Hotel Review : Pride Hotel, Nagpur, India

Umaria. This non descript place in Madhya Pradesh beckoned us and thankfully we had Google (Maps) to help us plan how to get there. Some friendly tips and few bookings later, we were on a flight from Mumbai to Nagpur from where we would make the road journey to Umaria the next day. Needing a hotel in Nagpur for the two night halt on way to and from Umaria, we zeroed in on Pride Hotel located a stone's throw away from Nagpur airport. Other option was Sun n Sand Hotel which is located further away but people insisted Pride is the best. So Pride it was for us too.

We had asked for airport pick-up which was a very chaotic affair. There was a person at arrival hall holding a placard with our names but the car was nowhere to be seen. After sometime, a battered Indica transported us to the hotel half a kilometer away. Not the best way to start our trip but we were hopeful. Check-in was smooth. The smiling staff gave us a lowdown on hotel facilities and showed us to our road-facing room. The room was comfortable and provided all basic facilities including a newly renovated bathroom. The room overall lacked character and cleanliness. Whilst it was clean on the face of it, a closer inspection revealed dust and grime. We asked reception for a wake-up call at 3 a.m. and turned in early for the night. Annoyingly, the phone rang at 11 p.m. asking us if we had indeed asked for a 3 a.m. wake up call! What was the staff thinking by calling hotel guests to reconfirm at such a late hour? Anyhow, the wake up call never came and thank god for our own mobile alarms, we were up and ready at 4 a.m. We had booked a car and chauffeur through the hotel's travel desk and thankfully, the chauffeur was waiting for us at the lobby. On an aside, we were on the road for 26 hours and returned next day only at 6 a.m. and have only good things to say about the car service. It is not an easy task to drive 900 odd kilometers in 20+ hours on good and bad roads and we were thankful for having an experienced hand at the wheel. Once back at Pride, we put the Do-Not-Disturb sign at the door and crashed out of sheer exhaustion. And just as we drifted into deep slumber, my husband's mobile phone rang. And it was from the hotel's housekeeping team asking when can they clean the room since Do-Not-Disturb sign is there! We were livid. Clearly the hotel staff has not been trained to understand what a DND means. How can guests' mobile numbers be shared liberally with staff and that too for such purposes!

Once awake, we decided we were better off staying outside the hotel than inside. Part of the Incredible India experience is that whoever steps out from a hotel is taken to be a tourist. We had auto rickshaws queuing up to take us to the closest mall for INR 200. I used my haggling skills and we were at the mall in INR 40. So tourists beware. Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate. The food at Pride is quite decent. On our first day, we had ordered room service for an early dinner since we had to start our 370 kilometer one-way journey to Umaria at 4 a.m. The dinner portion was large and we left quite a bit of the Palak Paneer and Daal Makhani unfinished. On our final evening, we had dinner at the rooftop Indian restaurant Puran da Dhaba where a live band belted out Hindi numbers. The singers were terrible, the food was good and we got to taste a local vineyard's wine which was not too bad.

We had an early check-out so did not get to try the Pride breakfast at all. The check-out process was slow with one of the staff just disappearing with our credit card. After some confusion, it was all sorted out and we finally left the hotel. Clearly, Pride Hotel is not geared to service high end tourists and business travellers. But then Nagpur is not a tourist hot-spot or a big business centre. I find it hard to believe the hotel is considered 5 star. A 4 star rating would be more appropriate given the poor service standards, lack of maintenance in common areas and practically zero sound proofing (there was a college party in the hotel ball room and we could hear the blasting music till our 4th floor room). Next time I am in Nagpur, I'll firstly try to keep it even shorter than this two day trip. Secondly, I would definitely look for other options but might end up at Pride again for the TINA factor. There Is No Alternative. And that is a very bad reason for a hotel to be getting business.

Book Review : The Mile Hi! Club by Janet Chew

As the book's name implies, The Mile Hi! Club deals with the travel industry. In particular with the commercial aviation industry. The book claims to offer an insider's peek into the glossy world of stewardesses and an insight into the not-so-glossy goings on behind the curtains.

Written by Singaporean Janet Chew who 'has spent working her ass off in an airline, reputably one of the best in the world', it leaves you wondering why Singapore Airlines (SQ) is not named specifically as her employer and the main playground for the events of the book to unfold. The book lists interesting accounts from how crew are forced to stay in jaw dropping shape to be able to fit into their fitted uniforms to newly recruited crew being paired up with buddies a.k.a. senior attendants on their initial flights and getting lessons in serving meals, handling irate passengers, covering up for crew errors (spilling wine on a man's crotch) etc. Some accounts are hilarious and will leave you with some compassion for airline crew the next time you fly.

Some other incidents mentioned herein offer explanation for SQ not being explicitly mentioned as Chew's employer. Clearly the airline did not authorize Chew to write this book which might tarnish SQ's impeccable image and change people's opinion of the smiling 'Singapore girl' what with details of crew pilfering toasters, pots, pans from hotels and hold your breath, even cutting carpets from under hotel beds to display at home! But I am sure this kind of behavior is not restricted to Chew's erstwhile colleagues only. Au contraire, if these are the shenanigans of one of the best paid crew in the world, we can only imagine what other airlines' crew members are upto.

The book is not all about work though. Accounts of crew partying, dating and male passengers fantasizing about uniform clad women after being accidentally offered a peek a boo when they come around to drop window shades are all to be found here. Whilst Chew's writing style is amateurish at best, what is glaring is the poor English and lenient use of slang words which make this book an exercise in reading Slanglish. If you are looking for quality literature, you won't find it here. The book is ideal pool-side and in-flight reading (no pun intended) and I would recommend it only for some of the realistic insights it offers into what is seen as an all gloss and no grime profession. Just avoid reading it aboard an SQ flight !

Restaurant Review : Indochine (Clarke Quay), Singapore

Indochine has been around in Singapore for a long time and with their unique mixed offering of Thai, Vietnamese and Asian dishes, the restaurant chain is usually an agreeable compromise amongst diners with different palates. Their Waterfront restaurant at Boat Quay is the most popular one being sold out for dinner on most days. Offering scenic views of the Singapore skyline and river front, the restaurant is much sought after for its outdoor dining experience. In my opinion the restaurant is a let down but I'll save that for another review. A short walk down the river stands another Indochine restaurant by the Clarke Quay waterfront within a complex called 'Forbidden City.' Clarke Quay is short on quality dining options so it was with friends I headed somewhat listlessly to Indochine on a Friday evening.

Given Singapore's sultry May weather, there were few takers for the outdoor seats but we gladly settled into the ones directly under fans. Deciding to skip appetizers we went straight for the main course. First came the chicken in basil sauce which is always a sure winner here. Perfectly done and difficult to do better. Next to come was the crispy seabass fillet. Though tasty, the dish did leave me flummoxed. The menu specifically states this to be a fillet and I double checked with the waiter if this was indeed the case as we had members in our party who did not relish the sight of a full fish with head, tail etc. And voila - what appeared on our table was precisely that ! A full fish with cuts made in the main body to ease the scooping process but a full fish nonetheless. I was exasperated with the menu description and with the waiter's misleading communication regarding the same. The fish was tasty but due to its presentation, I was practically the only person having it. What injustice to what could have been a good dish. Accompanying our meats was a portion of Lad Na - stir fried noodles with chicken, eggs and prawns. Lip smacking and again, always a hit on the table. Did I mention we had also ordered Chilli Tiger Prawns with Mango Sauce which came when our entire meal was over? We had a full mind to return it but knowing they would charge us anyways, decided to give it a try. Big mistake. The mashed prawns were cold, rubbery and totally skippable.

As for drinks, friends were having Yamazaki and ordered it on the rocks with water on the side. Not only did the whisky come without ice or water, but it took the waiter a good 20 minutes to get them. Couple of Erdingers that were ordered were warm and flat. Clarke Quay thrives on F&B and more on the 'B' part of it. How a place in a party district can get beverages so wrong is beyond me. Guess it all boils down to poor service and lackadaisical attitude. You have to look around for waiters to come and serve you. And every round is served by a new face making it all the more difficult to pin down one waiter responsible for your table. The only thing that came promptly and efficiently was the bill. Big waste of money when you fork out SGD200+ for the above.

Walk into Indochine Clarke Quay at your own risk. You cannot say you haven't been sufficiently warned. And yes, now I know why they call it the Forbidden City.

Hotel Review : Hotel Ambassador, Zurich, Switzerland

Everything is expensive in Zurich and it is difficult to find value in this Swiss city. From eating out to hotel rates to even bottled water, you pay top dollar for them all. So when I was faced with having to book a hotel for a 3 day trip to Zurich, options were limited and expensive. I usually avoid business hotels since they are always fully booked and too pricey for the too little they offer. Apart from their generic look, they share another aspect : you never feel genuinely comfortable in them.

I was looking for hotels around Opera House in the city centre which would also offer good connectivity to Zurich airport. All options were eye wateringly expensive and Ambassador Hotel popped up as the most reasonable option with rooms priced in CHF 250-350 range. In any other city this kind of money would get you a 5 star hotel but in pricey Zurich, 4 star luxury is the best it can buy and I promptly booked it. The location is hard to beat. Zurich airport is 16 minutes away from the nearest train station, Stadelhofen which is a mere 5 minutes walk from the hotel. Ambassador Hotel is easily accessible from tram as well towards 'Opernhaus' stop. From the moment I walked into the hotel, I got a good vibe. I am usually very sceptical of European hotels since I believe hospitality is an experience best enjoyed in Asia. The check-in was smooth and I was promptly showed to my room on the top floor. The hotel is housed in a classic five storey vintage building and a compact lift unable to accommodate more than 2 guests is available to ferry you up and down. Do note none of the standard hotel facilities like fitness centre, swimming pool are available at the Ambassador.

The hotel is located at an intersection and on one side faces its sister hotel 'Opera' across the street. In some people's opinion the hotel may lack character what with its small reception area and lack of common spaces. All rooms are of different sizes and shapes and you are well advised to enquire about the exact room you'd be occupying. My room, though small by Asian standards, was of a comfortable size and the attached bathroom was decent. Swiss city hotels are typically no-frills and the best you can expect is a coffee maker which is duly provided. A pleasant positive was the free wifi which is strangely compatible only with laptops. If you are carrying an Ipad, expect to face some issues. The bed was comfortable and my only complaint with the room was paucity of storage space. If you have a few clothes to hang, then it is a problem. Upon check-in I had been handed a 25% discount voucher for use at the hotel's award winning restaurant also called 'Opera'. Seeing it crowded during my stay, I had full intentions of dining there but unfortunately it did not happen. It is famous for its fish dishes and I do intend to try it on my next visit.

Buffet breakfast is not included in the room rate and at CHF 28 is expensive for the nominal spread on offer. There is no live cooking station which means you cannot have anything cooked to your taste. I'd recommend you skip the hotel breakfast and grab a bite at any of the numerous cafes around the hotel. I highly recommend 'Tidbits' which is located a mere 2 minutes away from the hotel. Ambassador's front office staff doubles up as concierge and are very friendly, polite and helpful. They gave me useful tips on what to see, how to get around and convinced me in buying a 24 hour Zurich Card. Must say it was the sanest piece of advice I received since the Card includes unlimited train and tram travel including a return ride to the airport, complimentary entrance to museums and a short cruise on the Limmat lake. All for CHF 20. If you wish, a 72 hour Zurich Card is also available for CHF 40. The front desk staff also recommended a trip to Uetliberg for panaromic views of Zurich city and lake of Zurich which was well worth my time and I highly recommend you make that trip as well.

Overall, the Ambassador satisfies with its comfortable rooms, polite staff and unbeatable location. It is a short walk to the Limmat lake front and a 20 minutes easy walk to Bahnofstrasse, Zurich's upmarket shopping enclave. However, if you are expecting blissful luxury of the pampering kind this is not the place for you. But then, Zurich is not a holiday spot to begin with. It is a business centre and most hotels are geared to service business travelers. I'd recommend this hotel primarily for its location apart from comfortable basic rooms. Remember to skip the breakfast and you'll be fine. If there is value to be found in Zurich, this is it.

P.S. I came across a website (among a host of others) that offers tips and recommendations for the budget conscious Swiss traveller. Check it out http://www.myswissalps.com/en/hotelszurich.aspx 

Request to all travelers, diners et al

For all of you writing to me seeking help with travel and dining plans : it will be great if you can provide me with some information regarding length of stay, budget and travel preferences (mountain vs beach holidays, historical vs nightlife bent) rather than "Iam planning to go to Italy and need travel ideas." Help me to help you! I look forward to hearing from you at jeevesonthego@gmail.com

Thank you for seeking my inputs. Happy planning! The journey is often more interesting than the destination.

Restaurant Review : Britannia, Mumbai, India

'There is no love greater than the love of eating.' This is the sign which greets you when you enter the hallowed portals of Britannia, the nearly century old Parsi food restaurant in Mumbai. I've been a regular at Britannia for as long as I can remember but unfortunately, most of the time it has been take-away for me. The place is so crowded on weekdays (it opens only for lunch) that dining in was not really an option in the years I visited and stayed in Mumbai.

After a gap of 3 years, I revisited Britannia last month. Located in the once busy business district of Ballard Estate, the restaurant is one of a handful of Irani cafes left in Mumbai today. If you want to have a fix of Parsi food now, there is little to choose from except Ideal, Paradise and Britannia. I deliberately omit Jimmy Boy Cafe as the food is too nouveau and the final result on your table is anything but authentic Parsi cuisine. Cafe Mondegar, Cafe Leopold and Cafe Churchill in Colaba, whilst being owned by Parsis, serve continental and Chinese cuisine and down the road, another Parsi owned landmark Cafe Royal is famed for its steaks.

The son of the original owner and current owner of Britannia - 90 years young and charming Boman Kohinoor still tends to tables, occasionally taking orders and making small talk with customers. Boman's younger son Romin is the main chef at Britannia whilst the elder one Afshin looks after the till. The Kohinoor family is very friendly and you can't miss them on a trip here. Knowing the menu by heart I rattled off my order and sat waiting for the food to arrive.  To beat the Mumbai heat, first came the Pallonji's drink in raspberry flavour. Other flavours available are ginger and ice cream soda. Even if you don't like raspberries, you have to try this ultra-sweet fizzy drink. Apart from Parsi weddings, this drink is unavailable anywhere and in the era of Coke-Pepsi, the limited production from the Pallonji stable is just enough to cater to Parsi wedding demand and retail at a few Irani cafes.

One look around me and I noticed the interiors haven't changed one bit. The simple furniture is set in the classic Parsi style - glass table top placed over wooden tables covered with checked tablecloths. Plenty of signboards hang all over the place and vary from the functional 'debit and credit cards not accepted' to the hilarious ' Please don't argue with management.' The main wall of the restaurant is adorned with images of Zarathustra, Mahatma Gandhi and Queen Elizabeth II. The restaurant still has a hangover of the colonial era when Parsis were the favoured Indian lot with the ruling British for their fair complexion, refined manners and pro-British stand. In fact, it is not surprising to see a few old Parsis still refer to Queen Elizabeth II as 'Apri Rani' (Our Queen)! All these thoughts ran through my head when I saw the portrait on the wall and could not help smiling to myself at how you can choose to live in a time warp if you so wish.

The Patra Ni Macchi arrived promptly. The fish seasoned with coconut paste and steamed in banana leaves has been a winner for many years and thankfully still retains its melt-in-the-mouth taste. The fish is served in a way that the adept waiters can easily scoop the meat portion off the main bone without you having to worry about it in your mouthful. Next was the Sali Boti. These are succulent pieces of mutton marinated in ginger-garlic paste topped with cinnamon gravy and generously sprinkled with crispy matchstick potatoes. Absolutely heavenly and I polished them off to the last morsel. What followed next was Britannia's signature dish - Mutton Berry Pulav. Enough has been written about this dish : from Boman's wife introducing this item on the menu to the berries being imported from Iran to this day for the authentic taste. This is essentially a rice dish served with mutton balls and garnished with cashewnuts, fried onions and red berries. The distinctive flavour of well cooked mutton, steaming rice coupled with the crispy taste of onions and sweet taste of berries brings alive your taste buds like nothing else. I was in half a mind to order the dhansak as well but desisted in favour of dessert. Dhansak is a lentil preparation with chicken / mutton dunked in it and has gained a cult following not withstanding the fact it is widely a funeral dish in Parsi culture. As such, it is rarely cooked at homes and is mostly consumed outside. I couldn't have left Britannia without indulging in that most Parsi of sweets : Caramel Custard. This is one item that always emerges a winner at Britannia with its smooth consistency, light sweetness and delectable syrup.

Has Britannia changed in all these years? To quote Jean Paul Sartre, nothing has changed and yet everything is different. Whilst the ownership, decor and menu is the same, portion sizes and their prices are showing strains of inflation. The berry pulav till not so long ago used to be generously loaded with mutton kebabs for less than INR 100. Today a less meatier version costs INR 350. The prices though are still very reasonable for a dying cuisine. Britannia has its loyal set of international patrons and you should not be surprised to see large take-away orders being packed for patrons to be carried as precious cargo to cities all over the world and enjoyed on special occasions.

On your way out, don't forget to say hello to another of Britannia's beloved fixtures : a trio of friendly canines and couple of cats who have been domesticated by the Kohinoors. They respond well to hugs and pats and seem to sense customers who enjoyed a Britannia meal ! I would be back to Britannia in a heartbeat. Mostly for the food but largely also for the fact this restaurant and its ilk may not be around in the next few years. Enjoy it while you can. On your next trip to Mumbai, make time for the Black Cock if you haven't already been here. Take in the charm of a carefully preserved era whilst enjoying a delectable feast of a centuries old cuisine. Priceless.

Airline Review : Aer Lingus

Aer Lingus is the national carrier of Ireland and second most popular in the country after Ryan Air. I can only comment on the airline's continental services as I've used it to fly between Paris, Cork, Dublin and Nice. Didn't get off to a flying start with them on my maiden flight as snowfall delayed our flight by 12 hours and ground staff was clueless on expected time of departure and showed great inability to handle agitated passengers.

What's going for the airline :
1. Website is very user friendly and if you book tickets at least 3 months in advance, you can avail of very low fares which could go up by 5-6 times as you approach your travel date.
2. In flight crew is friendly and smiling.
3. Overhead baggage space is decent on planes servicing continental Europe.
4. Continental connectivity is very good and they typically offer quite a few options per sector.
5. Let me shout this from the rooftop : Fares, fares, fares - they are the best I've seen on any carrier in Europe and can be lower than Easy Jet and Ryan Air for a lot of European destinations.

What can do with some help :
1. Our flight from Paris to Cork was delayed due to heavy snowfall (yes - having to spend 12 hours at CDG is a nightmare by itself!) and all Aer Lingus could offer during the period was a Eur 10 voucher for food! Passengers were not allowed to check into nearby hotels at their own cost also. Reason provided was 'security concerns.' Some empathy from airline management will do wonders for EI.
2. Inexperienced ground staff which is ill equipped to handle irate passenger crowds in exceptional situations.
3. Seats are very narrow and uncomfortable. There is very little leg space and if you recline your chair, the person behind you is going to have a very tough time eating and sleeping.
4.  No personal inflight entertainment system on Continental flights.
5. Food and beverage choices on board are limited and expensive.
6. Airline is not part of any of the global frequent flyer networks - One World or Star Alliance which means no mileage accrual for your EI flights.

Overall rating : 4/10. More suited for holiday crowd than business folk as the on-time performance record seems to be an issue. Fly Aer Lingus if you don't have connecting flights / trains to take and have the luxury to book tickets well in advance. Atleast the low fares will compensate to some extent for any inconvenience one might face at time of travel. And frankly, their fares should be the only reason you fly aboard the Shamrock.

Restaurant Review : The Tent Mongolian Fresh Grill and Bar, Singapore

I'd never had Mongolian food before and after a visit to The Tent which claims to be a Mongolian Grill, I am not sure if I've still tasted Mongolian food. Having said that, I've heard good reviews about the place and a visit was on the cards for sometime. The restaurant opened in 2006 and enjoys a good location around the central fountain area in Clarke Quay.

On entering the place, the ambience is underwhelming. Seems more like an office lunch place with its dark interiors and functional furniture. The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating. The staff politely showed us to a table and explained the concept at The Tent. You choose your vegetables, meats, noodles and have them tossed on a hot grill with your choice of sauce. You can choose between a normal platter costing SGD 30++ which offers one soup, one appetizer and one round of the grill. The more popular Genghis Khan platter offers unlimited rounds of the grill for SGD 36++ which makes it the preferred option with diners. We settled for the Genghis Khan as well and with the 20 vegetable and 15 meat options coupled with your pick of rice, noodles or pasta, you are not short of choice. What is critical is your choice of sauce and this is where the staff is very helpful. I mentioned my preference for spicy sauces which would gel well with chicken and prawns and the waiter recommended a very good one. The food is then all tossed together and cooked on the grill and served to you in a bowl.

The ambience is laid back and service is polite and efficient. If you need help with putting together your meal, the staff is happy to assist. Ultimately it is all about the sauce. The overall concept is akin to a salad bar and as with dressings, without the correct sauce here you could end up with a strange tasting potpourri of cooked meats and vegetables. The restaurant is open for lunch as well albeit with a smaller spread. The wine list offers limited wines but at very reasonable prices. The Tent is not a place for fine dining and I wouldn't recommend you trudge all the way to Clarke Quay only to dine here but if you are in the vicinity and need quick comfort food, then you should be making a stop here for the not-so-Mongolian but enjoyable food.

Restaurant Review : Copper Chimney (Phoenix Mills), Mumbai, India

There was a time when the area of Churchgate / Fort boasted of housing the best dining options in Mumbai or Bombay as the city was then known. For Chinese food, there was Kamling, for Mughlai food Khyber and continental food was only meant to be had at Gaylord's. The Kapurs opened Copper Chimney in Worli in the 70's and its chelo kebabs started drawing patrons away from Khyber. Soon after in the early 80's came Nelson Wang's China Garden at Kemps Corner and Churchgate started to lose its culinary numero uno status altogether. I belonged to the Churchgate fan club for the longest time and whilst there is a Copper Chimney at Fort (Kalaghoda), making a trip to the Worli parent is always at the back of my mind when I go to Mumbai. Having recently discovered that a Copper Chimney has opened its doors at Phoenix Mills, I stepped in to sample their fabled fare.

The restaurant is housed on the ground floor of the mall area and as you enter, you are greeted by a large number of waiters huddled at the entrance. A lady showed us to our table and inspite it being a weekday, the restaurant was reasonably full. Copper Chimney has two floors of dining space and the ground floor has a bar area segregated by a door. One is struck by the immense brightness of the interiors and coupled with high decibel music, the look is jarring. The sofa seats are unique in the sense the table is cantilevered giving you lot of leg space without having to worry about knocking into table legs. However, some people might find the straight backed sofa seats uncomfortable for a two hour meal.

We ordered paneer tikka and reshmi kebab for appetizers. It was a relatively late dinner for us so I decided to skip the heavy chelo kebabs which come with buttered rice. There was no reason to regret the decision as the Reshmi Kebabs were excellent. Succulent and cooked to perfection. The paneer tikka was a big helping and at INR 265 is value for money. For the main course, we ordered the vegetarian Malai Kofta along with Chana Peshawari (chickpeas) and Murg Makhani (butter chicken) alongwith an assortment of onion kulchas, potato kulchas and roomali rotis. The Malai Kofta was decent albeit a bit too sweet compared to other restaurants where I've sampled it. Chana Peshawari was okay too though the the chana could have been softer. The Murg Makhani was outstanding. It is butter chicken the way it should be - buttery, creamy, sweet with just the right amount of spices. Given the good portion size, at INR 355 I found it reasonably priced. The breads at Copper Chimney are a winner with potato kulcha coming out tops.

Whilst our main waiter was decent, the overall service is sub-standard and can be attributed to poor training. Our request for change of plates after the appetizers puzzled the waiters at first but having understood once what needed to be done, they changed the plates promptly. The food took a long time to come as did the check. What goes strongly against Copper Chimney is the overall ambience. As if the extra bright lights are not annoying enough, the sight of few waiters getting together to chat at every opportunity adds to the disappointment scale. A table had requested for some kind of mocktail and the waiter prepared it in a juicer right in the middle of the restaurant ! Imagine having the whirring sound of a juicer on top of blaring music for company on your dinner. What also puzzled me is that Copper Chimney has a very large floor area available to it so what is the need to place tables all the way till the bathroom? There is a table placed literally at the entrance to the washrooms which I found totally bizarre.

Overall, I was disappointed with the evening. The good food got overshadowed by pathetic ambience and lackadaisical service. The INR 2k bill seemed high for the experience and the 10% service charge totally undeserved. I am crossing my fingers that the original outlet at Worli hasn't suffered the same fate. Good memories of great meals there will make sure I visit the Worli parent once but the Phoenix Mills outlet has ticked me off for good. You won't see me here.

Restaurant Review : Il Lido (Sentosa Island), Singapore

I first went to Il Lido few years ago as part of Restaurant Week. The ambience coupled with the set menu of the time had won me over and I promised to be back. So it was for a relaxed dinner with friends that we chose Il Lido recently. The location and ambience of the place are hard to beat. Situated within the Sentosa Golf Club premises, the entrance is through a narrow walkway which leads you to the elegant reception of Il Lido. You are greeted by soft lighting, dark furniture and well spaced out tables. I was not too happy with the table reserved for us since it was smack in the middle of the restaurant. Desiring more privacy, I requested for a wall-side table which was duly arranged.

We started off with tried and tested appetizers : fried calamari and insalata caprese with lobster soup and peas soup. Whilst its tough to go wrong with caprese, the mozzarella definitely tasted fresher and better than in lot of other Italian restaurants in Singapore. The calamari was ordinary and nearly half the portion was left unfinished. The soups were too watery and bland. Not meaning to insult the chef, we had no option but to sprinkle a lot of pepper and salt on them. Another niggling thought was how could lobster soup and peas soup be priced the same (SGD 22++) ! We had bought a bottle of Chianti Classico with us. Il Lido does not levy any corkage but for every bottle you bring from outside, you have to purchase a bottle from the restaurant. We ordered a bottle of Le Pupille Pelofino. It worked beautifully after the first round of Chianti. If you are a group that will consume at least two bottles of wine, this arrangement of get your own + buy one is perfect.

For the main course, we ordered a mix of pastas as we had a couple of vegetarian diners on our table. Our waiter pre-empted the vegetable pasta request and of his own volition detailed all the vegetables that would go into it. Nice touch! Among the items we ordered, the cod ravioli with lobster bisque sauce was just average. The two spaghetti orders, one with tuna and other with crab meat, were disappointing as well. They hardly had any meat and I had to fork through my pasta to find the two bits of crab in it. At SGD38++ these were definitely the most expensive crab morsels I've had in my life ! Needless to add, most of the dishes were left unfinished. Being thoroughly disappointed with the food so far, we ordered desserts to stave off any hunger pangs. The vanilla Creme Brulee was excellent, chocolate cake good and the Tiramisu totally skippable.

As if the mediocre food is not enough, the icing on Il Lido's cake is the service. You really have to strain yourself to catch the waiters' eye to take your order and then remind them couple of times to serve it. It took us nearly fifteen minutes to catch the attendant's eye to serve our wine bought from home since they had promptly taken it away on arrival to 'cool it.' Every course had the same story what with the waiters being unavailable just when you need them to order the next round. And this is when the restaurant was not running to a full house. Maybe lunch time is better when you can sit outdoors taking in the expansive sea views to make up for the disappointing food. Whoever lists Il Lido as a fine dining establishment probably went there for a premises' inspection and thats it. All the negative factors coupled with how pricey the place is ensure I would not be returning here till there is a management or ownership change.  It is a pity to see a great location and elegant ambience being put to such poor use.

Hotel Review : Villa Soro, San Sebastian, Spain

There is something about private residences turned into hotels which makes me seek them out as my preferred accommodation over chain hotels. These niche properties usually lack the multiple restaurants, recreation activity options, add-on services (salon, spa, etc) that regular hotel chains offer but inspite of these drawbacks, I am always on the lookout for them. Guess it has to do with the fact I am not a heavy user of these add-on services and if I have to prioritize, getting the room basics, ambience and overall luxe factor carry more weight for me than recreation options, size of swimming pool, etc. Whilst these kind of hotels are to be found aplenty in history rich Italy and France, they are somewhat of a rarity in Spain. When it got down to where do we stay in glitzy San Sebastian, I thought it was a no- brainer that it has to be a hotel on the famed La Concha promenade. The two known hotels on the stretch are Londres and Niza. Apart from a fabulous sea front location, these hotels don't have much to offer and going by their tired exteriors, I reckon them to be 3 star rated at best. Having ruled out these two hotels next in consideration was Maria Cristina - the super luxury hotel owned by Sheraton. Whilst the hotel was open, a large part of it was closed for renovation. With benefit of hindsight, I am glad we did not stay here as it was surrounded by lot of construction activity and the location is in the central but very crowded part of town.

A Spanish friend recommended Hotel Villa Soro in Gros. With a wee bit of apprehension about staying some distance away from the city centre, we took the plunge. Whilst the hotel is about 30 minutes walk from La Concha, it is very close to the lesser known and quieter Zurriola beach promenade. The hotel is situated on a tree lined avenue 500 meters from the world renowned Arzak restaurant. The hotel is housed in a 19th century villa with hardwood flooring, antique furniture and high ceilings. The grand stairway that greets you at the entrance is majestic and the overall look of the hotel is royal. After a smooth check-in process at the small reception area, we were shown to our room on the top floor of the main building. The room was luxurious with a king size bed and oak writing table atop which sat a bottled of chilled Cava as our welcome drink. Non-alcoholic drinks in the mini-bar are complimentary which is a nice touch I'd say. As with most Spanish hotels, storage space is an issue here as well what with only one cupboard provided. The bathroom is large with a separate shower area. Overall, the room is very spacious and the top floor offers lot of privacy as there are only 3 rooms here. Do note that none of the rooms in Villa Soro offer sea views.

The hotel does not have a restaurant but does have a small menu which is catered to from outside the hotel. This is not a concern really as anyone going to San Sebastian is going there primarily for the food and you are much better off trying the numerous award winning stand alone restaurants in this gastronomic heaven than eating at your hotel. The winter garden has been converted into a small and bright dining area where daily breakfast is served. The breakfast is decent and could do with more variety of eggs, juices and breads. What it lacks in variety is made up by the gracious service. Two smiling matronly women hustle about in the mornings making sure you are looked after. The Champagne bar is a small cozy set-up and adjacent to it is a den where you can kick off your shoes after a long day of sunbathing and pintxo hopping and relax in the company of magazines and newspapers. We ordered Sangria at the den and surprise of surprises, were told the drink is not on the menu but will be prepared on our order. Well, I have to say it was the worst Sangria of our entire trip!

The concierge service is very helpful and we made full use of it by booking airport transfers, making restaurant reservations and seeking advice on best pintxo bars. Tapas in Basque country are known as pintxos and I highly recommend you dedicate one entire day to downing Sangria with finger licking and beautifully decorated pintxos at Calle 31 and surrounding lanes in Old Town. Couple of bars we found top notch were 'Gandarias' and 'A Fuego Negro'. Useful tip for first-timers : help yourself to pintxos and after eating, go up to the cashier and honestly declare how many items you had. The entire food culture in Spain runs on trust and you don't want to earn the wrath of bar owners trying to 'save' a few euros.

Villa Soro offers complimentary parking of cars which is a rarity in space starved San Sebastian. Another interesting feature is that the hotel offers complimentary use of bicycles along with beach towels as well. San Sebastian is famed for its cycling culture and it really is a breeze cycling around the city on its dedicated cycle paths. For tourists planning to book Villa Soro, a word of caution though. The hotel has two buildings : the main villa and a newly constructed annex. Going by some rants on travel websites and our own sneak peak into the annex while there, I highly recommend you stay away from the annex and opt for rooms in the main villa only. The annex rooms can be smaller and noisier due to proximity to the road and that explains why rooms in the main villa are more expensive. Considering one will be in San Sebastian for 3-4 days only, I reckon the additional euros spent for main villa rooms are worth it to enjoy this fabulous property. Go ahead and check-in.

Hotel Review : Grand Hyatt, Jakarta, Indonesia

For most people a trip to Jakarta is usually a business affair and that too a short one. Jakarta doesn't deserve the tag of being just an in-out city. There is more to the city than its gleaming office towers, corporate offices and of course, traffic jams. I hadn't discovered this till my last trip to Jakarta. On previous occasions, I had just done the morning-evening trek from Singapore and now Iam thinking how under-utilised those trips were! On my last visit, I had a long 3 day stay at the very business focused Grand Hyatt and I have come back with a new perspective of Jakarta. Its albeit a rose tinted one but at least I saw more of the new confident emerging Indonesia than I do on way to and fro JKT airport.

Given we landed on a weekday afternoon, traffic was minimal and the hotel was a smooth 45 minutes drive from Jakarta airport. The hotel enjoys the most enviable location smack in the central business district overlooking the famous Bundaran HI roundabout and adjacent to the upscale Plaza Indonesia mall. After a prompt check-in, we were shown to our Grand King room. At 500 sq feet, it is one of the most spacious non-suite rooms I have seen in business hotels anywhere. The room has a contemporary design with strong Indonesian influences and through it's double bay windows you overlook the free form pool. Surrounded by lot of greenery and gazebos, the pool looked very inviting. The bed was very comfortable and as is the case with most deluxe hotels, a pillow menu is on offer. The large bathroom with its marble soaking tub and walk in shower was luxurious and the walk-in wardrobe (a rarity in space starved hotels nowadays) lent a majestic touch to the overall feel.

Breakfast was an in-room affair for us. The American and Continental breakfasts we tried on different days were good but nothing exceptional. The Grand Hyatt is a very busy hotel. While checking in, one cannot miss the crowds of business people conducting meetings in Fountain Lounge, entertaining clients at the hip Burgundy bar, high society Indonesian women shopping at the Hermes, Cartier stores at lobby level and the Jakarta glitterati socializing in general. We had tried the buffet dinner on our first day at Grand Cafe and the poor service attributable to large crowds had put us off. Wanting to avoid the crowd, we ordered dinner in room for the rest of our stay. One such dinner was ordered in from C's Steak and Seafood restaurant. Having decided to stick to seafood, we ordered prawns in black pepper with chargrilled fresh lobster. Whilst the prawns were jumbo sized and delicious, it was the lobster which came out tops. The portion was mammoth sized, cooked to perfection and considering the price (USD 90++) was a steal. Seafood is sold by weight and I'd recommend you to order less than what you think you can eat. The portions are genuinely huge. I would go back to Grand Hyatt only for the lobster if nothing else!

The lobster indulgence meant i had to take it easy the next day. Plaza Indonesia is conveniently connected to Grand Hyatt through a special lobby passage. The mall is home to top luxury brands like Armani, Louis Vitton, et al and is huge. You can spend an entire day there but I was exhausted after a couple of hours and headed back. Spa therapy beckoned and I made a beeline for the Olympus Wellness Centre for my pre-booked two hour Javanese massage. The spa ambience is not top notch but the skilled therapist made up for it. Being post-lunch time it was thankfully very quiet and the zen quotient was upped by the dim lighting and soothing music. I was lulled to sleep during the massage and at the end of it, the spa graciously offered me complimentary use of the sauna and jacuzzi. What hedonism but I wasn't complaining!

As we reached the end of our trip, I realized we hadn't stepped out of the hotel at all (popping into Plaza Indonesia doesn't count as it is right next door). So we asked our friendly concierge what is a good place to have brunch and were promptly recommended Hotel Intercontinental. Considering it is one 5 star hotel's recommendation for another, we went along with it and landed at Java restaurant at the Intercontinental. The champagne brunch is excellent and it was the fist time I saw a brunch extending across multiple restaurants. You have an impressive choice of food from not only Java but also from the award winning Italian restaurant Scusa. A day well spent in gluttony!

When it was time to check-out I was genuinely sorry to leave Grand Hyatt. With previous experiences of busy business hotels which lack soul, this hotel stay had taken me by surprise. I had definitely relaxed more than I had intended to. How is one to find fault with smiling staff, spacious rooms, great location, gleaming well maintained interiors, excellent dining and recreation options, friendly concierge services topped with reasonable tariff (approx USD 300 per night which goes lower if you get corporate rates)? A few niggles here and there can't take away from the overall superlative experience one is capable of having here. Mine was great and with high expectations for an encore, Iam waiting to go back. I suggest you do the same.