Aloft Project Star finals in Bangalore

I love Music and always looking out for performances and shows by not so popular musicians and bands as I feel the popular ones are too commercial. I enjoy concerts like Oktoberfest and NH7 because they showcase local talent and promote them. One similar attempt and effort is being made by Aloft Hotels via their Project Aloft Star campaign. As it's mentioned, it is all about unknown musicians "Be Discovered" by fast paced travelers not just from India but from all across the World!

Project Aloft Star was created by Aloft hotels in association with MTV Asia to invite unsigned bands and artists to showcase their talent by uploading their music videos on MTV Asia website and get votes from their fans so that they get a chance to perform at the finals in different Asian cities including Bangalore. 40% of public voting determined which entries got to perform at the finals for each cluster and the remaining 60% was determined by MTV. The finals of the Bangalore event was held at the W xyz bar at the newly opened Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park on Outer Ring Road, Bangalore.

One of my favorite finalists were Rahul Jain of India. He is a singer/composer/lyricist who started music at an early age of 9-10 years. He has composed more than 250 tracks and done more than 900 live shows, performed with all the leading musicians of the industry. He has composed more than 10 national level jingles  & for 2 feature films. Working as an independent artist, he wants his music to reach the best level where everyone can listen the feel and soul for music through his songs. It was great to interact with Rahul Jain and other musicians before they performed for the finals. 

The finalists were judged by one of my favorite musicians of all time - Dr. Palash Sen of Euphoria band. He was enjoying the music played by these bands and also giving them some valuable suggestions. He was very approachable and didn't have any qualms about being a celebrity! He also sang his popular song Maayeri at the end of the finals and enthralled the audience with his voice!

Not just me but my one and half year old son Reyansh also enjoyed the music a lot and started clapping and showing appreciation for all the bands! It was good to be hosted by Aloft hotels during Project Aloft Star as they are committed to cutting-edge music programming that supports emerging talent while discovering great music.

One of my other favorite bands was Keith Louis Castelino's band. Keith wanted to be a songwriter and make his music heard, to tell the world his story since childhood! He is passionate about writing and composing originals, be it acoustic rock/ grunge/ alternative rock. Every song that he writes has a story to tell which is inspired by his personal life experiences. His music is like bits and pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, that express every emotion there is, to him. Keith and his band came very close to winning the Project Aloft Star India finals but luck was not on their side! 

Each of the finalists at Aloft Project Star India Regional Finals in Bangalore brought on their unique blend of original compositions and covers and it was a tough fight between them! Boby Techi, Keith Castelino, Rahul Jain and Stebin Ben performed very well but the day belonged to Natania Lalwani who wowed the judges with her performance and walked away with USD 10,000! They were applauded both by the judges and the public. It was a perfect ending to a wonderful event which had an integration of online and offline marketing.

With 100 hotels open now and coming soon in 14 countries around the world, Starwood’s Aloft brand delivers a fresh approach to the traditional staid hotel landscape. For the ‘always on’ next generation of traveler, the Aloft brand offers a tech-forward, vibrant experience and a modern style that is different by design. For more information, please visit www.alofthotels.com. 

Terrific Troika

Recently got invited to Troika in Indiranagar on the 100 feet road for a cocktail making workshop by Rohan Carvalho of Bar Square India. Currently bar tending is still emerging as a profession and hence the need for an institute that could impart, knowledge to all those who decide to walk this road. Established due to their passion for bartending, flairing and training, Bar Square evolved. It is the brain child of two of Indias finest bartending champions: Rohan Carvalho (Ambassador of WFA: World Flair Association) & Shawn D’souza (1st Indian representative for BMGP in Italy). With numerous certifications, awards, fantastic reference, knowhow and international experience supporting them, Bar–Square is a well recognised institute to impart knowledge in the bartending space.

I tried my hand at making one of the signature cocktails too. The one I chose was the Caipiroska which provided for a refreshingly cool and scintillatingly heady sensation. Wondering about the ingredients? Here they are - 

• 45 ml vodka
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 3-4 mint leaves
• 5-6 lemon chunks

Wondering about the method to create the perfect Caipiroska? Here it is:

• Put lemon chunks, mint leaves and brown sugar in a glass and muddle them well. 
• Fill the glass with crushed ice
• Pour vodka on top.
• Yes, it's that simple! 
• Use old fashioned glass for serving
• Garnish it with sprigs of mint!

Rohan Carvalho of Bar Square was very jovial, friendly and approachable. He ensured we enjoyed making the cocktails with basic ingredients which are available everywhere. The confidence which this event instilled in me made sure that a teetotaller like me could also make perfect cocktails! 

There was more to the evening as we also explored the culinary delights of Troika. Troika houses the perfect blend of spirits, food and an open sky! We indulged in our senses in their extensive array of beverages and an exquisite spread of global cuisines ranging from Coastal to Oriental to Mediterranean, along with a live interactive Kitchen. 

Some of my favorites were Chicken Fa Fa, Za'tar chicken, Chicken Espetada in Starters and Tai Chi Chicken, Chicken Pan Fried Noodles and Malabar Prawn Curry among main course. In desserts, my favorite was Banoffee Pie which is short crust pastry filled with caramelized bananas in condensed milk, topped with sweet cream! It is recipe from England and was perfectly wonderful here too! 

Troika is definitely a must visit to experience the high life in Bangalore in luxury and style! 

For Reservations:

Phone: 080 61344890

Address: Above Zaica, 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar, Bangalore (Next to Starbucks)

Review of Trader Vic's Mai Tai Lounge in Bangalore

Recently my husband Hrish 'dhempe' Thota and me were invited to a cocktail tasting session at Trader Vic's Mai Tai lounge in Bangalore. So we went there along with few other friends - Ajan Kancharla, Priya Ranjan Singh, Santosh P and Vijetha. The lounge in the newly opened Orion Mall near Yeshwantpur was well decorated and looked very inviting.

Trader Vic's Mai-Tai lounge was tastefully decorated with a lot of hawaiian themes and perfect lighting which gave it an International feel. Check out the correct use of lights and masks on this wall of the lounge:

Hrish and I started our cocktails experience by tasting Trader Vic's version of Pinky Gonzalez which has tequila with few light rums. A lot of crushed ice was put in the cocktail too which made it more refreshing and soothing in the humid climate in Bangalore that day. We tried these cocktails using the long straws which are one of the specialties of Mai-Tai lounge. 

Another interesting cocktail was the Trader Vic's Rum Cup which is a frosty froth of fine rums, orange, lemon, lime and liquors. This was served in a festival communal bowl like most other ceremonial lau drinks. I loved the addition of fruits and fruit juices to this cocktail.

Hrish, Ajan, Santosh and Ranjan were enjoying the cocktails like Trader Vic's Mai Tai original cocktail, Tiki Puka Puka along with wonderful food like Beef Skewers and Maui Wui Shrimp. Just look at the below picture to see how happy they look!

In the polinesian food that was served at Trader Vic's Mai Tai Lounge in Orion Mall in Bangalore, I personally liked chicken starters like the following Chicken fingers which were spicy and tasty at the same time. The sauce with which it was served and the coleslaw was heavenly! 

I also liked the Menehune Hummus - Classic Hummus made with Green Chillies and Roasted Garlic & served with Grilled Pita bread. This complimented the wonderful taste of the cocktails which were served to us. 

Ranjan didn't like to drink with just 1 long straw. So he combined couple of straws to make this real long straw to have his cocktail! Check him out enjoying the Rum Kennel! 

Finally one picture for our memories - Hrish and me enjoying the wonderful cocktails at Trader Vic's Mai Tai lounge :-)