How to Make an Evening In Enjoyable

After a long and hectic week filled with work, meeting, waking up early and long hours, all one wants to do is sleep the weekend away. And even if they feel like spending some down time with their friends, then even the thought of dressing up and going out, just leaves one tired. So, that is why, many times people just invite friends over to one’s house and have a nice relaxed time, talking, playing games, watching TV or movies.

When a group of people gets together the first the thought is what to eat, luckily, these days there are numerous delivery restaurants in Saket, Malviya Nagar, GK, Hauz Khas and most of the Delhi area. Even some of the high end restaurants offer home delivery services, so one can order from there too. And these delivery services have gotten fast too, most don’t take more than 30-40 minutes to deliver scrumptious food that one can enjoy in their comfortable clothes.

One of the most favourite cuisines to order is north Indian cuisine in Delhi. Not just for the cuisine itself, but also, that it’s so filling, pocket friendly and can easily feed a large group of people in just 2-3 dishes and a lot of bread rotis. Unlike other cuisines one doesn’t have to order separate dishes for every person.

Also, one can take a trip down memory lane and play old board games, or create new games of your own. One can also go to the local market if they want, to just take a walk and get some fresh air, have lively debates, finally binge watch a show or have a movie marathon of some of the classic films.
There is nothing better than being able to lie in your house, in for pajamas, with good company and good food, to make an evening in sound wonderful.

My favourite North Indian restaurant

Being a food aficionado, I am always open to trying out different cuisines and restaurants. There is nothing that makes me happier than starting and ending my day with good food. Food does not merely give me energy to live; it makes my life worth living. But just like all other human beings, I too have small flaws. I happily visit the known, the unknown, the new, and the old restaurants for all cuisines but North Indian. There is only one restaurant that satisfies my taste buds when it comes to North Indian food and it is none other than Dhaba by Claridges in Saket.

And it is not just the amazing food that attracts me to that place. The typical dhaba-like ambiance, quick service, full-of-life staff who would surely raise the spirits of every person with their dance on a Bollywood number etc. are things that I simply can’t find anywhere else. Though I have tried some pretty great North Indian restaurants in Gurgaon and Delhi, I keep going back to my favourite restaurant in Saket. But when it comes to other cuisines, I am always up for a new adventure.

There is another annoying habit of mine because of which my friends have often had to suffer. There are so many reliable food websites nowadays which help people decide upon restaurants. I unfortunately do not like to form an opinion about a place without visiting it myself as I wish to give every restaurant a fair chance. While some restaurants turn out to be great, we have also had instances wherein we ran to save our lives. Just kidding! But yes, when my friends are not impressed with the food, they do make it a point to torture me later on. While you think about my weird nature, I need to get going as we have a dinner reservation at a renowned Italian joint. Arrivederci! 

The secrets of a good food delivery mechanism

Food service industry has become quite competitive. Multiple food outlets are opening up every day and two of the many things that you should make sure to match the fast pace of the food service industry are: an online order platform and a delivery service!

We have several South Indian as well as North Indian restaurant in Delhi which are popular, obviously for their food, but especially for their excellent delivery service. Here's a list of some of the important things to remember,  which are elements of a good delivery mechanism.

•Timely: The first and the most important thing a  customer expects out of a food delivery is its speed. Nothing impresses us like a fast delivery. In those waiting hours, when we are done ordering the food online or over the phone, every second passing by feels like an hour. So, when you're establishing a delivery network, make sure you have enough people to assist it. Some of the delivery restaurants in saket  even come up with slogans like "20 minutes delivery" and I believe it is an excellent way to make your customers fall for you!

•Appearance: The sight of the food on the door should be pleasing to the eyes. That would raise the excitement levels of the customer who's ordered it. Make sure your delivery boy has a special sealed storage system in his bike so that even heavy rainfall or excessive heat won't spoil the taste as well as the look of the entire package!

•POS: Some customers choose cash on delivery mode, but realize that they're short of cash only after the delivery is made. It's wise to make your delivery boys carry POS systems with them for it might solve the problems of the customers. They'd be happy and relieved to see that the delivery carries a back-up plan.

And that's quite enough to bring smiles on the faces of your customers! They're not too demanding!

The perfect re-union!

I was born in Canada and was there for a considerable period of my life. My family moved back to India when I was 18 years old. Needless to say, my heart sank when I had to bid farewell to my best friend, Clara. It seemed like forever after moving to India that I did not meet her. Skype calls and e-mails were frequent but nothing beats a face to face chat. Years rolled by and we both made other friends, but it never happened that Clara and I were not in touch. She kept telling me that she would visit India, but I never thought that she really would, one day!

It was on my engagement day she surprised me with her sudden appearance. I was probably happier seeing her than my engagement ring! She had it all coordinated with my parents and kept her visiting plans under wraps. A few days later, I showed her around Delhi, all that she heard of, she saw it herself. It was an unreal feeling for both of us! I thought of giving her everything she wanted! She wanted something very simple though, authentic North Indian food! I took her to Dhaba By Claridges in Saket which is close to my house, and man she liked it! Although she didn’t quite get the concept of a Dhaba, she loved the food, the quirky décor and the drinks so much so that she wanted another round of North Indian food.

My fiancé and I took her to one of the best North Indian restaurants in Gurgaon the very next day and she savored every bit of it! She struggled a bit with the spices, but it was commendable the way she managed to eat it. She said never in her life did she think spicy food could be so tasty! Another thing she asked from me was a simple promise; that I would visit her, when she got engaged. I couldn’t say no and promised right away. My heart sank again while saying the final goodbye, but I hoped she got engaged soon, so that I could see her again!

My best friend’s farewell food!

The fact that my best friend- that one person I can share anything and everything with- would soon move to Mumbai to pursue her higher studies was already too hard to sink in; but planning her surprise farewell party where everybody would shower her with good wishes for a brighter future was even harder. I was happy for her of course, but not happy enough to let her go pursue her passion in a different city.

But I did what was needed to be done. I wanted to throw her the most memorable farewell party, and I did. While she was at work, we decorated her room with her favourite flowers, ordered the most magnificent cake we knew she would devour in just an hour, but most importantly we arranged for a lot of North Indian food (her favourite cuisine) from one of the famous home delivery restaurants in Saket. I still remember the surprised look on her face when she entered her room. She loved the party and we all just ate, sang, and danced the entire evening. This might sound clichéd, but in the end, we all hugged and cried together. We all have been friends since childhood and the fact that one of us would be moving away just made us emotional. And then when everyone went back home, I stayed over and while munching on the leftovers, we just talked and talked.

She left yesterday but not before lunching with me in one of her favourite North Indian restaurants in Gurgaon. She loves to eat and doing anything else before leaving for airport would have not been quite right. She, her parents, her twin sister, and I spent some happy moments together at that lovely restaurant. She would be back for Diwali holidays but being a big foodie, she can’t wait to have her favourite North Indian food from her favourite restaurant. Well, at least there is something that can lure her back to Delhi!

The Perfect Lazy Sunday Plan

There’s nothing better than spending an entire Sunday lazing in the comfort of your home. Though for many of us, weekends are a time of partying and socialising and what not, every now and then, we all love that one Sunday we have just to ourselves –to eat delicious food delivered right to our doorstep from the best of the best restaurants in saket, or to watch a movie cuddled up in bed, or just sit in the verandah and take in the sun and sip a warm mug of coffee and contemplate the philosophies of life! We all have our very own ideas regarding how to spend that perfect lazy
Sunday. Well, here’s mine!

• Somewhere around noon:

That lazy Sunday always begins with a good night’s sleep. Anywhere north of the regular 8 hours of sleep is the most essential ingredient to kick-start my lazy Sunday. In fact, there is no kick-starting at all, it’s all slow and steady!

• After an hour of attempts at waking up, when one finally succeeds:

Considering the fact that it’s well into the afternoon now, the hunger begins to grumble in my stomach a little too loud. And while I’d really like to go in for some delectable buttery, fatty meals from restaurants with food delivery in saket, what really gives a good fix is a large mug of coffee. Whether it’s in bed, out in the balcony or lazily sprawled out on the couch watching some mindless television, a mug of frothy coffee just does the trick for me.

• Time to freshen up…or not:

Okay, time for a little confession. I’m not the biggest fan of getting around to bathing. Though I absolutely love it once I’m in the shower all frothed up, getting around to it is a Herculean task for me. So more often than not, my Sunday morning (afternoon) routine just involves brushing my teeth and washing my face!

• Lunchtime, or shall I say breakfast:

Too lazy to cook myself anything, Sunday lunches almost always involve ordering in from the best restaurants in saket.

• Time to hit the internet:

And ladies and gentlemen, sorry to pop the bubble, but there’s nothing more to a lazy Sunday than being lazy! Hit the internet, stay in bed, and do whatever you want. Tada! 

MY LOVE FOR SAKET

Delhi is full of life. Although every corner of Delhi is full of liveliness and enthusiasm, Saket is my favorite when it comes to deciding upon a one stop shop for the day. And not just shopping, my love for Saket is based on the all the amazing things it offers- from awesome places to roam to some of the best places to eat. While planning a day out with my friends, my vote generally goes to this beautiful location of South Delhi which is a perfect mix of culture, tradition and modernity. Delhi has some of the Best restaurants in saket offering a number of Indian as well as international cuisine. 

I remember the time when we had gone for celebrating our friend’s birthday and this restaurant simply added to our excitement by arranging for balloons and the birthday song. In addition to it, they gave us special birthday meals for without any extra charge. Shopping malls of saket are another reason for why I end up walking down to Saket. To beat the summer heat, I go to these malls with my friends and always get amazed by their decoration. These malls house multiplexes which make them a suitable choice for a day of movie and hangout. Both Indian as well as international stores of garments, shoes, cosmetics and bags etc. are available in these shopping malls. And as you climb up to the top floors of these malls, you will be spoilt by choices they offer on food items.  These malls are paradise for food lovers. It has cafes, bistros, multi cuisine restaurants, bars and food joints. Pizzas, burgers and donuts- just name the variant and you can find it right there!

In short, you don’t need to go to the best north indian restaurants in Gurgaon or the exquisite bars of CP, because Saket has it all.