It's a LoveFools affair!

With the head chef and the owner of The LoveFools Dinner Lab; Sarita Pereira.

On the first floor of Pereira House, which is located right opposite the grand Pali Village Café, is the newly opened The LoveFools Dinner Lab. This authentic dining space pays the perfect ode to the falling number of bungalows, carrying an old world charm, in the city. This joint's exclusive range of cuisines combined with its soothing décor make for the best ingredients for a perfect outing with a bunch of pals, a high-end corporate dinner or a cozy luncheon. The restaurant is very passionately referred to as ''a labour of love'' by Sarita Pereira, the owner and head chef of the eatery, who once worked as an advertising professional at a HR firm.

Food has always been seen as an extension of art, holding the power of celebrating various cultures through their traditional cuisines, by Sarita, who underwent rigorous training in food making under the tutelage of Nandu Jubany in Calldetenes, Spain. The LoveFools Dinner Lab was born out of Sarita's long-standing passion for all things culinary and her desire to go professional with this craft. Research and Development form the core concepts of this restaurant, which derives heavily from her need to literally provide an experience, that has an artistic pedigree to it, to all its visitors. Every meal is curated as per the preferences of those dining, while following a strict pattern of preparation.  The focus is as much on the finesse of the dish as it is on what goes into making it. Since an exclusive 8-course-meal is prepared based on the cuisine that is selected, be it a lavish Mediterranean spread or a typical Rajasthani fare, the bookings are taken a week prior to the day the reservation is made for.

The community table that seats 12-14 people at one time is the highlight of The LoveFools Dinner Lab. It is situated inside a cozy-looking cabin that is adorned with a wall with partially uncovered bricks, giving the cabin a very rustic charm. So elegant and cozy is the feel of the restaurant that one instantly gets tempted to make the place his/her home. The aesthetic appeal of this small dining joint is enough to lure food connoisseurs and people with a penchant for good living, alike, from all corners. One cannot miss noticing the window pane that finds a place exactly opposite the community table. A renowned Mumbai-based architect had been hired to oversee the task of bringing to life the restaurant that Sarita had envisioned. The head chef along with the sous chef, Swati Adhikari, have been very particular about the quality of the edible content that is served, and they believe in accurately weighing every bit of what is added to a serving. An example of their dedication toward their craft was palpable when they mentioned how they take 3 days to prepare caramelized onions, which must bear the perfect texture and retain authenticity in its taste.

Upon visiting this restaurant, you will be greeted by a book shelf that stocks an extensive range of books on food and the process of food-making. The restaurant also restores a little balcony that opens up to the hustle and bustle of Pali Naka, allowing one to take a drag or two and revel in the beauty of the location. What remains with you, long after you have left the place, is the experience that you have been treated to. Quite literally. You are assured of looking at food in a completely different manner, with your attitude toward food very willingly changing into that of a novice. I, for one, was hungover from the evening. Whether it was Hot Mozzarella, the highly palatable Bucol, the frozen popcorn or the oh-so-yummy Chocolate and Lemon ice-cream, every dish seemed hell-bent on making me burp all the way back home. I have been well fooled into loving The LoveFools Dinner Lab.



Picture credits: Aditi Deshpande

Leo or Virgo?

Over the last few days, a news story about how a new Zodiac sign has been discovered by the NASA scientists, because of which the Zodiac chart will undergo a change, has been doing the rounds. If this is true, then the Zodiac signs of a huge number of people should change. I, for one, who is quite a Zodiac aficionado, upon hearing the news, instantly took to assuming that all my existing personality traits would cease to remain the same.

Having been born a Virgo, a number of characteristics typical to this Zodiac sign have, over a period of time, started to seem relatable to me. And a handful of the traits that I have refused to assume the ownership of and have vehemently rejected have now faded away into oblivion, as far as I'm concerned. The perfection that a Virgo is associated with is one of the handful qualities that I'm still trying to contend with. Amidst all the ongoing struggle and being on the cusp of claiming to be a true Virgo, i wish to disprove the changed Zodiac chart. So much so that even before finding out the personality traits and qualities of a Leo, I, in no uncertain terms negated and dissociated myself from every quality that a Leo is known to possess. Until some time back, I was torn between my sun sign and moon sign. The reason being that every time I would beg to differ with a certain point or statement mentioned about my sun sign, I would switch over to my moon sign and find solace, while looking for qualities that, I think, describe me perfectly well. On the one hand, if a Virgo woman is known to be a nitpicker, who is known for her subdued charm and grace as much as for being usually detached, a Leo woman is known to be akin to a lioness; larger-than-life and extravagant.

Recently, I read an article in a leading news daily, that spoke about how some avid followers of Zodiac signs, after hearing about the apparent change in the Zodiac chart, have already believed that their trajectories are going to change and that their lives have started to look aimless. I, on the other hand, turned to the most reliable news sources to obtain the correct information, and at the same time thought about what to make of my Virgo-symbol tattoo. My tattoo, a replication of one of the Virgo symbols, has often been mistaken for my initials. As much as I shirked, before, every time someone pointed to my tattoo and linked it to my initials, the threat of having to sport an incorrect tattoo, and in my case, an obsolete one, made me rethink about what my tattoo actually signifies. A Leo woman, who is often known to embody a dramatic personality and talks nineteen to the dozen, is a far cry from a Virgo woman. But, till the time I don't get a final update on the status of the zodiac chart, for my sanity, I'm going to try and fit into the character of a Leo woman, in the ways that I can, just so that I can refer to them as an extension of my personality, if the need arises.

Till now I have played quite a safe game when it came to switching roles between being a zodiac fiend and thinking of zodiac signs to be nothing more than a mere past-time, with consummate ease. I have reached a stage where I've almost decided that the signs that are supposed to be good matches for a Virgo woman are actually going to be the ones that I'm going to turn to, and will form a proud association with whoever is in possession of those signs. On a positive note, I think I should, now, also consider the signs that supposed to be good matches for a Leo, along with those that are compatible to a Virgo, so that I can experience the best of both worlds and get to choose from a wider range of sun signs, while looking for a match for myself. Or better still, get a Leo-symbol tattoo.