Finnicky Food | Pick of the Week : Azote, SDA market, New Delhi.

Time : Monday 4 pm
Order : 2 White chocolate and raspberry Bavarian Tortes , Red Velvet Ice Cream , Red Velvet in a Jar , Banoffie Pie
Bill : 1150 rupees (all inclusive)

The nitrogen Ice cream.

Since there’s no seating over here, it’s pretty easy to just get your stuff and eat on your way, no hustle bustle, no crowd swarming (at least at that hour of the day).
Pretty cool ambience with scientific apparatus and neon lighting. Peppy music in the background.
Obviously there’s no wasting time in service either. Pick your dessert and there it is. The amount of time taken in choosing, however, is something I can’t guarantee about. BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S.

Heavenly Cakes at Azone

We started with the White chocolate torte which had these tiny colourful macarons (not to be confused with macaroons) which were just absolutely heavenly, disappeared as soon as we put them in our mouth. To add to it , the white chocolate and raspberry were the perfect match. There was a joyous feeling overpowering us just by this one tiny piece of dessert.

And the desserts.

The Red Velvet Ice cream, apart from the fancy works of the ice cream making process, which was indeed fascinating, was bringing out the child in us . There was a slight doubt whether all of this was only a work of show. We got our answer just with the first bite. DEATH BY ICE CREAM. Not only was it tasty, the syringe which had this coffee-chocolate (we kept guessing) sauce, was the best topping there possibly could be for an ice cream. With every bite you go mmmmm..

White chocolate and raspberry Torte ❤

We got ourselves another Torte,The Red velvet in a jar and Banoffie pie which were packed well enough to reach home without getting spoilt. They tasted equally Good .

Basically I could say, I like this place just as much as I like Whipped or maybe even more! A little area for seating is the only thing this place needs. Not everyday, but yes every few days, I’d love to treat myself to such luxury of expensive Ice Cream.

Food – 5/5
Staff – 4.5/5
Ambience – 4.5/5
Value for money – 4.5/5

Women’s Day Special | Finnicky Forgetfulness : Earthlings ,make your ladies ‘taste’ a bit of Paradise.

Tomorrow is International Women’s Day, and we all know we’re way too busy with our lives and jobs to take out some time to appreciate the Women in our lives. Now we know, that it’s been said that a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but so is a lady’s. Take a hint and take your ladies to one of these places and be sure to see that first bite give her the brightest smile ever.

For the Finnicky Romantics :

Lodi – The Garden Restaurant ,Opposite Mausam Bhawan, Near Gate 1, Lodhi Road, New Delhi

The Lodi Garden restaurant

As the name suggests, this restaurant is going to be the one with the romantic outdoor seating along with their authentic Mediterranean food and live music. Even if you’re alone, the ambience is going to get you right in the mood. Both indoor and outdoor seating is available. However, a reservation is recommended.

To your delight, Lodi also has an offer especially for Women’s Day with an all day happy hour on white wine and beer!

Cost for two: 2200 rupees (apx)

For the Fitness Finnicky :

nutritious Nation :Greater Kailash (GK) 2 ›M 45, Main Market, Greater Kailash (GK) 2, New Delhi

So your woman is a bit finnicky about her calories, no worries. This joint offers a variety of sandwiches, salads , detox juices,smoothies and fruit bowls. Sounds legen.. wait for it.. WITH THE EXACT AMOUNT OF NUTRITION VALUE.. dary. You basically have knowledge to the fat,protein,calorie, carb and fibre amount of your dish. Pretty awesome, no?

a Salad at NN

Cost for two : 650 rupees (apx)

For the Beer Finnicky :

Striker Pub and Kitchen :T 318, Ambience Mall,Vasant Kunj, New Delhi

Beer. Your choice of Beer. Chilled and with the right company. Awesome microbrewery with Live Music . Doesn’t get any better does it. Head straight here to avoid the “sorry sir, this beer is not available” statement.

Happy Hours: 12 Noon to 8 PM. And wait till you see how it looks like!

Cost for two :1800 with alcohol (apx)

For the Dessert Finnicky:

Azoté, C-11, Ground Floor, Community Centre, SDA, New Delhi

If you’re bored with trying the usual ice cream/gelato routine, visit  this place and be surprised for sure. They involve Nitro ice-cream in their menu , which are a sight to the eye and heaven to the tongue. Might come out as tad bit expensive for desserts, but hell, “this ice cream tastes bad”, said no man ever.

Cost for two : 500 (apx)

Ladies, you were born to be treated in the best way..

*image credit : zomato

Finnicky Food|Pick of the week : The Backyard.

Time : 2:30pm, Thursday
Wait time : Zero
Crowd : Minimal
Order : Mezze Platter, Caesar Chicken Salad and a slice of Red Velvet

Bill : 1500 Rupees
Apart from a couple of women on one table, the cafe was empty which , I’ve been told, stays very very busy in the late evenings. I must say, the silence, for a change was quite soothing.
The service was slow and forgetful despite constant reminders.

                                     
The Caesar Chicken Salad is a complete treat. If you are a salad person, you are going to love this perfectly balanced and seasoned dish with just the right amount of chicken. Not soggy, completely fresh and filling. Recommended.

Chicken Caesar Salad

The Mezze Platter took some time, but it was worth the wait. I can’t begin to explain how amazing it was. By far, the best Mezze platter I’ve had anywhere in Delhi. Tzatziki is made of strained yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, sometimes lemon juice, dill and mint, and I don’t think I could have enough of it.
The pita breads were soft and warm, hummus perfectly balanced, and even the fattoush salad was delicious. RECOMMENDED AND DEFINITELY NOT FOR SHARING.

Mezze Platter

The problem arose with the dessert. Red velvet. Velvet meaning soft,silky, just melt in the mouth.  But here, the fork couldn’t even cut through the pastry , not without putting in effort. I told the waiter about it and in return he told me “Madam naya flavour aaya hai, aisa hi hota hai.” , and just left.
So I had to send it back, this time through another waiter who understood my plight. And yes, they didn’t charge for it.
Other than that, no issues with the place at all.

The food is good, ambience is good, you have a variety of seating options and the music is pretty fine too. The hookah is great too, with non-chargeable, successive coal changes.

Agony Aunt for Food, signing off with another place already in mind.

Finnicky Food| Pick of the Week : Social, Hauz Khas Village; Cocktail Bar or Har Baar?

Hauz Khas Social has been a majorly prioritized choice for anyone visiting Hauz Khas, be it the day or the night; weekday or weekend;couple or gang. What’s surprising is how strong the hold has been throughout the past year and it still is.

An enormously huge place, variety in seating, constantly buzzing and superb cocktails make this place a hit.

Time : 3pm, Friday

Wait time : 5 minutes

Order : BBQ Board, Watermelon v/s Feta Salad , Electric LLIIT ,Frozen Margarita , Chana Jor Garam and Fryums.

Bill : 3500.

BBQ Board

Watermelon v/s Feta Salad

Frozen Lime Margarita

The LLIIT

So the first time around, my visit was after a wait of over 45 minutes, which was obviously on a Sunday. But the second time we got lucky and didn’t have to wait much. The seating however is a problem. Since you’re on a wait list, you can’t choose your preferred location or seating. You can only oblige to whatever you are led to. Huge sofas for a partner and yourself don’t seem like the perfect choice, but pfft.

The Menu leads you into a dilemma on what to order, but the Bar menu is the only thing you should care about. The food, is somewhat okay,not that great, but yeah, eatable.

The BBQ Board was okay in bits and pieces. Hot Wings, most definitely avoidable, sauce being too sweet. Ribs were okay. Sausages were good.Potato skins,yes,good. But the platter is anyway too small to be shared. A single person can most definitely finish it up, that is, if you like it.

The Watermelon Feta salad was a Disaster.The watermelon was neither cold nor had any taste. The salad dressing cut through the entire freshness of the salad, defeating its purpose of being salad. Returned. Another Salad arrived correcting the issues that I had stated to the staff. But it still lacked the original taste it’s famous for. DO NOT ORDER.

 The LLIIT is served in a manner to be shared. Tasty, chilled and an order to be repeated. The Frozen Margarita however, melts way too quickly, and keeps on dripping (I had to constantly keep a paper napkin beneath it!) . There’s much better stuff on the menu than this, that I can say for sure. Chana jor Garam and Fryums, Chakna, as you’d call it, is a must try. Really tasty, finishes up very very quickly.

The music isn’t quite audible in the day time. It’s probably different in the night.

The Staff is helpful, funny and quick in their service.

So, somehow the only thing i like about this place is the ALCOHOL. If you just want to go there, have a nice time with your people,get drunk on good cocktails, spend quite some money, then Social is the place to be.

Valentine’s Singles Special| Finnicky Friendship : What stage are YOU on?

So since Valentine’s Day is near and by now you probably have a clear idea whether you’ll be spending a shit load of money on your significant other or spending a shit load of money celebrating the fact that you’re single and sans tension.

If you still aren’t too sure about it and you have a “Its possible that..” in your mind, maybe you fall in the following weird,but true, categories.

Specimen A : Friends with Penalties 

A friendship, most often between a man and woman, you do everything that you would when dating, but without romantic or sexual behavior. Many people assume the two of you are dating when in public. Note: Neither party wants something more out of the relationship.

Are you nodding? Sounds familiar? Yes? No? IDFK?

Specimen B : Friends with Possibilities

Starting out as friends with someone, but have the possibility or potential for a relationship on the next level.

The so called “Valentine’s Week” is the perfect time to establish this kinda connection, no? And also the perfect time to get slapped across the face. Hard. Good luck.

Specimen C : Friend at First Sight

When you know for a fact, within minutes of meeting someone, you will be friends for life.

Who cares about having someone tell you “I Love You” when your friend would do the same and that too with even more conviction. Whether its a person who hates the same person as you do (hello,bestie) or someone just as bored as you at a house party, you know you’re meant to be together.

Specimen D : Fralentines

In your mind you’ve pictured yourself with him/her, taking them out for something special, laughing, drinking,enjoying and dying with love overdose. But,alas, someone’s got to tell you that your mind’s playing games with you and you’ll forever keep dreaming if you don’t take your chance. If it works,good for you but if it doesn’t, hey,don’t blame me, I’m no Cupid.

Specimen E : Frutellas 

My personal Favorite, the FRUTELLA. In other words, Friends with Nutella.

You,my friend, will forever be happy because Nutella never hurt anyone. Always there for you, in times of celebration,depression or constipation. *coughs*Forever alone*coughs*.

*NOTE TO READER: Author is in no way responsible(or well off) to deliver packs of tissue paper. Read article on your own risk. Maybe its too late to say that. Oops.Okbye.

Find of the Week : Wenger’s Deli

So when you’re in Connaught Place,New Delhi and you have so many options to eat at..so many that you can’t decide which one to choose. If you’re not in the mood to lounge, and just grab a quick snack but also satiate your cravings for delicious food, THIS IS THE PLACE TO GO TO.

Time : 2pm , Wednesday
Crowd : Fully occupied
Wait time : 5-7 minutes

Order : Peri Peri chicken panini , grilled mozzarella panini, smoked chicken panini, nutella waffles

Bill : 650

Located next to the famous Keventers in Connaught place, Wenger’s Deli is a complete treat.
For a quick bite, this place is by far my favorite in Connaught Place.
The place doesn’t have much capacity for seating,hardly 12 stools . But the food is so very delicious, it leaves out the rest.

Choose the Oregano flavored bread for Paninis and the best out of the ones we tried was Peri Peri chicken. Lovely crunch on the bread and the taste is best described as ‘Yum’.
The grilled mozzarella panini wasn’t that great, probably because it lacked a bit of flavor and was more heavy on the capsicums.
However, the Nutella Waffles with ice cream.. is something that I’d most definitely recommend. The ice cream melts completely in the mouth, it’s so flavorsome that you’re left begging for more. The waffles topped with nutella were crunchy, tasty, not at all soggy and didn’t taste eggy. This is heaven for your naughty sweet tooth.
The deli is a self service joint.
There isn’t much to describe about it’s ambience apart from the glass kitchen wall behind the cash counter which makes the deli look spacious. The area is clean and well maintained.
Overall, I love the food and will most definitely return to grab a snack again.

Positives : Cheap, quick and delicious food.

Negatives : Not enough seating
Food – 4/5
Ambience – 4/5
Value for money – 4.5 /5

Don’t forget to Thank your Agony Aunt for food! Until next time.

Finnicky Fashion : Skinny Problems, Clever Shopping.

Are you skinny?(nods). Do people envy how you can eat anything and everything but not gain weight?(nods). Are you wondering how that’s a positive for you? (nods). And you never get anything that fits you flawlessly?(goes on a crazy head nodding frenzy). 

 Boy or girl, you know you’re skinny when :

• Sale?! Pfft. : All the stuff that you had a chance at,don’t even think about it. Its gone,whoooosh! (check)
• You grab the smallest size : aaaaand it’s still ill fit. (check)
• “Why don’t you try the kids’ corner?” : ’nuff said. (check)
• Your favourite season is Winter : LAYERING *jumps in joy* (double check)

So what do you do? You know, I know, your annoying aunties know and even the pizza knows you’re skinny. But what now? 

I can be generous enough to share a few secrets on how to cleverly shop, no?

     #1 Have no expectations. (It’s only gonna break break break your ♥)

     #2 Act finnicky. I buy a maximum of two pieces per outing (*after 6 hours of                             constantly hearing “Are we done yet?”*). Two words, BE BEYONCÉ.

     #3 Stick to favouring one brand that don’t categorize their clothes as ‘s’ , ‘m’ or ‘l’,but               rather has descriptive universal sizes.  *U no speak no americano?*

     #4 Shop online : This is probably the best advice I could give you. Measure yourself, all           your curves and all your edges (or just ask someone else who’d gladly do it 😀 ).                 You have the dimensions of the product online, customer reviews and the return                 policy,what more reason do you want! 

    #5  Duniya Dekho : Sounds a bit bizarre, but this is my sure shot formula of finding                  clothes that fit like they were tailored for you. Shopping festivals happen all over the            world on fixed dates. Make those puppy eyes work in front of your parents,pre book            well in advance and tada!

        

Now that I have provided, what I think can make a skinny girl look phat (Pretty,Hot and Tempting. No? :D), I think I could further tune it out to “How to shop flea and still be fabulous!” . Until,the next post!

 

 

How not to be a Dork at picking new places to eat.

Are you the kind of person who’d look out for a restaurant online,suggest your friends to try it out and then be blamed for picking a good-for-nothing destination? Or maybe the one who can’t decide whether to choose the popular-right-now place or the forever-delicious place? Join the club!

So when a skinny girl tells you that she could drop names of the yummiest food joints in town, you’re like

“Nah, what’d you even eat? Air!?” .

But its true, I could. Never ask me for directions though, I’d lead you straight to village for all I know! (Believe me, it’s happened a lot of times)

Here are a few pointers that you could keep in mind while picking out the next place and not be called a complete dork.

• A PREY TO POPULARITY : I think is what people firstly hope is, for the  food to be immensely delicious (Pretty looking too; who doesn’t want a little Instagram jealousy from their followers!) . Just because its in,doesn’t mean it’ll be worth going in.
• MORE THE LIGHT,EASIER SPOTTING THE COCKROACH : The ambiance. Something about the light and warmth in the room that leads you to instantly relax and neglect negatives about the restaurant. Imagine reading reviews, looking at well angled pictures online and then walking into the most shady place you’ve ever been to (hello,nasty insects.)
• THE ROYAL TREATMENT : The Staff could hugely brighten your mood. Nothing better than a cute waiter flashing that smile and saying “Yes ma’am, I’ll be at your service today” (Maybe that’s just me.) Look for reviews that specifically point out how courteous the staff is.
• ARE YOU A MILLIONAIRE? : If not,then it all comes down to the amount of Money you spend on that outing. Pick a place that does’t burn a hole in your pockets.Read the menu online,make an approximate and enjoy the smile of satisfaction on your face after your friends are done appreciating what a perfect place you selected.

If you still think you can’t pick the place,leave all the work to me, follow my lead and blog, I’ll be your agony aunt.. for Food.