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.

Brunch Review : MELT Cafe, Mandarin Oriental, Singapore

Once in a while, a lazy Sunday brunch is the perfect recipe for unwinding. Throw in free flow of Champagne and you are talking unwinding at its decadent best. Having sampled most Sunday brunches in Singapore, I haven't been able to find the one of which I could become a regular patron. A friend highly recommended the brunch at MELT and on a cool Sunday, off we set to sample it. On calling for reservations, I was informed Veuve Clicquot champagne was being served that Sunday (champagne brand served keeps changing so please enquire beforehand if you are picky). This already earned MELT one brownie point as VC is my preferred bubbly and its tough to find it at brunches where usually the more popular Taittingers and Mumms rule.

Given it was a long weekend when most people leave Singapore, the place was not full to capacity as brunches are wont to be. MELT has a circular layout which offers more privacy than sitting in a large living room kind of layout at Greenhouse (Ritz Carlton) or Oscar's (Conrad Centennial). We chose to sit outdoors closer to the grill. Our table attendant informed us apart from the Champagne, house wines and beers, free flow of Martinis and select other cocktails are also included in buffet price. Now that is a first for any brunch I know of in Singapore.

This is a true world cafe and there are over 100 dishes to choose from. Having made a mental note of what I wanted to sample, I decided to focus on those and not bite into everything on offer. By the end of it, we did not even get around to the pasta station or the local Asian delights. But then, there is only so much one can have in a single sitting. I started with fruits and cheese. The cheese board is delightful with quite a few farm house cheeses and you can tell they are fresh. Moving on to the Japanese counter, the sushi and sashimi were good but not extraordinary. I'd rate Oscar's at Conrad higher on the Japanese fare scale. Another problem with the Japanese food counter was that it is not freely walkable. Some tables are set too close to the counter and you have to walk in a U-turn which means jostling with people coming to and fro the counter. Also, the staff does not seem to be doing a thorough job of keeping the counters clean as you see bits of wasabi, soya sauce, noodles, chopsticks lying about carelessly.

Next to be sampled was the Indian fare which was surprisingly quite good. The prawn curry was delicious and choice of naan breads was impressive. The chicken tikka kebab is another recommended item. You can skip the biryani and lamb curry : too bland by North Indian food standards. My final food stop was the barbeque hut. You have to walk upto the station and select from among the steak, lamb, sausages, satay etc and the barbequed items will be sent to your table. Given the large amount of seafood available on the ice bed indoors, it was a big surprise to be told there is no barbequed seafood available. I reckon having some chargrilled prawns and lobsters would earn MELT more brownie points. However, if you prefer chilled seafood, then MELT will not disappoint you. Their large selection is displayed smack in the middle of the restaurant and is loaded with crabs, lobsters, oysters, prawns, mussels, squids, etc. I was in half a mind to try the oysters but I need them to be shucked. Not spotting anyone around to request to, I gave the chilled seafood a miss save some prawns which were juicy.

As stuffed as we were, we couldn't have left MELT without trying a couple of items from the mammoth selection of desserts available. If you have a super sweet tooth, then you'd be better off going to MELT for a dessert brunch. Waffles are the fastest moving items here. We settled for home-made caramel and chocolate ice cream along with a portion of Tiramisu and chocolate mousse. Top notch.

At SGD 138++ for the Champagne brunch, MELT is not cheap. But then again, lifestyle spending is relative. Greenhouse at Ritz Carlton and several others charge more for their champagne brunches and in my opinion, they are not half as good. The service at MELT is quite good. I'd give them full marks not so much for being efficient as for being discreet. Whenever I left my table for a helping, I'd return to a neatly folded napkin, topped up Champagne and a full glass of drinking water. Our check took a long time to come and thats where I'll withhold some marks for service. Overall, MELT is recommended though my search for the best brunch didn't end here.  Nonetheless, if you are hunting for a relaxed Sunday venue and think your appetite can do justice to large spreads, MELT should definitely be on your check list.

Lounge / Bar Review : Carpe Diem Lounge Club, Barcelona, Spain

If you are looking to have a good night out in Barcelona, look no further than Carpe Diem Lounge Club (CDLC) on Barceloneta beach (Olympic port). Having just one weekend in Barcelona, we decided to go clubbing and asked our hotel concierge what is a good Saturday night venue. When he recommended CDLC and handed us discount vouchers for the same, I immediately became suspicious we were being packed off to one of the touristy places and will end up at a very average place which will cost a bomb. We desisted from making dinner reservations at CDLC and decided to head there for drinks only. As an aside, we had dinner at 'Bestial' located next to CDLC and can totally recommend the place for great ambience, good service and nice food. Now back to CDLC.

The club has a restaurant and lounge area overlooking the sea. Seeing the crowd, I reckon reservations are an absolute must for dinner. The lady at the entrance checked us out head to toe and then smilingly, escorted us inside to the bar area. I guess the unstated admission policy is if we don't like how you are dressed, you will be informed the club is 'full.' As you walk past the dinner tables laid out with expensive glasses and cutlery and again past the curtained lounge beds, you get the feeling this is a very popular haunt with the swish set of Barcelona. The club also offers private lounges for those who seek more privacy. The decor is exotic with multi coloured cushions, silk drapes and the overall fusion look of Arabic, Indian and Moorish influences.

We settled at the bar with Hendrick's gin and tonic and a glass of Champagne. Drinks are not cheap at about Eur 15 each excluding taxes. The bar tenders were amongst the most handsome men I've seen and had a finesse which comes with tending to celebrity clients. We saw a lot of well dressed attractive people strutting around and Iam sure they included a fair number of Barcelona's glitterati. After dinner at about midnight, the restaurant area gets transformed into a club with renowned DJs at the console. The music was mostly funky house and not much to my liking but then I was quite pre-occupied with observing the crowd and the bar tenders' theatrics at mixing drinks. The club is normally open till 3:30 am but we didn't stay that long.

My biggest regret was not getting to try the food which looking appealing. Iam definitely returning to this super trendy and chic lounge bar the next time Iam in Barcelona. And yes, I did thank our concierge for his excellent suggestion and only blame myself for not taking his word seriously enough to have booked that dinner table. 

Book Review : A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

'A Fine Balance' is set in India of the 1970's and is the story of two low caste tailors : unmarried Ishwar and his nephew Om who come to a large Indian city by the sea (Bombay goes unnamed) to make a life for themselves after going through trauma and caste violence in their villages. They find employment with a spirited Parsi widow Dina Dalal who is desperate to maintain her independence inspite of having little education and being widowed early. To augment her meagre income, Dina takes in a friend's collegiate son Maneck Kolah as paying guest in her small rented flat. The only child of his parents, Maneck is unused to city life having spent his life in the hills. These are the four main protagonists around whom the book revolves. The narrative sweeps across generations but the core story is spread over a year or so which also happens to be the time when Indira Gandhi declared Emergency in India. The book details how these people's lives intermingle and their collective journey through periods of stress, happiness, trauma and the strong bond which develops only to be tested vigorously when Emergency is imposed.

Mistry is a master story teller and I thoroughly enjoy his writing style. As a chronicler of Bombay life and Parsi living, he is par excellence. The easy flow of his pen gives clues to Mistry's intellect and imagination. The book has its endearing moments and stands out for spinning beautiful webs of human relationships. The book offers keen insights into the Emergency and its excesses but overall is more an account of poverty across urban and rural India. A fair number of stigmas associated with and atrocities committed on 'untouchable' masses described in the book are decisively true. Its the generous doses of exaggeration and stereotyping which don't amuse the Indian reader who is more aware of ground realities than the Canada emigrated Mistry. Considering the book is written in the mid 90's and is hailed as a work of hard hitting realism, the reader is wont to ask the source of this realism : how did Mistry get all these details about village life (Mistry is a Bombay boy), how did he get information on Emergency (Mistry has been living in Canada for the past 35 years) and so on. One cannot help but think of all the themes he could have written about, this particular one of poor untouchables in the Emergency period is an ill suited one given Mistry's background. He is purporting to write facts against a real background with fictional characters. And whilst some characters are well developed, others exist on the periphery without purpose, without motive and with the most despondent names like Worm, Beggarmaster, Dukhi (sad)! Mistry's seemingly own prejudices also creep into the story. Keep all the uncouth, depressed, negative characters on one side and you are left with all the Parsi characters who are beyond reproach - ranging from the well meaning, generous, enterprising Dina Dalal to the sophisticated, refined, progressive thinking Maneck to his forward looking, cosmopolitan family. I have nothing against Parsis ; if anything, I have the highest regard for this microcosm of a community which has given more to Indian society than received from it. However, Mistry's prejudiced characterizations did strike a sour note. Mistry's attention to detail is inspiring but seems overdone in a few instances like having a full chapter devoted to stray kittens drinking milk from a saucer !

The most favourable aspect of Indian poverty seems to be that all those who write books about it are feted with awards, large royalties and critical acclaim from a western media which likes to believe that real India is a deprived and hungry country where the poor and low caste masses are beaten, castrated, pissed upon, made to eat faeces and generally live a life which will make a street dog's life seem lustworthy.

A Fine Balance is part of Oprah's Book Club and that will help you decide if you should read the book or not. Like the club's founder Oprah Winfrey, if you are into poverty pornography, then the book is a must-read for you. If your reading profile is similar to mine : like good prose and lucid writing style with an ability to distinguish between fact and fiction, the book will interest you. If you are an inquisitive soul who's never been to India and wants a window into the India of your imagination where only deprived souls live despicable lives hoping for 'The Slumdog Millionaire' moment to happen, then this book (like the afore mentioned movie) is your destination. My only advice in this case is go to India soon after to do a self-check.

Restaurant Review : Mia Cucina (Bandra), Mumbai, India

On a recent trip to Mumbai, decided to grab a quick bite on the way back to the airport. The place suggested was Italian eatery Mia Cucina (meaning My Kitchen) in fashionable Bandra. Tucked away in Palinaka overshadowed by its louder neighbour Papa Pancho da Dhaba, Mia Cucina is easy to miss. The indoor dining area is really small and you have the option to dine outdoor as well. Unlike restaurants which operate during lunch and dinner hours only, Mia Cucina is open through the day. They do not accept reservations and the place is almost always full. If you want to be assured of a dinner seat, best to arrive by 8pm.

I'am told the place is frequented by mostly regulars including Bandra's film folk and hence, you are likely to see the same faces on each visit. The owner, a pleasant looking man named Sanjay Kotian is seated outdoors in animated conversation as we arrive. Though it was not dinner time by Indian standards - 7:30 pm, the place was quite full and we were lucky to get a seat indoors. I mentioned to the staff I have a flight to catch and they happily obliged with quick service.

Written in a creative running hand style, the menu offers variety in meats. The day's special is also listed on a blackboard at the entrance. The wine list is small but includes popular wines like Moscato. We ordered a portion each of Rawas Alla Griglia and Spiedi di Gamberi Prawns along with two glasses of house white wine. Like most establishments, wine options are very limited if you order by the glass. Mia Cucina does not serve beer or other types of alcohol except wine. The wonderfully presented rawas was a fillet cooked to perfection accompanied by greens. Given the generous portion size, it was priced at a very reasonable INR 550. Wanting to eat light before a flight, I had ordered prawns which were listed under appetizers. The portion had 5-6 pieces and one bite into the grilled prawns with that excellent dressing had me thinking should I order one more portion or maybe an additional main? Given time constraints, I desisted with a resolve to come back for a more leisurely dinner next time.

The ambience is akin to an Italian cafe in Europe with soft lighting, wooden interiors, casual atmosphere and that din of diners which tells you everyone is having a good time here. The service is prompt and efficient. The attentive staff deserves the mandatory 5% service charge that is levied and more. This unpretentious restaurant undoubtedly serves one of the best and most genuine Italian fare in Mumbai. I'am in a big hurry to go back to this kitchen.

Hotel Review : Ahimsa Villas at Jimbaran, Bali, Indonesia

Deciding where to stay in Bali is always a tricky matter. There is just so much to choose from in the land of the Gods. From food land Jimbaran to party zone Seminyak to earthly Ubud - the choices are many. Iam a Bali addict and can only tell people to go there as many times as they can only to feel as if its your maiden trip. For the authentic Balinese experience, steer clear of hotels and opt for the villa accommodations. These are just so much more relaxing and there is something to be said about being on a beach holiday in a 5 star ambience without the staidness of a reception, lobby area, crowded buffet breakfasts and the usual buggy taking you around the resort. Having done a lot of afore described holidays, it was with much skepticism that I had settled for my first villa holiday in Bali and now Iam a convert.

My parents had loved Jimbaran for its food and beach in that order (we are a food family)! So I decided to check out Jimbaran and opted to stay at the fabulously presented Ahimsa villas over the sophisticated Four Seasons Resort where my folks had stayed. Of course, Four Seasons is swish and their villas are luxurious and all that, but I was curious about all those stand-alone villas in Bali and wanted to experience them just once. So Ahimsa it was for us. We were greeted at the airport by our transfer service - a smiling driver in his deluxe minivan offering cold towels and water and zipped off to Ahimsa which is only 15 minutes away.

The greeting area is small and the formalities are quickly dealt with. We take a short walk along a high walled path from the 'reception' to our villa and come to a big wooden door. Not having any clue on what to expect since the walls are very high, we entered wonderland and I was smitten. Holidaying with friends we had booked the 3 bedroom villa. You enter by side of the main living room which overlooks a clean decent sized pool and leads onto the open kitchen and onwards to the dining area. Further beyond lie the rooms, each ensuite. This was our own bit of paradise in Bali and was I glad we chose a villa over a hotel villa or suite. The rooms are large and have enough storage space. The bathrooms are spacious and have an outdoor tub overlooking the pool (appropriately covered by foliage). The beds are very comfortable and mosquito coils are provided in each room.

The decor is minimalistic and the architecture is all about clean lines, lot of woodwork and as much use of natural materials as possible. The sofa in the living room is ideal for lazing with a book or listening to music. There are LCD TVs with DVD players in every room in addition to the living room. There is a selection of DVDs available in the villa and wifi is free. Ahimsa offers a shuttle service within Bali town. This is quite a luxury since the 'shuttle' is really your own personal car and will take you outside of the main town area too (but drop-off only). Buggy and bicycles are available for guests to use for going to the beach at no charge. The staff at Ahimsa is outstanding. Always smiling, polite, nothing is too much trouble for them. The maintenance of the villas is exceptional and nothing looks tired or out of place. There is no spa on the property but in-villa massage services are available. We tried these wherein the masseuse came with a folding massage table and worked her magic. The massage was nice but nothing beats the relaxing experience of being massaged on a wooden table in a spa setting.

Since this is a villa complex, there is no in-house restaurant. However, room service is available from a nearby Italian restaurant which was decent. Breakfast is cooked daily in your villa by the staff who'll come at your preferred hour. They make eggs, toasts, sausages as per your preference and the way they cut fruits is mesmerizing. What artistic designs on your mangoes, apples and pineapples ! Now I'll let you in on a secret. What is not advertised but available on demand is a private barbeque in your villa with the day's fresh catch of seafood. We had chosen Jimbaran precisely for the food and decided to try the barbeque for dinner. A staff of 4 arrived at our villa, set up the barbeque stand and the aroma of chargrilled lobsters, crabs, prawns and fish filled the air. I do not have words to compliment the excellent quality of food we had. A night of pure gluttony which cost a fraction of what it would cost in Singapore if we order the same quantity in an above-average restaurant.

The Ahimsa villa complex is not beachfront property. You have to walk for 10 minutes down a dead-end road before reaching the beach. The beach is clean but not the best Bali has to offer. A slew of vendors sell food on the beach from corn on the cob to coconut water to satay. Ahimsa has beach beds there but you need a token from the front desk before you can use them. The many restaurants on Jimbaran Bay also offer sea-beds if you order food from them obviously. The food at these beach-front restaurants is fantastic and they typically write the day's catch on their entrance signboard. Crabs, lobsters and prawns are to be had aplenty and they are sold by weight. Comparing prices to Jumbo in Singapore, they don't cost anything.

If you are visiting Bali for the nightlife, trendy shopping and chic dining options so raved about, Jimbaran is ill-suited. It is a fair distance from Kuta. If you are looking to spend quality time relaxing with family or chilling out with friends and don't want to do too much outside of lazing, eating and drinking with a toe tucked into the plunge pool, Ahimsa Villa is the place for you. Luxury rarely comes at a reasonable price and Ahimsa is the place to get it.

Restaurant Review : Smith's Fish and Chips (Boat Quay), Singapore

I love my fish and chips. If there is comfort food in this world, it is the 'chippy' for me. Nothing quite beats having deep fried fish with thick oily fries wrapped in newspaper on a muggy day. A trip to England is incomplete till I do the trip to Croydon only to feast at my favourite McDermott's. Their cod and Maris Piper potato chips are made in heaven. And McDermott's is the benchmark by which I measure all fish houses. Just when I was really starting to moan about Singapore lacking a decent fish and chips place, I walked past one at Boat Quay. Unable to believe that the food Gods had actually heard my pleas, I promptly fixed lunch with a friend and we set off for Smith's.

The location is great - waterside as well as indoor seating is available along the Boat Quay riverfront. The decor is no-frills and its all about the fish. A smiling lady offers you a choice of classic cod, haddock, plaice, halibut, scampi as also the Asian favourite Dory. There is a choice of salmon fishcakes too and for non-fish eaters, there is chicken and chips. You can see the various fried fish pieces through the glass display. We settled on a cod and haddock each with chips and a side order of mushy peas. It is self-service at Smith's and the staff will only clean the tables for you.

Your order is wrapped in plain white paper (unlike in newspapers in UK). The cod was as it should be - tender and moist flesh cooked in a light and crispy batter. Haddock tastes similar to cod except that it is less flaky. Between the two, I prefer haddock and had no complaints with Smith's offering. The fish is fried in refined palm oil and leaves no after-taste. It is wont to serve the fish bland so you have to sprinkle salt and vinegar on it for some taste. The chips were quite good - crunchy, chunky and well cooked. A small gripe was they were a tad cold. Just so you are not surprised in case this is your first stop at a 'chipper', English chips are thicker than American fries and look more like potato wedges. In combination with the fish, these taste better than American-style thin fries would. Though not a favourite with me the mushy peas were decent and were just that - green, tasty and well mushed !

Overall, Smith's is as good a 'chipper' as you can find outside of UK and continental Europe. The place is run by Britons and the fish is flown in weekly. Whilst the chips are not made from Maris Piper potatoes, they are tasty nonetheless. The prices are reasonable. Cod, haddock are priced at SGD 18 and only the halibut and scampi are more expensive at SGD 24. Ideal for a quick bite or lunch meeting, I highly recommend Smith's. At last, there is a fish and chips outlet where I can satiate my fish cravings without having to go to Old Blighty.

Restaurant Review : Ristorante Da Valentino, Singapore

Valentino has been a perennial favourite with many A-listers, movie stars and corporate honchos in Singapore. I'd been here 3 years back and decided to revisit the place for my husband's birthday this year. The family-run restaurant is housed in a quiet lane in Bukit Timah and on entering the place, you get the feeling of entering an Italian home. We were greeted by Papa Gienpero and shown to our table which was booked 10 days in advance. The rustic ambience, dim lighting coupled with banter and laughter of diners puts you at ease. The dining room is really small and tables are placed very close to each other. It all adds up to create the trattoria look I guess. A hook is thoughtfully attached to the table where ladies can hang their bags.

We had brought along a bottle of the highly rated Casanavo De Neri Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto 2000. The restaurant has a decent wine list but as is the case with premium wines, you pay a ransom for them in Singapore. Valentino charges SGD 45 corkage and after having a sceptical look at the label (perhaps checking if the bottle was a cheap wine from Fairprice?) , our assigned waiter promptly decanted the bottle and placed it on the wooden drinks trolley which accompanies each table. 

Now we turned our attention to the food. We started off with the minestrone soup and traditional Bormio salad. The soup was good but it was the salad which stood out. In keeping with the price ($24.90), it is a large portion and came with a chunky layer of ricotta cheese, diced apples and toasted pine nuts. It is seasoned with a mix of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and we polished it off to the last morsel. Absolutely delicious ! 

My better half ordered stuffed ravioli with porcini mushrooms sprinkled with truffle oil. Whilst the dish was good, we've had better in Singapore. I opted for the fresh lobster in creamy tomato sauce. The menu lists it at $42.90 subject to size and availability. The waiter informed us that day's catch was bigger and thus priced at $ 58.90. When the dish came, I was disappointed since it was a quite a small lobster really with little meat. I wonder how small then their regular menu-listed lobster is! I had not asked for a pasta accompaniment and by itself, the portion was insufficient for a main course if one had not had any starters. I do not recommend the lobster and will stick to a safer pasta dish next time. 

For desserts, there is a lot to choose from. The waiter brings around a dessert trolley laden with freshly baked pastries, tarts and other goodies. These are prepared by Valentino's sister Perla and she has her own stand-alone pastry shop right next to Valentino. Her best-seller is the Chantilly cake of which Iam not a fan. Too creamy for my liking. We ordered a portion each of the Pistachio Cake and Cream Caramel. The Pistachio Cake had a smooth texture as the nuts were finely ground. We liked the crusty aftertaste. As for the Cream Caramel, it was pretty good but again, not the best I've had. Whilst the sweetness was just right, it was a bit hard in my opinion.

Overall, Valentino is a decent restaurant but highly over-rated with all the hype and hoopla surrounding it. Whilst the ambience and service standards are good, the culinary fare is disappointing given the accolades and high rating some epicureans have awarded the restaurant. The food was not upto my expectations and given the tab you run here, I think there is better food to be enjoyed in Singapore. Being unable to recall the full details of my previous visit, I can only say the food standards have dropped. For now it seems Valentino and family are riding the wave of reputation and goodwill they raised in the past. For my next hearty Italian meal in a family-run setting, I'll be returning to my favourite in Singapore - Pasta Brava.

Book Review : Italian Shoes by Henning Mankell

Henning Mankell is well-known for his Inspector Wallander crime series. Italian Shoes is different in that it is not a mystery story. The book is about Surgeon Frederick Welin who quits his medical profession in disgrace and lives alone on an island inherited from his grandparents. Giving him company are his crippled dog, old cat and a giant anthill. Welin is a bitter man with a heart as frozen as his surroundings. He does not bother maintaining his house which has deteriorated to the point where a giant anthill exists in the living room. Welin has no human company around him barring Jansson, the hypochondriac postman who is youngest amongst the seven people on the Swedish archipelago where Welin lives. Welin is so cut off from the real world that he regularly cuts a hole in the ice and bathes in icy sea water just to remind himself that he is alive.

Having lived in this isolation for 12 years, Welin's past catches up with him when he gets an unexpected visit from Harriett, a woman he had loved in his youth but deserted without a word of explanation. Harriett has terminal cancer and requires a walker. Inspite of her infirmities, she has managed to track Welin down and seeks him out to keep a promise - to take her to the beautiful lake, hidden deep in the forests of Northern Sweden - where Welin and his father bathed. Harriet may well have wanted to see the lake, but going there takes them close to where Harriett currently lives with her daughter Louise. Welin does not know that he is the father of Louise, nor that he is about to meet her. Louise is also uninformed about the meeting, which takes place in the caravan where she lives.

As a result of Harriett's sudden visit, Welin revisits the incident which was responsible for him giving up his medical career, amputating the wrong arm of a promising swimmer called Agnes. He tracks Agnes down and with her agreement, visits her discovering that she now looks after troubled girls, one of whom Sima, would later visit Frederick on his island.

Mankell is a master of writing about desolate landscapes, lonely individuals and alternate lifestyles. When you are first introduced to the protagonist you cannot help but dislike this dour, selfish person who not only sometimes mistreats his pets but also has the annoying habit of peeping into people's personal effects. As you go through the book, you start understanding Welin's scarred psyche and how inspite of his shortcomings, there is a sliver of humanity still alive in him and given the opportunity, how he wishes to atone for his earlier mistakes. The bleak, icy and isolated atmosphere described in the book only mirrors what Frederick Welin feels inside him. It is essentially the story of a brooding individual who is haunted by his past and thinks he can run away from it all only to have his past confront him at a later stage and realize it is still not too late to make amends.

While the book is engaging and depressing in parts, it left me unmoved in the end. I would recommend it however for Mankell's writing style and insights into Nordic and Swedish society. It is excellent fodder for a movie manuscript and I can only look forward to the kind of (in)justice a director would do to this different tale about love, longing and repentance. 

Hotel Review : Sheraton Beach Resort, Krabi, Thailand

Krabi still hasn't suffered the tourist onslaught that most other resort towns in Thailand have. This quiet and beautiful place is non-commercialised as in you don't have people chasing you for tuk-tuk rides or cab operators coaxing you to join tours where you can 'buy real Thai rubies at best price.' This might be partially attributable to the fact that Krabi has a small airport which only has one direct service from Singapore (Tiger Airways) and about 3 flights from Bangkok (Thai Airways). Most tourists prefer to fly into Phuket, visit Phi Phi / Hong Islands and return. This is gross injustice to Krabi as the town in my opinion is absolutely breathtaking and deserves at least 3 nights in your itinerary. The main Ao Nang beach is absolute paradise and has one of the most scenic sunsets amidst limestone cliffs. The good and bad news is that none of the top resorts are located on this beach stretch which means you have to decide between hotels requiring sea transfer (Rayavadee) or hotels on another beach at some distance away from Ao Nang (Sheraton). I don't like to stay in the most happening part of a beach town since these are invariably too noisy and touristy. I prefer the seclusion and privacy of further located resorts and thats precisely why I chose Sheraton.

Sheraton is about 2 hours by road from Phuket Airport and 40 mins from Krabi airport. We had flown into Krabi airport and our pre-booked airport transfer was awaiting us. The drive is scenic though you don't get to see much of the beach en-route. On pulling into the hotel, I was impressed by the lobby and reception area which is huge and airy. The check-in took some time as there was quite a queue. The reception staff's attitude was quite un-Thai in the sense they barely smiled and went about the check-in process quite mechanically. What is a bit annoying is you have to pay for wifi in the rooms though it is free in the main lobby area.

Being 3 of us, we had booked two adjacent rooms since the Executive suite was unavailable. The rooms are of standard size and come with a large balcony. The bathrooms are decent but show some signs of aging. There is not much point in paying extra for the ocean view rooms since all you'll get to see is a speck of blue in the distance. The resort is laid out in such a way that while the property is huge, the main sea front area is taken up by the 2 swimming pools and restaurants. All the rooms are at the back including those with sea view. The hotel has extensive well maintained gardens and the Klong Muong beach stretch alongside Sheraton is totally private and very clean.

The restaurant and housekeeping staff is polite and friendly. Breakfast is served in Mangosteen. The fare is standard and what you would expect in a 5 star hotel. We had lunch on the first day at The Deck by the poolside. They did not have Singha draught beer which I found strange in a Thai 5 star hotel. Not being too hungry, we had ordered fish and chips which were passable. We walked around the hotel complex to discover that almost all restaurants  are located right next to each other and at a fair distance from our hotel room. The hotel has buggy service which can be erratic and you are better off walking if you don't want to wait for one. I recommend a visit to Martini's Bar for their excellent cocktails. Unlike 5 star hotels, this bar has happy hours and a must-try is the Caipirinha. The ambience is relaxed and the seating is very comfortable - ideal for a group of friends to chat over.

On our first evening, we decided to check out the area just outside the hotel which had caught my eye when we drove in from the airport. Numerous restaurants line the road outside Sheraton. A small shopping complex can also be found which has a mini mart, ATM and a money changer. Given how much commission hotels charge for changing money, the money changer was a boon. I saw many tourists getting excited about being able to exchange 'phased out' serial numbers of US Dollars. Unlike US and Europe where these notes are not accepted, Thailand and few other Asian countries have no issues with accepting these notes. It is still valid legal tender after all. The mini mart was always full with guests from neighbouring resorts including Sheraton buying baby food items, beer and cigarettes which are significantly cheaper here. The highlight of the Sheraton resort ironically is The Terrace - a restaurant which is located right outside the hotel but is more popular with guests than the in-house restaurants. We ate one meal there and couldn't help coming back for many of our other meals. The food is simply fantastic and the service is outstanding. It won't be an exaggeration to say one should stay at The Sheraton only to be able to eat at The Terrace ! There is a Nepali restaurant also in the vicinity which is very good and would satiate those with cravings for Indian cuisine. Owing to these two wonderful restaurants, we did not get to try the hotel food at all. But going by the number of Sheraton guests we saw each night at these two places especially The Terrace, I reckon the Sheraton food is nothing to write home about.

We booked a 10 hour tour of the Phi Phi / Hong Islands etc through the hotel. The hotel is only a facilitator and the actual tour is conducted by an external water sports agency. You'll be joined by guests from other hotels and probably it is this mix of people that made the tour exceptional. You can book a private tour also (min 4 pax) but as the hotel staff suggested the islands are best enjoyed with company. The sheer beauty of these islands is mind blowing and they are truly picture postcard perfect. You need to book a separate tour if you want to go to James Bond Island (named after the 1974 Roger Moore movie filmed here) but since we didn't have time, we missed out on that one.

On our final day in Krabi, we made a trip to Ao Nang beach. At a distance of about 8 kms it seemed a saner choice over a trip to the city centre (25 kms). The hotel has a paid shuttle service available to ferry guests to and fro Ao Nang. The service runs at regular intervals and is very convenient. The area is entirely walkable and lined with restaurants, bars, massage centres, Thai silk stores and of course, pirated DVD shops. Make sure you reach in time to see the sunset which is spectacular.

Overall, Sheraton Krabi is a great resort especially for young couples and families. The resort is huge and has every conceivable facility in keeping with its 5 star rating. It is ideally suited for people who love the outdoors and want to undertake activities like hiking, diving, sea kayaking. It may not be the ideal honeymoon hotel and for that you might want to consider the more secluded boutique hotels but they lack the location and private beach that Sheraton offers. Also, it is not suitable for people who like to stay in the hip part of town and be close to the nightlife scene. If your idea of a beach holiday is relaxing on a private beach away from the hustle and bustle with good food and ambience, Sheraton Krabi is for you. I'am definitely going back.

Breakfast Review : Peshwa Pavilion at ITC Maratha, Mumbai, India

ITC Grand Maratha is located close to the Mumbai international airport and hence very popular with business travelers who have work in the eastern suburbs of Mumbai. Transit travelers like myself find the place very convenient for meeting up with friends / business acquaintances over a quick breakfast before heading to the domestic airport. On a side note, you should not be stepping out of international airport to go to domestic airport if you don't have personal conveyance. A complimentary airport shuttle service will transfer you between the Mumbai international and domestic terminals. There are a host of hotels in the vicinity to choose from : The Lalit, Hyatt and Meridien apart from ITC Grand Maratha. ITC has a stellar reputation on the cuisine front making it tough for me to try a new place in the early morning hours. As much as I think I'll go to a different place each time, it hasn't happened so far and now I've been a Grand Maratha regular for the past few years primarily for the convenience.

Breakfast is served in the atrium's Peshwa Pavilion and even at 7am you can expect a pretty full house with executives in suits catching morning news over a hot cuppa or doing business meetings. There is a lavish buffet spread serving everything from Indian dishes like idlis, vadas to continental baked beans and salami to the staple cereal counter. They even serve Asian dishes like Mee Goreng. The choice of fresh juices is good and they serve my favorite - tender coconut water which is drained in a glass for you.

The idlis are super soft and the vada is crisp to the right degree. I asked for a side order of hash browns which took a long while to come but was tasty. Eggs and dosas are freshly made as per order. You don't have to queue up at the cooking station as they send it to your table. There is a self-service coffee machine but the staff will gladly take your order and bring that as well to your table. Small touches like these make the big difference.

Now for the pricing. At INR 850 including taxes (yes, you read that right) it is excellent value for 5 star dining. Only education cess is extra which is a small amount. Thankfully service charge is not levied which is a good aspect since service standards can be inconsistent here. In fact, if there is room for improvement it is on the service front. The staff is polite but somehow takes ages to do everything from serving the table to settling the bill. But I won't hold it against them since on all my previous visits, I haven't experienced this kind of slow service. Maybe it was a specially packed morning last week.

Apart from hotel guests, I highly recommend all transit travelers to take a break at ITC Grand Maratha and have a king's breakfast to kickstart the day.