiches, pizzas, burgers  & fries. Their sandwiches are quite yummy, and the chutney has a bit of Mumbai flavor in it.. 

Mango with Cream
Strawberry with Cream
Strawberry Faluda
Mango Faluda
1 plain Vanilla ice cream 
1 plate of French Fries
was ordered.................. 

We sampled all the drinks, enjoyed some, while others were avg.. Few mins later, beckoned the waiter to place more orders-

Lychee with cream
Mango Milkshake
More Fries

Since that 1st visit, i have been back there atleast 3 -4times and everytime i try to order something different... Each of the dishes, ice creams and drinks have been divine...

Their portions are quite large, especially the milkshakes, and Faluda, plus they are quite filling... Once we went to Haji Ali around 10pm and ordered 
Fruits with ice cream
Strawberr Jelly with ice cream
2 veg grilled sandwich
 [Pic courtesy- http://chennaionline.com]

These were simply delicious... and we left with a big grin on our faces! The place serves only vegetarian food dishes, so dont expect other options! The one dish that everyone has been raving about is Custard Apple with cream, so the next time i visit i shall dive into this as well :)

During my most recent visit, i discovered they have opened an outlet in T-Nagar, right next to Cafe Coffee day, Prakasam street.. The corner that joins with GN Chetty road, near Maverick Gym!

Service: Quite prompt
Ambiance- Cosy and comfortable
Cost- Reasonable 
Location-
Haji Ali Juice Centre 
85B, Murugesa Naikar Complex,
Greams Road. 
Call (044) 28292220 or 28292227 for details or home delivery.
(or)
Haji Ali juice Center
#124 Sterling Point, Near Bharathirajaa Speciality Hospital & Research Centre, 
G N Chetty Road, T Nagar, Chennai - 600017
Call (044)-28342704,28342705,28342706
 
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