Ice Dream!

Debuting just in time to help ease the scorching October heat with a range of delectable soft serve ice cream treats is this cutesy store-in-store creamery that ticks most of our boxes   

By Raul Dias

Given our predilection—bordering on obsession—for all things ice cream-y and that too in one of our favourite iterations of the treat—soft serve, we couldn’t wait to give this new store-in-store creamery a whirl…or should we say swirl? Offering a range of both innovative signature swirl sundaes and the usual build-your-own kind of soft serves, Xoco 57, the candy pink and white hued kiosk nestled in the heart of the Pedder Road branch of the Foodhall grocery store chain is an interesting place to find oneself on a sweltering October afternoon. Sharing its space with a chocolate counter to its right and a mithai one to its left, we weren’t surprised to see it enjoy the most action of the three sections with hordes of teenagers and little kids with parents in tow making a beeline for it.
Feeling particularly indulgent that afternoon, we ordered up a range of their sundaes that we could see being assembled in front of us, built up from an assortment of toppings, sauces and sprinkles. With a levered machine dispensing only vanilla, chocolate and vanilla-chocolate combination softy bases, we did wish that there were a few more base options available. A tart berry or zesty citrus flavoured one would have hit a nice home run. But alas, we made do with the various concoctions featuring the good old vanilla-chocolate duo.
The peanut punch (Rs 195) with its creamy chocolate soft serve base is a confection that is sure to win the heart of a peanut fan with its generous sprinkling of slightly salted, crushed peanuts that are covered in a drizzle of warm chocolate sauce. Adding some further peanut heft is a mighty splodge of peanut butter that seals the deal perfectly.
Topped with French crêpe crisps and the same chocolate sauce, the French crisp (Rs 195) won us over with its vanilla soft serve that had actual flecks of vanilla bean peeking through the ice cream. Blending the words “adulting” and ice cream expertly was the strongly flavoured Xoco 57 signature soft serve (Rs 225) with its spicy pink peppercorn and dark chocolate bark toppings melded with a vanilla-chocolate base.
For our final signature swirl, we tucked into one that reflected the latest international trend of ‘birthday cake’ flavoured confections. Simply called birthday cake (Rs 250) it turned out to be the unanimous favourite among the three of us ice cream f(r)iends! Fudgy chocolate brownie morsels, a spoonful of Nutella and a shower of rainbow-hued sprinkles sitting atop a vanilla-chocolate base made this one a more-ish treat we’ll be back for.
Attempting to satiate our desire for something tart and fruity was the vanilla soft serve cone (Rs 95) (we had the option of upgrading to a waffle cone for Rs 125) topped with a raspberry coulis (Rs 25 extra). Though not bad at all, it sadly tasted like any old, ordinary grocery store bought raspberry syrup and not like an expected coulis that was actually made with the berry.
While we’d sure love to see a few more base flavours and fruit-based toppings added as part of their offerings, Xoco 57 seems to get it right for the most part. 

TIME: 9am to 11pm
AT: Xoco 57 by Foodhall, Kanchanjunga 72, Pedder Road.
CALL: 023871442

(An edited version of this review appeared in the 30th October 2019 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 20 https://www.mid-day.com/articles/ice-dream/22000205)

From yesterday to tomorrow…

With its impressive cache of brutalist architecture and repurposed USSR-style public spaces, Armenia’s ‘Pink City’ and capital Yerevan artfully melds its Soviet past with a proud, new post-socialist national identity

By Raul Dias

While I had heard a lot about the Armenian nationalistic pride—often with the words “bordering on jingoism” loosely bandied about—I couldn’t have been more ill-prepared for what I was about to witness. And I had not even landed on Armenian soil! All it took was the sight of the double-peaked Mount Ararat in all its snow-capped glory, emerging from a cloudy veil on the port side of the aircraft, for pandemonium to ensue in the narrow cabin around me.
And the row that I was seated in certainly wasn’t immune to this pre-landing frenzy. While the man to my left quickly whipped out his phone for a series of selfies with the mountain in the background, the stylish septuagenarian lady to my right kept muttering something in Armenian, making the sign of the cross every 10 seconds or so. All this, while reverently looking at the mountain where Noah’s Ark is said to have come to a rest after the great flood mentioned in the Book of Genesis.

Celebrating the past
It was only a few hours after landing at my destination, Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan, does the irony of it all strike me. Mount Ararat, one the greatest symbols of Armenia—the similitude of which can be found emblazoned on everything, from bottles of brandy and beer to Toblerone doppelgänger chocolate bars—isn’t even located in Armenian territory anymore. In fact, it can be found just over the border, in present day Turkey.
As I stroll through leafy Yerevan, with its Parisian-style wide boulevards and drinking water fountains called pul pulaks at every corner, I soon realise that for the former USSR country, symbolism is everything. How else can one explain the continued presence of a five-point Soviet star atop the main spire of the city’s Central Railway Station? It is the likeness of Mount Ararat below said star that makes the station one of the few places in Armenia that continue to use this coat of arms, never mind its Soviet underpinning.

Reclaiming glory
Speaking of which, Yerevan’s grand Republic Square was once known as Lenin Square housing a giant, mid-stride statue of Vladimir Lenin that was taken down post Armenia’s independence in the Autumn of 1991. Today, the square is surrounded on all four sides by grand architectural examples of Soviet Modernism, with their brutalist façades clad in the indigenous pink volcanic stone called tuff that gives Yerevan its ‘Pink City’ moniker.
At another popular attraction—the hill-topped Victory Park overlooking Yerevan—another former Soviet leader, General Secretary Joseph Stalin has been dethroned. Quite literally! Replacing his monumental statue and sitting on the same pedestal is the sword-brandishing, 22-meters tall, neo-art deco statue of ‘Mother Armenia’ made from hammered copper. Here too there is ample symbolism on display. The statue is said to not only show peace through strength, but also mirrors the role of prominent female figures in Armenian history who joined the men in fending off Turkish troops during the 1915 Armenian genocide.
Joining a group of the Yerevan Couchsurfing chapter on a post-beer walkabout the city, I learn about how in 2010 a Facebook group called “SAVE Cinema Moscow Open-Air Hall,” successfully petitioned the Armenian Government to stall the demolition of the open-air hall of the Moscow Cinema on the city’s arterial Abovyan Street. Built in 1936 in the constructivist-style—a form of modern Soviet architecture, with a facade adorned with scenes from famous Soviet-Armenian movies—the cinema itself replaced the 5th century St. Peter and Paul Church. Presently, it remains one of the city’s premier recreational spots with its life-size chess board set shadowed by a giant spider sculpture by Armenian artist Ara Alekyan. 

Parting shots
We walk towards the Republic Square Metro Station, where I notice how well the Soviet style of almost harsh, geometric ornamentation is merged with the more oriental features of the station. The entrance houses a decorative fountain of an eight-petal concrete flower in bloom, with a huge vaulted ceiling held up by plain columns featuring sculpted eaves in the shape of bird heads.
From Republic Square we take a dirt-cheap metro train ride (100 dram or Rs 15) to Charbak a few kilometers away to get the real feel of Soviet suburban Yerevan with its many ‘Khrushchyovkas’. Developed all over the Soviet Union during the early 1960s, these concrete-panelled apartment buildings were named after Soviet statesman Nikita Khrushchev to provide low-cost housing in a gargantuan communal setting.
It is from the terrace of one of these 15-storied (and yes, elevator-bereft!) grim-looking buildings do I spy the ultimate remnant of the Soviet past a few yards away, eerily backlit by the setting sun. Constructed in such a way that they spell out the alphabets CCCP (which is ‘USSR’ in the Cyrillic script) when seen from above, I’m told that they were built so that the Soviets could feel patriotic as they flew in from Moscow.
Truly, one man’s Mount Ararat is another’s alphabetised Khrushchyovka!


Travel log
Getting There 
As there are no direct flights from India to Armenia, one can reach Yerevan by connecting flights from Dubai on airlines such as Emirates and the low-cost carrier FlyDubai. Given its compact size, most of Yerevan can easily be accessed on foot or by its super cheap metro train system which comprises of 10 stations. Costing a very affordable US$ 6 for a 21-day or less stay, the easy-to-procure Armenian visa can be availed of either online (evisa.mfa.am) or on arrival at Yerevan’s Zvartnots International Airport by most nationalities, including Indians.

Stay
Offering a range of hotels to choose from, Yerevan has accommodation options to suit all budgets. One such recommended accommodation option is the conveniently located, city-centered Double Tree by Hilton (Rs 6,600 for two with breakfast, doubletree3.hilton.com). The Ibis Yerevan Center Hotel (Rs 3,200 for two with breakfast, accorhotels.com) along the city’s pedestrian-only Northern Avenue is another good, value-for-money accommodation option.

Tip
* Every night from 9pm to 11pm, Tuesday to Sunday, the grand fountains outside the History Museum and the National Gallery in Yerevan’s Republic Square put on a very informative free sound and light show with plenty of local folk music and snippets of Armenian history narrated in both Armenian and English.

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 19th October 2019 issue of The Hindu Business Line newspaper's BLink section on page 20 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/takeaway/yerevan-armenias-pink-city/article29732640.ece)

SoBo’s new “so-so” spot

With conceptually interesting food and drink offerings that just about make the taste muster and service that leaves a lot to be desired, this new South Mumbai restobar treads that fine line between a hit and a miss 

By Raul Dias

Replacing a popular hot spot is always a perilous proposition, exacerbated by soaring expectations and inevitable comparisons. And while the new, rather “punnily” named Tote Talli at Tote on the Turf at the Mahalakshmi Race Course seems to live up to some of the standards set by its predecessor—the much-loved Tote Bar that shut down exactly a year ago last October—we soon realise that it still has a long, long way to go in several aspects.
But full marks for the chic, dark burgundy upholstery and wood-panelled décor that retains the Tote Bar’s famous, angular wooden branch-like beams and buttresses. The split-level restobar still has the same quirky square, porthole-esque windows and looming wrought iron staircase leading to the mezzanine level. Remnants that we are happy to find in the restobar that’s otherwise devoid of the charm displayed by its earlier avatar.         
We feel a bit like Goldilocks when we request for the freezing ambient temperature to be turned up a tad. This, after we had made a similar plea for the music volume to be turned down a few decibels. And while our disinterested server reluctantly addresses with the former with the flick of a button, we still find ourselves desperately trying to read our companion’s lips in lieu of spoken words. All this amidst the screechy, high-octaves of a badly played live electric violin.
Our anxiety is almost assuaged by the reasonably priced and super-potent monk’s tea punch (Rs 335). The cocktail comes to our table with a heavy-handed pour of Old Monk rum that almost eclipses the promised splash of lemongrass tea and cranberry juice. Though neither the menu, nor our server give us a clue as to its components, we soon discover that our non-alcoholic Tote punch (Rs 250) is a refreshing blend of litchi, orange and mango juices with a fresh cream finish to it.
Excited to see one of our favourite Canadian snacks aka. poutine on the menu, that too with the option of having it served with the very au courant sweet potato fries, we call for one that has a desi twist in the form of a Mumbai mutton kheema (Rs 275) topping. The first iteration that we are served disappointingly comes to us with regular potato fries. We point this out and it is replaced a good 20 minutes later with another version with banana chips this time! Almost on the verge of tears, we once again point this out to our server who grudgingly takes it back to the kitchen, eye rolls et al pat in place.   
The table next to us, too, seems to be grappling with first world problems of its own. It seems, their server has mixed up the orders and served the vegetarians chicken and the carnivores—mushroom! Ignoring the commotion, we dig into the latest poutine that we hope will be “third time’s the charm” for us. It is. Doused in a silky cheese sauce with a spicy, super-savoury mutton mince gravy ladled over them, the crisp sweet potato fries (finally!) are worth the stress.
Keeping our spirits buoyant is the delicious quartet of flat bread squares topped with parsley and hazelnut pesto, roasted garlic, caramelised onions and funky-tasting (in a good way) goat cheese blobs (Rs 325). The ghee roast chicken sloppy joe duo (Rs 325), too, is another winner with its perfectly spiced, coconutty chicken centred toasted mini buns.
However, disappointment once again creeps up to us in the form of the criminally salty shrimp everybody loves ramen Tote bowl (Rs 375). Now, if only the bowl of Japanese soba noodles was as inspired as its name! Not even a dash of the requested for sweet plum sauce can save this dish.
Warm, gooey and sinfully more-ish tasting with just a hint of spicy chilly, the rich chocolate jalapeño fudge (Rs 285) is all the things a good finale should be. We are later told that we haven’t been charged for the dessert as a sort of peace offering from the chef. While we thoroughly appreciate the gesture, we wish the same sincerity would have shown itself all through our meal. An experience that was ‘ho-hum’ at its very best.     
                
AT: Totel Talli, Mahalakshmi Race Course, Mahalakshmi West.
TIME: 6 pm to 1.30 am (Mon to Sat), 12 pm to 4 pm (Sun)
CALL: 61577777

(An edited version of this review appeared in the 15th October 2019 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 21 https://m.mid-day.com/articles/sobos-new-so-so-spot/21909154)

Small is beautiful!

Debuting with a menu dominated by small plates and fruity Latino-inspired cocktails, this modest-sized Khar tapas bar and café makes a big first impression. 

By Raul Dias

“According to chemistry, alcohol is a solution!” Now, while we may or may not subscribe to that pun-ridden idiom, we simply could not ignore those chuckle-inducing words scrawled across the scarlet painted wall in front of us. On a recent post-monsoon afternoon with the blazing sun at its zenith, we sauntered into the brand new Poco Loco nestled on Khar West’s busy S.V. Road.
Our aim was two-pronged: to get some much-needed airconditioned respite and to sample some small plates and cocktails that seem to be the mainstay of this café-cum-tapas bar from the people behind the super-popular Shatranj Napoli that’s also in Khar. Done up in dark, brooding shades of maroon and purple, accentuated by dull gold hardware, and another wall featuring a quirky periodic table of cocktails, the smallish space is both chic and whimsical at the same time.
Sidling up to the bar, we ordered the espuma de maracuyá (Rs 400), a deceptively potent fruity cocktail that’s the happy coupling of a liberal pour of gin with fresh passionfruit purée, all tarted up with a dash of lime juice. We paired the drink with our first tapas plate of gambas al ajillo (Rs 400), with around five medium sized prawns sitting in an earthen bowl and dunked in olive oil flavoured with crisp slivers of fried garlic. This was also served with crusty homemade bread (as our attentive served pointed out) to mop up the accompanying spicy, almost neon orange Canarian mojo chili sauce—a popular condiment from Spain’s Canary Islands.
Unable to resist the lure of one of our favourite tapas stars—patatas bravas (Rs 180), we called for a portion. And we weren’t disappointed with what our lunch companion referred to as “Spanish aloo chaat” that sees irregular cubes of fried, seasoned potatoes slathered in a tangy garlic mayonnaise dressing. Continuing the tapas leitmotif of our relaxed afternoon meal, we found ourselves devouring six generously plump croquetas de pollo (Rs 350) with the creaminess of the white sauce-enriched chicken mince croquettes spiced with a hint of paprika pimentone.   
Adding some heft to our otherwise small plate-dominated meal, the tasty Tex-Mex style lamb burrito (Rs 375) was jam-packed with juicy, shredded lamb, black beans, and rice. All this enrobed by a flour tortilla with its supporting acts of cooling guacamole, salsa rojo, sour cream and a cheese sauce that had split slightly and not as unctuous as we had hoped. And thus, the only minor aberration to an otherwise superlative experience.
Choosing to stay back in Mexico for our desserts, the beautifully presented tres leches (Rs 300) lived up to its three-milks-for-the-price-of-one claim to fame. Its evaporated milk-saturated vanilla cake component topped perfectly with a cloud of whipped cream and a duo of edible nasturtium flowers, made us promise ourselves a round two at Poco Loco on another sunny day. Soon!     
    
AT: Poco Loco, ground floor, Navish House, S.V. Road, Khar West.
TIME: 12.30 pm to 1.30 am
CALL: 9324191366

(An edited version of this review appeared in the 8th October 2019 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 22 https://www.mid-day.com/articles/small-is-beautiful/21870167)
                                                                 

Majestic Madhya Pradesh

(This photo essay first appeared in the October 2019 issue of Travel 360, the in-flight magazine of Air Asia India)