MARTINIS AND MUNESH : ARABIAN NIGHTS

P Sood is busy putting the finishing touches for the party before the evening guests arrive . An early Saturday evening dinner with a few close friends before  he takes the early morning flight to Dubai,  a city which is definitely not  one  of his favourites. But today Sood is happy as he looks forward to a fun filled evening before what he beileves will be 2 miserable days in Dubai . 

 Raju , the master food conesiur is the first to arrive , boundless energy , a spring in his walk , he throws across a CD,  saying " play this man it's the house music of the Okku lounge."Hesitantly,  Sood asked what is OKKU , only to be met with an incredulous look , " you never been to Okku , it may definitely be one of the better resturants and coolest bar in Dubai!!!!! " Says our man.

The music is good , reminding Sood of Cafe del Mar more than Costes ., enough to perk his interest and make a mental note of  OKKU .

Sunday evening after a hard days of work in Dubai , Sood and his friend decide to go a drink , Sood recommends the OKKU  , his friend a Dubai resident for a few years had never been there although he had heard of it . 10 pm they stroll through the lobby of the H Hotel in Dubai , make their way to the first floor of the hotel and soon find themselves at the Okku . The velvet rope ,  the 2 security personnel , and the svelte ladies dressed in TBD look  both imposing and enticing , but sure enough they do turn us down for not having reservations.  We use the magic password "  is Ramzyn  ( one of the cowoners ) at the resturant ?  with a swoosh of a magic wand the rope is set aside , Natasha from South Africa becomes our host for the evening and whisks us to a table . Past the lounge , , past a very very chic bar , to  our table near the long sushi counter

Seated at the table , Sood finally gets a chance to look around .  Stylish , chic , buzzing , boisterous ,  very very good looking people , we proudly pat ourselve on our back , maybe it is one of the criteria to walk in and the two of us did qualify. Dark stone , low lighting , low level sitting , a screen made of fairy LED lights dividing the bar area from the resturant,  a well stocked bar  and yes the centre of attraction a UV lit jellyfish aquarium,no less . No doubt it tops most of the hot lists of the region.

Natasha is back , making sure we are comfortable and wether we are ready to order , not really we say , we had come here for the bar and to the bar we head past the fairy lights .The house music is playing a bit louder at the bar , the atmosphere very chic , you could be forgiving if you think you are in New York and any moment , Beyonce or justin Timberlake would walk in . But this is Dubai and Okku is not withouth it's share of celebrities , so in walks in Lionel Ritchie , taking a que from his song All night long we know this is going to be long night so we quickly settle in at the bar and order the 15 year Nika whysky.


Many many Nika's later we do wind our wAy to the table and sit down for dinner , the Wagyu beef , yellowtail carpaccio , the black cod and of course the chilled sake .

We thought it was a good evening and we were well behaved ,  until the morning , that is , we were suprised to see a number of messages on our phone  asking why were we calling to say I love you in the middle of  the night . Well Mr Lionel Richie , I do believe we meant it from the bottom of our heart.

MARTINIS AND MUNESH :ON THE HEMINGWAY TRAIL

 ON THE HEMINGWAY TRAIL

On the Hemingway trail

Leaning back in the comfort of Virgin Atlantic business class, having just finished a massage and sipping the last few dregs of a 1997 chardonnay, P.K. Sood is apprehensive of what lies ahead in Havana. A consummate i-banker and believer in all things capitalist, he is soon to land in the last bastion of true communism. The airport barely passes muster; the baggage hall has no power. Coming out of the terminal, along queue awaits him to exchange money – and they will not exchange dollars.

Sood is soon at the doorstep of the hotel Santa Isabel, which had been booked a month before the trip. It’s mid-afternoon and he knows of extended siestas in tropical islands, but it is awfully quiet at the hotel. A frustrating half an hour later, through Spanglish translations, Sood learns that the hotel has been closed for more than a week, due to a break-down in air-conditioning. Finally, well ensconced in the cool luxury of the Saratoga Hotel, formerly a heritage building, and revived, he is eager to get on the Ernest Hemingway trail of the bars, and in particular, the La Bodeguita. Also called the Mecca of Mojito as the famous Mojito was created here, it was the author’s favorite haunt. Established in 1942, the place originally operated as a shop selling Cuban products and the now famous concoction of rum, sugar, mint lemon and club soda called the Mojito.

By 1950, this was the place to be seen in Havana and through the years, it has stood the test of time, including the revolution, as it enjoyed the patronage of Fidel Castro. The bar, spread over two levels, is overflowing with Mojitos and tourists. Every inch of the walls is covered with photographs of celebrities such as Nat King Cole, Pablo Neruda, Fidel Castro, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Ernest Hemingway, Madonna, Pierce Brosnan, Marlene Dietrich, et al.

Whoever has ever visited or lived in Havana has paid homage to this Mecca and almost every visitor to the bar is convinced that he has to add to allure and tradition of the La Bodeguita by scribbling on the walls, getting photographed (at an outrageous price) and buying the La Bodeguita house collection CD, all of which Sood, as a diligent tourist does. There also hangs a legend that in 1997, a bomb was planted by US agents or their sympathisers at the Bodeguita bar and moments before the bomb went off, a tourist, who was later identified as Ernesto Cruz Leon, a Scandinavian mercenary who planted the bomb, got himself photographed with the bartender.

After all these years, the La Bodeguita may be a bit cheesy with an accentuated touristy demeanor, Mojitos are refreshing and transport Sood into a sublime state of mind and a mellow mood.

The Classic Mojito:

• Six Freshly washed mint leaves,
• Two teaspoons bar sugar
• Three-four ounce of good aged rum and
• Soda Water

Muddle the mint, sugar and lime juice in a tall glass. Add rum. Top with ice and Soda. Garnish with mint sprigs.

And Enjoy!

Original Article as it appeared in Business India 

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Munesh Khanna: MARTINIS AND MUNESH: BOHEMIAN PARADISE

Munesh Khanna: MARTINIS AND MUNESH: BOHEMIAN PARADISE: MARTINIS AND MUNESH: Bohemian Paradise Prague is not very large city, almost intimate in nature, like discovering a new fr...

MARTINIS AND MUNESH: BOHEMIAN PARADISE

MARTINIS AND MUNESH:

Bohemian Paradise

Prague is not very large city, almost intimate in nature, like discovering a new friend

Bohemia, the very term conjures thoughts of an alternative lifestyle, a poet, an artist, a wide array of interest in fine arts, music, and literature. No wonder that Prague occupies a significant place on the world map of the best in culinary, bar and nightlife experience.

Prague, the city itself gives the feeling of a warm, cosy evening at a friend’s place. Not a very large city, almost intimate in nature, it’s like discovering a new friend and getting to know him or her in one evening while exploring the town on foot. Cobble stone labyrinth lanes lead to the Old Town Square or the Charles Bridge. Tucked in these lanes, Prague expresses its hospitality with a  varied choice of bars, The Black angel, Trsynka Books and Bar, James Dean Bar, Tretters and Bugsy just to name a few of the best. However the overall favorite by a far margin for Sood is Tretters Bar.

Sood was feeling mellow, it was his last day in Prague, and on that cold winter evening, he left his hotel the Mandarian Oriental alone, telling colleagues that he would meet them later at the Tretters Bar. He walked through the Kampa Park, stopping for a coffee at the Mlynska Café, an early 20^th century water mill, now transformed into an avant garde café, bursting with people from the theatre, film making, authors, and students-an-eclectic mix, also evident in the choice of food  as dozens of cup cakes, coffee and various Czech beers were consumed. Warmed up with caffeine, He braves the walk across the Charles Bridge. Although a moonless winter night, the river is illuminated by the lights on the bridge, the pretty building on both the banks and the Prague castle in the background. He reflects on his first magical trip to Prague, raising the question once again in his mind, whether there is merit in the rumour that the Prague castle was the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Disney Land?

A DRINK OR TWO

Once across the Charles  Bridge,Sood takes a detour to the La Cassa Del Habano on V Celetna to buy cigars and a few matchboxes for his collection from what he believes is definetly one of the best cigar shops in Eastern Europe. A redeeming feature of Prague bars is that they still allow smoking.

In one of the lanes off the Old Town Square, a few metres onto V. Kolkovne, just arounde the corner from James Dean bar, is the bar Tretters, where Sood’s colleagues are waiting for him. A bit of Paris and New York of the 1930s still retained in 2012. He feels like Owen Wilson in woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris walking into the past and expecting to see a Kafka, Kundera, or Capek sitting with the locals, sharing a drink. Although in the heart of the touristic Old Town, the bar is filled, more by the Prague jet set than tourists. Classy women, bespoke suits, self – assured banker’s and businessmen’s suggestive banter and easy laughter fills the bar.

Martin Tretter, whose family has owned the bar for more than 90 years, takes great pride in everything at the bar starting with the dark wood furniture and red warm upholstery. Filled with nostalgia items, photographs of yesterdays star, archaic ringing cash register, period lamps, crystal decanters and ofcourse the long bar is stocked with almost every typed of liquor in the world. The owner of Tretters also run the Bar Academy of Prague, the foremost institute of bartending in Czech. Not surprisingly that the best of the bartenders in Prague are at Tretters. They are courteous, lively, conversationlists with not only the knowledge of mixing a great cocktail but also with a view on life general.

Many hours later, a number of cocktails and martin’s down, the humidor of the bar raided for many cigars, the house cocktail book purchased, photographs with George clicked for memory and posterity,

 a content, reflective, mellow Sood staggers out of Tretters to go, but as the other famous son of  Prague, Franz Kafta wrote, “Prague never let you go!”

The original article that appeared Business India

MARTINIS AND MUNESH: THE BLUE BAR

Keeping up with the Sood’s

Blue Bar, London

Boarding flight BA138 to Mumbai, on his way to the First Class lounge, Sood momentarily pauses at the HMV music store on hearing a Bebel Gilberto song. The song ends and before he can resume his onward journey, he is captivated by the next song, not Bebel but equally enchanting. Sood approaches the shop assistant and asks, “what’s playing?” The shop assistant flashes a grin and shoots back, “cool, innit?” and promptly proceeds to sell him a three CD  set, in a baby blue box. 

A nine hour flight to Mumbai later, having played the music on the laptop and fiddled with the CD box, Sood figures out that the compilation is from  the Blue Bar, London. A week later, he’s back to close the deal of the year, and later that chilly February evening sees him walking down Knightsbridge, through the charming and understated lobby of the Berkeley Hotel to see and be seen at the Blue Bar. 

What’s in a name? Well, the Blue Bar, he notices, is unmistakably an elegant shade of soft “lutyens” blue. Not a very large bar, its fairly crowded, but well laid out in three distinct areas. Modern, with classical design elements – the walls, the carpet, the  pale leather designer chairs are all a delicate, soft, blue. There are dashes of other colours: red lampshades, a white onyx bar counter, golden glow from 50 types of whiskey on the shelves behind it a black mock-croc leather floor.. The people all around are chic, older, well-heeled. Perhaps not a place to let your hair down, but lots of conversation and a distinct buzz.

The specialty of the bartender Santino telCicciari, is a  popular grappa cocktail. Santino mixes almond grappa with mirto, a Sardinian liqueur made with myrtle berries and some water. Sood sticks to the vodka martinis and the occasional cigar (this was when the city of London allowed smoking in public areas) and panders his Italian soul with the fiery Sundried Martini (Belvedere Vodka, sundried tomatoes, olive oil, tomato juice) – “a delicately prepared drink with enough kick to blow your head off’”. An attentive table service ensures a constant supply of strong martinis, and excellent tapas and olives. He toys with the menu, finally settling for crab with chives and settles down to some celebrity spotting (apparently celebs Madonna, Leonardo Di Capri , Mick Jagger frequent  the bar), and lets the music wash over him. 

The original article in Business India 

MARTINIS AND MUNESH :MAKING MERRY AT THE OLD KING COLE BAR

MAKING MERRY 

Old King Cole

Was a merry old soul,

And a merry old soul was he;

He called for his pipe,

And he called for his bowl,

And he called for his fiddlers three!

And every fiddler, he had a fine fiddle,

And a very fine fiddle had he.

"Twee tweedle dee, tweedle dee," went the fiddlers.

Oh, there's none so rare

As can compare With King Cole and his fiddlers three.

Cooling his heels in the lobby of the St Regis hotel in midtown New York, as a young banker Sood is not a merry soul. To start with, his client is late. As he takes in the ambience of the marble clad lobby, elaborate draped canopies, carved plaster moldings, he is overcome by annoyance at the client who has put him up at a rather less impressive chain hotel and has personally very conveniently turned up a day later and checked into the St Regis on the pretext that no rooms were available at the other hotel. Swept up by the old world charm, Sood  relaxes and starts noticing the bold and the beautiful walk through the lobby into the bar on the other end. One day, he swears, one day - this is the place he will stay and that is the bar that he will drink in. 

Many moons later, Sood checks in at the hallowed lobby of the St Regis hotel, and soon takes refuge in the dark, woody warmth of the KingColeBar. The marble lobby contrasts the dark, lounge, gentlemen's club feeling of the bar (women were not permitted into the bar area until the 1950's). This bar is famous for the huge mural by Maxfield Parrish (one of the greatest American illustrators), depicting the eponymous nursery rhyme, which runs from one end of the bar to the other and stares down at the patrons. The clientele is well heeled, old school New York  a few midtown bankers and a few fashionable women, taking a break from shopping at Tiffany's around the corner  and most importantly, no tourists! 

The house specialties are the stiff martinis and of course, the signature drink is the Red Snapper, the St Regis version of the Bloody Mary - there many claimants to the invention of this drink, including Harry's Bar and also the Hemingway Bar in Paris (we prefer the Hemingway bar legend). The drink bar snacks are excellent and Sood finds himself munching Wasabi crunches, pretzels and macadamias and examining the bar matchbox for his collection (it has a picture of the mural on it). 

The bartender and the bar attendants are ever helpful and make sure that no one is drinking alone. One of them, of Bangladeshi origin, strikes up a conversation with Sood, asking him if he watched Bollywood movies and mentions that a Bollywood movie was being shot in the Disney store across the street. Within minutes, the discussion turned to the stars in the movie and it happened that some of them were (obviously) known to Sood. Armed with a promise of a free martini, the bar attendants and Sood make their way across the street and soon they are preening at being introduced to a reigning Khan, who then joins Sood at the bar. Plenty of free martini's follow …  

The original article as it appeared in Business India