10 Reasons You Should Visit Burger King

Being the first burger makers and tasters of the Burger King Burger, a day before it opened for people we the bloggers definitely had a fun time. So here is why we think you should go and try it out.

1. The only place in the world where vegetarians like me are served a whopper.
   
2. The whopper truly is a huge burger and you have to hold it via two hands, one hand cannot hold it. 
   
   
   
3. If you love a lot of cheese, the Chilli Cheese is the right one for you.
   
4. The burgers are spicy matching the taste buds of Indians.
   
5. There Onion rings are the best, with good infusion of spice and onion that melts in your mouth. Goes well with tomato ketchup.
   
6. Their smoothies are rich creamy and have the right content of flavor (not too sugary).
   
7. For deserts what better than an Oreo shake, right Oreo lovers?                                                                                                                                                                    8. If you love cheeze and need a little filling, try the cheezos. 

9. Their burgers are made in very hygienic settings (for details check : http://matrixlifemagazine.blogspot.in/2014/11/lets-make-hygienic-burger.html)

10. It serves till 12:00 PM, they wont let you go hungry to bed. 

So are you ready to feel like a King at Burger King?

Pictures Courtesy: Burger King and Perfect Relations.

Yota Phone : Is it the next generation phone?

Yotaphone, the new international brand manufacturing device company is out with the first ever dual screen phone. The front screen is a regular screen like the one in every mobile phone. However, I choose to call it next generation because it comes with a secondary screen at the back which has the e-Ink technology, the one in your kindle readers. This helps you to read unlimited books of course and also access all the contents of your phone like messages , facebook etc. Using the secondary screen saves battery life immensely as it doesn't consume so much power as accessing the same features on the primary screen. this is truly an smart and intelligent design, also a dream for the book lovers.

The Yotaphone Device: Front (primary) and Back (secondary) Screens

The first generation of Yota didn't have a good navigation of the secondary screen making it hard to access, but that feature has been made better in the second generation. This phone totally stands out of the crowd and people planning to buy both a kindle and a phone can do with now just a Yotaphone.  The phone also boasts of a 32gb internal storage, 1.7 GHz + Snapdragon 400, Dual Core, 13 megapixel primary camera and 2gb RAM. 

The device is only available in India via Flipkart only and hence we haven't got a chance to review it yet. Hope that will happen soon. Its Priced at 23,499; little higher than its competitors with similar specifications. Also with Xiomi being a tough competitor, Yotaphone should reconsider its pricing around 15,000-18,000 INR.  Though it does stand out via its USP but going by the public reviews on Flipkart, they still have to do a lot of work on the screen yet. Also they should increase their screen size as that facilitates reading better, 4.3 inches is just not good enough. The secondary camera is just 1 MP and thats just too low as the generations of phones coming out now will have a minimum of 2-5MP camera. 

Once they work on these I will surely grab one, for what does one want more than reading books at leisure on a phone?

Fancy a look on its features via a video? Watch it here: 

Image courtesy: http://yotaphone.com/in-en/press-center/

Lets make a hygienic burger with Burger King!

On 8th of November 2014, a day before Burger King opened its Indian outlet for people bloggers were invited for an in detailed to cum review of their burgers. While my review will come in the next post what i would love to showcase the health and hygiene conscious generation of mine how a burger is made at Burger King for I made one my self. In retrospection I made the first burger that day at burger king.

Burger King: Second Floor, Select City walk Saket.

Post dividing us in into veg and non-veg teams where Rocky (of Rocky and Mayur foodies fame) was our team lead ensuring everything goes as per plan, and to boost our morale with his cheerful and energy packed attitude. As people started stepping backwards, myself, Deeba Rajan (well she needs no introduction, and for novices she is the most aesthetic food bloggers) and Anubhav Sapra (who is more popularly the founder of Delhi Food Walks) went into the battle ground to make one. Here are the steps we were made to follow:

1. Wear the head cover and apron before entering the kitchen (I wore mine while listening and laughing).

               All smiles...imagine the fun with action!

2. Remove all accessories on your hands. Wash your hands for 30 seconds with soap, scrub the spaces between your fingers with a scrubber (pre-dissolved in antiseptic) and wash with water. Post drying with a tissue paper apply a sanitiser. Wear disposable gloves.

                    The survey security too tight to be surpassed...all eyes on my hands.

     Hands washed, wiped and sanitiser applied,cant touch anything now....gravitating towards gloves.

3. Listen to the instruction by the demonstrator (we got them just once). Each burger has very specific instructions right from the bun being toasted to a precision of standardized number of seconds, to the application of ingredients on the crown/ the base. The burger should weigh right, taste right and made correctly in under thirty seconds. An ideal whopper is made by them in that much time to a precision of 280 grams.

  Looking at the process with every possible angle.

Zooming in....we would have surely got the most attentive team awards, what say?

4. Its time for action! I began with toasting the bun specific to my burger for precisely 14 seconds and add the ingredients in the right order.

Don't miss the team spirit here!

5. The packing is as important as the making. It should be wrapped in a manner that it doesn't come off and yet is easy to handle while opening. Remember how well packed your burgers come? Can you do it? Think Step 1....Oh there is hope    

     Step 2...With perfection in mind....

Step 3: Rocky's smile tells me I am on the right track

           And finally done satisfactorily.......

5. Would you like a Burger...King?

And that is how hygienically and rapidly a burger is made (of course more rapidly than I could). So next time you go to Burger King with your friends or family, be rest assured of one thing - hygiene!

This post is dedicated to my amazing team mates especially Deeba Rajan and Anubhav Sapra. I really had fun with you at the hands on session. Cheers to the veg team!

I wish to thank Jayati Yaksh and Vani Ganesh from Perfect Relations for this amazing experience and my decision to go ahead with my commitment despite of ill health. Ofcourse I look stunning even when not well ;) Do try the Burgers at Burger King and tell us how you liked them?

Bloggers Meet: The Writers Collective India Formed: Bootleggers Republic Cafe Gurgaon Phase IV

They say couples are made in the heavens. I believe even friends are and therefore sometimes your energies completely sync with some people you meet. Food acts as a catalyst tending to your mood helping you bond. So when you think about that friendship with someone or even a good partnership, be sure to choose the right place. Here is one.....The Bootleggers Republic Cafe.

Continuing with the norm of having a name with a zing and a pinch of evil to it, Bootleggers Republic (their menu boasts of Alcohol smuggled from all around the world, giving one an exotic experience over regular cafes) is the new player in Gurgaon. Avininder Singh Sir - popularly known as The Foodie Surdie had handpicked a few bloggers for a meet and review if this cafe. I was lucky to be one in a very experienced yet humble company of many bloggers, rather invited experienced experts of this industry. There was so much to know and learn which on a Sunday afternoon was fun, but most importantly for the brain the kick start switch was the food. However our gracious host welcomed us with alcohol first and that just fired the neurons and warmed the hearts.

Not just is their logo in the Red and Black but so are the interiors of the cafe giving you a hundred percent feel of what you are in for! The place gives you a completely relaxing feel once inside. The three storey restaurant has bar on the top, which I am sure would be more lively at night.

The USP of The Bootleggers Republic Cafe is the cocktails. I relished each one especially the beer ones, which I haven't had elsewhere. If you do not consume alcohol their mock tails are good too, testified. Thus far it does stand true to its name.

As we started chatting, introducing ourselves, our work and the food kept pouring, connecting us. The first dish being Tobasco Glazed Momos Skewers. Traditionally, Momos are served with chutney but these aren't. The composition of the filling is good enough to give you that taste. Its not very spicy nor bland, but just right, even people who prefer less spicy food would be comfortable with it. 

The next on the starters menu was Classic Bruschetta which was as good as it can be. The best one was Soya Shami Kebab which was a taste to be had for the senses.

The main course, vegetarian was simple Punjabi food Paneer ki sabzi, Dalmakhni and Naan which was delicious too.

As we munched on, the pressing issues of blogging in the food industry, roles of bloggers, problems of the restaurant, how to best review one so that it gives an encouraging feedback to an upcoming restaurant were discussed. It was a typical brainstorming of ideas to establish ideals towards healthy functioning for everyone.

My favourite is always the desert and this one was more special because the baker Jasmeen was down with fever and still baked for us till 3:00AM in the night, now that is called commitment! If you are reading this post do ensure you visit her page: https://www.facebook.com/cakecoutureindia?ref=br_rs and if you are in Delhi do try her cakes, I am sure once will never be all. 

On the non vegetarian side, the Gilauti Kebab Sliders got the maximum votes. Try it!

And that is our gorgeous gang!

                                         
Summary: 
Ambiance and Decor: Relaxing: 4/5
Portion Size: Decent : 5/5

Pricing: Value For Money: 4/5
Presentation: Aesthetic: 5/5
Taste: Authentic: 5/5
Service Quality: Good (5/5)
Meal For Two: INR 1200 (without Alcohol)

Being a fast food lover I would love to do a complete review of their Burgers and Sandwiches section.

With good food, good people end up becoming great friends. And thus all those who walked in as complete strangers (just writers) had found friendships that would only nurture and grow as we move on (as we are now The Writers Collective India). The story to be continued  as we explore many destinations across Delhi and beyond that warmly welcome us.

We thank Mr. Viju Raj, owner The Bootleggers Republic Cafe for the most perfect setting. The place we first met shall be the most special to all of us forever.

 Pictures Courtesy: Sneha Lata Sakia, Sangeeta Bahuguna and Vickrham.
Creative Design: Ravindra Pratap Singh - Editor and Founder - Delhi Now Magazine

When Wine Becomes Legendary: Grover Zampa's latest Vijay Amritraj Collection Launched.

Grover Zampa Wineyards, one of those rare companies that wish to revolutionize the way we consume, include or more often exclude wine when we dine recently came up with a new collection The Vijay Amritraj Collection. Vijay Amritraj a legend in the Tennis court and a multi-talented personality who expanded his universe further into acting in the best Hollywood films like MI6 and Star Trek 4 further buds off his  entrepreneurial skills by venturing into what is perceived as one of the most difficult industry to be in, Wine. Who better to partner with than Grover Zampa who though nascent brand have made their mark by winning many international accolades. Grand is the collection and so was the venue The Leela Palace, Delhi, right when the city began to experience a little nip in the air, right when you need a sip of the warmth of wine. 

 Starting from left. Mr. Kapil Grover- founder Grover Zampa, Mr. Vijay Amritraj and Mr. Ravi Jain, Director Grover Zampa

The terrace at The Leela had the right ambiance for the event as the evening filled in we witnessed the top diplomats, people in the food and hospitality industry and socialites walking in. All greeted by the warm and infectious smile of Mr. Vijay Amritraj who has a great personality. 

  Me with the legend himself Mr. Vijay Amritraj

This was the second meeting of mine with our bloggers group (third for the group). As soon as I walked in I met Avi Sir first and he is someone so caring that a hug from him makes your day. Meeting Rosme, Sangeeta, Kavita, Sneha, Sudipto, Anubhav and Vickhram next was equally pleasing. The gang was there to bang and the wine finally landed in my hand. The first one I tasted was sparkling and it had a very unique taste and a great look. I really wish since the first time I have tasted Grover Zampa Wines to spend a day with the formulators on field at work, that would be amazing as these wines completely changed my perspective on Indian wines which are often wrongly perceived as substandard. The international recognition Grover Zampa has received speaks volumes in itself and I needn't elaborate more.

 A part of the bloggers gang (some missing busy with wine) with Mr. Vijay Amritraj

Also met the celebrity chef Saransh Goila, I really loved his Hulk T-shirt and more than that his easy going friendly nature. looking forward to watching his travel and cuisine show in Europe which he animatedly described. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqAGoXkJJwo. 

                    Bloggers Gang with Saransh Goila, Avi sir and Rajiv Tanwar

It was a pleasure meeting my old friend since the earliest blogging days Karan and Leher Sethi. Leher is the most beautiful young face adorning the Delhi Page 3 and Karan is one of the most helpful people I have met in Delhi. We rekindled our older times with talks about older & future ventures, ofcourse discussing our common love "books". Also met the lovely and efficient Ruby Singh from Thnkmkt. 

   With Karan and Leher Sethi, Sarash Goila, Abhishek Pai and the lovely Ruby Singh

Meeting the legend Mr. Vijay Amritraj was a cherry on the cake. He is warm, gentle and very easy going to interact with which is rare in celebrities. He strengthened my belief that truly great people are always humble, Clive Lloyd just taught me that with his own example last week at Aaj Tak. 

       Finally everyone from the bloggers gang are here with Mr. Vijay Amritraj

Best people I met during the day were Rajiv Tanwar, founder Pintxo - a Spanish cuisine restaurant which boasts of serving the best Spanish food in Gurgaon and hosting celebrities across the globe like Steve Waugh, Anushka Sharma and many Bollywood stars. Anamika Singh -founder Tea Sommelier, someone with a very positive, vibrant aura; Varun Veigas, owner Al-Karam Kebab house, the bloggers table I missed and Mr. Kapil Grover founding partner Grover Zampa whose zest for life and wines was equal. His spirit in venturing into this business is inspiring. 

     The Gorgeous Trio: With Anamika Singh (centre) and Sangeeta Bahuguna

Being a fan of white wine I tasted that too which was equally good and had a pleasant taste. The Vijay Amritraj collection overall in my opinion is a subtle flavoured collection that would go well with the spicy Indian food that was being served. Its also a good collection to start with for non wine drinkers as unlike other wines this will not put you off.

   The life of the party: Us ofcourse

The best thing after wines that day was the flavoured chocolates that made it more festive and credit goes to The Leela ofcourse. It was the most consumed dish of the evening.

 Lastly I would like to congratulate the entire team of Leela Palace and Grover Zampa Wines for the amazing event that bonded people. The hardworking Grover Zampa team that put forth the event was led by Mr. Sumedh Singh Mandla- CEO of the company and Mr. Malay Kumar Rout, Head of North and East India.

 Going Right from Mr. Vijay Amritraj in the centre with Mr. Sumedh Singh Mandla- CEO Grover Zampa and Mr. Malay Rout, Head of North and East India, with their hardworking team.
 

 I wish Mr. Vijay Amritraj and Team Grover Zampa many a good luck and great laurels together.

      The Vijay Amritraj Collection is here for you

Thank you Mr. Malay Kumar Rout, Head of North and East India, Grover Zampa for the invite and Avi sir, well for being the guardian angel for all of us.

Picture Courtesy: Vickrham

Why Samsung's Note 3 Neo is a great value for money

Samsung recently realized that to tap into a market of social media lovers, big screen and camera lovers, which all culminate into students and Samsung brand lovers the costs of its high end and the best product so far on the market Note 3 was a little high. So to tap into this market it tweaked the model a bit (much less for the price) and offers now a Note 3 Neo which was earlier sold at a high price range when launched but currently at approximately 26,000 INR it has a lot to offer than other phones in the same range. The look as you can see is almost similar, so no compromises there anyways and it has a big screen too, the USP of Note.

Lets see why it is a good value for money.

Differences between Note 3 and Note 3 Neo:
1. Screen size is 5.5 inches just 0.2 smaller than Note 3 (not bad at all). Still a large screen phone for those who like it big.

2. Battery is just 100mAh lesser, now can you believe that.

3. Internal memory is just 16Gb compared to 32 Gn, but then that is good enough as many high end phones in this range still offer 8Gb only and that is still a good space for games and other storage.

4. 2GB RAM, not bad for the price. Competitive as per the market trends.

5. Primary camera 8 MP, of course somewhere you have to compromise but then 8MP of samsung is still amazing and beats Carl Zeiss camers by Nokia.

6. Processor 1.7 hexa core which is way better than Samsung Note 3. Finally a gain somewhere isn't it?

So what Are you thinking just go for it!

Gadget Review: Mobile Phone: Samsung Galaxy Note III

One of my best friends got this phone and he has been using it for six months now, with me checking it out on and off and so I decided to write this review.

If you love a huge phone with a good camera and a great touch screen than this one is for you. I being a hard core blogger this is a dream. This is one of the trendsetters of the large phone categories and the boss of them all before Note 4 releases tomorrow which is still bigger. However its truly a Phablet a much needed and convenient hybrid of a phone and a tablet.

Pro's:

Screen Size: With a 5.7 inches screen size its big, clear and crystal like, perfect for viewing documents, reading them and since the screen is large editing and working on them is convenient as well. You acn write on the go and with this phone you don't need a tablet. Also if you are not comfortable writing you can directly write with the stylus and that is just handy.

Camera: Samsung has outcompeted other brands for its pricing chiefly and the camera. In the selfie crazy times the 5 mega pixel primary camera boasts of providing you a better picture than any other phone . It rear camera is 13 mega pixel which is where the most basic camera's start from, guess what you got that in a phone. The modes are amazing, especially a beautify mode that helps you remove your scars from your skin right while taking the picture. Designed keeping in mind the ladies, well done.

Memory:3 Gb RAM, 32 Gb internal memory and the micro Sd card expandable upto 64 gb, now beat that! Again you can save your documents and work on them on the go, good for writers and business professionals.

Con's:
Processor:  Lacks the feel of Snapdragon though it says 1.9. However a good free space due to huge internal memory and a good RAM pulls of  most games.

Battery Life: The joke in town always is that Samsung's phones however elite are mostly in charging thereby giving one a feeling of using landlines. Sarcasm apart the 3200mAh Li-Ion works decently runing upto 12 hours. The plus part is that it gets charged very fast. 

At the current price of approximate 40,000 INR this is the best investment you can make and have one device that finally satiates you as both a phone and a tablet.

Gadget Review : Samsung Galaxy Ace

I believe firmly that a true review of a gadget is not the one that you do when it comes out but minimum six months post its use, because that is how the sturdiness of the gadget is tested, also whether it stands true to the test of times is known only then. 

                                  Samsung Galaxy Ace Black

I bought this device exactly three years ago in 2011 and it was the first smartphone I bought. It was also the first buy from my PhD stipend and hence a very crucial choice as to how to spend each hard earned penny. This phone was the best suited to my budget then, its price was 14,000 INR. The camera as all Samsung camera's were amazing. The only problem had been low internal memory 2GB only so even with an 8GB microSD storage to which I had upgraded later with my active whats app, gmail running I had no space for twitter and facebook and with each update for an app I had to delete something. However this was a common problem with all the phones than so no complains. Its touch was excellent.

However all was well only until one day I forgot it near the basin and water entered it. I spend INR 4500 to get it repaired from samsung service centre at Bhikaji Cama Place in New Delhi and they did a good job for the exhorbitant amount they charged but alas the camera was gone. It had become grainy and lost resolution, to which they responded they couldn't do anything. Further more post an year of use the touch screen became less sensitive and the phone hanged every minute, even when you received the most important calls. Therefore the only suggestion to the buyers of this phone and the Samsung Galaxy S and Duos series is to get a review from someone who is using the gadget for more than six months. I still feel if you are a camera lover Samsung can give you the best pictures. So research before you buy. 

Manwa Lage ....The melody capures all.

The second song of the movie Happy New Year is here and the chemistry between Deepika and Shahrukh is better than the one you ever saw. The song "Manwa Lage" the latest one from the film is not just a great melody to listen to, after all it's Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal's melodious voices, but a great song if you think about the picturization. I love the real fire lighting around signifying their chemistry. If you haven't watched it yet, watch it now!!!

Hindi Movies To Look Forward To This Week

1. Khoobsurat:
Starring- Sonam Kapoor, Fawad Khan, Kirron Kher, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Ratna Pathak and Aamir Raza Hussain.
Director- Shashanka Ghosh
Producer- Anil Kapoor, Rhea Kapoor and Siddharth Roy Kapoor.

Reasons this film makes to the most interesting of the movies is it is a romantic comedy after a long time. Based lightly of a combination of the Indian version of The Princess Diaries and the 1980 film Khoobsurat starring Rekha which is very popular. Look at this trailer where the misfit Mili or rather Dr. Mili Chakravarty arrives at the posh, well mannered and high on code of conduct palace. 

Sonam Kapoor looks really a perfect "made-for" the character and so does Fawad Khan in his role as a well groomed yet desirable prince. Also Ratna Pathak and Kirron Kher look very promising in their roles. All in all this looks like a perfect way to relax and laugh during the weekend.

2. Dawat-e-Ishq: 

Starring - Aditya Roy Kapur & Parineeti Chopra 
Director - Habib Faisal
Producer - Aditya Chopra (Ysh Raj Films)

This movie looks like a perfect combination of emotions just like the dish we savour -golgappa, with love, romance, cheating, hatred and above all spiced with food and great songs. Parineeti and Aditya have been very promising so far and we expect the same from them in this movie too. So are you ready to relish this during the weekend? Do ensure you carry a good supply of popcorn you might just hungry watching t, like I am looking at this poster. 

Announcement : LG Kicks off Season 6 of its Premier All India Cooking Competition Mallika-E–Kitchen

We all know LG Electronic India.  We have used their appliances and as the name says it surely has made our lives Good, rather better. Since the last five seasons of their Pan India cooking contest has been extremely successful, today they have announced the season 6 of the same. However we believe that the terms shouldn't be buying their microwave in the first place. Isn't it? That is cheap publicity.

We have seen in all competitions across India that a population of extremely talent cooks come out of very humble backgrounds. This competition hence is just a way to enhance the sales in a competitive market. I highly doubt they are looking for a good cook. 

However if you have that kind of money and wish to go ahead with the competition, here are the details.

The Contest:

New Delhi, 11^th September 2014: LG Electronics India has announced the pan India launch of its Mallika – E- Kitchen Cooking Contest: Season 6. Entering its sixth year, this one of a kind cooking competition is conceptualized to provide an opportunity to Indian women to showcase their cooking talent at a national level. To avail this opportunity, aspiring women will be required to purchase a LG microwave oven from LG’s unique range of microwave ovens  in order to be a part of this year’s contenders for the  Contest. Women consumers purchasing a LG microwave oven from the 25^th of August 2014, the Contest commencement date, to the 25^th of October, 2014 will be eligible for registration and participation, provided they are in the age group of 18 years and above. The first round of winners will have the chance to win 100% cash back for their microwave ovens.

Initiated to encourage healthy microwave cooking, this annual property by LG has been an encouragement for amateur chefs across India over the years. The aim of LG’s Mallika-E-Kitchen Season 6 is also to educate and inform Indian homemakers about the importance of healthy food and the benefits of adopting microwave ovens for cooking.

Kickstarting the sixth season of Mallika-E-Kitchen, Mr. Rajeev Jain, Sales Head, Home Appliances, LG India stated that “Mallika-E-Kitchen has become a renowned property for LG. This innovative cook-off by LG India is directed to educate Indian consumers about the ease and benefits of Microwave cooking and that microwave ovens can simply become a part of all Indian households.”

“At LG we have always tried to enhance consumer convenience and develop product ranges that work best for Indian lifestyles. Continuing this positive trend, our approach this year will be to raise more awareness and strive for a better response in turn, reaching every Indian kitchen.” he said.

Expanding the reach of the contest to 100 cities,  the Mallika-E-Kitchen Cooking Contest will be actively promoted through extensive radio, print and digital media along with strong BTL activities.

About Mallika-E-Kitchen Cooking Contest:

Any Indian woman above the age of 18 years who purchases a LG Microwave Oven during the period starting from 25^th August 2014 till 25^thOctober2014 is eligible to enter the LG Mallika-E-Kitchen Cooking Contest by simply filling a registration form. The form will be available at all LG Brand shops, Authorised dealers and can also be filled online on the LG India website. The participants will be contacted by LG representatives for the confirmation of the venue and date of the Local Level round. On the contest date, the participants will be required to bring pre-cooked microwave dishes along with the written recipes. If the recipe is selected by the panel of judges on set parameters, then the selected person will qualify for the Zonal Level round, along with a 100 per cent cashback of their Microwave Oven. A total of three winners will be selected from each Zonal Level round. Finally, the Zonal round winners will compete at a national level contest to be selected as LG’s Mallika-E-Kitchen, winning grand prizes worth lakhs of rupees.

Dominos Mexican Taco - Veg

Domino's mexican taco comes in a pack of two reasonably sized Taco's in a serving. I tried the veg taco's being one of the greatest Domino's lovers, read my experience here.

As the picture suggests the Taco is basically made out of a thick crust layered with a generous helping of mayonnaise. The filling is a potato patty. Its rich in oregano. The flavour that gives it a zing is its oregano and mayonnaise combination. I would have loved it more if they had more of cheese and a hint of garlic. The overall quality of the product is good. It makes up for a filling snack or a change it taste if tried with Pizza's. As with everything in India its surely indianized to suit our taste buds, so its more of the India-Mexican taco. Try it!

They  have great combo offers running, so if you want to try it, now is a good time. Log on to https://pizzaonline.dominos.co.in/ to order online.