Ola - #PeekeMatChala Campaign

Goofing up with the brand's Twitter account is not something new these days. Everyone who works in an agency can relate to it when TweetDeck lands you in trouble. When the entire world was in a festive mood celebrating Christmas. Ola Cabs an Indian Taxi rental brand hit Twitter by storm by posting some very very strange tweets.
Users would’ve immediately thought it was yet another hack – there has been a spate of hacks across Indian twitter recently, with prominent names such as Rahul Gandhi and journalist Barkha Dutt having their accounts compromised or some intern has made a mess once again with TweetDeck. As Twitter users wondered what was up, the Ola account began tweeting at brands and celebrities.

My dream is to drive, over the rainbow so highhhhhhhhhhh

— Ola (@Olacabs) December 25, 2016

Bro @onlybabasehgal , aaja meri gaadi mein baet ja, and then let's go to the Gym!

— Ola (@Olacabs) December 25, 2016

Hey @ZomatoIN YOUR CUTE

— Ola (@Olacabs) December 25, 2016

Naam toh ek dum pirated hai @Netflicks

— Ola (@Olacabs) December 25, 2016

woskdow skash dhsahd sjakkha sahhjlsaash asjkakhas

— Ola (@Olacabs) December 25, 2016

I am totally in controlllllllllllllllllll #feelinggood

— Ola (@Olacabs) December 25, 2016

Hey @Flipkart - lets put one for the road!

— Ola (@Olacabs) December 25, 2016

Social media users had begun wondering what was up – some speculated it was the work of an intern, and others commiserated with the social media manager who was inevitably going to be fired.

But it turned out Ola hadn’t been hacked, and an intern hadn’t had too much to drink on Christmas night. Around two hours after the initial tweet, Ola revealed that the series of tweets had been a hoax to raise awareness about drunk driving. 

About those last tweets, drunk tweeting is dangerous, imagine what drunk driving can do.  #PeekeMatChala pic.twitter.com/n5GbBlXuTw

— Ola (@Olacabs) December 25, 2016

This was social media done right – the using of the hacks was topical and generated lots of buzz. Trolling your 83,000 followers was brave, but hard hitting. And the campaign fit along with perfectly Ola’s core value proposition – cab aggregators are perhaps the best way to get home after a drunken night out this holiday season.

Here are three cheers to Ola’s social marketing team for pulling off one of the strongest Twitter campaigns this year.

Food Review: Behrouz Biryani

In a blind tasting of biryanis catered by the city’s delivery services dedicated to the dish, newcomer Behrouz Biryani’s preparations would be instantly identified by their mithai-like garnish of almond flakes, raisins and cardamom and the intense aroma of kewra. After launches in Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, Behrouz began operations in Delhi in July'16.

Behrouz is competing with Charcoal Biryani and Biryani Paradise online businesses that have similarly standardised biryani recipes to facilitate quick service through their kitchens across the city. If lined up, it will be hard to distinguish between the eight Persian-style biryanis offered by Behrouzbiryani.com. In addition to the uniform garnishes, each variant is lavished with aromatic whole spices such as clove, cinnamon and bay leaves. Run a fork through the saffron-tinged rice and the biryanis reveal the same layer of sweet and spicy onion cooked down to a paste.

The homogeneity is particularly perplexing with regard to their meat biryanis. My order for paneer biryani was delivered unlabelled, barring stickers that only indicated that it was a veg or non-veg item. The Zaikedaar Paneer Biryani (Rs269) marred by dryness and hard blocks of paneer that needed to be marinated for longer. The rice was perfectly cooked but with an extra dose of raisins and almonds must be looked upon.

Behrouz is marginally more expensive than Charcoal Biryani, but also offers bigger portions of rice and toppings per box for that price. Each box, which can sufficiently feed two, comes with a bowl of salan and raita. The salan was oily and slightly bitter, while the raita was essentially watered-down curd overwhelmed with powdered mint. To garner the loyalty of biryani aficionados in the city where the dish is ubiquitous. 

Prices exclude taxes. 

Open daily, from 11 am to 11 pm. 

Celebrate the holidays with Starbucks Christmas favorites!

Starbucks kicks off the Christmas season with celebrated seasonal beverages, food, gifting merchandise and the return of its iconic red cups

Starbucks invites you to celebrate the arrival of Christmas season – a time to rejoice, with traditions rooted in more than four decades of passion for coffee and connections that are inspired by the spirit of the season. From delightful old favourites – Toffee Nut Crunch Latte, Mocha Praline Latte & Christmas Cookie Latte – to new offerings – Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese – to a specially curated holiday gifting collection that includes Starbucks Christmas Cards, Mugs, and Tumblers, Starbucks is the perfect place to spark the Christmas spirit.

Since 1997, Starbucks has welcomed the holidays with a special red cup that rekindles the magic of the season. Over the years, designs have ranged from the modern, using whimsical brushstrokes in bold colors, to the nostalgic, featuring mistletoe and ornaments. This Christmas, Starbucks elevates the coffee experience further with the return of the much awaited red cups in incredible new designs. Last year, Starbucks invited customers from around the world to use their red cups as a canvas and share their designs on Instagram. From the entries received, Starbucks picked 13 lucky customers from Illinois to Indonesia, Pennsylvania to Korea, Dubai to Ontario who, with open hearts and marker in hand, created unique pieces of art that reflect what the holiday season means to them. From traditional Christmas lights and ornaments to snowflakes and winter landscapes – the red cups are inspired by the holiday stories of customers from around the world, all sharing one-holiday spirit. Twelve designs will appear on hot cups, and there is one design on cold cups. Starting today, Starbucks holiday cups will be served in the more than 25,000 Starbucks stores in 75 countries around the world. 

Chow Mein And Pasta Samosas At Kumar Samose Wala

Ten-Second Takeaway

Tucked away in New Moti Nagar is an almost hole-in-the-wall shop, that has been serving 22 different varieties of samosas for the last 18 years.

Please, Can I Have Samo-sa?

Kumar Samose Wala opens shop as early as nine in the morning when they start preparing fresh batter and fillings and piling them onto large metal trays. These are then deep fried perfectly over the course of the day, as per demand. And let us tell you, the demand is high. I came across some peeps who’d driven all the way from Manesar on a Tuesday morning just to gorge on these.

How Mien

The sheer variety here can get pretty overwhelming, given that there are 22 varieties of crispy golden samosas and each one sounds as interesting as its neighbour. However, after perusing the menu and finding things like Malai Chaap samosa, Punjabi Paneer samosa and Moong Dal samosa, I zeroed in on the pizza, white sauce pasta, chow mein and spicy chaap. 

I am going to have to declare the pizza samosa my favourite: It’s the perfect combination of melted cheese, corn, and peppers. The chow mein comes a close second and is a tad spicy.

I liked the pasta one for the sheer novelty, but the chaap one didn’t do much for me. Next on my to-try list? The chocolate samosa!

Kumar Samosa Wala is definitely worth the commute. All the samosas are perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, and they taste fresh.

#Tip: If you want a bite of their samosas, I’d suggest getting there early. Stocks usually run out by 7pm {at least the pizza and chow mein ones}.

Price: Starting at INR 15 for a samosa

 

Rahul Dravid inaugurates Daredevils Corporate Cup

Daredevils Corporate cup is one of the finest, Annual Corporate Cricket Tournament of India. The idea behind Daredevils Corporate Cup is to give the white collar of Delhi NCR an opportunity to showcase their athletic talent and to take a breather from their 9 to 6 routine. In its 3rd edition Daredevils Corporate Cup is a special outing that brings together corporate from across Delhi NCR on cricket field.

After stupendous success in previous 2 seasons, ‘Delhi Daredevils’ brings India’s premium T20 cricket tournament for the executives working in Corporate back this year. The cricket tournament was inaugurated by hands of the finest Cricketer of our Nation and World, Rahul Dravid at the serene Abhi Sports ground.

Twenty four teams from the leading corporate and media houses are participating in this amateur Cricket tournament. This includes Jubilant Foods, Oxigen Wallet, Metlife, LF Logistics, TechShot Digital, Delhi Duty Free, Deloitte, Buddy’s Groups, Titan, EY, Qatar Airlines, Accor Group, ONGC Videsh, Daikin, GMR, Muthoot Group, PWC, TIMDA and Pavna Group.

In the tournament, 24 teams divided into 8 pools, will play amongst themselves and the semifinals will be played between the top four teams. The winning teams will clash for the Daredevils Corporate Cup  in the final, scheduled in November.

The inaugural match was played today between Daikin Vs Muthoot and PWC Vs TIMDA, at the lush and scenic Abhi Sports Ground, Delhi.

Speaking on the occasion, Rahul Dravid – Renowned Cricketer and Delhi Daredevils team mentor said “The Corporate Cup tournament is a noble idea considering the stressed work life of corporate this will give an opportunity to motivate them for healthy and balanced life cycle. To the audience it is a treat to see the hidden skills to these cricketers and further boost their moral.”

Mr. Hemant Dua, CEO- Delhi Daredevils, said, “This tournament provides a platform to the executives working in different corporate and media houses, to take out some time from their busy schedules and unearth their cricketing talents. We will try to organize many other such events in the near future as well.”

Cricket has enjoyed a prominent position in the sporting history of Delhi city which has produced a number of skilled cricketers, who have gone on to achieve great laurels.

The 3rd edition of the spectacular sport event takes forward Delhi Daredevils commitment to promote a sporting culture and active living across Delhi - NCR. Starting today, Delhi will witness some great cricketing action involving participation from leading cricket teams from across 24 corporates in the city.

Daredevils aim is to lead not just on the cricket field, but also in aspects of social responsibility, connects with the fans and setting up a very high standard of integrity and self-respect. The purpose is to excite the cricketing world and inspire our fans to dare to succeed. It resonates with the spirit of the city, which too is young, fresh and vibrant with hunger to succeed irrespective of the challenges.

Woks - The Lalit - Food Review

WOKS, the Oriental specialty restaurant captures the essence of Eastern culture and cuisines through its food, decor, and ambience. Gentle waterfall, a quaint wooden bridge spanning a pond teeming with fish accompanied by soft strains of Oriental music set the perfect backdrop for an enchanting dining experience.

Besides an a-la-carte menu, WOKS offers Square Meal Box Extravaganza designed for diners looking for a gourmet Oriental dining experience on the go.

Located on the 28th floor, offering an excellent view of the city, this place gives you a really nice feeling of temporarily being cut-off from the hustle and bustle that exists in our day-to-day lives, and the view from there makes the craziness of our lives, even if just for a couple of hours, seem small and distant.

The restaurant has been done up in wooden interiors, adding to that calming feeling, with soothing music which instantly relaxes you the moment you enter. The hospitality and courteous service were no less than what you expect from a 5-star, from the moment we entered up until the moment we left. We had a brief chat with the sous chef, who talked about her passion for her job, and how important it is for her that all diners walk out satiated. We even got introduced to Chef Sharma, the mind behind the food at this restaurant, but he was a man of few words and chose to let the food speak for him. And so it did.

We ordered Waterchesnut and corn dumplings which were recommended by the chef and it's the hero dish of the restaurant. The Waterchesnutand corn was tossed with garlic, ginger and soy sauce. The dumplings were moist and soft and the filling was crunchy, served with 4 different chilli sauces.

The spring rolls which I had there can probably go down to my list of best spring rolls, I've ever had. It has the filling of stir-fried cabbage, mushroom and bamboo shoot wrapped up in popeye skin served with sweet chilli sauce.

Next up on the list was Veg Spicy Chilli Garlic Noodles, nothing special here. The dish was just average, it lacked the flavour of garlic and the quantity of the noodles was so less but overall a good experience, one should give this restaurant a try for the most authentic Chinese food in the town.

Coffee talent and passion take centre stage at the Starbucks Coffee Championship 2016

Starbucks’ Partners from across India battle it out at the grand finale for the coveted ‘Coffee Champion’ title

Tata Starbucks Pvt. Ltd. hosted the grand finale of the second edition of its Coffee Championship in India, giving its partners an opportunity to compete with each other on their expertise and knowledge of coffee along with the accuracy of their beverage crafting skills. After many competitive regional rounds testing their coffee skills and acumen, this year’s competition once again highlighted the power of women at Starbucks India, with Geetu Mohnani from New Delhi earning the title of the ‘Starbucks Coffee Champion’ following the footsteps of Saili Rane who won the First Starbucks India Coffee Championship in 2015. Geetu was flawless in her display of coffee passion, bar and pour-over skills, matched with a sense of warmth and connection. Monica Kithodya from New Delhi and Atul Inderyas from Bangalore were announced as the first and second runner ups respectively.

The Grand Finale of the Championship was held in Mumbai amidst a panel of judges comprising of the Tata Starbucks leadership team. During the finale, partners competed in four exciting and challenging rounds which comprised of a Personal Coffee Tasting - Pour Over session in which they demonstrated both their knowledge & passion for coffee in an interactive coffee tasting, aBar Skill round which tested their Beverage Artistry skills and the ultimate Blind Tasting Round to test the accuracy of their coffee palate. The last round was an elaborate Question & Answer round in which the six Coffee Masters were judged on the basis of their proposed presentations to elevate coffee leadership in their markets.

The Starbucks Coffee Championship unfolded with three competitive levels and saw an overwhelming participation from 450 Starbucks partners and Coffee Masters. These coffee experts were nominated from each of the six cities in India where Starbucks is present. The participants competed at the district level wherein only 84 contenders were chosen to proceed to the Regional Semi-Final round based on their Coffee knowledge and bar skills. Ultimately, 6 of the most outstanding and knowledgeable partners were picked to battle it out for the ‘Starbucks Coffee Champion’ title at the national Grand Finale in Mumbai. The winners of the India Championship will participate in the Starbucks Regional Championship to be held later this year in South East Asia.

“Building on the success of last year, we’re delighted with the energy witnessed at the second edition of the Starbucks Coffee Championship as we celebrate what our partners do every day in a special way. Our partners are truly the strength of our brand and play an instrumental role in delivering the unique Starbucks Experience to each customer in every neighbourhood we serve,” said Sumitro Ghosh, CEO Tata Starbucks Pvt Ltd. “The Starbucks Coffee Championship gives them a chance to demonstrate their passion and pride for coffee, commitment to the brand as well as showcase their skills.”

                                 

Cafe Oh my God! - Food Review

The new cafe by Umang Tewari and Big Fish Ventures arrives in the heart of the capital Connaught Place. "Cafe Oh My God!" is located in the inner circle of Connaught place in the "F" block above Chaayos. The cafe is based of two themes, one floor of the cafe is "Hell" & the other floor is "Heaven" I was invited for the Sunday brunch, it was completely crowded with the bloggers. In the first look, the cafe looks stunning, from interiors to theme to bar and the sunlight coming from the windows. 

Aachari Vada Pav with Garlic Chutney 

Fried dumplings with spicy hot sauce

Spring Rolls

"Soya Methi Malai"

Soya Methi Malai is one of the standout starters of Cafe OMG! The Soya is a filled up with different veggies and fried topped up with methi and serves with onions and mint chutney. Absolutely amazing! 

Lunch

Desserts

 

Pizza Express - Food Review

PizzaExpress is now in India. Bringing you simple and authentic pizzas, always served in style. Just the way the Italians do. In fact, they have always been inspired by Italy. Their founder, Peter Boizot, brought real Italian pizza to the UK in 1965, after experiencing amazing pizza during a trip to Italy. Today, PizzaExpress is a much-loved brand, all over the world. And now, especially for us, it's come to India.

I was fortunate enough to do a food review for the authentic and fresh Italian taste in the town, situated in Ambience mall Vasant Kunj. The store design is based on the pottery design. 

The chef welcomed me to the store with a warm welcome and I was served with the signature dish of PizzaExpress which is known as "Dough Balls Doppio" 

 It is the fresh dough balls served with a trio of dips: pesto, pesto rosso and garlic butter. 

As the name suggest the dough balls were absolutely so fresh so can actually feel how fresh they were just by the smell. Garlic butter dip was the hero out of the three which went well with the balls. 

Next up was the drinks and "Ramiro Al Forno" It basically sweet red pepper with goat's cheese, button mushrooms, mozzarella, garlic butter and crouton. Finished with rocket and balsamic glaze. The peppers were perfectly cooked and there was enough crunch on it to balance the cheese. 

That's how they make Pizza's in PizzaExpress. Every pizza base is thrown up in the air at least two times before it settles down in the oven.

Most selling pizza in India. Perfectly thin crust! 

Banoffee Pie : Banana and toffee pie on a biscuit base. Served with your choice of cream, gelato or mascarpone

Goodies from Ambience Mall!