Delhi happenings

Dyal Singh College, Delhi University - located in a very central location

2011-01-27T00:43:00.000+05:30

Centrally located, this college did not have a very good reputation a couple of decades back, but it has struggled to improve its reputation and now has a much better reputation. The college takes its name from that of Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, who belonged to the Shergil or Gill clan of Sardars of Majitha village near Amritsar. He did very well for himself, and set a lot of his money to 2 trusts that set up a college and a public library. Sardar Dyal Singh was also one of the original founders of the Indian National Congress.
The college became a constituent college of Delhi University in 1959, and was taken over by the Delhi University in 1978. The college is located right next to Lodhi Road, near 2 famous schools, Air Force Bal Bharti School and Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, and very close to Lodhi Garden and Humayun's tomb.
Website of the college (link).
Some of the infrastructure of the college is:
1. 36 class rooms
2. Laboratories in seven departments
3. A seminar hall with a seating capacity of 120,
4. One open air amphitheatre with a seating capacity of 1000,
5. Two computer laboratories one each for commerce and computer science departments
6. A well equipped library with over 90000 books and subscribe to a large number of periodicals and journals. The library has been fully loaded with internet facility.
7. A spacious canteen.
8. The College has a generator for power back up

Courses offered by the college are (also refer to this link):

Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Bachelor of Arts (BA) - Hons.
Bachelor of Commerce (BCom)
Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) - Hons.
Bachelor of Science (BSc)
Bachelor of Science (BSc) - Hons.
Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA)
Master of Arts (MA)

Location of Dyal Singh College on Google Maps:

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SRCC - Shri Ram College of Commerce - North Campus

2010-08-23T20:21:00.012+05:30

The Shri Ram College of commerce is one of the most respected and reputed colleges in the country. Situated in Delhi and affiliated with the Delhi University it offers courses in commerce and economics for students who wish to make it big in life. It boasts of the best infrastructure and facilities for students. However it is not only known for gifting students with academic prowess, but also assists in developing personalities that shine in the real world.

Courses offered:
Shri Ram College of commerce offer both Under Graduate and Post Graduate courses:

B.Com Hons.
B.A. Hons (Economics)
PG Diploma in G.B.O.
M.Com.
M.A. Economics

Infrastructure:
A good education can be better absorbed in an environment that is conducive to learning and when you have infrastructure and facilities that are specially designed to make the experience enlightening, you cannot go wrong. SRCC is known to have the best facilities among colleges in the Delhi University and if you do manage to get in, you are just lucky.

Location on Google Maps:

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Class Rooms & Tutorials: SRCC is the only college in Delhi University that has completely changed the style in which knowledge is dispensed. They have given way to traditional tactics and embraced a more modern approach by including modern gadgets in every day sessions. All the tutorial rooms and classrooms in SRCC are air conditioned and all are equipped with LCD projectors, screens, green boards and a podium for the lecturers.
The main building of SRCC has been acknowledged as a heritage building by the Government of Delhi and therefore most of the class rooms as well retain an old world heritage charm.

Library: The SRCC library is huge and has space for about 300 students. It is one of the best stocked libraries in the country and has over 65000 volumes on varied subjects. The SRCC library is the first library in Delhi University to have wifi facility.
The library regularly subscribes to some of the best periodicals and journals to ensure that students have access to the best information.

Computer centres: Two full functional and fully equipped computer centres are a part of campus premises. Each centre has about 40 computers and they are regularly updated with the latest software and hardware. Students can also avail of printing and scanning facilities at these centres.
IT and computer related subjects are taught through LCD screens at the computer centers. The computer centres have fast speed internet connection and serves as the best place to make projects for students who do not have their own laptops.

Sports: The large presence of sporting activities on campus suggests that the focus is not only on academic excellence but also on overall grooming. The college has large playing grounds, tennis court, gym, swimming pool, basketball court, and an indoor badminton court.

The college also has hostel facilities for students who are from out of Delhi. The experience at SRCC can only be described as enriching. It has a great alumnus who have stories that will only make you want to spend your college years in SRCC and nowhere else. The alumnus is accomplished in a variety of fields and upholds the great values of this amazing institution.

Website (link)
Admission process at SRCC (link)

Miranda House For Women - Located in North Campus in Delhi University

2010-08-20T00:05:00.000+05:30

College years are easily the best years of one’s life. It is that time of your life when you realise that the world is your playground and that you are capable of achieving absolutely anything that you want. That’s why it is essential that you choose a college that helps you hone your skills may they be academic or co curricular and make you person that is confident and can take on any challenge that the world throws at you.

The Miranda House for Women in Delhi is one of the finest institutions the country has to offer. Affiliated with the Delhi University you can only be sure that you will exchange ideas and share lives with minds that the are best in the country. The admissions process is tough and only if you have the best marks can you think about getting into Miranda House.

Courses
Miranda House for women offers courses in Science and Arts. A holistic list of the courses is detailed below:

- B.A. Pass
- B.A. Hons. – Hindi, English, Punjabi, Sanskrit, History, Economics, Mathematics, Political Science, Philosophy, Music, Geography and Sociology.
- B.Sc. Hons. – Zoology, Botany, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
- B.Sc. General –
i) Group A – Chemistry-Botany-Zoology
ii) Group B – Computer Science-Physics-Mathematics
- M.A. – This course offers the same subjects as the BA Hons level with the exception of Geography, Political Science and Sociology.
- M.Sc – This course offers the same subjects as offered in the B.Sc. Hons level with the inclusion of Anthropology.

Location of Miranda House on Google Maps:

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Facilities: If you are looking for an educational experience that will not only help you academically but also develop your personality, Miranda House for women is a good choice as the facilities that the college provides will help you spread your wings and discover new horizons.

Hostel: The Hostel of Miranda House for students who have decided to leave their homes and pursue higher education in the capital of the country is within campus premises. It consists of 120 rooms that can be shared by two girls. It also has a few rooms for four people. The hostel is well kept and well maintained as a full time warden and full time housekeeper is responsible for its upkeep. The hostel at Miranda house has an open coffee lunge, a dining hall and a common room where you can share how you spent your day with peers.

Library: Initially the library was just one room, but now this monumental library is two storeys tall. It’s a class apart from any other library in the country as everything is fully automated and it also has an audio visual room.

The library regularly subscribes to a number of periodicals and journals that can help students in the research project and assignments. More that one lakh titles make up what’s good about this amazing library.
The auditorium, seminar halls, lecture halls, science labs, project labs and various other infrastructural marvels make studying and living at Miranda House College a memorable experience.

However if you do want to be a part of this unique and uplifting college experience you have to be prepared to study hard, as only the brightest and best brains in the country can make their way to one of the most prestigious colleges in the country and that is the Miranda House for Women.

Indraprastha College, Delhi University

2010-08-11T18:29:00.000+05:30

College life in Delhi can be a lot of fun and educational at the same time if you pick the right college. Colleges that are affiliated with the Delhi University are very tough to get into and only students that have the correct attitude can win a seat at colleges that form a part of this prestigious group. The Indraprastha College for women is one college that is a feather in the hat of Delhi University. It is one of the most recognized colleges in the country for women and offers not only the best education in various streams but also helps shape personalities that will excel in life.

Courses offered:
The Indraprastha College for Women offers both under graduate and post graduate courses. The courses are as follows:

Undergraduate courses:
B.Com. (Hons)
B.Sc. (Hons): B.Sc (Hons) Computer Science, B.Sc. (Hons) Mathematics
B.A.
B.A (Hons)
- B.A. (Hons) Economics
- B.A. (Hons) English
- B.A. (Hons) History
- B.A. (Hons) Hindi
- B.A. (Hons) Philosophy
- B.A. (Hons) Political Science
- B.A. (Hons) Psychology
- B.A. (Hons) Sanskrit

Post Graduate Courses:
M.A
- M.A. in English
- M.A. in Hindi
- M.A. in Music
- M.A. in History
- M.A. in Philosophy
- M.A. in Sanskrit
- M.A. in Political Science

Location of Indraprastha College in Delhi:

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Facilities:
The Indraprastha college has some of the finest facilities to offer their students. When you decide to study at the Indraprastha College for women you can take advantage of the following facilities:

Hostel: For students who come to Delhi from other cities can take up accommodation in the hostels that are designed to provide comfort.

Medical Facilities: Medical assistance is available on campus at all times

Library: A well stocked library can be exploited by students for projects. The library subscribes to the best journals and periodicals which the students have access to as well.

Garden: A well designed garden allows for recreation after a tiring day in class for many students.

Cafeteria: The cafeteria or canteen is one place where students spend a lot of time and you can be sure that the canteen at Indraprastha College is going to provide you with great food at subsidized rates to enjoy your college days.

Computer Lab: A well equipped computer lab forms a part of the campus with the best equipment

Bank: The campus also has a bank on its premises

Cyber Cafe: Internet connection can be availed off at the Cyber Cafe

These are some of the facilities you can look forward to at the Indraprastha College for women. A number of co curricular activities also make college life enjoyable at this college. You can look forward to participating in a number of cultural events and also represent your college in inter collegiate events at national levels.

College life is supposed to be the best years of your life, it is a time when you not only look forward to learning and honing your skills but these are they years that shape your personality and build your confidence and attitude. The focus at Indraprastha College for women is on overall personality development. So you can be sure that when you do finish your course you will not only be armed with a degree but will leave with a great attitude.

Daulat Ram College, Delhi

2010-08-01T23:55:00.000+05:30

School can prepare you for college and college prepares you for the real world. The decisions you make when you leave school to pursue higher studies play a very important role in shaping a future for you. Daulat Ram College for women in Delhi is one of the best colleges in the country. It boasts of the best amenities and has highly respected faculty that are dedicated to student’s overall development.

Daulat Ram College the erstwhile Pramila College was established in 1960 and currently is situated in the North campus of the University of Delhi.

Location:

View Larger Map

Courses:
Daulat Ram College offers courses in Arts, Commerce and Science as follows:
B.A. (Honours)
B.COM. (Honours)
B.SC. (Honours)

Campus Life:
There is never a dull moment here are Daulat Ram College. Students are kept busy through extra curricular activities in a number of spheres. Following are the committees or associations one can look at being a part of when studying at Daulat Ram College:

The Music Association
The Philosophy Association
The Biochemistry Association
The Economics Association
The English Literary Society
The Hindi Sahitya Parishad
The Commerce Association
The B.A. Association
The Botanical Society
The Chemical Society
The Zoological Society
The Science Society
The Mathematics Association
The Political Science Association
The Psychology Association
The Sanskrit Association
The History Association

Facilities:
The sprawling campus has a lot to offer to enjoy college life to its fullest. The various facilities are listed below:

Library and reading room: The college has a great library and reading room and houses books on various topics and subjects. The library also subscribes to various journal sand periodicals.

Computer Lab: The computer lab is state of the art and has more that 38 machines to facilitate the need of the students on campus. The lab has connection with Delhi University through intra net and one can access the internet as well.

Laboratories: Daulat Ram College has labs with the best equipments for the various Science subjects offered. Bio-chemistry, Zoology, Chemistry, Botany and Physics labs are well equipped.

Seminar Room: The seminar room is the hub for various curricular and co-curricular activities. It is used by students and teachers alike for functions, lectures, seminars and student union functions.

Auditorium – Sadbhavana Bhavan: The auditorium has a capacity of 1300. It is large and is used to host various cultural and inter collegiate events.

Medical Aid: A medical room with an attendant nurse is available on campus.

College Canteen: The college canteen is one place you are going be spending a lot of time at. And you have reason to rejoice because you can avail of the best dishes at subsidized rates.

Bank: banking facilities from the Indian Overseas bank are available on campus.

What more could you ask for. College life in Delhi University is bound to be great if you apply and get into Daulat Ram College. The best part is that the focus is just not on academics it is on overall development of the individual. So once you get accepted you can be sure that when you leave you will be well prepared to face the real world with confidence and determination.

Jesus and Mary College – A girl’s college located in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

2010-07-30T00:15:00.001+05:30

This all girl’s college has a reputation of being one of the most prestigious colleges in Delhi University. Located in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, it is easily accessible and makes studying and enjoying the best years of your life memorable. The Jesus and Mary college has a number of courses to offer and along with strong academic grounding it prepares students to take on life by preparing them through a number of extra curricular activities.

Courses offered
Jesus and Mary college has been dedicated to providing high quality education in the fields of liberal arts and commerce. It offers 11 courses which are as follows:

1) Regular Courses
a) Bachelor of Arts (Hons.)
b) Bachelor of Arts (Pass)
c) Bachelor of Commerce (Hons.)
d) Bachelor of Commerce (Pass)
e) Professional Course (B. EL. Ed.)
f) Master of Arts (Hindi and English)

2) NCWEB Courses
3) IGNOU Courses
4) Certificate Courses

Location on Google maps:
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Infrastructure:
If you do get accepted to Jesus and Mary College you can be sure of enjoying your college days in a college that is spread across 14 acres. A special teaching block forms a major part of the campus with separate tutorial rooms, canteens, game rooms and a special library.

The college boasts of a three storey library and houses more that 40,000 titles. It subscribes to a number of periodicals and journals that can come useful during research. It also has separate cubicles for teachers and can accommodate about 250 students.

Extra-curricular activities
The various societies at Jesus and Mary college help with overall personality development of students. It is mandatory for students to be part of at least one society. The revenue generated through these societies contributes towards Women’s Development, Environment protection and national Integration programs. The various societies are listed below:

The English Dramatic Society
The Hindi Dramatic Society
The Indian Cultural Society
The Western Music Society
The Film Appreciation Society

The English Debating Society
The Hindi Debating Society
The English Quiz / Hindi Quiz Society
The Green Society
The Peace Society
The Roteract Society
The Faith Sharing Society
The "Cauldron" Magazine Society
The Art and Architecture Society
The Fine Arts Society

Jesus and Mary college is one of the most reputed colleges in the country and you can be sure that if you do apply and get accepted you can look forward to a great future as well as a present that is filled with a number of great surprises everyday.

For those who are shifting base to Delhi, you can be sure that there is plenty of life outside of college as well to make your education here at Jesus and Mary College memorable. The emphasis at this college is not only on academia but the focus is on overall development of students and that’s why a number of extra curricular activities have been designed to keep students bust and bustling with ideas.

If it is a well rounded education that you aspire for you should go ahead and get yourself a form and apply to one of the courses at the Jesus and Mary college.

Kirori Mal College, Delhi University - a leading college for science and arts

2010-06-15T19:27:00.000+05:30

Kirori Mal College is one of the better known colleges that are a part of Delhi University, located in the North Campus location of Delhi University. The college offers a host of under-graduate courses in the area of science, arts, liberal arts, and also has a reputation for being one of the more politically active zones of Delhi University in terms of student politics.
Kirori Mal College was originally located on Qutub Road, it was originally known as Nirmala College, started by American Jesuits. However, the partition cause huge problems for the management of the college, and it finally passed into the control of a trust that was headed by Seth Kirori Mal. The college moved to the current North Campus location on 1 February 1954.
Kirori Mal College has a noticeable number of high profile alumni such as:
Amitabh Bachchan, Shakti Kapoor, Naveen Patnaik, Madanlal Khurana, Kabir Khan, Ravi Baswani, M.S. Kohli, etc.
The college aims to provide a well rounded education through a range of resources and activities in addition to its list of courses. These include:
A well equipped library, computer center, auditorium, bank, gymnasium, sports facilities for different sports, extensive cultural activities (such as debate, music, drama, dance, photography, etc).

Location of Kirori Mal College in the North Campus Area on Google Maps:

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The various courses offered by the college are:

B.A. Programme
B.A.[Hons.] English
B.A.[Hons.] Hindi
B.A.[Hons.] Sanskrit
B.A.[Hons.] Geography
B.A.[Hons.] History
B.A.[Hons.] Economics
B.Com.[Hons.]
B.Sc. Physical Sciences
B.Sc. Life Science
B.Sc. Applied Phy Sc (Anly. Chem)
B.Sc.[Hon.] Chemistry
B.Sc.[Hon.] Botany
B.Sc.[Hon.] Statistics
B.Sc.[Hon.] Mathematics
B.Sc.[Hon.] Physics
B.A.[Hons.] Urdu
B.Sc.[Hon.] Zoology
B.A.[Hon.] Pol. Science
B.Sc. Applied Phy Sc (Comp Sc)
B.Com.
B.A. Programme with Bengali

Details of admission at this link (click here). This includes the dates for the cut-off lists.

Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, located in East Delhi - an under-graduate degree in management

2010-04-16T13:46:00.023+05:30

Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies (CBS) is a premiere college in the area of management studies, one of the few that are imparting management studies at the Under Graduate level. The college is named after Sukhdev Thapar, a prominent freedom fighter during the pre-independence era. This is a fairly recent college, established in 1987 by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. It is not located in either the North Campus or South Campus, rather being located in a standalone location in East Delhi, near Shahadra.
The college offers the following courses:
Bachelor of Business Studies (link): There are six semesters, each culminating in University Examinations. Students are offered a specialization in Finance, Marketing and Human Resource Development in their fifth and sixth semesters. 185 seats.
Bachelor of Financial & Investment Analysis (link) 62 seas.
B. Sc. (H) Computer Science (link)
Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Applications (link)

Location of College of Business Studies on Google Maps:

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Admissions calendar is located at this link.

Contact details:

College Name Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies
Address Vivek Vihar, Jhilmil Colony, Delhi - 110095
Phone Number 011-22154581/22160681
Fax Number 011-22159941
Email cbs@sscbsdu.ac.in

Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi - A premiere place for doing an MBA

2010-04-13T12:38:00.033+05:30

For a city with more than 10 million people which is also the capital of the country, the number of top ranked management colleges that the city has is very small indeed. Delhi has just one top 10 ranked college in India, which is a college affiliated to Delhi University, called Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi. Is is more commonly known as FMS / FMS Delhi. The Faculty was started in 1954 and provides both part-time and full time courses. When FMS started, the first set of Professors were trained at the Stanford University Business School, with the school itself being started at the Delhi School of Economics under the leadership of Prof A. Dasgupta.
The various courses being offered at FMS are:
MBA (Full Time) - The intake of this programme for 2010 is 166 participants .
MBA (Management of Services - Full Time) - This programme started in 2004 and the intake for 2010 batch is 75 students.
MBA (Part Time) - 140 seats for candidates having a minimum of three year work experience
MBA (Health Care Administration - Part Time) - 15 seats for practicing doctors
Doctoral Programmes which lead to a P.hD by University of Delhi

Contact details:
Faculty of Management Studies
University of Delhi
Delhi - 110007
Tel : +91 11 2766 6382 / 6388
Fax : +91 11 2766 7002

Location of FMS on Google Maps:

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Shri Ram College of Commerce, North Campus, Delhi University

2010-04-11T09:45:00.000+05:30

Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) is one of the more famous colleges of Delhi, located inside the North Campus area, and is famous for its courses in the area of commerce and economics (with admission to both these courses being hotly sought after). The college was started by famous industrialist Sir Shri Ram in 1926 in Daryganj, and moved to its current Delhi University location in 1954. In 1932 the college was upgraded to become a degree college and started handing out the B.A. (Pass) (Commerce Group) degree, with more courses and more degrees coming over the years. In 1943 the Economics courses were also introduced. And in 1951 the College took on the current name in honour of its founder.
In 1957 the college started admitting girls to its courses.

Contact Address:
SRCC Delhi
University of Delhi North Campus
Maurice Nagar
New Delhi - 110 007
Delhi
Phone: +91-11-27667905
Fax: +91-11-27666510
Website: http://www.srcc.edu

Location of SRCC on Google Maps:

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The various courses offered by the college are (a very small list compared to many other colleges):

Undergraduate:
Bachelor of Commerce (Honors)
Bachelor of Arts (Honors) Economics

Post Graduate Diploma:
Post Graduate Diploma in Global Business Operation (GBO)

Post Graduate:
M.Com
M.A. Economics

Details of the admission process are at these links (Under-Graduate, Post-Graduate)

SRCC on Facebook (Link1, Link 2)

Hansraj College, Delhi University - courses in all 3 streams, and very reputed

2010-03-10T16:39:00.000+05:30

Hansraj College is one of the better known colleges of Delhi University, although not as famous or sought after as the trio of Hindu, St. Stephens, and SRCC. Having said this, the college is pretty famous, and has a number of courses in the different streams - Arts, Commerce, and Science.
Hans Rag college was founded in the memory of Lala Hansraj (who was a stalwart in the field of education), and was set up on July 26, 1948, affiliated to the University of Delhi. The college offers hostel facilities to male students, and female students need to avail hostel facilities offered by the University of Delhi.
One of the interesting facilities offered by the college is a shooting range (10 meter pistol and rifle shooting). One of the most famous alumni of the college is the super star Shahrukh Khan.

Courses offered by the college:

B.A. (Hons) Economics
B.A. (Hons) English
B.A. (Hons) Hindi
B.A. (Hons) History
B.A. (Hons) Mathematics
B.A. (Hons) Sanskrit
B.A. Programme
B.Com. (Hons)
B.Sc. (Hons) Anthropology
B.Sc. (Hons) Botany
B.Sc. (Hons) Chemistry
B.Sc. (Hons) Computer Science
B.Sc. (Hons) Electronics
B.Sc. (Hons) Geology
B.Sc. (Hons) Mathematics
B.Sc. (Hons) Physics
B.Sc. (Hons) Zoology
B.Sc. Applied Physical Sciences (Computer Science)
B.Sc. Life Sciences
B.Sc. Physical Sciences

Location of Hansraj College on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Address and contact details:
Website (link) - Unfortunately, the official site of the college is infected by a virus, and hence I am not providing the link.
Address : Hans Raj College
University of Delhi
Mahatma Hans Raj Marg,
Delhi-110 007, India.
http://hrc.du.ac.in
Phone : 27667747, 27667458
Fax : 27666338
E-mail : hrcdu@rediffmail.com, hrc_admissions@rediffmail.com

St.Stephens college in Delhi University - one of the most famous colleges in Delhi

2010-03-08T15:53:00.045+05:30

St. Stephens college in North Delhi, in the Delhi University campus, is one of the most famous colleges in India, reputed for many of its courses, including Economics. The college has a variety of courses for both under-graduates and post-graduates, famous for arts and science courses as well.
The college is pretty old, having been started in 1881 as a religious institution by the Cambridge Brotherhood, an Anglican mission, and even now retains the status of a minority institution, affiliated to the Christian diocese in Delhi. Since the college was started before Delhi University was set up (in 1922), it was initially affiliated to the University of Calcutta. The college was founded by the Rev. Samuel Scott Allnutt, and his remains are buried within the campus of the college.
The first location of the college was in Chandni Chowk, which was moved over to the next campus in the Kashmere Gate area. The current famous building of the college is a landmark, designed by a Welsh architect, Walter Sykes George. The building was completed during the World War 2, and completed in 1941. But before the completion of this building, the campus was located in the crowded Kashmiri gate year, the place where DCE used to be earlier. The current campus has a hostel, allowing 300 men and 100 women (who were allowed into the college only in 1928) to stay on the college campus.
The College motto is Ad Dei Gloriam, Latin for To the Glory of God. The College colours are martyr's red and Cambridge blue. Some of the famous alumni of St. Stephens can be found on this link (Wikipedia).

Location of St. Stephens as per Google Maps:

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Courses offered by the college are:

Undergraduate
B.A. Economics (Hons.)
B.A. English (Hons.)
B.A. History (Hons.)
B.A. Philosophy (Hons.)
B.A. Sanskrit (Hons.)
B.A. Programme
B.Sc. Mathematics (Hons.)
B.Sc. Chemistry (Hons.)
B.Sc. Physics (Hons.)
B.Sc. Programme

Graduate

M.A. Economics
M.A. English
M.A. History
M.A. Philosophy
M.A. Sanskrit
M.A./M.Sc. Mathematics
M.A./M.Sc. Operations Research
M.Sc. Chemistry
M.Sc. Physics

Admission details and schedule available at this page (link)

Website of St. Stephens (link)
Contact details:
St. Stephen's College,
University Enclave,
Delhi - 110007
India
Phone:
+91-11 2766 7271
Fax :
+91-11 2766 7965 Residence Blocks
+91-11
Allnutt North: 27666460
Allnutt South: 27666414
Mukarji East: 27666421
Mukarji West: 27666416
Rudra North: 27666513
Rudra South: 27666425

St. Stephens on Facebook.
Group 1, Group 2.

Delhi Technological University, formerly known as Delhi College of Engineering - Delhi's engineering college

2010-03-06T14:08:00.000+05:30

Delhi has a premiere engineering college known as the Indian Institute of Technology; however, way back in 1940, before the formation of the IIT's, Delhi had also got its own engineering college called 'Delhi College of Engineering'. It was originally known as Delhi Polytechnic, and was controlled directly by the Government of India till 1963, after which it was handed over to Delhi in 1963, being affiliated to Delhi University from 1952. And then in 2009, the Delhi Government changed the status of DCE to being its own university, breaking the link with Delhi University, and changing the name to Delhi Technological University.
When DCE started in 1940, it was not only engineering courses, but also offered courses in different areas such as Arts, Architecture, Commerce, Applied Science and Textiles. However, over a period of time, these different courses were branched off into separate institutes, and DCE became primarily an engineering college, with new courses in Mechanical, Electrical and Electronics, and newer courses such as Computers getting added.
For a long time, the campus of the institute was located in the crowded Kashmiri Gate area, limiting scope for expansion. A new campus was started, and in 1999, study courses started in the new location at Bawana Road in May (which is much bigger, befitting a growing engineering college).

Location of Delhi Technological University (also known as Delhi College of Engineering) on Google Maps:

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What are the courses offered at the University ?

Getting your cameras repaired - Go to Chandni Chowk in Delhi

2010-02-06T22:29:00.000+05:30

Modern cameras are getting more complicated, and with this increasing complexity, the number of circuits and usage of firmware / software is also increasing. When you see cameras with a higher number of Mega-pixels, or more features, and yet the size of the cameras also keep on reducing. This is because of being able to fit more circuits on the same board, and within the same space; but when the camera stops working for some reason, what do you do ?
Well, you have a couple of options:
- You can decide that you have had enough of the camera, and want to upgrade to a newer camera
- You believe in giving the camera to the proper service center for repairs (such as giving a Canon camera to the Canon service center) - although this can be fairly expensive
- You try to get it repaired outside of the official service center
It was the 3rd option that I was trying to investigate, and that saw me off to Chandni Chowk (the camera had developed a defect where the pins where the memory card fits had come loose and the connection was not happening). I was recommended to go to Pritam Studio and they in turn had a repair shop in a lane behind them (where you also got a huge amount of camera equipment at cheap rates). You can get repairs done to SLR cameras, smaller cameras, and lenses.
This is located as you head from Red Fort towards the main Chandni Chowk road, immediately to the left as soon as you cross the temple (the road leading to Jama Masjid)

Address:
A V Ravi Kumar
avravi@del3.vsnl.net.in
Pritam Studio Repairs
No 5, Espalande Road
Chandni Chowk, Delhi 110006
Phone: 30118621, 23259591, 23271410

Location of Pritam Studios on google maps:

View Larger Map

A small pizza joint in East Delhi - ParkPizzeria

2010-01-14T00:53:00.000+05:30

For this people living in East Delhi, the nearby accessible places for pizza are Dominos, Pizza Hut, Niruals, and a few others. However, if you want to have a slightly different pizza or are looking for some variety, go in for a square pizza; that's right, a pizza that is not round, but square.
Located in Dayanand Vihar, close to the Karkardooma metro station, this is a very small place but with some great tasting pizza and pasta. Look for this place called ParkPizzeria (link), which serves Pizzas, pasta, garlic bread, chicken nuggets, some great muffins, and some nice sandwiches. I have ordered from there more than 2 times, which for me means that I like the food. Not very expensive either.

The pizza varieties are give at this link - http://www.parkpizzeria.com/submenucontent.php?action=2

Dayanand Vihar, Delhi-92
Ph.: 40629990, 40629991, 9999421234

Colleges of Delhi - Hindu College

2009-12-22T23:46:00.002+05:30

Delhi University has a number of colleges offering courses in many different areas, and one of the most popular such colleges is Hindu College. Hindu College did not start off from the current campus, but instead started from a much more humble building in Kinari Bazar in Chandni Chowk (now more famous as a place to buy small decorative items needed during marriage). In 1902, when Punjab University asked it to get a regular building of its own, it moved to a place in Kashmere Gate, donated by Rai Bahadur Lala Sultan Singh. Finally, the college moved to its current place in 1953.
Site of the college (website)
Links related to the courses offered by the college are available at this link (site)
Short term courses offered by the college are at this link. This includes courses on acting, foreign languages, mass media, etc.
Details for admission are located at this link.

Under Graduate Courses:
B A (Hons.) - Hindi
B A (Hons.) - Sanskrit
B Sc (Hons.) - Botany
B A (Hons.) - Political Science
B A (Pass)
B Com (Hons.)
B Sc (Hons.) - Physics
B Sc (Hons.) - Chemistry
B Sc (Hons.) - Zoology
B A (Hons.) - Economics
B Sc (Hons.) - Statistics
B Sc (Hons.) - Mathematics
B A (Hons.) - Mathematics
B A (Hons.) - Sociology
B A (Hons.) - History
B Sc (General) - Electronics
B Sc (General) - Group A
B A (Hons.) - English Test

Details about the placement cell, Disha, are at this link.

Location of the college on Google maps:

View Larger Map

Mecca, the festival of Hindu College, is very popular.

Address details:
Hindu College
University Enclave, North Campus, Maurice Nagar - 110007
New Delhi
Delhi
India

Online site for admissions (link)

2 Facebook groups for Hindu College (link1, link2)

Food court at Shipra Mall - many choices, mostly Indian ones

2009-11-23T09:42:00.004+05:30

If you are into doing a lot of shopping at Shipra Mall (it is after one of the better malls in the entire east NCR region), then you should consider the food court of Shipra Mall, called Bite Inn. The food court is of a fairly large capacity, enough that we could get seating comfortably on a Sunday evening at 8 PM (of course, Shipra also has other seating options, so maybe this could also be a reason).
Each counter of the various options below have a fairly large list of menu items, but the variety is a bit difficult to find, mostly North Indian food (and this could be because the common patron is a person who eats North Indian food). You get a chit from each eating place, and have to pay at a common bill counter, and then get a bill that you need to give back to the food counter. Food was okay, and the place was fairly clean and seemingly hygienic (and you could get Diet Pepsi / Coke, something not available at other food courts).
Here is a list of the eating options:
Nariyal Chutney
Rasoi e Punjab
New Woks Chinese
O2 Pure Veg
More than Paranthas
Made in China
Andaaz-E-Lucknow
Dilli Darbar
Ice Cream and various soft drink options (no liqour).

Handloom Saree Bhawan in Paranthe Wali Gali

2009-11-15T00:48:00.002+05:30

Regular readers of the blog would know that in my quest to help out with the wedding shopping of some family members, I have gone to different parts of Delhi and learnt about the shops all over. A lot of this has been the shopping for clothes, especially the fancy types that are normally part of a wedding.
So, this time it was the quest to find sarees to gift to relatives, especially, the close relatives. I had been told that near the other saree shops of Apsara and Gauri Shankar in the Paranthe Wale Gali of Chandni Chowk, there was another good shop. I went there, and found it very easily. The shop had some great sarees, including the silk sarees that we were looking for, and we walked out of the shop a couple of hours later having bought more than 5, and also having spent a fair amount of money.
The shop had very courteous staff, offering us cold drinks and hot tea / coffee while we were doing our shopping, and they showed us sarees of many different types including cotton, chiffon, goergette, rajasthani, and silk.
The shop is located just near Apsara Sarees, and the contact phone numbers are:
23270567, 23262870, 23259265

Equisite men wear - Study by Janak

2009-10-15T19:34:00.003+05:30

There are times when you need to dress real well, typically if it is the wedding of a close relative, or of yourself. At such times, the trend is more towards going in for traditional stuff, or semi-traditional stuff rather than the older fashion of wearing men's western suits. Now, when you go in for stuff such as kurta-pyjamas, or a sherwani, or a Indo-western outfit, the basic problem is of finding a place that will make something that you will like to wear. You cannot go to your nearby mall, and select what to wear in such a case.
Study by Janak is one place where you can get such outfits made. There are choices with Indo Western outfits, classy suits (of the more shining material / Italian fabrics) as compared to the dull Western suits, or you can even select sherwani's or a fashionable kurta-pyjama. You go there, select what you want, and they will take your measurements, and then the clothes are ready after a couple of weeks.

Contact details of Study by Janak:

Web site (link)

N-9, South Extension Part 1, New Delhi

15A/16, Ajmal Khan Road, Karol Bagh, New Delhi

Grand Mall, Gurgaon

Ground Floor, Cross River Mall, Shahadra, New Delhi

Akarshan boutique in North West Delhi

2009-10-08T00:25:00.003+05:30

What people will do for getting some good designer sarees and suits. I have this close relative, living in South Delhi, and she wanted some good designer sarees for her brother's wedding. After some asking around, she was told of this smallish place inside a newly constructed mall in North Delhi, and we made the trip there. The sarees and ladies suits over there finally gave her what she wanted, and she was satisfied.
Address:
Aakarshan Boutique Private Limited,
Shop Number 160, Aggarwal City mall,
First Floor, Pitam Pura,
Opposite M2K Cineplex, Delhi - 110088
Phone: 47093214, 27010533

How to get there:
Metro seemed like the best way, takes the least time. Go to Kashmere Gate Metro Station, and take the Rithala metro. Get down at the Kohat Enclave station, and take a rickshaw to the Aggarwal City mall (will take around Rs. 25-35).

Noida Medicare Center - Sector 30

2009-09-29T09:54:00.002+05:30

Website of the hospital (link)
Noida Medicare Centre (NMC) Ltd. was born on 27 April 1990 with the setting up of a 68 bedded first multi-specialty Corporate Hospital in U. P., having the only whole body CT Scan in NOIDA at that time. It has grown to be a 120 bedded centrally air-conditioned multi-superspeciality Hospital comparable to the international standards.

Some of the fields that the hospital supports and treats:

Renal Transplant, Urology, Nephrology & Dialysis
Interventional Cardiology & Cardiothoracic Surgery
Advanced Orthopaedics including Joint Replacement
Medical, Surgical & Interventional Oncology
Neurosciences & Trauma Centre
Burns, Cosmetic & Reconstructive Surgery
Minimally Invasive Laparoscopic Surgery
Highly specialised Gastroenterology & Hepatology Unit
Advanced Obst. & Gynaecology Unit with LDR facility
Advanced Paediatrics & Neonatal Unit
Ultramodern Surgery-Cum-Trauma Centre
ENT, Eye, Dental Surgery
Advanced ICU, OT and Emergency Care
State-of-the-art imaging & diagnostic services

List of doctors at the hospital available at this link.

Location of NMC on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Address and phone contact of NMC:

16 C, Sector 30 Block E, Noida, UP 201301
91-120-4665555
91-120-2456586
91-120-2453809

Paras Hospital - A leading hospital of Gurgaon

2009-09-14T00:57:00.004+05:30

Paras Hospital is one of the superior hospitals (a private sector hospital) located in Gurgaon. They also do the preventive full medical checkups that are now a part of modern preventive processes (find problems before the problem hits you).

Some of the specialties are:

Neuro Sciences
Joint Replacement & Orthopaedics
Mother & Child
Advanced Imaging Center
Paras Heart Institute
Trauma and accidents

In addition, they have the normal list of various departments as mentioned on this site (link)

Map to location of Paras Hospital in Gurgaon:

Contact Details:

Paras Hospitals, C-1 Block, Sushant Lok- Phase I, Sector-43, Gurgaon, Haryana 122002
24x7 Enquiry : 91-124-4585555
Emergency : 91-124-4585666
OPD Reception : 91-124-4585574 / 91-124-4585581
TPA / Corporate Desk : 91-124-4585571
Admission : 91-124-4585573
Cath Lab no. 91-124-4585333
Health Check Up Appointments : 91-124-4585580
HR Deptt. 91-124-4585603
Fax : 91-124-4585572
Blood bank: 91-124-4585500, 4585501

Breakfast @ Café Style, Noida

2009-09-07T23:37:00.000+05:30

It was a relatively free Saturday today, after few last weekends, when we decided to have breakfast outside. We have thought about having breakfast out of home earlier as well but there were not enough (read good) options for that in Noida. In Dehli, there are better breakfast and brunch options for the weekends but traveling to them and that too empty-stomach is not a good thing to do for me:)

But I have read about this place in Sector 18 Noida, where they have good breakfast menu. So, we decided to check it today. The place is near Superstars and called 'Café Style'. It is a new joint but has received good reviews wherever I have read about it. It is quite laid-back, spacious and 'stylish'. The first thing that you notice on entering the place is the whole concept. The sofas are comfortable and the chairs are more than spacious. The place is spread in two floors and they have some outside sitting as well. They have some old artifacts (mostly from UK of 50s and 60s) spread across these sitting area - a 1954 scooter, a 1962 car and more.

Since we were there for breakfast, we decided to stick to their breakfast menu only. The breakfast menu is available from 8 AM to noon and has well thought variety. There is a Punjabi style breakfast (Alloo parantha along with curd, pickle, butter and tea), a Mumbai style breakfast (Pao Bhaji along with tea), an English style breakfast (three egg omelette of choice - masala, mushroom, cheese, toast, salad), an Obama style breakfast (bowl of cereals with milk, fruit salad, sausages, croissant and choice of juice) or just plain old cornflakes.

We order one Punjabi style breakfast and one English style breakfast. All the preparations were well done - paranthas were not oily at all and appropriately stuff, toast were properly 'toasted', omelette was also wonderful. And this all topped with masala tea was wonderful. Overall, we had a good experience. We did not go further than the breakfast menu - something left for next time.

Contact Information:-
Café Style
K-1, Dharam Palace,
Sector 18,
Noida
Ph. 0120-4548472

QBA, Connaught Place, New Delhi

2009-09-05T14:14:00.003+05:30

Some months ago, in the heat of Delhi's summers, I was in the CP and surrounding area and was looking for some good place to eat. Due to vegetarian people in company, we wanted to go to a place having good enough vegetarian options. Initially thought about going to TGIF but then figured out that TGIF at CP is closed. So, we went to QBA, in the middle circle (or is it inner - CP always confuses me).

The entry is quite hidden which is usual with most of the place in CP. You would search for the entrance, which is toward the rear of the block. You start walking in the dingy looking, narrow alleyway, almost tempted to turn back. But suddenly you would see the reception at the ground floor. Once you reach to the restaurant through lift, you feel a calm and soothing atmosphere inside - especially when are coming from hot Delhi summer outside. The place is in cool blue interiors with two levels and a terrace for sitting. The first level is more like a lounge with sofa sitting plus bar area while the second level is more formal sitting. The terrace would be a nice sitting option in the winters - to eat food and talk while the crowd at CP running underneath.

Food is not at all good - just okay. Although we were looking for vegetarian place but QBA did not turned out to be one :). The prices are surely more than they should be. Although I was quite disturbed there by some socialite ladies discussing their families - mom-in-laws and all that (and disturbing our talks in between) but it was otherwise quite silent in the lunch time. They have live band in the evening which I have heard is also not very bad. We had very little food - mostly appetizers only.

I would certainly recommend the place to relax and enjoy rather than for the food. The sitting is relaxed, ambiance is cool and the space they have with them is awesome right there in the middle of CP.

Contact Information
QBA Restaurant & Bar
E-42/43, Inner Circle,
Connaught Place
New Delhi
Ph. 011-41512888

TGIF, Great India Place, Noida

2009-09-04T01:36:00.000+05:30

I have always been fond of Tex-Mex cuisine mostly due to lots of cheese in it:). I liked going to Ruby Tuesdays earlier but they just got their menu all wrong and when I saw that they have removed Chimichanga from their menu, I stopped going there. I recent times, TGIF Noida has been my favorite place to eat food and have beer.

TGIF is a chain of restaurants worldwide and the whole concept of having old artifacts, different assorted items, bar and sitting setup is more or less same at all outlets. The overall feel is like of a relaxed Friday's evening when the work has finished for the week and you want to start weekend with some food and drinks. I really like the setup. The music is also not very much loud - one more thing which I like in an eating place. Overall, for me, a good place to go either with family or with colleagues. They have recently changes their menu - and Chimichanga is here now :)

Since I have been there a lot of time, I have nearly tried most of the stuff. My recommendation would be

For vegetarians - try 'Grilled Pita Dipper', 'Fried Mac & Cheese' or 'Dynabites' in appetizers. Try 'Broken Noodles' pasta or 'Quesdillas' or 'Chimichanga' as the main dish. Top it up with 'Fridays Sundae' - Vanilla ice cream topped with hot fudge, caramel sauce, nuts and cream. Yummy :):)

For non-vegetarians - try 'Chicken Fajita Nachos' or 'Three-For-All' scheme where you get three appetizers in one serving. For main dish, try 'Sizzling Chicken and Cheese' or 'Fridays Shrimp'.

The menu keeps changing and there would always be some offer at the Noida outlet since they are new and want to establish themselves. For example, they are currently having buy one and get one free offer on food and drinks both.

Contact Information
T.G.I. Friday's
319-320 (3rd Floor),
Great India Place, Sector 38A
Noida - 201301
Tel: 120-4221 000
Email: t2238@fridaysindia.com

Apsara sarees and lehangas - 5 shops in Delhi

2009-08-30T01:29:00.004+05:30

Shopping for ladies sarees or lehangas for the purpose of bridal wear can be difficult; you need to balance the need to wear something different from the common while ensuring that you do not pay the heaven for this; you need to have a dress that looks exclusive and incredibly beautiful while ensuring that you are not wearing something that is being worn by everybody in the same season. I have written about Apsara sarees earlier as well, but I wanted to update with more content, so writing a new post.
If the choice is to wear a heavy well decorated saree or lehanga, then you cannot just go to any other shop. Catch the Metro line between CP and Kashmere Gate, get down at the Chandni Chowk station and ask for Paranthe Wali Gali. Once you are inside, look for the eateries, and the main Apsara showroom will be right opposite. It's not a very big place, and there are mattresses covered by white sheets on the floor, and you need to take off your shoes before you step on the mattress. The shop does not sell ladies suits.
A good lehenga can easily cost over Rs. 50,000 with prices going upto the lakhs. Delivery can take upto a month depending on the busy season. They accept cards, although most people pay cash.

The various locations are:

Chandni Chowk:

1980, Gali Paranthe Wali, Chandni Chowk, Delhi - 6
Phone: 23267767, 23286856

1386-87. First Floor, S. B. Sarafa Market, Chandni Chowk, Delhi - 6
Phone: 23911662, 23978410

Rohini:

Ring Road Mall (Behind Kali Mata Mandir), Deepali Chowk, Delhi - 4
Ph: 47085976, 27940693

Kamla Nagar:

80-D, Kamla Nagar, Opposite Roop Nagar, Delhi - 7
Phone: 23840260, 23846294

Laxmi Nagar:

9, Ground Floor, V3S Mall, Laxmi Nagar, Opposite Nirmal Vihar, East Delhi - 92
Phone: 24507185, 43073113

Tamanna - a clothing boutique

2009-08-21T00:23:00.003+05:30

Sometimes, the quest for getting some fancy suits and dresses strikes a lady. Typically known as party wear type of suits, these are fancy salwar-kameez, or they may kameez with a churidar / pants. The embroidery is far more fancy than normal day to day, and they can look quite beautiful. One place where you can get such ones is called Tamanna De Boutique, and is located in 6 different parts of Delhi.

Shop No-72, 1st Floor, Ch. Kishna Chand Complex,
Jwala Heri Market,
New Delhi, Delhi
Phone: 011 25250320

46-Ub Jawahar Nagar,
Kamla Nagar, New Delhi,
Delhi
Phone: 011 41530901

B 1/3, Lal Quarter,
Krishna Nagar, New Delhi, 110051

72-75, First Floor, Paschim Vihar,
Delhi - 110006
Phone: 011 25250320

F-20, 1st Floor,
Crossriver Mall,
Near Karkardooma Court,
Delhi
Tel: 011 22306080

J-67, Shop No. 1,
Rajouri Garden,
New Delhi - 110027
Phone: 011 25161392

F Bar and Lounge in Hotel Ashok - next to Nehru Park

2009-07-30T00:10:00.004+05:30

Actually, the Ashok Hotel is a landmark by itself, located next to the Prime Minister's house at Race Course Road, next to Santusthi, and next to Nehru Park. Here is a link to a funny map from the F Bar site (link) that shows the map of Ashok Hotel with the roads next to it, as well as a map showing how to get to the F Bar inside the Ashok Hotel (link). Astoundingly for a place in Delhi, the site also has 360 degrees virtual tours that allow you to get a view inside the F Bar even if you have never stepped inside (link).
The F bar is fairly big (8000 sq. feet), being spread over many different levels, with some more exclusive zones such as the Fashion Lounge and the super, super exclusive Diamond Lounge for those who consider themselves the elite.
The F Bar is a franchise of FTV, and is a place where you can bump into famous personalities such as movie stars, fashion people, models, etc. You can also spot many industrialists over here. The place is very well decorated, with neon lights that are not tacky, instead giving a psychedelic environment, the one in which your feet start tingling and moving (and the Interiors have a steel black and white finish). The place plays different types of music, including many times bollywood remixes (you know, many people like remixes of Bollywood movies even though they would never admit to it).
Drinks are good, although as you move past midnight, the bar gets more crowded and it could take time to get a drink, and as you are already in an expensive place, you should assume that the drinks will also be pricey.
Address and contact details:
Price Range: INR 1200 upwards (entry costs are: Cover charges of Rs. 2000 for a couple and Rs. 500 for single women)
Address: The Ashok | 50-B Chanakayapuri, New Delhi, India
Phone: (91-11) 26110101

Some videos from there:

Clubbin at F Bar @ Ashok !!

FTV - F-Bar New Delhi

Location of F Bar in Ashok Hotel, Delhi, on Google Maps

View Larger Map

Ambience Mall - the fun continues at the border of Delhi-Gurgaon (bowling, etc)

2009-07-27T00:14:00.002+05:30

Bowling is something that the younger generation in Delhi really enjoys. The feeling of being with friends, or family members, in a playful environment and where there is a spirit of competiveness can be great. However, till recently, Delhi did not have too many bowling alleys. It is only recently that Delhi and the NCR region has started having more bowling alleys, with probably the largest one coming in the Ambience Mall.
The Ambience Mall is large, and also probably has the largest bowling alley, with 24 lanes of wooden lanes. The air is pretty professional, you have to register with names, are assigned socks and shoes (they forbid people from bowling without wearing the proper shoes, and without wearing socks). Other places do tolerate the non-wearing of shoes, but the Blue-O bowling galley declares that such things are mandatory.
Do remember, it is more expensive than many others places, with the prices starting at Rs. 125 on weekdays during the day time, increasing to Rs. 175 on nights, and topping off at Rs. 200 on weekends. This is the most expensive bowling alley that I have been to in the entire NCR region. In addition, they charge you a non-refundable fees of Rs. 25 for socks (you can keep them, so you should wear your own to the bowling alley), and a Rs. 35 rental for the shoes (you need to return the shoes). No other bowling alley in the NCR region that I had been to charged rental for shoes.
Spread across 42,500 sq ft, this plush bowling alley with tangerine strip lighting on the ceiling comes equipped with two platinum lounges for privacy, karaoke rooms, an X Box 360 room. The entrance to blu O is lined up with shelves that are stocked with decorative pins.

Pind Balluchi - Now in East Delhi

2009-07-20T08:42:00.004+05:30

For the citizens living in East Delhi, starved of some good restaurants, there is a new one that has opened up and promises to improve the overall cuisine standard. Till now, there were the restaurants that were open in the various malls, and now you have a Pind Baluchi that has opened up in the Karkardooma market on the main road (not the best of locations, but it's okay). The restaurant is small compared to the other Pind Balluchi's in other parts of the city. It is spread over 2 floors, but overall seating must not be more than 60 people (a guess).
The restaurant has similar interiors such as the other Pind Balluchi's. Our experience was mixed. We had ordered some Shammi kababas, along with Malai Kofta, Khumb Pyaaz Bhujiya, and rotis (along with raita and onions). The other stuff was all great, except for the Malai Kofta which was pretty much declared uneatable by my companions. We got the waiter over and told him the issue; he was pretty much discomfited, and eventually offered us another dish. We had done with the mail, and did not want another dish, and eventually, after a lot of confabulation with his other staff, he offered us some free deserts, which were superb.
Overall, except for the malai kofta, the rest of the meal was great. The restaurant offeres non-veg and veg, with dishes such as various Kababs, Tikka, Tandoori items, Paneer dishes, spring roll, various north Indian meat dishes, and a good sampling of veg dishes. The Gulab Jamun was superb. No liqour.

Contact details:
Karkardooma Village (next to the Metro station),
Vikas Marg, East Delhi
Phone: 011-22378686, 011-22378787, 9999777881/2/3
They do home delivery.

Delhi University cut-off list -the first list, released on June 25, 2009

2009-06-25T01:02:00.002+05:30

The first cut-off list for Admissions to 2009 Under-Graduate course have been released, and here are links to the list:

Art and Commerce Cut off (link to list)

Science cut off (link to list)

Admission lists for SC/ST/PH candidates at the following location (link to list page)

Dates for collection of admission slips, and for depositing fees:

Collection of Admission Slip from Arts faculty (North Campus) 25th, 26th, 27th and 29th of June 2009 between 10 AM to 1PM (Excluding Sunday)

Payment of fees in the college : 26th, 27th and 29th of June 2009

A website catering to Delhi University (DUspecial.in)

St. Stephen's first cut-off list, 2009

2009-06-24T01:39:00.004+05:30

St. Stephens is one of the most reputed colleges in India, located in Delhi University's North Campus.

Address:
St. Stephen's College, University Enclave, Delhi - 110007
India
Phone:
+91-11 2766 7271
Fax :
+91-11 2766 7965 Residence Blocks
+91-11
Allnutt North: 27666460
Allnutt South: 27666414
Mukarji East: 27666421
Mukarji West: 27666416
Rudra North: 27666513
Rudra South: 27666425

Details of admissions are on this page; http://www.ststephens.edu/admissions.htm

Interview list (link)

Cut off's. The list was released on the 17th of June, 2009.

Cut-offs (2009)

The following is the minimum eligibility requirement for being called for interview for admission to the following courses, subject to meeting other applicable eligibility requirements:-

Subject	Minimum Eligibility Requirement for Interviews
Subject	Stream	General
Sanskrit (Hons.)	All	63 % BFS
Economics (Hons.) (80% in Maths for the General Candidates)	Science	95.75 % BFS
	Commerce	97 % BFS
	Humanities	95 % BFS
History (Hons.)	Science	95 % BFS
	Commerce	97 % BFS
	Humanities	91 % BFS
English (Hons.) 80% in Elective English OR 90% in Core English for General Category. (For all streams)	Science	96 % BFS
	Commerce	97 % BFS
	Humanities	92.5 % BFS
Philosophy (Hons.)	Science	84 % BFS
	Commerce	96 % BFS
	Humanities	85 % BFS
B.A. Programme	Science	94 % BFS
	Commerce	96 % BFS
	Humanities	88 % BFS
Mathematics (Hons.) (Include Maths & at least One Language in BFS. Students who have done Business Math's are not eligible.)	Science	94.5 % BFS
	Commerce	94 % BFS
	Humanities	82 % BFS
Physics (Hons.)	Science	94.33 % PCM
Chemistry (Hons.)	Science	92.33 % PCM
B.Sc. Programme (Physical Sciences) with Computer Science	Science	93.33 % PCM (C - Chemistry/ Computer Science)
B.Sc. Programme (Physical Sciences) with Chemistry	Science	89 % PCM (C - Chemistry)
Note: Candidates belonging to reserved categories click here to see their respective cutoffs. “BFS” stands for "Best of Four Subjects" with one language. “PCM” stands for Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.

List of colleges that are part of Delhi University

2009-06-24T01:18:00.003+05:30

There are a total of 83 such colleges, and this list is not supposed to include private colleges, so if you see a college stating that it is part of Delhi University, this list is a good reference point. The naming of this list is alphabetical, and is not an indicator of the ranking of the college.

1. Acharya Narendra Dev College
2. Aditi Mahavidyalaya
3. Ahilyabai College of Nursing
4. Amar Jyoti Institute of Physiotherapy
5. Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College
6. Ayurvedic & Unani Tibbia College
7. Bhagini Nivedita College
8. Bharati College
9. Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences
10. Bhim Rao Ambedkar College
11. College of Arts
12. College of Vocational Studies
13. Daulat Ram College
14. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College
15. Delhi College of Arts & Commerce
16. Delhi College of Engineering
17. Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sci & Research
18. Deshbandhu College
19. Deshbandhu College (Evening)
20. Durgabai Deshmukh College of Special Education (Visual Impairment)
21. Dyal Singh College
22. Dyal Singh College (Evening)
23. Gargi College
24. Hans Raj College
25. Hindu College
26. Indira Gandhi Instt.of Phy. Edu. & Sports Sciences
27. Indraprastha College for Women
28. Institute of Home Economics
29. Janki Devi Memorial College
30. Jesus & Mary College
31. Kalindi College
32. Kamla Nehru College
33. Keshav Mahavidyalaya
34. Kirori Mal College
35. Lady Harding Medical College
36. Lady Irwin College
37. Lady Shri Ram College for Women
38. Lakshmi Bai College
39. Maharaja Agrasen College
40. Maharishi Valmiki College of Education
41. Maitreyi College
42. Mata Sundri College for Women
43. Maulana Azad Medical College
44. Miranda House College
45. Moti Lal Nehru College
46. Moti Lal Nehru College (Evening)
47. Nehru Homeopathic College
48. Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology
49. P.G.D.A.V. College
50. P.G.D.A.V. College (Evening)
51. Pt. Deen Dayal Institute - Physically Handicapped
52. Rajdhani College
53. Rajkumari Amrit Kaur College of Nursing
54. Ram Lal Anand College
55. Ram Lal Anand College (Evening)
56. Ramjas College
57. Satyawati College
58. Satyawati College (Evening)
59. School of Open Learning
60. School of Rehabilitation Sciences
61. Shaheed Bhagat Singh College
62. Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (Evening)
63. Shaheed Rajguru College of App.Sci. for Women
64. Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies
65. Sherubtse College
66. Shivaji College
67. Shri Ram College of Commerce
68. Shyam Lal College
69. Shyam Lal College (Evening)
70. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee College
71. Sri Aurbindo College
72. Sri Aurbindo College (Evening)
73. Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce
74. Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College
75. Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College
76. Sri Venkateswara College
77. St. Stephen's College
78. Swami Shraddhanand College
79. University College of Med. Sc. And G.T.B. Hospital
80. Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute
81. Vivekanand College
82. Zakir Husain College
83. Zakir Husain College (Evening)

Gurdwara Bangla Sahib in New Delhi - next to Connaught Place

2009-05-24T18:47:00.003+05:30

Gurdwara Bangla Sahib is probably the most visited Gurdwara in Delhi. Located centrally in Delhi, it is located on the Baba Kharag Sahib Marg that has Connaught Place at one end, and Gol Dakhana (round post office) at the other end. The back side of the Gurdwara (and the associated school) opens up to Ashoka Road. The Gurdwara was originally the Bungalow of one of the important Rajput ruler Mirza Raja Jai Singh. Jai Singh was a devotee of Guru Harkrishan, and played a role in ensuring that politics being played out in the emperor's court did not cause Aurangzeb to treat the Sikh Guru badly. Guru Harkrishan had been nominated as a successor by the seventh Guru Sri Har Rai, and was summoned to Delhi by Emperor Aurangzeb in a furtive attempt by his older brother Baba Ram Rai to grab the Gurugadi. Earlier Baba Ram Rai had disgraced himself by giving a false translation of Bani to appease the Emperor. For this he had been disowned by his father and rewarded by Aurangzeb.
The place where the current Gurudwara is located was earlier a palatial home, and it was here that Guru Sri Harkishan had stayed here for a few months as a guest of Raja Jai Singh. It was during this time that there was a terrible epidemic of cholera and smallpox and the Guru spent a lot of time caring for people and distributing help. He was eventually struck by the disease as well, and died in Delhi in 1664. He used to distribute water from a well built in the house, and this water is said to have holy and medical properties. The water is now revered as having healing properties and is taken by Sikhs throughout the world back to their homes.
The grounds include the temple, a kitchen, a large pond, a school and an art gallery. As with all Sikh Gurdwaras, the concept of langar is practiced, and all people, regardless of race or religion may eat in the Gurdwara kitchen (langer hall).

Gurdwara Rakab Ganj in New Delhi's Pant Road

2009-05-24T18:04:00.003+05:30

In the heart of New Delhi, on Pant Road, facing Parliament and North Block, there is a beautiful white marble Gurudwara, with entrances on all 4 sides (symbolizing the fact that the Gurudwara and the religion does not support any kind of separation of humanity based on caste or creed). It has a beautiful garden surrounding it. This is the Rakab Ganj Gurdwara, built in 1732 by a devotee (Lakhi Banjara) of the 9th Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur.
It was the year 1675, and the Guru Tegh Bahadur was in rebellion against the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb was a zealot who wanted to convert people to Islam, and Guru Tegh Bahadur was approached by Kashmiri Pandits for their defence. The Guru proceeded to reach Delhi so as to try to negotiate with Aurangzeb (although he knew that his death could happen). He was arrested and then eventually beheaded.
It is rumored that after he was beheaded, there was a massive dust storm and in that storm, his body was rescued by his disciple and taken to the disciple's home where to hide any special attempts to cremate the body, the disciple Lakhi Shah Vanjara kept the body in his own home and burnt down the home in order to do the last rites (the head was taken away separately to Anandpur Sahib where it was cremated).
It was this very spot where the body was cremated that is the site of the present Rakab Ganj Gurudwara.

Gurudwara Sis Ganj - located in the heart of Chandni Chowk

2009-05-24T16:36:00.003+05:30

Getting into Chandni Chowk means taking the road from Red Fort and leading directly perpendicular to it. You see a straight road with a divider, and unless you are in the middle of the night or early morning, the road will be crowded with all sorts of traffic. There are numerous shops, and side roads that lead to narrow bustling shopping lanes. As you move ahead, you will see a beautiful Gurudwara to the left side, and this is called Gurdwara Sis Ganj. It is a pivotal part of life in Chandni Chowk, and you can see a huge number of devotees moving in and out of the Gurudwara. Not too many of these people though know the history of the Gurudwara, or the significance.
The life of the Sikh Gurus was built on the concept of sacrifice and not protecting their lives if their was something fundamental at stake. Thus it was during the time of the great (but cruel) Mughal emperor Aurangzeb who was more of a zealot than many of his previous Mughal emperors. This was also a time when there was a clash between the Mughals and the Sikh Gurus, and when the Mughal Emperor was forcibly converting Hindus to Islam. It was then that the Guru told a group of Pandits who approached him to tell the emperor that Aurangzeb should first convince the Guru to convert to Islam, and then only go to the Pandits.
The Guru refused and was imprisoned by the Emperor's men. He was finally beheaded on November 11th, 1675. His body was cremated secretly by one of his followers so that it would not be on display. Similarly, the separated head was taken to Chakk Nanaki in Anandpur Sahib. After around a century when the Mughal influence had waned and Sikhs had become more forceful, one of his followers Sardar Bhagel Singh, built the Gurudwara. The Gurudwara is made of white marble, has several domes with spires for flags and a water body for religious purposes. It took around Rs. 10 lakh and manpower of 4000 people over various stages to complete the Gurudwara.
The main structure of the Gurudwara is a large open hall. This is very spacious and has a bronze canopy in the middle under which, the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhs is kept. The Guru Granth Sahib is covered with a large red tunic cloth and garlands. At night, the book is ceremonially carried to a special room in the gurudwara. Here it is kept in a transparent and well-lit glass chamber for the visitors. The book is kept there in a special-resting closet. It is surrounded by the pieces of tree trunk of the same banyan tree under which the Guru was martyred. There is also an enclosed structure where the guru was held prisoner before being executed. The people who go to the Sis Ganj Gurdwara also visit the well in which the Guru used to take his daily bath when he was in prison.
Guru Tegh Bahadur was the youngest of the five sons of Guru Har Gobind. He was born in Amritsar in the early hours of 1st April 1621. The name Tegh Bahadur (mighty of the sword), was given to him by Guru Har Gobind after he had shown his valour in a battle with the Mughals.

Some photos of the Gurudwara can be seen at this link.

Vegetarian restaurant - Govindas at Iskcon temple in Delhi

2009-04-12T23:38:00.004+05:30

If you desire some great vegetarian food, then probably one of the best (and not very expensive place) is a place called Govindas. The food here is great, with the focus on serving vegetarian, healthy food (the food is cooked as per principles, with no garlic or onion in it). How does food taste without any onion or garlic ? Well, my experience was that at a minimum, portions of the food were palatable, and some of the food items were great. How would I rate the overall food experience ? Well, rate it as above average. The gentry was good, with families sitting there carefully in a well decorated interior (the eating tables are at a slight depression to the buffet tables). We had actually booked a party at the same restaurant (and they had given us a small ante-room that was good enough to seat around 40 people). The food at the party level was good enough that the guests liked the good (even the people fond of non-vegetarian food enjoyed the vegetarian food laid out).
A plus point was that the restaurant is located within the premises of the ISKCON temple in East of Kailash.
Address: ISKCOM Temple Complex, Sant Nagar Main Road, East of Kailash, New Delhi – 110065.
Timings: Noon-3.30 p.m. & 7.00 p.m. to 10.00 p.m

Habib's hair saloon in Delhi

2009-04-12T22:31:00.003+05:30

For people looking to get a good hairdo, the name of Jawed Habib is a famous name. How many people would not like to get their hair done on by Habib himself ? Well, this is possible, since Jawed Habib has a number of hair centers over the city, and he gives a personal touch to the hair treatment in many of those. That's right, you can get Jaweb Habib to actually spend upto 10 minutes on your hair, giving it the equisite touch (in fact, I have seen my spouse getting the hair treatment from Jaweb Habib, so I can vouch for it).
If you want an appointment with Jawed Habib, here is the link to request an appointment (link)
Some of Jaweb Habib's (his website) hair centers in the city of Delhi are at:
1. M3-Ground Floor, South Extension-II
South Extension, New Delhi, Delhi 110049
011 41640632‎
011 41640759

2. 9/10,East Patel Nagar
Patel Nagar, Delhi, 110008

3. 1st Floor, 18, North West Avenue Road
Punjabi Bagh, Delhi, 110026
011 42464328‎
011 42464329‎

4. M3-Ground Floor, South Extension-II,
South Extension, New Delhi, Delhi 110049‎
011 41640632‎

5. SF-28, Galleria DLF, DLF Ph-IV, Sushant Lok,
Gurgaon, Gurgaon, Haryana 122001‎
09312065004

Rockland Hospital in South Delhi

2009-02-09T00:07:00.003+05:30

The foundation stone of Rockland Hospital, located in South Delhi (with a great view of the Qutub and Sanjay Van) was laid in 2001, and the hospital is also looking to expand to Greater Noida and Manesar. Some of the more distinguished doctors on the panel are: Padmashree Prof. (Dr.) P.K. Dave (Orthopaedics) (former director of AIIMS) and Prof. (Dr.) M.P. Sharma (Gastroenterology). OPD services of the hospital were started in 2004.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Specialities: Anesthesia, Bariatric Surgery, Dietetics & Nutrition, Dental & Facio maxillary, Dermatology, ENT & Ophthalmology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Nephrology Neurology, Non Invasive Cardiology, Onco Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Orthopaedics, Pulmonology, Physiotherapy, Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery, Paediatrics, Psychiatry, Urology

Contact details and address:

Phone: 91-11-41222222, 41688752 to 764
Fax: 011-41688765
E-mail: info@rocklandhospital.com
medicaltravellers@rocklandhospital.com
Address: B-33,34, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi-110016

Website: http://rocklandhospital.net/

Artemis Hospital in Gurgaon

2009-02-08T23:52:00.003+05:30

Artemis Health Institute (AHI), at Gurgaon is a 500-bed super-specialty flagship hospital established by Artemis Health Sciences (AHS) (promoted by the Apollo Tyres group), spread across a total area of 525,000 square feet (when completely built).

The hospital offers advanced comprehensive tertiary care services in multiple areas of healthcare including:

* Cardiovascular Diseases
* Oncology
* Orthopaedics / musculoskeletal disease
* Obstetrics
* Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgery
* Neurosciences
* Nephrology and Dialysis
* Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery
* Aesthetic Medicine
* Ophtahalmology
* Oro maxillo facial surgery and Dentistry
* Gastroenterolgy
* Executive Health Care
* Preventive Medicine
* Radiodiagnostic and Interventional Modalities with PET/CT, MRI, high speed CT and multidimensional ultrasound and echo equipment.
* Predictive and preventive imaging with screening
* Physical therapy and rehabilitational medicine
* Advanced pathology services

The technological infrastructure at AHI also includes:
- Bariatric surgery hospital, plastic surgery hospital, cosmetic surgery hospital
- Cath Labs with Stent Boost (software visualisation tools)
- 64 Channel CT Machine with step-and-shoot technology, which reducesX-Ray radiation by 83 percent
- Intelligent Ultrasound/Echo Technology
- 3 Tesla MRI Machine
- Whole Body Imaging with contrast and high-end spectroscopy

Location and contact details:

Artemis Health Institute
Sector 51, Gurgaon
Haryana 122001
Telephone: +91-124-6767999
Emergency: +91-124-6767000

Road Map of how to reach the hospital can be found at this link.

Location as per Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Doctors for various medical areas can be found at this link (click)

Virtual Tour of Hospital located at this link (click)

Website of hospital (link)

Blanco in Khan Market

2009-01-19T13:43:00.004+05:30

Khan Market (near Lodhi Estate) in New Delhi is one of the swankiest market locations in Delhi, and also one of the most expensive. It is frequented by the classy people of Delhi (including diplomats from the nearby posh colonies of Golf Links, and Jor Bagh).
One of the famous restaurants located over there is called Blanco, and is almost like a world cuisine (well, it serves multi cuisine food with European, Japanese, Indonesian, Thai, and so on). Sounds good, doesen't it ? A lot of regular patrons agree, and people liking the place frequent it regularly. It can be expensive though, with a food for 2 with drinks coming to Rs. 1500 - 2000. For that cost, you better feel very good at the end of the meal, and enjoy it a lot.
The seating is interesting and experimental, with wooden tables (in a somwhat unfinished look). The look is different from the conventional look, and an interesting look on the walls (a lot of sunglasses, although there is no reason as to why sunglasses were chosen. If you watch the video below, you will know what the reasoning behind the restaurant people were on putting these sunglasses).
Here's a sampling on some of the food available at the restaurant - Asparagus and wasabi cheese wraps, Grilled feta and herbed polenta on skewers, Sushi platter, Vietnamese crisp prawn rolls, Carribean salads, Crispy red snapper, various tomato soups, Peppered chicken and mushroom broth, various steaks, Hawaiin pork chops, Australian lamb rack, Zuccini rolls, Grilled jumbo prawns, King fish steak, Cajun grilled vegetables, and Grilled vegetables steak.
They have a small selection of drinks, and a separate smoking section.

Map of Blanco:

View Larger Map

Here's a video on Youtube of Blanco:

Contact details and address:

The restaurant is spread over 2 levels and can seat 50 people. It is open from 11 AM to 11 PM.
62, Khan Market, New Delhi 110003
011-43597155, 43597166

Sahib Sindh Sultan - a good restaurant in Gurgaon

2009-01-06T15:23:00.003+05:30

The number of good restaurants in Delhi and the NCR region has kept on increasing over the past few years. As the number of malls have increased and a larger number of people have got into the habit of spending time in malls, the urge to eat out (especially at good places has increased tremendously). One example of this was this restaurant called Sahib Sindh Sultan (located inside the Ambience Mall in Gurgaon). We had to meet some friends after a period of a year, and owing to some locational issues, we went to Gurgaon to meet our friends. Finding the Mall and the restaurant was incredibly easy, if you are coming from the Delhi side, then as soon as you cross the Toll gate, the mall is located on the left side (you need to get off the highway as soon as you see a proper opening).
The restaurant is apparently part of a group called the BJN group that also runs other restaurants right next to SSS, and is located on the 3rd floor of the mall, close to the ground parking side (the side furthest away from the entrance to the mall; parking to the mall costs Rs. 30).
As you enter the restaurant, the initial look was that it seemed richly decorated, but a trifle dark. However, as you move in, you quickly spot a section of the restaurant where a train seems to be standing, and when you climb in, there are tables inside the train. A nice touch, and made all of us seem a bit happy (and of course the kid was very happy to be stepping inside a train). The seats were comfortable, and we thought that we were in a right place. Then the menu arrived, and it seemed to be a bit high, but this was a classy place (so went the reasoning) so we continued in that place.
And then the starters arrived followed by the food. The place offers a mix of Anglo-Indian, Gujarati, and Frontier food (a mish-mash of different styles). The starters (2 veg, one was a sort of vegetable seekh kabab, the other was a mushroom and other parts dish (and both were tasty); and then we had the non-veg started which was an excellent 5 pieces of fish fry (very tasty)). It was the main course that was even more incredible, the veg palak malai kofts and dal were great. Non-veg chicken biryani was in a good quantity and probably the best biryani I had ever eaten. Overall, the food was very great. If I do not recommend to everyone, it is because for 4 of us, the overall bill came to Rs. 3400 which is high by any standard (consider than 12.5 % was VAT, and 10% was a service charge).

Contact:
Site (link)
Ambience Mall, Level 3,
National Highway 8,
Gurgaon - 122 002
Delhi: +91 0124 3058802

Munish Khanna Photography Courses

2008-12-09T14:26:00.003+05:30

Munish Khanna is a famous photographer, who has setup a photography training academy called 'Munish Khanna Academy' (link). For people interested in learning more about Photography, whether as a hobby, or to make this as a profession, the Academy is a good place to learn more about the art.
From the site:
Munish has developed a " Unique Content based Basic and Advance training package" especially designed as an exhaustive, step by step study in the art and science of photography. The training is designed to cover every practical and theoretical aspect to tutor a beginner and advance an amateur not only during the course period but for a lifetime. The aim of the program is to gradually orient a student towards a complete photographic mind-set and develop his/her confidence in handling the camera for an independent indoor or outdoor shoot. The training covers all areas of practical photography including the professional guidelines on Digital Photography. The number of students in one group is restricted to 5-6 only, enabling individual attention. It is possible to undergo the training individually also at your own pace and time.

Contact Details:
munishkhanna@hotmail.com
55 uday park (august kranti road) new delhi-49 India
011-26518089,46039255,9871020341

Learn Photography in Delhi: Apex Academy near Priya Cinema

2008-12-09T11:27:00.004+05:30

A lot of people now have digital cameras, some of them having high end cameras such Digital SLR's. Many people enjoy the photography they do, whether it be of social functions such as birthdays / marriages / other functions, or want to impress other people with their skills. And then there are people who are genuinely interested in photography as a hobby and want to improve their skills.
Well, there are many training institutes in Delhi, one of them being a place located just next to the Priya Cinema complex, an initiative of the Jindal Photo group, called Apex Academy for Photographic Excellence.
From the site (link): A synergy of class-room teaching, practical dark-room experience, live projects, downloads from photographers of repute in the form of tailored modules and workshops make it a holistic learning experience.
They run courses at various intervals, and are also available if corporates want to invite them to run training courses for their employees (minimum of 10 students, I believe). They teach the fundamentals of photography including history, techniques, the science, film, and also conduct trips where students can go and do practise shoots.

Contact Details:
Academy for photographic excellence
60, Basant Lok Community Centre,
Vasant Vihar, New delhi - 110 057
Tel.: 011- 41669520; 011- 46015225
fax. 011 4166 9520
E-mail:apex@apexindia.net

Lodhi - The Garden Restaurant, Lodhi Garden

2008-11-20T00:05:00.002+05:30

Post courtesy Akshaya (link)

Situated near gate number one of the Lodhi Gardens, this restaurant is one of the best ambiance restaurant (except the ones in the five stars) in the city. As the name suggests, it is kind of inside the Lodhi Garden itself. It is situated in two parts - the first being the garden itself where there sitting is in open and have garden furniture for siting while the second is the closed sitting area where the sitting is more formal. They have some space on the first floor as kind of balcony where the sitting is again in open. The blend between greenery and furniture is quite dramatic yet they gel pretty well.

The food is more inclined towards Mediterranean & European cuisine yet there are some India-nized versions of the dishes. The place is quite a hit among tourist as well which you could figure out while eating there. The staff is quite gentle and well dressed. The open garden restaurant generally serves buffets while the closed area is more for groups or a la carte. The menu has more options for non vegetarians then for the vegetarians but the small number of options does not reflect into them being not good.

In starters, one should try Mezze Platters (both veg or non-veg). You can choose from different dips each one of them as delicious as the other one. The platter is quite a hit there. In the soup, try Scottish chicken and baby leek soup or the seafood broth. For the starters, the vegetarians should stick to pasta - they have quite a variety. For the non-vegetarians, the options are unlimited - one should try dishes from their lamb cuisine. And the best thing about the place (in terms of food) is their bread. They are served with most of the salads and pastas and are quite soft and delicious. Meal for two would cost around 1700 bucks.

Overall a great place to have a quite lunch or dinner. Very high on romantic index.

Contact Info:
Lodhi - The Garden Restaurant
Lodhi Gardens
Near Gate 1
New Delhi - 110003
Phone:- 011-24655054/24652808

Cafe Morrison in South Extension Part II

2008-11-16T18:10:00.004+05:30

Jim Morrison is long dead, died way back in 1971. However, fans of his music live on; who can forget the music that he generated in his short life. There is a varieties of restaurants / cafes that promote the music and memorabilia of hard rock, and these cafes are called 'Hard Rock Cafe'. Delhi also has one of these, in the rocking South Extension Part 2 area, setup in 2005, called Cafe Morrison.
The decor of a Hard Rock Cafe is always different from the others, with a large dose of rock star posters, music, guitars, etc. Imagine the pleasure when the Cafe plays the old type music from 8:00 PM to 10:30 PM. In addition, you have some classic bike commercials playing from time to time. The Cafe also gives space to young bands, with live performance on Sundays.
Besides the music, you also get some great cocktails and drinks. The food is Mexican, with one of their specialities being Fajitas Chicken. So, what are you waiting for, come, get some great food and drink, and rock yourselves to a good time.

E-12, South Extension II
South Extension II, Delhi
Contact details: 011 26255652‎, 09350547434‎

A scene from Cafe Morrison on Youtube:

Media Coverage of Cafe Morrison:

Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre, Delhi

2008-11-01T22:58:00.003+05:30

Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre (site) is a very famous cancer research and treatment center located in North Delhi, in Rohini. The hospital was setup by Indraprastha cancer Society, a charitable society, which procured the land and setup the hospital.
The hospital is currently a 164 bed hospital, and is a comprehensive cancer care set-up with all the facilities for diagnosis and treatment of all types of cancers available under one roof. The hospital has 164 beds comprising of 2 Deluxe Rooms, 19 Single Rooms, 42 Two bedded Rooms, 34 Male General Ward, 28 Female General Ward. The Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre has 3 Operation Theatre with a 8 bedded Post - Operative ward and 10 bedded Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to provide intensive care to critically ill patients.

Map to reach the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Hospital (Google Maps)

View Larger Map

The following are the services available at the hospital (link);
Department of Laboratory Services, Intensive Care Unit(ICU), MRI, Radiation Oncology, Physiotherapy, Medical Oncology, Department of Radiology, Bone Marrow Transplant Unit , Surgical Oncology, Thyroid Ward, Dietary Department, Department of Anaethesiology, Major Operation Theater, Post Operative Ward, Minor Operation Theater, Nuclear Medicine, Medical Radiation Physics, and Pediatric Hematology & Oncology
Physician directory is available at this link.

Address :-
Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Center
Sector - V
Rohini
Delhi - 110 085

VIMHANS - A leading hospital for the neuro-sciences

2008-11-01T22:40:00.005+05:30

VIMHANS (Vidyasagar Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences) (site) is located near Lajpat Nagar, in a locality called Nehru Nagar. It is best approachable as you move from Lajpat Nagar towards Ashram, towards the left. There are signs near the end of the Sriniwaspuri Flyover that point you to the exact location.
Disciplines available include Mental Health, Neurosciences, Orthopaedics and Spine, Rehabilitation Medicine and Child Development. From the original field of mental health, now the hospital is a superspeciality institute covering 5 major medical specialities and their allied disciplines with three outreach centers in different parts of North India.
With a 28 bedded I.C.U. (and a total of 110 beds), the hospital is looked after by 30 consultants and a large number of support staff.

Location of VIMHANS in Delhi:

Contact Details:
VIMHANS Hospital
No. 1, Institutional Area,
Nehru Nagar, New Delhi-110065
Ph: 29849010-20
Fax: . 91-11-29849028

Important E-mails :-
help@vimhans.com
vimhans@vimhans.com
vimhans@hotmail.com
academicinfo@vimhans.com
events@vimhans.com
jobs@vimhans.com
career@vimhans.com

OPD schedule for the different departments are located at this link.

Float - a day and night pub in Park Royal Hotel

2008-10-10T11:23:00.004+05:30

Delhi's trendy people are always looking for a good place to jive, enjoy their drinks, shake a leg and have a good time. Float, located in the Park Royal Intercontinental Hotel in Delhi's Nehru Place area is a good place to do that. The pub is a day and night pub that operates as a dance floor, as a restaurant, as a cigar enjoying joint (in a special glass enclosure), and as a pub. With all this, and with a great ambiance, including an open kitchen, you can be sure that this pub is popular, and it sure is.
The restaurant here has cuisines from all over the world, starting with some great starters in the form of Nachos, starters from Indonesia, Italian Bruchetta, Lebanese starters such as hummus, falafel with pita bread, Chicken Nuggets, and many others. And of course, vegetarians have a great variety available in the form of Chili Mushrooms, many Chinese starters, Paneer starters, etc. And if you are there for lunch, you get some great food in the form of some great Italian Pasta (where you can select from the different types of sauces, herbs, and other ingredients and get the pasta made exactly as you want). Then there are other Italian stuff such as pizza, lasagna; and of course, you can get some great wine.
And as for the desert, enjoy some great desert, with cheesecake (made in a unique way and very delicious).

Sitaram Bhartia Hospital, Delhi

2008-10-10T08:14:00.003+05:30

Sitaram Bhartia is a Hospital located in South Delhi, in the Qutab Institutional Area near the Qutub Hotel. The Hospital offers a facility with 70 beds, Operation Theatres, and the required Intensive Care Units. Sitaram Bhartia’s research focuses on collecting health related data for our population, developing quality improvement interventions, and highlighting neglected aspects of medical care. Some of it’s active area of research are diabetes, general medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, nuclear medicine and psychiatry.
The focus areas for the institute are:
- Women's health:
1. Preventive Health Checks for women
2. Out-patient services, diagnostics and procedures
3. Specialized gynecological surgeries
4. Birthing Program
5. Labor and delivery care
6. Post-delivery and newborn care
- Diabetes Center
- Preventive Health Checks
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
- Surgical Services
1. General Surgery
2. Orthopedics
3. Gynecology
4. Endoscopic or Keyhole (Laparoscopic) Surgery
5. Urology
6. Pediatric Urology
7. Urinary stones
8. Prostate enlargement
9. Urological cancers
10. Sex change surgery

Location of Sitaram Bhartia Research Center and Hospital on Delhi Map:

Address: Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science & Research B-16,Mehruli Institutional Area, New Delhi-16 (near Qutub, off Aurbobindo Marg)

Website: Link

Ph.: +91-11-4211-1111
Fax: +91-11-2653-3027

The Hospital also has a Clinic located in Gurgaon, called Galleria

Sitaram Bhartia Clinic
Galleria, DLF City,
Phase - IV, Gurgaon - 122002
Haryana,
INDIA
Ph.: +91-0124-413-1111

Focus Imaging: Diagnostic center

2008-09-24T08:45:00.004+05:30

Delhi has several diagnostic centers offering services in the area of MRI, Body Scan, CAT, etc. However, for patients, it is important that they believe that the diagnostic center where they are going has the latest equipment, has skilled technicians, and does not charge more than the other centers offering similar services.
One such place that was recommended by more than 1 Doctor is Focus Imaging & Research Center located in Green Park Extension. The services that this center offers are:
- MRI 3.0 TESLA
- Complete whole body and musculoskeletal scan
- Multislice CT Scan
- 3-D Denta Scan
- CT coronary angiography
- Digital X-ray with IITV / Digital Mammoraphy
- 4-D Ultrasound / Colour Doppler
- Dexa-bone densitometry

Locations:
H-10 Green Park Extension, New Delhi (for MRI 3 Tesla & CT Scan)
Phone: 011-42199991
(located near Yusuf Sarai Gurudwara, near Mohinder Hospital)

C-10, Green Park Extension, New Delhi - 110016 (General Radiology)
Phone: 011-42199992

IHBAS Hospital Complex, Near GTB Hospital, Dilshad Garden, Delhi - 110095 (MRI 3 Tesla)
Phone: 011-22111000

77-A, Telephone Exchange Road, Dilshad Garden, Delhi - 110095 (CT & General Radiology)
Phone: 011-22111001

Dimsum Lunch @ Mainland China

2008-09-18T23:09:00.001+05:30

Post courtesy Akshaya (link)

Once again I was back to Mainland China. Yes, it is surely my favorite Chinese restaurant in the whole city. Great food and cheap too. And one more factor for my frequent visits to this place, is my wife's preference of this place :)

So, last weekend I went to Mainland China - this time for a dimsum lunch. Although they do not have a fixed dimsum menu lunch but one can order dimsum from their a-la-carte menu. And that is what we did as well. We ordered SuiMai dimsums filled with chopped vegetables (one of our favorite there), steamed vegetable wontons in a rather unique sauce, silken tofu delight vegetable dumplings (chopped vegetables filled in a soft silky tofu covering and base) and XO sauce flavored chicken and prawn dimsums.

Nearly all of them were very good. Apart from these, other notable dimsums are vegetable hargao, prawn hargao & seafood dimsums. Overall, our dimsum lunch was worth driving down all the way from Noida to G.K. - Mainland China has never disappointed us till now. The bill for a dimsum lunch for two (consisting of five different dimsums) would be around 900 bucks. On weekends, make sure to go with prior booking - this place sells like anything.

Contact info:
Mainland China,
Plot No. 4, Local Shopping Centre,
Masjid Moth, Greater Kailash - II,
New Delhi - 110048
Tel : (011) 40535525 / 26
Email : mlcdel@airtelbroadband.in

Mrs. Kaur's Premium Cookies

2008-09-07T22:15:00.000+05:30

Post courtesy Akshaya (link)

They are just wonderful - who???

Well, cookies from Mrs. Kaur's Premium Cookies are just wonderful. When I was a child, there were no cookies around - only biscuits. And no one knew the difference between cookies and biscuits. Then came the liberalization and we got cookies in India as well. But then not every cookie is actually a cookie in true sense. You have to taste cookies from Mrs. Kaur's to understand what a true cookie is.

Nearly all of the cookies are very tasty. And each one of them is available in eggless form as well. Try Chocolate Chip, Florentine, Oatmeal Raisins, Almond Chocolate Chunk, All Spice Molasses & Cocoa White Chocolate. They offer brownies as well - try Chocolate Brownie (this is 'pure sin') & Cocoa Banana Bar.

You can buy the cookies at Khan Market or East Patel Nagar. You can also order online on their website here.

Location Information

73A,
Khan Market (Middle Lane)
New Delhi 110003

Arcade E,
Inside Gallery, Khan Market
New Delhi 110003

29/6 East Patel Nagar
New Delhi 110008

Website: http://www.mrskaurs.com

Piccadelhi restaurant in Delhi

2008-09-01T17:01:00.004+05:30

A good location for a restaurant is Connaught Place, practically the center of Delhi. Earlier, the hall Plaza had started decaying, but with the revival of the whole of CP (with the welcome addition of the Metro), Plaza also became PVR Plaza, a new and refurbished place. And then came this restaurant located in the same building, spread over a large area. Named after 'Picadilly', a famous location of London, the restaurant also has a pub right inside, called 'Drunken Duck'.
The restaurant is large, but we had gone on a Saturday evening, and the rush was incredible, and with so many families there along with children, the noise levels were also incredible (it took us 15 minutes to get a table). The tables were also feeling more cramped, and navigating between them when a person is not as thin as a stick could be a bit difficult.
The experience was a mixed experience. The service was incredibly fast by Delhi standards, but the food and the quantum of food was so-so; in more detail, the veg starters (honey potatoes) were not so good, while the non-veg chicken starter was much better. Quantity of the starters was plenty, but one cannot really say the same for the main dishes (given that they were also priced on the higher side). A fish dish that I had ordered cost around Rs. 350, and I had 3 tasty (but small pieces of fish). Be prepared to order 2-3 dishes if 3-4 of you are going there. The cocktails and other drinks were fine. The decor inside the restaurant was decent, with the high roof and the space overhead being decent, but if you have been to London, the whole feeling looks very pretentious.
Overall, if I have to go there, I will go on a weekday, and be prepared to spend approx Rs. 2500+ for 4 people (drinks, snacks, food, and dessert). The good point was 2-3 of the desserts were proclaimed as sugar-free, and this always helps people who need to avoid sugar. The food is of Chinese / Indian type, and taste wise is a bit bland.

Location of Piccadelhi restaurant on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Contact Details:
Phone : 011 - 23316344 /47 /48 /49
Fax : 011 - 23316349
Address : Plaza Cinema Building, H-Block, Connaught Circus, New Delhi - 110 001

Kailash Hospital, Noida

2008-09-01T15:44:00.003+05:30

Kailash Hospital is one of the larger hospitals located in Noida, and is now located in a few other locations such as Greater Noida, East Delhi, and Behror in Rajasthan. The hospital now provides a range of a facilities, is pretty well known in the area.

Some of the specialties of this hospital are:
Anesthesiology & Critical Care, Asthma/Allergy, Cardiology, Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery (CTVS), Internal Medicine, Neurology, Orthopedics, Paediatrics, Paediatric Surgery, Radiodiagnosis, Oncology (Cancer), Dermatology (Skin), Rheumatology, Hematology, Dentistry, Dietetics, Drug, Alcohol De-addiction & Rehabilitation, Endocrinology, E.N.T, Gastro Sciences, General Surgery, Laboratory Medicine, Management of Poisoning and Snake Bite, Minimal Access Surgery (Laparoscopy Surgery), Nephrology, Neurosurgery, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Ophthalmology Department, Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation, Plastic Surgery, Psychiatry & Psychology, Respiration & Sleep Medicine, Transfusion Medicine, Urology

Location / Map of hospital:

The various Group Hospitals are:

Kailash Hospital and Research Centre, Noida: This 300 bed Super-speciality multi services hospital is the largest private hospital in Uttar Pradesh. KHRC has a well equipped 60 bedded Critical Care Unit with Ventilators, Defibrillator, Pulse Oximeter, Monitor and eight Major Operation Theaters.

Kailash Heart Institute:
Department of Cardiology
* Emergency Cardiac Care with Mobile ICU
* Coronary Agiography & Angioplasty
* Carotid Angiography & Angioplasty
* Renal / Peripheral Angiography & Angioplasty
* Rotablation
* Valvuloplasty
* Device closure for cardiac defects
* Electro Physiological Studies (EPS)
* RF Ablation
Department of Cardio-Thoracic & Vascular Surgery
* Open Heart Surgery - CABG, Aortic Valve replacement, Mitral Valve replacement
* Beating Heart Surgeries, ASD, VSD closer
* Paediatric Cardiac Surgery & TOF
KHI Heart Check up
(This check-up package is available at concessional price and it takes approx. 2 hours. These check-ups are also available on Sundays and Holidays)
* KHI Routine Heart check up
* KHI Executive Heart Check up

Kailash Hospitals Ltd., Greater Noida
This hospital has been set up as a 250 bedded multi-specialty hospital.
Presently there are 60 specialist consultants and the hospital has been providing services in the fields of -
* Internal Medicine
* Cardiology
* Neurology,
* General Surgery
* ENT
* Gynecology
* Pediatric
* Orthopaedic
* Ophthalmology
* Dental,
* Physiotherapy
* Gastroentrology

Deepak Memorial Hospital & Medical Research Centre, East Delhi
Deepak Memorial Hospital, located in East Delhi, started functioning in September 1988 as a multi-specialty hospital. It has very eminent faculty of doctors. The Hospital provides services in almost all disciplines including Intensive Cardiac Care, Intensive Baby Care, Mother and Child Care, Obs. & Gynae. Orthopedic Surgery, Burns and Plastic Surgery, a complete Nephrology Unit with Dialysis facility and a Rehabilitation Department for the Physically Handicapped persons. For further growth and enhancement of all areas, the hospital is now being managed by Kailash Group of Hospitals and has been upgraded to 110 bedded hospital & to 350 bedded by the year end 2007.

Emergency services available:
* Emergency Team - trained Doctor, ICU-trained Nurses and Para-medical staff, specially trained Ward Boys to shift Cervical / Spinal injury patients.
* Suction Apparatus - used to remove any secretion from the throat.
* Defibrillator - used in case of sudden Cardiac arrest to revive Cardiac functions
* Cardiac Monitor - to monitor BP, Pulse and Cardiac functions.
* Central Oxygen Supply - each bed has round the clock in-built Oxygen point.

OPD schedule available at this page (link)

Location Details:
www.kailashhospital.com/
H-33, Sector- 27,
Noida, U.P. - 201 301, (India)
Phone : +(91)-(120)-2444444 / 2445566
Mobile Hotline : 9990-444444
Fax No : +(91)-(120)-2552323
E-mail : khrc@kailashhospital.org, info@kailashhospital.org

Chattarpur Temple, South Delhi

2008-08-24T14:59:00.003+05:30

The Chattarpur Temple is dedicated to goddess Durga, along with temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, Vishnu, Lakshmi and Ganesh in the temple compound. A large number of devotees visit this temple and is very famous; earlier, the area around it was not populated, but as Delhi is expanding, the temple is seeing many more devotees. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga (who is worshipped in fierce (Kali, Durga) and tender (Lakshmi) forms), and who is the consort of Lord Vishnu. Another shrine is dedicated to Goddess Katyayani, whose 'darshan' can be availed only on 'ashtami' falling in every month. Otherwise, the 'darshan' of Goddess Katyayani can be made throughout the days of 'Navratri'.

Map to Temple:

The temples exhibit a beautiful architecture, made up of marble (and gleaming in their whiteness), and made in the South Indian style. The center is the Vimana (a tall tower consisting of several smaller storeys). During Durga Pooja, the temple is thronged by devotees, there to offer prayers. The compound has beautifully manicured lawns, and gardens. The temple also has a tree where devotees tie a thread so that their requests are met by the deity. Chhatarpur Temple was built by Swami Nagpal Maharaj, who was a great devotee of Goddess Durga.
Places nearby: Alai-Darwaza, Quwwatul-Islam Mosque, Iron Pillar, Alai Minar, Tomb of Iltutmish, Imam Zamin's Tomb and Ala-ud-Din Madarsa.
Located at: 4km Beyond Qutub Minar in Mehrauli, Delhi

Photos (link1, link2, link3, link4)

Bhairon temple near Purana Qila

2008-08-24T14:39:00.002+05:30

Located on one of the busiest traffic routes in Delhi, not too many people know about the Bhairon Mandir, a temple that actually takes liquor as an offering. Even when you know that you are traveling on a road known as Bhairon Road, not too many people associate that with the temple. That is not to say that these are unknown temples, a lot of people in Delhi know about these temples and many go to these temples (when I say temples, there are actually 2 temples over there, in one you offer liquor, and in the other, you offer milk (called Dhudhiya Bhairon)).
The Purana Qila has a heritage around it, known as having been associated with the time of the Mahabharata (even though there is not much of archaeological proof as yet of this). Similarly, the Bhairon Mandir outside the complex is supposed to be of that age, a place where Bheema worshipped the fierce form of Lord Shiva called Bhairavji. The structure is assuredly not so old, but the story goes that the core section of the temple is very old.
In the temple, you can give alcohol as an offering; another interesting part is that the devotees are forbidden from giving prasad (the offering) to beggars (in theory - in practise there are a number of beggars outside).

Apollo Indrapastha Hospital Delhi

2008-08-13T23:23:00.003+05:30

Apollo Hospital in Delhi is one of the most famous private hospitals in Delhi. It is located in the south-east, along Mathura Road, and is also easily approachable from Gurgaon, Faridabad, and Noida.

Address and contact details:
Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals
Sarita Vihar, Mathura Road
NEW DELHI - 110 076
Tel: +91-011 - 26925801/26925858
Fax: +91-011-26823629
http://www.apollohospdelhi.com

Map of location:

More details about the hospital including the schedule for Doctors is available at this link. The hospital has 695 beds (with scope for expansion) and offers care in various specialities such as Cardiology, Oncology, Neurology, Nephrology, Orthopedics, Urology, Transplants, Gynaecology, Pediatrics, Cosmetic Surgery. The hospital started operations in July 1996, and is a joint venture between the Apollo Group and the Government of Delhi.
The various specialities along with the operating hours of the Doctors and their fees are available in this link.
Apollo also offers a range of different checkups, available at this location (link). These checkups include the following:
Apollo Executive Health Cheq
Apollo Heart Cheq
Apollo Whole Body Cheq
Well Woman Cheq
Apollo Breast Cheq
Apollo Child Health Cheq

Delhi Metro - current and future

2008-08-06T21:35:00.003+05:30

Delhi Metro is currently running through some of the major populations centers of Delhi, running through major parts of West Delhi, North Delhi, and East Delhi. It has taken load off the roads (although how long that lasts is a matter of debate given the number of vehicles getting added to Delhi roads per Delhi). Delhi Metro was started on December 24, 2002, after a long period of planning, and was greeted as a major improvement to the traffic infrastructure of the city. It has helped, and has attracted a large number of commuters on a regular basis (try taking the Metro route from Connaught Place to Dwarka at 6 in the afternoon).
Originally the route of the metro line was on these 3 lines: Line I (Shahdara - Rithala), Line II ( Vishwa Vidyalaya - Central Sectt.), and Line III (Indraprastha- Barakhamba Road - Dwarka) (the Indrapastha and Barakhamba Road stations were added later). The stations that are on this route are:
Line 1 (Dilshad Garden - Rithala): Dilshad Garden, Jhilmil, Mansarovar Park, Shahdara, Welcome, Seelampur, Shastri Park, Kashmere Gate, Tis Hazari, Pul Bangash, Pratap Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Inder Lok, Kanhiya Nagar, Keshav Puram, Netaji Subhash Place, Kohat Enclave, Pitam Pura, Rohini East, Rohini West and Rithala.
Line 2 (Vishwa Vidyalaya - Central Secretariat): Vishwa Vidyalaya, Vidhan Sabha, Civil Lines, Kashmere Gate, Delhi Main, Chawri Bazar, New Delhi, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk and Central Sectt. This is the shortest line as of now, but will go all the way to Gurgaon later.
Line 3 (Indraprastha - Barakhamba Road - Dwarka): Indraprastha, Pragati Maidan, Mandi House, Barakhamba Road, Rajiv Chowk, R.K. Ashram Marg, Jhandewalan, Karol Bagh, Rajendra Place, Patel Nagar, Shadipur, Kirti Nagar, Moti Nagar, Ramesh Nagar, Rajouri Garden, Tagore Garden, Subhash Nagar, Tilak Nagar, Janakpuri East, Janakpuri West, Uttam Nagar East, Uttam Nagar West, Nawada, Dwarka Morh, Dwarka and Dwarka, Dwarka Sec-14, Dwarka Sec-13, Dwarka Sec-12, Dwarka Sec-11, Dwarka Sec-10 and Dwarka Sec-9.

Asia Kitchen restaurant in Noida

2008-08-05T23:30:00.003+05:30

Asia Kitchen is a relatively new restaurant located in Sector 63 in Noida. The location details are:
H-1A/33, Sector 63, Noida
Tel +91 (0120) 4218555/ 4218666
If you are coming from the Shipra Mall Side, you need to take the road that leads to Fortis; it is on the left side before Fortis (you will need to take the service lane).
The place has 2 floors, a ground floor and a basement. Together, the restaurant has ample seating space, with a mix of chairs and sofas for more comfortable seating.
The restaurant does not yet have a liquor license, so it cannot serve any cocktails or drinks. However, it does have a variety of mocktails and the standard lemon water, etc. The food is varied - there is Chinese, Thai, and North Indian (although this mixture does seem a bit strange - I saw on the same table, a group from an office eating a mixture of dal along with chopsuey and hot and sour vegetables; something this was not a pleasant sight.
The servings are large, and the menu choices are small (for example, the North Indian vegetable list was 2 paneer dishes, 1 kofta, 1 dal, and 1 other dish), so we ended up with a small number of dishes whose quantity proved more than sufficient. I felt the taste was great, and people eating the non-veg liked what they ate, but there were others who did not like the taste all that much.
Overall, for around 16 people, we ended up with a bill of around Rs. 350 per head, seemed a trifle high (but with drinks, starters and food, it may be fine).

Maspar - the home furnishings shop

2008-07-29T17:35:00.003+05:30

Maspar has recently started ramping up its store network in the Delhi and NCR region, and is becoming famous and talked about for the variety and quality of its products. Maspar makes home furnishings in the area of bed collection, Bath, Table & Kitchen, Fabric and Gifts. Maspar is into production and sales of probably the most unique textile material and with their products being in the premium range. Synonymous with colourful fabrics and simple straight line designs – emphasizing more on texture, they have a wide range of bedspreads, bath sets, table lines and fabrics. Maspar is special because it has redefined that elegant, no-nonsense look. As an example, Maspar’s collection of viscose and cotton bed linen, bedspreads and cushion covers is aptly called Moulin Rouge; the range is a mass of dramatic colour, texture, pattern and vibrant embellishments.
The prices are fairly reasonable. Bedsheets cost between Rs995 and Rs3,000 and the most expensive curtain panel costs Rs1,250. Apart from Delhi and Mumbai, Maspar has branches in Bangalore and Ludhiana.

Locations and contact details:

# Select City Saket
13 & 14, IInd Floor
Select City Walk
New Delhi-110017
Ph:011-40575025
Fax:011-40575026
Email: maspar.scs@maspar.in

# South Ex New Delhi
IIIrd & IVth Floor,
E-2, Mahajan House
NDSE Part-II
South Extension
New Delhi-110049
Phone:011-46095979
Fax:011-46095989
Email: maspar.fss@maspar.in

# City Center Mall Gurgoan
Shop No 10,
11 DLF City Centre
M.G Road, Gurgaon
Haryana
Ph.:95124-4016380
Fax:95124-4016379
Email: maspar.ccg@maspar.in

# Spice World Mall Noida
Shop No 203&204,
First Floor
Spice World Mall
Sector-25A
Noida(U.P)
Ph.:0120-4333055
Fax:0120-4333054
Email: maspar.ccn@maspar.in

# Rajouri
Shoppers Stop Ltd Plot No-10
Shivaji Place District Centre, Raja Garden
New Delhi-110015

Select City Skywalk Mall in Saket

2008-07-29T17:04:00.003+05:30

South Delhi had access to some of the earliest malls in Delhi. You had the good (but now slightly old-fashioned and hot in summer) Ansal Plaza on Khel Gaon Marg, and the malls in Gurgaon that were not so far away. However, there is now no need to go to these places; you have the brightest and best new mall opened up in Saket, called Select Citywalk Mall (link). The 1,300,000 sq ft (121,000 m²). retail development is spread over six acres and includes a multiplex, serviced apartments, offices and public spaces. Situated on the Press Enclave Road, it is within 15-20 minutes of driving time from prime residential colonies such as Panchsheel park, Geetanjali Enclave, Greater Kailash, Anand Lok, Gulmohur Park, Hauz Khas, Safdarjung Enclave & Sainik Farms.

Map of the Mall (not too hard to get directions once you know the exact location):

View Larger Map

The mall has plenty of good brand name stores, it has a multiplex (PVR), and has good eating options. What more do you want ?

Shops: Fabindia, Pantaloons, Food Bazaar, Mac (cosmetics), Lush (soaps / cosmetics), Shoe Tree (shoes), Benetton (clothes), Clinique (cosmetics), Esprit (clothes), Guess (clothes), Barista Creme, Mothercare, Hidesign, Mango, Pratap, Kimaya, Wills Lifestyle, Shoppers Stoppe, Good Earth Veranada, L’affaire, Allen Solly, Arcelia, Home Stop, Crossword, H2O, Van Heusen, Nine West, Tommy Hilfiger, Charles and Keith, Inc5, Nine West, Shoe Tree, Lancome, Loccitane En Provence, Forest Essentials, Tissot, Swatch, Ethos, William Penn, Guardian Lifecare Pvt. Ltd, Valaya.FNP, Kalpana, Cheemo, maspar, Mynah

Food: Food Court called Food Talk (many types - Chinese, South Indian, North Indian, Mexican, Italian, Sizzlers), KFC, Gelato, Barista, Caffe Coffee Day, all-vegetarian Sattvik, Cocoa by Belgique, Patchi

Taking the mall’s entertainment quotient much higher is a public space called Saanskriti, having an open air amphitheatre, specialized lighting, water bodies and trees, specially planned for conducting cultural programs such as fairs, festivals and art performances.

Great India Place Mall in Noida

2008-07-19T19:51:00.004+05:30

This is a huge mall. It can take many hours to navigate all the different sections, and there is a fair chance of becoming lost (or rather, trying to find a shop that you have found earlier). And if you have made an arrangement to meet somebody over there, then it can get difficult; because it is very crowded during the weekends and even during the normal daytime, and also because it can get confusing.
However, these could be counted as negatives; but the positive is that this is one mall that can help you to find whatever you want. There are many eating places, there is bowling, there are movies, there are restaurants, and the place is full of shopping. And of course, there is an amusement park next door with plenty of rides.
The mall comprises an area of 1,500,000-square-foot (139,400 m²), making it one of the largest operational mall in India. The Great India Place was developed by the Unitech Group and is located in Sector 38-A of Noida. The Mall is supposed to be a part of a Huge Entertainment City with an Water & Amusement Park, Bollywood-Theme Park, and Hotel.
The mall follows a zoned concept with home and grocery on the basement level, women's apparel on one side, men's on the other and a 180,000 sq.ft. Food and Entertainment zone on the top floor, with a 5-screen Adlabs multiplex, with a total seating capacity of 1220 seats.
Some of the major stores are Big Bazaar, Home Store (for items for the home), Pantaloon, Globus, Lifestyle, Shopper Stop, Bossini, D & A shoes, CTC Plaza, Lee Copper, Tana Bana, Hallmark, Titan, Giovani, Jumbo Electronics, Om Book Shop, Hazoorilal, R C Jewellers, Cygnus, Tanishq, Ritu Wears, Planet M, Archies, Lazy Boy, Dollar Shop, Adidas, Nike, Guess, Marks & Spencer, Satya Paul, Raymond Shop

Food: Nirula's, Sbarro, Rajdhani, Yatra, Noodle Bar, Food Court, Pind Balluchi, TGIF, KFC, PIzza Hut, Bembos, Pizzaria Express, and many others.

You also have pool and bowling options on the same floor as the food court.

Unitech Metro Walk Mall in Rohini + Adventure Island amusement park

2008-07-19T19:18:00.003+05:30

The Unitech Metro Walk Mall in Rohini has a total area of 200,000 sq. ft. It has shops for clothing and accessories, footwear, many different eateries, and best of all, a full fledged amusement park called Adventure Island that has 30-40 rides (many of which are well liked by visitors). In addition, the Mall also has the backdrop of a lake spread over 3.5 acres. The Mall is gaining in popularity and becoming a must-visit for people of all age groups. It also is different from the many similar types of malls that have sprouted all over the country.
The Mall is easily accessible from the Rithala Metro station and has a parking of around 1800 vehicles. Tickets to the Amusement park cost Rs. 220 & 170 (Adult & Children respectively) on weekdays and Rs. 350 and 270 on weekends.

Some of the various brands that are available in this mall (please leave a comment if you don't see a particular shop in here):
John Players, Ezone (electronics), Liberty (shoes and accessories), Pantaloon, Reebok, Nike, Biba, Titan, Benetton, Liliput, Adidas, Levis, Koutons, Pepe Jeans, Incense, Zapp, Numero Uno, Spykar Jeans, Raymonds, Titan, Lee Cooper, Jini and Johnny, Blackberry, Indian Terrain, Reid & Taylor, Priknit, Richlook, Swiss Junction, Carlton London, Provogue Studio

Food: KFC, Punjabi by Nature, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Spoon (Food Court), Pind Balluchi, Flaming Wok, Gola Sizzler, Baskin Robins, Ruby Tuesday, Barista, Costa Coffee, Cafe Coffee Day, Geoffrey’s, Fast Trax, Yo China, Nirula's,

Address : Unitech Metro Walk Mall & Adventure Island, Sector 10, Rohini, Near Rithala Metro Station, Delhi
* Ph. : 91 - 11 - 47041122

Bakson's Homepathy in Delhi and NCR

2008-07-19T18:56:00.003+05:30

There are a large number of people who believe in a homeopathic cure for problems such as muscular pain / back pain, for acne, for hair problems, and numerous others. Also with Dr. Batra's, Balson's is another famous homeopathic chain that is patronized by a number of people. So, some of the problems that Bakson's claims that it can cure or help alleviate the symptoms of are:

Skin - Acne, Alopecia (loss of hair), Dandruff, Eczema, Dark Patchy skin, Psoriasis, Urticaria

Respiratory - Cough & cold, Allergic Rhinitis, Hay fever, Sinusitis, Adenoiditis. Tonsillitis, Bronchial asthma

Digestive - Stomatitis, Heart burn, Peptic-ulcer, Flatulence, Constipation, Diarrhoea

Musculoskeletal - Arthritis, Backache, Cramps, Migraine, Spondylosis, Gout, Myalgia, Sciatica, Slip disc

Location of the clinics throughout India are available at this location (link)

In Delhi and NCR, these are:

Central Clinic
A-51, South Extension, Part- I, New Delhi- 110049.
Telephone No.: – 011 - 41646562, 41647156
Fax: 011- 41647157

Dwarka
SHOP No T - 12 & T - 22
H.L Square, Sector - 5, Dwarka
Telephone No.: – 011 - 45586449

Hargobind Enclave
127, Hargobind Enclave,
Vikas Marg, Extn - II, New Delhi – 110092
Telephone No.: - 011 - 22377773, 22360062
Fax - 22377791

Janakpuri
202, Mahatta Tower , 54 B-Block, Community Centre,
Janakpuri, New Delhi - 110058
Telephone No.: -011 - 25541848, 25541739,
41588845, 46 Fax: 011 - 25542069

Pitampura
FU-4, Opposite QU Block,
DDA Market, Near Income Tax Colony,
Pitampura, New Delhi- 110088
Telephone No.: - 011 - 27342580, 27342585
Fax: 011-27342587

Sarojini Nagar
Shop No. 84, Sarojini Nagar Market,
New Delhi -110023,
Telephone No.: - 24671921,
Fax: 011- 26111923.

Shakti Nagar
7259, Shop No. 1, Prem Nagar, Near Amba Cinema,
Shakti Nagar, New Delhi -110002,
Telephone No.: - 23822501, 02, 47015249

Kalkaji
B - 46, Kalkaji
New Delhi -110019
Telephone no. 011-26416663 , 26416664, 26416665 , 41748090

Patel Nagar
1/5, 1st Floor, Opp. Metro pillar No.206,
West Patel Nagar, New Dellhi
Telephone No : - 011-45084390, 25886523 / 4

Gurgaon
116, 1st Floor, The Grand Mall,
Mehrauli Gurgaon Road, Gurgaon
Telephone No.: - 0124 - 2565194, 4018204
Fax: 0124 - 2565195

Noida
C-46, Sector -20, Noida (U.P) - 201301
Telephone No.: -0120 - 3291598, 2532224, 83
Fax: 0120 - 2532228

Faridabad
19 B, 2nd Floor, Ansal Crown Plaza,
Sector-15A, Mathura Road, Faridabad
Ph. No. 4089660 / 61

If you want to make an online appointment, the following is the link to the page (link)

Nirulas in Delhi: Delivery

2008-07-06T21:54:00.003+05:30

Nirulas is a pretty famous restaurant for delivery of food in Delhi. On any given day, when people want to order food, they would ring the number for Nirulas and order food from their. For this purpose, I am giving both the menu and the contact numbers for the various Nirulas outlets:

Delivery Locations in India:

Delhi Central
Gole Market, New Delhi Call: +91-11-23363601/ 23366902, 9953556512
12 Rajindra Bhawan, Rajindra Place, New Delhi Call: +91-11-25767444/ 25762111, 9953556531
K - 14, Connaught Place, Outer Circle, New Delhi Call: +91-11-23412868, 23412844, 9953556523

East Delhi
A-Block Shopping Complex, Preet Vihar, Delhi Call: +91-11-22521599/ 22450893, 9953556530
18 & 19, CSC, DDA Market, Pushpanjali Call: +91-11-22371948 - 49

West Delhi
Shop No. F- 21, Ground Floor, Fun City Mall, New Delhi Call: 9953556541 - 42
IOC, Sector 2, Dwarka, New Delhi Call: +91-11-25072145 / 47, 9953556520
IOC Virender Nagar, Near Bharti College, Janakpuri, New Delhi Call: +91-11-25552525 - 27, 9953556521
IOC, East Punjabi Bagh Rohtak Road, New Delhi Call: 9953556522

North Delhi
Opp. Art Faculty, Delhi University, Delhi Call: +91-11-27662614 - 15 / 55357506, 9953556506
FA-12 & -13, Ist Floor. Metro Walk Unitech Mall, Rithala Call : + 91+11-47553481 - 83, 9953556511
Shop No. 118, Ist Floor. North Square Mall, Pitampura, New Delhi Call : + 011-47049281-83, 9953556529

South Delhi
Bawa Potteries, Aruna Asaf Ali Road, New Delhi Call: +91-11-26136982 / 6474/ 26899815, 9953556501
Under Defence Colony Flyover, New Delhi Call: +91-11-24621592/ 24631029, 9953556505
19, Community Centre, East of Kailash, New Delhi Call: +91-11-26426678/ 26451364, 9953556507
Grandlay Commercial complex, New Friends Colony, New Delhi Call: +91-11-26319799 - 800/ 26314698, 9953556525
Sector-B Pocket-10, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi Call: +91-11-26132615/ 26896807, 9953556534
23 - Basant Lok, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi Call: +91-11-26147756 / 51669522, 9953556535
5 - Shalimar House, PVR Complex, Saket, New Delhi Call: +91-11-26534952 - 54, 51664822, 9953556533
22, Mother House DDA Community Centre Yusuf Sarai, New Delhi Call: +91-11-26513434/ 26510808
E-6,LCS DDA Market Masjid Mod,Greater Kailash-III,New Delhi Call: 9953556513
Saran Motors, HP Petrol Pump, Bhikaji Cama Place, Nr. Mohamad Pur., New Delhi Call: 9953556543 / 44

Uttar Pradesh
C-135, Sector-II, Noida Call: +91-120-2547168 / 172 / 5323445 - 46
RDC, Raj Nagar, Ghaziabad -201002 Call: +91-120-2705857 / 2705858
Pacific Mall, Kaushambi, Ghaziabad -201002 Call: +91-120-4133800
LGF, 4 Shahnajaf Road, Lucknow Call: +91-522- 2626111 / 112/ 3013914, 9953556527
Shri Raj Filling Station, Patrakar Puram Vikas Khand, Lucknow Call: +0522-404110 / 4021100
Supertech Shopprix Mall, C - 134 B, Sector 61, Noida Call: +0120-6584882 / 4228813 / 4228814

Uttaranchal
6-G , Astley Hall, Rajpur Road, Dehradun - 248001 Call: +91-135-2651202/03

Haryana
SCO 86, Sector - 22, Gurgaon Call: +91-124-2367222 / 333 / 444
IOC, Gurgaon Call: +91-11-2332589, 4083777 / 8777
Destination Point, Badarpur Border, Faridabad Call: +91-129-2274603 / 04 / 2272140, 9953556508
G.T. Road, Panipat - 132103 Call: +91-180-2636702 / 03 / 04 / 05
Maitri Motors, NH 8, Manesar Call: +91- 124 - 2290777 / 2290888
DLF Mega Mall, Gurgaon Call: + 91 - 124 – 4102538 - 39, 9953556514

Chandigarh
Shop No.- 172/173, Sector-9C, Madhyamarg Chandigarh Call: +95172-5000005 / 5000007
IOC Sukhna Filling Station, Sector 28C, Purv Marg, Chandigarh Call: +91-11-4620200,4620300,4620400

These details are also located at the URL.

The menu for Nirulas is available at this URL.

Items in the following types are available:
Ice Creams, Sundaes, Shakes, Beverages & Sodas
Burgers, Footlongs & Sandwiches
Cakes, Pastries, Desserts
Tandoori n Curries & Desi Breads
Soups & Hot Numbers
Syrups, Jams and Condiments
Thalis & Combos
Pizza

China Garden, G.K.-II

2008-07-02T09:54:00.001+05:30

Post courtesy Akshaya(link)

China Garden, located in the M-block market of Greater Kailash-II, is a branch of the famous China Garden chain of restaurants across the country. The chain is founded by Nelson Wang, a famous chef and the guy who could be quite literally termed as the one who has a big hand in popularizing Chinese food in India. As the story goes, he arrived in Mumbai from Calcutta in early 70s with only 27 rupees in his pocket. His first restaurant was opened in 1984 in Mumbai. And since then the name has grown bigger and bigger. He is the one said to have invented 'Chicken Manchurian'. Wang also started a women exclusive nightclub called Piano Bar in Mumbai.

Delhi's China Garden is another good Chinese option in the city. The ambiance of the place is soothing. There are glass stairs, wonderful oriental artifacts and simulated water fall. The whole setup is wonderful. The food also does not lacks behind (although in some areas only). Chinese, Thai and Japanese is served at this place. Nelson Wang's philosophy of cuisine with a twist can be felt quite easily in the dishes.

In soups, try clear soups rather than the 'filly' ones. Clear soups are tangy and quite apt for a start. In the starters, I have tried dim sums only and could not found them as good as at other places (say Mainland China). Veg Sui Mai was quite spicy and the covering was not as thin as we like it to be. For the main course, try Teppanyaki, quite filling and wonderfully done. One can also go for Prawn in Pepper Garlic. Rice and Noodles are all properly cooked and are of good quality.

Overall, surely one of the good options in the city for Chinese cuisine. The rates are also not as high as other places like House Of Ming. Average cost per person would be 600 rupees. They have lounge as well as a Piano Bar.

Contact Info:-
China Garden
M73
M Block Market
Greater Kailash - II
New Delhi - 48
Ph. +91 11 29223456-59

CNG Outlets in Delhi

2008-06-26T23:09:00.003+05:30

Compressed Natural Gas is seen as a cheap alternative to petrol in Delhi nowadays. It is also a green fuel in the sense that the gas burns much more cleanly than either petrol or diesel. However, for most people in Delhi, the usage is more due to the cheap nature of the fuel rather than any perceived environmental benefits. Otherwise why would people use a fuel that has so many weaknesses overall:
- CNG in most pumps does not fill more than 8 KG out of the standard 12 KG cylinder
- One KG takes a normal petrol vehicle for around 10-15 KM per KG, so a total of approx 100 KM between refills (not much if you consider that a vehicle can easily go 50 KM in a day in Delhi)
- Filling time in most pumps in Delhi is around 30 minutes
But it is cheap, with the 8 KG not costing more than 19 Rs / Kg, so a total of Rs. 152 for every visit to the pump.

There is always a quest to find the locations of more CNG pumps in Delhi so that you can try and get a pump that has a lower queue, or that can pump upto 10 KG in the tank. Here is a link to the Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL) map of petrol pumps in Delhi (link).

And here is the actual list:

Sarojani Nagar Dtc Sarojani Nagar,Near Bhikaji Kama Place Dda Flats
Vasant Vihar Dtc Vasant Vihar,Nelson Mandela Marg Market
Okhla I Sirinivas Puribehind Lajpat Nagar Subzi Madi
Okhla Ii Sukhdev Vihar Behind Garhi, Lajpat Nagar 4 Mathura Road
Kalkaji Dtc Near Kaklkaji Extn Road
I. P. Depot Ring Road,Ipestate, Opp. Pragati Power Station Ring Road
Patparganj Near Patparganj Appt Road
Banda Bahadur Marg 1 Mukherjee Nagar, Banda Bahdur Marg Residentrial Appt
Banda Bahadur Marg 2 Mukherjee Nagar, Banda Bahdur Marg Residentrial Appt
Gtk Dtc On Ring Road,Near Gtk Bypass, Nh 1 Sanjay Enclave
Rohini Dtc 1 Rohini Sec 7 Near Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute Swarn Jyoti Park
Rohini Dtc 2 Rohini Sec 16
Wazirpur Dtc 1 On Ring Road, Opp. Pitampura Ring Road
Wazirpur Dtc 2 On Ring Road, Opp. Pitampura Ring Road
Mayapuri Dtc On Ring Road, Near Ifc Building Mayapuri Junk Market Road
Hari Nagar Dtc 1 Jail Road, Hari Nagar Jail Road
Hari Nagar Dtc 2 Jail Road, Hari Nagar Jail Road
Peeragarhi Dtc On Outer Ring Road,Peeragarhi Outer Ring Road
East Vinod Nagar Dtc Vinod Nagar, Nh 24
Pragati Maidan, Ring Road Near Who Bldg., Ip Estate Ring Road
Sarai Kale Khan -I On Ring Road, Nera Isbt Ring Road
Sarai Kale Khan -Ii On Ring Road, Nera Isbt Ring Road
Okhla More Mathura Road, In Dda Park, Mathura Road
Nanglamachi Behind Purana Quilla, On Ring Road Ring Road
Crri Mathura Road, Near Crri
Nh-24 On Nh-24, Near Ghazipur More Nh-24(Gazipur)
Patparganj Mega Patpargunj, Nh 24
Sarita Vihar Along Road No-33, Zone-F,Sarita Vihar Del-Noida Road
Madanpur Khader-I Mathura Road,Opp. Mohan Ind. Area Mathura Road
Madanpur Khader-Ii Mathura Road, Opp. Mohan Ind Area Mathura Road
Brar Square On Ring Road, Delhi Cant Ring Road
Punjabi Bagh On Ring Road, Opp. Punjab Keasari Ring Road
R.K.Puram Sec-Xii On Ring Road, Nera Hyatt Hotel Ring Road
R.K Puram Sec-X Opposite Mohan Sing Market, Near Sngam Cinema Residential Area
R.K.Puram Sec-Iii Opposite Jnu More, Outer Ring Road, Near Munirka Ring Road
Sarojini Nagar On Ring Road, Opp. Hayatt Hotel, Bhikaji Kama Place Sarojani Nagar Bus Stand
Rangpuri, Nh-8 On Nh-8 Opp. Radisson Hotel Nh-8
Mahipalpur Rangpuri Pahari Rangpuri Pahari
Nelson Mandela Vasant Kunj, Nelson Mandela Marg Road
Nh-8, Defence On Natiaonal Highway-8 Nh-8
Metcalfe House Near Chandigram Akhara Opp. Trauma Centre, Isbt Metcalf House
Dhirpur I Nera Burari Villag, Outer Ring Road Outr Ring Road
Dhirpur Ii Nera Burari Villag Outer Ring Road Outr Ring Road
Sanjay Gandhi Tpt. Ngr Phase-I Near Gt Karnal Road Bypass, Nh 1 Karnal Road
Sanjay Gandhi Tpt. Ngr Phase-Ii Near Gt Karnal Road Bypass, Nh 1 Karnal Road
Narela G T Road, Near Sindhu Border
Pitam Pura On Ring Road, Near Wazirpur Payal Kesri Printing Press
Shakurpur Shukurpur Basti, Ring Road Brittania Industries
Chatrasal On Mall Road, Opp. Model Town Model Town-111
Rohini Rohini Sec-Xix Tihar Jail
Janak Puri D-Block Rama Road, Janak Puri Road
Mangolpuri On Outer Ring Road, Opp. Mangolpuri Ind Area Outer Ring Road
Peeragarhi On Outer Ring Road, Peeragarhi Industrial Area
Rohini Mega Rohini Sector 23, Kanzaval Road Road Leading To Budh Vihar
Rohtak Road Near Rampura, Rohtak Road Rohtak Road
Paschim Vihar Ramlila Ground, Meera Bagh, Paschim Vihar Don Bosco Public School
Shantipath Site At Shantipath Adjacent To Bpcl Pp Road
San Martin Site At San Martin Marg, Near Maitri College Road
Cgo Complex Near Jlnehru Stadium Road
Jahangir Puri On Ring Road, Near Gtk Bypass Sanjay Enclave
Jasola Near Jasola Sports Complex Indraprastha Apollo - Kalindi Kung Road Del-Noida Road
Mayapuri Phase _I, Junk Market, Near Lajwanti Road
Nanak Pyau On Gt Karnal Road, Opp Nanak Piao Gurudwara Nanak Piao Gurudwara
Nehru Place Nehru Place, Outer Ring Road
Mayur Vihar Mayur Vihar-1, New Delhi Road
Okhla Industrial Area-I Okhla Ph 1
Udyan Marg Mandir Marg, Scindia Road Mandir Marg
Janakpuri Distt Centre Near Janakpuri Telephone Exchange, Janak Puri Dda Bldg
Lado Sarai Laddo Sarai Village, Zone-F Road
Pushpa Bhawan Outer Ring Road Road
Dilshad Garden Ofc Pocket, Tiharpur Gtb Road
Nand Nagari Near Gagan Cinema, Wazirabad Road Ibp Pump
Cbd Shahadra Near Karkar Dooma District Court, Shahdara Cbd Complex
Loni Road Near Gokulpuri Chowk Wazirabad Road Dda Mig Flats
Geeta Colony Pusta Road, Geeta Colony Road
Kapashera Site At Vicnity Of Kapashera Toll Tax Post, With In Boundary Of Tt Post Toll Tax Post
Dwarika Dwarka Sec-Ix Road
Military Road, Anand Parbat Site At Military Road, Dev Nagar Inside Facilities Area Residential Area
Arawali S/S V & Po Rajokar Chowk, Kapashera Nh-8
Syall Kirti Nagar, Area Opp Ware Housing Scheme Ware House
New United S/S Near Gail Bhawan, Bhikaji Kama Place
Sidhu S/S G T Road, Azadpur
Nemichand Tarachand Alipur, G T Road
Gymkhana S/S Club Road , Near Race Course Race Course Road
G.S.Bhasin Mathura Road, Ashram Mathura Road
Deepak Automobile Railway Crossing, Vivek Vihar, On Gt Road Gt Road
Mukul Diesel Near Loni Tpt. Authority,Wazirabad Road
Veejay Near Vaishnov Devi Mandir,Kali Das Marg, Near Gulabi Baugh Vaishnov Devi Mandir
Vaibhav Near Vikaspuri Police Station, Vikaspuri Shiv Shati Mandir
Budh Singh Gulab Singh Lsc, Gulabi Bagh, Near Vshakti Nagar Road
Rajendra S/S Near Isbt, On Shamnath Marg Mcd Garden
Saksham S/S Mayapuri Road
Auto Rink S/S Lal Kua, Mehrauli Badarpur Road
Autogrid S/S Mehrauli Badarpur Road
Sansar S/S Dwarika Sec 8
R.S. Bhola Ram On Shamnath Marg, Near I P College Shamnath Marg
Bagga Link Link Road Near Connought Place
Vinod Palam Airport Terminal 2 Air Port Road
Bhatia S/S Ring Road, 4 Factory Road, Near Safdarjung Hospital Ring Road
Sethi, Nh-8 Nh-8, Mahipal Pur Nh-8
Superauto Centre Sriniwas Puri, New Delhi, Ring Road Ring Road
I.P. Service Station Near C-Power House, Ip Estate Ring Road Ring Road
Surya Service Station Ring Road, Jangpura Road
Speedways Hari Nagar,West Delhi
Amar Shahid S/S Rohini Sec 7, Behind Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Hospital
Kapoor Auto S/S Kapoor Enterprises, East Vinod Nagar, Patparganj , Road
Jindal Service Station Mathura Road, Near Okhla Tele-Exchange,Opp Ishwar Nagar Mathura Road
Arora Service Station Pitam Pura, Near Metro Station
Ajit Service Station Delhi Cant, Near Cant Raiway Station
Shivalik S/S Dwarika Sec 3
Pragati Service Station Jawaharlal Nehru Marg,Minto Road Road
Kingsway S/S On Mall Road Near Du, Ring Road Du Hostel
Siwesh Saomi Nagar, Near Malviya Nagar Road
Anand Service Station Hemkund, Near Lodhi Hotel, Jangpura Extn Nh-8
Rajeev S/S Sunder Nagar, Near Zoo Road
Hemkunt Near Lodhi Hotel, Jangpura Extn Road
Evergreen Opp Gren Park, Mehrtauli Road, Delhi-16 Market
Chadda S/S Delhi Gate, Opp. Maulana Azad Medical College
Bedi Race Course Club Road Race Course Road
Automotive S/S Lodi Road New Delhi Lodhi Road
Savita Filling Station Opposite Skk Isbt
Rakesh Filling Station Near Cellular Jail, Rohini, Outer Ring Road
Aman Fill Point Mayur Vihar-1, New Delhi Nh-24
R N Soins S/S Darya Gunj Near Red Fort
Car Care Rk Puram Sec-3 Road
Nandnagri Dtc Depot Nandnagri Dtc Depot, Wazirabad Road, Nandnagri, Delhi

The pleasures of India Gate

2008-06-14T16:48:00.002+05:30

Imagine a place where there is a kilometer long lane of cars parked on both sides of the road, where there is a large number of Delhi's families coming there with just family members, or with extended family to spend a fun filled evening. There is ice-cream, cold drinks, and many kinds of small snacks available over there. And the place is slightly colder than the heat of the city. And of course, there are the wide green lawns, and a beautifully lighted India Gate at one end, and the lighting of the North Block / South Block at the other end.
When we reached there, parking was an issue; there were so many people who had already reached there. Eventually we found parking closer to the Boat Club side, and then walked to the India Gate side. The sight that we saw brought a lot of smiles - there were kids playing football (with other kids or with an indulgent elder\parent), there were extended families playing either cards or antakshari (a songalathon) with sheets spread on the greenery.
And then there were the families with extended eating plans - bed sheets, tiffin carriers, casseroles, big jars full of either water or some sort of liquid, topped with ice cream from the large number of ice cream vendors selling their wares. In the partial darkness of the night, one could also see something lighted suddenly going up in the air and coming down again. Getting closer, one could clearly see that these were actually kids toys. We did not do most of these things, but just indulged in walking casually from one end to the other end (tip: I think that the lighting of the India Gate gets turned off at 10 PM, since that is what actually happened dot at 10 PM). Other than that, some chanas and some stale bhelpuris were consumed.
While watching all these families enjoying themselves, I also thought about the people who were all doing the selling, whether that be the ice cream sellers, the people selling the snacks, or the people selling the toys; and the policemen over there who were there to help others. These people, watching entire families enjoying themselves, must be feeling something - or maybe they have spent so much time that they no longer feel different (but I doubt that).

Chutneez in V3S East Center Mall

2008-06-11T23:27:00.002+05:30

For some time now, I have been eying the V3 East Center Mall in Laxmi Nagar in East Delhi. East Delhi does not have many good restaurants (in fact, very few), and it has always been a quest to figure out where one can go to when one wants to go out. Many times, we have ended up ordering food rather than going out. Some of the places where we have gone to are: Pacific Mall (Food Court - decent; Yellow Chili - Good; Moti Mahal Delux - So So; EDM Food court - not so good; Sagar Ratna (Vikas Marg and Galaxie Mall) - Decent; Nirulas - Seen better days; McDonald's - Okay; Galaxie other restaurants - avoidable; Ansal Plaza at Vaishali - avoidable; Cross river food court - just about okay; Cross river top fine dining restaurant - avoid; Pacific Bridge - avoid, etc).
So there was this new Chutnees restaurant that opened in the V3S Mall at the end of Lakhmi Nagar, next to PSK and close to the Preet Vihar market. It seemed to be decent from outside (right next to the Moti Mahal restaurant), and the feeling that this would be a good deal increased as we went inside. The decor inside is a bit mixed, with a floor somewhat resembling a club (including a small depressed center area), big windows, books on financial matter near the entrance, and a mixed seating area with tables either having chairs, or individual sofas.
So we sat, and they handed us book size menus, with a combination of Indian and Chinese food (but no alcohol - only mocktails). Since it was late, we did not take any starters, just food. The food was good (no doubts whatsoever), but there were 2 contra points:
1. Even though there were only 3 families at that time, it still took more than 20 minutes for them to get the food (in all honesty, they said that it would take 20 minutes)
2. The quantities were a bit small, and that always makes you a bit dissatisfied.
But everything else was fine; the nans and rotis were great, the waiters were attentive. In the end, they left me confused since they charged a 5% service charge, so not sure whether to leave a tip or not. Overall food price was Rs. 900.
The saunf that they gave when we leaving was superb. And then, the kulfis that we ate outside the restaurant (just at the entrance to the mall) were great.

Contact Number 43021962, 43021963

Pleasure of eating from the local chole-kulche wala

2008-06-01T13:50:00.003+05:30

It's a hot Delhi season, and one is wondering as to what to eat in the daytime. Sometimes one feels that eating the regular roti-sabji can be a bit too much, and one would like to have a break. A break does not always mean going off to the local pizza joint or the local heavy food stuff; instead there is the pleasure of going off to the local chole-kulche waala.
Many of you would know what I am talking about. There is the guy having the 4 wheeled cart (thela) on which there is a large amount of stuff, one of which is a shiny big brass round vessel in which there is a large number of boiled chole. He has parked himself under the closest leafy tree, and has several cylindrical utensils in which there are many different spices, salt, a liquid that is used to wet the dry chole. So, when you go to such a guy to get food, you will find him skilfully mixing the dry chole with the spices, mix in some salt, add some liquid and some lime, and then add in chopped onion and tomato along with some coriander, and it's ready.
He will also have a small burner with him on which heats up some low fat kulche (as opposed to the oil laden bhature), and wraps the whole thing for you in a small curved plate made of leaves. And that is it, enjoy this delicious meal (for the small charge of Rs. 10).

Kaaya Clinic in Delhi

2008-06-01T12:34:00.004+05:30

The Kaaya Clinics are a range of clinics that have come to prominence pretty recently. They do a range of treatments including skin care (acne, shining back skin, unwanted hair removal, making skin glow, etc), anti-ageing signs (facial skin rejuvenation, revitalization of tired eye), hair treatment, and so on.
'Kaya’ connotes 'body' or 'appearance' in Sanskrit. A clear and flawless skin is the most attractive aspect of an individual’s appearance. From the website, here is the method used by the Kaaya Clinics:
- A visit to Kaya begins with a skinscription, which is a private consultation with our in-clinic dermatologist.
- The dermatologist analyzes your skin and designs a customized skincare program that delivers maximum benefits.
- This includes services that are ideally suited to your skin type and offer you visible results.
- The result is to visibly improve the way your skin looks, acts and feels.
- To help you maintain the results you have achieved, we also offer a range of skincare products.

Address and contact numbers for the Kaaya Clinics in Delhi, Noida, and Gurgaon

Greater Kailash - II
M-79, Greater Kailash - II
New Delhi 110 048
Tel: +91-11-41636058 / 51636059

Vasant Vihar
No.13, 1st floor
Basant Lok Commercial Complex
Vasant Vihar, New Delhi 110 057
Tel: +91-11-41669311 / 12

Punjabi Bagh
33, Central Market
Ground floor
Punjabi Bagh
New Delhi 110 026
Tel: +91-11-65480558 / 65437730

Noida
G-13, Sector 18
Noida
UP 201301
Tel: +91-120-2513817 / 30

South Extension
E-9, 2nd Floor
NDSE Part - II
New Delhi 110 049
Tel: +91-11-41643362 / 63

Gurgaon
137, 1st Floor, Mega Mall
Sector Road
Gurgaon 122 002
Tel: +91-124- 4058377 / 78

Safdarjung Enclave
Safdurjung Enclave
B-6/5, Shopping Centre
Harsukh Marg
New Delhi 110 028
Tel: +91-11-26162488 / 26164266

Kamla Nagar Market
No-26A, UA, Jawahar Nagar
Kamla Nagar
New Delhi 110 007
Tel: +91-11-41530660 / 61

Khan Market
28, 1st floor, Khan Market
New Delhi 110 003
Tel: +91-11-41757333 / 34

Experiences at 2 different Moti Mahal Deluxe restaurants

2008-05-27T14:53:00.004+05:30

Moti Mahal Deluxe runs a chain of restaurants in Delhi and NCR, with some of these located inside Malls. For example, there is a Moti Mahal Deluxe located in the Pacific Mall, Crossriver Mall and V3S Mall, all located in East Delhi (Pacific Mall is located in Kaushambhi, just next to East Delhi). Moti Mahal Deluxe provides Indian Mughlai type of food, with rich vegetables and non-veg along with naan, roti, kulcha, etc. There were 3 of us, who had the chance to go to 2 of these restaurants within the space of 3 days. Neither of these 2 serve alcohol.
First went along with the spouse and a friend to the Moti Mahal Deluxe Restaurant located in the Crossriver Mall. The restaurant is located just next to the McDonald's at the left end of the Mall, and is fairly new. The restaurant seats 52 people. We went around 10:30 PM, so this was probably one of the last restaurants open in that area. As soon as we entered, it seemed like the whole of the restaurant had a smoky air inside (maybe the kitchen was not separated from the rest of the restaurant properly enough). Anyhow, braving the smoke, we sat down and ordered some food. We ordered veg dishes, raita, and naan + Keema kulcha. In addition, there was a drink - jaljeera type. Overall the quality of the food was disappointing, with the taste a bit off. The drink was not good either, missing the tang that you would normally get. Overall, the food was disappointing, and we will evaluate as to whether we would go again. The food cost around Rs. 800 (including tax).
2 days later, we headed over to the Moti Mahal Deluxe located in the V3S Mall, in Laxmi Nagar, next to PSK. This is located on the first floor, just next to the entrance to the movie hall, on the left side. This Moti Mahal Deluxe was a much better experience; we had ordered starters, 2 veg dishes and one non-veg dish. The 'matta methi malai' and the 'murg bemisaal' were good, and the naan were hot, overall, this was more of finger-licking food and some over-eating also happened. The starter of stuffed potato was great, and after this meal, we really did not try and evaluate the desserts. The food cost around Rs. 1200 (including tax) and included a Mango lassi that was full and heavy.

Address of the various Moti Mahal Deluxe Outlets:

12,V3s Mall,Vikas Marg
Lakshmi Nagar, Delhi, 110092
+91 11 32478975‎
+91 9313827549

30,B-7,Lsc Vasant Arcade
Vasant Kunj, Delhi, 110070
+91 11 32993302‎
+91 11 41783301‎
+91 9871411554‎

Shop No 26,Commercial Centre
Saket, Delhi, 110017
+91 11 41764411‎
+91 11 41764422‎
+91 11 41764400

M-30 G K 1
Greater Kailash Part-Ii, Delhi, 110048
+91 11 29230480‎
+91 11 29232467‎
+91 11 29240480

11 Defence Colony Market
Lajpat Nagar-2, New Delhi, 110024
+91 11 24330263‎
+91 11 24330265‎
+91 11 24330266

37, Central Market
Punjabi Bagh (W), New Delhi, Delhi 110026
+91 11 25225566‎
+91 11 25225577‎
+91 11 65488232

31, L.S.C
New Friends Colony, New Delhi, Delhi 110065
+91 11 65475958‎
+91 11 26915439‎
+91 9312270395‎ - Mobile
+91 9811920920‎ - Mobile

Diplomatic Enclave,20/48,Malcha Marg Market
Chanakya Puri, Delhi, 110021
+91 11 26118698‎
+91 11 26872760‎
+91 11 26118693

Opposite D S D College
New Railway Road, Gurgaon, 122001
+91 124 2321109‎
+91 124 2327218

Website of Moti Mahal Deluxe is at this link.

Meat shop in Noida Sector 53

2008-05-24T00:31:00.004+05:30

For non-vegetarians, getting access to their regular supply of meat makes for a satisfying meal. This can either be in the form of getting cooked stuff (which implies either eating out at a food joint, or getting it delivered at home), or getting raw meat at home and then cooking it. It is the getting hold of this raw meat that can be a problem sometimes. Many times, the butcher shop can seem unhygienic, and seeing big chunks of raw meat hanging from hooks may be unpleasant. Further, there are a wide variety of stuff that you can make from raw meat such as different types of kebabs, chicken items (drum sticks, boneless, etc), and sea food (especially prawns and different types of fish). Some of these are available as frozen food that can be bought at malls, but there is no beating getting access to the raw stuff.
Well I came across a shop in Noida that sells all this, and even delivers to your home (if within 3 km of their Sector 53 shop). It has a clean environment, and a wide variety of raw materials (different types of meats available, including sausages). The shop is located at the Kanchanjunga Shopping Center, around 200 m away from the Shoprix mall (the immediate market when you move from Shoprix towards NTPC. Some of the items available are: Mutton, Mince, Brain, Liver, Chicken Breast, Fillets, Wings, Fish Fillets, Turkey, Country Chicken, Lobster, Prawns, Chicken Spring Roll, Nuggets, Cutlet, Keema, and many others.
Address: Lazzez's, K-001-2-3, Kanchanjunga Shopping Complex, Noida
Sector 53
Contact: 2584222, 2585584, 9811608901

They also have a shop in E-04/15, Sector 56, Noida, Sector 56
Contact: 2588056, 2588057, 9811212758

Ghantewala sweets shop in Chandni Chowk

2008-05-23T12:33:00.003+05:30

Ghantewala (link) is one of the oldest and most famous eateries and sweets shop in Delhi. It went into business in 1790. There's an interesting story behind how it got its name, Ghanta actually means a big clanging bell in Hindi Legend goes that whenever the royal procession moved down this road, the emperor was in the habit of stopping here for a snack - a habit that his elephant acquired too. Well, we all know how passionately fond of sweets elephants are, so of course came the day when he found the way to the shop himself. Apparently he refused to budge and kept on shaking its head until people rallied around with assorted sweets. The bells hanging from the elephant's neck would tinkle whenever the animal went into stubborn mode and shook his head and from there came the shop's name - beat that! (Another story is: A school used to exist near this shop and whenever the caretaker of the school would hit the hammer on the clanger, the sound would echo to the ramparts of the Red Fort. Whenever he felt like tasting some sweets, Shah Alam used to tell his flunkies to go to the `Ghanta Niche Halwai' -- the shop under the clanger. Hence, the name `Ghantewala.') The Ghantewala Halwai is celebrated for its sohanhalwa, a sweet made from dry fruits, sprouts and sugar.
Some of the products of Ghantewala are: Kaju Sweets, Desi Ghee Sweets, Badam Sweets, Petha Sweets, Bengali Sweets, Aloo Lacha, Dalmoth Kaju, Dalmoth Plain, Dalmoth Spl., Moong Dal, Kashmiri Mixture, Badam Mixture, Mongra, Chana Kabuli, Chana Dal, Aloo Wafers, Kaju Fried, kaju Masala, Kaju Roasted, Badam Roasted, Badam Fried / Masala, Sem Seeds, Sitaphal Beej, Kharbooja Beej, Mera Mixture, Mathri Gol Kali Mirch, Mathri Methi, Mathri Tikoni, Namakpare, Mathri Karela, Bakarwadi, Biscuits, Snacks, Papad.
Contact details:
Ghantewala Confectioners
1862-A, Chandni Chowk,
Delhi-110006
Phone : +91-11-23280490
Telefax : +91-11-23241851
Email : sweets@ghantewala.com

Asola wildlife sanctuary

2008-05-23T12:32:00.002+05:30

I wonder how many people know that there is actually a wildlife sanctuary inside Delhi; people know about the large parks, about the Ridge, but an actual sanctuary ?
It is the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, spread over 6,800 acres near Tughlakabad fort in south Delhi. Occupying an area of 6874 acres, the Wildlife Sanctuary is considered the breathing lung of the cosmopolitan city of Delhi. It was established in 1992 with the aim to protect the wildlife in the area between Delhi and Surajkund (Delhi-Haryana border).
The sanctuary is located on the Southern Ridge which is part of the northern terminal of Aravalli Hills (the weather beaten Aravallis are one of the oldest mountain system of the world). The reason for the biodiversity significance of the Ridge lies in its merger with IndoGangetic plains. The legal Status of the Southern Ridge was considered uncertain till 1986 when the community land of villages Asola, Shapur & Maidangari (4707 Acre) were notified & land of Bhatti (2167 Acre) was notified in 1991 as Sanctuary.
The Asola wildlife sanctuary is actually located in South Delhi Distt, all along Delhi Haryana Faridabad & Gurgaun. The approach is from Tughlakabad (Mehruali Badarpur Road) to Surajkund Road (2 Km) near Karni Singh shooting Range or from Mehruali via Chattarpur Temple 6 Km near Sanjay Colony(Bhatti Area).
Distance from I.G.I. Airport is 25 Km
The sanctuary is covered by dense forest with varied fauna and flora. It protects common mongoose, small Indian civet, small Indian mongoose, jungle cat, flying fox, porcupine, palm squirrel, spiny tailed lizards, rufus tailed hare and monitor lizards. Major birds at Asola Wildlife Sanctuary are bee-eaters, cormorants, egrets, grebes, falcons, partridges, quail, peafowl, lapwings, sandpipers, woodpeckers, doves, parakeets, cuckoos, owls, nightjars, barbets, swallows and shrikes. The best time to visit this sanctuary is from November to February.

Attractions

* Nature trail 2 Km exposing floral & faunal element, topography of area.
* Good patches of Anogeissus,Balanite & riparian belt representative of Aravali.
* Large worked out minepits of Bhatti area in process of reclamation & establishment likely to be developed wetland habitat.
* Historical place around sanctuary are surajkund(Haryana), Tughlakabad & Adilabad ruins (N.Delhi), Chattarpur Temple

Sona Sweets, Nehru Place

2008-05-15T18:49:00.001+05:30

Post courtesy Akshaya (link)

I remember Sona Sweets from my days while working near Nehru Place. Nehru Place has lots of wonderful small eating places - Sona Sweets is surely one of the best there. It is a small eatery joint which offers nearly everything in India fast food - from Chhole Bhature to Aloo Parantha, from Chaats to Pao Bhaaji, from Idli to Dosa and much more.

It has a large (as per Nehru Place standards) open kitchen area where there are large stoves and large flat tawas. You can actually watch your paranthas or dosas being made right there (it is not a good experience watching though). The place is nearly filled each day during the lunch hours and you may have to squeeze yourself first to make an order (do payment and take a coupon) and then squeeze yourself more to get the food at your table. In the meantime, I forgot, you need to watch for a table as well. But let me tell, all this hardship is worth it. Truly amazing food at reasonable cost, especially the Aloo Parantha is tasty and filling - one is enough for me. But the best thing is Lassi there - served in a large (Punjabi) style glass, it is one of the best I ever had till now.

So, go there for Aloo Parantha and finish off with Lassi. Just make sure that you do not rush into lunch hours.

Contact Info:
Sona Sweets
G 1, 27 Saraswati House,
Nehru Place
New Delhi - 19
Ph: 91-011-26426777

Eden bar and restaurant

2008-05-13T08:14:00.001+05:30

After a bad experience at the String restaurant, we could have taken even a so-so experience at another restaurant, and we really did not want to travel too much, so we all went to just one level below (to the first floor) of the Shoprix Mall in Noida, went to the Eden restaurant. The lady at the entrance looked at us a bit hesitatingly, after all, there were 10 of us; when we told her that we had already almost made a booking (we had not confirmed the reservation), she smiled a bit and then told us in 2 minutes that space had been made for us. The whole place was packed (which on a Friday evening at 7:15 says something about the popularity of the place), and we managed to sit down at a table that would have seated 8 with comfort (and sat 10 packed).
The lighting was a bit dim (somewhat like a bar), except that with such a mixed cloud of girls and boys, one would have expected some more lighting to be there and be more like a resto-bar rather than a bar type of environment. It took some time for them to get us the menus and all, the staff was friendly. We patiently waited for them to give up attention, although it was a bit hard to talk in all that noise. Finally, we placed our orders for snacks and drinks. Happy hours last till 7:30 PM (although cocktails are not covered under the happy hours), and drinks cost in the range of Rs. 200 - 300 for cocktails. The place is moderately prices and the quantity of snacks that we got was adequate, they did not do that strange thing that many places do, giving small quantity of snacks.
The drink was decent, although the Mojito I had ordered was much better in Fluid (but then there is plenty of difference between Fluid and Eden, so one should not use that criteria). The snacks were decent, and you get plenty of veg and non-veg snacks, with a mixture of Indian and Chinese snacks. The main course was also good, we had got Indian food (dishes and rotis) and they were decent to taste. The service was overall decent, and this is a place that you can take the spouse or close friend, and easily go with office colleagues.

Strings restaurant in Shoprix

2008-05-10T01:10:00.004+05:30

We had completed a long delayed project, and the team was in a mood to party. It was decided that there would be bowling and then dinner; the Great India Place Mall next to sector 18 in Noida was ruled out since we had been there a few time before - it was decided that it was better to go to the Shoprix Mall in Sector 61, Noida; after all, that place also has a bowling alley and has some restaurants and a food court, seemingly enough choice that we could go there.
SO off we went, and had a good time in the bowling alley on the top floor of the Shoprix Mall, and then it came to take time for dinner. Well, there is a restaurant cum bar called Strings right next to the bowling alley, and after some internal discussion we all agreed that we could eat here. The place had a low level of lighting as suits a bar, and there was the usual 2-3 groups of middle aged men sitting at different tables and drinking.
Now comes the interesting part; we asked for the drinks menu and it seemed to have some variety; there were different types of vodkas, cocktails, rums, and so on. It seemed a nice place to enjoy, so after some thought, many of us ordered cocktails. And then the fun starts, there were actually no cocktails available (and the waiter refused to tell us why); out of the 4-5 different types of vodka, only 1 was available and the same was true for the rum.
When the waiter was asked as to why all these things were listed, he said a trifle rudely that it is not fair to expect everything written over there to be available; and by this time we were getting angry (since we wanted to have a drink and food, and it looked like a drink was doubtful). On asking him more questions, he got even more rude.
At this point of time, we were worried that this party should not end up as a disaster, so we decided to leave the place. And this was the most interesting part, given that there were 10 of us, nobody bothered to ask us as to why we were leaving, what the problem was, and so on. In fact, it seemed the on-duty supervisor was smiling too much, with a slightly sweaty face, a good chance that he was drunk. If this kind of behaviour puts you off, then avoid this place.

Rajdhani Rajasthani restaurants in Delhi

2008-05-05T19:33:00.003+05:30

Post courtesy Akshaya (link)

To get over the Nirula's experience, we headed to Great India Place again to celebrate. This time we did advance booking for Pind Baluchi but once again we were not supposed to eat there. Just as we reached there, we found out that it was filled with women kitty parties:) It was like sitting in between firing across the border with tambola numbers flying through our ears. Since, it was just not the setting we would have liked, we decided to move on to Rajdhani restaurant nearby. And, this time it was a good move.

Khandani Rajdhani is a chain of restaurants which offer the traditional thali concept. They offer unlimited thalis with different items each day on a reasonable cost. The decor and ambience is calm and serene here - no frills and no fuss. So, do not expect luxury here but do expect wonderful food. The thalis consists food items mostly from Rajasthan, Gujrat and Maharastra. Just as you settle down the server will come with warm water to wash your hands - tradition style. And then you are served with welcome drink - in our case it was skimmed milk and aampanna. Then came the starters (Farsan) - White Dhokla and Aloo Tikki. Next in line was main course - a lavish spread of nearly 2-3 chutneys, 5-6 dishes, 2-3 types of breads, and 2 types of rice. So we had, potatoes with gravy, dal, Rajasthani kadi, bhindi rajasthani style and more in main course dishes. While there were green chutney, imli chutney and mirchi chutney along with roasted papads as accompli. Apart from this they had Rajasthan speciality - Dal, Batti and Churma. In the sweet dish, they offer Aamras, Aam Rasmalai and Moong Dal Halwa.

Overall, a truly wonderful experience - all traditional home style food. Meal for two would cost less than Rs.400 here.

Contact Info:-
Rajdhani - Noida
The Great India Place Mall,
3rd Floor,
Sector 38A Noida - 201301
Ph:- 91-9311759990, 91-0120-6488933/4

They have branches all over the country. Some of the others that are in the Delhi region:

Rajdhani Delhi
P - 1/90, Daulatram House
Opp. Rivoli Cinema,
Connaught Place
New Delhi-110 001
91-011-23346300/23346400

Rajdhani Gurgaon
M.G.F., 3rd Flr, Metropolitan Mall,
M.G.Road,Mehrauli,
Haryana, Gurgaon - 122001
91-0124-4379001/2

Rajdhani - New Delhi
V3S Mall East Centre Mall
3rd floor, Food Court,
Laxmi Nagar -
New Delhi-110 001
91-011-43097886/7

Kuki, the trendy bar in Greater Kailash 2

2008-05-02T11:53:00.004+05:30

Kuki suddenly came into the celebrity news when it got reported that Karishma's husband had taken Kareena and Saif Ali Khan to the pub, and when a photographer tried to take their photos, his camera had all the photos deleted. But leaving aside this juicy tidbit, Kuki has gathered some name as a trendy place to be in, a welcome addition to Delhi's nightlife; it now brings in a fair number of the rich and famous, and the happening people. Most people find the decor of the club - large butterflies (in red) suspended from the ceiling, and not limited to that; they are like the motif for the club, being imprinted on the uniform of waiters, present on the walls, and even on the coasters.
Like many other places (or maybe to give competition), Wednesday is the ladies night at Kuki, and like most other nightclubs, the weekends are the most busy. The good part is that this is a 3 storey establishment, so if you can't squeeze in on the ground floor, then move to the first floor. The DJ console is also located on the first floor, and is manned by the owner, DJ Rummmy on Thursday.
The place can be a bit on the expensive side, with the excellent cocktails costing around Rs. 300-450 (but not too expensive when you consider that most places with a similar reputation and decor would cost around the same or maybe more). The place itself has got good service, and maintains an air that would keep you coming back for more.

Location: Greater Kailash- next to Smoke House Grill and Imperial Garden
E 7, Greater Kailash II,
Masjid Moth Commercial Complex
Phone: 29225241

China Kitchen at the Hyatt Regency

2008-05-02T11:52:00.005+05:30

A lot of Indians enjoy Chinese food; however, it is also a fact that most of the Chinese food that we eat is actually food cooked with an Indian flavour - after all, a true Chinese chef would not actually enjoy addition of things such as Indian spices, paneer (cottage cheese); in fact, the feel of authentic Chinese food is most enhanced when the ingredients are genuine. There are a number of restaurants who claim the virtue of having an authentic Chinese experience, and some of them are not genuine. The China Kitchen on the other hand feels like the genuine experience.
The restaurant is located next to the pool at the Hyatt Regency, and the experience starts right at the entry. There are Chinese type motifs on the wooden doors that mark the entrance to the restaurant, and inside, you find the restaurant spread into different areas - there are the open kitchens, 5 private dining areas, the wine / tea area and the overall dining area. But even the dining area has tables that give you some feeling of privacy since there is some distance between the tables, and there are many corners. The whole getup of the place gives a wooden look (the elegant type), with a dark varnished wooden floor, wooden pillars and teak logs making up the roof. The windows give a good view of the pool. As you might expect, such an interior can give a great feeling of luxury, and the service is well along these lines. All this can be expensive, and you can easily run up a charge of over Rs. 1000 per person in the meal.
The restaurant is most famous for its 2 specialties, Peking Duck (made on a wood fired oven to give the classical taste), and Beggar's Chicken (chicken wrapped in lotus leaves inside a clay shell). In addition, there are a number of other mouth-watering delicacies (in addition to the chef's complimentary offering (some kind of starter, but normally very delicious), vegetable dumpling soup, Steamed spinach with mustard-sesame sauce, crispy prawn spring rolls, Sichuan poached chicken with crushed peanuts, vegetable and bean curd, Wok-fried premium vegetables with garlic, Fried Crab Claws, Pancakes with Sauteed Lamb, Sichuan Chilli Crabs, Fried Coriander Buns (my mouth was watering just from reading this entire list).
Thus, you can get a variety of excellent dishes based on vegetarian, poultry, fish, and other such sections, most of them being very good. The dessert is also a not-miss section. You get a good variety of wines and excellent alcohol to go along with this.

Hours: Lunch: 12:00 noon to 2:30 pm
Dinner: 7:00 pm to 11:30 pm
Reservations: Please dial +91 11 6677 1334

How to get good wedding cards made

2008-04-23T16:40:00.004+05:30

When the occasion is that of a wedding or an engagement or a house warming or a similar ceremony that involves the making of a large number of invitation cards (in the hundreds or thousands), then the need is to find a place that can do reliably and in the most economical way. One of the best places in Delhi (right, you guessed it) is in the old parts of Delhi, in this case, Chawri Bazaar. I can see many of you recoiling from the prospect of a trip to Chawri Bazaar, it is a crowded and hot place after all.
Well, in case you did not realize, things have changed now. The Delhi Metro has a station right under Chawri Bazaar and that opens up right smack in the middle of the whole area. So no worries about how to get there. Take the Delhi Metro from either the Connaught Place (Rajiv Chowk) or Kashmere Gate side and get down at Chawri Bazaar station. Once there, ask for the road that leads towards Nai Sarak, or simply ask for shops where you can make wedding cards, and you will find a whole row of shops on either side.
You need to haggle, know the going rate and be able to have some idea of the types of cards you want. The shop-keepers over there, though very knowledgeable about the cards, are not the best in terms of customer friendliness and it would help you a great deal if you carry a few samples of the types of cards that you are looking for. They will take orders, and will also do printing if you give them the stuff that you want to print. They do not allow you to take samples of the cards that you like.

Bad Food - Avoid Nirulas GIP (Noida) at any cost

2008-04-20T17:50:00.003+05:30

It was time for a treat, and we were all looking forward to a good lunch. So off we headed (all 12 of us) to the largest mall in Noida - The Great India Mall in Noida. It has a good top floor full of eating options. You get a Food court (food is so-so), a once good vegetarian restaurant (Yatra - all you can eat, but the quality level has gone down), another great Indian restaurant Rajdhani (too much crowd trying to get in), a TGIF without liquor (not worth it without drinks), a great and value-for-money place Pind Balluchi (30 minutes waiting, there were 4 ladies kitties going on), and sundry other places such as KFC, other fast food places, a fine dining place, coffee and tea places, and so on.
Eventually after not getting a place at Pind Balluchi and walking out of TGIf after being told that drinks were not available, we went to Nirula, it is the safe place after all and we thought that this would be an acceptable alternative (big mistake). The menu does not have many options, but this was just the start. In this hot environment, their cold drink machine was out of order and we had lesser alternatives.
We settled ourselves into 2 tables and ordered the veg and non-veg starters. Service seemed to be a bit slow, but we were in a nice mood and decided to wait. Then we got some of the non-veg dishes, and they were not exactly the best. The chicken chop was over-burnt and not having much of a taste, the veg platter was rejected because one of the kebabs was smelling bad (bad quality control and bad over-sight); when we returned the order and canceled the order, still another waiter got us a replacement dish - by then people were starting to get disgusted.
How can you advertise something and give something else ? The hot chocolate fudge was shown in a great glass and looked a decent quantity, but when we got it, it was in a paper cup and did not look anything like what the photo was. And then we started to get the main courses - the pizzaz were not appetising, only the burger and footlong was okay. People who had ordered a separate piece of chicken (a leg piece) actually rejected the stuff after a bite, it was totally bland. Same was the case with people who had ordered the chicken platters, since the dishes were bland. People were incredulous as to how you could spoil something like a tandoori chicken.
We were laughing at this horrible party, and decided that this just did not cut it. the treat needs to be repeated at a better place, and Nirulas was now on the blacklist (including other people in our company who would ask us). They even did not have material for feedback and we had to ask for it.

Swagath restaurant in Delhi and surroundings

2008-04-20T17:42:00.002+05:30

Post courtesy Akshaya (link)

Swagath Restaurant is a famous chain of restaurants in NCR which specializes in Indian Mughlai food and Coastal food. It is surely the best restaurant in the coastal food category in Delhi and NCR. The main restaurant is at Defence Colony with branches at Malviya Nagar and Noida. It is a non-vegetarian foodies paradise - nearly any non-veg item from their menu is worth ordering. Vegetarian food is also quite good - although it is more famous for its non-vegetarian offerings.

For the starters, try Fish Tikka Ajwani (Boneless Fish Marinated with Yoghurt, Ginger, Garlic and Gram Flour; flavoured with Ajwain cooked in Tandoor), Mutton Seekh Kebab (Minced Lamb Marinated with Ginger , Garlic Paste with touch of red chilly, finished in clay oven) or any Fish Fry. For the main course try Chicken Stew, traditional Butter Chicken (some of the critics do rate it as one of the best butter chicken in Delhi) or Chicken Masala Chettinad. Try Mutton Biryani or Subz Biryani - they are really wonderfully cooked. Since I am not a great admirer of coastal food, I have not tries their coastal food options more but they are surely regarded as the best in Delhi.

They also offer Chinese food but I will suggest to just skip it since this is not what they are best at. The cost is little bit high but it is worth every buck you spend. Food for two would cost around 900 bucks (without drinks). They do home delivery as well and their portions for home delivery are quite large.

Contact Info:-
Swagath
14, Defence Colony Market
New Delhi
Ph:- +91-11-24337538

Swagath
C-8, Malviya Nagar
New Delhi - 17
Ph:- +91-11-51830622, 51830613, 51830640, 51830649

Swagath
J-57, Sector - 18,
Noida (U.P.)
Ph:- +91-120-2516066, 4240619

Shopping for the Sherwani in Delhi

2008-04-14T14:57:00.003+05:30

Sherwani's are being seen as the style statement when a male is about to get married; ethnic Indian wear, and very elegant, especially when the design on the You have a bride-groom who wants to look his best and stand out among the crowd (especially since nowadays in a marriage, everybody is dressed in their best). Depending on the closeness between the bridegroom and his fiancee, the girl also wants to have a say in how the bride-groom will look like, and you also need a place where you can see a variety of different types of sherwanis, as well as the classy suits that people nowadays wear as an alternative to the sherwani.
Most people want to find a good place where they can sample these sherwanis and suits. You also need access to good shops because a good sherwani can cost upwards of Rs. 20,000 with a good one normally costing anywhere between Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 50,000. You need to remember that this is a one-time cost, since a sherwani is not liable to be re-used in any way.
Sherwanis are available in fancy shops such as Gujralsons, Diwan Chand, etc. You can find these shops in many locations such as the Great India Mall in Noida, Lajpat Nagar, Cross River Mall in East Delhi, west Delhi malls, etc, but it is rare that you find more than one shop in a specific location. Chandni Chowk has a selection, but the best place that I have found for the male marriage dressing is Ajmal Khan Road in Karol Bagh. There is a short stretch on this road that has multiple shops - Diwan Chand (including a discount version as well), Gujralsons, Grooms, Rod, and Vasari. Through all of these, you should be able to find the one that you want. Do remember that the Sherwani needs to be stitched, and hence you will get the Sherwani after a few days.

Lemon Twist, Noida

2008-04-14T14:53:00.001+05:30

Post courtesy Akshaya (link)

Lemon Twist, at Sector 63 Noida, is a new restaurant from people behind Lotus Pond, Delhi and Bamboo Shoots, Noida. The restaurant is a variation from their older tradition Chinese cuisine restaurants - here the focus is more on fusion cuisine. The restaurant is situated in two floors - the lower one is a tradition restaurant setting while the upper one is a open terrace setting along with a grill. They are promoting the place as a Oriental Wok and Grill place. Since I visited the place for a lunch, I was seated in the lower part of it. The decor is good - place feels comfortable. The staff is surely not up to the mark - they seems less knowledgeable about Chinese food (which is a bad thing if the place is termed as Oriental Wok place).

We ordered two starters - Vegetable dim sum (which they called SiuMai - although they were no way close to the SiuMai we are fond of) and Crispy Spinach With Red Peppers. The second one was good but the dim sums were just okay. In main course, we went for Exotic Vegetables In Lemon Chilli Sauce, Shitake Mushroom In Fried Sesame Rice along with American Chopsuey. I think this was after a long time that I had order Chopsuey at some place - and I was again disappointed with it. The main course and rice were good although the rice quality could have been better. Overall, we left with a mixed feeling towards the food - sometime good and sometime not-so-good.

Although they are terming their place as the one where a "portion" of salad, soup, starter or main course is sufficient just for one, it is still enough for two people in most cases. The rates are not high, when compared to Bamboo Shoot or Lotus Pond. But then the food is also not that good. In my opinion, worth an occasional visit only. The location surely makes it an easy access for people working in Sector 55/56/58/62/63 and other nearby sectors.

Contact Info:-
Lemon Twist
H-1A/16, Sector 63
Noida
Ph:- (0120)4217500

Sampan @ Crowne Plaza Surya

2008-04-14T14:37:00.003+05:30

Post courtesy Akshaya (link)

Sampan is the Chinese cuisine restaurant at Crowne Plaza Surya. The best thing about Sampan is its location. It is situated on the top floor and offers a panoramic view of the city specially a marvelous view of the DND road with its curves and elevation properly visible. Sampan, meaning a flat bottomed boat in Chinese, has good décor and Chinese artifacts. Apart from these two good things, place is not much worth to write about.

The food is not that good as other Chinese joints in the city. And the cost is too high for the place and the food. Food for two will cost around 1600 to 2000 bucks. Crowne Plaza Surya is not regarded as a good hotel in Delhi and Sampan also lives to this reputation. There is nothing spectacular about food here. It serves Schezwan and Cantonese varieties mostly. One can try Crispy Spinach and Corn for the starters. While in main course, try Chicken in Sichuan Sauce or Vegetables in Garlic sauce variants. One can also go for their buffet which happens daily on weekdays in the lunch timings (from 12:30 to 2:30 or something of that sort). It is cheaper and would let you try various things without worrying about shooting your bill upward.

Nothing great for me except the views it offers.

Contact Info:-
Sampan
Crowne Plaza Surya
New Friends Colony
New Delhi – 65
Ph:- 26835070, 41672222

Jade at The Claridges

2008-04-08T21:35:00.001+05:30

Jade (earlier known as Jade Garden) is the oriental cuisine restaurant at The Claridges in New Delhi. The setting is good - on the ground floor of the hotel along a grove of bamboos. The atmosphere in professional and the staff is courteous.

For the food part, it offers Chinese and Far Eastern Oriental cuisine. It may not be the best Chinese in the town but it is surely the one where you can enjoy the kind of Chinese food which gave birth to the Chinese cuisine culture in India. Do not let go of the complimentary fried prawn munchers served along with food - they are delicious. For starters, go for Shredded Spinach - a rather crispy item - it is truly wonderful. In the main course go for Stir Fried Chinese Greens or Bean curd with Mushroom. Their quantity is just enough - so order just the right amount for your guests.

It also offers an exclusive dim sum menu which includes vegetarian and non-vegetarian dim sums plus sweet dim sums as well. They have a large variety of dim sum - around 35 to choose from. Apart from this, they also offer executive lunch on weekdays - wonderful stuff at a cost - but worth a shot if you feel it. I would suggest to go à la carte here since other options are quite costly. But Jade is surely worth a visit (or maybe more).

Contact Info:-
Jade
The Claridges
12, Aurangzeb Road,
New Delhi - 110011
Phone:- 23010211

P. P. Sarees off Nai Sarak

2008-04-06T23:08:00.003+05:30

In the quest for saree shopping, we have gone to a number of different places, such as Nalli in South Extension, the many saree shops in Cross River Mall in East Delhi, Satya Paul, etc. However, in the end, when you have to buy a number of sarees for the bride (except for the wedding saree) and for the many other female relatives to whom sarees have to be gifted, you need to buy numerous sarees (in the 10's or maybe hundreds), then you find that your steps head towards Chandni Chowk. It is the place where you get good designs, and you can't get sarees more economical than that.
There are numerous shops in the Gali Paranthe Waali, and in the many Katra (small lanes) as you move along the main Chandni Chowk street such as Katra Asharfi, and one more shop that we went to and bought more than 10 sarees was a shop called P.P. Sarees. It is located off Nai Sarak, around the middle. You can find it through asking, first you ask for the lane leading to Dareeba, and then once inside, you ask for P.P. Sarees; you should be eventually find it and then you can shop for sarees to your hearts desire.
Contact details for the shop:
Padam Chand Prem Chand
23286182, 65280729, 9811239505, 9810129534

Apsara sarees - Shop for wedding sarees and lehangas

2008-04-06T23:06:00.002+05:30

Apsara Sarees is a shop right off the Chandni Chowk main road. As you head off into the Paranthe Wali Gaali and cross the first saree shop of Gauri Shanker, you get into the first turn, and there it is, Apsara Sarees. If you are looking for some of the heavy sarees for the bride and for some of the other main female players in a wedding (such as sister and sister-in-laws of the groom and the bride), then it makes sense to pay a trip to this shop. It is a place where you will get some of the stylish and heavy sarees and lehangas at a price that is available only in Chandni Chowk (if you wanted to buy this article outside Chandni Chowk, it would cost much more).
Sarees that I have seen here while shopping with some female relatives can cost around Rs. 20,000 - Rs. 30,000; but once you have got over these prices, then you can see how these sarees shine. It is without doubt that such clothes will make the wearer feel special during the wedding or pre-wedding function, and that is exactly how you want them to feel.
For a lot of the sarees and all the lehangas, they will take your choice, and make these on order, so it might take some time for them to get ready, but the end result looks great.
Contact details for Apsara Sarees:
1980, Gali Paranthe Wali,
23267767, 23286856

Brahmputra Complex, Sector 29, Noida

2008-04-03T08:57:00.001+05:30

Post courtesy Akshaya (link)

This is road-side eating at its best - the evening food stalls at the Brahmputra Complex, Sector 29, Noida is just fabulous. The food at these around 15 stalls offers great variety while being not heavy on your pocket. You have to eat standing up or in your car but you will not regret coming here just for that.

In vegetarian food, there are momos, soups, chaat, aloo-tikki, steamed corn and bhelpuri. The aloo-tikkis are crisp and good on your tongue. Bhelpuri is also spicy and you would surely ask for second helping. In non-vegetarian food, the variety increases a lot. Numerous stalls offer different tikkas, seekh kebabs, boti kebabs, shammi kebabs, chicken/mutton korma along with roomali roti and chicken/mutton biryanis. The tikkas and seekh kebabs are specially worth trying along with mutton korma. But there is a warning here - some of the stalls serve very spicy food, so be ready to deal with it. And then there are two good juice shops if you feel to beat that heat on your tongue or in your throat. Plus, you can always try some sweets from Evergreen later on to complete your dinner.

Surely, worth a place for good enough food at reasonable price - provided you are not too keen on ambience.

Buffet @ Mainland China, G.K.-II

2008-04-03T08:54:00.001+05:30

Post courtesy Akshaya (link)

The first time when I visited Mainland China G.K.-II, I was very much impressed by their food. And I had a glimpse of what they offer for their daily lunch buffet - which is served on second floor. So, today I again headed toward Mainland China, this time to taste their lunch buffet.

And it was wonderful – simply wonderful. They have huge variety for the buffet, so such a reasonable price. If their a-la-carte menu is genuinely Chinese, their buffet is one of the best Indian-style Chinese to get in Delhi. To start with, they offer dimsums – I tried both veg and non-veg ones. Plus they had four starters – 3 veg and one non-veg; I was able to taste only two of them (since I had to save myself for various main course dishes) – Chicken Drumsticks Hunan Style and Crispy Veg. They had 5-6 types of salads on offer. And I forgot to mention that they had soups on offer as well – one veg and one non-veg. Their main course continued the more-than-enough trend set by starters and salads. They had five main course veg dishes and five non-veg ones plus rice and noddles both in veg and non-veg variants. My last visit to their place was totally a vegetarian one, this time I stuck with non-veg variety only. The non-veg main course dishes had nearly everything to try – chicken, lamb, prawns and crab. I tried Prawns In Spicy Chilli Sauce, Crabs in Butter Garlic Sauce and General Tao’s Favorite Chicken. And they were all delicious. Having stuffed all this in my stomach along with beer, my next target was wonderful dessert and fruits section. They had 5-6 desserts ranging from ice cream to mousse and fresh fruits.

Really, it was a very rich buffet in terms of variety of Chinese dishes plus the quality of food as well. And all this for 375 (+taxes) bucks per person only. Mainland China is slowly becoming one of my favorite places for Chinese. Next time, I am going to go for dimsum treat only.

Contact info:
Mainland China,
Plot No. 4, Local Shopping Centre,
Masjid Moth, Greater Kailash - II,
New Delhi - 110048
Tel : (011) 40535525 / 26
Email : mlcdel@airtelbroadband.in

Pearls Regency, Noida

2008-03-27T15:08:00.002+05:30

Post courtesy Akshaya (link)

Pearls Regency is situated in Ganga Shopping Complex, Sector 29, Noida. It is a place very hit with office crowd in the afternoons and with families in the evening. It has three portions - a Chinese restaurant, a bar and an Indian restaurant. In the evening there is a live ghazal program in the Indian restaurant, where you can ask for your choices. The ambience is okay but the food is cheap, good and quantities are big.

Best is to stick with Indian cuisine here. Try Murgh Sheekh Kebabs or Murgh Tikka for non-veg starters. If you are into vegetarian stuff only then go for Tandoori Bharwan Aloo. In main course, go for Paneer Tak-A-Tak Masala, Plain Dal or Malai Kofta in vegetarian. In non-veg stuff, go for Murgh Makhan Wala (Butter Chicken) or Rogan Wala Gosht. Accompany it with Pineapple Raita.
Wonderful stuff - good typical Indian food in reasonable prices. Liquor is also not too costly here. Do make sure that you do not order more than you can eat - they have good servings. Also ask for company discount - you would usually get 15-20 percent discount. They have home delivery options as well which is quite reliable. They offer 10 percent discount on home delivery as well.

Contact Info:-
Pearls Regency
R-253,
Block 1, Ganga Shopping Complex,
Sector 29
Noida - 201301
Phone: (0120) 2450061, 2450062, 2450063
Free Delivery Timings: 12:00 Noon to 3:15 PM and 7:00 PM to 11:15 PM

Tea Shop, Sector 37, Noida

2008-03-24T20:03:00.000+05:30

Post courtesy Akshaya (link)

Tea Shop in Sector 37, near the telephone exchange is one of those hidden places which become popular only through word-to-word publicity. It is a nice little shop run by Capt. (Retd.) Mehra and his wife. It is quite popular among young crowd - who come out to chill, chat and smoke there.

The place has sitting arrangements in front of the shop. It offers great variety of tea and coffee plus grilled/plain sandwiches and other eatables like cookies, momos, corn etc... It is wonderful place - one which I have visited numerous times and still visit a lot. Order any hot/cold drink from their menu and it would be fantastic. All the sandwiches are also wonderful specially the traditional onion-capsicum grilled and the latest chicken-salami one. There is also a sweet shop nearby, offering wonderful samosas.

If you are in Noida, then it is a place to visit and relax in your car while having wonderful tea/coffee along with hot eatables.

Pind Balluchi (located in Lajpat Nagar)

2008-03-14T20:30:00.003+05:30

Post courtesy Akshay (link)

If I could summarize Pind Balluchi at Lajpat Nagar in one line, it would be 'Good old Punjabi food without burning a hole in your pocket'. Yes, it is cheap, excellent & very tasty food. Once I was part of a party of about 16-17 people there and the host actually paid only around 2000/- for all our food!! I have been there on several occasions and I could say very easily that average per head never goes above 150 bucks. That's too cheap for good food in Delhi.

As the name suggests, Pind Balluchi, has been made like a Pind (Village). So there is a village chaupal (meeting place), haveli (house), gufa (cave), village well and even a (plastic) tree simulating stylised rusticity. The entrance itself is through a grand haveli-like-gate and the guard there would greet in Punjabi. The whole atmosphere is village like with constant chattering and tempting smells of delicious Punjabi food. The cutlery is also along the theme with big steel plates and large copper like glasses. It surely symbolises the return of Indian cuisine to main stage.

To the food now. It is one restaurant which has very good vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian options to go for. For vegetarians, go for 'Sarson ka saag' (curried mustard leaves) along with 'Makke ki roti' (corn bread), it is totally divine. Other good dishes to have are 'Dal Tadka' (lentils with a spicy tempering) and 'Butter Paneer Masala' (a bright colored, creamy and light buttery flavored cheese dish). For non-vegetarians, go for 'Tangri Kebab'(chicken leg piece marinated in curd, ginger garlic & spices - gone through the tandoor) for starters. Go for 'Dhaba Meat' (Indian-style-roadside-eatery-type mutton) in main course, it is really wonderful at Pind Baluci. Accompany it with 'Mutton Biryani' (rice and mutton cooked with Indian spices). The mutton biryani is served in a 'handi' (Indian style earthen pot) - and it tastes very spicy and tasty. Do not forget to have 'lassi' (skimmed curd) with the meal - it is served in large copper glasses, the traditional Punjabi style.

Overall, you will feel satisfied with food at this restaurant and your pocket will not feel light after coming out. One thing to note is that avoid going on weekends - it gets very crowded and you may have to wait a lot. The service also degrades at that time. It is open all days except Tuesdays.

Contact numbers: 011-51325760/ 61
Timings: 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm & 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Address details of the various Pind Balluchi restaurants:

8, Ring Road, Lajpat Nagar-IV
(Near State Bank of India), New Delhi- 110065

Sector 29, Leisure Valley, Gurgaon (Haryana)
91-124-238354

RAJOURI GARDEN
Pind Balluchi Restaurant
J-2/1 B.K. Dutta Market
Rajouri Garden,
New Delhi – 1220027
Ph: 011-25421725, 26

FARIDABAD
Pind Balluchi Restaurant
12/7 Main Mathura Road
Near Sarai Chowk
Faridabad, Haryana
Ph: 9350238541

ROHINI
Pind Balluchi Restaurant
Unitech Metro Walk
FA- 9, 10, 11, Sector – 10
Near Rithala Metro Station
Rohini, New Delhi- 110085
Ph: 9958292950

Latitude restaurant in the Mosaic, Noida

2008-03-14T20:17:00.002+05:30

Post courtesy Akshay (link)

Latitude is a multi-cuisine restaurant at the mezzanine level of Hotel Mosaic, Noida. From past sometime, it has become a frequently visited place by me. The decor is quite subtle and professional. Seating arrangements are comfortable and the staff is cheerful. Food is of varied cuisine - Oriental, Indian, & Continental and nearly most of them are good.

For starters, try Greek Salad or any of the kebabs - they are really good. In the Indian menu main course, try Nalli Gosht (a lamb curry on the bone with grindless gravy), Bhindi Jaipuri (crispy, stir-fried Okra) and/or Paneer Lababdar (cubes of cottage cheese cooked with tomatoes, cashew nuts and whole ground spices). Go for Hyerabadi Gosht Biryani (rice + lamb with tasty spices) - it is really one of the best ones I have tasted in Noida. In the Oriental menu main course, try Chinese Vegetable in Hoisin Sauce. They have a daily buffet in lunch also which has good number of items and variety - costs a little on higher side though (699 plus taxes).

Overall, a good place to go with your family and enjoy good food. Average cost of two person would be around 800 (without drinks).

Timings: 7:00 am - 1:00 am

Yellow Brick Road at the Ambassador Hotel

2008-03-14T20:08:00.003+05:30

This post by Akshay (link)

Yellow Brick Road is quite an interesting place. It is the 24 hour multi-cuisine coffee shop at this Taj property but it is more famous than the other specialist restaurants/bars there (Larry's China or H2O+). The color scheme is very bright - mostly primary colours, and makes you feel as if you were eating in a kid’s room. The menu is set inside a news paper; it is like - while reading the news, why don't you order something? I liked it - at least the concept is unique and quite innovative. The photos on the walls are of old Raj-era advertisements which give a nostalgic feel to it.

The food is not so great - but considering that it is a multi-cuisine attempt, it is ok. We tried a special salad (which was the best items on our lunch) - 'Kurkuri Idli Chat' (fried savory cakes made of a batter consisting of fermented black lentils, rice and fenugreek; all tossed up with other spicy items & sauces). It was something which we have tried and it was simple yet it tasted wonderful. Do try it if you go there. The fresh juices there are also wonderful. We also tried 'Bangkok Vegetable Curry' and it was fine.

Overall, the food is not so great but the place is worth a visit (but just one only).

Contact details: 1 800 11 1 825 / 91 22 6601 1825
Open 24 hours - Round the clock.

Khaja Chowk in Noida

2008-03-14T20:03:00.001+05:30

This post by Akshay (link)

Khaja Chowk, a concept-based restaurant chain, has opened its outlet in Noida's Sector 18 market. It is a restaurant inspired by Indian street food. The overall ambience and setup of the restaurant is about daily activities and common scenes across Indian streets. There is also an auto-rickshaw-converted-into-dinning-table for four people. There are also small auto rickshaws as decorative artifacts. Overall, the setup is quite unique and good.

Now, to the food part. The lunch buffet is not good - very less in variety. They claim it to be a five course buffet - which it is not at all. It has no starters, no soups - just 3 veg and 2 non-veg dishes plus one salad + one sweets. Although the rates are cheap (175 for veg buffet and 195 for non-veg buffet), the less of options in the buffet makes it a not-to-go-for thing. We tried a-la-carte instead. One of the starters which we liked was "Khaja Chaat Platter", it was really wonder. It was basically traditional Indian chaat items served with some innovation in terms of toppings & fillings. In main course, we liked "Besan Ke Laddu" a lot - it is Jodhpuri-style filled gram flour dumplings in lemony flavored curry.

Overall, a good place of occasional visit - fits the budget nicely and will go well with each age group.

The Dhaba at Claridges

2008-03-14T19:58:00.002+05:30

This post by Akshay.

A visit to Dhaba was long due since I had heard a lot about it. But I would say that I was not that much impressed by the restaurant. It is ok for occasional visit but not much more than that.

Dhaba is the Claridges Punjabi restaurant, done up like a roadside truck stop; it serves a refined, hygienic version of the simple, tasty food found along North India. The place is pretty small and hence the sitting is quite close. The concept is good but the food is not extraordinary. We tried Matar Paneer (cottage cheese along with peas in thin gravy), Dal Tadka (yellow lentils) and Balti Meat (red meat cooked Indian style) - they were all good but that's about it. Overall, I think the non-vegetarian food is better there but it is surely costly. Food for two would cost something around 1200 bucks.

Worth occasional visit - although I would prefer Jade (Chinese restaurant at Claridges) more.

Timings:
Lunch: 12.30pm - 2.45pm
Dinner: 7.30pm - 11.30pm

Contact Number: +91 11 4133 5133