You’re the trailblazer. You discover, others follow. Only, there hasn’t been anything new in a bit, even when it comes to culinary escapades.

Nooba. Say it slowly, Trendy gals, letting the word roll off the tip of your tongue, just like the super-smooth noodles at this chic new eatery. As their funky line goes ‘oodles of noodles, shmoodles of style’.

Enter this 80-seater eatery, and let the bright red upholstery act as an instant mood booster. The short, crisp menu lays it all out — soups, dimsums, noodle bowls, fried rice bowls, pan fried noodles and the noodle soup bowl, each dish a meal in itself. The Fresh Shrimp Crystal Dumplings have sinfully thin layers. The Chong Qing Spicy Chicken gets its flavour from whole red chillies. Follow that up with the Shrimp Fried Noodles in Chilly Garlic Sauce. Each dish is a discovery: the spice levels and the sauces are just right.

The chefs are Chinese — Nooba is from the well-regarded China Club stable — and can’t understand English, so it’s better to understand what sauce you are ordering to prevent it from turning out a tad too spicy. Or worse, too bland.

Come alive to excitement of the new, again.

Nooba, Building 8, Tower C, Cyber City, DLF — II, Gurgaon. Ph: 0124 - 4147889. Meal for two: Rs 500-700.

Theobroma sees you at their tables so regularly, they’re wondering whether to give you an employee name tag. The Chocolate Lounge menu and the Marine Plaza sweets buffet have you begging for more variety. If you’re the quintessential ‘what’s for dessert?’ person, you’ll know there are few quality places you can hone in to without your tastebuds complaining of the ‘been there, done that’ sensation.

Executive Chef Ananda Solomon has seized on this situation and created a brand new crepe station and mini-dessert buffet at the stylishly revamped Sugar’n'Spice. Curl your tongue around rum-and-raisin with flecks of choco chip; caramelised banana topped with shavings of macadamia nut; or candied orange peel fringed with honeyed tones. All wrapped in the lightest, most delicate French crepes this side of the Seine.

Our Trendy Taster favoured the fruity golden peach-and-pear creation with a generous honey drizzle. A more conventional sweet tooth? Choose from more than five varieties of sugar-dusted chocolate-choked brownies and heaving heaps of mini-doughnuts.

Your other haunts will wonder what became of their most dedicated desserter.

Sugar n Spice, Taj President, 90, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai; Tel: 6665 0808; Price: Rs 243 per person (inclusive of taxes); Timing: 3 pm to 11 pm.

Backdrops. They make all the difference. Listen to a plaintive flute on the iPod. Now close your eyes and imagine the same strains wafting across medieval monoliths under an open sky.

At the Hampi Utsav, though, you need to keep your eyes wide open. The ruins of the capital of the 14th century Vijayanagara kingdom add a superior dimension to the performances of 1,000-odd artistes, including flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia. Spread across six different venues over three days, the festival has lined up rural sports, treasure hunts, seminars and exhibitions during the day and stage performances post-sundown.

Forget WWF. Watch age-old rural wrestling. Sample authentic south Indian food from master chefs whose lineage goes back many generations. Go on a 10-hour heritage walk across the World Heritage Site. Lend your eyes and ears to the light and sound show at the elephant stables of the Virapaksha temple.

Tune in to the mellifluous ghazals of Hariharan on November 3, followed by Chaurasia’s recital. Watch entranced as a Yakshagana troupe takes centrestage on November 5.

Share the limelight.

Hampi Utsav. From November 3-5.Catch a private or KSTDC bus from Majestic to Hospet (fares: Rs 380 and 300 respectively) and hire a cab/auto to complete the 315km journey. Or drive down Tumkur Road-Hiriyur-Bellary Road to Hampi. For accommodation, check www.karnatakatourism.org/hampi_where_stay.htm. Entry free to all performances.

You compare every mojito to your Shalom fave. You have a hard time forgetting the sadly-closed Laidbackwaters’ signature toxin, painted Curacao blue. Which is why you’ll love the potions at Glo, Dhiraj Arora’s newest lounge bar.

Stars and suns shine out of the ceiling. Light spills up the walls behind the comfy tan couches. And there’s a whole range of wine and spirits. But it’s the signature cocktail — Glo — that outshines them all. Its bright orange slices in glassy pale liquid (a mix of three white spirits, peach and orange liqueurs and lemonade) packs a knockout citrus punch. Perfectly foiled by spinach and feta boreks — Arabian phyllo pastry parcels are endearingly reminiscent of our humble samosa, but oh-so-chic in size and stuffing, with a paprika sauce that’s pure shayari.

Also check out that bite-of-the-moment — chicken lemongrass skewers. Patatas bravas, done Indian-ishtyle, are crowd-pleasers for their tikka-esque straightforwardness. Plates of paper prawns seem to move as fast as lightning alongside Bhuvan’s Levitation — a heady crimson combo of Bombay Sapphire with pomegranate pearls floated in their own juice, muddled with brown sugar in lemonade and rimmed with celery salt.

You’ll light up mellow after a glassful of Glo.

Glo by Shalom, The Metropolitan Hotel, Bangla Sahib Road, New Delhi; ph: 42500200; www.hotelmetdelhi.com. Cocktails from Rs395; snacks from Rs 375.

This one’s for the fairer sex. Of us women, by us women and for us women. For the last 20 years, the IMC Ladies Wing’s Women Entrepreneurs annual pre-Diwali sale has wowed shopaholics. We know you’ve been waiting for the two-day treat with credit cards on go.

Up for grabs: A wide range of designer fashion, accessories, jewellery, lifestyle products and home accents. What’s more, you get to choose from the most cutting edge designs and products, for this exhibition also doubles up as a platform for indie women entrepreneurs to showcase their imaginative talent.

Our Trendy Shopaholic scoped out this year’s must-haves: Malini Agarwalla’s metal mesh and animal-print velvet bags; Milauni Parikh’s custom-made jewelled watches; and Kanan Chandra and Nirali Mehta’s garments (their fabrics were specially sourced from China, so you won’t find two of the same pieces here).

The collective creativity of 55 women entrepreneurs from across the country, carefully chosen by a panel comprising an interior designer, textile aficionado, women’s magazine editor, financial advisor and even a wellness consultant, to ensure quality and a certain aesthetic.

Woman power at its best. You know you want in on it.

At Taj President, 90, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai; Tel: 6665 0808; On Oct 31 11am-9pm and Nov 1 10.30am-6pm; Garments: Rs 1000-6000; Accessories: Rs 800-2000; Precious jewellery: Starting from Rs 35,000; Costume jewellery: Rs 200-3000.

There are Friday dos where your polka-dotted hairband and smock can get you oohs-and-aahs. There are Saturday night parties where your glitzy chiffon off-shoulder gets even the girls a-swooning. And there are Sunday brunches where your crisp linens and country laces go well with your g&t. But are there a few events where you’d like to be dressed, erm, a bit sophisticated and grown-up and posh-aunty-types?

Ta-dah! We have an answer to that too. Ravina’s. A tony li’l store that carries all things sophis. Especially li’l kurtis. In chiffons and silks. With fine Zardozi and Ari work, shimmery beads entwined with fine gold and silken threads. All skilfully created with a traditional eye for detail and design. There’s even an in-store tailor to ensure a perfect fit.

Super-short kurtis with wispy dupattas to match and short kurtis with beads and heavy necklines perfect for shoulder-dusters. And romantic lehengas teamable with a choli — or a casual ganji.

Ravina’s also has tiny clutch bags and even a range of causal day-wear chikankari or kantha tops.

Cause, girl, you’ll be a woman soon.

Ravina’s, 77, Ulsoor Road , Bangalore. Ph: 25598032, 98440 34500. Prices start at Rs 300 for plain short tops, Rs 1000 for embroidered ones.

There’s nothing quite as satisfying as slipping into a snugly fitting, well crafted pair of denims. It gives you an instant boost.

At Tarini Jindal’s new store, Muse, they recognise the need for couture jeans that are a cut above the mass brands. Seven for all Mankind, Citizens of Humanity, Paige, Made in Heaven and Rock and Republic are the ones you’ve been hoping to shimmy into for ever so long. Now, step into real A-list fashion from the world’s style capitals, minus the flying fatigue.

Set in an old heritage building in a tiny lane, this three-storeyed wonder of a designer superstore will make time fly while you visit. Each floor, with its sophisticated chandeliers, wooden flooring and floor-to-ceiling mirror, brings its own special something to the shopping experience at Muse. At ground level: accessories and an unusual collection of coffee table books on fashion, lifestyle and home. On level two: just jeans. Level three: contemporary wear by the most eclectic international brands.

Our Trendy Shopaholic reccos shades designed by the tres chic Mrs Beckham, swimwear from DVF (Diane Von Furstenberg) and Hussein Chalayan’s hot-selling tees. And these are just a few of over 60 brands that the store carries.

Go on, grab those grungy, skinny-leg, big-buck jeans before someone else does.

Muse, 46 VB Gandhi Marg, Kalaghoda, Mumbai; Tel: 22623133; Prices: Jeans start at Rs 7,000, accessories at Rs 4,500 and books at Rs 1500.

You fell in love, were wooed in style, proposed to on bended knee. Now you’re shopping for rings. But Cupid’s played naughty: you’ve fallen in love again — with an Elizabeth Gage exquisiosity in a fashion glossy.

Trendy trousseau-seekers, head west. Where Kathana Jewellers do a doppelganger of that diamond dazzler you covet. They even engrave it with his special nickname for you, no trouble. To complete the bling box, their designer thinks up vintage-inspired or of-the-minute trinkets — chunky cocktail sets, ethereal necklets, snazzy bracelets — just for you.

Customise without paying a premium for the privilege — your unique piece costs less than those off-the-shelf: when you commission, Kathana’s Surat office gets the gems, then sets pronto (2 weeks) — no inventory carried equals lower overheads, a benefit the owners are nice enough to pass on.

We saved the best for last. Their in-stock jewellery boasts a 30-day money-back guarantee, unprecedented in India. Second thoughts? Cash or store credit — to the exact paisa you paid — your choice.

That should put the sparkle back in your eyes.

Kathana Jewellers, 165, Kapil Vihar, Pitampura (near Kohat Enclave metro station); ph: 27353489/4284; www.kathana.in, kathanajewellers.blogspot.com. Mondays closed. Prices: Rings from Rs 25,000; earrings from Rs 8,000; necklace/pendant sets from Rs 15,000; bangles from Rs 50,000.

Bright hoops. Bling beads. And bangles that carry plastic rainbows in them. You’re just doing this cause the fashion mag told you, right? We know the true you still loves her silver.

And the latest outlet of the Jaipur-based Amrapali makes you fall in love with silver all over again. And with gold, uncut rubies and precious stones. And age-old designs that made Rajput princesses sigh collectively. Today, they do that to JLo and Beyonce.

Peek into the glass-enclosed cupboards and get all dreamy-eyed at the array of ethnic jewellery. Some enamelled, some inspired by the Rajputs and Toda and Bonda tribes, and some starkly contemporary.

Necklaces that cling to your neck in all their glory, bracelets that delicately clasp slender wrists, jhumkas that shine brighter than your eyes, eardrops that kiss petal soft ear lobes and a whole range of rings in uncut stones and traditional designs.

Amrapali is named after a beautiful courtesan, whose mystique, grace and drop-dead good looks were inspirational. You’ll feel her presence after stepping in.

Amrapali Jewels, Collage, 21, Ground Floor, ‘Horizon’ Building, Wood Street, Bangalore - 560025. Ph: 25361130. Email: amrapaliblr@gmail.com. Prices start at Rs 150 and go on till Rs 2 lakh.

It’s that time of the year again. Delhi’s days are dramatically shorter. You air your light-weight Jaipuri razais, and colourful bandhini shawls. And get set for the high season.

It’s also the time when Nehru Park comes joyously alive to the sound of music. The setting is perfect, as the evening blossoms let out their fragrance, dusk darkens to night, and you sit on chairs, or sprawl on the grass, and lose yourself to the magic of some of India’s greatest musicians.

Trendy lets you in on three fabulous concerts, up next.

Oct 28: Ashwini Bhide, one of the most original, brilliant interpreters of her school of gayaki, the Jaipur Atrauli gharana. Hariprasad Chaurasia: think of the bansuri, and you think Hariprasad, world-renowned flautist.

Nov 17: U Srinivas: his mastery of the Carnatic raagdari and laykaari on the mandolin is unmatched. Shubha Mudgal: avant garde voice of her generation, her full-throated voice, which straddles pop and classical with equal ease, blows you away.

Dec 1: Ulhas Kashalkar: mellifluousness personified, the seamlessness of his singing has a truly spiritual quality. Krishan Maharaj: one of the grand old masters of the Hindustani tabla, he’s influenced several well-known tabla players in the current generation.

Sublime.

Nehru Park, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi. All concerts start at 6 pm. Presented by SPICMACAY and NDMC.