Hello Guppy BKC Mumbai Interior Decor | Quirky Fun Colorful Vibrant Instagram Worthy | Lifestyle Photography

Walking in at Hello Guppy I had no idea on what to expect. Well, not only has it become one of my recent favorite foodie destinations in Mumbai, it is also a quirky, beautiful, vibrant place that deserves a full post on its brilliant interior decor. So without further ado, soak in its beauty here and read its full review HERE :)

You can also check out more interior decor posts HERE, HERE and HERE! A stroll through a mall or a 5 star luxury property, there is beauty everywhere to behold ♥

The Riverside Rose | Gorgeous French Cafe In Mumbai | Italian & Mediterranean Feast | Food Review | Food Photography

What can one possibly say about a place that is not only picture-perfect but also service-perfect and taste-perfect? Just a simple 'Go Here ASAP' should suffice. What follows hereafter is a long ode to my latest infatuation in Mumbai in terms of having great food in a great ambiance -The Riverside Rose. Was here with my sister a couple of days ago and we are both still high with happiness :D 

Situated right beside Hotel Sea Princess in Juhu, the ambiance makes it stand out instantly. From hustle and bustle of Mumbai to serene, elegant French ooh la la interiors in a jiffy! Mirrors, Chandeliers, pretty pastel shades all around transform this small place into wonderland. Definitely one of the most instagram friendly places in Mumbai :) Chirpy and classic French music in the background adds to the charm. Even their washroom is gorgeous! Clearly, a lot of care has gone into the decor. 

Usually, when first impressions are so good, what follows is disappointment. But not here. The owners themselves serve the customers, take feedback, crack jokes, keep the ambiance lively and basically become friends over the course of a meal :) And coming to food, everything we tried was LEGEN-wait-for-it-DARY kind of good :D They serve Tuscan style home-cooked Italian food, with European twists (no Indianization) and everything is made fresh from the scratch in their kitchen using real flavorful ingredients, no artificial flavors, no preservatives. 

So yes, prices are on the higher side, but keeping in mind the quality of food, the ambiance, the locality it is situated in, it feels completely worth it :) Quantity is good and 1 main course dish suffices for 1 hungry person easily. Since we wanted to review maximum dishes possible, we asked them to give us smaller portions (that is why pictures of some dishes will show less quantity) but then we loved everything so much that in the end we called for full portions :D

Started off with a slew of beverages-

FRENCH CHOCOLATE - sweet hot chocolate served with sea-salt & almond chocolate piece. You MUST take a bite of chocolate and immediately take a sip of this heavenly beverage, the sea salt in chocolate explodes on the tongue. Trust me, this one should not be missed! 

ORANGE LEMONADE -Extremely refreshing and subtle, perfect for hot afternoons, 

PEACH ICED TEA - After a looooooong time, had iced tea as good as this. They do not use artificial flavored packets to make this, rather it had the real brewed tea flavor (and the jolly owner happily gave us the complete recipe for the same too!)

Up next, we tried the soups-

WILD MUSHROOM SOUP - Concoction of Cremini, Portobello, Porcini mushrooms with Garlic Pesto,

GRANDMA'S HANDMADE TOMATO BASIL SOUP- Organic Tomatoes, Garlic Gloves & Crisp Basil, 

Both the soups full of flavor, freshness and that warm feeling of being fed lovingly by grandmom :) We slurrped them in a matter of seconds and were actually regretting asking for small portions :P But then, we had so much more to taste!

GARLIC TOMATO BRUSCHETTA - Crispy, loaded with juicy tomatoes, distinct flavor of garlic as well as olive oil,extremely scrumptious, my sister does not like this usually and here she gobbled down 2 before I could say STOP!

ITALIAN BUTTONS - Portobello Mushrooms baked in Italian Butter, infused with Cheese and Garlic sprinkled with Herbs. Mushroom lovers will adore this one... juiciest chunks of little mushrooms with so much cheese inside...Just add a dash of chilli flakes and oregano to make it spicier like we did.

FRESH FARM HUMMUS SANDWICH - Cheesy Hummus, Sundried Tomatoes, Farm Fresh Veggies & Lettuce Sandwich. Another instance where my sister does not usually prefer hummus but munched on this happily! The mix of hummus and cheese might not sound very appetizing at first but this is lip-smacking as none of the flavors overpower each other. Every bite is filled with crunchiness of veggies + wholesomeness cooling of hummus + ofcourse gooeyness of cheese, memory enough to make us salivate again :P

Coming to their star main courses, all of these are MUST-HAVE-

LASAGNA PARMIGIANA- Olive Oil infused Vegetables, Garlic, Cheese, Fresh Greens on the side, this one is different from usual lasagna as it is not overflowing with cheese or tomato sauce like most other places. Sure, I love the Indianized version too but this one is great. The vegetables pack a mean punch :)

SPINACH AND RICOTTA CANNELLONI- Big, Bold & Beautiful Pasta with Ricotta, Spinach, chunks of Tomatoes & served with side of fresh Arugula leaves. WE RE-ORDERED THIS! It is one of those dishes that nobody wants to share :D Even this one is not overflowing with cheese but the delicate balance of ricotta, spinach, tomatoes is so beautifully done, it is impossible to resist reordering it.

RIVERSIDE SPECIAL SIGNATURE PINK SAUCE PENNE - Perfect Cheesy rendition of Pasta, one of the best and most satisfying in Mumbai for sure.

And after all this feasting (over 3 hours of relaxing and chit-chat), we ended with beautiful desserts-

HAZELNUT PRALINE WITH FRESH STRAWBERRIES - The hard nutty chocolate volcano shaped exterior hides a soft core and strawberries in the middle, the kind of dessert that made us wish we had 4 extra stomachs :P 

8 LAYERED BELGIAN CHOCOLATE CAKE- Think of all forms of chocolate - brownie, pastry, mousse, praline, nuts, chips, caramel...now imagine all of them in every spoonful. That. Is. This. Enough said.

Left to our own devices, we would have gone back and reordered everything again :D But our lovely hosts suggested a round of green tea for a healthy end and we agreed. GREEN TEA ROSE had a very subtle but gorgeous rose flavor and made us calm. Couldn't have asked for a better ending to this lovely afternoon. Another trip here is in the making while I am writing this :)

Imagination Comes Alive At TiME TO 3D | 3D Printing Technology Hub | Future Is Here

Being a Big Bang Theory fan since a long time, 3D Printing is something I had heard about sporadically and filed it in the back of my mind as something I would probably never use. It is something for the rich, the ones with too much money and time on their hands, or just for some industrial use.

To be honest, I had no idea what it was really about. Neither did any of my friends (even the ones who proclaim themselves as hardcore nerds *eye roll*) 

'Umm, it prints big things...in 3 dimensions... shapes..maybe greeting cards..maybe doodles..uhhh' -This is exactly how most of our conversations went.

Imagine my surprise when I walk in to TiME TO 3D, India's first-of-its-kind 3D Printing Hub and find out that 3D Printing is for EVERYONE! Be it a student, an IT expert, an interior designer, a doctor, a tech enthusiast, AND, its applications, well they are limited just by our imagination. 

Imagine 3D printing jewellery. Or better still, imagine etching your beloved's voice on your engagement ring to make it one-of-a-kind, just like a gentlemen recently did.

Imagine prototyping of any kind. ANY! An interior designer can build a 3D model of a room to experiment on before the final touch-ups, an architect will build a 3D model of whatever designs he is confused about or wants to see in clear details, a fashion designer can build umpteen models of his creations before investing in his showstopper.

That's not all. Today this technology is so advanced that it is being used in medical field, whether it be in creating much lighter, much more durable fracture casts or titanium implants to be inserted inside the body or even 3D printing an entire part of the skull. Yup, it has actually happened!

Oh this is not all. A whole house has been 3D printed in Russian Siberian region. A. Whole. House. Ladies and Gentlemen, if this is not wizardry, I do not know what is!

Phew! Mind blown :D

So basically, this is a technology that prints in 3 Dimensions i.e. on x, y as well as z axis, adding layers upon layers and has been around for more than 3 decades, but it is only recently that mere mortals like you and I can also witness its near-magical properties in close proximity. India's largest 3D Printing Company IMAGINARIUM and Time Media Group have joined hands to bring us TiME TO 3D where anybody can walk in to:-

1- 3D Print Anything :D Bring in a digital file or make something here, let your imagination run wild. Butterfly, Teacups, Novelty items to gift your friends, a 3D printed guitar for the rockstar in your life..if you can imagine it, you can print it! Oh and a special mention for 3D Selfies, you have got to enjoy this session where your face is scanned live with iPad (attached to the wizardry machine of course :D) and then you get to spruce it up before getting a mini you in your hand, Voila!

2- Learn More! The folks here are super-chilled and super-wise. Even if you walk in with no idea about the concept, they will help you figure out how you can use it to enhance and enrich your life :) What's more, they offer several certified workshops and courses for anybody who is interested, these can even be customized for large batches or special events!

3- Doodle Away :) 3D Doodling uses a special pen to create solid plastic objects in front of your eyes. The pleasure of being a child again, this in my opinion, is a must-have session here. We made Elephant's bum, what will you make? :D

4- Take Advantage of their Commercial offerings - As explained before, every industry be it arts, architecture, engineering, medical, automobile, dental or any other, can use 3D Printing for stunning results. You might wanna impress your college professor by creating a 3D prototype for a project and get extra grades too, why not!

5- Celebrate an occasion *Scream with Joy* Make your next birthday party special with the help of hands-on doodling, selfie sessions, create personalized goodies to cherish, brings ideas to life, maybe even get certified in a couple of courses...

6- AND Buy It ALL! When you fall in love with the idea and the execution, maybe you want to own a 3D Doodle pen and maybe even a 3D Printer, fret not, these guys have taken care of it too. Have a chit-chat with the friendly folks here and they will suggest the best solutions for your needs, again, Voila!

So much fun, under one roof..where were you TiME TO 3D when I was in college? :P No worries, I have got a ton of ideas waiting to be brought to life and TiME TO 3D is where I will be spending quite some time soon. BAZINGA :D

Rub Shoulders With International Legends At Red Carpet Wax Museum | R City Mall Mumbai | Travel Tales

Having grown up reading about the wonders of Madame Tussauds in London & elsewhere, it had always been a cherished dream of mine to visit it and get a selfie clicked with the awesome life-like statues of global personalities there. The whole idea itself is so interesting. Celebrities from all walks of life, immortalized in wax, making them both dreamy as well as accessible to the masses. Kudos to the originator of this idea! But traveling abroad is not within everyone's reach. I know I have to wait quite some time before I can plan a dream vacation abroad. So does that mean my dream remains unfulfilled?

Absolutely not! This is where the good folks at R City Mall and the brains behind Red Carpet Wax Museum come to our rescue. Now we do not need to travel halfway across the world to appreciate global celebrities and legends in their waxed up avatars. Situated on 1st floor of South Wing at R City Mall, Ghatkopar West, Mumbai is Red Carpet Wax Museum, the brand new must-visit destination in Mumbai, something to charm kids and adults alike.

It took a good 5 years to bring this place to life and the results are stunning. From the grand entry that literally rolls out the red carpet for everyone, to the amazing staff that helps us get acquainted with our surroundings, to the true-to-life-effect of each statue and the innovative ambiance for us to get clicked at, it is an experience to savor. 

The entrance is akin to good old Golden Globes or Oscars, with blinding lights and array of photographers making us feel special, replete with a lovely welcoming lady (made of wax,ofcourse and vaguely resembling a young Hillary Swank) and a special Red Carpet Selfie Point. Thereafter comes the wave of global personalities from politics, philanthropy, religion, science, entertainment, sports, right from Mother Teresa, Anna Hazare, Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs to Harry Potter, Brad & Angelina, Lionel Messi, Saina Nehwal and John Cena! Whoa, that is some list indeed :D Each statue takes 4-6 months to complete and has been meticulously created by International craftsmen, no wonder it really looks like these can breathe and walk and talk at any moment!

It is not just the statues that take one's breath away. It is the little special touches that matter more :) First, every personality has its own dedicated little kiosk and accessories. So Barack Obama is standing behind a podium, just like a powerful politician making a speech while The Pope is standing in front of a 3-D church interiors wallpaper, Nelson Mandela is comfortable in a reading room and Steve Jobs seems to be unveiling the next big Apple product. It instantly makes us also feel a part of their lives :) 

Secondly, there are special accessories that we can use to pose and click photos with them. So put on a crown to stand right beside Queen Elizabeth or don a wizard's robe + hat and pose with Harry Potter. Albert Einstein looks on amusingly while we don special hats with bulbs on top while Michael Jackson screams happily while we pose with a guitar right by his side :D

And thirdly, there are hidden surprises, such as a sleeping watchman opposite Obama. It literally looks like a man has fallen asleep and it is only when we went near it that we realized it was a wax statue! There are 3-D paintings and more, suffice to say there is no reason for anybody to miss this fantastic place.

As Neil Armstrong famously said, 'One small step for man, one huge step for mankind', I believe this place also puts forward a small but significant step in providing something innovative + entertaining for us all. Each one of us have different favorites, so I am sure at the end of the tour everyone would feel like their personal hero should also get represented here (my sister reallllly wants SRK here, and to be honest, so do I :D) but ofcourse, it is not possible to include 1000 wax statues at one place! I find the selection here really well thought out and perfectly executed. Steve Jobs, Saina Nehwal, Albert Einstein were my personal favorites and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. Priced at Rs. 300 for weekdays and Rs. 400 for weekends (and there are discounts/offers too), it is oh-so-worth-it and here is to looking forward to flourishing times with the Red Carpet Wax Museum :)

Do check out their website! 

Photo Credits : Loud Frames Photography