Logomania

Out of the millions of nonsense SMSes I get daily, one caught my attention. It promised all the international brands in one store in Hyderabad and at less than half the price. The store was called Voila! On Road No 2, Banjara Hills. I ascertained its position the next time I passed that way. And then finally more than a month later I decided the time had come to check it out. So there I was whizzing along but keeping an eye along the left side of the road, when I saw a store that nearly made me crash the car.

Diesel.

In Hyderabad.

By the time I wrapped my brain about that I'd passed it, but oh boy, when I get over being lazy I'm so going back! If nothing then for the store design - I heard so much about the way it looked in Bombay. Also, uhm, one does wants to try on the pair of jeans one would have to shell out the many moneys for.

Well, on I went to Voila! and what should be the first thing to catch my eye but a shelf of Hermes bags. Not the Birkin and the Kelly, thank god, which are so done to death with everybody lugging them around, mindless of whether it's day or night.

Any other brand and I wouldn't ever have asked but with the 'we make everything by hand' and 'our waiting list stretches for years' Hermes, I asked point blank whether they were the genuine article.

The man attending to me seemed rather wounded and not only assured me that everything was real but that they could also give out certificates to that effect.

Ok then. Whenever I feel like shelling out 10k for a bag, which I know is a fraction of the real price, I'll land up there.

I tried on a pair of Louboutins, they assured me they had sizes; they had some Burberry jackets and dresses, some Gucci shoes, a Roberto Cavalli dress, some pretty BCBG, MaxMara - and all these brands would probably have a seizure - hung alongside Zara and Juicy Couture.

Happily for me (for when I shop sometime in the future) the price were all between 2-10k, decently affordable for the genuine article. Who cares if it's a couple of seasons old?

Qubani ka meetha

I've been going through a whole lot of food blogs and I thought I'd take a moment to write about something food in Hyderabad. And I'm going to begin with a surprise recommendation (well, surprising for me, since I never expected it) for a restaurant at which to eat Qubani ka Meetha.

I'm spoiled by my mum's and have always found the one's outside - eaten at restaurants and weddings - far too sweet and jammy. I like mine with the apricots showing whole and sort of poached-looking the juice not too thick and the entire with a hint of tart (the mother uses lime juice). I forget what she does to get the colour right but most public concerns go for the shortcut by adding Kissan Strawberry Jam (you can imagine what that tastes like).

Imagine my surprise at finding an excellent offering at Pista House. I had, expectedly, gone there for haleem in Ramzan, taking visitors along (one of whom famously called haleem baby food), and it was only because one of them insisted that we ordered the qubani ka meetha. What can I say - except that I ate as much as I politely could and resolutely (perhaps slightly wistfully) assured them that they must finish off the rest.

Nizam Club also does a very good qubani ka meetha, and what makes theirs so good is that they don't stint on the cream. Even better is their Apricot Pudding - which is qubani ka meetha layered with a thick custard and cream. I could eat plates and plates.

Also The Park Hyderabad has an interesting Qubani Creme Brulee that's both mild and modern.

But for thirds, give me the Apricot Pudding at Nizam Club any day.

Event horizon

After the 100 Charmers at the Taramati Baradari on Sunday (Jan 9), I'm now looking forward to Dastangoi on Saturday Jan 15 and In Vivo, S'poart on Jan 22.

Dastangoi came to Hyderabad a couple of months ago and everybody's raved about it - it's the art of telling tales, the way stories were passed down before books came upon the scene.

As for In Vivo S'poart (the last is pronounced Espoir meaning hope), it's a hip-hop dance performance by a French troupe. I have to say I didn't even know hip-hop could be used outside clubs till So You Think You Can Dance, and ever since (also post the Step Up and Step Up 2) I've become quite a convert. It's a fabulous spectacle.

the performance is open to all, and is at 7pm which means we can be back in time for dinner (very important this).

A place to visit in 2011

After being in the foreign press for all the wrong reason we're finally in it for the right ones . Hyderabad has been chosen as one of NY Times' 41 places to visit in 2011 (we're No. 19 on the list btw.

And all of that's down to two very good reasons - The Park Hyderabad and the Taj Falaknuma Palace. You couldn't find anything more disparate - the former a modern "design" hotel, the latter a renovated palace that's all about the luxe.

My pick - Falaknuma. Taj has made it an experience to remember and Sir Vicar-ul- Umra really knew what he was about when he picked the spot for his home. (The sixth Nizam knew what he was about when he accepted it as a gift too.) The picture above is of the 101-seater dining table.

State banquet anybody?

John Frieda and other imports

Last week, after a fruitless 10 days of looking around and asking people in Bombay-Delhi, I discovered that my favourite shampoo (John Frieda Brilliant Brunette) was available at Shishu on Road No 2. The shop also stocked a range from Bath and Body Works as well as Centrum tablets.

Hallelujah.

Earlier I'd discovered that Ruci & Idoni on Road No 10 kept Bundaberg Ginger Beer - I'd tried it in Australia and fallen in love with the cloudy brew. It was unbelievable happiness to find it in Hyd (I haven't even seen it in Delhi) and be able to enjoy it without the ticket to Oz.

And lastly, there's Chantelle lingerie. I heard about Buttercups from a friend in Delhi and after the initial snicker about the name was curious about this lingerie boutique. After the closure of Etam in India, I've been on the hunt for another brand to fill the loss.

Buttercups is located in an apartment right behind the Times of India building on Road No 3, Banjara Hills, and is rather nicely done. There's a boudoir-ish feel going and, thank the lord, women assistants. They stock French brand Chantelle, probably the most premium in the international market (prices hit the Rs3,000 mark). While I'm happy to have it in town, my only grouse is that for such premium prices I'd rather buy something very exciting rather than the sort of basic, discreet stuff Buttercups seems to stock. But maybe that's all about the timing and my next visit will find something good.

O bread my bread

I'm a big fan of BreadTalk at Q-Mart but I've picked my favourites (croissants, croissants, croissants) and stuck to them. I've glanced once or twice in the direction of the breads but always considered it a bit obscene to have to pay a 100 bucks or more for, you know, bread, and usually scoffed and walked past.

But a couple of weeks ago the spirit was weak and the flesh was rather willing and I found myself picking up the Sesame Walnut bread despite its Rs 135 price tag. It disappeared I know not how and so I picked up another lot the day before.

This, good people, is an excellent bread. Soft without being crumbly, textured without being a mouthful of walnuts or sesame, the veriest hint of sweet. So good I've been driven to posting about it.

I've spent the past three days eating it with a hunk of cheese. I've rounded off my dinner with that and I'm already thinking of a midnight snack of more of the same.