Shopper's Link - December 2011

Marketing - G.R. Gokul Ram | Design - Swathi. A | S.Vishnu Columnists - Amrita Samant | Aishwarya Srikkanth | Radhika Mohan Vibha Batra Production & Distribution - A.Suresh Kumar | S. Rajesh

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Owned & Published by Nalini Radhakrishnan Iyer and published from

No. 1, Kalakshetra Avenue, IInd Street, Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai - 600 041 and

To advertise or to receive your own copy contact +919884663342 | [email protected]

Nalini & Lavanya

The month of December is filled with elements that heighten our 5 senses - so we have compiled a variety of stores, restaurants, destinations and entertainment that will help in doing just that!

Take in the breathtaking SIGHTS of the Andaman Islands, Shimla, Goa and Mauritius with travel tips from the Shopper’s Getaway column.

Ode Interiors a melange of beauty, design and style located in the quiet area of Neelankarai has a beautiful variety of home

furnishings for that comfortable TOUCH of fabrics and furniture for your home.

Walk into Mc Rennett’s for that SMELL of freshly baked bread in the mornings – a bakery that started in the 1900’s that still enchants their customers.

What could be better than HEARING the sound of your child’s laughter? Visit Hamley’s in Express Avenue for a great day of fun and games for your children; and who knows, you might end up buying a few games yourself!

Last but not the least, TASTE! A restaurant that promises to bring everything together – 5 Senses on Khader Nawaz Khan Road. A mouth watering Mediterranean spread awaits you!

CONGRATULATIONS to our winner for last month’s Kids Trivia Contest– NANDITHA R. RAJA!!! Keep an eye out on that mailbox for the many goodies coming your way!

Hope all of you enjoy the rest of 2011 and have a Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year!

Until next year...

Men’s Shopping

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The freshly baked cakes can be crafted into the shape of your choice from Mickey Mouse and Little Mermaid to cricket bats and black and white pianos! The cake base can be drenched in walnuts, raisins, chocolate chip or figs depending on your preference. Signature cakes from McRennett include Queen cake, pound cake, chiffon cake while the cherry, Dundee and plum cakes come with a distinct fruity punch. Fairytale weddings are incomplete without McRennett’s decorative and tiered wedding cakes, complete with white marzipan icing, satin ribbons and colourful sugar paste flowers. McRennett is also happy to whip up eggless cakes upon request. But there’s more to McRennett than just bread and cakes!

Bite into crunchy biscuits flavoured with coconut, cashew, orange, jam, jeera, chocolate cream, ginger and pineapple. Sinfully delicious fruit biscuits and nankhatais beckon silently. The glass shelves heave with cookies, macaroons, Swiss roll, cinnamon roll, Danish pastries, chocolate fondant, puffs, buns and muffins, while the slim Rusks and soup sticks oversee the robust, mouth-watering display….

Way back in the 1900s, the British memsahibs and gora sahibs in Madras craved the fluffy cakes, muffins and fresh bread, like what they were used to, back home! When Manickam Pillai started a bakery near Thousand Lights in 1903, it was thought appropriate to christen it with a European sounding name. The bakery whipped up the freshest bread and buns in Madras, for its discerning clientele, and McRennett was born…

Nothing beats the heady aroma of freshly baked bread! McRennett soon became synonymous with the best bread and cakes in Madras - a reputation they still adhere to with over 25 outlets dotting the city today! Get spoilt for choice with an infinite range on offer: masala, vegetable loaf, buttermilk and sultana bread. Then there’s ginger bread, garlic bread, whole wheat, white and brown bread.

McRennett our daily bread….

6 Shopper’s Link | December 2011

SHOPPER’S FLASHBACK

Anna Nagar | Tambaram East | Pallavaram T Nagar | Porur | Greames Road | Mandavelli Velacheri | Vadapalani | Kodambakkam Ashok Nagar | Purasavakkam | Nungambakkam Parrys | Perambur

Reviewed by Radhika Mohan

Skandaa

Classic Oriental Furniture | Modern Reproduction | Wooden Carving Accessories | Lamps | Paintings

Fine Oriental Furniture and Decor

We bring you exclusive wooden hand crafted furniture

3/534, Lakshmana Perumal Nagar,4th Street, Kottivakkam, Chennai - 68

www.skandaa.com | [email protected]

call us at +91 99405 61079 for viewing appointments

Here at The Cupcake Company we bake from scratch each and every morning using only the highest quality, freshest ingredients available! Our bakers prepare 10-12 specialty cupcakes and other creative confections for others to enjenjoy in the shop or for carry out.

Some Of Our FlavoursChip ‘ N ‘ Dale Delicious Choco Chip

Cupcakes With Sinful Choco GanacheLady In Red Smooth Red Velvet Cupcakes

With Cream Cheese IcingChoChoco Crazy Dense Chocolate Cupcakes

with Vanilla ButtercreamCookies N Cream Moist Vanilla Cupcakes

With Oreo ButtercreamPlain Jane Moist Vanilla Cupcakes With

Vanilla Buttercream

We also undertake custom orders for all occasions. Cookies, Donuts and Cheesecakes baked daily !

187 St. Marys Road (Next to Raintree Hotel), Alwarpet, Chennai 600018

M: +91 91768 08806E: [email protected]

A lush garden with tinkling wind chimes, a serene Buddha overlooking a glassy water body, tall Grecian vases, Roman urns and oversized urlis doubling up as planters leads to a room full of home accessories. Chinese medicine chests, offering bowls, nest of tables, Macao chests, candle stands, gilded mirrors and contemporary book shelves sit cheek by jowl. Rooms offer a complete display of bedroom, living and dining furniture in teak and engineered wood, wall / crockery units, bar solutions etc. Welcome to Ode…

Ode InteriorsIf you’ve always dreamt of the perfect home, your dream

could well be on the verge of reality!

Quite like the lyrical poem it is named after, Ode inspires exalted and enthusiastic emotion.Ode is not just about interiors, it is also about stylish and comfortable outdoor furniture: for the pool side, decks, gardens, sit-outs, etc in faux leather or wicker. Ode offers infinite options for window dressing: customized Roman and roller blinds sit besides chiks, sliding panels and wooden blinds complementing Ode’s comprehensive range of curtain fabric and even sun-control fabric which cuts down the heat quotient by 70% - the perfect solution for sunny Chennai!

An in-house design centre, ensures anything can be tailored to fit your home: from furniture and accessories to skylights, comforters and window fashion. The store showcases over 10000 varieties of fabrics, including some of the top international furnishing brands like Maishaa, Somfy, Hunter Douglas, Zimmer & Rhodes, Sunbrella, JM, Tattva, Forest and Nya Nordisk. Ode has a celebrity client list ranging from movie stars and swish socialites to restaurants, bistros, pubs, resorts, hotels and clubs.

Amble around the Ode showroom, make your choices, air your preferences and leave your dream home to Ode…


3/405, Santheep Road, Neelankarai, Chennai - 600041Ph: 24492110

Reviewed by Radhika MohanSHOPPER’S FEATURE

Custom Orders at Adyar outlet only

www.mavishome.com

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Imagine pandering to all five senses when you eat out! That would be a complete experience, wouldn’t it? The hot new Mediterranean restaurant on KNK Road promises just that…

The décor is a symphony of earthy tones with a splash of midnight, while the black & white posters of yesteryear stars add to the simplistic décor. This 200 cover restaurant has entertainment lined up in the evenings: jazz bands, instrumental music, solo singers, DJ, stand up comedy etc. The menu is designed like a backpacker’s journal and offers delicious Mediterranean fare, to whet your appetite and ensure you come right back, hungering for more!

A basil scented watermelon shooter is the perfect way to get you started on this culinary journey: Rubayan Mashwi served with a fattoush slaw, prawn tempura, panko crumbed bassa filet, basil crumbed mushroom cups or crisp buckwheat spinach fritters. The mezze platter is served hot or cold, and offers falafel with feta and spinach, ham with walnut ginger cream, baked chicken escalopes and lots more. For soup lovers we recommend the minestrone with a hint of pesto or a wild mushroom cappuccino.

They dish up some of the best pizzas in town: chorizo with blue cheese and mozzarella, Parma ham with granny Smith carpaccio, chicken ham with pate and pickled paprika etc. For those with a taste for the exotic, choices include Norwegian salmon with wasabi aioli, grilled prawn harissa millefeuille, seafood tagine, shish taouk, dajaj mashwi, crab meat ravioli etc. For the grand finale we recommend Tirmisu, chai yogurt or paan gelato.

There’s nothing ordinary about 5 Senses: the presentation is impeccable, the portions are just enough for one, the choices are infinite and the chef ensures he lends his extraordinary signature touch to ensure your five senses are completely satiated…

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Avid readers of Shopper's Link will attest to our affinity for setting a posh space—it is arguably as important as curating a chic closet! Our focus is aimed at Kaizen, boutique at Chamiers.

The products at Kaizen merge, form and function flawlessly, offering warmth and style to any space. Statement - making in every way, I recently chanced upon their exclusive pieces; wooden and high-gloss surfaces while seeking inspiration for a modern home makeover. A huge range of products in store from furniture, home accessories to beautiful lights and lovely scented candles, coasters and trays.

Owners Sonali Chitale and Ujjwala Naik Goenka say Kaizens specialty is customization - from furniture to candles for hospitality, events, gifts and any other special occasion. Their passion is so strong, that the conspicuous collection of home decor is fated to make an impact on any living space.

Styleyour Space

SHOP WITH AISHWARYA

15 December 2011 | Shopper’s Link

In addition to styling and designing, one of the many hats I wear on a day-to-day basis is that of interior decorator! Having just moved into a new home not long ago, I am on a tireless mission accessorizing each room as if it were an outfit! With the holiday season around the corner, Christmas and New year, there's nothing like accessorizing your space with scented candles which will not only fill a room with the most merry aroma but will also ornament any space beautifully thanks to their beautiful colors and decorations in different motifs and shapes like Chocolate which are totally irresistible! Makes a lovely gift too.

Among the lovely home accessories, what caught my attention were a range of gorgeous trays. Truly unique and destined to look fabulous in any room. Not to mention, the different hues that complement a variety of aesthetics. Look to them to liven up a counter space, work desk or coffee table alongside colourful coasters, a modern candle or tall vase then marvel at the chic outcome.

You can choose to invest in a beautiful coffee table or a single bamboo chair; even just one piece will dramatically update your home. What can I say? I have a weakness for fashion - forward furniture, and after shopping at Kaizen, I hope you do too!

New Year is the time to ring in the new - a time for new beginnings, new adventures and brand new holidays. It is time to get out of your comfort zone and try something out of the ordinary. So why not celebrate this New Year, by getting off the beaten track and doing something truly different? Here are 4 options to get you started on your plans for welcoming 2012.

ew Year ew beginnings

ISlaND hoppING IN aNDaMaNIf partying is not your style and all you want is a quiet break with each other or even with your extended family, then head to the islands of Andaman and Nicobar.

Soak in the tortured history of the islands, learn about the country’s independence struggle or simply

go island hopping. You can also experience the marine world at close quarters with

sparkling corals, rich flora and fauna and clear blue waters at the pristine beaches of Havelock and many other islands. Andaman has enough to keep your family occupied with scuba diving, snorkeling,

island camping, water skiing and many more activities. Once you have had your fill

of adventure sports, just sit back and unwind, and enjoy the advent of another brand New Year.


SHOPPER’S GETAWAY Travel with Richa Sharma

SkIING IN ShIMlaIf you fancy a cool new year with lots of snow, then head to Shimla in Himachal Pradesh. Shimla is breathtakingly beautiful with a thick pine cover, striking ravines and rivulets, and snow covered majestic peaks. So don’t forget to pack all your woolens and enjoy the chilly winds and the cold weather. For your shopping fix, head to Mall Road, the main shopping street of the city and pick up its famed local textiles. You can also go to nearby picturesque towns like Chail which was the summer capital of the ancient Maharajas and Kufri, the local winter sports centre. Enjoy winter sports like skiing, ice-skating, paragliding, mountain - cycling and trekking, camping and fishing. A great way to usher in 2012 with a bang and of course, lots of mojitos!

paRty IN GoaGoa is world famous for its beaches and parties, so if you are looking to party hard this New Year, then you should definitely hit one of its popular beaches like Calangute or Baga. You will be sure to find a number of happening parties which are de rigueur this time of the year. Enjoy the crowds, soak in the night life, chill out at the shacks, party at Goa’s world famous clubs and rub shoulders with socialites and celebs alike. The carnival - like atmosphere and the pleasant weather make the New Year weekend, the best time to visit Goa. Don’t forget to try out something different as well - meet people from different countries, try out the shopping at the night bazaars and listen to music of different genres for a truly multi - cultural New Year.

UNDeRSea walk IN MaURItIUSThis New Year, why don’t you celebrate in style at one of the most cosmopolitan destinations in the world- Mauritius. During the day, sample Mauritius’s delicious local cuisine at one of its many waterfront restaurants and cafes. Post which, visit the National History Museum or go shopping and pick up local artifacts and knick knacks. At night, experience Mauritius’s vibrant party culture at one of its many pubs, discotheques or casinos. For those seeking something different, there is undersea walking, a captivating once - in - a - lifetime experience which involves going by boat to the middle of the ocean and descending onto the ocean bed. So go ahead and welcome 2012 in your own unique way, as you walk the floor of the Indian Ocean and feel the fish swim by your face.

17 December 2011 | Shopper’s Link

essentials ravel

When packing for a trip, we pay so much attention to our clothes that need to fit in and almost forget about essentials that are needed to sustain our wardrobe. Let’s look at some critical essentials that help us keep up appearances when we arrive at our destination.

Travel clothes steamer/ Steam ironNothing can spell dowdy, unkempt or unprofessional like wrinkled garments. A travel iron is a must especially if it’s a business trip. They fit conveniently into your bag making you look meticulous and neat, unless of course you’re carrying wrinkle-free shirts.

Anti - theft messenger bagThe last thing we need is to lose our belongings on a trip. If you are going on a vacation, these messenger bags are a boon. Some of them have little organizers within it to keep your items safe and dry.

Travel grooming kitWhile packing your toiletries, one tends to forget the smaller items needed. That’s where a travel grooming kit comes into play. Complete with razors, nail clippers, tweezers, travel size tooth brushes and deodorant wipes; this kit is going to keep you looking fine and dandy.

Stain stickImagine staining your shirt just before a business meet? It’s easy to save yourself from such humiliation with this stain stick which is a great marker-like device that makes blemishes and stains magically disappear.

Shoe treesShoe trees are long metal sticks with wooden ends approximating the shape of a foot that are placed inside of shoes to preserve its shape thereby preventing shoes from creasing and increasing the durability of the shoe. Some high quality shoe trees are made from solid wood, which helps control odor and absorb moisture.

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Revieweby Amrita Samant, Image ConsultantMEN’S SHOPPING

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Shopper's Link - December 2011