Russian high
If it’s Russia there must be vodka – and there was at the Russian National Day celebrations at the Trident. Of course, other spirits were also in full flow. In attendance was Alexey Novikov, Consul General of Russia in Mumbai along with wife Alina and Sumit Malik, Additional Chief Secretary and Chief Protocol Officer of Maharashtra, who lauded Indo-Russian friendship. Guests included people from all walks of life and, of course, members of the consular corps like Pule Malefane (Consul General of South Africa), Mohammed Yousuf Awadhi (Consul General of the United Arab Emirates) and Tomas Ferrari (Consul General of Argentina). And it was time for hors d’oeuvres, drinks and dinner as Russian ladies dressed in traditional costumes posed for photographs.
All cheerful
Beer lovers rejoiced at the opening of The Beer Café, the Delhi-based beer franchise that launched a new outlet in Mumbai. This outlet, opposite Mahim post office, was abuzz with guests sampling bottled beer, draught beer and beer tails on opening night as they conversed and listened to the music of singer-songwriter Roshni Baptist along with Veljon Noronha on guitar and Joel Crasto on keyboard. The heady combo of beer variants along with Roshni’s contemporary pop notes was a truly enjoyable experience. Rahul Singh, founder and CEO, The Beer Café was there along with Deepa and Suhas Awchat of Goa Portuguesa. Besides beer and hors d’oeuvres, there was a dinner spread too.
Oriental touch
Foodies welcomed the launch of Hong Kong, brought to you by masterchef Sanjeev Kapoor and his SK Restaurants Private Limited (SKRPL). Holding forth about this new restaurant at Viviana mall in Thane, Sanjeev Kapoor felt that oriental cuisine has as much a wide variety of taste, dishes and flavour, just like Indian cuisine. The news is that after Hong Kong in Mumbai and Ahmedabad, outlets in other cities are in the pipeline. After a live cooking demo by Sanjeev Kapoor, guests gathered that the menu bears his stamp of culinary excellence with many of his signature dishes. Shining on opening day was Happy Lee, the mascot at Hong Kong, who is said to thrive on good food by leading a content life. Also looking happy were Rajeev Matta, CEO, SKRPL and guests like musician Hariharan, celebrity chefs Ranveer Brar and Harpal Singh Sokhi and supermodel Ujjwala Raut.
Date with dates
Happiness spread all around as Medjoul, the King of Dates from Israel, came to town with a launch at Taj Lands End. Guests had a taste of these dates known for their delicious taste and innumerable health benefits. These luscious dates are fast becoming a popular snack alternative for discerning consumers across the globe as they are excellent sources of antioxidants, highly loaded with vitamins and minerals that help develop healthier bones and reduce the risk of heart-related illnesses and high blood pressure. You also learnt that they are delightful energy-boosters that provide double the amount of energy as compared to a banana. Medjoul also makes for a great ingredient to use in salads, juices, shakes, cookies, muffins and more. And desserts that use these dates satisfy the sweet craving in a healthy way.
