When one wants to get any book, the first thing that will hit any Chennaites (including me) thought would be Landmark. But here is a book store with a difference when compared to other book stores in the city. If you want to enjoy a lazy sunday after noon with a book and tea in a cozy place (hold your breath...) in the heart of Chennai city .. yes, you read it right. There is one such place called Oxford book store situated at the Apeejay House in Haddows Road.
The place is not very crowded usually , there are also a few couches and chairs all over the bookstore, where you can take time to browse through the books. Apart from books they also see stationary and gift items . They have some wonderful collection of books which under normal conditions we might not be able to spot in other book stores . The interiors of the store is trendy and cozy , but mind your steps as there are a couple of places where there is a staircase leading to the basement without an indication , if your too engrossed into seeing all the books around ,you might miss a step or two and land in the basement automatically (like I did) :D
They also have a cafe area in the first floor called the Cha Bar , this place narrates the entire story of tea . If you want to find some wonderful books on travel, Hospitality, places and those kinda stuff . OBS is the place to be , well this is my personal opinion as I had experiences of spending hours together serching for books on Hospitality in many other book stores and could hardly find any pertaining to my interest. So, if you love books and have some time in hand head to Oxford book store for a relaxing and a refreshing experience.
This is there website .
Friday 28 December 2007
Sunday 25 November 2007
Pitstop - Restaurant review
Last weekend I was out with my family to catch up Kannamoochi yenada movie at Mayajaal .. On the way back we stopped at Pitstop ( a family restaurant is what they call it , but its more like a hang out kinda place .. more like Marrybrown , Pizza corner and its likes) ..
The variety of food they serve is good ranging from Pizzas, burgers , salads to noodles, coleslaw et all.. They also have a variety of ice creams and milk shakes to choose from . The restaurant has an F1 theme and the ambience is good for a restaurant in its category .. It's jus' that the AC did not work that well when I visited one sunday afternoon.. May be the temperature was too hot.. The service of the people has over shadowed the food .. The people are really warm thou' a little bit of improvisation can be done when it comes to the food.
The place also has a party area to hold bday parties with a play area for kids and a conference area with provision for projection . Overall it was a good experience with the warmth of their service topping the other factors .. Pitstop was started a couple of months back , it is an unit of Parveen travels. This restaurant is situated in the famous ECR before the toll gate when your on your way to Mahabalipuram from the Chennai city .. If your on your way to ECR and wondering where to stop for a quick break/snack.. Pitstop is an ideal place.
The variety of food they serve is good ranging from Pizzas, burgers , salads to noodles, coleslaw et all.. They also have a variety of ice creams and milk shakes to choose from . The restaurant has an F1 theme and the ambience is good for a restaurant in its category .. It's jus' that the AC did not work that well when I visited one sunday afternoon.. May be the temperature was too hot.. The service of the people has over shadowed the food .. The people are really warm thou' a little bit of improvisation can be done when it comes to the food.
The place also has a party area to hold bday parties with a play area for kids and a conference area with provision for projection . Overall it was a good experience with the warmth of their service topping the other factors .. Pitstop was started a couple of months back , it is an unit of Parveen travels. This restaurant is situated in the famous ECR before the toll gate when your on your way to Mahabalipuram from the Chennai city .. If your on your way to ECR and wondering where to stop for a quick break/snack.. Pitstop is an ideal place.
Wednesday 10 October 2007
A rush of Adrenaline...
This adventure sports and the first thing that comes to my mind is Bungee jumping.. Though I have not tried it out till now, I surely will someday...
Here is a piece of info I came across which would help adventure lovers like me ...
I putting up a few links here from where you can find bungee jumping spots in Chennai and other cities in India as well..
www.maps-india.com/adventure/bungeejumping.htm
www.fettke.com/bungee
http://www.bungeezone.com/
www.comeconnect.com/sports/adven_sports9.htm
www.bestonhealth.com/travel/india/adventure/adven_travel.asp?id=45
Here is a piece of info I came across which would help adventure lovers like me ...
I putting up a few links here from where you can find bungee jumping spots in Chennai and other cities in India as well..
www.maps-india.com/adventure/bungeejumping.htm
www.fettke.com/bungee
http://www.bungeezone.com/
www.comeconnect.com/sports/adven_sports9.htm
www.bestonhealth.com/travel/india/adventure/adven_travel.asp?id=45
Friday 5 October 2007
Dining with a difference
The Woodlands Drive-in in Cathedral road is one such place where dining is a whole new experience. This place has got a lot of greenery (thou' not properly maintained) that too in the centre of the city. I was here last weekend,on the way back from our second round of Diwali shopping.
This restaurant turns out to be a very nice place for snacking in the evenings especially when your with a group of friends or family members . There are more than one options on how you can dine here
It can be either
1.In your car
2.Under the banyan trees
3.Inside the restaurant
We opted to do it under the banyan tree and it turned out to be a whole new experience from the usual waiting for seats in one of those regular crowded restaurants.I enjoyed every bit of it ... The food here tastes real yummy .
The cost works out to be very very economical compared to other places in the city.. Its a pure vegetarian restaurant ..
Thou' the place is not very clean,its not all that bad either.. The food is served in the car park area for those not dining inside the restaurant.. This is one place in Chennai where you come across all kinds of people.. I got to see a few Mercedes Benz also .. This is a lot surprising to me is cause this is not a very classy place,but truly a very beutiful place to have your meal with the flora and fauna around.. Ya, you get to see a few crows , dogs here and there.. typical of Chennai rite? :)
This restaurant turns out to be a very nice place for snacking in the evenings especially when your with a group of friends or family members . There are more than one options on how you can dine here
It can be either
1.In your car
2.Under the banyan trees
3.Inside the restaurant
We opted to do it under the banyan tree and it turned out to be a whole new experience from the usual waiting for seats in one of those regular crowded restaurants.I enjoyed every bit of it ... The food here tastes real yummy .
The cost works out to be very very economical compared to other places in the city.. Its a pure vegetarian restaurant ..
Thou' the place is not very clean,its not all that bad either.. The food is served in the car park area for those not dining inside the restaurant.. This is one place in Chennai where you come across all kinds of people.. I got to see a few Mercedes Benz also .. This is a lot surprising to me is cause this is not a very classy place,but truly a very beutiful place to have your meal with the flora and fauna around.. Ya, you get to see a few crows , dogs here and there.. typical of Chennai rite? :)
Wednesday 26 September 2007
Fab India
I was recently at the Fab India store in Anna nagar which sells clothing for women, men and kids and they also sell Organic food stuff apart from home furnishings... It's one of a kind store in Chennai and its a never like before feeling when your there... These people out there love their cotton and understand India..
All the clothing comes in cotton and silk , when you think of ethnic indian clothing with comfort think Fab India .. There sure is something for everyone .. This store was initially started to support the wevers in rural parts of India earn their living and now its come into the list of one of the Fashion stores in the country .. Oops, no ..its a world wide brand.. They have stores all across the globe..
I was there with my mom and grand mom last weekend to pick a few sarees for them and I ended up with a kurta for me along with few organic food stuffs as well.. Their black cherry jam is jus' irresistable..
All their stuffs are very affordable quality products.. They last long as well... This is not my first visit here, had been there already its the quality of their clothes and food stuff which took me back there..
This is their website : http://www.fabindia.com/
With their love for the country , fabrics and people they have gone a step further and their strategies and the way they have evolved to what they are now have took them into the case studies of Harvard .. Do i need to say more..
P.S: Their website doesnot have many collections compared to their stores.. If, your in any of the cities across the world where their stores are located ..Do take a visit .. Have fun shopping !
All the clothing comes in cotton and silk , when you think of ethnic indian clothing with comfort think Fab India .. There sure is something for everyone .. This store was initially started to support the wevers in rural parts of India earn their living and now its come into the list of one of the Fashion stores in the country .. Oops, no ..its a world wide brand.. They have stores all across the globe..
I was there with my mom and grand mom last weekend to pick a few sarees for them and I ended up with a kurta for me along with few organic food stuffs as well.. Their black cherry jam is jus' irresistable..
All their stuffs are very affordable quality products.. They last long as well... This is not my first visit here, had been there already its the quality of their clothes and food stuff which took me back there..
This is their website : http://www.fabindia.com/
With their love for the country , fabrics and people they have gone a step further and their strategies and the way they have evolved to what they are now have took them into the case studies of Harvard .. Do i need to say more..
P.S: Their website doesnot have many collections compared to their stores.. If, your in any of the cities across the world where their stores are located ..Do take a visit .. Have fun shopping !
Thursday 30 August 2007
Organic food
Organically grown food has gained popularity for quite sometime for all good reasons .. From the health point of view its so much more safer and healthier consuming organic food . But, its kinda more expensive than the normal ones sold in most of the super markets these days ... In this post I will be listing out few shops that sell organic food stuffs in Chennai
Ahumkaara , +91 44 2661 1818. Five seed mix, buckwheat, fresh aloe vera and whet grass
Arogyam, Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems, +91 4114 230625, 04114-570855 B45
Alagesan Nagar, Opposite Govt. Hospital, Chengalpet - 603001. Organically grown indigenous rice varieties
Enfield Agrobase, +91 44 2442 0605. Mangoes, dried bananas, cashew and coconut
Future Foods,+91 44 2440 4937. Soya, dals and coffee powder
Naturally Auroville, +91 44 3833 0517. Kombucha (a beverage made by fermenting tea and sugar using the yeast kombucha), Spaghetti, ragi, spirulina and bread
Organic Harvest, 91 94444 04577, Gallery Sri Parvati, 28/160, Eldams Road, Alwarpet. Organic vegetables available on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays between 8.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon; groceries are available throughout the week
Organic milk, +91 44 2499 1203 Murali, New 177, Old 77 Luz Church Road
Simply mmmm, AnnaNagar (near Blue Star). Organic vegetables available every Saturday and Wednesday, after 2 p.m.
Sunday Shandy, +91 44 2499 1203. Weekly fair of organic vegetables, milk and other farm produce, direct from the farm. Every Sunday 9AM to 12PM
The Eco Nut, +91 44 2491 9592. Sesame butter and homemade jams
Me and my mom were talking about starting to buy organic food , so this left me writing this post .. Haven't been to any of these shops yet. Will post a detailed review about the place and their products after visiting a few of them ..
Have a healthy life !
Ahumkaara , +91 44 2661 1818. Five seed mix, buckwheat, fresh aloe vera and whet grass
Arogyam, Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems, +91 4114 230625, 04114-570855 B45
Alagesan Nagar, Opposite Govt. Hospital, Chengalpet - 603001. Organically grown indigenous rice varieties
Enfield Agrobase, +91 44 2442 0605. Mangoes, dried bananas, cashew and coconut
Future Foods,+91 44 2440 4937. Soya, dals and coffee powder
Naturally Auroville, +91 44 3833 0517. Kombucha (a beverage made by fermenting tea and sugar using the yeast kombucha), Spaghetti, ragi, spirulina and bread
Organic Harvest, 91 94444 04577, Gallery Sri Parvati, 28/160, Eldams Road, Alwarpet. Organic vegetables available on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays between 8.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon; groceries are available throughout the week
Organic milk, +91 44 2499 1203 Murali, New 177, Old 77 Luz Church Road
Simply mmmm, AnnaNagar (near Blue Star). Organic vegetables available every Saturday and Wednesday, after 2 p.m.
Sunday Shandy, +91 44 2499 1203. Weekly fair of organic vegetables, milk and other farm produce, direct from the farm. Every Sunday 9AM to 12PM
The Eco Nut, +91 44 2491 9592. Sesame butter and homemade jams
Me and my mom were talking about starting to buy organic food , so this left me writing this post .. Haven't been to any of these shops yet. Will post a detailed review about the place and their products after visiting a few of them ..
Have a healthy life !
Saturday 18 August 2007
Madras Day
Channai/Madras (the former name of the city) celebrates its birthday on the 22nd August , as this is the day the city was found .
With regard to this , the Madras week celebration is being held from August 19th-26th . A lot of activities including heritage walks, public talks, exhibition, tours for children, Madras Quiz, Photography contest and a list of other activities are arranged as a part of the celebration . More details about this can be seen here .
The Madras day celebration was initiated in the year 2004 by three people the city's famed historian, S. Muthiah, journalist Sashi Nair and publisher Vincent D' Souza.Today, they have been joined by three others - senior journalist and editor Sushila Ravindranath, entrepreneur and writer-historian V. Sriram and journalist and web site entrepreneur, Revathi R.
The Madras week jus' few days away ,I wish all madrasas and madrasis a very happy madras day .. Get to know your city well and have a Blast!!
With regard to this , the Madras week celebration is being held from August 19th-26th . A lot of activities including heritage walks, public talks, exhibition, tours for children, Madras Quiz, Photography contest and a list of other activities are arranged as a part of the celebration . More details about this can be seen here .
The Madras day celebration was initiated in the year 2004 by three people the city's famed historian, S. Muthiah, journalist Sashi Nair and publisher Vincent D' Souza.Today, they have been joined by three others - senior journalist and editor Sushila Ravindranath, entrepreneur and writer-historian V. Sriram and journalist and web site entrepreneur, Revathi R.
The Madras week jus' few days away ,I wish all madrasas and madrasis a very happy madras day .. Get to know your city well and have a Blast!!
Tuesday 7 August 2007
sine qua non place in a tourist's list
Marina, which is one of the longest beaches, is a major attraction for tourists from all over the world. The Bay of Bengal extends for a long distance along the east coast of Tamil Nadu , it is called by different names at different parts of the city as well as the state.
Along the shores of Marina adorn the statues of eminent personalities who made a mark in the Tamil as well as Indian culture
In Chennai Marina beach and Elliot’s beach in Beasant nagar are the most popular ones where the city crowd usually throngs..
One of the famous aspect in case of these beaches is the street food .. The most popular ones are sundal ( bolied pulses with a little garnishing and topped with slices of mango ) , Raw mango sliced and topped with salt and chilli powder , Roasted as well as boiled corn , Bajji (vegetables dipped in flour and deep fried) and a variety of savouries like Muruku , thatai ..
Apart from this there are also a variety of north Indian Chaat available, the most popular ones being Bhel puri (puffed rice, carrot, onion, potato, namkeen mixed with tangy sauce garnished with coriander leaves) Pani puri , Pav Bhaji .. But, these food are not prepared under very hygienic conditions. So, if your not used to eating street food its better you avoid them. But you can also find some branded ice cream kiosks which are quite reliable like Kwality walls, Arun ice creams, Amul etc..
Apart from the food stalls there are many stalls selling fish and other sea food in the morning from the early morning catch. In the evenings and especially during weekends you can find a lot of small shops selling toys , shells, kites and few other artistic work and these stuff are usually not very expensive.
In the early morning you can usually find a lot of physical activity taking place with people taking their day’s walk, exercising and practising other martial arts.
The games which are usually played are beach volley ball, cricket(along the lanes adjoining the beach) , Frisbee , kite flying.
Horse riding is another popular attraction in the Marina beach , where you will be taken along the beach for a ride with the horse keeper accompanying you.
These beaches are open to the public without any entry fee and the people are usually expected to leave the beaches by around 10 pm for safety reasons..
Adjacent to Besant nagar beach is the Planet Yum food court which serves various cuisines , it also has a play area for children .
Beasant nagar beach is more like a youth hang out , nevertheless its also a place where families spend a breezy evening along the sea shore .
In case you wanna enjoy the beach in a more relaxed and quite environment you can head to the East Coast Road (ECR), a stretch along the Bay of Bengal which is around one hour drive from the city .. This scenic stretch has many resorts with private beaches which are usually not very crowded .. In most of the resorts the beach is accessible to anybody.. But certain resorts provide access to the beach only if you reside in the resort ..The beaches which are accessible through resorts are clean unlike Marina and Elliot’s beach . Certain resorts also have an option for a catamaran ride in the sea..
The most popular resorts are Fishermen’s cove (Taj Group) , GRT Temple Bay, MGM Beach Resort etc..
Along the shores of Marina adorn the statues of eminent personalities who made a mark in the Tamil as well as Indian culture
In Chennai Marina beach and Elliot’s beach in Beasant nagar are the most popular ones where the city crowd usually throngs..
One of the famous aspect in case of these beaches is the street food .. The most popular ones are sundal ( bolied pulses with a little garnishing and topped with slices of mango ) , Raw mango sliced and topped with salt and chilli powder , Roasted as well as boiled corn , Bajji (vegetables dipped in flour and deep fried) and a variety of savouries like Muruku , thatai ..
Apart from this there are also a variety of north Indian Chaat available, the most popular ones being Bhel puri (puffed rice, carrot, onion, potato, namkeen mixed with tangy sauce garnished with coriander leaves) Pani puri , Pav Bhaji .. But, these food are not prepared under very hygienic conditions. So, if your not used to eating street food its better you avoid them. But you can also find some branded ice cream kiosks which are quite reliable like Kwality walls, Arun ice creams, Amul etc..
Apart from the food stalls there are many stalls selling fish and other sea food in the morning from the early morning catch. In the evenings and especially during weekends you can find a lot of small shops selling toys , shells, kites and few other artistic work and these stuff are usually not very expensive.
In the early morning you can usually find a lot of physical activity taking place with people taking their day’s walk, exercising and practising other martial arts.
The games which are usually played are beach volley ball, cricket(along the lanes adjoining the beach) , Frisbee , kite flying.
Horse riding is another popular attraction in the Marina beach , where you will be taken along the beach for a ride with the horse keeper accompanying you.
These beaches are open to the public without any entry fee and the people are usually expected to leave the beaches by around 10 pm for safety reasons..
Adjacent to Besant nagar beach is the Planet Yum food court which serves various cuisines , it also has a play area for children .
Beasant nagar beach is more like a youth hang out , nevertheless its also a place where families spend a breezy evening along the sea shore .
In case you wanna enjoy the beach in a more relaxed and quite environment you can head to the East Coast Road (ECR), a stretch along the Bay of Bengal which is around one hour drive from the city .. This scenic stretch has many resorts with private beaches which are usually not very crowded .. In most of the resorts the beach is accessible to anybody.. But certain resorts provide access to the beach only if you reside in the resort ..The beaches which are accessible through resorts are clean unlike Marina and Elliot’s beach . Certain resorts also have an option for a catamaran ride in the sea..
The most popular resorts are Fishermen’s cove (Taj Group) , GRT Temple Bay, MGM Beach Resort etc..
Saturday 14 July 2007
When to visit Chennai and the mercury levels...
Chennai , the capital of TamilNadu is the fourth largest metro in the country(India) .
This place is less polluted compared to its counter parts. It has one of the longest coastlines.
The temperature in Chennai is always hot , hotter or hottest.. Though it does rain at times..
During summer the temperature is usually around 35 c to 42 c in the day time and drops to around 25 c in the night..
During winter the temperature is around 28c to 32c in the day time and drops to around 20c in the night..
The best time to visit chennai is between October to March .
This place is less polluted compared to its counter parts. It has one of the longest coastlines.
The temperature in Chennai is always hot , hotter or hottest.. Though it does rain at times..
During summer the temperature is usually around 35 c to 42 c in the day time and drops to around 25 c in the night..
During winter the temperature is around 28c to 32c in the day time and drops to around 20c in the night..
The best time to visit chennai is between October to March .
Thursday 5 July 2007
About this blog
Im an amateur blogger and have recently ventured into blogging (like say a month ago)
In this blog space I will be blogging about Chennai, its culture , life style , food, people ,shopping et all .
And a lot more stuff happening in and around the place...
I'm born and brought up in Chennai , so I take this blog to my advantage and vent out the feeling and liking I have towards this mordern city which still holds on to its old time values and culture ... More like an old wine in a new bottle ..
Looking forward to make this space an encyclopedia of Chennai :)
I also blog at shals88.blogspot.com
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