Street Food : Egypt vs India

When I first considered writing about "Street Food in Cairo" the few people I knew in Cairo had a good laugh & cautioned me that having just arrived in the city I was completely setting myself up for the curse of the Pharaohs. Well, being a desi & with an ability to eat the Pav Bhajis & Paani Puris & Vada Pavs on the streets of India, then the streets of Cairo posed no threat at all, so I was all set to explore Cairo by tasting everything it had to offer. (But I did tuck a strip of lomotil into my wallet to be on the safer side)

There’s such a variety of snacks, meals, quick bites & drinks on offer on the streets of Cairo that it would be impossible to try them all in a few days, but I did manage the highlights.

A good day begins with a good breakfast. A fuul or tamiya sandwich is what is considered ideal. I tried these at ............................

Read the whole post on My Egypt Blog

Dublin - Hyderabad

Dublin - Welcompub

ITC Kakatiya Sheraton & Towers

6-3-1187

Begumpet

Hyderabad - 16

040 2340 0132 *2502



ITC trumpets their pub as : The Original Irish Pub, which offers an exciting array of drinks & cocktails.



Located in the basement, the décor is reminiscent of the Irish pubs in the US, but since Ive never been to Ireland, I cannot comment on the genuine authenticity of the décor. There's a pool table near one entrance where you can while away some time, if you so wish.



The crowd here is very mixed. You have some expat crowd, couple of sons of rich businessmen, some junta that troops in after or in the middle of attending functions in other parts of the Kakatiya. I guess the only uniting factor of this crowd would be that they are **Moneyed**



Which brings me to an important question - "Just what the Heck was 'I' doing there ?" Waiting for a friend who was on a Company Business Account, is a good reason and I thank the company in question for sponsoring our evening.



We ordered a Margarita Pitcher for 700 bucks. Decent amount of alcohol in the pitcher, though the glasses were oversalted. It’s a small Pitcher, so just about filled 4 margarita glasses. Don’t go expecting beer pitcher quantities. BOB is 150. MOB is 125. Pitcher is 425. + Taxes of course... They served Potato chips with tomato sauce dip and roasted peanuts complimentary on every table and you can keep ordering refills of this. Harder stuff is about 250 per 30 ml unless you are considering the higher premium brands. Mocktails / Cocktails are in the 250+ / 275+ range. We have no idea what the snacks cost. You will see why as you read further.



Music is fairly good for most part of the time. They usually have a live band with North Eastern women doing the normal song and dance routine and they are fairly good at it. But the kind of music played keeps varying based on who's requesting what and whether it’s the live band or a DJ.



The service absolutely sucks. Unless you have a fair skinned foreigner, who speaks accented English sitting at your table. When the 3 of us intially reached there, it took 20 minutes before a waiter brought us the menu. Drinks took another 30 minutes to arrive, once the order was placed. The waiter then took, over 40 minutes to revert when we asked him for the snacks menu. By the time he reverted to us, he said the kitchen was closed ! ! ! When an Amercian friend walked in and came over to our table to say hi, the same waiter who had waited for the kitchen to close before even getting us the snacks menu, mysteriously conjured up an extra chair, before the new arrival even turned around and requested one. Barely were the words "Fosters" out of his mouth and a well iced bottle materialised in his hand. We then told our American friend to ask for a water pitcher and lo & behold, it was placed in the centre of our table with a flourish and a dose of TLC. (We had been pleading for a pitcher of water for the last 4 hours and the waiter insisted he did not have a pitcher in the pub, inspite of serving us the Margaritas out of a pitcher)



Don’t visit unless you are a fair skinned foreigner, a high roller who is well known by the waiters, or have been sucked into attending a formal function at the Kakatiya, where no alcohol is being served, and you absolutely have to have your evening fortification, no matter how long it takes !

10 Downing Street, Hyderabad

Ten Downing street

Lifestyle Complex

Begumpet

Hyderabad

040 5562 0015, 5562 9323



Ten Downing Street, has its regulars. And the owners and the loyalists have an all round sense of contentment. This is my kind of place. TDS is frequented by working professionals who want to unwind after a hard days work. Couple of call center parties do come here, then after awhile realise its not really their kinda place and drift away and restore the ambience to normal. This is a place you can go to when your boss has $@!~%d you over and TDS will welcome you & your tired, weary, minds and bodies.



The Décor is kind of like what an English study is pictured to be in the movies. Warm wooden panelling including on the floors. There's a small library at one corner which partly has genuine books and partly pasted prints of book spines. Some cool curios can be seen in some of the cabinets too. The central bar table where the bar tender mixes the cocktails is a good place to sit. The most coveted seating though is the slightly worn leather sofas just at the entrance.



BOB is 125 onwards. Their draught is quite good. A mug is 100, a pitcher is around 400. 60 ml hard liquor is 160 bucks. Accompanying mixer is 40 bucks. Heard a rumor that they don’t sell small pegs. Cocktails are rs 250 onwards. Tried the Whiskey Sour and the Screaming orgasm which would have been better with more alcohol content and less ice. But good never the less. The bloody mary was appreciated though.



No complimentary snacks, but some of his food is really good. Especially the meat balls. Definitely try this. The shepherds pie is out of this world, as is the pasta. The cook for the continental stuff is great but not so for the others. The chinese snacks are average. Thai curry to be avoided at all costs.



In the noons there's a total VFM offer. For 150 bucks you get a beer, a main course, soup and desert. This includes the shepherds pie option.



DJ Black Jack totally rocks. He knows what the regulars want him to play and he sticks to it. Look out for him on Tuesdays for sure. Wednesdays is Ladies night. Ladies get beer, hard spirits and a choice of 3 cocktails absolutely free from 8-10pm. Thursdays is Karaoke night and theres some pretty good talent around. Sometimes you get a guest DJ who wants to play out his collection, but the crowd always manages to bring the DJ back on track.



If you are in the 25-45 age group and looking for a chilled out place to relax, look no further. Teeny boppers who have started addressing me as aunty/maam, please avoid this place. Ive found my sanctuary in Hyderabad, please don’t attempt to disturb it.

Lautre, Hyderabad

Life Style Building

Begumpet

Bob : 0.75





Decided to assemble at Lautre before hitting 10 Downing where it sometimes gets too crowded to locate your friends. Didn’t stay here too long so can just about list the pros and cons :



Pros :

Excellent food. The oriental prawns are amazing for their size and the price. Music is soft rock sometimes graduating to hard rock. It isn't crowded.



Cons :

It has no crowd !!!

The seating is like a mess hall with better seats and dimmed lights.

The tables are soooo HUGE.



So this is what I surmised. Well, I mentioned before, we didn’t spend too much time here... Actually the poor owner just can't seem to strike the right balance. He seems confused as to whether he wants to serve gourmet food, have a relaxed lounge or a rocking pub. If he improves the lighting a bit, I think this place could become one of the best lounges around in the true sense of the word. A place you can relax with good food in your tracks or sweats.



Getting to the rates, they are quite reasonably priced. But after partying in Delhi, the whole of Hyderabad seems reasonably priced. BOB is 75 to 120 depending on the brand. Rum is 65 for Old Monk and 75 for Bacardi 30ml. The cocktails range from 175 to 250. Food is very reasonably priced. They serve an afternoon buffet for 150/- which also doesn’t have too many takers. But it's better to order a la carte than try the buffet which is not always excellent or so I heard.



http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=268&City=Hyderabad

Underdeck, Hyderabad

Under Deck

Taj Banjara

Rd No. 1

Banjara Hills

Hyderabad - 500 034

Ph : 040 5566 9999



The whole place is designed to give you a nautical feel. As you descend the stairs and even before you enter the pub, the flooring is covered with the same metal plates that the deck of a ship is. A few well placed lifebuoys and other props at the entrance just emphasise the name. The inside of the pub has a nice rich wooden panelling all over. This pub is a little on the smaller side but the décor is really cool if you are looking for a place with a difference. Although I can tell you that none of the ships that I have been on has interiors anything like this pub but then again, who cares ?



They have a live band playing there quite often. Music is normally good recognisable, lyrical music. Not the trance, house rubbish you get at the so called "hapenning" places. They have karaoke nites sometimes and the junta that comes up to sing is normally really good. Lots of firang and expat crowd here. Mostly the people put up @ the hotel. But the atmosphere is quite chilled and relaxed. Jeans and t-shirt is more than acceptable here as are sandals for the guys. So banish the thought of a stuffy 5 star pub.



Rates are ok. BOB is 100 to 160 depending on size and brand. Cocktails are classified into the 275 / 295 and 325 categories. Didn't try any, so wouldn't comment. Old Monk is 125 and Bacardi is 150. Prices go upto 2500 for a peg of blue label. Complementary popcorn and nuts are served in good quantities with the drinks. Their snacks are quite yummy too.



The staff dressed in white with sailor scarves is very polite and obliging altho its sometimes difficult to catch their eye once the crowd increases.



Decent place especially for winding down at the end of a weekend on Sunday nite, or even mid week relaxation.

Windsor Pub, Bangalore

7 Kodava Samaj Building,

1st Main, Vasanthnagar

Ph : 2258847





The seating and ambience is like Tom's but homelier. (Maybe because of the smaller area, but you kind of get the feeling of being in the drawing room of a house shared by a few bachelors). The cashier doubles as the CJ (Casette Jockey). Music is close to Pecos in taste and a 5 star restaurant in volume. Audible but not ear-threatening. Chairs are for sitting, tables are for resting your glasses, plates and bottles.



A whole lot of MIT (as in Manipal not Massachusettes) alumni haunt this place. Total relaxed mood prevails, no false facades, no minimalistic outfits except of course the bermudas sported by most of the clientele. 4 of us shared a pitcher + 2 mugs of beer (they do not offer any other alcohol... like pecos) + 4 steaks + 2 desserts + 2 xtra orders of garlic bread + an iced tea. The bill came up to about Rs.750/- They have some excellent kerala style sea food dishes and the steaks here are great. A relaxed evening would involve getting out of your business casuals and into your lounging clothes and hawai chappals. Get on your 2 wheeled thunder and rip across to Windsor Pub. Do not forget to leave your cell phone at home. Have 2 beers while the highlights of the days match plays on the TV screen so close as to let you feel i'ts is your own private TV. Finish with a steak of your choice and garlic bread. Mmmm.... Heaven on earth.





http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=176&City=Bangalore

Insomnia, Bangalore

Le Meridien

28 Sankey Road

Bangalore 52

Ph :2262233, 22682828





This week saw the launch of Insomnia, Bangalore's first disc within city limits. Current permission for them to operate is 1am. Since everything else in Bangalore is forced to close down by 11am. This place is gonna be rockin.



They are positioning themselves as "the exclusive Cocktail Lounge-cum night club" . Launched by DJ Asad, the place has a good night-clubby feel about it. And it is definitely gonna be exclusive as they are charging membership to enter their hallowed trio of halls. A couple membership will set you back 40G's, a single male will have to shell out 25k and a single woman a measly 10k. Please note that this is this years annual membership fee. Management reserves right to increase membership fee at any point of time. Only members can get entry once the club starts functioning at full speed. And of course you may take your friends along. How many takers they will have......"lets wait and see".



The music is good as you have one of the top DJ's of Bangalore running the show. Atmosphere is cool too, the cocktail lounge is upstairs. Really well spread out. As you move downstairs there's another bar with seating arrangement for another couple of people who like their music loud enough to discourage conversations across the table and a sunken dancefloor.



Neat set up. Good balance. At least that's what it looks like now. As yesterday was the launch, and everything was on the house, I have no clue about their pricing. Will get back to you guys about this.



If their place really sets Bangalore afire it will be because of their extended hours of partying capability. Check it out in the next 15 days unless you have a friend who is definitely going to take a membership. Then you can pile on to him/her to take you along any time.



http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=200&City=Bangalore

Hunt Bar, Nagpur

The Hunt Bar

Hotel Tuli International



I must confess that this only bar that I was taken to in Nagpur was a huge eye opener for me. Comfortably cushioned chairs with enough space to curl up on your individual chair (after those little itsy bitsy pieces that pass off for chairs in Bangalore's pubs) . Muted lighting that was neither harsh on the eyes nor forced your pupils to alternatively contract/dilate because of the ever changing intensity. Well airconditioned. Muted hindi ghazals (the crowning factor) wooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh what an experience!!



Drinking in Nagpur is quite reasonable so I'm guessing prices aren't too high. One thing nice about being a woman is that friends (male) you are meeting for the first time offer to buy you drinks. (this doesn't last too long though when they realise the quantity they are going to have to pay for ).



So I wasn't allowed to look at the menu. Complimentary nuts and chips were provided with bowls being constantly refilled. The setting was meant for Rum&Cokes so didn't even venture to try the cocktails. Crowd was sparse, so lots of breathing room. The few executives venturing to do business in Nagpur normally find themselves here at the end of an evening. Be prepared to see a couple of firangs around.



Service was non intrusive and pleasant

Sparks, Bangalore

133, Raheja Chancery

Brigade Road, Opp. All Saints Bakery

Ph : 223 0306

BoB : 1.4





In my opinion Sparks is the best of the 3 joints that opened together around the same area. The other 2 being Urban Edge and Mars 2211. Sparks has one of the best lighting effects that I have seen in a Bangalore pub. Some really cool pyrotechnics happen with their lighting system. Not being an engineer I cannot give you more technical details, but believe me those lights are a real trip once u r on a high. Its a milder version of watching jalwa on a high. (the original jalwa not this digen $^!!ty verma remix)



The music, totally depends on their theme or DJ for the day. I have gone there on the 70's 80's flashback nite and the music was out of this world. I have been there on the Caribeean night and they had good rockin reggae and R&B kind of music. Some tribal nite they had this really lousy stuff, which the much hyped DJ Ivan kept talking of as "Listen to the tribal music" "Swing to the tribal music" "rock to the tribal music" every 10 mins. It was like the public around would definitely not mistake that stuff for tribal music, but because DJ Ivan says its tribal music and keeps re-inforcing it, then it must be so.



In short, take a quick peek, if u don't like the first 2 songs you hear, then leave the place and go somewhere else. You are not going to like any music over the rest of the evening at Sparks. Believe me.



Drinks are higher priced. Cocktails are between 180/- and 360/- The cointreau was ok, except for the grenadine light overload. BOB is about 1.4. Their snacks are decent. Check out the Fish Fingers. As their ad says "Wicked Lighting & music to wake up the spirits." Just chose the day when the music is to your taste.



Mondays - Rock

Tuesdays - Retro

Thursdays - Reggae & R&B

Fridays - DJ Ivan & friends.



http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=186&City=Bangalore

TGIF, Bangalore

1 Carlton Tower,

Airport Road.

Phone : 5210570 / 5210571

Timings : 11am - 11pm

Bob : 1.5





TGIF is one of the couple of new pubs that have opened recently in Bangalore. Decided to check it out, having had a reasonably good experience of the TGIF in Chicago and in Delhi.



D‚cor is the standard TGIF stuff, with the propeller and the dollar bill on it signed by all the employees present at the opening of the pub. The propeller in Bangalore had a dollar bill, a 100 rupee bill and another note that I could not identify (definitely not due to the alcoholic contents of my cocktails). The bell and other stuff was supposed to be around but couldn’t see it too well because of this red lighting that they had. There is a huge karaoke screen too for those who are enthu enuff to want to exhibit their vocal talent or those who are too drunk to bother about their lack of it.



BOB varies between 1 to 1.5 depending on which brand that you want to try. Be warned though, there is a steep import tax on foreign brands. TGIF’s has a wonderful array of cocktails just begging to be tried until you read the fine print and realise that at Rs300/- + 63% import tax + 10.5% sales tax, tulleho wouldn’t be reimbursing you the cost of even a single cocktail at its current rates.



The food is bad. Do not go here if you are feeling peckish/hungry, you would be better off grabbing a couple of rolls at Fanoos in Johnson market before you arrive. The chicken wings were spicier at the US outlets than in the Bangalore branch. Their food was blander than the stuff I have tasted at the Goa beach shacks, which cater to exclusively foreign clientele.



Crowd is varied. Quite a few westerners, a couple of high-flying, suited-booted executives winding down after a hard days work, a couple of rich spoilt brats gloriously unrecognisable in their holi ka gulaal, even saw a couple of school kids in their uniforms celebrating the end of exams (not too sure about what they were drinking though).



I ordered a desi pina colada (the 63% tax remember) and it was like a slush rather than a cocktail. They had put in some kind of dessicated coconut as an extremely poor substitute for coconut milk and my drink was 98% finely crushed ice. I guess they try to freeze the drinkers tongue to cover up for the lack of potency.



They had this huge sign saying “Try Dad’s original root beer” and a couple of other posters marketing its low calorie value. But all our requests for a dads root beer were turned down as not being available. Why advertise a drink if you don’t stock it ?



TGIF is supposedly open from 11 to 11. I do not think the afternoon break to serving alcohol applies to these guys. They have happy hours from 4 to 7 I guess, but am not too sre about this. Happy hours are on a 2 for one basis but not all drinks are available for this scheme.



My advice would be not to go to this place unless you have money to burn or have a friend or colleague who owes you a treat. Too damn expensive as a drinking joint in Bangalore where VFM (Value 4 money) is expected by most inhabitants.



http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=142&City=Bangalore

Black Cadillac, Bangalore

Cha Che Towers,

50 Residency Road.





Located in Cha Che Towers. Same place as the White Dwarf. Opposite Purple Haze & Zapp. How many more landmarks do you want ???? Having entered Bangalore lately, I haven't seen BC in its previous avataar, so someone else might like to elaborate on that. But they have supposedly gone in for a revamp (which was why it had been closed 4 eternity, or what felt like it). It is located in the basement of chache towers (now isn't there some legislation against that in Bangalore city????)



As you walk in, the blue lighting hits you and so does the smell of food. Have you entered a pub or a restaurant you think as it looks more like a garden restaurant than a snazzy pub. Then you go inside where you do get the pubby feel (if u get wot i mean) And then you also have the option of moving outside into the open air. aah heaven !!! not to be clogged down by cigarette smoke!!!. There are these broken up vintage cars postioned along the wall. But they don't distract you for too long from the eyesore of the peeling paint of the rest of the building in whose basement BC is located. Music is good. Mostly retro, but now, they do ease in to crowd demand once-in-a-way and play the noise that passes off as music these days.



BOB is between .7 for an ice beer and 1.1 for others. Rum is about 70 for old monk and 75 for bacardi. The kababs weren't too good so I wouldn't recommend snacking here. Instead of being tender and juicy, they seemed encrusted in something resembling chinese rather than indian cooking. The raja special wasn't good either. So don't eat @ this place. No complimentary snacks. Snacks range between 75 - 200.



This piece wouldn't be complete till I share the PJ's about their washrooms. The gents room says "Elton John" and the Ladies says "Olivia Newton John". Nice place to relax when you want to go to a hip joint where u don't have to feel ashamed of your age or figure because of the over-abundance of anorexic 15+s .



Published on www.tulleeho.com in 2001

http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=172&City=Bangalore

Zapp, Bangalore

Below Purple Haze

Residency Road





Remember the discoesque thing that Purple Haze had opened on its first floor called Funky Town ??? Well its been given a makeover and is called "Zapp" in its new avataar. Going by the success of all the retro nites in this pub city, the owners decided that this pub would only play retro stuff. Music is ultra cool for all the yuppies who no longer can understand the stuff played in pubs on "regular" days. Total jiveable, danceable numbers. They do not yet have a video collection as good as Purple Haze itself, but u can c the beginnings of it. They play the videos of whatever song is playing. See the similarity with Purple Haze as opposed to Urban Edge where he plays anything and passes it off for music while "Tom & Jerry" cavort on the big screen.The DJ is accomodating with requests but not about playing after 11:00PM.



Seating is warm and cozy. As the volume isn't ear-drum blasting it is possible to carry on a conversation with some effort (that is if you aren't jiving away on the floor). They have these little cabins along the wall and tables down the center. The dance floor is 70's style with lights on the floor that throw their beams upwards. Food is decent : we had some chicken tikkas and some other stuff. MOB is Rs80/- BOB depends on the brand. Cocktails were 150 onwards. The coconut daiquiri was good, the pina colada a little too sweet but ok. This pub opened on the 27th of July and hasn't really promoted itself too well, so it is relatively undiscovered. Give it a couple of weeks and it will evolve into a hipper Catholic Club without the price discounts on alcohol.



http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=177&City=Bangalore

Opium, Bangalore

Carlton Towers

Behind TGIF

Airport Road



Ok, that Behind TGIF, is soon going to change to "TGIF is in the same complex as Opium u know". Yes Opium is opening on the 4th of July and I think the owner has something going here. There's some connection with the ownership of Purple Haze out here.



Opium is built on the lines of the Lounge Bars that have been gaining popularity in Mumbai. They have these sofas and really comfortable seating areas on one side. Chairs in the middle, and a huge bar at the other end. The lighting and paintings are supposed to represent dawn to dusk, so the sofa area is well lit up and this gradually darkens down till you reach the bar. The floor has these little lights in between. Kind of silvery walls. I felt it had a quality of understated chic and elegance.



The first thing u see as you enter is the DJ console located just at the entrance but way above it. Constant scrutiny still didn't help me identify how he ever got into that little way-up section -- there didn't seem to be a particular entry/exit point to get into that console. Final analysis: he uses a ladder to climb into that cubby hole of his, and then the ladder is taken away so he remains out-of-bounds for the rest of the evening.



This same guy is opening an open air restaurant next to Opium and an Indian restaurant next to that, so we were kind of sampling everything. If you ever go here, do have their Chocolate Mousse its better than anything i've tasted anywhere. As we were not shown a menu card, I am not too sure of the rates. But he said they would be commensurate with those of Sparks, Urban Edge and Mars 2211.



Music was decent and played at a reasonable decibel level. Try their chinese crispy fried vegetables. Their cocktails are also good. Well blended. Definitely worth a try.



http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=171&City=Bangalore



Later changed my opinion, their food isnt good at all. Its this night n day kind of decor. N they no longer put in as much rum in the mousse as they did on the first day. "People Complained" or so they say

Cosmo Village, Bangalore

Midway between Shoppers Stop and Brigade Road.





Nice quiet joint. In the early days (2-3 years back) they used to have these really comfy sofas where you could put your feet up (literally), sample some fusion cuisine and enjoy your drink. The low lit, no music blasting kind of place.



Although Cosmo has gone in for 3 new looks for its 3 floors, the music is still at a pleasant decibel level, the waiters still courteous. and the ambience is still something out of a 60's Hollywood flick. At least at the terrace level.



The terrace level is something like the 180 Proof garden in a way. With individual sofas and an eclectic yet comfy feel about it. Of the other 2 levels, one reminded me of the 180 ft restaurant in Indiranagar. The other was comfy sofas in an air conditioned room. The terrace level's my favourite because of the added open air advantage.



Drinks are about a 100 bucks a peg. CD's are 20-25 bucks extra. Snacks are in the 100-250 range. They serve good dinner too. So if you want to make a meal of Khau Sway or a similar single dish meal after you are done with the liquid refreshments, then this is a nice place to go to.



Ideal for a casual, open yet intimate kind of evening.



http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=210&City=Bangalore

Downtown, Bangalore

41/42 Residency Plaza

Residency Road

Ph : 5582050

Timings: 11 A.M to 11 P.M

Happy hours: 11 A.M-6 P.M (50% off)

Bob : 0.8



I guess I will always be a little senti about this pub because this was the first pub that I had seen the insides of around 6 years back. I loved the music then and I love the music now.ÿ



BOB is 0.8. A mug is rs35, a pint 70 and a Pitcher is 175.ÿ Cocktails are in the range of 90 to 200. Their Pinaÿ Colada is one of the better ones that I have tasted in Bangalore ( Bangaloreans seem to prefer beer and all other drinks at most pubs seem sub-standard).ÿ



The music is slow and hard-rock and generally the danceable kind.ÿ Not the techno stuff where all you do is shake like an electric current is being passed through you. Eagles, Led Zep, Pink Floyd, Beatles, Ricky Martin .... .ÿ



The interiors are quiet. If you want to seat a big group, there are these huge seating areas where you can still feel that you are on the same table (even without the influence of the liquid you have come seeking).ÿ Idealÿ setting for having a party when you have a lot of friends.ÿ



The only problem is the crowd. Although they do have a small dance floor (a rarity in Bangalore) you wouldn't really feel like dancing with the kind of crowd on the floor. Seems that most of my kind of people prefer to dance to techno (or at least pretend to), so the kind of people at a place that plays my kind of music is not my kind at all. A catch-22 situation for sure.



Well my problems are not yours, so if you like a littleÿ "old fashioned" music and want to shake a leg and don't mind your floor-mates (as in dance floor) then this is the ideal place to be.



http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=4&City=Bangalore

Bunker, Bangalore

Residency Road

Ph : 5585140

Timings: 11 A.M to 11 P.M

Happy hours: 11 A.M-6 P.M (50% off)

Bob : 0.85





If I am not mistaken, the Bunker is below what used to be called Oaken Cask before I arrived in Bangalore. Located strategically between Galaxy and Symphony theatres it is an ideal place to pop in for a short break between movies.



BoB is 0.85. A tap costs rs30, a pint 60 and a pitcher costs 150. No free snacks though. A large rum cost me 110 bucks and the thums-up was an additional 30 bucks, which I felt was daylight robbery. The draught beer is Kingfisher, as in most pubs in Bangalore.



I had just finished a gruelling 3 hour session at a business meeting and sat through 3 hours of a movie and decided that i needed to chill out. But the guy I was with had some urgent unfinished business to take care of, so for the first time in my life I experienced sitting alone in a bar. Well of course I got the occasional stares but otherwise it was quite cool in spite of it being a Sunday night. Of course this didn't stop me berating my friends when they finally put in their appearance around 30 mins. after I had been there alone with my tap.



The music varies from Tina Turner to Guns'n'Roses. The DJ is extremely accommodating and entertains most requests unlike some other places I knowÿ The Bunker can be split into 3 seating areas. One is the family room on the outside which is separated by a glass wall from the main pub. Then the inside of the pub itself has 2 different areas: one has the psychedelic lights and neon colored seats and the other is a more comfortable seating area where you can choose from sofas or bar stools.



They have this huge TV, I think it’s a 29" and one or two smaller ones. People who come here vary from teenyboppers celebrating a birthday party to business executives unbuttoning their coats and loosening their ties as they enter.



I didn't taste their cocktails as they weren't recommended by anyone I knew; they range between 150 and 250. Maybe I will review the cocktails on a day when I am in a more experimentative mood.



Snacks range from rs30 for the nuts and chips to 100 for the non veg. items. We had the drums of heaven. But I wouldn't recommend them to anyone else. We had to wait for ages for them and by the time they came it was stone cold and not too tasty either.



In the beginning the waiters were really nice and accommodating but then the headwaiter started getting on our nerves. Would insist on refilling our mugs from the pitcher after we had hardly taken 2 gulps. I guess there was a shortage of pitchers by then and a major recycling movement must have been on. He would insist on holding a light to our cigarettes in spite of us having taken our own lighters out (Was he afraid that we would burn the place down ?)



Anyway, after some time his service became a bit too ingratiating so we decided to prepone our trip to the disco which I will review in my next missive.ÿ



http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=3&City=Bangalore

Tiffany's, Bangalore

Vittal Mallya Road

Ph : 221 3130/ 221 0377

Bob : 1



Never thought that this would be a place to drink. After all those books floating around the place, always associated Tiffany's with a breakfast joint within India or without.... Would never have stepped into this place except for the unfortunate incident of a car breakdown and what a find it turned out to be.



Tiffany's is THE Place to go for a relaxed afternoon drink and meal. No loud music. No over 13 somethings competing for acoustic and physical space. No outrageous display of flesh to make u feel guilty about missing those morning walks. What better place for a relaxed afternoon and a chilled beer.



There was some really unobtrusive music playing- point 1 against Tom's

Comfortable seating - point in favour of Tiffanys'

No Christian Brothers -point to Toms

Lots of jogging enthusiasts around - point to Toms

Good service- point to Tiffany's

decent food- draw

yakkable quotient - draw

relaxed atmosphere- draw



I guess u could call Tiffany's an upmarket Tom's. Cocktails were about 100/0 bucks each ; BOB around 1. Free MOB with a sizzler. Really nice waiters - not too officious or patronising or loud. Just nice, with a hint of that old world charm around them.



Yes, this is a good place for a weekend afternoon beer and biryani kind of a thing.





http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=179&City=Bangalore

Jazz Garden, Pune

Koregaon Park

Bob : 1.25





The Jazz garden is set in a cluster of restaurants serving cuisines of different countries. (catering mainly to the foreigners who frequent the Osho ashram) What sets it apart is its open air setting.



There was a huge stage on which the 3 piece band looked woefully small. They were playing 60’s music and we could recognise a couple of the numbers. Non-recognition of other numbers was not due to our ignorance of 60’s music. I believe they have different bands every time. Something of a talent search I guess. Hope you have better luck with them.



BOB is about 1.25 depending on which brand you would prefer. Some of the coctails were decent but the coconut milk in my pina colada defnitely passed through a dehydration process on its journey from its originating coconut to my glass. I also felt that the alcohol content in my dessert of Crepes with chocolate rum sauce was higher than that in the Pina Colada.



The head waiter was more than helpful although service was a little slow. The fresh air was invigorating with warm liquids inside us. A beautiful setting for evening drinking in the summers.



You do get a lot of firang crowd because of the proximity of the ashram, also a lot of students from the various institutes springing up in and around Pune. It’s a student puller because of the informality of the place. Jeans is almost de-rigeur other than the maroon outfits.



Worth a try if you are the type who feels claustrophobic with all the tobacco fumes in regular pubs or are in the mood for some fresh air after a long day at office.



http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=134&City=Pune

Club Zendra, Chicago

923 W. Weed Street,

Off North Avenue.



In Chicago nite life begins on Friday at the mystical hour of 12 midnite, when all manner of creatures looking for revelry creep out of their holes where they have been lurking for the week. In anticipation of these predator groups that emerge at 12, lesser mortals are allowed free entry until the hour of 11. After that, ladies entry is a $10 and gents is $15 at the club Zendra.



Club Zendra is located in the downtown area. Actually this particular block where it's located has at least 8 pubs on its circumference. Here jeans is not normally acceptable dress code at most pubs and bars. More (less in case of women) smart outfits r the norm. Wearing jeans makes u feel totally like the "Out" crowd. 1 rum and 1 coke (for my non drinking jr whom i bumped into at Chicago downtown station.... thats another story, another time) cost us $9 if u feel like converting that was approximately Rs 405 for which I could have got a whole 750 ml bottle of my fav Xian bros back home.



This place had 3 atmospheres. Lower floor, upper floor and pseudo open air. There is a bar counter on the lower floor and the upper level. Both have the sexiest bartenders I have ever seen. Yes they are female. The music downstairs is listenable and dancable altho i couldn't recognise any of the artists (MTV out here has chat shows, serials, movies but hardly any music) The music (if u can call it that) upstairs can tear your eardrums apart and drive u insane or back to your whole for another whole week of recuperation.



Party nites r Friday and Saturday. Oh !!!! how could i forget the dancing styles they have out here ? They have so many varieties and basically they all look like the couples (male-female, male-male, female-female, menage-e-trois or group dancing) are fornicating with their clothes on. Seriously it's an interesting display of the pre-mating rituals of the homo-sapiens. Crowd is basically yuppy, You have to show id proving u r above 21 years of age before you may enter. They are very strict about this.



The bouncers here would give king kong a complex. No food, no snacks served (at least at Zendra) a drink is a drink. altho they garnish even a plain old R&C with a cherry, wedge or lemon or orange or an olive. After all those candied cherries i have been having with my Pina Coladas back home it was a real pleasure to see a fresh (ok ok maybe pre frozen) cherry with its stalk intact. Had fun, and survived the trip to see another day.





http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=117&City=Chicago

Lady Victoria, Ohio River, Cincinnati

Lady Victoria, Ohio River.



In most US states except Las Vegas, gambling is illegal and casinos cannot be built on US state land. Ingenious entrepreneurs, opened casino boats which would float on water so technically were not on US land (I am not too sure abt the water bottom tho) I have heard that there is even a place in Indiana where they constructed a man-made lake to have a boat on it for gambling. Anyway, Lady Victoria is a casino boat. It touches the shore every hour. Its open from 9:00 Am to 4:00 AM. They need the 5 hours to settle the days accounts else they would be open 24 hours.



It isn't the only casino boat around. There are a couple of others too, but they require you to pay an entry fee. Lady Victoria has free entry. It is located kind of in the Tri-state area of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana on the Ohio River.



If you go there regularly, you can apply for a member card and use this card whenever you play the machines. This gives you credits for all the dollars you are throwing away which can then be redeemed against food and drink.



Water and soft drinks aboard are free. They also have a wide variety of drinks. AS usual I stuck to rum and coke and declined from throwing away good money. The friends I was with just about managed to walk away even. Ambience is great. You have all these great and aspiring gamblers around you. Dress up could be jeans, tights or even a suit if u r a high roller. Waitresses (or hostesses as they prefer to be called) walk around in stockings and skirted leotards. They bring drinks to your table if you are among the big spenders. Otherwise you need to go to the bar yourself.



It was an experience to see people throwing away their money in the hope of netting the big one. There were people around us winning a $1000 or more. But they were definitely spending around that amount in the 2 days it took them to get that money back. Recklessness abounds !!!!!



http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/experience.asp?ID=8