The World's First Diet Whisky

CityInfo
Mumbai
Cover Story

The World's First Diet Whisky
McDowell’s DietMate will arrest the urge to over indulge in eating. And thus keep your cholesterol under control

“Drinking alcohol makes me fat.” Health conscious Mumbai-ites have long restrained themselves from drinking. But what is a party if you have no alcohol flowing? The growing concerns about weight and obesity among alcohol consumers led McDowell’s No1 to address their concerns. It seized this opportunity to address a key
consumer need for fitness with the introduction of DietMate, a diet whisky.
The caramel content in alcohol is the only source of calories. However, it is used in a minuscule quantity to enhance the colour of whisky. It is the fried and fat-soaked snacks eaten as accompaniment to liquor that leads to obesity.
Mc Dowell’s developed the concept of DietMate Whisky based on the feedback it received from people looking for a product of this nature. The whisky has an extract added from a flower – Garcenia – an ancient Indian herb. The extracts of this flower helps burn excess body fat and mars the appetite. This in turn keeps the cholesterol levels in the human body under control. This is effective since people overlook how much they snack once they start drinking.“ McDowell’s DietMate will arrest the urge to over indulge in eating. And thus keep cholesterol under control,” said Alok Gupta, Executive Vice President, United Spirits. The best part is that there are absolutely no side effects!
The McDowell’s No 1 DietMate is a unique blend which has been meticulously researched and perfected. It has the smoothness of a reserve whisky.
“McDowell’s No1 DietMate understands the consumer’s concern for fitness. Keeping in mind this growing need of health conscious drinkers, Mc Dowells No. 1 has come up with this unique offering. With increasing stress levels, health complications and work taking its toll, more and more youngsters are looking for healthier alternatives that fit into their lifestyle,” said Gupta. Diet whisky is the first alcoholic drink with cholesterol control properties. “The product is a result of two years of intensive R&D. We have been careful to retain the taste, aroma and colour of the whisky,” said Gupta. The taste of the original McDowell’s No 1 whisky has not been tampered with.
People who have sampled the new DietMate find it comparatively smoother than normal whisky.
Feedback from these early tests has shown that they like the taste of the whisky.
After the runaway success of DietMate in Mumbai, the UB group plans to bring out other diet variants. The product was first launched in Mumbai. Since then it has been launched in Thane, Nagpur and recently in Goa. It will soon be launched in Pune and Kolhapur as well. DietMate is available at Rs 336 for a 750 ml bottle. Cheers to good health!

Vie Fi

CityInfo
Mumbai
Gourmet Pick

Vie Fi
“Our chefs create unique dishes, you will not find anywhere else in Mumbai.”

If you’re looking for a good meal in an exotic ambience, Vie’s the place to be.. The food has rare constituents and alluring flavours from the Mediterranean.
As you enter the lounge, you are greeted with a sprawling wooden deck, which extends onto a glass landing. This rolls straight onto the beach, where you can dig your feet into the warm sand. On a lazy evening, chill out with a glass of Kingfisher beer as you soak yourself in the warmth of the evening.
Vie has been aesthetically divided into separate spaces, ensuring the guests their privacy and choice of ambience. Besides, they also have a private members lounge accompanied with a bar area. The restaurant has two large bars, which serve an exotic variety of cocktails. You can choose from their illustrious fresh fruit blends, Collins, Daiquiris and flavoured Martinis.
“We have a special menu every fortnight, where our chefs create unique dishes, you will not find anywhere else in Mumbai,” boasted Suneil Dudhalkar, manager.
The BBQ kitchen is a hit among the regulars at the restaurant. The menu boasts of some of best grills served with a Middle Eastern flavour. Indulge in sappetizers like Pomfret Charmulla, Chicken Juniper and Blue Cheese Chicken Tikka.
“We have recently introduced Sunset Coffee Session,” informed Suneil. The coffee session consists of a round of coffee and snacks like sandwiches between 4 and 6.30 every evening.

Vie Lounge & Deck, 102 Juhu Tara Road, Opp Little Italy, Juhu
Ph: 2660-3003
7 pm – 1.30am

A Twist In The Tale

CityInfo
Mubai
Cover Story

A Twist In The Tale
Global cuisine goes Asian. At Seijo & The Soul Dish.

How about a trip around the world even as you are seated at a restaurant?
Seijo & The Soul Dish offers the best of world cuisine. What’s unique about the myraid dishes served here is that each of them have been given a diustinctive South East Asian flavour.
Seijo and the Soul Dish is an open air Pan-Asian diner. The Singapore Laksha, which is a specialty at this restaurant is prepared using authentic ingredients. These can be eaten with Mirin, which is a type of rice dish.
The restaurant area is galactic. With a seating capacity of 100 people, this area has been designed in a courtyard style and the ceiling is 25 ft high. “This is in keeping with Japanese styles. They believe in openness,” explained Kishore D F, proprietor. There is a lot of greenery and bamboo shoots all around. The dining area has a calm and peaceful atmosphere. Besides the Japanese touch, the interiors also have a distinct Asian influence. Modern Japanese Art, popularly known as Manga Art, adorns the walls. And the sound of flowing water adds to the ambience.
The chef, Irfan Pabaney has trained in Singapore, and makes an amazing array of Sushi – Egg, Maki Roll, Prawn Sushi, Lobster Sushi and Spicy Tuna Sushi. The Indonesian Sambals, which is a popular form of curry, is another one of their specialties.
There are three variations of the Thai curry served here, each of which have distinctly different flavours – red which has a dominant chilly flavour; green which has a dominant coriander flavour; yellow which has a dominant turmeric flavour. “We use authentic ingredients, which are all imported from various South East Asian countries.
On offer on the starters menu are the likes of Chicken Otak-Otak which is minced chicken in five spices. This is wrapped in a banana leaf, steamed and then grilled, before its served. Their range of vegetarian starters includes Kakiyagi, a combination of spring onion and fresh corn. there’s plenty more to choose from.
The bar at Seijo and the Soul Dish is equally fancy. This bar area is separate from the lounge and the restaurant area. Huge Japanese manga artwork adorn the walls of the bar, where world beats accompanied by a live percussion beats set the mood for the evening. This mainly Jconsists of African and South American strains. Sprawled over a 3000 sq ft area, it is a modern ecliptic bar, which has a distinct New York style to it. It specialises in different types of Martinis. The barman will fuse various flavours in Martini like vanilla and yellow melon.
The signature drink is Batida. Seijo and the Soul Dish prides itself as being the only restaurant in Mumbai to serve this drink. It is a Brazilian carnival drink, made with fruit juices and raw sugarcane liqueur. This liqueur is specially imported from Brazil. Teetotallers can opt for the Mohito, international drink. It is a comination of ginger and lemon.
Brazilian drink, New York-styled bar. Wouldn’t that make Seijo & the Soul Dish a multi-cuisine restaurant? Kishore disagreed. “All our dishes have a South East Asian twist.” The restaurant has been rated the Best Looking Restaurant in India.
“Very urban and very different from any other place in Mumbai,” as one of their customers would have it.

Seijo & the Soul Dish, 206 Krystal, Waterfield Road, Bandra
Ph: 2640 5555

Rustic Echoes

CityInfo Mumbai
Gourmet Pick

Rustic Echoes
11 Echoes is designed to create the perfect setting; rustic in design, with strong influences of the Mediterranean.

Across the shores of the Arabian Sea, built in a gentle curve, 11 Echoes is an all-new destination for Mumbai’s happening crowd. The restaurant is an eclectic mix of modern European cuisine, great cocktails, pastas and a warm ambience. As Puneet, one of its owners, said, “Great emphasis was laid not only on the quality of the cuisine but also the music and the setting of the place. This enhances the overall experience at 11 Echoes.”
Spread across two levels and divided into four unique spaces, 11 Echoes is designed to create the perfect setting; rustic in design, with strong influences of the Mediter-ranean.
The exotically lit inner area is furnished with plush white sofas that accentuate the feel of a lounge, while the stone floor and the high wooden ceilings meet whitewashed walls in a gentle curve. A wooden deck encompasses the bar area which leads you to the fine dining section outside. The Aqua bar, inspired by the ocean, beckons you to enjoy heady cocktails even as the sea mists your senses. Sample the delicious Pomegranate Couscous or bite into a juicy Seared Fillet Mignon. Compliment your meal with a mug of Kingfisher beer. The terrace dining area, which overlooks the expanse of the ocean, is the perfect setting for a quiet candlelight dinner while you watch the rippling of the waves as you dine in candlelight and enjoy the music that runs through the entire space.
Let the 11 Echoes fill you -- mind, body and spirit.

11 Echoes, Opp Palm Grove, Juhu Beach. Ph: 2617-7524/25

Choose Your Lobsters and Crabs

CityInfo
Cover Story, Mumbai

What You See Is What You Get
At Mahesh Lunch Home, you can choose your lobsters and crabs before it is cooked and served.

It may not be a good idea to count your chickens before they are hatched, but you sure can choose your seafood before its served to you. At Mahesh Lunch Home, the seafood of your choice is brought live to your table before it is cooked and served to you. You can choose your lobsters and crabs before the chef begins working his magic and transforming them into appetizing and finger-smacking dishes.
The restaurant is known for its Prawns Gassi which can be had with Appams.
“Gassi is another name for curry, except that it has a little more body than the conventional curry does. It is made by grinding coconut with handfuls of red chillies, with cumin seeds, coriander seeds and tomatoes for taste, kokum and tamarind water, thereby assuring that the taste is both hot and sour,” said Suraj Shetty, director.
Started as a humble Mangalorean eatout specialising in seafood in the corporate hub of Mumbai, Mahesh Lunch Home has grown to become a much sought after destination for seafood.
“When we started 27 years ago in Fort, the restaurant was frequented mainly by office-goers in the area,” said Shetty. “But the consistent quality of our food has attracted people from all over Mumbai.” Mahesh Lunch Home has also gained an equal amount of popularity among foreigners visiting the city. Begin your meal with a glass of Solkadi, which is a popular Mangalorean drink. It is the Konkan elixir for the digestive system. The extract of a tamarind variety called Sol (kokum), it is tonic for the soul. No Mangalor-ean meal is complete without this appetiser. The ingredients for this drink are supposed to have soothing properties and help combat acidity. Solkadi comes as a highly recommended drink if you order a plate of Crab Curry and rice.
Mahesh Lunch Home is modest in every sense, except for its food, which is exemplary. The interiors of the restaurant are simple yet contemporary. The décor combines glass, wood and brick to create a welcoming warmth. The lighting is subtle, concealed behind frosted sheets of glass with fish embossed on them. A massive fish tank at the far end of the restaurant will not escape your eyes. It has some beautiful fishes. Mind you, these fishes are not for eating!
The staff at the restaurant is friendly. And if you can’t decide what to order, follow their advice. Rest assured, you will have no regrets. And if you want to play safe, order Solkadi with Fried Fish and Rice – satisfaction guaranteed.
Everything is incredibly fresh, but favourites include Surmai Fry, Pomfret Curry and Tandoori Pomfret. Also recommended are the Prawn Koliwada, Crab Tandoori, Pomfret in Green Masala, or any of the fish curries. Some of the more popular dishes are Pomfret Tandoori, Crabs in Butter Pepper Garlic and Lobsters in White Sauce. They have delicious Pomfret, Surmai, Mackerel and Prawn Masala. They also make excellent fish in gravy called Fish Masala.
If you’re tired of the usual rice or chapattis, try the Neer Dosas. They are thin dosas or crepes made of rice flour. They are thin, light, puffy and delicious; they simply melt in the mouth. They go very well with Fish Curry or Prawn Masala.
Mahesh Lunch Home also serves meat, chicken and Chinese dishes, but only the misguided would come here and skip the sensational seafood.
And if all of this has set your tongue on fire, polish it with a cool malai kulfi for dessert.
Mahesh Lunch Home is a restaurant infrequent visitors to Mumbai must visit, if only to sample what the seafood craze in Mumbai is all about.

Mahesh Lunch Home
8B Cawasji Patel Street
Ph: 2287-0938

Juhu Tara Road
Santacruz West
Ph: 5695-5554
12 – 3 pm & 7pm – 12.30 am

Tribute to Tradition

CityInfo, Mumbai
Cover Story

Tribute to Tradition
The conventional Dal Bukhara served in Khurja pottery at the Peshawri has won the restaurant accolades for being the best Indian restaurant in the world.

Dal Bukhara, a dish served at The Peshawri, has won the restaurant accolades for being the best Indian restaurant in the world by the US-based Restaurant magazine, thrice in a row! Wonder what could be so very special about the ordinary dal, the staple diet of every Indian family?
Chef Bhaskar Sankhari, the man who has been creating magic in the kitchens of the ITC Grand Maratha Sheraton which is where the Peshawri is located, would tell us only so much: “I prepare the dal with spices and cream and leave it to slowly simmer on the tandoor overnight.”
Well, chefs have to be allowed to keep their secrets or eating out would never be the same. As the chef elaborated, “Every table at Peshawri calls for a plate of Dal Bukhara.” He takes a whopping order for 90 plates of Dal Bukhara everyday!
Tandoor is a clay oven used to cook food in the Indian North West Frontier province, which is the cuisine served at The Peshawri. The cuisine has been inspired by the Bukhara style of cooking, which is basically cooking of mildly flavoured meat directly over the fire.
“We serve the dal with a dollop of white butter,” added Sankhari. The Dal Bukhara tastes best with Indian breads, since the dal is thick in consistency. They have a special bread - Naan Bukhara - which serves 6-7 people and is the perfect accompaniment to the Dal Bukhara.
The restaurant is set amidst a charming rustic ambience. Unlike most restaurants which have a feminine feel to the décor, The Peshawri has a rugged and masculine look. The walls and the floors are made of stone. The seating is low, carved out of wood logs. Seasoned teakwood has been used for decorations on the walls.
To complete the rustic picture, the food here is served in Khurja pottery — glazed bowls made in the villages of Uttar Pradesh in Northern India. The pottery is showcased in wooden racks along the walls.
The chefs at Peshawri believe that fine dining is purely a sensory experience. You need to have all your five senses stimulated if a meal is to be truly satisfying. In keeping with Indian tradition, guests are encouraged to eat with their fingers so as to enjoy their meal better. The staff is dressed in traditional Pathani suits and jhuttis (typical Indian footwear).
Once seated, the guest is handed an apron instead of the regular table napkin, which double up as hand towels too.
Other dishes from the Peshawri kitchen include Murg Malai kebab, Reshmi Kebab, Kastoori Kebab, Tandoori Chicken, Sikandari Raan, Burra Kebab, Peshawri Kebab and Seekh Kebab in the non-vegetarian selection. They also have a Seafood Platter of Tandoori Prawns, Tandoori Promfret and even Tandoori Lobsters.
Besides Dal Bukhara, vegetarians can choose from their Tandoori Aloo, Paneer Tikka, Tandoori Shimla Mirch, Tandoori Phool (cauliflower) and Sab Sheekh Kebab.
All the food served here comes with a distinctive smoked flavour since it is cooked over amber charcoal doused with pure ghee. And the dishes are served with raita — thick curds with a garnishing of your choice.
Good food is obviously accompanied by good drinks. The bar at Peshawri is well stocked with an array of imported spirits and wines, along with choice of cocktails and mocktails. Scotch and whiskey however, remain the most preferred drink accompaniments with the kind of food served here.
As is the popular trend, Peshawri too has an open kitchen and encourages guests to take part in the fun session of cooking meals. “Foreign guests are often inquisitive to know how a Rumaali roti is made. And we put up quite a show,” smiled Sankhari.


The Peshawri
ITC Grand Maratha Sheraton
Sahar
Ph: 2830-3030

Taking The Atkins Road

080 The Bangalore Monthly Update

Taking The Atkins Road
All the world’s high on Atkins and low on carbs. Contrary to belief, the Atkins Diet is not a high-protein one but one which eliminates carbohydrates from your diet

Dr Atkins created his revolutionary diet on the basis of how our body uses energy. When food is consumed, the body first uses up the carbohydrates for energy. The fats and proteins meanwhile, are stored away in the body in the muscles. It is based on the premise that the elimination of carbohydrates from the diet will result in weight loss, good health, and euphoria.

Revolutionary idea
Atkins restricts processed/ refined carbohydrates (which make up more than 50 per cent of many people’s diet), such as high-sugar foods, breads, pasta, cereal and starchy vegetables.
Core vita-nutrient supplementation includes a full-spectrum multivitamin and an essential oils/ fatty acid formula. Unlike other weight-loss programmes, Atkins allows you to eat satisfying amounts of delicious, nutrient-dense foods – and customize the programme to your individual needs and tastes.
Read on for do’s and don’ts, and an item-by-item guide to what you should be eating while getting to the weight you’ve always wanted.

Atkins Diet Tips and Secrets for Success
- Eat enough calories. Try to get 8-10 calories per ½ kilo of current body weight every day. If you consume too few calories your body will go into ‘starvation mode’ and weight loss will slow or stop.
- The Atkins diet is all about learning how different foods affect you so that you can decide which foods to remove from your diet and which you may enjoy regularly.
- Drink enough water. At least 2000 ml per day. Drinking water aids in lipolysis (break down of fats) and in eliminating ketones. Yes, you do literally urinate your fat away!
- Eat the level of carbs that make you feel your best. You may be able to eat 90 grams per day, but if you feel better at 75 grams, you’re more likely to stick with it.
- And the most important of all; if you fall off the wagon, don’t give up. Forgive yourself and get right back with your Atkins diet plan.

Bookmark
The book Dr Atkins’ New Diet Revolution works because it targets our stored body fat. Fat is out body’s back-up system for fuel to general energy. If we take it out of the back-up position and convert our body to using it as a primary fuel source, the result is an extremely efficient weight loss and weigh maintenance programme.

What food is involved and why?
There are no calorie restrictions in the Atkins diet, so deciding on exactly what amounts of various foods to include in the menus is something of an arbitrary decision. Carbs to eat regularly include: apples, berries, cherries, grapefruit, oranges, peaches, pears, plums, green vegetables, onions, peppers, tomatoes, oatmeal, wheat bran, kidney beans, lentils, most nuts and seeds, milk, tofu and unsweetened soy products.

Carbs to eat in moderation include: apricots, grapes, kiwifruit, mangoes, melon, papaya, pineapple, carrots, peas, black-eyes beans, soy beans, peanuts, rye bread.

Carbs to eat sparingly include: bananas, fruit juice, prunes, raisins, sweet corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, white bread, white rice, pasta, pizza, cornflakes, ice cream (sweetened).

Benefits of low-carb eating
Dr Atkins’ low carb diet helps us to regulate insulin production and decrease circulating insulin; less insulin soon results in less fat storage and fewer food cravings. The diet is far from torturous though; those who have tried it attest that hunger is not a part of this plan.

Is exercise important on this diet?
Exercise is an essential part of Dr Atkins’ New Diet Revolution, as you are advised to take certain nutritional supplements including calcium and fiber.

How expensive is this diet?
Sugar, fat and grains are our cheapest foods, and those are exactly the food types htat these low-carb diet wants to eliminate or reduce significantly. Protein – in particular fish, chicken and meat – cost more than pasta and rice.

Roadmap
Atkins Nutritional Approach
The popularity of the Atkins diet lies in its four-phase eating regimen in tandem with a vitamin and mineral supplementation and regular exercise. It is based on a personalized eating plan which gives you the freedom to select the right food based on your need to achieve weight loss and maintenance along with enjoying good health and preventing disease.

Phase 1: Induction
Cut down on those carbs to 20 grams each day and get your daily dose from salad and other non-starchy vegetables.

Phase 2: Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL)
Add on the carbohydrates in the form of nutrient-dense and fiber-rich foods by increasing to 25 grams daily the first week, 30 grams daily the next week and so on until weight loss stops. Then subtract 5 grams of carbohydrates from your daily intake so that you keep your promise of sustained, moderate weight loss.

Phase 3: Pre-maintenance
Make the prudent transition from weight loss to weight maintenance by increasing daily carbs intake in 10-gram increments each week so long as very gradual weight loss is maintained.

Phase 4: Lifetime Maintenance
Gorge on a wide variety of foods while controlling carbohydrate intake to ensure weight maintenance.

Counting Carbs
These are some of the foods that contain food with 10% carbohydrates or less.
Meats – bacon, beef, calf liver, chicken, duck, ham, lamb, pork, sausage, steak
Fish – catfish, cod, herring, mackerel, salmon, sardine, snapper, trout, tuna
Shellfish – clams, crab, lobster, mussel, oysters, scallops, shrimp, squid
Daily – butter, cheese, cream, coffee, all egg, mineral water, mayonnaise, tea, water
Salads – alfalfa, sprouts, lettuce, celery, cucumber, mushrooms, olives, parsley, peppers, radish
Vegetables – asparagus, avocado, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery root, eggplant, onion, pumpkin, rhubarb, spinach, string or wax beans, tomato, turnips, water chestnuts, zucchini

Does it really work?
Since the inception of his first low-carb diet book in the 1970’s, Atkins’ books have sold over 15 million copies.

TGI Friday for more reasons than one
Atkins has partnered with TGI Friday’s restaurants to create mouth-watering menu items that meet the criteria of the Atkins Nutritional Approach.

Health Risk?
It has been claimed that people have suffered serious consequences under the Atkins diet. For one, extremely high protein diets, like Atkins, can lead to acidic urine. Acidic urine leaches calcium from the body which significantly increases one’s risk for osteoporosis and kidney stones.

Induction Diet
Depending on how much weight you need to lose, the induction phase lasts for a minimum of two weeks and a maximum of one year. You can generally expect to lose 10% of your excess weight during the first 14 days of induction.
For the first few days of induction, you will be withdrawing from sugar and caffeine. It will take 3-7 days for these substances to leave your system. During this time, you may find that withdrawal causes you to have headaches, diarrhea, nausea, “brain fog” (be careful driving), and muscle cramps. This is commonly referred to as “induction flu”. If you suffer from these symptoms take heart – they are very temporary. Soon, you will wake up with more energy than you’ve had in years, your moods will stabilize, and your hunger will disappear.

Books on the Subject
Dr Atkins’ Age-Defying Diet Revolution
Dr Atkins’ New Carbohydrate Gram Counter
Dr Atkins’ Quick & Easy New Diet Cookbook
Dr Atkins’ New Diet Revolution