This place has grown with me. Or, rather, I grew up with it. I dined here with my parents, dated my boyfriend in its many restaurants, got married in its lush green lawns. I have fond memories of this, one of the city’s premier heritage properties.

So when I heard that the Taj group has launched a brand new Indian restaurant with a contemporary twist from the signature Masala brand, I made a beeline here with my brand new husband.

Masala Klub, the elegant 108-seater restaurant, stands next to a 120-year-old tamarind tree and serves up heavenly Indian fare, without the heavy oils and overpowering spices. Olive oil is the cooking medium, and masalas judiciously complement and recreate flavours in international cooking styles.

We began with Chef Hemant Oberoi’s signature paperwali machchi (fish fillet drizzled with fresh-ground peppercorns enveloped in paper and chargrilled without oil). Superb. Then we tried to make up our minds between a la carte and five fixed-menu choices. Since the fish had whetted our appetites so, we opted for the pre-decided menu: A choice of three starters (Trendy recco: prawn hoppers), three vegetarian/non-vegetarian choices (Trendy recco: chilgoza fali, stringless green beans with roasted pine nuts for vegetarians and murg khatta pyaaz, chicken with pickled onions, and dum ki nalli, lamb shanks in a curry, for non-vegetarians). The hot phulkas, fresh off the trolley, were the perfect accompaniment, and we ended the meal with masala chai kulfi, a blend of cream, chai and cardamom.

If the husband and I weren’t so into each other, we’d have opted for the Masala Studio, which allows the diner to engage with the chef as he prepares your meal. Masala Grill is yet another innovation, since you can supervise your own grills at the stone-grill tables.

I could grow some more with the Taj.

Masala Klub, The Taj West End, Race Course Road, Bangalore 1. Tel: 66605660. A la carte main courses start at Rs 450 (veg), Rs 650 (non-veg). Fixed menus start at Rs 2,000 (veg) and Rs 2250 (non-veg). Masala Studio individual chairs near the interactive kitchen start at Rs 2500.

Okay, so I love places that are rich in silk and sushi. But I’ll save them for girly nights out. I can’t expect my male buddies to always indulge my love for luxe. So, once in a while, I let them have it their way and take me to one of their dreary dives.

Last weekend, I dressed down and did the ol’ diva eye-roll and went along with them to Bootleggers. At first glance, this old-new watering hole (it was Hawaiian Shack’s Colaba branch in its last avatar) was just as I expected it’d be — roughly-finished, brick walls and dim lighting. The decor comprised scattered barrels, B&W pictures and adverts on the walls, a gramophone and a huge clock behind the bar. Straight out of an old-town bar in a film set in the 1920s US mid-West! I could just picture the gangsters and the sudden shoot-outs.

Fortunately, the cheesiness stopped there. And the fun started as they pumped up the volume of the music, a heady mix of classic rock to jazz, hip-hop and pop. Something for my band of boys (Nirvana) and something for me (Justin Timberlake). The air-conditioning was good and the general feel of the place turned out to be far less seedy than the name suggests. Famished as I was, I found the starters — typical alco-accompaniment fare — a bit limited. But the drinks were well-made and I lip-smacked my way through an innovative Supari Martini — a classic martini garnished with betelnut.

Not bad for a guy place. Maybe we can get them to play Dancing Queen the next time we’re there. And add a few colourful throw cushions too.

Bootleggers, Pipewala Building, 4th Pasta Lane, Colaba; Tel: 22020455; Open seven days a week from 7.30 pm to 1.30 am; Prices: A pint of beer is priced a little over Rs 100, cocktails start from Rs 200 and starters are Rs 100 and up.

There’s a lot in common between Delhi’s favourite med lounge Shalom and every girl’s favourite series of stories, spun by a princess called Scheherazade!

For one thing, both succeed by dint of simplicity. For another, both have fans coming back for more. And third, pleasant surprises seem part of the parcel — every time you think it couldn’t get better.

So just when you had the GK-I Shalom’s sisters popping up as far afield as Goa, it’s back to home base. Another peaceful place, in another happening colony — not too far from the Priya/Basant Lok complex, but in a quieter spot.

This new piece of peace (’Shalom’) is a tad smaller — just the one floor. But what it loses in double-height drama, it makes up for in cosiness. A sunny corner by the windows is lined in Turkish blue — very relaxing for afternoon gup-shup. For evening lounging, we prefer the low-lit sunken seats facing the bar — which actually looks cooler than the old Shalom’s!

Speaking of bars, our drink of choice is a season-worthy watermelon caipiroshka. With? Well, arguably, this was the joint that made ‘mezze’ de rigueur in Delhi. Until sushi came along. Now I bite the best of both worlds — a quintet of temaki-style ‘Arabic sushi’! That’s baba ghannouj and grilled paneer, lamb, poultry and fish stuffed, with spiced rice, in a lettuce-lined nori cone. Next round: Arabic dhows — potato “balls” with curd-cheese centres, served on a ‘hull’ of fruity tabbouleh, with lavash sails stuck in minted labneh. Next up: Dubai duck. Cousin of the Peking darling, sweetly perfumed with the spices of Arabia, served with flatbreads and lemon-honey-apricot sauce. Roll your own entertainment, and eat it too!

Sweetest ending: Rose petal-sprinkled pistachio mahlabiya with orange cookies ; the dry-fruit-dressed lemon tart is a refreshing alternative.

Can’t wait to come back for the next chapter and verse!

Shalom, D-4, D-Block Market, Vasant Vihar; Ph: 9871188084. Cocktails Rs 300-500 each; Just eats for two Rs 1,500 (without drinks).

I’m a Carrie. That’s what the online quiz told me. But I would have known anyways because I’m a writer, a slave to fashion, a sucker for love, and a SATC addict!

Carrie Bradshaw is back with sidekicks Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha — this time on the big screen and opening this Friday.

I can just hear the theme song now: Bum bada dada da da da doodoo doodoo doodoo doodoo doodoo.

And after a sneak peek, I can promise that the Sex and the City movie will satisfy that craving you’ve had ever since you watched the final episode where Mr. Big followed Carrie out to Paris to tell her she was the one for him.

Now Big’s back in Carrie’s life — this time with a proposal. Carrie’s response: she doesn’t want an engagement ring. Just a really big closet!

Our favourite foursome are stretched through more dramatic break-ups and make-ups than were possible in a half-hour episode. But one thing holds true – life is always better when you have your best pals around. And the bonds of girlfriendship are stronger than ever.

Set in the glorious New York City (with side trips to Los Angeles and Mexico), the fabulous four’s adventures are punctuated with their usual outrageous outfits (watch for a to-die-for Vivian Westwood wedding gown), luxe accessories galore, and plenty of Manolo Blahniks to ogle and wish lived in your closet.

PS — A tip for all those male friends of Trendy: If you’re looking for all the girls this weekend, they’re going to be at the multiplex. And they’re likely to exit the theatre seeking a Mr. Right to join them for a cosmopolitan!

Sex and the City, in theatres nationwide Friday June 6.

There’s a new route to the Mediterranean coast for Gurgaon-wallahs. And it’s shorter than the drive to Delhi!

Long-time favourite Azzurro (of the PVR Saket complex) has appeared in a friendly neighbourhood avatar at DLF City, Gurgaon. It’s much the most spacious eatery in this local market. The toniest too — two floors of chrome and sea-green glass, white napery and blond wood furniture. (Trendy tip: The upstairs is the more attractive level.)

The thin-crust pizzas we love at Azzurro-the-Elder continue to crackle at Azzurro-the-Younger. I highly recommend the juicy, tangy sundried tomatoes and two kinds of olives. The Parma ham remains a classic. But beware their bread basket — because the bottle of fab extra virgin olive oil makes it easy to empty! Also try the excellent hummus topped with lamb and caramelized onions — scoop up with pita.

Calorie-conscious palates will be well satisfied by pan-grilled sole with zucchini risotto — theirs is a not-very-creamy version, engaging the tooth — with rocket and a pesto-style spinach sauce. A wellness star for body and mind, bringing sea and summer breezes of the gentle Med climes.

But currently, the piece de resistance is frozen in place for our own sweltering June. To celebrate this new addition to the family, both outlets have a semifreddo festival on all this month — creamy cold desserts that are cousins to ice cream, minus the brain-freeze factor (because they’re only “semi-frozen”). The luscious flavours had me going eeny-meeny-miny-mo for a good quarter of an hour: raspberry, blueberry, mango, chocolate, vanilla, caramel. With a crunch-munch topping for texture.

Three scoops later, I’m all chilled out.

Azzuro, 147 & 148, The Shopping Mall, Arjun Marg, DLF Phase 1, Gurgaon; Ph: 95124-4289254/5, Meal for two: Rs 1,400.

Dolling up my feet has always been my fetish, so when I heard about this unusual brand called KAN shoes that’s got everyone from Sushmita Sen to Tabu charmed, I hotfooted it to the store to check out the latest range. Handcrafted footwear that suits all feet and all styles — now where else do you get that?

With the help of specialists and talented craftsmen, Neomy the designer of this collection has managed to juxtapose fabrics, leather and faux leather with jewels, embroidery and embellishments into chic and classy footwear. Following international trends, they have gladiators, open toes, slingbacks, strappy and jewelled slides in yellows, ambers and metallics. Also, the colours of summer like sky-oranges, lemons, pinks, and blues form the base of this collection, making it bright, pretty and feminine.

The one thing that really impressed me was the Kolhapuris in bright satins and metallic hues, lines with jewelled golds and silvers. Perfect for my best friend’s sangeet or even a swish poetry reading. What they call the Sharmila, a gladiator sandal with an Indian touch, is my personal fave and just perfect for this season. One of their most popular styles is the Payal — in which there’s an actual silver anklet around the ankle. But the most innovative is the Miniature, where they’ve incorporated the most darling miniature paintings into the design. KAN also offers a ‘create your own’ option, where you can go wild and design your own.

Talk about creativity at your feet!

KAN shoes. Price: Rs 1,500-4,000.
Delhi: Samsaara at E-21, New Delhi South, Extension Market, Part II, New Delhi - 110049, and GF-25, West Gate Mall, Raja Garden, New Delhi - 110015.
Mumbai: Aza, 21, Altamount Road, Below Kemps Corner Flyover, Next to BE: Mumbai 400036, Tel: 23530212. Ensemble, Bandra (W). Zoya, Gulistan A Ground Floor, off Turner Road, D’Monte Park Road, Bandra (West), Mumbai. Telephone: 26420888.
Bangalore: Evoluzione, 11 Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore GPO, Bangalore; Tel: 080-51121089.
Also a special collection: Signatures by KAN at nationwide METRO Shoe stores.

The summer’s drained me of every remaining ounce of energy my pooped body can summon up. Fortunately, while I’m waiting for the Rain Gods to smile on me, I’ve found something that can add that much-needed spring in my step.

It’s Passion Yoga, newly introduced at Moksh. Now, before your mind races at the suggestive name, be warned not to expect steamy, gyrating sessions on bright mono-hued mats.

Yogi Shiv Kumar, who’s helped Shilpa Shetty stay svelte, gives traditional yoga a tangy twist. Gone are the slow stretches, lazy asanas, conscious meditation and conventional pranayama. Instead, bodies groove to peppy, instrumental numbers in a slightly heated room. Surya namaskars, integrated in quick succession, with at least 10 different asanas that I barely even recognise at that manic pace which doesn’t leave me time to breathe, let alone think.

As I sweat it out with nine others through veerbhadrasana, natraj asana, trikone asana, nauka asana and half a dozen more, I’m stretching muscles I seem to be getting introduced to for the first time. The circulating energy helps tone and flex my body and, I don’t know whether it’s thanks to Yogi Shiv’s words or the Passion Yoga itself, but I do feel my chakras getting energized too.

The class ends with the chanting of Om, and while leaving, I realise how, despite the slightly sore limbs, the hour-long session has undeniably lifted my spirits and refreshed my mind. On the way out, I ask Yogi Shiv why we didn’t meditate. Amused, he asks me what meditation is. I reply that it’s the closing of the mind to all thoughts. “And were you left with any time or energy to think at all?” he asks rhetorically, before packing off.

Enlightenment, here I come.

Passion Yoga at Moksh, The Wellness Place: 75 Bhulabhai Desai Road, Opposite the American Consulate, Mumbai; Tel 022-23676990, 022-23610221; Cost: Rs 562 for a one-hour session, Rs 2,247 for a month (classes thrice a week) and Rs 5,618 for three months (classes thrice a week).

MSD. SRK. JPG. For the most droolworthy of men, I think initials pack as much of a punch as their full names. But, while M S Dhoni, Shah Rukh Khan and Jean-Paul Gaultier will be my arm candy only in my dreams, I can now swing some as-coveted initials from my shoulders. Louis Vuitton has just set up shop in Bangalore and he — or his eponymous brand — doesn’t need a middle name.

The world’s leading luxury brand, the Louis Vuitton store oozes French style from the word go: It’s tough to make out if the products highlight Peter Marino’s signature architecture or the store design complements the covetables on display. Bags, in every conceivable colour and design. Eyewear, in shapes and sizes. And shoes that I fell instantly in love with.

My first ogle-stop, though, were the Beverly bags. Just launched in Paris, these roomy yet oh-so-elegant bags come in the signature LV monogrammed leather with the guarantee of pumping up my style quotient. And if the Beverly’s for all seasons, the totes — summer-soft shades of pink, mauve and mocha and creamy white slings — are right-here-right-now. I saw it and began to fantasize about being in the Caribbean with one of these holding my sunblock and sarong.

The sun reminds me: The eyewear range, OMG. I picked up the hip wraparounds with cool, cool pink shades. And, at the cost of going over-the-top, the hot pink pair of LV clogs. Paired with a cool white broderie anglaise dress, I’m sure to wow the pool party.

Who’s looking for arm candy, then?

Louis Vuitton, 22-24 UB City, 24, Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore 1. Tel: 42460000. Prices: Accessories are Rs 9000 upwards, bags are Rs 15000 upwards.